by H. A. Harvey
Nian looked around, still seeming a little unsure, so Autumn gave him a nod. He slid the shimmering blade into its white scabbard and handed it back to her.
“Alright, thank you, all of you.” Nian nodded as he shifted awkwardly in his scaled coat. “I . . . I guess we are both glad to have these wonderful things you made, though I have to say that even more than the fairy-make clothes, this makes me feel ages away from an innkeeper.”
“You are.” Malor nodded, “That origin may always be a part of you, but I think even when I first met you, it had already ceased to suffice in defining you.”
Riona smirked, “See Nian? Anywhere you go, there’s hope for everybody. You even managed to get the cranky wizard to say something nice!”
Everyone, save Malor, dissolved into laughter. After a moment of huffing, Autumn was sure she saw the wizard break a slight grin before muttering that he had things to finish and wandered off, followed closely by Eulalia.
“Shouldn’t Kaesa be here for presenting these things?” Nian looked about. “What’s been keeping our Njord too busy to come out and join us?”
“Polishing dis beast.” Kaesa’s voice called from the workshop entrance.
The Njord stalked out of the shop, girded once again in her heavy plate armor with her now shoulder-length hair tied back with a bit of dirty cloth. Braced over one shoulder, she carried a massive steel version of Nian’s new sword that had to be nearly seven feet in length and broad enough that one edge of the blade rested against her armored collar and the other hovered a few inches beyond the outer rim of her pauldron. Kaesa stalked in front of Axios and upended the blade in front of him. With its tip planted in the tough earth, the monstrosity towered over her with its hilt still above the crown of her head by several inches, though the end of the double-handed grip just managed to reach Axios’ broad chin.
“Da wizard said ye had t’ give up yer old sword at Broadstone.” Kaesa grinned proudly, “So I figur’d if ye plan on bloodletting, ye might wish ta have a reliable weapon handy.”
Axios tilted his head and examined the blade oddly with his one good eye. Then he grunted, sounding almost weepy to Autumn, “I alwayz hed pour’d beemz fil’d ta and edge. Ne’er seen a forg’d blade diz big.”
“Nor like ta again, I s’pose, unless Cindy is feeling inclined ta be my assistant again.” Kaesa nodded, “Dat much metal is too hard ta keep de right temperature long enough ta fold an’ shape properly widout a dancing spot o’ dragon fire ta help cheat. Dat’s de biggest Wolfbreaker sword ever made, an’ likely ta keep dat title.”
Kaesa smiled and opened a hand for the little sprite to land upon her upturned palm, the Njord’s gloves at least, if not her whole underlay, seemed to have gotten an upgrade from the drake hide as well. The sprite chimed proudly. As the ogre stared at the little duet, he hefted the sword and tried its weight. Axios’ eye kept drifting from the polished length of the keenly forged blade to its oddly paired architects. In her mind, Autumn imagined the ogre wrestling with whether it was alright that the ogre-sized blade was made by a girl and fairy magic.
“Yuz alrite.” He finally said with a nod.
Autumn was startled a little when Riona poked her in the ribs. “You should be getting dressed too, yeah? If we’re going soon I mean.”
“She’s not going.” Nian inserted before Autumn could reply. She started to get upset that he was speaking for her without giving her a chance to keep her promise on her own, but paused when she saw some sort of idea spinning behind his eyes. “Which, actually, I was hoping you could help me with.”
Riona eyed Autumn, obviously thinking about their discussion before Lally’s arrival. “Um, I don’t know Nian. Maybe, all things considered, we shouldn’t talk her out of it?”
“I wouldn’t think of it.” Nian shook his head. “In fact, I was going to ask if you’d stay back with her . . . it’d make me feel better.”
Riona blinked and looked like he’d punched her in the stomach. “What? No, I promised . . .”
