“That was terrifying,” Avilla complained.
“I’ve got you, sweetie,” I reassured her. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”
She rested her cheek against my shoulder. “I know. I’m just not good with heights. But thank you for the rescue.”
She was silent for a moment, watching as I bounded down the street. I was pushing myself with force magic, turning every step into a six-foot leap. The snow was coming down harder now, and I couldn’t afford to get snowed in somewhere.
“Where’s Cerise?” She asked quietly.
“The town priest has her,” I admitted. “I think he wants to bind her. Hopefully the fact that I have his copy of In Tauro de Maleficis is slowing him down.”
She blinked up at me in worried confusion. “You do? What are you doing with something like that?”
“He spotted Cerise. He’s been trying to talk me into binding her, as if I’d do something like that. I figured it would be easier to play along for a few days than argue and make another enemy, so he lent me the book.”
I rounded a corner, and was forced to slow down a bit by the gathering darkness. The sun was well below the horizon now, and the overcast sky blocked out any light from the moon or stars. Soon the only illumination would be the faint gleam of firelight leaking out around the shutters and doorways of the buildings that were still inhabited.
Avilla chewed her lower lip, and studied me with a concerned expression. “If you say so, Daniel. But you do know you don’t need anything like that with me, don’t you?”
“Avilla, my people would consider that kind of binding evil even without the rape and torture parts. I wouldn’t even consider it. I only bothered to read the book because I was hoping to find something we could use to help Cerise with her control problems if things go badly.”
“Oh.”
She worked an arm free of the blanket, and reached up to hug me.
“I’m sorry, Daniel. I shouldn’t have doubted you. Did you find anything?
I shook my head. “Nothing concrete, but it gave me some ideas. I’ll need to talk to her about the details of what she’s struggling with. You can’t bind yourself to be sane, but I can think of other possibilities that might help. Not giving in to a specific compulsion, or making rules for herself that she can’t break in a moment of weakness. I’m not sure it’s a good idea, but it’s an option we can fall back on if she decides she needs it.”
“That makes sense. But what if-”
I froze, and covered her mouth with my hand. She stopped talking instantly, and turned slowly to follow my gaze.
There was a frost giant standing at the breach in the wall.
I’d just turned a corner onto the street where Oscar’s smithy was located, and we were barely two blocks from the breech. Hopefully the gloom and the snow would hide us, but I carefully eased back behind the corner of the nearest building to be safe.
The giant wore chainmail and held a huge spear in one hand, just like the one I’d fought before. As I watched a second giant stepped up to peer over the town wall. He surveyed the rooftops of the town, and said something to his companion.
“Can you understand them?” I asked Avilla.
She nodded hesitantly. “I speak a bit of Jotun, but it’s hard to hear from here. Something about a meeting? Oh, my!”
A dark shape faded into view, perched atop the wall not twenty feet from the giants. In the gloom I could only make out a silhouette, but the sleek outline of an ungol was unmistakable.
To my surprise it hissed something at the giants that sounded suspiciously like speech.
“It says its pack claims the town,” Avilla translated. “The giant thinks that’s funny. He says… oh, dear. They’re only scouts.”
“I was afraid of that.”
The giant rumbled something else, and stepped back from the wall. The ungol hissed a final comment, and faded back into invisibility.
“He said the ungols can feel free to hunt all they like tonight, but his clan will sack the town at dawn. I don’t understand, Daniel. Ungols are terrible foes. They’re demons of shadow and frost, terribly strong and almost impossible to kill. A whole pack of them could fight an army, easily. But the giant wasn’t afraid of it at all.”
I frowned, and carefully set her down. She squeaked in protest as her bare feet met the snow, but I was pretty sure we’d already made too much noise. I held her close, carefully keeping one arm around her so my shield would continue surrounding us both, and eased Grinder out of my pocket.
“I’ve got a bad feeling about this,” I told her. Then I raised my voice just a bit.
“Ungol. We aren’t going to be easy prey.”
Something slammed into my back with the force of a speeding car, straining my shield and sending me crashing to my knees. But my shield held, and I thumbed Grinder to life. The harsh glare of plasma abruptly lit the street, revealing the ungol leaping back out of reach. Damn, that thing was fast.
It’s mouth gaped wide, baring dozens of gleaming teeth, and a cloud of white mist poured out to engulf us. Numbing cold instantly froze the exposed skin of my face and seeped inwards.
I pointed Grinder at the beast and activated the weapon’s ranged attack, sending a jet of superheated plasma washing out in its direction. It leaped away, landing well out of my weapon’s intentionally short projection range. But the supernatural cold faded.
“Pretty claw,” it hissed.
I nodded. “I’ve got more where that came from.”
“Worldwalker. Sorcerer. Naughty Hecate, breaking Zeus’ rules.”
Avilla rose awkwardly to her knees. “Mighty one, we are not-”
“Food does not speak!” It interrupted angrily.
She cringed.
“What rules?” I asked.
It regarded me for a moment, utterly motionless. Then its tail lashed.
“It asks questions. Sacrifice?” It nodded in Avilla’s direction.
“No,” I said carefully.
