by Jana LaPelle
Lugh and Dagda look at one another, assessing, before replying, “Since they made better time than we thought they would. That could point toward allies that they encountered during their journey helping them along the way. Exchanging out their mounts for fresh horses. Listen, Tarron has been able to sway much of The Horde to follow him as their king, but many remain loyal to The Morrígan. She has had many years to cultivate her relationship with the dark fae, whereas Tarron has found that time is in short supply in his endeavor to establish his reign. I fear that The Horde will remain divided until after the war is all said and done.”
Alaric looks at me before asking, “Okay then, Lainn and his group are making good time and they obviously have allies at this point. Knowing what we know now, we need to except the fact that they are going to be ahead of us, if we choose to follow Cú Chulainn. What if we look for an alternate route? He’s working his way north from the south west. Have we given any thought into approaching from the north? Can we trace in closer if we take that direction? That’s Rime territory. Beyond the other side of the mountain range. I have heard rumor that the dwarfs have a back entrance or exit to their mountain abode somewhere on the opposite side of the mountain range right into the winter fae’s territory. I’ve never been that far north, but my father and mother have a fairly good relationship with the fae that live there.”
Dagda and Lugh share a look before Dagda says, “That might work. Lugh and I can try to trace into their territory tonight to seek council with the Rime’s ruling pair. I have na been to their court in many a year. With any luck we can be back here by morning light with their blessing, along with information as to whether or not there is a hidden entrance into the dwarfs’ mountain tunnels.”
“Okay, I have to ask. What or who are the Rime?” I implore as Lachlan pulls my hair to his cheek and nestles into the crook of my neck, sucking on his thumb with his index finger curled around his pert little nose. By the gods I love my little Elf-Man.
Alaric gains my attention as he floods our link with images of the winter fae before saying, “They are our cousins from the north. Much like the Forrest Elves they look a bit different from us ordinary garden variety elves. They have very unique qualities. Because of their uniqueness, they do not travel to warmer climates, they cannot survive any temperatures above freezing. They are the winter fae and for the most part do not socialize with the rest of the fae in Faerie unless we travel to their court.”
“Okay, I think I understand now. So… we wait for Dagda and Lugh till morning to determine our next step?”
“Yes, ceann beag, we will be back early on the morrow. Be prepared and dressed warmly. The temperatures in Rime territory are quite frigid. Until then.” He nods curtly to us all before both he, with Sasha, and Lugh wink out of sight, leaving us to discuss our options before we all head to bed for a good night’s sleep. I can sense that our time table for this war is beginning to speed up, and I can’t help but worry about how all of this will end.
Chapter 26
(Ashlinn)
The morning has arrived and with it the air has turned cooler yet. A layer of heavy fog shrouds the loch in the early morning light. The fire crackles and snaps in the grate as we prepare to meet everyone for our morning meal. This morning we are dressed in our battle gear as we prepare to head to Rime territory. Last night, Alaric explained to me that Rime is another word for hoarfrost, which totally makes sense now. Hopefully, Dagda and Lugh will have good news to impart upon their return. Otherwise, we will find ourselves playing catch up behind Cú Chulainn, and we are all in agreement that cannot happen. It definitely will not bode well for the realms if we fall behind Lainn.
As we enter the large dining hall the mood is a somber one. Everyone seems to be on pins and needles except for Alaric and me. I look upon his handsome face and smile, and he reaches up to gently stroke the curve of my cheek. My sweet devoted Elf-Man, I love him so and I’m so happy to have him back. We discussed what we believe is to come until the wee hours of the morning last night. I’ve had no visions of impending doom. No premonitions. Nothing that will lead me to believe that we will not be successful in our quest today. No matter how long it takes us to traverse the maze and get to Gorias, hidden within the mountains. He and I both have taken that to be a good omen. A sign of good things to come, but there is a tiny part of me that urges us to not be overly confident in the task before us. Anything can happen. My visions have always been limited to those that are closest to me, which brings me a bit of concern. With every step we take we are that much closer to war. A war that will not only shape this realm, but all realms. I can’t help but think that there will be surprises ahead, secrets revealed. This has all been prophesied, and we are all caught up in something that is so much bigger than us all.
