by Jenny McKane
“Well?” he said. “Why shouldn’t I kill you?”
Avalon snorted in disgust. “I am not going to beg for my life,” she said, raising her chin. “I have told you what happened. It is your choice, whether you believe me or not. It seems that you have made up your mind anyway.”
“It does appear that way,” he said calmly.
He walked up to Avalon, drawing his sword. “On your knees,” he said. Minna’s eyes glittered in triumph, walking over and drawing her own sword.
Avalon sank to her knees, her heart thumping wildly. She was about to die, and the irony of it was that she had not even been escaping, even if she had been toying with the possibility in her mind. This woman had her own agenda, obviously, and Avalon guessed that only part of it was about what she claimed.
Avalon knew Minna had deep feelings for Skyresh and was angered whenever he talked to Avalon. She had also surmised that Skyresh didn’t return those feelings—at least not in the way that the woman wanted.
She raised her head, staring levelly at Skyresh. She wouldn’t show fear. If she had to die out here, on this frigid night, with the sound of the glacier the last thing imprinted on her mind, then she would do so with honor, like the warrior that she was.
Skyresh raised the sword. Avalon closed her eyes.
The blow from the sword never came. She opened her eyes to see Skyresh had turned and held his sword against Minna’s throat. The woman was so startled, she dropped her own sword, backing away.
“Don’t ever lie to me,” he hissed. “I knew that you took her. I followed you both, knowing what you were intending, Minna.”
“Skyresh…” The woman pleaded. “I only did it for the good of all of us! You wouldn’t listen to reason…”
He pressed the tip of the blade harder against her throat. “Tell me, Minna – who is the leader here?”
“You are,” she muttered.
“Yes, I am.” He gazed at her, levelly. “And so, I make the decisions. Not you. Yes, it is a risky decision, letting this woman lead us to the weapon base. I am aware of what could happen. But, what I cannot condone, is my people second guessing my decisions and undermining me.”
“I’m sorry,” she cried. “I just thought that you had been bewitched by her, somehow…”
He stared at her. “Everything I do, I do for the cause,” he said crisply. “It saddens me that I must tell you that. And it saddens me that it seems that I can no longer trust you.”
“You can,” she cried. “Skyresh, please! I will respect your decisions from now on, even if I disagree with them.”
He lowered the sword slowly. “Last chance,” he said softly. “If you act in a way that undermines me again, I will not hesitate, Minna. Despite everything between us. You know what happens to people who cannot follow orders.”
She hung her head, nodding slowly. “I am trustworthy,” she whispered. “I will not do it again.”
He sheathed his sword. “Good,” he said. “Now, let us get some more sleep. There are only a few more hours until the sun rises, and we must set off, immediately. We have a long day’s journey ahead of us.”
He turned to Avalon, indicating that she should follow him. She got to her feet slowly. Minna had her head down and refused to look at her. She had been put in her place, well and truly, thought Avalon.
Avalon gazed at Skyresh, as they walked slowly back. He was a natural born leader. If he wasn’t fighting for the rebels, he could have gone far as a Grey Guard. He could have risen in the ranks quickly.
But then, there was no possibility of that, even if he had been so inclined. The Grey Guards didn’t accept his kind. Anyone who was Stromel born was not allowed to be a guardian. That privilege belonged to the Jarle. For the first time, Avalon realized how unfair that was.
The Stromel were not like children, as she had always been told. They were as intelligent and shrewd as any Jarle that Avalon had met, especially this man. This man was as strong and clever as anyone she had met at the Academy. More so.
Avalon realized that it was prejudice, pure and simple. The Jarle wanted to control the Stromel; not because they had to, but because they wanted to. And if they had lied to her about the Stromel, what else had they lied about?
Avalon heard a whistle of unease sounding through her mind.
***
Avalon felt weary, as they trudged through the snow. Well, she hadn’t slept very well. First, there had been the dream, waking her, and then the encounter with Minna, which Skyresh had swiftly dealt with.
