Verity was not quite prepared for what to expect of the Daunting Peaks where Finn had come from. In truth, he was not quite prepared either, since it had been quite a long while since he had been there himself. His trips had so often led him to the Bryfolk Hole to be around Folks. He had been afraid to return to his adoptive mother and his brother and twin sisters. There had always been a coldness from his adoptive mother that had extended into his siblings. The only one he had been remotely close to, his father, had made his excuses not to be around. It was hard for Finn to learn that the twisted city of Windbreak had been his father’s favorite haunt. The place itself was bad enough but leaving it had been the real terror. Given the choice though, they would not have done it differently.
Now as they neared Daunting Peaks, it did not appear to be the cold place that Finn had remembered. It was quite mild there despite being surrounded by snowy peaks and high winds. Verity and Finn were not quite comforted by this yet. Magic was supposedly no longer a thing, so whatever could cause such a phenomenon made them uneasy. Neither of them could figure out offhand what else it could be.
Verity clung to Finn’s arm in a state of awe as she looked at a place that was nothing like Windbreak. Sure, the homes were tall, tailored to Folk who were fond of higher places, but they were rustic and charming. Each floor had asymmetrically placed balconies, dotted with flowers and greenery, like miniature outdoor rooms. The Reishe here were dressed casually, more like the Bryfolk in their disregard of modest clothing and no less happy than their rabbit counterparts. Verity was not uneasy about this; desert people did not put too much value on modesty in the unforgiving heat of the sun.
“Was this place always like this?” Verity asked, not quite wanting to know outright if this was some kind of residual magic.
Finn seemed like he was struggling to answer, his brows doing a dance of unease where they perched over the bone.
“No, but I’m sure there’s a good explanation,” Finn asserted, trying to sound sure but his voice tight with suspicion. It seemed that Verity was not the only one not quite willing to mention magic here. Were they ready to hear it if that was what it was?
Finn forced the tension in his shoulders to ease away the best that he could and took Verity’s hand to lead her through the streets.
“This is close enough to what I remember, but it was also covered in ice and only the toughest plants sprung up around here. The terrace gardens were mostly icicle run-off, holliham vines and marich leaves. Holliham grew vibrant red berries, which was pretty much the only color we would see around here. Naturally anyway. Ice crystals can look amazing with the light refracted in them,” Finn told her as he kept his pace leisurely, although Verity could clearly see this was no stroll and the path he chose was deliberate.
Finn stopped in front of an outdoor café. He seemed to ponder again before letting Verity in on his thoughts.
“This place was never an outdoor café, of course, but Selkies was one of the best places to eat in the city. Would you like to take a meal before moving on?” Finn asked. More than Verity being hungry, Finn seemed to need the time to reflect so she nodded, smiled and picked a seat, signaling the waiter.
Finn recommended the bird’s nest soup (which seemed like a bad name for a dish given the place they were) and she agreed to try it; again, this stop was more for his benefit than hers. Other than telling her about the food there and asking her if she liked it when she took a bite, he became very silent and chewed his food slowly, his eyes and thoughts elsewhere.
Finn did not want Verity to know that he did not have a good feeling about this, wondering if he should take her and leave before they got in too deep to whatever this was. He had led her into a situation similarly before and was beginning to question if his place was really among his kind at all. Folk were neither men nor animals and sometimes they just didn’t do well even in their own communities. Sure, the Reishe here did not look at Verity like an outsider, but it hardly meant that she wasn’t going to feel like one. He hadn’t even bothered to ask her if she longed for her own home, but wondered if home was really the desert or the lush jungle she had been working in when Ashe and Rienna had met her. Maybe he was even afraid that this was a bird and a fish situation where the relationship had been a phase and they couldn’t practically be together. He watched Verity sipping away at the soup, seeming wary but content and hoped deeply that with him was really where she wanted to be.
“Is this the kind of place you want to be, Verity?” he softly asked her. She seemed shocked by the sudden gentleness, having stopped chewing mid-bite, but hurried the chewing to swallow and answer. She dabbed at her lips gently with the napkin and smiled.
“Finn, you seem overly worried with that lately. I am happy wherever you are with me,” Verity reasserted.
But Finn shook his head, not placated with this at all.
“Verity, you said that to me in Windbreak too and we both know that wasn’t true. Do you have any reservations about this place? In the same way that you say the place is not important, I need to know that you are not suffering anything out of love. Because your intuition was right that time, I would never ignore it if something didn’t feel right to you,” Finn explained, hoping she understood.
Verity did not answer right away. She seemed to need time to look at him.
“I think… that something doesn’t feel right to you or you wouldn’t ask me if I thought so. Yes, there is something… strange about this place. But you must be wondering if your journey has made you expect the worst or if you have cause to be worried, no?” Verity smiled and shook her head. “Do you think this place will bind our escape? That the goddess will not fulfill her promise? Or are you afraid that there will be no adventure here at all, that you will need the excuses your father did to find something more than home?”