There is none of the usual morning banter that I’ve become accustom to. We all finish our morning meal and begin quietly making our way to the library, hoping beyond hope that Dagda has good news. As we walk into the enormous room, Dagda’s booming voice announces, “You will need your mounts! We have little more than an hour to make our way back to Rime territory. The winter fae are waiting for us and are eager to meet you Ashlinn, you and Alaric.”
Sighing, I turn to my kindred. Honestly, I just want all of this over. I say, “We need to say goodbye to the twins,” turning back to Lexie, I say, “Lex, we need Morgwais for the coming battle, not in this, but the final leg. I need you to find her. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that she is important to The Morrígna’s downfall. You. Must. Find her!”
Lexie grabs hold of my arm and pledges, “Ash, I know you’re right, I feel it too, I will find her. No matter where she is. Now go, do what you must, but be safe!”
“Thank you. I’ll see you when we get back. I love you Lexie.” I pull her into a desperate hug. Clutching her to me.
“I love you too!” She says and pulls back. With that, Lexie races away, Declan and Nemus on her heels, her tumultuous red hair trailing behind her. I watch her go, and for a moment wish that we could just be two young mothers enjoying a beautiful autumn morning with our mates and our children. No worries, no impending war, but today is not that day.
Turning, with a heavy sigh, I ready myself for the day to come. Things have become rather chaotic as everyone rushes around preparing to leave. Alaric and I just look at one another before we trace to our chambers to say one final farewell to our children this morning. Both are sitting in their crib playing quietly. They look up when we enter the room, knowing that we are getting ready to leave, and both begin to pout. I just hate that we are constantly leaving these two behind. They may be just our wee babes as Dagda would say, but they are most definitely old souls, and they have begun to figure out the way of things in our extremely complicated lives. I can only hope that we are able to put this all behind us soon. I reach out with open arms and Lachlan is there in the blink of an eye, his arms wrapped tightly around my neck. I laugh and squeeze my little Elf-Man close as he continues to exercise his new-found tracing ability.
Alaric leans over the edge of the crib and swoops in to lift Lillie high up into the air, her bubbling laughter is infectious. He presses sweet kisses all over her face and says, “Soon, Lillie Joanna, you will be able to trace as well, but for now, your Mother and I need for you to be an anchor for our wayward little guy over there. It’s important that you two stay out of trouble this time. Do you understand?”
On some level, both of our children get it, and for some reason they are okay with us leaving them this time. We say our final farewells and hand our children over to Millie, my mother, and their Guardian protectors.
My mother gains my attention when she pulls me into a hug and whispers, “Stay safe, baby girl.”
I pull back and take my mother in, today she is literally glowing, and I whisper with a knowing smile, “I can’t wait to meet my little brother or sister. Take care of yourself and your grandchildren over there.”
Then on a more serious note, I reach up and kiss her lightly on the cheek before confessing on a whisper, “I love you mother.”
She pulls me in and hugs me even more tightly than before and says, “I love you too. You will always be my baby girl, Ashlinn. Now go… before I try to do something crazy. Like… locking you and these beautiful grandchildren of mine away from harm’s way. I mean it Ashlinn, you and Alaric be safe. The Rime are good fae, they will not lead you astray, but the dwarfs… their allegiance can be swayed. They are a greedy lot, and you both would do well to remember that.”
I nod, tucking that nugget of information away before taking Alaric’s hand in my own. With one last look at our children we trace. I’m comforted in knowing that they are being moved to our twilight realm and are in capable hands as we head toward the stables. Both of us are carrying enough weapons on us to support a small army. Our mounts are waiting for us and Alaric assists me as I mount my beautiful, recently acquired Shire horse. Alaric mounts Tempest while I sit astride my beautiful steed, who I have named Storm. She is a beautiful dapple grey, her mane the color of ash, and, for the most part, she is all differing shades of black, grey and white, her coat speckled in spots on her sides. We connected the moment we met. She’s gentle with me but I can tell that she is also fierce. Tempest is very protective of her as well, and when they are turned out to pasture, he is always by her side. My one wish is that we could have had more time together before going after Cú Chulainn, but that can’t be helped. So many things have taken precedence of late.
