“Hush, lass, I taught you how to do this!” Borric began to make his way out onto the rooftop, still surprisingly nimble for a man his size, and perched himself beside his daughter. “Bit higher up than I remember, though,” he said with a nervous chuckle. “You’ll have to catch me if I take a tumble.”
“I’ll do my best,” said Lai, giggling at the very thought.
“You always do,” said Borric, smiling fondly at her. Lai grinned back, and then leaned her head against his massive shoulder. For a glorious moment, every trouble in the world disappeared. Borric wrapped his arm around her and pulled her closer. Then, after several quiet moments, he asked, “So then, tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow,” echoed Lai.
“Are you ready?”
“How could I be?” asked Lai. “I’ve never been away from home. Away from you.” She looked up at him, feeling very much like a little girl again. Uncertain and anxious, turning to her father for advice. “This was never meant to be part of the plan. And I am excited. I know this is important. But ... what if it turns out I’m making a mistake? What if I’ve lost the one chance I have for a normal life?”
“Cullen still hasn’t come to call?” said Borric. Of course he understood. He always had.
Lai shook her head miserably. “I doubt he will. And I don’t blame him. I’m turning my back on the life we’d started planning together, and he’s done nothing to deserve it.”
“He’s a good man,” said Borric. “He’ll come to understand, I’m sure of it.”
Lai sighed and pulled her cloak tighter around her, shivering slightly. “In any case, I’ll be long gone before he does. Off learning to be a traveler with Fox. And learning to be a god with ... with Farran.”
Borric shifted where he sat, and put his hand lovingly beneath Lai’s chin, turning her face up to meet his gaze. “My darling Laila,” he said. “If anyone is capable of becoming a hero, it is you. Besides, you’ve always been divine to me.” Lai could feel tears beginning to fill her eyes now, and she leaned in to hug him, but Borric stopped her. “And regarding Farran,” he said firmly, “you’re allowed to call him your father.”
“But ... he isn’t you,” protested Lai.
“He is your blood. And he’s done more in his way to protect you than I ever could. For this next part of your life’s path, he’ll be your guide. Your mentor. Your biggest supporter. That’s what a father does. And you’re allowed to have more than one.” He kissed her on the top of the head and hugged her tightly. “Now stop questioning yourself. You’ve made your choice, trust in it.”
“I’m afraid,” Lai admitted, whispering it into his chest as they embraced.
“It doesn’t make you less prepared for the journey.”
By the time Lai and Borric made their way back down into the valley square to join the farewell celebration, Lai had said all she needed to. Her family would be fine here without her, for now. And she would survive without them. After all, she was the Thicca Valley Captain. She was Borric’s girl. She was the pirate king’s daughter.
∞∞∞
Dawn was the coldest it had been all month. The wind was painfully sharp, and every breath misted in front of them as the small group of wanderers started gathering in the city square, their final preparations made. Neil and Gully were already there, as well as a young woman introduced to Lai as Norda. She had been the noblewoman’s lady-in-waiting, and bodyguard, back in Calibas. Now, it seemed she wished to continue her duties and follow Gully wherever she traveled. She immediately struck Lai as a no-nonsense type, and she was quite clearly not happy with the temperature in Thicca Valley. Every inch of her was covered in furs and thickly-padded hides, and only her eyes were visible, glaring out at the snow with a murderous intensity.
Darby joined them within moments, leading a small pack of horses by the reigns. “Radda’s parting gift,” he informed the company. “He’s also sent us off with some odds and ends he says may come in handy.”
“Like what, exactly?” asked Gully.
Darby shrugged. “I’ve found it’s always best not to ask him.”
When Fox arrived a few minutes later, one of the horses immediately pulled itself free of Darby’s grasp and rammed its head affectionately into the boy’s chest. “Slow down, friend!” said Fox, laughing as he tried to fish a treat from his pockets for the animal. The two had obviously become close, and Lai smiled as she watched them rub noses. Everyone was picking their mount now, and Lai joined Fox at his horse’s side.
