Fabian’s face instantly melted into a softer expression and he reached up to stroke her cheek, ‘You would be worried ... about me?’
Mistral nodded mutely, her eyes bright with unshed tears, ‘Of course I would! I love you Fabian! How could I sit around here knowing that you were risking your life for me?’
Fabian sighed and pulled her into his arms, ‘Of course I’m not angry with you. And, much as it pains me, I do realise that I can’t be there on every Contract that you take. But, and this is a very large but, I simply cannot abide the thought of deliberately placing you in danger. It goes against every instinct in me.’
Mistral turned her face into his shirt and began to cry, ‘I’m so selfish –’
‘No you are not!’ Fabian exclaimed, frowning down at her.
‘I am!’ she sobbed. ‘You’re so patient with me! And I – I shouted at you when all you wanted to do was try to protect me –’
Fabian suddenly bent his head and kissed her until her tears stopped and she returned his embrace, winding her fingers through his hair to pull him even closer. Reaching up to gently unlock her hands Fabian broke away and gazed down at her.
‘Now I’m the one being selfish,’ he laughed shakily.
They gazed at each other for a long moment, oblivious to the biting cold of the cellar and the muted sounds of the twins moving about in the room above their heads.
‘We had better get ready,’ Fabian finally said, releasing her and reaching down to collect the saddlebag of weapons he had packed.
‘Wait!’ Mistral said abruptly, fighting the sudden impulse to lock the cellar door and trap them both down there. ‘You’re not going to stop me from coming here are you? Just because you don’t trust me to be alone with you?’
Fabian immediately dropped the saddlebag to the floor and took hold of her again. He looked into her eyes and smiled at the anxiety he saw there.
‘I would never wish to prevent you from coming to your own home,’ he said softly. ‘Which reminds me. I have something for you.’
Reaching into his pocket, Fabian pulled out the iron key to his house and held it to her. Mistral frowned at the key in his hand. Even in the gloom of the cellar she could see that it looked different, newer.
‘I had a copy made at Toothe and Nayle for you. I thought it might make you feel more disposed towards a second year’s training if you knew you could come home whenever you wanted to.’
Mistral slowly took the key from his hand and stared at it, fresh tears splashing down onto the gleaming new metal.
‘I know it’s probably not the best gift you have ever been given, but I had hoped for a more favourable response,’ Fabian murmured in a bemused tone.
Mistral looked up at him, her face filled with intense emotion, ‘You’re wrong. This is the best gift I’ve ever been given. Apart from you that is –’
Flinging her arms around him Mistral began to kiss him with sudden need, only breaking off when Fabian abruptly pushed her away.
‘Stop Mistral ... please. This is going to be the longest year of my life if you keep doing this to me.’
Mistral stared wordlessly back at him, the strain in his voice only serving to fuel the fire raging inside her.
‘I think we had better get on with the hunt,’ he muttered, taking hold of her hand and pulling her firmly towards the door.
Feeling slightly dazed, Mistral allowed herself to be led up the stairs. She slipped the new key to her home into her pocket and smiled.
They left once Mistral had packed up her saddlebag and strapped on her various weapons, sliding her borrowed knife into her belt last of all.
‘Care to do the honours?’ Fabian asked with a smile, closing the door behind them.
Mistral grinned and fished her new key out of her pocket. It fitted perfectly into the lock and turned with an oiled snap.
‘I declare this house locked,’ she announced, pocketing her key with a flourish.
The snow lay thickly across the yard and the surrounding mountainside, reaching to Mistral’s ankles when she walked over to the stables.
‘We’ll have to travel carefully,’ Fabian said looking out the snow covered landscape and then up at the sky. ‘But I don’t think there’s going to be any more snow today.’
Mistral followed his gaze and looked up at the sky. It was covered in a thin layer of pearly grey cloud that looked as though the sun would burn it away before noon, promising a bright afternoon.