“Everyone ready?” My mate calls out, “We trace to Rime territory in just a few moments. Dagda and Lugh will take Ashlinn and myself, and then the four of us will trace back and gather the rest of our team. So be on the ready.”
One by one we trace to a frigid clearing that is snow covered and nestled into the foothills of a looming mountain range. Dagda mutters, “Now Ashlinn, we go back and gather the rest. Are you good?”
I nod and trace back to the courtyard in the Keep. I gather Tolin and his mount and trace them to the snow-covered clearing. Tracing has become second nature in the last few months and as I continue to grow into my role, I’m becoming stronger. Before, I never would have thought that I could trace more than one other with me but today, I easily pull Tolin and his mount into my trace trail. It takes less than a couple of minutes for us all to appear in the snowy clearing. We agreed on a small group. We also agreed that we needed at least two Fomorians in our party to go up against Cú Chulainn and his company. When it’s all said and done, we are accompanied by Lugh, Dagda, Tolin, Lorcan, Fergus, Garrik, Camoryn, and Jasmine. After the last time, I learned my lesson when trying to exclude Jasmine from a mission. I smile over at my bestest sprite friend. From here on out, I will always give her the option to accompany me, always, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. She is fierce in her devotion. Today, she is in her faerie form and has her wings retracted for now, and as always, she is a vision to behold.
She smiles over at me and says sarcastically, “Thank the gods that I didn’t have to stow away in your stuffy, smelly bag this time. You nearly killed me the last time. Believe me, I haven’t forgotten that little mishap, and one of these days when you least expect it, I will get back at you for that.” I can’t help the grin that tugs on my lips as a vision of Jasmine flopping out of my bag in a crumpled heap in The Underworld pops into my mind. She was so pissed, and I had absolutely no idea that I had a stow away in my bag. I’ll not make that mistake again.
Looking about the clearing, I watch the early morning sun rise over a cloudy mountain range that appears to go on for as far as the eye can see. Our breaths vaporize in the crisp frosty air and rise above us in smoky plumes. Storm is antsy as she acclimates to the cooler temperatures. She chuffs and prances in the deep snow as the sun gets lost in the clouds that shroud the peaks of the mountain range. The chill in the air can’t be ignored, and I’m thankful for the fur lined cloak that Alaric insisted that I wear. The wintery scene is a bit majical. The trees are covered in layers of pristine white snow and frost. There is a hush in the clearing around us. The only things that I hear are the chuffs of our mounts and their shuffling hooves in the crunching top layer of snow. The wintery precipitation is a tangible thing here and I feel a small smile tug at my lips.
Alaric sidles up next to me, nudging my leg, “You like it here? Don’t you, mo grá?” He leans over and takes my hand in his own and I gently squeeze his fingers.
Smiling back, I reply, “Do you even need to ask?” Shaking my head and looking around, I say in a hushed tone, “It’s cold, but the air is crisp and invigorating. It’s nice here. I know that I’ve said this before, but I love the hush of the snow… it’s somehow… soothing to me. I don’t know how else to explain it. It’s just so serene.”
“Then, maybe we can help, Mother Keeper? The snow offers a certain feeling of… tranquility as it blankets the earth.” A melodic voice offers. From the somewhat darkened depths of the forest that surrounds the clearing we have traced into, the winter fae step forward. I am totally in awe and captivated by their frosty, alien beauty. I have never seen anyone like them before. Their skin looks as though it is the very fabric of frost itself and shimmers with a silvery radiance. Their skin tones are all cool lending to alabaster white, blues and violets. I have come to learn that many of the fae have crystalline blue eyes. The winter fae are no different, their eyes glow an unnatural crystalline blue, and in some cases, a vibrant violet. Their abundant hair is white and silver, and for the most part, totally straight, with a few exceptions. Frost and ice crystals tend to cling to them… on their hair, their eyelashes, and their clothing, as if they are the very same frigid temperatures as the crystals that cling to them. As they approach, they seem to glide effortlessly across the snow-covered ground. and their approach is quiet, not making any noise in their wake. The pair in the lead are beautiful and totally in sync with one another. I instantly recognize the two as a kindred pair, that and I believe the two to be ancients. I’m humbled by their presence before us, and in a moment of pure reverence I slip from my mount and bow before the most tranquil beings I have ever had the pleasure to encounter.
