Forged in Fire

by J. A. Pitts

  Cold was the biggest worry, but I knew to dress in layers. Just no cotton.

  There were forty-nine markers—seven times seven. We started just to the left of the driveway and worked our way along the front road. It felt silly, but I’d seen enough craziness to just go with it. At each post we pricked our thumbs and dropped a single drip of blood onto the roughly scored surface. There was no physical fence connecting most posts, but there was a connection. I could feel it.

  We worked the whole road in front of the property—worked our way west toward the setting sun. The posts were not exactly close together, so we only got six done that first day. Of course, we’d gotten a late start. We made camp behind a long row of aspen trees that had been planted as a windbreak. They didn’t keep people from seeing past them, however, so we made sure to set the tent back off the road a ways.

  Jim boiled some water, and we made tea. The night was clear but cold. I had a lot on my mind, with the murders and kidnappings. Jim didn’t exactly tell me what was on his mind, so that first night ended early with a minimum of conversation.

  Camp food is not that exciting. I’d given up doing anything fancy years ago, though Da could whip up a mean omelet over an open fire. We had granola and coffee for breakfast. Not haute cuisine, but filling.

  We hit another fourteen posts before lunch, working our way along the westernmost reaches of the property. The place was a lot bigger than I’d realized. Jim remained locked in his funk until lunch.

  Then, over canned stew and coffee, he began to open up. I did a lot of listening, not wanting to interrupt his flow. He spoke about his parents, about his speculation on Nidhogg, Frederick, and the Dragon Liberation Front.

  I was pretty blown away. When he finally started talking, he didn’t hold back. Well, not much. There was another layer, one that took a second full day of speculation and banter to break through.

  He talked about how scared he was on the third night as we camped in the woods north of the farm. The snow was thick on the ground there, but we sheltered under the copse of trees where I’d met the Valkyrie and their winged horses. Jimmy never knew he had such things visit his farm, but with helicopters, giants, trolls, ogres, and one bad-ass dragon showing up, a pretty winged horse likely didn’t measure up.

  I loved them, however. One in particular had captured my heart. She was so beautiful. I woke some nights from a flying dream, thinking I could almost feel Meyja carrying me into the cold clouds of the dawn.

  Katie had been talking about Christmas before we left, and I suddenly realized it was coming up to the solstice.

  “Oh, yeah. Huge deal,” Jimmy said when I asked. “We have to have this done before then, or the magic fades.”

  “Fades like, until the next solstice?”

  He shrugged. “Not sure, and I’m not in the mood to test it.”

  Fair enough.

  “It always worried my mother,” he went on as we made our way to the next post. “She kept the house lit with candles for three days around the solstice. Even insisted on a bonfire in the yard. She said electricity was lovely, but it was prone to outages, especially on weakly controlled days like the solstice. Equinox was the same in her book. Too evenly split to be trusted.”

  By the last night, I’d even begun to tell Jimmy about Da and how he and I had done a ton of camping until I reached twelve. That was the end of the end for us. I was too cynical, and Da had given up hope.

  “Why’d you ask me out here, Jim?” I really was curious. “You don’t trust Stuart or Gunther anymore?”

  He stirred the coals with a long stick and didn’t answer right away. I drank my coffee and let him stew.

  “It was Stuart’s idea, actually,” he said. “Something about your love for Katie acting to strengthen the bond.” He looked up, considering. “And I think you have something about you, some magic, or, I don’t know … something.”

  “Cursed, most likely,” I offered.

  He chewed on it a minute before shaking his head. “We discussed that as well. The way I see it, you are either one of the old gods come back, which seems unlikely, or you have some other connection, some other well of power that we can use to protect the place.”

  I understood. Needs of the many and all that jazz.

  “Good to be needed.” I grinned at him, and he smiled, shaking his head.

  He was right, of course. Odin had come to me, put the berserker in me. If that could help protect the farm, then so be it.

  “Katie really does love you, knucklehead,” Jimmy said. “That counts for something.”

  I smiled ruefully. It counted for everything, actually.

  Fifty-eight

  The second night that Jimmy and Sarah were out walking the fence, Katie and Deidre were on kidlet duty. Trisha had a hot date. When she’d dropped off Frick and Frack, Trisha practically glowed.