“Which one of these beauties do you think would get along this well with me?” she asked, looking out slightly nervously at the animals. She’d never ridden before, and was suddenly keenly aware of the mass of fur and muscle, and how easily she could lose control of it.
Fox glanced over at the horses, and pointed out two. “Marionette is a sweet girl, very patient. But, I think Frostbite would be good for you. If he likes you, he’s loyal to a fault, and incredibly caring. However, he is spirited, and his sire was a war horse.” He smiled back at Lai. “Remind you of anyone?”
Lai stuck her tongue out at him, and started off to inspect the chosen animal, but Fox grabbed her hand and held her back.
“Are you alright?” he asked quietly.
Lai smiled at him, the truthful answer bubbling to her lips at once. “I’m at the dawn of an exciting new adventure, and I get to travel into uncharted lands. With you.”
“But, Cullen ... leaving him behind. You care about him greatly, don’t you?”
Lai felt her own smile slip. “Of course I do,” she said. And then, squaring her shoulders, she said firmly, “But this is a quest I’m meant to be a part of. If he can’t understand that, perhaps it’s for the best after all.”
Fox was scrutinizing her, as if steeling himself to say something. “Listen,” he said finally. “We’ve got a long road ahead of us. And ... I just want you to know, no matter the cost, I will always be there by your side. You are, you have always been, one of the most important people in my life. And I’ve regretted, every day, leaving you behind once before.” He swallowed, hard, and Lai thought his voice wavered a bit when he spoke next. “When I left last spring, when you said farewell ...”
Lai caught her breath, heart pounding suddenly faster. This was the first time either of them had mentioned Fox’s goodbye, or Lai’s foolish parting words. You’d better come back one day. ’Cause I’m not marrying anyone but you. Now, hardly daring to hope, Lai waited for Fox to finish, every part of her quivering with anticipation, like a taut bowstring.
And then, Fox’s eyes slid past her, and something in his face fell. He closed his eyes briefly, and shook his head. When he opened them again, he smiled and nodded at something behind Lai. “I think you spoke too soon,” he said. “It looks like he understands better than you think.”
Lai could hear pounding footsteps now, and the panting of someone running to meet them. Turning, she was shocked to see Cullen racing through the valley square, pack slung across his back, a sword swinging at his hip. “What are you doing here?” she asked as he came to a breathless halt beside her.
“You ... haven’t left ...” Cullen gasped, bending over and clutching at his side. “Wasn’t sure ... catch you.”
“Come here, lad,” said Darby, bringing a waterskin to Cullen and making him take a long swig before he tried to speak again. Finally, his body and voice under control again, Cullen straightened up.
“You were right,” he told Lai. “This is important. And what’s more is it’s important to you.” He waved out at the valley around them. “We don’t need all of this, here. A normal home, a normal life.” He took Lai by the hands, looking straight into her eyes. “My home is wherever you are. If you’ll still have me.”
The freezing air all around them seemed to be holding its breath, as every Shavid eye watched the pair, waiting for Lai’s answer. But her gaze found Fox’s, and they stared wordlessly across the snow-filled gap between them. They had known each other so well, and for
so long. Fox would know what Lai wanted, what she needed, better than she would herself. And ... he had been about to say something, hadn’t he?
But then, with an encouraging smile, Fox nodded his approval. And Lai swallowed the last moment of hope she had that Fox would have finally reciprocated her parting promise. She squeezed Cullen’s hands tightly, and grinned up at him. This man loved her, and she him. Perhaps the lost memories of a childhood fancy had confused her, but here was Cullen, strong and passionate and ready to follow her down uncharted paths. “I’ll still have you,” she said.
It was with an elated and wild abandon that Cullen kissed her then, in front of everyone. And it took Darby inserting himself between the two of them to end the moment. “Alright, alright,” said the dwarf, elbowing them apart and winking at Cullen. “We get it, no need to show off.”
“In fact,” said Farran dryly, “if that could never happen again in front of me, I’d be much obliged. I am a god, after all.”
“I suppose, if we have to,” said Lai dramatically, releasing Cullen and smiling over at the pirate. “We’ll keep it to ourselves from now on, alright Father?”
