by Allan Joyal
"It's not that," Sharice said. "I'm just amazed you are still together. I heard Roy mention another group, but he seemed sure you wouldn't make it. I just realized you must have done better than he thought. But how did you survive?"
"We took a few things off of the dead soldiers at the battlefield you looted," Heather said. "We arrived there perhaps an hour before you did. Then we stopped at the village you passed the morning after you escaped Roy. There we met Henck and Kariy. They have helped us as we crossed the plain to get here."
Sharice shivered. "I wish we had gone with you. Well, we tried to avoid battles by cutting across the plains. Fadul's map had shown us that once we left the boat, the Wizard's Academy could be reached by walking directly away from the river. It was probably slower than walking down a road, but we had no weapons. We were desperate and moved as quickly as we could."
"We were fine for eight days. We knew we were getting closer and were talking about changing our route slightly. The map had shown a road to our right that led directly to the academy. We figured it was late enough that the armies would have returned home. We were right, but we found out the wrong way," Aine said with a slight sob.
"A day before the snow started to fall we blundered into a bandit camp. Well, I can't really call it a bandit camp. It was like a little village hidden in one of the small forests that dot the plains. We got lucky and their sentries moved before they spotted us, so we stashed all of our travel goods. But we were taken prisoner and …" Sharice covered her face with her hands.
"More rapes?" Lydia asked quietly.
"They took us and kept us for three days. By then the snow was falling, although the camp was well sheltered by the trees. The men there were arrogant. Aine and I were never chained and could spend our time together. At first the men wanted us to help cook and wash, but the other women quickly insisted that we be kept from those duties," Sharice said.
"We couldn't cook," Aine said with a giggle. "And the washing methods they used were new to us. Nothing we did was good enough for the women. Actually I think a few of the women were upset because some of the officers of this group took a liking to us."
"That saved us," Sharice said. "The officers would get together to eat, fuck, and talk. A lot of the talk was about how close to the Wizards Academy they were. The men thought it funny that they were building an army under the noses of the wizards."
"Damn," Steve said.
"We should let Werlyn know," I agreed. "The wizards are arrogant and I'm sure they will act to clear the nearby forests."
"May it happen soon," Sharice said. "The men weren't too brutal because they wanted to preserve our looks, but they were demanding."
Aine just nodded. "Well, with the information the men had spilled, we decided that we had to make another escape. We waited until the second night of the first storm. The men were so sure no one would leave that they left us unguarded. We crept out to the rock pile where we had stashed our travel gear. Some of the fur was a bit stiff from the cold, but nothing had been disturbed. We dressed in the dark and struck out through the forest."
"We emerged from the trees into the teeth of a driving storm. I remember watching a play about Charlie Brown as a kid. At one point Lucy tells him that snow flies up rather than down. The writer must have seen a storm like the one we walked into. The wind howled, and the snow seemed to flow sideways. We immediately learned that it was impossible to stand the cold even with our heavy furs. We stuck to the edge of the forest and followed it, hoping for a break in the storm," Sharice added.
Aine sighed. "It broke the next day. We thought we had a couple of days before the next one came. The snow was too soft to walk on. We sank to our waists in some drifts. We learned to crawl on top of the drifts and to look for the gullies where the snow would be denser. We had reached the bridge when the storm winds started to rise."
"The bridge?" Jennifer asked.
"You didn't cross the river to get to the academy?" Aine asked.
"We came from a different direction," I said. "Jennifer, the Wizard's Academy is like just about every other city we've seen, they need fresh water and can't pump it for miles, so it's set up near a river. They came from the other side of the river. We actually traveled on it for a while."
"You mean the river from the academy?" Jennifer asked.
"Flows past Elmori's tower and to the lake where we helped fish," Steve said. "I remember Elmori telling me when we visited, but I didn't realize that there was a bridge."
