I woke up feeling great. It was that amazing kind of sore that comes after a truly enjoyable night and I didn’t have any hangover to go with it. Which was nice.
I woke my lover with a kiss. “Hey there,” she said with a smile.
“Hey there yourself,” I replied. “Sun’s already up. Give me time to get ready and I’ll buy you breakfast? We can go anywhere you want to go.”
“I know a place that caters to stilyagi not too far from here,” she said. “It serves some excellent foreign food. They have a traditional Minkaian breakfast that I’ve been told is pretty good, though they don’t usually serve many winter wolves, since it’s outside most of my people’s price range for a meal.”
“Well, I’m sure I have more than enough to cover even the priciest breakfast,” I told her.
“We’ll need to get you your full papers before we go,” Greta said. “It’s outside of The Howlings.” I must have made a face, because she added, “Don’t worry, it won’t take long. As long as you have more of that stuff to mask your scent, I should have little trouble getting us to the front of the line using a few favors.”
That sounded fair enough. I checked with Cortana and confirmed that she still had been unable to contact anyone, then prepared my spells for the day. Afterwards, I got dressed, put in some fresh contact lenses, applied some more scent mask and we were on our way.
The application process for papers could have put any bureaucrat’s office back home to shame. Thankfully, the clerk really did owe Greta a favor, so we were out in less than an hour, my official papers in hand.
There was one odd thing, though. “So, I’m your wife, huh?” I asked the wolf-woman next to me as soon as we had a bit of privacy.
“It was either that or spend a hundred gold pieces to bribe the clerk to falsify some other reason for your entry to the city.” She grabbed my ass with her free hand. “Besides, if I have my way, it won’t be a lie forever.”
My cheeks flushed and my heart skipped a beat. She had just declared her intention to pursue me seriously! I mean, I liked her – a hell of a lot, even – but I hadn’t even considered the possibility that this could be more than a fling. My brain didn’t quite know how to react to that. And the weirdest part was that there was a part of me that didn’t want to dismiss the idea outright.
We’d met less than a day ago. She’d declared her intent to make me her bride. And part of me wanted to go with it. I mean, holy crap! What was up with me?!
I needed more time to think. “Weren’t we going to find breakfast?” I managed to ask without stammering.
“Ah, yes. Breakfast! I’m starving!” Thank God she was hungry enough that my deflection had worked.
The street that led from the Howlings to the city proper was blocked by a crowd of winter wolves and their slaves. They were angry and directing their unrest at a person flanked by a pair of trolls who stood at the checkpoint.
“I don’t care how upset you are!” a woman’s voice called out. “You will disperse and return to your homes, or I will be forced to call in the full might of the Winter Guard!”
“We’ve always been loyal citizens, and now you’re refusing us entrance to the rest of the city because of some event none of us had anything to do with?” someone called from the crowd. Several others agreed with him.
“What’s going on?” I asked a winter wolf near the back of the crowd.
“There was an attack on a concert last night. Someone killed the singer and hung her corpse from a tree. At least what was left after they split her head in two.”
“Oh dear!” I said. “That’s horrible! But what does that have to do with us?”
“The concert was also an execution for dissidents. The people who attacked the stage set the prisoners free, and one of the prisoners was one of ours. So now we’re all suspect.”
I couldn’t say I disagreed with the actions of whoever had attacked the stage, in that case. But people here were at a boiling point. If someone didn’t act quickly, there could be a full scale riot, which would probably result in retaliation by the authorities.
Greta whispered in my ear, “If things go bad, can you handle the witch? She can likely fly and I don’t know that I’ll be able to do anything to her.” I nodded. “Good.” Greta slammed the butt of her axe into the ground. The sharp crack silenced the crowd. “Friends! I understand your discontent. I, too, chafe at this mistrust shown to we who have been ever-loyal! But this is not the way. Return to your homes, let the White Witches conduct their investigation. In a few days, when it is found that we had nothing to do with the events that have transpired, they will realize that they have made an error and surely they will repent and return us to our proper place as respected allies and subjects.”
There were grumblings, but the crowd heeded her words and began to disperse. Once the last person was gone, the witch made a motion with her hand. Off in the distance behind her, I saw one of Irrisen’s fabled mirror men – constructs used by the witches to patrol and spy on their people – step from the shadows a block back. A dozen human guards stepped from the alleyway behind it. It then bowed and marched its troops off away from the Howlings.
“A pretty speech,” the witch said to Greta. “We thank you for your service.”