Avalon glanced at the woman, walking ahead of her. Minna had not looked at her once since she had been reprimanded by Skyresh, but Avalon wasn’t fooled. She knew that the woman’s anger at her was still there, simmering beneath the surface. Minna knew she had to hide it better now, that was all.
Avalon thought of the Grey Guards again. Minna would have made a top-notch guardian, too. She felt a grudging respect for the woman. She was fierce and uncompromising.
She was also in love with her leader. That fact was so plain to Avalon, she wondered how Skyresh didn’t know. But then, perhaps he did. Skyresh was calculating in how much he revealed. What had happened last night proved that.
Avalon could hear footsteps rapidly approaching her, and she turned to see Skyresh draw level with her.
“We will start to approach the outskirts of Farric soon,” he said, glancing at her. “I will need to know the next directions.”
Avalon gazed at him. “To the east of the settlement,” she said. “Near the great fjord.”
Skyresh’s eyes widened. “Stianfjord?” he said. “That is remote. It will take us too long to ascend the mountain to get to it. We will have to head into Farric and secure a boat to take us into it.” He gazed at her. “It is a rough passage. I will not put my people’s lives at risk for nothing. You had better not be lying to me.”
“I am not lying,” said Avalon, staring straight ahead. “I know that I am only alive because you need this. I’m not stupid.”
“No, you’re not,” Skyresh said. “In fact, if you weren’t a guardian of the realm, you could do well with the rebels. I would listen to your opinion on strategy.” He stared straight ahead. “A pity that you work for the enemy. A wasted life.”
Avalon glared at him. “My life is not wasted,” she said. “I am honored to be working for the realm. It is you, believing the fairy tales that you have been taught, who has a wasted life. Your rebellion is for nothing.”
“Fairy tales?” His eyebrows were raised. “You have been to the Outlying Zone and seen the animals there. You have been into the ruins of a temple and been blessed with a vision. Yet, you still persist in denying what you must know is true.”
Avalon gritted her teeth. “I know only what you have told me,” she said. “Yes, there are animals in the Outlying Zone, but I do not know why they are truly there. Perhaps the Jarle sent them away because they were dangerous, threatening the people. As for the vision, as you call it – well, I think that it was a hallucination brought on by altitude sickness.”
His eyebrows raised higher. “You still do not believe in the magic? Even though you know that the Jarle use it! What is the barrier, then, between this realm and the Outlying Zone? You have felt the pain it causes when you crossed over, and yet, it is invisible to the naked eye.”
Avalon was silent. It was true. The boundary between this realm and the Outlying Zone was not normal, and it could not be explained in a rational way.
She blinked uneasily.
“Do you know about the camps?” he said suddenly.
“Camps?” She turned to him. “What are you talking about?”
He laughed, but it was not a happy sound. “The cleansing camps,” he said. “Your beloved leader has them dotted all over the realm. Hidden well, of course. The Unseen are rounded up and forced to live there, before they are put to death.”
“The Unseen?” Avalon stared at him, hard.
“That is what they are called,” he said,
staring straight ahead. She could see his jaw tighten with emotion. “Anyone who is defective, who cannot work. Minor ethnic groups, who have not assimilated.” He turned to her, his eyes hard. “They are all The Unseen, deemed not worthy by Agnor to live in his realm. That is what your leader does and what you protect by fighting rebellion against him.”
Avalon felt cold all over. No, it simply could not be true. Her ruler was just and kind. The order he desired was for the good of all. He would not have camps that calculatingly put people to death, just because they were different. It was impossible.
“I don’t believe you,” she said flatly. She quickened her steps until she was ahead of him again.
Skyresh stared at her, rigidly walking away from him. He didn’t know why he kept trying to tell her the truth. She was so thoroughly indoctrinated that it would take a massive shift in her mind to accept what he was saying, and yet, he kept trying. He could see somewhere in her eyes that she knew.
