Winter's Past

Chapter 1

Getting passed the walls had been easy. Far easier than it should have been; that guard that had sworn to protect me. But he let me pass after a smile and a few kind words. Kendrick would be furious, taking heads angry if he found out that I had left the castle at night no less, but I would deal with him later. Now I had much bigger concerns.

          Directly outside the castles walls, I walked through a village. It was empty; people could not safely live here during the warmer months. Armies swept through borders and raided towns, when the ice walls prevented their passage. Soon winter would come, change was in the air.  But for the time my people flee to the hills at night fall and slink back to find what’s left of their towns in the morning.

          As I step ped out of my castles site, I stopped and quickly undressed and folded my light flimsy dress and slippers into my black cloak, tied the cloak loosely around my shoulders.

          And I closed my eyes, and thought of something that made me angry. Passion caused me to shift. Many of my people have different triggers. Before recently I used to think of my mother, how they killed her, stole her away; while I was still a pup. But now I think of my Father, the only family I have and now he disappeared. I fought the urge to cry.

          And a landed on the ground paws first. And I ran, toward the only place I would be finding a man todays mon. There is a pub, just off the trail. It  runs a good business, men both criminal and ignorant makes their home there, and Travelers use it as their only shelter.

          The pub was crowded. It took me a moment to place why so many people were there at such a late hour. Warriors, I realized that Kendrick must have rotated another group back. This was typical; the warriors lived on a constant rotation. But the amount people were not going to help me stay inconspicuous around the sheer number of men there.

          I pulled my hood and cloak tightly around my body and began to weave through the crowd. Near the back of the old wooden building, one man sat at a worn table alone; Garthorn the black. A former southern border lord, until he burned down a home trying to get his families murderer's and killed the homes residents and half the village he was supposed to protect. Garthorn's been condemned to death. So now he moves and hides constantly.

          I pulled out a stool at the bar table. For the first time since I've entered the room Garthorn looks up from his drink. “The queen, what a grand pleasure,” he says in a kind voice and did  a very elaborate bow. I noticed he was far more ragged looking than any other time I had seen him. His was long and cut unevenly, and he had a prominent over grown beard, and his clothes were towns and thread less. If I hadn't been looking for him, I don't know that I would have recognized him, the facial structure was still their, but thing d were missing from it, but recognizably was the smile he used to all ways were.

             “It has been far too long. When was our last meeting?”

          I smiled lightly, before Garthorn's crimes he had advised my father from time to time. “Two winters past.”

          “So my dear for what could you want with terrible dangerous criminal?”

          “Same thing my father used you for, intelligence.” I said in a strictly professional voice.

          “Doesn't your lover boy assign people to do that for you? Speaking of I'm surprised that he let you come alone.” He was smiling and I could not with hold the growl that escaped my lips. He was making fun of me, me and Kendrick. I would have found it strange that he knew, our relationship was strictly private. But he was a spy.

          “You know what kind of intelligence I need. Who has my father?” The anger was still in my voice and I felt like I might bite anyone who got to close.

          “How would I know princess, I have not seen the former king in more than a year. Why do even think he is still alive?” Garthorn's teasing had changed this question was serious, and was one I had become good at answering.

          “Have you ever lost a parent?”

          “No, mine are both living.” he said looking intrigued

          “As you know I was only nine summers, when my mom was killed. I still remember it vividly; I had been sleeping and woke up screaming. Our bond kept flaring, I could feel her pain, I slipped between skin and fur repetitiously. It's the worst memory of my child hood.”

          “Your far older now, maybe the feelings different.” Garthorn said

          “No, I know the king is still alive! And you will find where he has been taken” As I spoke I  got up and pulled the dagger lose from my dress, and put it ruffle against the skin of his neck. Not enough to actually cause him pain but plenty hard enough to scare him.

          It seemed to take him a moment to realize what just had happen.  Then he spoke to me calmly, “I'll leave tomorrow run the boarders of both nations no promise what I'll find. If I find reason I'll cross into fox territory. But if I find anything you must pardon me.”

          I stepped away from him, and offered him my hand. “You shall consider it done. When will be back?”

          “I will send word to castle with in a fort night.” He said and then we shook.

          I smiled and straightened my cloak and pulled up its hood. Then someone caught my eye, a man stood in the shadows. Even though I could barely see him his features didn't look quite right and moments ago I could have sworn he'd been starring at me. I walked out of the pub, certain I was imagining things.

          I slipped back into the castle just as seemingly as I had left. Went directly into bed said my prayers. I slept on the hope the Garthorn's news would come soon.