Farran stared at her, a look of surprise and joy on his face. “What did you call me?”
“You heard me, old man,” teased Lai. “Now, let’s get on with it then! Where exactly are we headed?”
∞∞∞
Every day, the snow fell thicker. The cold threatened to take them all in their sleep each night, and ice weighed down the branches of every tree. Lai had never been this far north. She didn’t know anyone that had. They traveled far past the outer forests and to the other side of the Highborns. Past Whitethorn, where Lai silently sent out a promise to her mother, that she would do everything in her power to restore her memories. They ventured out into frozen hinterlands, where there was no shelter from the wind, and all was grey and silver as far as any eye could see. Without Fox leading the way, carving maps into the ice, they would have been entirely lost. There were no familiar landmarks for days, and each new ruin they passed soon started to look the same.
Their progress was slow, and every league painfully won. They were often forced to make camp earlier than they planned, hunkering down to wait out a blizzard or a hailstorm. Farran helped where he could, and began to teach Lai how to commune with the water in the snow and ice. Between the two of them, they managed to keep everyone alive and un-frozen, but the effort drained Lai in particular. More than once, she awoke completely wrapped in heavy furs by a roaring fire, only to discover she’d been unconscious for two days.
The one upside of the magical exhaustion was Cullen and Fox. Whatever differences and irritations they had with each other, both of them cared for her. And they seemed to have come to an understanding of sorts, and a respectful partnership. They took turns checking in on her when she was recovering, and one of them always rode by her side. By the end of two weeks, Cullen had begun to sit with Neil and Fox at mealtimes, asking them with genuine curiosity about their travels, and offering to train with them.
And then, they reached the Northen Wastes. Here, there was no wind. No snow fell, nor any hail or freezing rain. Everything was simply frozen. It was as though a perfect summer’s day had been perfectly preserved in crystal. The group dismounted to investigate, and found blades of grass shining through the silver sheen of frost. Bright flowers could be seen crusted in ice like glass, and even small rivulets of water. Not ice, but water, simply still and unnatural.
Nothing shattered. Nothing cracked. Even the weight of the horses, shifting nervously at the disquieting feeling in the air, did nothing to disturb the perfectly frozen moment.
“Something here isn’t right,” said Darby, crouching on one knee to get a closer look, pain apparent on his face. “I’m forgetting something. Something important that happened here, long ago.”
“But you’ve never been here, have you?” asked Lai.
“The Historian is meant to know,” said Darby, pressing a hand flat to the icy surface as though hoping to learn something from it. “Every important event that shaped this world’s history, I keep protected. I remember, as though each moment was my own.”
“Except for me,” said Fox quietly, kneeling beside his mentor. When Lai looked questioningly at both of them, Fox explained, “The Cartomancers. They were erased from living and collected memory. We don’t know why.”
“And here, again,” said Darby, pounding at the ice in irritation now. “Something eludes me, something is being hidden away.” He stood quickly and wheeled around to face Farran. “What do you know, pirate? You’ve led us here, told Fox where we needed to go, what is this place?”
“I don’t know,” Farran admitted. Darby looked ready to argue, but Farran insisted, “Truly, friend, I don’t. I wish I did. It is unnerving for the gods to be left in the dark, and I can’t say I care for it. But this place, whatever strange secrets it holds, is just on the edge of our destination.”
“Then let’s get out of here,” said Cullen. He was shivering, but Lai somehow doubted it had anything to do with the cold. He looked uncomfortable with the wastes, they all did. Darby glanced about at his companions, and then conceded.
“When we’re finished with whatever mad treasure hunt you’re taking us on,” he said, pointing a finger at Farran, “we’re coming back here.”
“Wouldn’t have it any other way,” said Farran with a slight bow.
Travel through the Northern Wastes was eerily quiet, and they moved as quickly as possible. The ice made no sound as they crossed it. Nobody seemed to feel much like speaking. At camp that night, even the crackling of the fire seemed to dissipate into silence. Nobody slept well, and they all were ready to leave again long before dawn.
