Victim of Fate

by Jason Halstead

  Garrick’s growl and Trina’s cry reminded him of his situation. He cast about and saw his boots sitting nearby, with his chain armor and sword lying in a pile beside them. He pulled his boots on without bothering to lace them and then climbed to his feet and made certain he still wore his breeches and shirt.

  Alto threw open the animal hide that served as a flap over the healer’s hut and stepped out. He blinked against the sun that shone from the east, telling him he’d slept through the night. Garrick stood nearby with his hands clenched into fists at his side. Patrina had her sword drawn and pressed against his chest. Alto saw her nostrils flaring and a flush in her cheeks.

  "I’m whole now; how about that challenge?" Alto asked the barbarian.

  Garrick stepped back and turned to face him. Before he could say anything, Patrina slammed into him, squeezing him so tight he thought he might need another dream visit from Saint Preth.

  Garrick stared down at him, his eyes cold. He snorted and turned away. "You lived. Elgar wishes to see you."

  Alto nodded and tried to disengage from Patrina, but she wasn’t ready to let him go. "Let me get my things."

  Garrick turned away and started towards the chief’s hut. Alto watched him go and then felt Patrina’s breath on his cheek. "You infuriate and amaze me," she whispered. "Work on doing more of the latter."

  Alto smiled and separated them. "Yes, my lady."

  Patrina grinned at him and gently slapped his face. "Go get your things; we’ve got to meet the chief."

  Alto nodded and headed back into the hut. He tied his boots before donning his chain hauberk and girding his sword back on. He paused when he saw a length of green cloth embroidered with yellow thread in the shape of flowers lying on the ground. A glance at his wrist confirmed that Aleena’s ribbon had been removed. He looked about but could not find it. Alto smiled, and then shook his head.

  What was Patrina doing? She liked him, he was certain of it, but she’d as much as told him that their stations would never allow anything but friendship. The only way would be if she were to leave her people behind and he would never ask her to do that. She had responsibilities that she would not cast aside. He admired that about her.

  Alto picked up the ribbon and walked out of the hut, comfortable with the weight of his armor pressing against his chest and shoulders. When he emerged, Patrina’s eyes went to his hand and then dropped to the dirty snow at her feet.

  "I don’t remember this," Alto said, holding up the ribbon. He followed her eyes and realized her dress was shorter than it had been before. She’d torn the bottom off the monogrammed material and left him a portion of it. Under courtly or civilized circumstances, showing the small pants she wore under her dress would have been scandalous.

  "Oh! I must have dropped it when I placed your armor beside you," Patrina stumbled.

  "It’s pretty," Alto said, his mouth dry. "If you don’t need it, it seems I’ve lost a ribbon."

  Patrina looked up at him and met his eyes. He saw the redness in her cheeks and a reflection of the sun in her blue eyes. She blinked the moisture away and said, "You’ve saved me over and again, Alto. Whether we like it or not, it seems you’re my champion. You should be recognized as such."

  "Your champion?" Alto echoed. He felt a weight in his stomach that confused him. Was that all he was to be, her servant? "I pledged myself to your father already."

  "That’s all right," she blurted out quickly. "I mean, he’ll understand and be quick to approve of this."

  "What does this mean, exactly?" Alto asked.

  "The chief is waiting!" Garrick shouted from across the clearing in the middle of the small village.

  "We should go," Patrina said, turning away.

  Alto grabbed her hand and pulled her back. "I’ll do it."

  She smiled and took the ribbon from him, and then tied it about his arm. She finished with a hasty kiss on his cheek. "Thank you. I feel safer already."

  Alto chuckled when Patrina spun away and started working towards the chief’s hut. He hurried after her, struggling to match her long-legged stride. "Why am I worried I’m going to need someone to protect me? You have a habit of getting yourself into trouble."

  "Well, you’ll just have to stay by my side all the time then," Patrina said. She flashed him a smile and winked, and then composed her face before turning back to face the scowling barbarian who held open the door to the chief’s house.

