Heart of Flame

XIX. Aid

Only once in her life had Sorne felt a chill like the one she felt crossing the Strait of Glass, and that was in the grips of Nessa's gift of death. They did not need a ship to reach the other side, between the khiirdu and the fact that the sea itself had frozen over. The cold was so intense that it ached in her bones and in her chest with every step, even passing through cloth. The wind howled like a great beast, ripping at them with its claws. All of them were dressed in furs with oil-cloth over the top, every inch of skin covered. Goggles with smoked glass lenses covered their eyes, barely enough to cut through the glare on the rare occasions when the sun came out from behind dark clouds.

They were fortunate today, though. The wind had lulled, the clouds were lighter grey and veiled the sun, and the temperature was warm enough that she could stand to speak, her breath forming clouds in front of her face

"How do the giants stand it?" Sorne asked.

"It is said that in their citadel, it is summer always, no matter how bitter the chill beyond it. And should they ever need to leave, they merely shift into the great white bears of the north," Vridash explained. His bow and its strings were in a case that they had found in Ghurga, magically sealed to keep the bow at a safe temperature. He would not be wielding it as a weapon here, relying instead on the axe hanging from his belt-loop. Granted, none of them wanted to fight. The weather was cold enough that it could make things brittle. It was a mercy that none of them wore metal armor, otherwise they'd have died of cold long ago.

"They truly have great magic, then," Sorne said, a bit awed at the idea.

"While orcs are creatures born of magic, giants breathe it like air. Perhaps that is why they hide themselves away from the world. People would hunt them, seeking to learn their secrets," Thadash said. "As it is, we may pose a threat if they take us to be such people. I hope diplomacy will win the day."

"Sorne's doing the talking," Vridash said. "She's the one who had visions, and I have no doubt that they will want the knowledge straight from her."

"I think relying on me is probably not the wisest decision," Sorne said cautiously. She honestly had no idea what she was going to even say to the giants.

"You'll be fine," Thadash said calmly. "We will be right there if you need us."

Nirsal cooed her agreement. She had been crawling behind Sorne, though she clearly longed for the wind under her wings.

Sorne paused, eyes focusing on something. There were dark, dark clouds ahead and she could see a wall of white. "What's that?" she asked, pointing.

"Our destination," Vridash said. He glanced over at Sorne. "You didn't really think Stormhenge was just a name, did you? The giants long ago wreathed their home in a permanent wall of storm."

"How are we going to get through it without freezing to death?" Sorne asked. "In a blizzard like that, we're just going to lose our way. We might not even be able to see each other. Besides, Nirsal will be buffeted around by the winds."

"That's why we have your little lodestone," Vridash said. "It's due north. And if we run into a khiirdu and it stops working, Thadash and I will be right there to take over. We can all hang onto Nirsal if you're worried about being separated. I think she's still small enough that she can crouch down and avoid the worst of it."

Sorne nodded a little bit, though she did glance to Thadash to try and gauge his opinions. The furs and woolen cloth over his face made it impossible. Even his eyes were behind goggles. "Alright," she said. "It's not like I have a better plan." She started walking and let the bracelet hang.