They tacked the horses and led them out into the yard. Cirrus was excited by the snow and circled nervously, causing Mistral to hop around on one leg while she tried to pull herself into the saddle. Spirit was no better, fidgeting anxiously and champing on her bit while Fabian held her tightly and mounted.
‘I’m so glad I bought a calm one,’ said Phantom smugly while he mounted his statue-like horse.
They left the yard and rode single file along the narrow trail leading from Fabian’s house. There was no wind and the warm breath from the horses’ nostrils rose in misty plumes, enveloping them in a soft white cloud. After a short while the trail widened out, allowing them to ride side by side and talk more easily.
‘Where do you think the others slept last night?’ Mistral asked Phantasm.
Phantasm frowned, ‘Well I’m fairly sure that Xerxes would have led his group straight to the nearest village and drank their tavern dry. I think Cain and Saul will have done the same and I have to say that I don’t really care where Golden, Columbine, and Konrad ended up sleeping last night.’
Mistral nodded, feeling relief in her brother’s words. She’d felt guilty about waking up in a warm bed, imagining the others shivering in The Velvet Forests in their cloaks.
‘If it wasn’t for Konrad we wouldn’t have the extra worry of those elves trying to use us as target practise, so I really hope he froze on the mountainside somewhere!’ Phantom added bitterly.
‘Drows are cold-blooded, so I doubt it,’ Fabian muttered quietly, peering down at the snow around them as he rode.
‘Are they?’ Mistral grimaced. ‘He’s well-suited to Columbine then, because she looks distinctly amphibious.’
‘Yes, gargillians are cold-blooded too, and you’re not far off the mark with your complimentary description of her. Gargillians are descended from reptiles.’
‘Oh! I’ve always wondered what those weird ridges were on her back! They were scales!’
‘When did you see those?’ Phantom asked, looking disgusted and fascinated at the same time.
‘I told you!’ Mistral exclaimed. ‘Or I tried to tell you, but I think your more sensitive-natured brother stopped me from telling the full story. I walked in on her in the showers once, but I don’t think she knew I’d seen her or I’m sure I’d be missing a couple of limbs. Anyway, never mind how much she hates me, there’s something I’ve never fully understood and I’m sure you’ll both have a theory on it. Why does someone as perfect as Golden hang around with a revolting creature like Columbine all the time?’
‘Oh, Mistral that’s so simple.’ Phantasm sighed then gave her a half-smile. ‘But I suppose someone like you just won’t see it.’
‘Someone like me?’
‘Yes, someone like you. You’re so open Mistral. When you’re happy it’s obvious, the same when you’re angry,’
‘You can say that again,’ muttered Phantom and Fabian laughed quietly.
‘In short, you are guileless – which is a compliment!’ Phantasm added quickly, seeing the look on her face. ‘You don’t need to cheat, lie and stir up trouble to fulfil some sadistic desire. In fact, you’re the complete opposite of Golden.’
‘And much more beautiful,’ added Fabian softly, still examining the ground in front of them.
‘Of course she is,’ Phantasm agreed smoothly. ‘Golden always needs a mirror to reflect her beauty back to her and Columbine has been her personal, walking, talking looking-glass for the last year. Golden physically needs constant adoration to re-affirm her belief in her
own perfection, without Columbine or some other victim in her thrall she would quite literally wither and die. Nymphs feed from the worship of their admirers in much the same way that drows feed off misery.’
‘I always suspected that she wound Columbine up to make her hate me even more, but I could never work out why. You’re saying she did it for no reason other than for her own amusement?’ Mistral asked incredulously.
‘Definitely,’ Phantasm nodded. ‘Inciting Columbine into lashing out at you in fits of jealous rage would have fed Golden’s ego, the same way she tried to make Master Sphinx jealous.’
‘You think she wanted Leo to attack you in a fit of jealousy?
‘Not so much attack me, but make him possessive and force him into making a commitment to her. If he had flung me out of the Valley in a fit of jealousy too it would have just been a bonus to her.’
‘Or it could be that she just couldn’t resist you – mind you she’d have to fight off Mistress Eudora first!’ Phantom added with a grin.