It was only a few hours later that Lai began to smell the sea. An eagerness started to fill her, a desperate urge to spur Frostbite onward and race to the coast. To see the ocean, for the first time outside of her dreams. A sense of normalcy began to return to the rest of the group shortly after, and whatever strange spell that held the Northen Wastes in its grasp began to fade. Soon, they were all talking and laughing, occasionally bursting into song as Lai and Farran began to teach them all sea shanties. Darby knew a surprising number of them already, and occasionally played along on a small stringed instrument.
And then, as dusk started to settle in around them, and Fox started suggesting they make camp, every part of Lai began to hum. Something was near, something she knew, and desperately needed to see. With a shout, she kicked Frostbite into a gallop, and they shot off across the snow. Her heart pounded in time with his hooves, both quickening as they drew nearer and nearer to the frozen shore. Hills began to give way to what might have once been sand, and the horizon before them leveled out into a perfect grey and blue. She pulled back on the reins, and Frostbite obediently halted as Lai caught her first glimpse of the Silver Depths.
A swirling maelstrom of emotions fought for her attention as she gazed out in wonder at the still and endless sea. She felt excitement at the nearness of the water, sorrow that it was solid ice. And, warming her from within, raw power demanding that she stake her claim here at the water, and tell the world who she was. This place, this frozen dream calling to her from beneath the snow, was where she was meant to be. And Lai understood, finally, how Fox must feel about the wind. This was right. This place was perfect.
This was home.
She dismounted, carefully stepping closer to the place where she knew instinctively that the frozen land ended, and the frozen water began. Kneeling, carefully channeling what she’d learned from Farran, she reached out a trembling hand and called to the water. Slowly, a trickle at a time, the patch of ice and snow beneath her hand began to melt into a puddle of saltwater. She screamed with triumph and delight just as the rest of the group finally caught up with her.
“Well done,” said Farran, stepping up beside her. As his boots brushed the ocean ice, there was a crack, and a fountain of salty sea water broke through, engulfing hi
s feet entirely.
He smiled and closed his eyes. “I’ve missed you too, my darling,” he whispered to the water. And then, he turned to Lai, his eyes now positively sparkling with excitement and divine energy. “So then, daughter of mine. Are you ready for your first act as a pirate princess?”
“Try me,” said Lai.
Behind them, the rest of the company were beginning to dismount from their own horses. “Isn’t there meant to be an ocean here?” said Fox, looking out with confusion at the frozen expanse ahead of them.
“There is,” answered Farran. “She’s merely asleep, tucked beneath half a lifetime of winter. But she’s there, the Silver Depths.”
“So what,” said Neil, pulling his scarf tighter about his neck, “we walk?”
“We could,” said Farran with a roguish grin, “but I thought it best to take a ship.” He glanced sideways at Lai. “Your ship.” Quiet fell around them again, with some people looking around for any sign of a boat on the water, others watching Lai and Farran intently.
“Mine?” asked Lai, more excited than any child receiving a new toy. “Where? How?”
“Reach out,” said Farran softly. “Concentrate. The ocean knows you, and you know her. Tell her what you need. Find it.”
Lai hesitated for only a moment, then closed her own eyes, disappearing within herself, reaching for that place within where she felt her own magic ready to boil over. She crouched to one knee, and stretched out her hand, willing the ice to crack. To free the ocean. Waiting for the water to approach, like a horse learning to trust its new master. And then, after a moment, warmth spread through her fingers, and she opened her eyes with a gasp. The ocean wasn’t cold, not to her. It was welcoming, and felt as eager as she was.
She grinned up at her father, and then let her instincts take over. She plunged both hands into the snow, and the water within it reacted at once. Lai could feel it almost crackling around her skin, and the ice began to crack. Saltwater started breaking through every crevice, and a tide began to rise, the waters threatening to engulf her. She heard Fox and Cullen racing toward the ocean, intending to save her, but Farran waved them off. And Lai, taking a deep breath, forced every bit of power she had into the water.
Inkspice (The Mapweaver Chronicles Book 2) Page 32