‘They will because that bastard is going to unleash something that will awaken the volcano and destroy all of Wiosna.’ His grim certainty left me shivering. I rubbed my arms to ward off the dread washing over me.
‘In that case, we’d better set off now. Just give me a moment to find the right clothing. I’ll join you in the kitchen once I’m ready, so get the kava ready,’ I said. Tova looked at me sharply, and despite my dread at the future he foresaw, I grinned. ‘You didn’t seriously think I’d go anywhere without my morning brew and a thick pair of drawers, did you?’
‘May all the gods witness, I love you, woman, but you’re as insane as a rabid badger,’ he said before a wide grin lit up his face. ‘Or maybe I should call you a rabid Viper… my Viper.’
At the end of his sentence, his voice mimicked the deep timbre of Reynard’s voice, and I playfully swatted his shoulder. ‘Don’t be so cheeky, Tinkerer, or I’ll send you downstairs with a kick up the arse.’
‘You wouldn’t dare.’ His cheeks flushed, but seeing my raised eyebrows at his words, he rushed out, grumbling. The entire situation was so surreal that I began laughing as I pulled my warmest winter outfit from the wardrobe. When I’d woken up this morning, I hadn’t expected to set out on a journey that would likely get us killed, but at least the voices in my dreams would be quiet.
I’d be seeing Reynard, whether he wanted it or not. That is, if I survived the road, the weather, and all the starving creatures wanting to sink their teeth into a well-fed human. And the worst part of it? I’d have to ask the Mules for their help. Their chapter hated me ever since I’d thwarted Tymon’s plans.
‘The gods are laughing in my face,’ I muttered, walking down the stairs, knowing it would be days or even weeks before I enjoyed the comfort of my own home again.
Tova was already waiting, having taken time to pack some provisions in oiled cloth, still making a cup of steaming kava. He’d also used the time to change into more suitable attire. He wore a sheepskin coat with a massive woollen hat that made him look like a well-packed barrel with legs far too short to ride a horse by himself.
I enjoyed my drink, checked the bags, and added a small assortment of poisons to help with whatever we might encounter on the road. My friend observed me silently, a small frown furrowing his brow.
‘We need to grab some gold. Since you’ll be riding with me and we need to travel quickly, we’ll exchange the horse when it tires,’ I said, pulling out a pair of long, fur-lined leather boots
‘Svarog’s sweaty left bollock! Why would I ride with you?’ Tova grumbled before biting the tip of his moustache.
‘Because your mule won’t be fast enough. We won’t be safe until we meet Reynard’s men.’
My friend’s posture stiffened. ‘I’m sure the Brotherhood has some smaller horses.’
‘They do, but we need more than endurance wrapped in a heavy coat. A stout pony won’t survive this journey, so suck it up, Tinkerer, you’re riding with me.’ I opened the door, grabbing my bags on the way. ‘Come on. We need to borrow a horse from the Brotherhood stables, and I need to let Irsha know what we’re doing.’
A gust of wind blew in my face, carrying the fresh powdery snow that was settling on the ground, and I exhaled slowly. Tova didn’t like it, but I knew horses. I’d grown up with them, learning from the best handlers on my father’s estate… my adoptive father. The tightening in my chest left me reeling. Well, at least now I knew why he never taught me how to ride. My anger at his coldness all those years ago hadn’t eased, even if I knew the reason for it now. If not for his man, I’d now be in dire straits, unable to complete our journey.
As soon as we arrived at the Chapter House, I requested a dark grey Friesian from the stables, noting the unusual colour and thickness of its coat. I left Tova to handle our gear while I marched to the Mule’s office after a quick detour. Tymon was absent, and his second didn’t argue when I poured a bag of gold onto his desk and requested two trustworthy men versed in Wiosna’s terrain as an escort. Of course, I lied to avoid arguments. I said we were on a mission for the Grand Master, hoping the letter I’d left on Boyan’s desk would save me from being admonished.
An hour later, we were on the road, flanked by two quiet, burly men. I was struggling to hold on to my temper while an annoyed dwarf muttered about his dignity as he fidgeted and confused our mount despite his legs never reaching the stirrups.
‘We’ll follow the route the army took. They cleared the track of snow and hostile creatures. That’ll be easiest,’ one of our guides said before we set off on the long, monotonous journey.
The road became more challenging the further we went, the weather undoing the work Rey’s men had done. We spent the night in a village, stumbling in exhausted just after dark. It was so small I had to share a room with Tova while our two companions spent the night in the stables, sharing the horse’s warmth.
They didn’t complain, but my friend grumbled the whole time. The village we stopped at for the night welcomed us with suspicious stares, worried we were thieves or spies in this time of war. When I asked what had happened, the unwilling responses painted a picture of dwarves coming and going in waves, never taking hostages but grabbing anything edible before withdrawing back into Mlot’s territory.
‘Don’t they have their own crops?’ I asked quietly, acutely aware Tova was listening, absorbing every word like a sponge. My worry deepened as his mood soured each time he heard news of his kin.
Then came the disastrous third day when our guides intended to rest and change horses, which looked haggard after fighting through the mud and snow. Only that village no longer existed. Ice crunched under my boots as I explored its streets. The only footsteps visible were the ones I made in the fresh, powdery snow. The houses were still standing, silent witnesses to whatever had befallen the inhabitants. Each door was firmly shut, but there was no smoke from the chimneys, and frost painted icy flowers on the windows from the inside.
My breathing sped up, misting the air. There was a wrongness to this place, a wrongness that deafened me with its silence.
‘We mustn’t stay here, Drah’sa,’ Tova whispered as if speaking louder would summon a nightmare, and I felt every instinct agree with him.
The horses were exhausted; we were tired, and this place looked peaceful with its snow-covered streets and icicles hanging from the thatched roofs, a fairytale globe made by fae toy makers. Still, I would rather risk freezing to death than spend the night in this place.
Because it was littered with frozen corpses.
And each corpse had the same expression of horror and dismay.
Chapter 7
Reynard
I’d thought it impossible to fit an army inside a village, but Ivar managed it. The men drew straws, with the losers sleeping under canvas between the houses with bonfires in the square.