Sharice was frowning. "That's interesting, but it didn't help us. We could just make out the walls of the city as the winds began to blow harder. The bridge offered no shelter, so we fought our way across. Then we discovered a new problem. The city has no gates at the bridge. We thought we could make out a lantern in the distance. Our hope was that meant a gate."
"But the winds were a problem. They blew directly at the walls so we could not use the walls for shelter. Worse, when we got too close to the walls, gusts would slam you into the stone. We learned that there was a safe zone about ten feet away from the walls, but it was still far too cold," Aine said.
"I knew we needed warmth, so I pushed us to go faster," Sharice said. "The wind and snow made us fight for every step, but we arrived at the lantern. I don't know how it glowed in the wind, but beside it was a narrow door. We tried the door and found that it had to be pulled open. The wind tried to stop us, but we were able to creep inside."
"After that, we stumbled around the streets of the town. Inside the walls we were out of the wind, but we knew we needed a fire if we were going to survive," Aine said. "Relway's home was the third place we tried. At the other two, no one answered."
"And Relway brought you here once the storm ended," I mused. "Well, the good news is that you can stay with us as long as you like. The bad news is we won't be staying here all the way until spring. The wizards were willing to house us here, but let's just say they are reluctant hosts."
Sharice and Aine started crying. This time all of the ladies swarmed over them offering hugs and comfort. Steve looked at me and shook his head. "You realize that they might never recover their confidence."
Chapter 7: A Visit with a Bard
Steve's words proved prophetic. While we huddled in the lodge for the third storm, Aine jumped whenever a man came within five feet of her. She watched everyone carefully, often scuttling away when someone approached. Kariy and Victoria were the only two who could always approach her, and soon Aine was Kariy's main helper in preparing the food.
Sharice was less timid, but as she got over the pain of the rapes she became angry. If anyone requested her help, a flurry of racist comments would pour from her mouth. Aine in particular had been subjected to some brutal abuse, which only further drove the young Irish girl into a defensive solitude. Henck suggested allowing Sharice to burn off some of that anger with knife practice, but there her anger manifested in a series of wild attacks. Al ended up with a nasty black eye from one attack, and Heather was limping for a day after Sharice kicked her in the knee.
The response to this was predictable. Everyone tried to dote on Aine. The Irish girl was actually very sweet. A huge part of her depression was the loss of her parents. Steve volunteered to be her adoptive father, promising to always protect her. I think that was the first time I saw Aine smile for a man. She was still shy, but she stood tall that evening as she served the stew.
Lydia ended up having to deal with Sharice. Heather tried, but after Sharice hinted that Heather earned her position on her back, she refused to talk to the woman. Lisa did talk to Sharice, but she was looking forward to meeting the minstrel during the next calm and spent most of her time practicing songs in one of the side rooms. She had distanced herself from the group.
Everyone was feeling caged by the time the storm finally blew out the last of its fury. It had lasted five days and only ended on what everyone thought was the morning of the sixth day. Al walked over to the door and opened it.
"Well, a
s we expected. Snow," he said as a small avalanche poured through the doorway.
"Leave the door open," Steve suggested. "Hopefully we'll be getting more wood soon. We burned most of what we had."
"The messenger demons brought a bit extra last time," Natalie said. "I wonder if they knew the storm was going to be bad."
"I just wish I knew a way for them to carry a message back for us," I said. "We should let Cerlonin know about the bandits nearby."
"Do you think they could cause us problems?" Lydia asked.
Henck hugged Lydia. "They probably will stay in their camp. There won't be a lot of travelers, and this is time to train and repair gear. They'd only raid if they run short of food."
"They had a huge stockpile," Aine said. "Although I remember one of the women saying the men ate too much."
"Next question," I called out. "Does everyone want to go out?"
"How?!" Sharice screamed. "The doorway is blocked by snow. Do you plan on digging a tunnel all the way to New York?"