Finn wanted to be angry, but wondered about it. He was positive he would not do as his father had, but he did wonder if every place would cause the same panic in him. Was he looking for excuses to flee at the first chance he got? Finn didn’t know, but he wanted Verity to be able to settle down, like she once had, maybe start a family with her. Was he the thing in the way of that dream? He hoped not, but he also didn’t want to be blinded by false hope and endanger her or make her miserable either.
Finn stroked the strap of the bow across his chest, as he usually did when he was deep in thought. Verity let him go back to his thoughts as she finished the soup. It really was delicious and the crunchy, chewy bread that came with it was a perfect complement. Finn barely touched his and she was tempted to ask if she could finish it for him. It would bloat her to the point of discomfort to eat that much, but it would be worth it too.
After some time, he was able to focus again. He simply smiled at her and ate the soup and bread vigorously. When they were finished, he offered his arm and they walked through the city again, digesting and drinking in the sights. Regardless of whatever made this place what it was, it was indeed beautiful. Even if there was some evil behind it, it was not troubling them now so why not take it in?
The place that Finn was working to reach was clearly higher up in the city. Even though Verity knew that the elder and his family were no longer here (she wasn’t quite sure if anyone who knew him was still here or would even recognize him if so), she guessed that the elder’s old residence must be where they were headed. Rather than cause suspicion among the residents, Finn wanted to immediately address whomever the elder was now and remove all suspicions if possible.
Verity had her reservations but certainly not the high level of creepitude she had experienced in Windbreak. The people here did not seem to revel in secrets or throw unwelcome glances at her and there were children and obnoxious teenagers—all the things that Windbreak was not. Windbreak was steel and glass and modern sterilization; Daunting Peaks was real and rough and a thing of natural beauty. The architecture was asymmetrical in a way that caused harmony with the natural rock formations it was built upon. It was much like
the Burrow in that respect because it worked with the land around it rather than seeming to mow through it.
The elder’s mansion was no less impressive to look at. Its cream stucco outer walls were capped with chocolate-hued AFrame roofs; the same chocolate was accenting planks built over the stucco. The center of the front of the building was adorned with a huge round window with a great bird shaped frame holding the glass inside of it. Verity shivered at the memory of crashing through that skyscraper, plunging helplessly to her death and Finn diving to be her wings. Saving her only to plunge into what they thought for sure was their final fall shortly after.
The double doors that marked the entrance were at least twice the height of a tall man and guarded by two men, although they were not dressed in armor or bearing visible weapons so their duty may have been more one of greeting visitors and leading them inside—or turning them away.
“What about this place? Is this the same?” Verity asked, unable to withhold her awe.
Finn grinned naturally, which created more ease in Verity.
“This place used to belong to my grandfather. I wonder who the new elder might be,” Finn mused, rubbing his chin with his hand.
Verity was not quite sure if that was a good or bad thing but decided to stay open-minded. She wondered how this place chose an elder… She wondered about Finn’s childhood, being raised in this kind of privilege.
Finn continued, interrupting her thoughts.
“I never did get to explore this place very much, I have to admit. My grandfather was a nice friendly man, but his daughter, my mother, was not. We always had to wear our best, most uncomfortable dress clothes and be on our best behavior. On the rare occasions that we got to explore, it was usually cut short. A servant girl here once told me there was a lower level that was even larger than the main floor, which I had a hard time picturing at the time. Reishefolk are not fond of building downwards like the Bryfolk so I couldn’t imagine why a Reishe city would find a need for a basement, let alone one claiming so much room.”
Verity nodded, thinking the same thing. Maybe they used it for storage or preservation, but really it was just a guess. She could imagine that a child would either be frightened or burningly curious. Remembering her musings from before she tilted her head and nudged Finn’s arm.
“So how do they select an elder here?”
“Well…” Finn smiled. “I always assumed it had to be the eldest person, but that clearly is a flawed assumption. There is actually a Council of Elders, men selected by the people based on their merits and wisdom to elect the Elder and oversee his laws. The election for both the council and the head position are lifetime in duration but of course, if any corruption is suspected they can be removed and replaced. Councilmen can be as young as thirty in age but the elder is typically in his fifties. Generally, wisdom is still considered an old man’s expertise.”
As they approached the great house, Verity felt dwarfed by the manse and it took her breath away. Finn seemed to look comforted but deeply curious, as if he had come upon the realization that there was more to learn here as an adult. As a matter of fact, that is exactly what he was thinking. He wondered if he could manage to get a grand tour and sate some of that burgeoning childhood curiosity on this visit.
They stopped short of the stairs noticing the men framing the door watched them but did not make any effort to greet them just yet. Finn cleared his throat and smiled cordially.
“My name is Finn. I was the adoptive grandson of the former Elder and would like to request an audience with the current Elder, if I may, sirs,” Finn formally stated, his voice loud enough to project but not so loud as to intimidate.
“You got an appointment?” the shorter brown/black feathered Reishe asked them now. Finn tried not to roll his eyes or shoot the guy a look. He thought he was pretty clear that this was his attempt to make an appointment, if walk-ins were not permitted.