  “You look amazing,” Katie told her. “Whoever this guy is, he’s one lucky bastard.”

  Trisha blushed, but her smile only added to her radiance.

  “If that outfit doesn’t get you laid, he’s a monk,” Katie said.

  “A blind monk,” Deidre added.

  Trisha laughed, a sound that stopped Frick and Frack in their steps. “Go on,” she said, shooing them into the living room. “Bub is dying to play.”

  Sure enough, Bub and Jai Li were both very happy to see the twins arrive. They’d been playing cards quietly, but the twins would add a level of chaos that only toddlers could bring.

  “Behave,” Trisha told them, but they were too far gone. There were blocks out on the table, and they both dearly loved stacking things.

  “We’re taking a couple nights off from guard duty,” she said to Katie. “Gary needs to do some things with his kids since his ex is going out of town, and Benny is off to Vegas for a couple of days.”

  “What about Nancy?” Katie asked.

  Deidre laughed. “She’s off at a women’s retreat down in Lacey. Something about a weekend of silence.”

  They all laughed.

  “He must really make you happy,” Katie said. “I haven’t seen you smile this much since,” she got quiet, waving her hand. “… you know. Before.”

  Trisha nodded. “There is definitely something about him. Do you ever have the feeling something is too good to be true? Ever look at Sarah and wonder if there was something there that could wreck everything, but then she smiles and the doubts vanish and the sun comes out?”

  Katie glanced at Deidre, who shrugged, pulling a worried face. “Um. Not really, but maybe you just don’t know this guy that well.”

  Trisha’s smile faltered a bit, but she recovered. “I’m sure it’s all the shit that’s gone down lately, you know. Makes me see the worst in people.”

  The sound of laughing children echoed from the living room.

  “But those little monsters,” she said, a fresh look of relief on her face. “They make it worth getting up in the morning.”

  “Amen,” Deidre said.

  Silence fell over the three of them. Katie debated changing the subject, but the thought of this new guy being less than good enough for Trisha was weighing on her mind.

  “Have you thought,” she began, but at the same time Trisha reached for the door. “I’d better get going,” she said. “Hate to be late.”

  “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” Katie called to Trisha as she pulled the door closed behind her. “Too late,” they heard her say as the door shut.

  Katie and Deidre exchanged a look. “What on earth is there to do that you haven’t done?” Deidre asked.

  “Boys, for one thing,” Katie said, smiling.

  Deidre rolled her eyes, and Katie went to look in on the kids and refresh her coffee.

  They were getting along like a house on fire. Jai Li was a roughhouser. Sarah was going to be so surprised. Katie and Deidre sat in the kitchen and gabbed over coffee. They only had to intervene a couple of times, when Bub began eating blocks. The kids thought it was hilarious, bu
t Deidre was pissed about having to go buy another set.

  “I’m trying to get the twins used to letters, so they can start reading at some point.”

  “They’re pretty young,” Katie said.

  “Vowels are very important,” Deidre argued, stashing a couple of saliva-covered blocks on the counter.

  “But the twins are growing at an amazing rate,” Katie pointed out. “Maybe we should be taking notes or something. Tracking the different stages of their growth, you know?”

  “I think Nancy and Benny are already on it.”

  Later, after the kids were in their pjs, they put on a movie and let them sack out in front of one of Pixar’s finest.

  “Sarah and I are thinking about moving north,” Katie said over the saccharine music. “Thinking we should get our own place, maybe, with a little land attached. Ya know?”

  “Oh, I heartily agree,” Deidre said. “Especially with the chance you’ll have Jai Li in your life. You’re gonna want the room to send her outside to play. Can’t do that where you live now.”

  “True, but we can take her to the park to play.”

  Deidre patted her on the hand. “Katie, hon. If you go with her to the park, then you can’t be having sex with Sarah while she’s playing.”

  “That’s not very safe. Wait. You mean, all those times I got sent outside when I was young?”

  “Yup.”

  “It was raining a lot of those times. I froze my ass off.”

  She shrugged. “Hon, sometimes you gotta take one for the team.”

  Katie didn’t say much after that, just sort of stewed, thinking. Jai Li was going to cause huge changes in their lives, but wasn’t the sacrifice worth it in the long run? Hell, they may not even get to keep her. Was she willing to fight for her? Was she ready for that?