Fabian laughed in a slightly too knowing way and Mistral shot him a suspicious look.
‘Tell me that sad old trollop hasn’t been trying to help you out of your clothes as well!’ she demanded sharply.
Fabian lifted his gaze from the snowy ground and looked at Mistral, his face amused, ‘She has a certain reputation,’ he confessed.
‘Hopefully not earned with you!’ Mistral cried, looking aghast.
‘Never in a million years,’ said Fabian, now laughing openly. ‘Mistral, are you jealous?’
‘No!’ she snapped then frowned. ‘Oh, I don’t know, maybe ... ridiculous isn’t it? But I’ve never felt like this before.’
‘I think I preferred it when you just wanted to kill things all the time,’ muttered Phantom, looking uncomfortable at the turn in the conversation.
‘It’s quite natural, you’ll settle down as you get used to your new life,’ Phantasm said, gazing at her calmly, completely unabashed by the subject.
Mistral sighed and thought about the long year looming ahead of her. In so many ways she couldn’t be happier with the way her life had changed, yet she felt that her life with Fabian wouldn’t truly begin until she had successfully mastered Sight. An icy sliver of panic slid into her stomach. Just how long it would take her to develop her skill beyond just being able to read auras? Would it take a whole year? Or, heaven forbid, even longer? The thought of waiting longer than a year made her feel suddenly claustrophobic. She drew in a sharp breath, trying to calm herself.
‘Is something wrong?’ Fabian asked, his brow creasing in concern.
Mistral looked at him, gazing into eyes she knew better than her own.
‘It’s just next year –’
Fabian held her gaze steadily, ‘I will be with you Mistral. It will pass and we will be together, I promise.’
Mistral gazed back and after a moment she nodded. Feeling slightly reassured she dragged her mind back to the hunt. Fabian had only agreed to her hunting on the condition that she didn’t leave his side and go charging off into the forests on her own. Mistral smiled to herself and mused that staying by Fabian’s side all day could barely be considered a hardship or even require any effort on her part at all. In truth, it was the only place on the Isle she ever wanted to be. The rest of the plan remained the same. They would track the wolverine pack and locate them, then scout around for good vantage points for the twins to shoot from. Finally, she and Fabian would return to the forests and flush them out to the waiting twins.
‘Did you bring some poison?’ Mistral asked, beginning to think through various hunting strategies.
‘Yes, one I brew myself from hemlock and bryony berries. It’s extremely potent so we must be careful when we handle it. I was thinking that we could dip the caltrops in and set them where they are likely to tread. It wouldn’t stop them immediately, but it would slow them down once the poison began to take effect.’
Mistral nodded, ‘I was thinking something along the same lines –’
While Mistral and Fabian discussed their ideas for the hunt, Phantom turned to look at his brother.
‘See? Made for each other.’
‘Hmm, maybe … but do you think he knows that she sleeps with a knife under her pillow?’ Phantasm muttered back.
‘So does Fabian,’ cut in Mistral, giving them both a cold look.
‘You’re right, they are made for each other,’ muttered Phantasm once Mistral had safely resumed her conversation with Fabian.
They reached the wide meadows that bordered the southern edges of The Velvet Forests by midday and halted to rest the horses and eat the food that Mistral had packed for them.
‘There is always the unconsidered factor of the other apprentices hunting in the same area,’ Fabian murmured to Phantasm while he scanned their surroundings for any signs of either the elves or the wolverines.
‘I thought of that too,’ agreed Phantasm, moving closer to speak without being overheard. ‘I’m sure they won’t believe our Lieutenants have carried out Master Sphinx’s orders either and will naturally head to the last place we ran into the pack, which was over there –’ he pointed to the treeline sweeping further around to the east. ‘Actually, I had hoped that we would all end up hunting together. I can only see danger in small groups hunting the same prey. If we aren’t taken out by our supposed prey or by the elves then we’ll probably end up accidently shooting each other.’
