Silent Snow: Tales from Ancient Ieda 01

by Sarah Thomie

  “What was that about?” Raven took a sip from his waterskin.

  “She wants to bed Lynx,” I told him.

  He choked on the water he was drinking. “What? Is she the reason Lynx has been daydreaming since yesterday?” He put his waterskin into his back bag.

  “Could be. She likes his lean muscles, and the fact he is not as tall as the rest of you. She might even like talking with him, since she asked that he escort her to the Earth Clan’s village.”

  He laughed as we left the Moon Clan’s village. We walked through the forest in companionable silence, just listening to the forest life before they bed down for the winter.

  “Do you think it will start snowing soon?” he asked.

  “I hope not. I would rather be back in our own village before anything hits.” I gave him a sly look. “And I am sure Xerinae wants you back as well, or she will get too cold at night.”

  “She radiates heat like the cooking fires, so if anything, she warms my bed.”

  “I will make sure she hears about that,” I teased him.

  “I will toss you into the river, if you do,” he teased back. “Then again, you might like that because then you get to snuggle up to Wolf even more.”

  We entered the Water Clan’s territory, the former Clan of Viper and his partner. We kept our hands away from our weapons, so they knew we were not a threat. Warriors came down to us. “Why are you here?”

  I spoke up. “We bring news for a woman in your village. I will only speak to the woman who was raped by a warrior named Viper.”

  The lead warrior looked between the two of us, then motioned his men to grab us.

  I pushed the Snow Cat down, not wanting to fight yet.

  “Does this City Elf speak for you? Why does she wear the clothes of the Moon Clan’s Enforcer?” He looked to Raven.

  “She is our Enforcer’s Second, as such I defer to her. We are not here to cause trouble. We only want to deliver news then return home.”

  The lead warrior reassessed me. “This tiny creature is the Moon Clan Enforcer’s Second? How can that be?”

  I smiled. “It had to be my cute looks and tiny demeanor.”

  Raven scowled. “Let us deliver our message, and she might give you a demonstration on how she became that rank.”

  “The woman will not want to talk to you about Viper,” he said.

  My voice went cold. “I do not need for her to talk about him. I need her to listen to how he died at my hands.”

  “She killed him?” The lead warrior looked between Raven and me.

  “From what I was told, she tore him apart,” Raven told him.

  The lead warrior turned to his warriors. “Bring them. The Elder will know what to do.”

  They bound our hands with rope and led us to their village. I had to run a few times to keep up with their ground-eating steps. One of the warriors ended up just picking me up because I kept falling behind. We entered a village that looked like our own when the warrior dropped me onto the ground. I rolled and popped back up, grateful Howling Wolf worked with me on that.

  The Elder, a woman, came out of her large building. “What did you bring?”

  “Two members of the Moon Clan, Honorable Elder. The City Elf claims she killed Viper, while the Moon Clan warrior agrees with her,” the lead warrior told her.

  “Come forward, City Elf.”

  I stepped up to the Elder but kept far enough away to make sure the warriors would not get antsy. “Yes, Honorable Elder?”

  “Did you kill Viper?”

  “Yes, Honorable Elder, though I killed him before I knew that he raped someone. I wish to talk with the woman, so she knows how he died. I also want to give assistance to her to help her heal.” I moved the thick black leather and Snow Cat pelt to show her my scars. She walked up and touched them gently. “I know what she has been through, so I came here to give her peace in knowing that he will never harm another,” I told the Elder in a soft voice.

  She removed her fingers from my skin and touched my face. “If I sense any trickery, I will have my warriors tear your Wood Elf apart, before killing you.”

  “There is no trickery, Honorable Elder.” I kept my eyes soft, so she would know I was not lying.

  “Bring me, Bunny,” she told one of her warriors. “Do you know how Blood memory magic works?”

  “Yes, Honorable Elder. Our Grandfather has used it so I could show him what he needed to know.”