"The wizards will provide," I said cryptically. "Lisa, we'll stop by your tavern first. I know you'll leave once you meet this bard or another. I might not be your father, but I hope you understand that I want to meet this bard."
Lisa stood up and walked over to stand in front of me. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I haven't been a good member of the group."
I put my arms around her and hugged her to my chest. She was stiff in my arms for a moment and then melted into the embrace. "Lisa," I whispered. "We loved having you with us. You cheered us up with your singing. And we all understand how you feel. I can only wish that this man finds your singing special and that he treats you like the angel you are. We will never forget you."
I placed a kiss on Lisa's forehead. She was sniffling in my arms. Then she squeezed me hard, bruising my ribs with the power in her hug. "Thanks," she whispered.
I released Lisa, and the others lined up to hug her. Al took the time to passionately kiss the former secretary. Kariy, Esme, and Natalie all giggled as Al then went on one knee and comically proclaimed that Lisa's singing had unlocked his heart, and we would be devastated by her leaving. The overacting was clear and Lisa laughed heartily as she gave him a final hug.
We were so distracted by the farewells, that the arrival of three messengers was a surprise. Two immediately walked to the woodpile and began refreshing it from the bottomless bags they carried. The third dropped a mountain of packages by the kitchen counter before turning to leave. They left as quietly as they had arrived.
Hencktor looked out the door after they had left. "We have a path now," he said.
"Then it's time to take Lisa to the tavern. Once we have finished, I was thinking we can check with Relway and find out where the sledge is. The sooner we get it ready for use, the better," I said.
"Who goes this time?" Steve asked.
"I need to go," Esme said. "There has to be someone I can talk to about what herbal remedies exist. Right now, Natalie and I can't do much if someone gets sick."
"I'm going to protect Esme," Natalie said. She was standing behind Esme and put her arms around her lover. Esme brought one of Natalie's hands to her lips and kissed it.
"We'll need some muscle to move the sledge," Steve mused. "And Hencktor is the only one of us that might know how to fix it, so he needs to go."
Al shrugged. "I guess it's my turn to stay home. I can guard the lodge."
Victoria raised a hand. "We know Aine and Sharice aren't ready. I'll stay with them."
"Kariy?" I asked.
"No," Kariy called out. I looked for her and found her exploring the packages left by the demon. There was a brief flash of metal as she unwound the cloth covering one package. "The demons brought some cooking tools. I want to see what we have now, so I know what we might still need."
"I'll stay as well," Lydia called out.
Hencktor took a step toward her. "But," he called out.
"No Henck," Lydia said as she raised her hand to indicate that he should not come near her. "Victoria and Al should not be left with Sharice just yet. Victoria has her trust, but we need more people here. And you will be needed when the group visits the sledge."
"I just had a thought," Al said. "Sharice and Aine said that the snow was very hard to walk through. How will you walk to the sledge? Especially if you are sinking in the snow."
"We will have to see how hard the walk is," I replied. "If it's too difficult, we will look into snow shoes. We do need to wrap our feet well before we leave today."
I moved to the packs and retrieved some extra cloth. I sat down and pulled my shoes off. With the others watching I wound some of the cloth around my feet and then slid my feet back into the shoes. It was an uncomfortable fit, but the cold air no longer seemed to be seeping through the shoe leather.
The others quickly followed my lead. Everyone looked for some extra cloth that could be used as foot covering. Lydia helped by bringing over some of the fur pieces we had and throwing them over our shoulders.
Once everyone was warmly dressed, I led an exodus through the doorway and out into a snow-covered landscape.
The area directly in front of the house had a clear path. This time, the snow there was only ankle deep. However, about twenty feet from the house and ten feet from the gate, the melted path stopped. Here the snow was waist deep. I pushed forward through the snow. There was a heavily packed base about a foot above the ground, and then the rest of the drift was soft. Cold seeped into my thighs and knees as I fought my way through the piled snow.
"Nice path," Steve said. "It looks like work done after the first and second storm wasn't totally useless."