“Rude,” the demon pronounced. “Run, prey. Hide and fight. Play with food. We kill you last.”
It turned, and bounded off down the street. Its pebbly hide lightened to match the snow, and in seconds it faded from view.
Avilla stood, and threw herself trembling into my arms.
“Daniel? What are we going to do?”
My face tingled painfully with healing frostbite. I licked my lips, and gazed off into the darkness.
“We’re going to rescue Cerise,” I told her. “Then we’re going to get our people together, and get the fuck out of this place before whatever the frost giants think is going to beat those things shows up.”
A wall of snow descended on us as the oncoming storm struck. For a moment the street was completely hidden, and all I could hear was the roar of the wind. The temperature dropped noticeably in the space of a minute, and Avilla huddled against me shivering.
But then the first blast eased, and I could make out the nearer buildings again.
“We’re going to travel in this?” Avilla asked incredulously.
“Giants would never find the town in this,” I pointed out. “They’ll strike after the storm clears. But we can’t let the weather pin us down. Come on.”
I carefully took my bearings on the three buildings that were close enough to see, gathered Avilla back into my arms, and set off for Oscar’s smithy.
Chapter 14
“Split the money up between you. I don’t want anyone too loaded down by the weight. The same goes for whatever other supplies you end up carrying. You may need to drop it and run at some point, and if it comes to that don’t hesitate. I can always get more gold, but if you die I can’t bring you back.”
Beri and Tina paused in the middle of counting my ill-gotten loot to stare at me.
“Really, milord?” Beri asked. “But there’s, um, a lot of gold here. Enough to buy a whole village full of girls prettier than us.”
“I don’t care about that
, Beri,” I told her. “You girls have stuck with me through everything, and as far as I’m concerned you’re both worth your weight in gold. So stay sharp, keep the men between you and danger, and don’t hesitate to drop everything if you need to.”
Avilla straightened her borrowed dress, and smiled at them. “You see, girls? I could have told you he isn’t planning to trade up. Besides, I suspect he could make you as pretty as he likes. Couldn’t you, Daniel?”
Could I? I was no artist. But beauty is mostly just good health, and that was easy. Clear skin, healthy hair, symmetrical features…
“I suppose I could,” I agreed. “But that’s not exactly a priority right now, is it?”
“It’s very reassuring, milord,” Beri said, her eyes suddenly bright with unshed tears. “I’ve been so worried about the future. I know I can’t hold a candle to your apprentices, and most men wouldn’t hesitate to replace me the moment they found someone better. But if you… you’d really…?”
I sighed. “Yes. Beri, what you look like doesn’t matter to me. What counts is who you are, and so far you’ve impressed me there. You’re clever, sensible, loyal, determined and brave enough to cope with situations that would send most girls into a blind panic. Keep that up and you’re welcome to stay with me as long as you want.”
She choked, and threw herself into my arms. “Thank you, milord!”
I patted her back awkwardly. Avilla and Tina both seemed pleased, so I suppose I’d count this as a step forward.
Daria stuck her head in the room. “The men are ready in the kitchen, milord.”
“Good. Let’s get moving, then.”
Oscar, Hroldir and Gronir listened in growing concern as I explained the situation.
“We can’t fight giants,” Oscar said heavily. “Even counting your people we’ve only got forty men, and barely half of us have proper weapons.”
“The 5th Margold’s got maybe half that,” Gronir said.
Hroldir frowned. “They’re better armed, and they won’t be caught napping this time. I reckon we could fight off a giant or two if we were all together. But I don’t know about these demon things.”
“They’re a problem,” I agreed. “If we get into a fight with them we’ll lose a lot of good men, and I’m not sure normal weapons will even hurt them.”
“Not easily,” Avilla put in. “Their hide is tougher than plate armor, and they’re demons. But their bodies are material, so enough solid blows might drive one off.”
The men all started and looked at her oddly. After a moment I realized they were surprised that she’d spoken up, and were wondering if I was going to chastise her.
Well, I didn’t have time for an extended lecture on their society’s screwed up view of gender roles right now. But I needed to address the issue somehow.
“Avilla knows more than I do about monsters,” I told them. “If she can tell us anything useful we’re going to listen.”
Hroldir looked a little uncertain at that, but Oscar and Gronir just nodded.
“As you say, milord. So what do we do?” Oscar asked.
“I suspect the ungols will be hunting again right now. What do you think, Avilla?”
She nodded. “Probably. In the old stories they’d claim a territory and hunt down everyone in it over a period of days, or perhaps a week or two for a major city. A pack can devour hundreds of men in a single day, and the more they eat the stronger they get. I imagine they’ll try to get in as much feasting as they can before the giants come.”
The men blanched at her casual explanation.
“In that case anyone who goes outside right now is at risk of becoming a meal for the things. Our best strategy is to stay put for an hour or so, until they’ve had a chance to gorge themselves. Go ahead and get everyone packed and ready to move, but try not to make noise. They’ve got keen senses, and too much activity might draw their attention.”
“Make sure you concentrate on essential supplies. Weapons, warm clothing and food come first. Tools and valuables get second priority, and anything else is just extra weight. Ty to plan out an inconspicuous route to the granary, and make sure everyone knows where you’re going.”