  “Bring the Moon Clan warrior with us.” She looked back to me. “Follow me, and if your hands go near the daggers at your hips, we will kill you.”

  “Understood,” I replied and followed her into the large building. There was a fire roaring, just like the one Grandfather had. I stood as far away from the large fire as I could, still uneasy about flames.

  “Grandfather, we need you,” she called out to an older male.

  Their Grandfather was younger than ours, almost the same age as their Elder. “How may I serve you, Elder?”

  “She claims to have killed Viper. I want confirmation of that.” She saw me standing far away from the fire. “Why are you scared of it? Could it be because you are lying to us?”

  I shook my head. “Nothing like that, Honorable Elder.”

  Raven came into the building, along with a woman who was younger than I was.

  I felt my anger rise, seeing her. “My last master burned the City Elves alive before I was able to kill him. I could not save them all, so I do not like large fires,” I told her the truth. “But you just need my blood, so you can take it from me, but I cannot get any closer to the flames.”

  She looked at me, her eyes hard, before she looked to the Grandfather. “Take her blood.” She then looked to the shaking woman, who looked for a way to escape. “Bunny, this City Elf claims that she killed Viper. Are you willing to see his death?”

  The woman shook even worse but nodded. I just wanted to hug the pain out of her, but I knew better than to move.

  The Grandfather came up to me, and I offered my hands for him to cut. I thought of killing Viper as he sliced my finger. He tossed the blood into the fire and the smell of it burning made me sick. “Show us the death of Viper,” the Grandfather commanded me.

  I let them see me coming into the City Elf settlement and everything that came after until after Viper’s death. A few of the warriors looked sick, seeing me disembowel someone. The woman’s eyes were wide, as she watched and stared at the smoke memory. I then showed her how I learned of her rape, not hiding the rage I felt about it.

  Raven stared, never having seen me kill like that before. “Goddess Above, Snow. That was worse than what Lynx described.” He turned to the lead warrior. “That is why she is our Enforcer’s Second.”

  I looked to the Elder. “May I speak with Bunny without the males here?”

  She nodded, mollified that I had not been lying. “Release him and take him outside,” she told her warriors, who all left, leaving the Elder, Grandfather, Bunny, and I alone. The Elder undid my bindings, then asked Grandfather to go make some tea.

  I stepped up closer to Bunny and sat down next to her. “I am sorry for what that bastard put you through. I wanted you to see that he died a horrible death, even if it was not as slow as I wished it was. I wanted to bleed him out completely, so his pain would last. But I knew my Enforcer would not allow it.”

  I took off the Snow Cat pelt, black leathers, and my top, showing her my scars. She and the Elder gasped loudly, so I put my top back on. “You went through something not many Wood Elves have gone through, so you feel like you are an outcast. I know the pain you are feeling. The worry that any time someone is near you that they are going to attack you. The terror you face when you are alone at night, just before the nightmares come. The constant looking over your shoulder, wondering if anyone else is planning to harm you like he did.”

  She cried, “When does it stop?”

  I took a deep breath, wondering if a lie would be better, but decided that she deserved
the truth. “It does not stop. You learn to live with it. Some of the things start to fade, but without help, they never go away. All City Elves are raped multiple times in their lives, so we learned that talking with those who have been through what we have helps. Keeping it inside creates a festering wound, instead of letting it heal correctly. The more you accept what happened, telling someone you trust everything, and understanding that none of what he did to you is your fault, you can start to heal.”

  I took her hands in mine. “It is a long road, but you are not a victim, because you are a survivor. You will get through this part of your life. Your Elder and Grandfather and Clan are here for you, just as my City Elf brethren were there for me. Let them help you, Bunny, because if you try to keep it locked inside, it will tear you apart.”

  She fell apart.

  I grabbed onto her and held her, giving her comfort.

  After a while, she pulled away, wiping her tears. “I do not know if I am as strong as you are.”