  Alto blinked to let his eyes adjust to the darker interior of the chief’s hut. Elgar sat in his chair and Arcan, the healer, stood beside him. "Well met, lad," Arcan said. "Never seen it before, though our legends tell of it being done."

  "You spoke with Saint Preth?" Elgar demanded.

  Alto started to nod his head and then he stopped. "He said he was a reflection in a pond of Saint Preth, whatever that means."

  Arcan laughed. "Preth is a saint, boy! To reveal himself to a mortal man would drive you blind or mad, if not dead. You saw just a hint of him, only as much as he allowed you to see without destroying you."

  "I’m honored."

  "You’re more than honored, boy!" Elgar snapped. "It’s been generations since any of the Snowbear clan have had such a vision. I hoped it would be my honor, but I’ve grown old and the cold settles deep in my bones. Then I hoped it would be my son, but he is rash and quick to action before thought. He offered to accompany you before out of anger. Now I hold him to that. Garrick will join you, and I hope you might teach him some humility."

  Garrick swore loudly and spat on the ground. "He is not one of us! I will not heed him!"

  Alto and Patrina glanced at each other, sharing their surprise at Elgar’s proclamation. "Chief Elgar, it might be better if we went alone," Patrina began. "We are familiar with these creatures and the underground mines; we’ve fought in them before. If there is any problem between us, it could spell doom for us all."

  Elgar slammed his hand against the arm of his chair. "No! He will not fail. No matter how angry or rash he may be, he will not bring shame on his clan." Elgar’s eyes swept across all of them, catching and dwelling on Garrick the longest. "You will journey together and the saints will decide if you’re worthy."

  Patrina opened her mouth but Alto spoke first. "Of course, Chief. Garrick is welcome to accompany us. I thank you for your wisdom. Our enemies will tremble before him."

  Elgar chuckled. "There will be much to learn on this hunt. Go, all of you, and do not return without news of this threat you prophesy."

  Alto nodded and Patrina curtsied. They turned and left then waited outside for Garrick to join them. "Hard to imagine where Garrick gets his temper," Patrina whispered.

  Alto coughed to cover his chuckle when the door flew open and Garrick stormed out. He turned to glare at them. The barbarian had a sword across his back wrapped in a wolfskin scabbard and an axe that hung from his hip that looked large enough to fell a tree with.

  "Come, the mines are this way," Garrick said. "Try to keep up."

  "Garrick, Alto hasn’t had more than a few swallows of water or scarcely anything to eat for days. Can’t we break our fast first?" Patrina asked.

  Garrick turned to stare at the famished warrior. Alto met his gaze and shrugged. "I’m fine," he said.

  "He said he’s fine. A real man can handle missing a meal or two. Come, we’re wasting time."

  Patrina’s eyes narrowed as he turned away and started to walk. She said nothing but her look shared her thoughts of the man. Alto smiled and nodded with his head for them to follow their new companion.

  They walked through the morning, pausing only twice to drink and for Garrick to relieve himself in the woods. Patrina’s wide eyes shared her shock at his crass behavior. Alto shrugged it away, reminding himself that they were visitors in a land with strange customs. It wasn’t until Garrick leered at Patrina that he felt his own cheeks heat with anger. Before he could speak on it, the barbarian pushed on and led them through the snow towards the hills.

  The sun had barely p
assed overhead when Garrick stopped and stared off to his right. The hill sloped away in that direction and showed a group of the large-bodied caribou that Alto had seen in his vision. He felt his mouth watering at the thought of the meat the animals offered. His stomach rumbled loud enough for Garrick to glance back at him and laugh. The noise made the animals perk their ears up and look around. They sniffed the air and took off at a gallop, kicking up snow behind them as they raced through the trees to safety.

  "You’re a brute," Patrina spat out.

  Garrick turned on her. "Have you a spear, princess?"

  She glared at him. "Alto’s a fine shot with a bow."

  "I’m sure he is, but he doesn’t have a bow, does he?"

  "Enough bickering. We’ve a task to do and the sooner we get it done, the sooner you can be rid of us."

  "Rid of you, at least," Garrick muttered.