“Oh… my dear, you do not kneel before us. It is those of us here that should kneel before you, Mother Keeper.” The female in the lead announces, her voice musical.
“No. Never. It would not feel right. I’m so young and lacking in experience, I have so much to learn...” I hesitate, staring back at an ancient soul in reverence.
Alaric is by my side in a moment’s notice. It’s then that I notice that I’m knee deep in snow and the winter fae seem to hover above the winter precipitation. Curious. How do they do that?
Dagda is quick to speak up, “Our dear Ashlinn, is most humble. She is an old soul but has much yet to learn. We could not have been blessed with a better Keeper of Souls.” He beams down at Alaric and me, pride in his gaze, “Her kindred, Alaric and her, are perfectly matched. Please forgive us, but time is of the essence. As we discussed before, we are here on a most urgent matter. Is it within your power to help us?”
The two winter fae that stand before their troupe walk a few more paces in our direction. They are accompanied by a snow leopard and a snowy owl. Now that I have taken note of the animals that accompany the two, I see that each of the winter fae standing before us all have an animal companion. They range from the white and adorable winter minks, to artic foxes, winter white rabbits, silvery wolves, and even polar bears. As the sun breaks through the clouds, I notice that they are also accompanied by winter sprites, or are they frost sprites? Their wings glitter under the attention of the sun as it briefly breaks through the clouds overhead. They race toward Jasmine. Recognizing her as one of their own and they break into an animated conversation as they hover about her head.
My attention is brought back to the female in charge before us as she addresses us all, “Dagda, I do believe that we can help the Mo
ther Keeper of Souls and the Father Guardian of Life. I’m very pleased to make your acquaintance, my dear. My name is Lady Elora and this is Lord Sylvar. We rule the Rime fae together, and we would like to welcome you all to our territory.” Her owl is perched in all his glory on her forearm, his golden eyed gaze watching our every move, assessing us all. He spreads his wings and Lady Elora nods her head as if the two are in silent conversation before he takes to the sky and I watch him rise steadily into the air heading for the mountains as he continues to climb higher and higher.
Turning back to Lady Elora, I ask, “Where is he going?”
Lord Sylvar smiles and answers, “Since our meeting with The Dagda and Lugh last night, we have been sending scouts out to watch for The Morrígan’s foot soldiers. As of last night, Cú Chulainn and the males that travel with him have yet to arrive. Elora’s spiorad ainmhí companion is going to scout the entrance to the dwarf’s domain. He will report back to us if there is any news. In the meantime, we will lead you and your companions toward the dwarf’s hidden entrance. We have remained their trusted guardians of this doorway. No one enters there without our express knowledge. They are aware that you and your companions will enter their domain. We have an alliance with the dwarfs, and they have agreed to give you a guide to traverse their shadowy domain.”
Suddenly, I remember the cave leading downward toward King Arthur’s final resting place. I hope that I can hold up in the dark maze that we will encounter shortly. I certainly hope that I will not freak out again as I did before. Then I focus on the Rime’s animal companions and ask, “Lord Sylvar, what is a spiorad ainmhí companion?”
He smiles down at me, “They are our bonded companions, young one. Centuries ago, we stumbled upon a primitive people in The Mortal Realm. They were much like us in the fact that they dwelled in an artic climate. One that is just as extreme as our own territory. Unlike us, they needed warmth to survive. Dwellings that would give them shelter from the frigid temperatures, I believe they called their dwellings igloos. That is not something that we require, unlike the humans, we cannot exist in warm temperatures. We are the winter fae. Frost, ice, snow… They are our companions. They cling to us, and we to them. During our time in The Mortal Realm we met a shaman and learned of their link to their spirit animals, their guides, their companions. We were so fascinated with the practice that we adopted it as one of our own practices.”