  “You are stronger than you believe, but that strength does not come from fighting, instead it comes from going through a horrifying experience. I am only strong because I knew I could rely on those closest to me. Without them, I would have killed myself years ago.”

  She startled at that confession. “Truly?”

  I nodded. “When I was found by the Moon Clan, I was ready to throw my life away, so I kept trying to find ways where I could die for something, instead of killing myself outright. I was too much of a coward of the Goddess’s wrath at taking my own life, I sought out ways to die. I even fought a Bear, not caring if it killed me. I was a willing sacrifice myself to a battle against another Clan. Every time, the Dark Consort refuses to let me lie down and die. I am here today because He refused to let me kill myself.” I gave her a soft smile. “Is there anyone here you can talk to and open up about what happened?”

  She nodded. “My sister.”

  “I would also suggest talking to your Elder, since she will be able to make sure that nothing like this happens again,” I told her.

  “Thank you…” she said quietly, her voice trailing.

  “My name is Silent Snow, but my friends just call me Snow. If at any point in time where you need to write to someone to help get your feelings out, you can write to me,” I offered. “Sometimes writing is easier than trying to say the words that need to be said.”

  She nodded. “Thank you for everything, Snow.” She wiped away her tears as she turned to her Elder. “Thank you for letting me see his death and letting me talk to her.”

  The Elder smiled. “Anything to help you heal, Bunny. Will you be alright to let Grandfather and I speak to Silent Snow alone?”

  Bunny nodded before she got up and left.

  I stood up and walked to where the Grandfather sat.

  The Elder sat first. “Is it as bad as you say it is?”

  I nodded to her, before taking a sip from the tea the Grandfather offered me. “Yes, but worse. I did not lie to Bunny about being raped multiple times, and you saw the scars on my body.” I set the cup down on the table. “It is actually another reason I am here. The Matriarch of the City Elf settlement within our and the Star Clan’s territories has asked me to speak with you about something.” She looked like she was going to argue, but I stopped her. “I am not asking that you put your Clan in danger. I will not even let my Clan be put into danger. I may be willing to die for the City Elves being free, but I will not ask that of others.”

  “What do you want?” Grandfather asked me.

  “All we want is information right now. We believe that the humans may try to capture Wood Elves when they realize that there are no more free City Elves left. We need to know if there have been any rumors or reports of such. Also, we are requesting assistance in spreading the word, so that if anyone knows anything to tell us. We would like help to liberate our people, but I cannot ask for that if anyone. The Matriarch will, though.” A murderous fire rose in me. “I would also like any information you have about Clans that are a part of the slave trade.”

  “I will keep an ear out for anything of what you are looking for, and I will ask my allies to do the same. But, like you said, I will not ask them or my own warriors to fight for people who they do not wish to.” The Elder gave me a little of what we needed.

  “I thank you, Honorable Elder, for helping us.”

  “Might I inquire what your plans are for those who are a part of the slave trade?” Grandfather asked.

  I let the Snow Cat’s eyes show as a wicked smile blossomed on my lips. “I will give them a choice: help stop the slave trade or let the rivers and streams run red with their blood.” I blinked a second time, the Snow Cat’s eyes becoming my own again.

  The Elder shuddered. “We will send along that information as we get it as well. We will warn our allies who might have ties to the slave trade to cease their actions, or they might not live to see another season.”

  I stood up and bowed. “I gratefully accept anything and everything you can give me, Honorable Elder. In return for your assistance, if you need anything, the Moon Clan will be there to help. Raven has the alliance document if you are willing to accept it.” I bowed again, grabbed my pelt and thick black leathers, and headed outside. I whistled since it carried further than my voice could. Then I listened for its matching whistle, following it to where I found Raven sparring with a couple of the warriors.

  They caught me watching and stopped.

  “Raven, the Elder and Grandfather will need to look over the alliance document to decide if they want to become allies.”

  He dried the sweat from his skin with a cloth from a bucket. “I would ask you to take it, but you still have Snow Cat close to the surface.”