“Are you still going to rescue Cerise?” Oscar asked.
“Yeah. If I’m not back in an hour I want you to leave without me. I’ll meet you at the granary, and we can plan our next move there.”
“I’m coming with you,” Avilla said firmly.
“Damn right you are,” I agreed. “Are you armed?”
“I… um… yes. You’re not going to argue?” She pulled a heavy butcher knife from her sleeve, and reluctantly handed it over when I reached for it.
I had no intention of letting her out of my sight until we were out of this mess. Two or three ungols would go through Oscar’s men like a hot knife through butter, and it wouldn’t surprise me if the one we’d talked to made a point of trying to kill her. But I wasn’t going to say that.
“I’m not going to tell you that you can’t help rescue the woman you love,” I told her.
“Daniel!” She gasped, glancing nervously at the men.
I shrugged. “Time to stop hiding, Avilla. I don’t mind, and if anyone who works for me has a problem with it they’ll just have to learn to keep their mouths shut.”
Oscar shrugged. “I had a cousin who was like that. It happens.”
Gronir grinned. “I reckon us survivors knew it already, milord. It’s obvious just seein them look at each other.”
I chuckled. “It is, isn’t it? Anyway, I might need you. You know how to handle yourself, and there will probably be magic to deal with. So yes, you’re with me. Hang on a minute.”
I focused my attention on the knife, layering a simple blade of force along the edge. I didn’t have time for a real enchantment, but this would last a few hours.
“There,” I handed it back to her. “That edge will cut stone and steel now, so be careful with it. Do you need anything else?”
She waved vaguely at the kitchen. “I’ve already gathered what I could that might be useful. I’m ready.”
“Good work. Questions, anyone?”
“You sure you don’t want a few of the boys to come with you?” Oscar asked.
I reluctantly shook my head. “No, the more people we have involved the more things can go wrong. We need to get to Cerise before they get any bright ideas about using her as a hostage, and that means we need to be stealthy.”
“Anything else? No? Then let’s move.”
The street was pitch black when we crept out the smithy’s back door. I stood still for a moment, waiting for my eyes to adjust, and wondered if I could manage infrared vision.
Sadly, the answer was no. Maybe low-light vision, like a cat, but that could take hours and it probably wouldn’t work right for Avilla.
“I can’t see a thing,” she whispered. “Can you?”
I drew Grinder and activated it, illuminating the street with its harsh violet glare. Was that a long, sinuous shape easing back out of sight on that rooftop down the street? Or was it just my imagination?
“We’re going to have to use lights,” I reluctantly concluded. “Damn, that’s going to make this harder. Here.”
I conjured a short baton of stone, and stuck a small flame to the end. Dimmer than a normal torch, so hopefully the light wouldn’t carry too far. There was a good chance no one would be standing watch anyway in this storm.
I handed the makeshift light to Avilla. “That should be enough to find our way. But stay close to me, it’ll go out if you get too far away.”
“How far is too far?” She asked nervously.
“Not sure. Maybe twenty or thirty paces?” I deactivated my weapon and started slowly down the street, peering cautiously through the falling snow. It was coming down pretty heavily, but my shield kept it from actually touching me.
“Oh. That’s not so bad, then.”
I’d made Avilla a warmth cloak, and her borrowed dress was heavy wool. But I couldn’t f
ight if I was carrying her, and letting her walk beside me put her outside my shield. Would a lurking ungol notice that the snow was touching her, and decide that was a good opportunity to attack? Or would they see that I was still holding my weapon, and decide I was trying to lure them into an ambush?
Great. Now I was playing mind games with demons.
I pulled Avilla into the lee of a building, and spent a few precious moments throwing a shield around her. Yet another thing drawing on my mana supply, and one solid blow would break the spell. But it made her look as protected as I was.
She accepted the protection with a grateful smile. “Ah, thank you. The way my cloak melts the snow I was starting to get wet there.”
“No problem. Now, let’s think about how to do this. There are guards at the temple. They’re probably all indoors now, which means the doors and windows will all be closed and barred.”
Avilla frowned thoughtfully as we crept down the street. “They know what I look like, so I can’t just go first and distract them. I’m still bursting with that power you gave me, so I can work bit of direct magic. But the only sleep spell I know is foiled by cold iron, and they’ll be wearing armor.”
“Hmm. Guess it’s up to me, then.”
I pressed on in silence for a few minutes, wracking my brain for ideas. How would I tackle this if it were a quest in an RPG? One with no save points or resurrections, and a killer GM. Oh, and there was no rulebook to consult.
Something conservative, then. But still, something a bunch of feudal quasi-Vikings wouldn’t think to prepare for.
By the time the temple came into view I had a few ideas, but the layout ruled out some of them. It was a big stone building, a bit like a medieval church only not as tall. Stone steps at the front led up to a pair of heavy wooden doors carved with images I couldn’t quite make out in the darkness. Along the sides were rows of high, narrow shutters that I assumed must cover windows. I could see faint traces of magic clinging to the building, and considerably more radiating from the ground it stood on.
Fimbulwinter (Daniel Black) Page 22