Greta nodded. “Of course. In light of our assistance, perhaps you could see fit to allow me and my wife to enter the city, now that this unpleasantness is behind us? I promise we just want to get some breakfast and will return immediately after.”
“No exceptions. You will have to wait until the perpetrators have been caught before we lift the ban.”
“Yes, leave now, stupid wolf,” one of the trolls said.
“Or we’ll crunch your bones!” the other troll agreed. “You stupid wolves can’t harm us trolls and you know it.”
Greta turned as if to leave, giving me a look. It was show time. I quickly cast my spell, unleashing a beam of flame that shot directly into the gaping mouth of the witch and continued on out the new hole in the back of her skull. Well, there were two beams, but one missed, so let’s just forget that one.
Greta spoke the draconic word for “Acid”, causing the head of her axe to become slick with seeping liquid. Then she charged and cleaved one troll’s arm off. Just clean off. The troll looked smug at first, then shocked when the limb didn’t grow back.
Meanwhile, I hit the other troll with cleansing flame. Both beams hit and the troll collapsed. Not to be outdone, Greta dodged her foe’s attack and whipped her axe forward in a fluid, dual-sweeping motion, dispatching the other troll.
“We need to get out of here,” she said. “But first…” She drew a whistle and blew it. I couldn’t hear the sound but a few moments later another winter wolf appeared.
The new arrival shifted into human form and I immediately recognized the gate guard from the previous day. “Greta, what have you done?” he asked.
“There is no time to fully explain,” she said. “The trolls finally mouthed off to me one too many times.”
He laughed. “It looks like you have everything in hand. So what am I here for?”
“I need someone to dispose of the bodies.”
He eyed the witch’s corpse and licked his lips. “It’ll be my pleasure.”
Greta gave him a commanding look. “Agilur, listen to me. No lunch until after you’ve burned the trolls, understand.”
He rolled his eyes. “Fine. But you owe me.”
“I gave you lunch. How is it that I’m the one who owes you?”
“This is a two man job. I’m going to end up having to share.”
“Oh, poor baby.” She rolled her eyes and grinned at me.
That disturbing conversation over, we continued onward. Once we were out of sight, I cleaned the gore off of Greta with magic. No sense advertising what we’d been up to, since we really didn’t want the attention.
When we reached the neighborhood where the restaurant was located, it was bustling. The people seemed more nervous, but otherwise, it wasn’t all that different from Magnimar. It even had a forty-something year old Sczarni man – he had made the effort to hide his identity, but I had spent enough time in Magnimar to recognize Sczarni tattoos no matter how much makeup he wore – standing next to a makeshift table offering to read fortunes using the Harrow.
As we passed, the Sczarni called out to us. “Ah, there’s the Mountain Man!” he said to me in Taldan. I didn’t even want to know how he knew that. After the way my previous reading had gone, I wanted nothing to do with it. I tried to ignore him, which seemed to be working up until he decided to speak again, this time in the local language. “What? Do the newlyweds not want their fortune told?”
Just how official was that document anyway? Was I actually married to someone I’d just met? Because if so, Momma was gonna kill me unless Daddy could stop laughing long enough to talk her out of it. And more than that… how on Earth did he know about our status anyway?
Greta giggled girlishly at being called newlyweds. “Come on, it’ll be fun.”
It would make her happy, so I could pretend to enjoy it for her. “Okay, but I recently had a reading. I’m not sure if I should have another so soon. But maybe he can do one for you?” I smiled as I spoke and gave her hand a squeeze. She nodded and we headed over. “Just for her, if you please,” I told the man, handing him a few coins.
He took the coins in his only hand – the other arm looked like it had been cut off just below the shoulder – and stuffed them into a belt pouch. He shuffled the deck and looked at Greta with his milky eyes. “Tell old, blind Martje your question,” he said to my lover.
She actually looked embarrassed, blushing as she spoke. I squeezed her hand again in encouragement. “I, well, it’s just… What will happen with us? Will she and I work out as a couple?”
“Ah, matters of love!” the man said with an approving nod. “As you know, matters of love depend not just on the will of fate, but on the efforts of those involved. So The Path will be our best bet at determining your future.” He laid out ten cards in an inverted triangle before us. “Have you ever had a reading before?”
“No,” Greta said. “What do I do?”
“First, flip the lone card before you. That card describes your role in relation to the question. In this case, it will reveal something of the nature of your role in your relationship.” She was trembling as she flipped the card.