“You promised to help me until Karen was safe, and I think this is the best way for you to help me.” Nian finished quickly when she trailed off. “Autumn can’t fight right now, so dragging her along would put her in danger for no reason, but if someone comes along while she’s alone here . . . I’d want someone here that could help keep her safe. Cindy can’t go anywhere near that dark magic, and you wouldn’t want to leave your drake egg behind either, so this makes the most sense.”
Autumn could tell Riona wanted desperately to argue, but couldn’t think of a hole in Nian’s logic. Finally, she hung her head and gave a reluctant nod.
“Ash.”
It was Nian’s turn to blink. “What?”
“The egg.” Riona sighed, “I decided to call it Ash. You know, because of the sea of ash where we got it, and the queen’s grove. It kinda makes sense. But you’re right, I’ll stay.”
“You’ll have company, at least for a while.” Malor stated as he strode back into the gathering, carrying what looked like a small silver amulet and a coil of rope. “Axios and I will be waiting here for a bit.”
Everyone looked surprised, but it was hard to say whether Axios or Kaesa looked more offended.
“We are still in the heart of Baeden,” Malor explained quickly, “And traipsing across the countryside with an ogre would be suicide, especially this ogre approaching Kadis City. I’ll need more magic than I could keep in reserve disguising us the whole way, so I worked up a bit of a twist on the parlor trick we used on your mercenary band.”
Malor handed Nian the amulet and rope before he continued.
“This bit of mirror will allow me to see what you do, or very nearly so, as long as you have the presence of mind to keep it facing away from your chest.” Malor instructed. “When you are to the point where Axios’ presence is likely to be required, find an open area and touch the ends of the rope together. Then, simply stand back far enough for me to see the shape it makes, and wait.”
“How long?” Nian asked.
“Until we arrive, of course boy.” Malor responded irritably. “I should see the shape and immediately set things in motion on this side, but it may take a while if you happen to set it up when I’m not looking or if it’s too dark to see on your end. I had little enough time to devise this solution and couldn’t also create talking rocks or some other nonsense simultaneously.”
“When you have succeeded, as I am more than certain you shall,” Eulalia piped up, “Malor and I have arranged for you to travel Gateward out of Baeden and into the Avan Empire’s protection. The Tyrian border is fully entangled in war at this point, and passing back through will cost more of your companion’s lives if it is possible at all. However, once you become imperial traffic, any pursuit would be essentially lost.”
“Imperial traffic?” Nian frowned, “We’re not imperial citizens.”
“Didn’t she say we had worked that out?” Malor retorted. “You’ll be travelling under the employ of her company, which will be commissioned by an Avan landowner.”
“My father had won the deed to an old way-station along the Avan Spire-roadway in a game of cards.” Lally explained a little more civilly, “Originally, I was to be establishing it as a trading post while he scouted these territories. However, he was apparently not aware that, even holding a deed to the land, the empire only recognizes its citizens with the right to own land, and they have a lengthy and expensive process for emigration.”
“That’s why you were staying at the inn?” Autumn finally chimed in as she started to piece things together. “And graduates of any imperial college are considered de-facto citizens if they don’t vanish back to their homelands.”
Eulalia nodded. “So, I sold the deed to Malor in exchange for an agreement to allow our family’s company tariff-free travel and discounted lodging while refusing the same to our competitors. And, of course, sponsori
ng a relief shipment of provisions to a certain ill-fated Spireward town in Tyre, which will require a caravan guard. We’ll call it Kolel’s last goodwill mission.”
“First, we have to start the succeeding part.” Nian amended. “Corina, can you take us back to Kadis without using any of the main roads?”
Corina nodded, “O’ course, Master Emissary Sir . . . er Lordship?”
“Nian is fine.”
“Brother an’ sister, sure ‘nough.” Corina chuckled. “Well, Master Nian, seein’ as slaves airn’t got leave ta use tha paved roads, I doubt anyone with much ta say will see us on tha way back.”
