Eternal Winter

Ringing Fortune: Part V

There was stunned silence that spread through the men and froze them in place. But the muddled warmth in their veins, and their minds, quickly had them moving again, and they slowly crept closer. Even the threat of magic did not quell them. I stepped up to Sammy's side with a muffled groan. We would not go down without a fight. 

"Lyra, down!" A shout from behind, in a faintly familiar voice.

With a split-second decision, I dropped to knees, pulling Sammy with me. A hand pressed against my back with a whoosh over my head, and then Eubert met the business end of a boot with his face. Julian landed lightly on the other side, shooting me a strained half-grin. "Was I supposed to believe you had this under control too?"

I bit my tongue and got to my feet. Not even the fall of their comrade shook anything in the men. As quick as I was to lash out, Julian moved with lightning quick agility and accuracy and struck with all the confidence I wished I had. He effortlessly danced his way among the crowd. The men's coordination was not so gifted, and they went down one after another. Until, finally, there was no more fight to be had, as the last man—swaying on his feet with empty bottle in hand— collapsed amongst his fallen friends.

My chest was tight, my head was light, but I stayed on my feet. I focused my gaze on Julian d'Holleann, as he trotted over the bodies back to me, effortlessly breathing out puffs of fog into the air and a grin still plastered in place.

He spoke up then, "I hope I did not upset you by coming to your rescue, Madam Mage. It's merely all in a day's work for a gentlemen as myself."

"Contrarily, I tend not to associate with your kind," I stated hotly.

"You harm me, madam!" he said with a hand to his chest. A faux look of hurt scrunching his face.

"Trust me," I quipped back, taking Sammy by the hand. "That is but the least harmful part of me."

Even as I tried to hurry away to our inn, he kept pace, walking backwards with nimble stride. "I do not doubt your words for a moment, madam."

"Thank you, Mister d'Holleann, then we will be on our way," I dismissed him, brushing him to the side. "Merry Bell's Day."

Sammy took the cue and hurried off inside, eager as I was to get moving. And he knew, as well as I, we would need to leave right away.

"If you won't hear me out, at least let me offer to help you protect him," he called out gently once Sammy was outside of earshot.

I threw a fiery glare at him. "And why should I trust you? A pet of the Dark Master?"

His features immediately went dark. "Do not think I associate with her for but even a moment!" he snarled.

He threw a wild look over his shoulder and when he turned back to me, no more was the playful grin, the excited shine in the eyes. There was an anger, but more so, there was a fear—the quiver in his snappish tone. Even without words being spoken between us, I could read exactly what kind of fear it was. I lived with it every day since Teacher fell into that red-stained snow.

"You're a soldier," I stated, hanging my unspoken question on the end.

His eyes flitted away. "Perhaps I was, once upon a summer's day. But summer days are a far distant memory."

"Not for me," I blurted out. I clamped my mouth shut immediately.

"Not for you?" he parroted, arching an eyebrow at me. "You are no mere child, surely you have seen the blooms of summer's touch even as far north as Olym."

"Right as you may be, Mister d'Holleann, it is not my nature to lie." I was the one to avert my gaze, then, staring off to Sammy's back as he ascended the stairs, out of sight. "For you see, I have no memories prior to the beginning of this Eternal Winter. Not even of my own brother."

He stayed quiet in lieu of this reveal.

"If that is all, then, thank you for your help today." I moved to step away. "Goodbye."

He caught me by the shoulder gingerly, a fleeting grip just enough to stop me. "Surely, even your Art has given you whispers, then," he murmured. "Whispers of the Master Magician."

"Whispers of a legend and a myth is everything the Arts were created to be," I replied with a huff, shrugging my shoulder away from him.

"A legend, yes," he replied. "But he is no mere myth. I am sure he would be capable of returning your lost memories, should you so choose."

My entire body stilled. I sifted through the blurry, afterimages of my few memories of the time before. In the time when I knew my name with confidence, when I could remember my family's faces.

I turned a wary eye on him. "What would you know of this, then? I doubt you have met him, since you speak with such ambiguity." I stepped right up into him, daring him to move back. "I implore you to not play games with me, Mister d'Holleann. I am not one to quietly watch from afar."

He met my glare coolly, his eyes clear. "I do not speak in riddles, madam. I do know of a man who would know more than I, still. I only mention this in regard to you. Take this as you will." He then stepped away, and I was left alone to head inside.

In the room, I quietly packed up my things with Sammy. He asked no questions, even seeing the rigid set to my shoulders. Once everything was gathered, we slipped out of the inn and into the stables to load our luggage onto our horses. Sammy broke the silence, then.

"After we're done...could we come back?" he asked, quietly.

"Back...where?" I inquired in return.

"Here, Deliao," he clarified. "Meryl said that once I get taller and if I'm ever in the area again, he'd teach me more stuff in the kitchen."

"Oh," I breathed. After? What came...after?

"It's still plenty long ways to the capital city, my friends!" Julian's voice shouted out to us as the clattering of hooves came up from behind.

I closed my eyes for a brief moment, resting my head against my horses hide. After...

What reason did I have...after?

I stuffed that thought deep into the recesses of my mind, into a space only lost memories resided, for that is all it would remain as...for now. 

"You best be true to your word, Mister d'Holleann. We travel quickly," I said.

"You wound me, Madam Mage," he said with a grin and hand on his chest. "But you'll see, I will be quite the asset to you here and beyond the Northern range."

"Then, let us set off," I called out, exchanging a glance with Sammy, who settled onto his horse without protest.

Perhaps, one day, that cabin would not sit empty. Today...we set off once more.

End of Chapter Four