“I don’t know this language, but that looks like a Rakshasa,” she said. “What does it mean?”
“Indeed! Well deciphered.” He bowed with a flourish. “The Rakshasa is the card of dominance and control.” Wait, did that mean she was going to be the dominant one in our relationship? “But it mostly signifies slavery to an idea. You will do what you will do because your love for this woman simply will not allow you to do anything else.”
Did she really feel that strongly about me? My heart was pounding in my chest. It took everything I had to keep my breath coming at an even, regular pace. Greta smiled at me, then turned back to the man. “The cards do seem to know much. What do I do next?”
“Now, you choose between the two cards in the next row and flip the one you have chosen. This card represents your past, specifically your relationships in the past.”
Greta chose the card to the right. “So, what does this tornado say about my past?”
“The Cyclone represents a disaster made by intelligent beings that destroys all that it touches.”
Greta laughed heartily. “That certainly describes my love life up until yesterday! Does it say more?”
The Sczarni shrugged. “What else is said is only spoken in the heart of the one getting the reading. Reflect a moment if you wish, then choose one of the two cards on the next row that touch the one you’ve flipped. This card will relate to your present.”
Greta did so, revealing the card in the center. “I can’t tell what this one is from the art,” she admitted.
“That is ‘The Big Sky’. It depicts the freeing of slaves and represents momentous change.”
Greta slipped her arm around me and pulled me close. “Meeting you feels like it was a big moment in my life,” she said, looking into my eyes.
Oh god, was she trying to make me blush? Because it was working. I don’t think I’ve ever blushed that hard before. And from what I saw in her pale blue eyes, she absolutely meant it. Which only made me blush harder. My brain couldn’t think of what to say, so I panicked and kissed her.
“Now, now, children,” the man said to us. “There’s still the future to consider and one more card to choose.”
Greta reached out and selected a card. “Some kind of man surrounded by ghosts?”
“The ghosts are his fallen comrades,” the Sczarni said. “The man is ‘The Survivor’, and he represents a person who has been through an ordeal of some kind. But he also represents finding something thought lost. There may be some difficulty in your future, but no matter how dark it seems, hope will never be gone so long as you hold on to it. There will always be a chance to find it once more.”
Greta was grinning from ear-to-ear as she handed the man a gold coin. “Thank you! This means so much to me.” She turned back to me, her face filled with joy. “Shall we go get that breakfast now?”
Oh, right, we’d been out here to go eat. It was as if the world was conspiring to prevent us from completing that simple task. But food sounded good. I didn’t need it, but it would give me something to think about other than our relationship. I’d never been with anyone for very long, so the thought of being together forever terrified me a little. At the same time, though, it sounded like a whole new kind of adventure.
I could get a handle on this, as long as she didn’t bring up kids.
The “traditional” Minkaian breakfast they offered was less traditional and instead had been chosen for its exotic nature. On offer was a multi-course meal that started with dumplings, moved to a tofu-like bean curd soup in a hearty fish broth, then involved a curried fish and rice main dish and finished with some kind of pastry dessert.
The dumplings were fairly good, with a definite taste of fish sauce to the filling, which was mostly composed of meat and some kind of starchy root I didn’t recognize. The soup was similarly delicious, though it was no miso soup, which I think would have gone better with everything else.
Then came the curry, whose type was chosen when we ordered. I opted for the spiciest variant and asked them to kick up the spice further. It couldn’t be as bad as those spicy food challenges I’d done back home – you haven’t lived until you’ve played a “Strip” version of a ghost pepper wings challenge with a bunch of military pilot trainees – and the burning mouth would give me something to think about other than my relationship and our quest to save the world.
I lost that challenge, in case you’re wondering. But it was close.
They set our dishes in front of us – Greta had chosen the mildest curry, the wimp – and I took a bite. It was fairly hot, but I’d definitely had hotter. “So,” Greta said to me. “I’m curious. How do you feel about children?”
A piece of sauced fish went down the wrong pipe, sending me into a coughing fit, causing a table of stilyagi nearby to laugh at me. The proprietor was at my side with a glass of water immediately. I waved him off. “Just swallowed wrong,” I said as I managed to get my coughing under control. “But if you have it, can I get wine?” I needed a drink.
He didn’t have wine, but he brought me a little pitcher of sake. I skipped the little cup and drained the pitcher in a single draught. “Better?” Greta asked me as alcoholic warmth spread through my body.
“Much,” I said.