“No, sirs, but we would like to do so,” Verity answered, having collected her wits after the stupid question sooner than he did.
“No admittance without appointment,” the same stupid one replied curtly.
Finn curled his left hand into a fist and released it, trying to calm himself. His smile was a little less cordial and more forced now.
“Might I ask how to set about making this appointment, good sir?” Finn asked levelly, making the last two words subliminally scream ‘complete moron’. He only addressed the one that spoke this time, daring not to hope that the other one was any less infuriatingly brainless.
But the other one seemed to have found his voice.
“The Elder is on a holiday or we would inquire. We ask that you would try back the day after tomorrow when he will be available. We have no way of reaching him when he goes, so we apologize for the inconvenience.”
Finn was relieved that this one did not appear to be a moron and nodded, bowing respectfully.
“Thank you; we will do just that then,” Finn returned and they took their leave.
After they had walked a couple of blocks away in companionable silence, Finn finally broke it, looking quite relaxed.
“We might as well enjoy the next two days as visitors until he returns. I wonder if the old lady’s bed and breakfast is still nearby. I would say we should go to the inn, but…”
When Finn did not finish, she shot him a curious frown.
“But what?”
“It’s called the Nesting Dolls Inn.”
Verity shivered. She could do without hearing the word ‘doll’ ever again.
The old lady’s bed and breakfast that Finn had mentioned was called Lady Rose’s B&B. The sign above the entrance had a beautiful dusty rose motif of inlaid stained glass, which Verity instantly found charming. The building was surrounding by a flawless scrolling white cast-iron fence that lent a lot of charm to the dragon-roses growing in the main yard. It was a very romantic little place and Verity loved it. Their room had a huge bed and even better—a huge oval tub for two. She was going to relish sharing these luxuries with Finn. Finn had looked at her strangely when she had not been able to resist a short laugh, picturing him splashing and flapping around in that tub like a finch. But then, thinking of him wet and naked sobered her quickly as the heat of lust smoldered that…
One thing that Verity certainly wanted to do here was update her wardrobe. Finn had instantly assured her that there were plenty of clothing stores for human women in this district and she told him he should kick back while she went on her own. She loved spending so much time with him, but she wanted some time to develop her own impressions of the city without Finn worrying over her. She was truly hoping she could put his fears to rest. The place was beautiful and it would not be a bad place to settle.
Despite knowing they might not be staying, she tried to imagine which of these houses would be theirs. She fantasized about relaxing in one of the meticulous little porch gardens and wearing some of the fashions she saw on the human women here. It was not a place lacking in style either. She felt strangely girlish, a feeling she hadn’t had in a long time. Wardrobes? Gardens? Domestic bliss? Verity was always feminine but this was not something she dared to hope for. She tried to picture bearing Finn’s children. Would she bear a child more human or Reishe? When the mother was human, it could go either way. She blushed and focused on where she was going.
Passing one of the little shops, she saw a strange hollow glass ball with a tiny diorama of the town inside of it and it drew her curiosity. A little old woman with a broad smile chirped a greeting and Verity waved as politely as she could, too distracted to turn her focus. The little ball looked as if it was perched upon a snowy mountaintop and she could see now that the ball was filled with water. She picked it up and nearly dropped it. She noticed the disruption caused artificial snow to stir around the little town inside. Her frown deepened. When had snowy Daunting Peaks become a place where snow no longer fell upon it?
Verity hadn’t noticed that the little old woman had come up behi
nd her and she jumped, nearly dropping the snow globe again. The old woman gently took the globe from her and set it back on the shelf.
“Hard to believe that this place was once covered in snow, isn’t it?” the old woman asked now.
Verity was hesitant to pursue this conversation now, as curious as she was.
“It’s… like a reverse snow globe, snow all around but not here…” Verity added, deciding she should leave. She could see something worrisome in the woman’s eyes.
The old woman gently but firmly took Verity’s hand and patted it with her other.
“Indeed it is. Do you wonder what happened here?” the old woman prodded her now.
Verity smiled but it did not reach her eyes. Friendly old woman or not, she did not like being detained.
“Who wouldn’t? But I have seen a great many strange things in this world and I imagine there are many more yet to see,” Verity tried again, hoping her cryptic comments distracted from the topic she was trying to avoid. She didn’t want anyone to think she had been asking around, drawing unwanted attention.
To Verity’s relief, the old woman released her and nodded.
“All for the best. Even the ones that have been here longest aren’t able to explain it. Most of us left; at least the ones that favor the cold climates. Some of the residents enjoy it though, bringing in the plants from the south and such. Some of us wonder if it will last at all. Might as well enjoy it while it lasts. This world has changed a lot since the quakes.”
“So the Peaks have only been this way since then?” Verity asked.
“Aye, things have been different since the new Elder and the quakes, they are pretty close in occurrence, I dare say,” the woman added, looking up thoughtfully as she spoke. She saw the look again. This woman seemed to be as suspicious as Finn and was almost pleading with Verity to do something about it.
The Truth about Heroes: Complete Trilogy (Heroes Trilogy) Page 65