In The Depths Of Winter

by Bradley Mitzelfelt

  The person attacked him out of nowhere, seeming to have blended in with the risen ice. At the last minute he thought about a barrier between them which appeared and kept the figure, he now noted it was a female figure, from attacking him. As the hood of his cloak fell back while he stumbled, the figure stopped and stared at him. It didn’t move, fist half raised as if to strike the barrier that protected him, his stone humming with magic in his hand. He made no move to strike back, but waited, prepared to defend himself further.

  “You shouldn’t be here,” the woman said.

  “What?” he asked. “You saved me back there so I followed you to thank you.”

  “I know, but you shouldn’t be here. He searches here for me sometimes, and if he finds you here then he will stop at nothing to destroy us both.”

  She turned and started to walk away from him. He released his grip on his rapier and reached out to grab her shoulder to stop her from escaping.

  “Wait. Who searches for you here and why?”

  “You know the answer to who. As for why,” she stopped and looked at him, and he could see her brown eyes between her hood and the cloth she wore across the lower part of her face, “because I’m your mother.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  The trees suddenly gave way to stumps. Daedre noted that this was their sign that they had drawn close to their destination. During the time it had taken them to travel between Nautil and Sessan, they had seen a great number of people, displaced from their homes, wandering the forest. Most were headed to the same place that they were, but not all of them. Only a few even looked at the two of them. All wore the downtrodden faces of the broken.

  When the city’s walls came into view, the same walls that she had escaped from when they were being hunted by the thieves’ guild, she stopped in her tracks. Spread out before her was not an empty field, devoid of trees and only traversed by those traveling to the city itself. Instead, all around the city, tents and other encampments were pitched. Not soldiers, not enemies. These were refugees, just like them.

  “These can’t all be from Nautil, can they?” Persephone asked as she came to a stop beside her sister.

  “No,” Daedre said, examining the field. “There are far too many people here to only be from Nautil. Perhaps-”

  She stopped speaking and walked down towards the nearest of the tents. An elderly woman sat on a pile of tattered rags, looking as lost as anyone else.

  “Where have all of these people come from?” she asked the old woman.

  The woman lifted her head and looked up at Daedre. She shrugged her shoulders and then looked back to the ground. It seemed, for a while, that they were not going to get an answer to her question. Then the woman spoke.

  “They come from everywhere,” the woman said quietly. “Brivan, Nautil, Ecthelon… All of the cities by the sea are gone. Destroyed by the sea monster.”

  “All of them?” Persephone asked, fingers fidgeting with her dress. “Can’t your ships defeat this monster?”

  The old woman laughed, a raspy cry of breath escaping her, grating on the ears of those around.

  “Our ships are nothing more than trade vessels,” she said. “Nobody uses the sea for war when we are all connected by land. There is nothing to be done but to flee from the beast before it destroys everything and kills us all. That is why we came here.”

  “Worthless, then,” Daedre said as she started walking towards the city, leaving the woman alone.

  Persephone lagged behind for a few moments before appearing again at Daedre’s side. She decided not to ask what her sister had been doing. She was likely to get an answer that she wouldn’t like, so there wasn’t any reason to bother. Instead, she focused on the city gate in front of them and continued to walk that way. There was a long line that she could see, and it seemed that the guards at the gate were highly agitated by something. She already had the feeling that this wasn’t going to go the way that she hoped.

  As they drew close to the back of the line, she stopped, and reached out a hand to stop her sister, as the younger one had seemed to continue moving on. Persephone stopped and looked at her sister.

  “Why did we stop?” she asked, looking at the line. “Aren’t these people waiting for something or someone?”

  Daedre shook her head. “They are waiting to enter the city.”

  “Why? Why can’t they just go in?”

  “There’s too many people. Only a fool would allow them to just walk in.”

  From what she’d seen the last time they were in Sessan, these people were not keen on being anything other than orderly. Yes, they seemed to allow the Thieves Guild to sit within their walls unhindered, but that was likely due to bribery, and the Guild wasn’t likely to want a great influx of people. That would cause them issues in the long run. Even they liked some semblance of order.

  “I don’t understand it,” Persephone said as she put her hands on her hips. “They are people needing shelter. They should be let in.”

  “You don’t understand because you are naïve,” Daedre responded as they stepped forward when the line moved. Most of those trying to get in were getting sent away. “Too many people in one location leads to squalor and terrible living conditions. When that occurs, people become unhappy and they do things, like killing each other and others in order to get what they have. These people aren’t stupid enough to let that happen inside the city.”

  They moved forward again and Daedre kept her eyes on those around them. Even if they aren’t in the city they may become that way. There are a lot of people here. She longed to reach for the familiar comfort of a blade, but doing so would probably draw the kind of response that she didn’t want. She didn’t want to go into the city and be under watch by the guard. Doing anything would be impossible and she had every intention of seeking shelter for them with the Guild, since she was technically one of their members. She’d intentionally built a rapport with their leader.