“So, about my question…”
“I’ve never really considered it,” I admitted. I was a little surprised she had. She might look like she’s in her late twenties or early thirties, but she was likely little older than I was. Winter wolves have a lifespan in the low fifties, and age accordingly.
She smiled warmly and reached across the table to take my hand. “I can see that the subject is making you uncomfortable. We have time yet. Let’s hold off on that question until the current crisis is dealt with.” Oh, thank God. “So, mind if I try a taste of your dish?” she asked.
“It’s very hot,” I said. “But you can if you want.” She ended up needing not only water, but a cold glass of goat’s milk to bring the burn down to a manageable level, even after a small bite. I made a point of finishing my entire plate.
Yeah, we’ll see who the dominant one is. Stupid cards.
On our way out, I wasn’t paying attention and bumped into a man just outside, accidentally knocking him down. I helped him up, and noticed his eyes lingering for a moment on my bag and widening in surprise as they darted between my bag and my face. He appeared to be Chelish, from his features.
“You’re not from around here,” he said softly, so only I could possibly make out what he said. He laughed boisterously. “Sorry friend! I haven’t been in the city long and I keep getting turned around and bumping into people. I’m new to this land of ice and snow, with the midnight sun where the hot springs flow.”
The hair on the back of my neck stood up. That was a Ranger identification phrase! They were all based on lyrics from songs from back home, because Daddy was the one who came up with them all. And, for the life of me, I couldn’t remember the counter-sign!
I knew it was a song that discussed a location, based on the sign he used. So I took a stab in the dark, reciting the lyrics to the first such song that came to mind that I knew Daddy liked. “Well, watch where you’re going. Surely you’ve seen many cities before, paradises where the grass is green and the girls are pretty. It should not be any different to maneuver the streets and watch where you’re going.”
I caught his eyes narrowing in recognition of my attempted counter-sign. “Of course. Again, my apologies. I won’t let it happen again.”
After he left, Greta took my hand. “You shouldn’t have been so lenient on him. Merchants should remember to show more respect to those who watch over the city.”
“Sorry,” I said. “I’ll remember it for next time.”
Patrols in the city were up and the guards were on high alert. We managed to get past several checkpoints, but it was clear that guard presence was escalating. There were mirror men everywhere. We got stopped several times, but our story that we were going through the city to collect on a debt owed to a local merchant was believable enough that we weren’t hassled further.
Still, when we spotted a checkpoint where a winter wolf was being hassled by trolls, we ducked into an alleyway to bypass them. Better to avoid the worst checkpoints, after all.
The alleyway was deserted, as alleys often are. And the windows facing the alley were all shuttered. So no one would see us if anything happened. But Greta wasn’t too worried about it. Few things in the city aside from trolls would be stupid enough to attack a fully armed winter wolf.
So imagine her surprise when someone stepped out from the shadows and commanded us to “Halt!” And imagine my surprise when it was the man I’d bumped into on the street about twenty minutes prior. “Hand over the girl and you will be allowed to leave here unharmed,” he commanded Greta.
As he spoke, she’d put herself between me and the potential threat, tightening her grip on her axe. “Not going to happen,” she said.
“Then you leave us no choice.” He drew out a small rod and flicked his wrist. It telescoped outward and a hidden blade flicked out. The whole thing looked like a scythe. “We walk in the dark places no others will enter.”
Another figure appeared from a side alley, holding a cocked crossbow. “We stand on the bridge, and no one may pass.”
Yet another dropped down from a walkway above, closing off our path of retreat. I recognized several spell tattoos on her, so she was likely either a sorceress or a mage. The sword-cane in her hand suggested it was the latter. “We engage in battle, we do not retreat.”
Greta’s muscles tensed. “I’ll cut a path,” she whispered. “Flee as soon as you have the opportunity. I’ll try to be right behind you. But if we get separated, find another winter wolf and tell them of this attack.”
“Wait!” I said, stopping her prepared charge. “This isn’t what it looks like. There’s been a misunderstanding. Please let me handle it.”
She nodded. “If you’re sure.” Still, she was ready to react at a moment’s notice.
“Rangers!” I commanded. “In the name of the One, stand down!”
The spellcaster, closest of the three to me, cocked her head. “We’re here to rescue you. You asked for assistance.”
Had I? I thought about the lyrics I had used for a moment and realization dawned. “The next part of the song goes, ‘Oh won’t you please take me home?’” I said as I smacked my face with my hand. “Of course that’s what he’d use that one for.”
“So you weren’t in trouble?”