  Patrina gasped but Alto laid his hand on her arm to keep her silent. Antagonizing the man would do them no good. "How much farther to the mines?" Alto asked.

  "Over this ridge, there’s a valley they use to reach them. I’ve seen the entrance. Men guard it. I doubt they’ll let you in."

  "Let us in, you mean?" Patrina said.

  Garrick shrugged.

  "Why wouldn’t they? We pretend to be mercenaries joining their army," Alto said. "Your furs mark you as a local, but we can tell them you’ve been lured by the promise of gold."

  Garrick snorted. "Look around you, what good does gold do up here?"

  "Gold could do a lot of good up here," Patrina snapped. "It could bring people with some civilization! Buildings that stay warm at night and proper healers. Tutors who can bring education to your people. There are so many things gold can do for this land."

  Garrick sneered at her. "That is not our way. We thrive on the hunt and the challenge of living. Your fancy silks and candied foods make a man weak. What’s important is strength of arm and the fire in a man’s chest."

  "Gold or no gold, the Northern Divide and all the lands around it won’t be fit for living in if we don’t stop arguing and find out what’s going on," Alto said.

  "Maybe they’re mining gold?" Patrina ventured after a moment of thought.

  Alto shrugged. "Perhaps. Last time they were after silver."

  Patrina nodded. "I’ve heard stories of the rich silver veins the dwarves worked."

  "Bah, demons that come out of the ground and threaten honest men!" Garrick cursed.

  "Have you ever met a dwarf?" Patrina demanded.

  "They’re evil creatures of legend!"

  "No, they’re as real as you and I. Short, but they are fierce warriors. As fierce as any of the hunters in your clan."

  "You’ve seen a dwarf?" Alto asked her.

  Patrina nodded. "From time to time, one comes through Holgasford on their way to scour the Northern Divide in search of their lost treasures. One came through recently, less than two months back."

  Garrick scowled and muttered something under his breath. Alto ignored the brute and looked instead up the hill in the direction they were headed. "Let’s continue, but remember we seek to join whatever cause Sarya has planned."

  Garrick grunted and turned away to begin leading them back up the hill. They followed and crested the ridge within fifteen minutes. An awkward hike across a steep hill led them to a trail of dirty snow that had been trampled through since the recent snowstorm. Ahead of them loomed hills that seemed mountainous by themselves.

  They entered into the shadow of the hill before they crested a hill and saw the landing outside a dark fissure in the side of a cliff. A wooden building had been erected in front of it but that did little to hide the narrow fissure that stretched above the roof. Smoke rose from a chimney and horses and small carts rested in an open stable beside the building.

  "Doesn’t look like the lair of an evil dragon," Garrick quipped.

  "Good, I left my dragon-slaying sword in my other pants," Patrina said before stepping forward and taking the lead towards the building.

  Garrick stared at her with his mouth open. Alto chuckled at her behavior. "Come on, I doubt people like these would have much respect for two men who can’t keep up with a woman."

  Garrick snorted. "No man should!"

  "I’ve known enough women to know that I don’t want to cross swords or words with any of them!" Alto admitted.

  Garrick sneered at him. "Then you are weak."

  Alto lifted an eyebrow at the barbarian but chose not to contest him. They were only a few strides from Patrina and less than a dozen feet beyond that to the building. They caught up with her just as the door opened and a man stepped out and then stopped when he saw them.

  "Ho there, hold a moment. I’ve got to hit the jakes then I’ll put you through." He stopped and stared up at Garrick. "You tempted one of the northerners? Impressive! And you’ve brought a whore as well; you’ll be more than welcomed!"

  "I’m no whore!" Patrina growled.

  He stopped and looked at her, and then chuckled. "Fancies herself a warrior, does she? Well, they say we’re taking any and all, so why not? Can’t vouch for her safety, though. Reckon you’ll learn to fight if you don’t already. Or you’ll end up on your back anyways."

  The man turned and walked off to a small outhouse built behind the stables. He went in and shut the door behind him.

  "Now what?" Patrina asked.

  "My father always said to never ask the saints why we've been given a good harvest," Alto said.