I reached the gate. It opened at my touch, pushing snow ahead of it. I stepped into the open space and looked around.
The street was buried under a blanket of snow that was several feet higher than a man. Once again, there were paths in the snow were the drifts were knee deep. I looked back at Steve.
"Cross as soon as possible and then look for what kind of doors?" I asked.
"You won't be able to miss it," Steve said. "The tavern doesn't have a wooden door. Look for the heavy fur blocking an opening."
"Very well, we can do that," I said. I stepped forward, once again sinking my legs into soft snow.
The street had paths cleared through the snow, but we saw no one in the morning light as we fought our way through to the tavern. Steve gave me some suggestions as to which path to follow as we trudged through the snow.
We could hear music before I could see the tavern door. A haunting melody wafted over the snow. I had faint visions of a lonely tower sitting on a bluff, with an ancient woman standing at a window, searching the horizon for something.
"Amazing," Heather whispered. "I've never heard such music. It sounds a bit like a guitar, but at the same time, it isn't."
I nodded as we finished following a path that crossed the road. The music was easier to hear now, and a glance to my right revealed a doorway covered by a wall of brown fur. I walked over to it, and pushed it aside.
The room inside was warm. In fact it was almost hot. I stepped to the side to allow the others to enter while I looked around. I could see at least seven fire pits burning brightly, bringing both light and heat to the chamber.
The room itself was probably three times the size of the lodge. I could see at least a dozen tables scattered around. At one, a trio of men sat, occasionally hoisting a tankard to their lips. Off to one corner, guarded by two fire pits, someone sat on a stool and strummed a musical instrument. It was too short to be a guitar, and the neck was bent at an odd angle. The player's head was down, and all I could see was long blond hair that was lighter than Heather's.
"Wow," Steve whispered to me. "I know actresses who'd kill for hair like that."
"I'm guessing that we are looking at the bard Lisa wants to meet," I said. "Should we approach him?"
Lisa pushed past us and walked up to the player. She claimed a chair directly in front of him and sat down
. From where we stood, I could see her put her elbows on her knees and her chin in her hand as she listened to the music.
"That takes the choice from us," Steve said as the melancholy tune finally came to an end. Lisa applauded.
The player's head popped up. The strange instrument was moved to the side as he stood up and looked down at Lisa, who had sat up. "That was wonderful," Lisa gushed.
I started walking toward the man as he glared at Lisa. "What uncouth display is this?" he spat. "Explain yourself woman, why do you make such a racket!"
I jumped forward. "She's terribly sorry if she offended," I said. "We are not from around here, and her reaction is how we show our appreciation for a great performance."
The man scowled as he glared at Lisa. I looked more closely at him. The long blond hair and his earlier posture had hidden a youthful-looking face. The man had almond-shaped green eyes, and I noticed that his ears were pointed. The outfit he was wearing was bright white and cleaner than the vast majority of clothing I had seen. Behind him, I could see several other instruments. Around his waist, he had a belted sword. The hilt of the sword was polished to a mirror shine.
Lisa started babbling. "I'm so sorry. Please, I came here just to see you. The tavern keeper, I mean Hectin, I mean … . Oh, you know. He heard me sing a few nights ago and said I should sing for you."
The elf looked at me. "Does she belong to you?"
I sighed. "Where I come from, we allow our women to be a bit more independent. Would you be willing to sit down to talk? I'll understand if you are busy or uninterested."
The elf looked around. "Perhaps introductions should commence. I am not accustomed to speaking with people I do not know."
"I'm sorry," I said, holding my hand out. "My name is Ron. The man to my left is Steve. The woman who was applauding your performance is Lisa."
"There are more people with you," the elf said after glancing down at my offered hand.
I pulled my hand back. "Oh, sorry again." I started pointing at each member of the group who was there. "The others are Heather, Jennifer, Esme, Natalie and Hencktor."