Fabian nodded and gazed with narrowed eyes across the white landscape, ‘Probably part of Leo’s plan … force you to unify despite his orders. It’s the type of concept Training Captains believe in.’
Phantasm eyed him coolly, ‘And you don’t?’
‘I’m used to working alone.’
‘Not anymore.’
Fabian glanced over at where Mistral was talking with Phantom and his expression softened.
‘No, not anymore.’
They mounted up and rode slowly across the meadow, heading for the treeline but all the while checking the unbroken snow around them for any signs of activity.
‘Here!’ Phantom called, reining in and pointing down to his left. ‘Those are definitely Grendel’s tracks!’ he frowned, suddenly disappointed. ‘Damn. They’re not fresh.’
They all looked down at the deep imprints half-filled with snow from the previous night’s fall.
‘It’d stopped snowing by the time we went to sleep last night,’ said Phantasm. ‘I remember looking out of the doors onto the balcony and seeing the stars.’
‘So they passed this way before midnight,’ said Fabian thoughtfully. ‘There’s a small settlement in the forests about an hour’s ride from here. They may have been heading for that.’
They followed Grendel’s tracks into the treeline. There was less snow on the ground under the cover of the trees and it became harder to follow the trail. Fabian dismounted to study each patch of snow that had drifted through the heavy spread of branches, searching for any evidence of the apprentices passing through that way.
‘This is not so good,’ he murmured, peering closely at the snow.
‘What is it?’ Mistral dismounted and led Cirrus over to where Fabian was knelt beside a low drift of snow.
The twins came over to join them and Fabian pointed to several clear sets of large paw prints in the snow.
‘These are fresh. The wolverines are following Grendel’s scent. It’s powerful enough to linger for days, even in cold conditions such as these.’
‘The wolverines are hunting Grendel, Xerxes, and Brutus,’ said Phantasm grimly.
Fabian nodded and continued to study the snowdrift.
‘I hope they made it to that settlement last night,’ said Mistral, peering cautiously into the trees around them.
‘I hope they’re still there,’ Phantom muttered.
‘So do I,’ said Fabian quietly. ‘The elves are following them too.’
Mistral swore under her breath and moved quickly over to where Fabian was indicating. She could ju
st about make out a slight indentation in the snow, no more than a slight flattening in the shape of a semi-circle.
‘Elves wear soft boots made of hide with soles that leave almost no mark. For some reason this elf was careless. They have excellent woodcraft; it’s unusual for one to leave such a clear track.’
‘Unless they wanted us to find it,’ said Phantasm darkly.
‘Leading us into a trap is always a possibility,’ Fabian nodded and narrowed his eyes. ‘Either way, it means that our hunt just became more complicated. However, I feel we have no choice but to follow this trail since we have seen no other tracks offering us an alternative.’
They mounted up and followed the direction of the three different sets of prints: the elves following the wolverines, both hunting the apprentices.
‘We’re still heading directly for the settlement,’ said Fabian while they rode at a slow walk through the trees. ‘We should reach it soon.’
Mistral felt her heart quicken slightly, wondering if they would find the other apprentices there. Or would they be out in the forests somewhere, being hunted by two sets of predators?
The settlement soon came into view between the heavy trunks of the oak trees. It was no more than a few simple houses built from logs all gathered around a larger single storey building. Smoke billowed from the stone chimney set in the roof, indicating that someone was inside.
They reined their horses to a halt at the edge of the tiny settlement and looked around for any signs of life. A fenced enclosure next to the long building held a few horses nibbling at the sparse winter grass.
‘That’s Venus. She’s Cain’s horse,’ said Mistral, recognising the dappled grey mare.
‘And that’s Saul’s!’ Phantom exclaimed pointing to a bay.
‘It looks like they’re all here!’ Grinning suddenly Mistral swung herself down the saddle. ‘Let’s go find them!’
Leaving their horses in the enclosure they made their way over to the long building, looking around curiously at the empty settlement. No-one had appeared to question their arrival, yet it was apparent that this was a lived in settlement.
The Assassin's Tale (Isle of Dreams) Page 60