  Slowly, the line edged forward until it was almost their turn. The guards were thoroughly questioning and searching people. Daedre wished she still had her cleric’s garb. She wouldn’t have had to wait in line if she had. Though she suspected that Dearic would have sent word to watch for her. Or that infernal guard that Dearic knew would recognize her and start asking questions. The guards were asking the typical questions, but she already knew what to say.

  When it was their turn, she stepped forward, reaching out to hold her sisters arm so she didn’t do anything they would regret.

  “Names and business?” the guard asked.

  “I am Daedre Litvaen and this is my sister, Persephone. We come to see the bottom of the barrel. We’ve heard that the oaken flavor is divine.”

  The guard looked at them more curiously and then glanced aside at his fellow guard. The second guard nodded his head.

  “Alright, you can go in,” the first said.

  Daedre felt a hand grab her arm and she tensed as someone behind her spoke.

  “Now just a moment,” the owner of the hand, a middle-aged man with a beard that hung down to his chest, said. “These two girls say some nonsense and they get to go into the city, but a lot of good people with honest needs get turned away?”

  “Sir,” the guard said, his hand moving immediately for the sword he wore on his belt. “Please take your hand off of her and step back. We can’t let everyone in. These two women have business in the city.”

  Instead of letting go, the man grasped her arm more tightly and pulled her back towards him. She feigned fright, allowing a bit of slack in her tensed body. If she did too much, even though she was quite certain she could take care of this, it would not go well. It was better that she let the Guardsmen do their jobs. Persephone played her part admirably, the fear on her face genuine. There was more, though, she could see the fierce glimmer of anger welling in her eyes. She gave her sister a barely perceptible shake of her head to dissuade her from doing anything.

  The guards drew their blades now and stepped fo
rward, which prompted the guy holding her to press the blade more closely to her throat. The tip nicked skin and drew blood. She lifted her head higher, trying to get her neck away from the blade. Above, on the wall, she could see two guards drawing their bows back prepared to fire. She was going to have to make a move soon or she’d end up dead.

  The guards, seeing the result of their step forward, took a step back again, but kept their swords drawn and ready to use. Most of the other outsiders had stepped back. Most didn’t want trouble. This man doesn’t really want trouble either, but he’s desperate for safety and desperation makes him dangerous. She gulped down a breath of air, and then slid her hand upwards very slowly.

  At the very last second, and just before the knife wielder noticed, she swiftly reached up and grabbed his hand to push it away. As she did so, she stomped on his foot and dropped down to the ground. The archers didn’t hesitate. The twang of arrows being fired and the thud of their strikes hitting the man’s body were all she needed to hear. A small sigh escaped her.

  “Are you alright, ma’am?” one of the guards asked as he took her arm to help her back to her feet.

  She dusted herself off once she was upright, and then smiled at the man gratefully.

  “Yes, I’m alright. Thank you,” she said as she reached for her sister’s hand. “Thank you for not pressing in when he got agitated.”

  “We’re trained to deal with all situations, and to recognize trouble.”

  The man lay on the ground, dying, with one arrow in his chest and the other protruding from his abdomen. There was no hope for him to recover from his wounds. The archers were good. They hadn’t even come close to missing their mark. She was thankful for that. Persephone hugged her and sighed. The worry she felt from her sister was nice. She did enjoy having someone close to her.

  “You should go into the city before anything else happens,” one of the guards said as the other moved to examine the man.

  “Of course,” Daedre said in response. “Thank you again.”

  The man nodded and allowed the two of them to pass. Daedre led her sister past them and into the city, where she finally released the younger girl.

  “Why didn’t you just deal with them yourself?” Persephone asked as she stayed close to her sister. “You could have killed him easy. Even I could have.”

  “It wasn’t about killing him,” she said as she watched where they were walking. She made sure to keep her voice down. “It was about not drawing attention to us. We were just caught in the middle of it and people will forget us, and focus on the dead man instead. That’s the way that I wanted it.”

  “Just don’t play with your life. You’re all I have.”

  “I’m not planning on dying anytime soon. Calm yourself and stay focused on your surroundings. While this place is generally safer on the inside than the outside, there are always troublemakers.”

  My dear sister, you are so naïve. Would that you had known more about this world before we left, but it was not to be. Our father was far too controlling of you, she thought to herself as she turned them down a side road. Sessan was a circular city. Had they continued down the main path, they would have soon ended up in the city center. While that might not have been terrible, it wouldn’t have gotten them to where they were going.

  She watched the people around them. Persephone was too busy staring at the ground to see anything other than where her feet were about to step. Daedre sighed and grabbed her sister’s arm to stop her. She was taller than her sister, so she bent down to look her straight in the eyes.