  Patrina and Garrick stared at him with blank faces.

  "It means we've been given a gift, let's not question it or waste it!" Alto strode to the door and opened it, and then looked inside before stepping in. The others followed behind him, hands on their weapons.

  The building was split into two parts. The part they were in had a desk, a table with benches, and a rack with some weapons on it. On the opposite wall was a doorway. Behind the desk and to their right a wall was built with another door in it. This door hung half open, revealing a cot and a small table inside it.

  "This way," Alto said, pointing at the door. "Hurry!"

  Alto opened the door and felt the cooler air from the tunnel wash over him. It brought the smell of smoke with it, implying there was a fire within the mine.

  "That's not like the other mines we were in," Patrina mentioned as she looked at how straight and uniform the walls, floor, and ceiling of the tunnel were. "I've heard that dwarves take their mining serious, but this is something else!"

  "Let's go, before he comes back!" Alto urged.

  Torches rested in barrels on the side of the passage. Beside them on the floor, lanterns were lined up along the wall. Alto grabbed a torch and waited for the others to do the same. He fished out some flint and steel from a pouch and handed it to Patrina. "Light them, quickly."

  Patrina struck a spark to the torch and blew it to life, and then lit Garrick's from hers. Satisfied that they had light, Alto shut the door and jammed his torch into the latch. He grabbed a fresh one from a barrel and lit it off of Patrina's and then turned to look at Patrina and Garrick. Garrick was tall enough his long dark hair nearly brushed against the beams that supported the ceiling.

  "That wasn't so hard," Alto said.

  "Yeah, nothing to it." Patrina rolled her eyes and started down the tunnel. "Let's go before he figures out what you've done."

  "Bah, he's only one man!" Garrick protested even as he fell in behind them.

  "This is an important position," Alto guessed. "And they've got wizards and the saints know what else. Stealth is our ally."

  "Good thing you didn’t do anything suspicious like blocking the door then," Patrina pointed out.

  Alto stopped and looked back up the tunnel at the door. He frowned, and then shrugged. "Seemed like a good idea at the time. Come, we'll have to take our chances."

  Chapter 19

  Against his better judgment, Alto let Garrick lead the small group into the mines. He stayed behind Patrina and kept a nea
r constant vigil on the tunnel behind them. With only their torches and the different types of stone around them to mark their passing, they soon lost track of time. Alto had forgotten how his sense of time and direction became muddled underground by the back-and-forth S-curves the tunnel forced them to take.

  They came to a room with an iron door that was wide open. Inside, several empty weapon and armor racks adorned the walls. Three tables, cut from the very stone of the mountains, were positioned in the room so that they had to walk around them to reach the door on the far side.

  "This place is empty," Garrick muttered when they paused in the room. "Just as well, there’s no wind to wash away the stench."

  "What stench?" Alto asked. "I barely even smell the smoke anymore."

  Garrick scowled and sniffed the air. "You’ve the senses of a babe! This place reeks of burning wet wood and unwashed bodies."

  "Wait." Patrina held up her hand. "You say it’s empty then you say you can smell stinky people and fresh fires?"

  Garrick stared at her without saying anything.

  "Let’s find those bodies and fires and see what’s going on," Alto said. He nodded towards the open passage that led deeper into the mountains.

  Garrick stared at the opening and frowned. He made no move to start towards it.

  "I’ll lead the way," Alto offered.

  "Stay where you are," Garrick growled. "I thought I heard something was all."

  Alto raised his eyebrow when the barbarian started forward and entered the passage. Garrick held his torch as high as the ceiling would allow to spare his eyes from it. Alto heard a soft chuckle and turned to see Patrina looking at him. He felt a rush through his body that sent tingles to his skin and made him grin back at her. She returned his smile and then followed after the northern hunter.

  The next passage seemed only half as long as the previous one, made easier by the straight line it followed. It opened into another room that looked like it had once served as a storeroom. Two wooden carts like the ones in the stable aboveground rested against a wall. The other walls were covered with shelves carved from the stone of the walls. The shelves contained only dust on them.