At that, Rowan divided the remaining strips of smoked drake between those staying and departing, and then Nian was off with his small group of comrades. Autumn sat back on her watch-stone, watching them wind their way down the mountain path. Beside her, the bundle with her wedding gifts lay taunting her in silence. She picked up the bow, and sighted in on the travelers, drew back, then relaxed the string. She repeated the exercise a few times then sat back on the rock, forlornly plucking the bowstring like a single-stringed harp.
“That’s probably the biggest reason I finally decided to stay behind.” Riona’s voice came from behind Autumn in a quiet, empathetic manner. “I don’t buy that Nian thought you needed a bodyguard. Even if you can’t hurt anybody, you can probably slip any clumsy soldiers or bandits that might stumble their way up the trail.”
Autumn grunted in thanks at the vote of confidence. Riona sighed and shifted Autumn’s wedding presents carefully to the ground, taking their place on her stone.
“Then I figured, as much as it stinks getting sidelined now of all times, it must be worse for you. Aside from maybe the ogre, I don’t think anybody knows real fighting like you do.” Riona tossed a rock down the slope idly. “So, I figured we could be miserable together . . . and it’d give me a chance to tell you that I hate you.”
Autumn paused and stared at Riona.
“Only a little, but I really do.” The blonde girl continued plainly. “We were in the fairy grove when I realized that I didn’t just kinda like Nian. Somehow, I was crazy-stupidly in love with him. And, of course, the queen tells me that the only way he could have resisted her charms was if he was truly in love with someone, but I knew right away she meant you. And that stunk, but it wasn’t too bad, because at least he’d be happy.”
Autumn tried to think of something to say, but Riona seemed to be content to ramble on without much more than her there listening.
“Then you went and died, and I was furious with you for ruining Nian’s plan and hurting him, but even then, somewhere in the back of my head, I was hoping it’d be okay. Nian would move again eventually, he still had Karen to find. When he did, I’d be there for him, so I waited. Then you showed back up from the dead, and so now I hate you . . . but I can’t do anything about it because it’d hurt Nian, so I just want you to know.”
Autumn sat for a minute and plucked her bow again once.
“Anything else?”
“Congratulations.”
. . .
“They weren’t there when I left, Master Nian. I swears on my three darlin’ kits!” Corina looked utterly, miserably embarrassed.
Nian sighed, “It’s just Nian, Corina. I’m nobody’s master. This isn’t your fault. I’m pretty sure you’d have remembered this.”
Surveying the field of infantry camped before the gate, Nian wasn’t sure how anyone would have missed it on their way out or as they passed within a day’s walk. There were hundreds of armed soldiers outside the city, camped and waiting for something. There were close to a dozen different standards flying among the tightly-packed camps, one of which, Nian recognized from the Battle of Broadstone.
“What’s this about, Xain?” Nian whispered across the hilltop where they all lay surveying the latest hiccup in their plan.
“Do I look like Baedite?” The Dwarf snapped back, “And we are mile maybe two away. Whispering is unnecessary.”
“You’re the only one here that’s been on a military campaign with real soldiers and such,” David clarified for Nian. “What would you guess all this is about?”
Xain squinted and looked at the assembled troops. “Maybe a meeting, inside city. Troops are all clean, did not come from battlefield, but stand like hardened soldiers. So . . . something to bring lords from all over, barons maybe.”
“Malor said something about one of them trying to be named high king.” Rowan muttered. “I guess this could be the crowning.”
“A Coronation.” David nodded. “Maybe we should wait for it to be over.”
“If they just got here after Corina left to get us, who knows how much longer before they get started?” Nian shook his head and started to slide down the back of the hill. “We can’t wait. I can feel it. It’s time to call Malor and Axios.”
Nian lifted the rope from Gatefyre’s saddle and stalked over to the biggest patch of open ground he could find. When he touched the frayed ends of the rope together, the two fused and the coils of the rope leapt to life, writhing like the body of a serpent and wrenching free of his grip. Nian stepped back quickly as the coiling knot started to lash about, spreading and twining back on itself like a giant, invisible child was playing cat’s cradle. It settled into a broad circle with swooping lines stretching across the interior to form a stylized star. Nian double-checked that the medallion around his neck was facing forward and sat on a stone looking at the circle as Rowan joined him at his side.