He thought of her again on her knees, in the temple ruins. It was no hallucination, as she kept insisting. Mother Asta had spoken to him of visions, but they were rare. The Goddess only chose special people to reveal herself to, and sparingly.
He thought of her tossing in her sleep, the previous night, just before Minna had taken her. She had been dreaming. The same dream that she had talked of briefly. He was sure the dream had meaning and that it was connected to her vision.
Avalon was here, in the Far North, for a purpose. He was sure of it. It was one of the reasons he had let her live; this strong sense he had of her destiny. It was somehow connected to the rebellion, although she was unaware of it. She fought so hard against the knowledge.
And his destiny was bound to hers, as well. How, he had no idea. But he felt it so strongly, he could not dismiss it.
He stared at her walking ahead of him, the hood of her cloak dotted with snowflakes. He could see her eyes, passionately arguing her cause. He thought of her strength, as well. She had looked him straight in the eyes and raised her chin when he had raised his sword to her in the night, wanting to die as a warrior would.
As he would, if the tables had been turned and he had been kneeling in front of a raised sword.
***
Avalon stood on the ledge, looking down at the settlement spread out below. Farric. A medium-sized village spread out around the mouth of a river. They had finally made it.
Skyresh turned to the group. “We must secure a boat to head into Stianfjord,” he said. “We will lay as low as we can, so the guardians are not alerted to our arrival.” He turned to Avalon. “You must put your acting skills to the test, once again. The role of the mute, who does not speak.” He smiled at her, his blue eyes gleaming.
Avalon nodded. “If that is what you require,” she said.
Brunn frowned. “The passage will be rough, into Stianfjord,” he said. “The big freeze is coming over. There will be much ice in the water.”
“And it can be choppy,” said Sondre, leaning on his walking stick.
Skyresh nodded. “Yes, but we have sailed before,” he said. “You are both skilled. I know that you will get us there safely.”
Brunn and Sondre looked unconvinced, but they still nodded.
“Has she told you yet where the base is located?” asked Minna, looking at Skyresh. “There are not many houses around Stianfjord, and they are spread apart. I am concerned that we will sail there, and it will be for nothing.”
Skyresh looked at Avalon. “I am confident that she will reveal the base when we get there,” he said.
There was silence. Avalon could tell that the others were not so confident, and she could hardly blame them. The fact that Skyresh was accepting her word and putting his people at risk because of it was astonishing. She almost felt guilty, at what she must do.
She was amazed, by how torn she was feeling. It was ridiculous, she told herself fiercely. Just because this man has told some stories, does not change anything. Of course, he is going to try to be convincing. Do not be fooled. You are a warrior on a mission.
He and his people had shot arrows at them. Everard was missing; she had no idea if he was dead or alive. She owed it to him to complete this successfully. He was her partner, after all, and he would do the same for her.
She just had to quieten the unease, which was gnawing at the back of her mind. Skyresh was magnetic; it was why he was their leader. She was being drawn in by that magnetism, but she must never lose sight of her purpose. She squared her shoulders, taking a deep breath.
They wound their way down the short mountain path, heading into the village. Avalon stared at the people, as they walked through the streets. Women washed clothes in tubs, outside their huts, their hands vigorously scrubbing, or were walking with their purchases from the market with baskets on their heads. Children ran about, laughing and playing in the mud and snow. She saw a group of men clustered at a street corner, hovering around a dice that was being rolled, either cheering or sullen at what number came up.
They weaved their way through the market, where piles of freshly caught fish sat, plump and gleaming alongside mountains of fruits and vegetables that Avalon barely recognized. As they walked, people stared at them, and some approached Skyresh, obviously knowing who he was. They all gazed at him with something akin to worship in their eyes.
He was loved and revered, that was obvious. But the people were not blatant; Avalon could see that they were aware that they must be circumspect and not draw attention to him.