  “How care you tell?” I asked him, confused.

  “I have been working with you for a few years now. Any of our Clan knows when you are still riding the edge between you and the Snow Cat.” He grabbed his bag with the documents. “Please do not scare them too much.” He smiled as he passed by me, ruffling my short hair.

  I brushed my fingers through it to get it back to normal.

  The lead warrior asked, “What did he mean by Snow Cat?”

  I stepped under the arena fence and blinked, turning my eyes blue. “Many years ago, I met with the spirit of a Snow Cat, who agreed to merge with me in exchange for killing the human that killed her and her kittens. That human did not survive that night. As time passed, we worked together to kill other humans who we deemed as disposable, because of their crimes against City Elves.” I blinked again, the Snow Cat going back into her den. “She is the reason I can move so quickly when I fight. Want to spar?”

  He looked at me, apprising me from what he saw in my memory. “Why not? I am always willing to test myself against new opponents.”

  I took off the back bag, thick leathers, and my daggers, so I would not lose them. Then I grabbed two short sparring sticks and held them like I do my knives. “Ready when you are.”

  He held a single long stick. He came at me, and I used the two smaller sticks to block his attack. He was not on the same level as many of the Moon Clan warriors, and I realized why my Clan had its reputation as being vicious. I kept it light, hoping to extend the sparring session. Soon, we were both covered in sweat, despite the winter air. Raven’s whistle flittered through the air, so I decided to end the match. I rushed up to him, ducked under his swing to lightly tap him on the chest with the sparring stick.

  “Goddess Above!” He took a step back, not ready for that kind of speed.

  “I win.” I pulled away from him, smiling.

  Raven just groaned. “Cannot take you anywhere without you trying to fight someone.”

  “You were sparring them first,” I pointed out.

  “That is because we are closer to the same level than you and he are. It was more of a fair fight than this was.” He threw the drying cloth at me. “Here, get dry before you get a chill, and Howling Wolf yells at me.”

  The l
ead warrior wobbled a little. “Did you say Howling Wolf?”

  “Yes, she is his second, and I guess they would be partners, if City Elves could love,” Raven explained as he handed me my thick leathers and daggers, then giving me my pelt.

  The lead warrior stumbled back away from me. “You are partners with that vicious monster of an Elf?”

  I looked to Raven, then back to the lead warrior. “He is only vicious when he needs to be, just like me. Why does that bother you?”

  “He killed an entire Clan’s warrior population.”

  “I know. He told me after I killed an entire troupe of slavers.”

  “You did not kill them, Snow. You slaughtered them. Use the correct terminology,” Raven mumbled under his breath.

  I ignored him. “He killed them because they killed the wife of our Elder. One of you would have done the same if something like that happened to your Clan. It is how he was chosen to be our Enforcer.”

  “Goddess Above, I am glad you two are here for peace instead of a war.”

  My eyes became blue as a warning. “We do not fight allies, but understand, if any of you had shown any inclination that Viper was not alone in his perversion, then I would have slaughtered whoever it was. As it stands, we are allies and as such, we will be there to help protect you if and when you need it. And through our alliance with the Star Clan, you would receive their help as well.”

  “Howling Wolf and Ursus?”

  I smiled sweetly. “Yes.”

  “Do I even want to know how that happened?”

  I shook my head, but Raven answered, “Snow thought it was a brilliant idea to answer a summons to a fight against Ursus, knowing that it was a fight to the death. She poisoned our Elder, Grandfather, Howling Wolf, and First Son, stole the letter from the Star Clan as proof she was from the Moon Clan. She then not only fought Ursus, but she also beat him, showed him mercy, then somehow convinced their Elder into an alliance.”

  The warriors stood there, staring at us, then they broke into hysterics. “Goddess Above, I am gladder that you came here for peace.”

  “You broke them.” Bunny’s voice drifted from near where Raven was standing.