“Nian,” Rowan sighed, “Our rush at Broadstone was against basic foot soldiers, and we only pierced a few yards for a minute or so at the cost of three of us. Even with an ogre and a wizard along, we can’t fight hundreds of elite troops before we even get into the city. Don’t you think the barons are likely to have mages of their own along?”
“We can’t walk past them like we are,” Nian answered, “And I know we can’t wait. Maybe Malor will have a trick to get through.”
They didn’t have to wait long. Axios appeared amidst a shimmer of air, sword drawn and held at the ready as he looked about for his first foe. Malor appeared a moment later, dusting his robes lightly as he walked toward Nian.
“I think that’s the first time I’ve seen you do any magic without looking like you just swam a mile.” Nian observed as the wizard approached.
“I told you all looked quiet.” Malor chided the ogre before turning to answer Nian. “Teleporting is exhausting, and doing so through a remote visual guide even more so. However, I made more than a few preparations to avoid having to expend energy on such things before we even really begin.”
Axios huffed and lowered Wolfcrusher, as he’d named his massive Njordic blade, to the earth in disappointment. “Youz wuz s’pos’d ta wait till youz needed an ogre.”
Nian smiled and beckoned the two to follow him. He worked his way up the side of the hill, not sure how well Axios could manage a ‘low profile’. The ogre let out a low whistle at the sight of the force gathered before the city.
“Datz more loike it.” Axios grinned as he flexed his grip on his sword. “Wutz da plan?”
Nian shrugged, “I was thinking I’d have more time to come up with one before you showed up, but failing that, we have a wizard and an ogre, so there’s got to be something we can do.”
“I’m hardly a battle mage, or even very practiced at hurling blasts of fire.” Malor answered, “My focus has been largely upon defense and utility. Until much more seasoned than myself, it’s generally considered suicide for a wizard to go about shooting off gouts of magic. I wager that there will be more than one seasoned caster within the city that demand my attention.”
“So, we’re stuck.” Nian grumbled. Having an angry dragon looking for her egg would be really useful right about now.
“Perhaps not.” Malor answered, nodding toward the sky behind them.
Nian turned to see what looked like a small, angry storm cloud drifting toward them against the wind. About the time he was able to make out a quartet of brightly colored butterflies bearing something between them ahead of the cloud, Nian could see that it wasn’t a cloud at all, but a roiling mass of Nixies, whose black-and purple wings blended together in their fluttering. The four pixies that were their vanguard dipped to meet the party clustered behind the hill and Nian saw that their cargo was Ourei’s tiny satin purse. The quartet started jingling urgently as they neared and approached Nian.
“They have a message from their mother, but right now,” Malor interpreted, “It’s more important that we all wet cloths and cover our noses and mouths.”
Nian and the others quickly did as instructed as the nixies passed overhead and a droning hum tumbled down from their ranks. Trailers of dark, satiny, violet dust began to emanate from the fairy flight, trailing to the ground in flowing, spreading streamers as they swept low over the armed encampments. Shouts went up from the soldiers, and more than a few arrows shot harmlessly through the host of fairies. Then, the din faded as quickly as it arose. Behind the tide of fairies, the soldiers staggered and slumped to the ground as a velvety carpet of deep purple settled over everything in sight.
Nian tore his eyes from the strange scene long enough to glance at Malor in surprise. “Where did you learn to understand fairies?”
“I didn’t, but a very basic talent used in mastering Ethereal energy is to understand what things mean without them having to say it.” Malor turned back to the pixies as they set their burden down in front of Nian, looking thoroughly exhausted, but rang out happily nonetheless. “They said they were asked to return this, that with the blessing you left in her court, you do not have to bring gifts to visit, and she hopes you will in the future. They aren’t to pass beyond the city walls, and have to disperse before the shadows within can respond, but she considers your game to be a draw, so provides this much help at least.”