  “Listen to me,” she said. “I know this world. I have been out here for a very long time, searching for the trinket that Gregor wanted. It took me a very long time to get to where I needed to be and I learned to deal with all of this. None of what you’ve seen is new to me. I know how to survive. I’m a better fighter than you will ever be and that’s the way I want it. I don’t want you to fight; I want you to live a quiet, normal life. So stop worrying over me. I will be fine. I’m not going to die, and I’m not going to leave you alone.”

  A nod was offered and Persephone offered a small smile.

  “I will try to remember that.” She looked around them. “Where exactly are we going?”

  “To the guild hall. It’s not far from here. We should be safe there.”

  Daedre straightened and started walking. The more they screwed around on the street, the more they invited unwanted attention. All she wanted to do was get them somewhere safe. She would be satisfied if they could just reach the safety of the guild hall. Nobody was really paying them any attention. There was such an influx of people in the city that two women hardly stood out, even when one of them was much taller than the other, and the both of them were deceptively beautiful.

  The alley approach was the safest one. When they reached the alley, she turned down it and let Persephone move past her while she watched to see if they were being watched. Nearest she could tell, they were not. She knew better, but she couldn’t see anyone watching them openly. If she had noticed someone, it wouldn’t have been a member of the guild.

  “Where now?” Persephone asked.

  A finger touched her lips as Daedre motioned for silence. Walking again, she led her sister down the alley to a pile of refuse. It was waste from the Inn that they happened to be behind, but she also knew that it hid more than refuse.

  “We seek the bottom of the barrel,” she said softly.

  The refuse moved and a filthy looking man became visible within. He stank of the garbage that he resided within. If the man changed his clothes, he’d have blended in anywhere within the city itself. He looked at them with cold, blue eyes and then settled his gaze on Daedre.

  “And what do you wish to find there?” he asked.

  “The flavor of the oaks, ancient and pure.”

  “Are you expected?”

  “No, but she will see us when she hears I’m here.”

  “Come, and we shall see. If you are lying, you shall die slowly and painfully.”

  He stepped aside and opened a door that was hidden behind all of the garbage. It led to stairs which descended downward. They entered first, the man following them after pulling the refuse back in front of the door and closing it behind them. He also, Daedre noticed, bolted the door shut so that it could not be opened from the outside. She guessed this was because no one else was there to take his position.

  Down they went until they came to a room that she knew was the threshold of the den. Once they set foot inside of the room beyond the door, there was no going back. If anything went wrong, anything at all, they would both be killed. As good as she was, there was no way that she would be able to kill everyone within and the both of them survive it. She was confident, however, that things would not go poorly as long as Persephone left all the talking to her and cooperated with the search that she knew was coming. She believed her sister would understand.

  “I have to search you. Cannot allow any weapons inside,” the man said.

  Daedre nodded and removed her weapons, handing them to the man first. She nodded for Persephone to do the same, and her sister removed a single dagger that she’d been hiding inside of her dress somewhere. When the weapons were taken care of, the man moved over and searched them. She knew the discomfort that was coming but she also knew it was necessary. Since she went first, her sister would get to see it and be aware before it happened. The man touched her in places she wouldn’t allow normally, but she did here because she knew she had to.

  Then it was Persephone’s turn. The discomfort her sister felt showed in the red tinge that soon touched her face. Daedre was pretty sure that no one had ever touched her sister there. As much as she wanted to cut the man’s hand off for touching her, she knew better and restrained herself. This wasn’t the kind of situation that warranted such a violent reaction. She knew the man was just making sure that the two of them didn’t have anything with which to kill the Leader.

  When he was satisfied,
the man disappeared with their weapons into one of the other doors, and then returned a few minutes later. He walked to the main door and opened it before standing aside. He didn’t say a word, but smiled at them. She was a bit disgusted by the smile. It stank of the fact that he had touched them and enjoyed it. Someday she would deal with that, but not now.

  Daedre stepped into the room and looked around. As per usual, there were quite a few people around. Several people lounged on pillows, enjoying food and drink. The men lounged with women and other men. The women lounged mostly with other women. She could understand why. Most of the men in the guild were disgusting creatures. Especially the one called the Knight Thief. She didn’t see him anywhere about, so she was thankful for that. She walked further inside, allowing Persephone to enter.

  “Amazing,” she heard her sister exclaim.

  The room itself was packed full of riches and wonders, and lavishly decorated. She could understand how Persephone would be amazed by what she saw. Most of the items within were wonders of their world. Some even held magical properties, as she was told. That was part of why the Leader, Maize LaMont, had come into power. She’d used one such trinket to disguise herself and had killed the Brivanite that had once led the guild. Daedre could admire the young girl’s prowess at having undertaken that task.

  The girl in question was sitting on the throne when the two of them came in. She looked up at them, and a smile blossomed on her face.

  “Daedre! You’re back!”

  The girl sat up, more than interested. A few others were now also paying attention, the interest from the Leader causing them to have interest.

  “Hello, Maize,” she said as the two sisters approached the girl. “We need your help.”

  “Oh? Again?” Maize asked, glancing to Persephone. “And who’s this?”