Eventually, they made it to a pier, where several boats sat bobbing in the water. Skyresh walked off, speaking to a man about hiring a boat. The others stayed at the end of the pier, watching him.
“Just so that you know, Guardian,” said Minna, turning to her, “I will not take kindly if you are leading us into a trap. You might have fooled Skyresh, but you have not fooled me.” She smiled unpleasantly. “If only I had been a little quicker last night. Your body would now be floating down the glacier.”
Avalon’s eyes narrowed. “What is the story, Minna? Have you always loved him, but never had the courage to tell him?”
Minna gasped, her eyes widening. She walked up to Avalon, until her face was only inches away. “Do not dare to talk to me about things you know nothing about,” she said. “Skyresh and I are fated to be together, and I will not let an arrogant Jarle like you interfere in that.” She paused, taking a deep breath. “I know how your life has played out, Guardian. Brought up with everything that money can buy, looking down your nose at anyone beneath you.”
“You have a chip on your shoulder,” Avalon said. “I am not responsible for how you feel about yourself, Minna. If you feel inferior, that is your problem.”
“You haven’t known a day’s hardship in your life,” spat Minna. “Telling us how we should behave and live! Tell me, have you ever seen someone freeze to death? Trying to save them but not able to build a fire high enough because all the firewood has been confiscated to fuel the fires of the ruling class?”
Avalon stared at her. “That would never happen. The Jarle look after the people.”
Minna scoffed. “Easy to believe that in your comfortable little world in the city. Did you know that there was a famine here, a few years ago? A lot of people starved, but the Jarle did nothing to stop it. The tables of the ruling class were laden with food, of course. People were begging at their doors, but they threw the leftovers into bins and killed anyone who tried to grab them.”
Avalon was silent, staring out over the water.
“You know nothing,” Minna whispered bitterly. “I honestly have no idea why Skyresh is keeping you alive. You and all of your class should be wiped off the face of the realm.”
She walked off. Avalon stared after her, surprised to find that she was trembling. It was more lies, of course. The Jarle looked after the Stromel; it was their duty, and their obligation. Minna was just trying to get a rise out of her, because she thought that Skyresh was starting to like her.
&n
bsp; She stared at the people milling around the pier. They were all thin, and many looked weary. And yet, she had seen how much food there was, walking through the market. No, Minna was lying.
Skyresh had returned. “We have a boat,” he said. “We should set sail immediately, before the day gets away on us.”
They headed down the pier and—one by one—boarded the boat.
Avalon stared out at the water, as they headed away from the pier. The village receded until the people looked so small she could barely discern them.
They were heading towards the great fjord, and then…all of this would be over. She would lead them to the safe house, where they would all be arrested. She would find Everard, and they would return to Vyheim Castle, their mission accomplished.
Avalon stared up at the sky, fighting the feelings of misgiving that were rising in her breast so strongly she could barely breathe.
***
Everard woke up slowly. He raised his head, looking around. He was in a room with plain wooden walls and a window to the left. Where on earth was he?
The last thing he remembered was falling asleep under the ledge in the wilderness. He looked down at his arm. It was expertly bandaged and the swelling had gone down. He no longer felt feverish.
He tried to sit up, but dizziness overcame him, forcing him to lay his head back onto the pillow.
“You are awake,” said a voice beside him.
He turned towards it. A woman was sitting next to him. She was dressed in white, from head to toe. A long white veil covered her head. She was smiling.
“Where am I?” he croaked.
The woman stood up, smoothing down the creases in her skirt. She picked up a glass of water, which was sitting on a bedside table.
“Drink first,” she said. “I can hear how dry you are, in your voice.”
Everard did as she said, drinking greedily. When the glass was empty, she placed it back down on the table and turned to him.
“I am Sister Elna,” she said, smiling again. “And you are in the house of the Mayor of Kig Hill. It is a little village, at the bottom of the mountains.”