“We’re all in trouble,” I said. “But I’m not in any particular trouble at the moment, no.”
They began putting away their weapons and Greta relaxed her stance. “Come, this place isn’t safe to talk,” the man from earlier said. “We have a safe house nearby. You can tell us about your mission there.”
We followed them two blocks down and ducked into a mean townhome. The place was sparsely appointed, having only the base necessities, but it was clean. “Ranger, report,” the spell caster commanded me.
“Um, about that… I’m not exactly a Ranger,” I said.
“Then how did you know one of our countersigns?” the man who had been holding the crossbow asked.
“It’s not hard if you’ve grown up listening to all the music they’re based on,” I said with a shrug.
The three exchanged a look. Sudden realization dawned on all three faces at once. “You’re the one we were told to look for!” one of the men said.
“You’re looking for me?” I replied.
“Your uncle told every Ranger group to keep an eye out, as you’d gone missing. But he’d said that you were in Taldor, last he’d heard. How did you end up here?”
“There was a portal,” I explained. “And there’s a lot I need to make sure the Rangers are aware of, in case we fail to stop it.” I spent over half an hour explaining what was going on. The Rangers listened intently, interrupting only to clarify points here and there. “And that’s pretty much it,” I said. “Is there any way you can help us?”
“Unfortunately, we’re tracking a dangerous individual and cannot turn from our mission. But we will make contact and let the others know. I’m sure they’ll organize a response. But it will take time.”
“Fair enough.” At least I didn’t have to worry if Cortana would be able to make contact.
“There might be one thing we can do,” the man I’d bumped into earlier said. He pulled something from his bag and approached Greta. “You plan to follow and help her, yes?”
“No harm will come to her while I still stand,” Greta replied immediately. And there I went blushing again. I really needed to get that under control.
“You won’t be able to wield that axe outside of the city,” he said. “Not without this.” He handed her a pendant of some kind.
“What is it?” Greta asked.
“It’s a magic item that will allow you to maintain a human form anywhere.”
She looked dubious. “And you just happened to have something like that with you? How does something like that even exist?”
“Her father created these after a unicorn that once helped us asked it of him. We have a number of these stockpiled, so we grabbed a couple in case we needed to bribe a winter wolf while we were here. We knew that some of your number would do nearly anything to get something like that.”
“And you’re sure it would work for me?” She had mentioned that one of her greatest desires was the ability to assume her human form outside of the city and travel to experience everything the world had to offer.
“Fairly sure, yes. It may have been designed for a unicorn, but I know for sure they’ve been used by other magical creatures. Off the top of my head, I know there’s a blink dog in Andoran who uses one.”
“Then I thank you,” Greta said. “And I am glad that I wasn’t required to cleave your skull in two.”
“You and me both,” the man replied with a laugh.
“About your mission,” I said. “Anything we can do to help? If he’s so dangerous, maybe we can help you finish your job and then you could help us?”
“Unfortunately, it’s not that kind of mission. The individual is dangerous, yes, but we’re not to engage. Your father simply wants to be kept apprised of what he does, in case it becomes necessary to intervene.”
“Assuming we can find him,” the other man added wryly. I must have made a face, because he continued. “It’s almost as if he’s letting us follow him. His trail is just obvious enough for us to track when he moves to a new area, but as soon as he begins doing whatever it is he’s doing, we lose sight of him right up until he’s ready to move on.”
“Sounds frustrating.”
“Incredibly so. Still, it is what has been asked of us, so we obey.”
“Fair enough.” It was already late afternoon and we still had some way to go. “We should probably get going. I’d like to reach the hidden shrine of Milani before sunset if possible, and we still need to find a contact who knows where it is.”
“I know where it is,” the crossbow man said. “I can take you there, if you’d like.”
“Really?”
“Yes. We can even take the walkways above the streets and dodge most of the patrols. Should be able to get there in about an hour.”
“That would be perfect,” I said. “Let’s do that.” We said our farewell to the other two and made quick time, arriving at the bathhouse that hid the secret shrine with some time left before sunset.
The others were surprised that I’d brought Greta with me, and I was surprised by the changes they’d made to their appearances. Burin and Terry had dyed their hair and Gregor was back in his green robe! So much for inconspicuous. And that’s before you considered the occasional shiny veins of nanites that occasionally showed beneath his skin. No idea why he’d reacted like that to his first dose of them.
I was considerably less surprised to learn that my companions were the ones who had caused the commotion at the concert. I was pretty glad I’d missed that one.
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