  After the kids were all asleep—even Bub—Deidre decided to head to bed.

  Katie sat up awhile, finishing her coffee and thinking about the craziness in their lives. She cleaned up the coffee cups and was thinking about crashing on the couch herself when she heard a buzzing on the counter by the back door. Sarah had left her keys and her phone there when she went off with Jimmy.

  The number was out of country, so she answered it. Could be Skella.

  “Smith?” a gravelly voice asked from the other end.

  “No, I’m sorry,” Katie said. “This is Katie. Who is this?”

  There was a pause. “Good evening, skald. I am Rolph, of Durin’s folk. I have news.”

  Katie chuckled. “I remember you, Rolph of Durin’s folk. I can take a message, if you like. I’ll be sure Sarah gets it.”

  “Of that I have no doubt. Listen. This concerns you as well. I have received word from the King of Vancouver. I thought it best to inform you as soon as possible.

  “It seems the Dragon Liberation Front is not a new society, but something that Jean-Paul concocted decades ago. The king had specific information about its creation and original mission. Basically, it is a group working to overthrow the high council and install the dragons openly as the rightful rulers of mankind.”

  “Geez,” Katie breathed. “That’s pretty ballsy.”

  “Quite. The king expressed his particular distaste for the group and has worked to eradicate it from the Vancouver area.

  “While some of my brethren were members, most of the local clan does not appear to be involved. They are too worried about falling afoul of the king and his proclamation,” he assured her. “They survived under Jean-Paul. They do not relish falling to this king.”

  “What about the necromancer?” Katie asked. “This Justin guy.”

  “That is more sordid, I’m afraid. He was a protégé of Jean-Paul himself, not just a common thug. He has delved in mighty magics that even the King of Vancouver fears.”

  Katie sat down, looking over at the sleeping children. “Why is he targeting Sarah?”

  “Most likely because she is powerful in her own right.”

  “She has Gram, sure.”

  “No,” Rolph said, interrupting. “Gram came to her for a purpose. The sword was lost, crippled by my inept skills. But there is something about your young Sarah that goes beyond my reckoning. Even the king mentioned her by name. He seems to know a great deal about her and expresses a significant amount of respect.”

  Katie had to think about that. How did the king play in all this?

  “Any clue what we should do?”

  “Unfortunately, no. I worry for Juanita, but I cannot go to her for fear I will lead him to her. No one who is in Sarah’s orbit is safe.”

  “What about men?” Katie asked. “So far, he’s only killed young women and animals.”

  “I can only speculate, but it seems logical that killing the horse was an attempt to flush Sarah out. I am sure that he was able to gain some information, but it is my belief it was a ploy to see how she would react.

  “The women he killed were not in her inner circle. I have spoken with someone who shall remain in the shadows. She believes that he weaves an intricate web around Sarah to keep her off guard while he performs something more insidious elsewhere.”

  “What about Mr. Philips,” Katie said, suddenly remembering. “Frederick Sawyer is in town, and this cult has kidnapped his assistant.”

  “Peculiar,” he said. “My source mentioned something about a fulcrum to move the world. I wonder if this is what she meant. If Frederick is involved, the conspiracy runs deeper than I thought. I must consult the oracle once again. Though I am loath to pay her price a second time.”

  “Be careful,” Katie said. “You’ve been a strong ally.”

  “Thank you. I will do what I can. One final thing,” he said. “He seeks an artifact of great power. No one knows what, but he has a thirst for the darkest arts and will stop at nothing.”

  “Oh, great. That’s helpful.”

  “Tell her,” he said, urgently. “She must keep Gram from him no matter the cost.”

  He hung up, and Katie sat the phone on the counter. Did he tell her anything they hadn’t already figured out? Maybe, or more likely he helped get a glimpse at the top of the puzzle box so they could begin to put some of the pieces together.

  She turned off the light and went around the house to check all the doors and windows. Once she was comfortable that the house was secure, she crawled onto the couch. The kids were sleeping in a great scrum on the floor. The twins really did love Bub. Jai Li was a little to the side, but they’d made sure she had a pillow and a good portion of the blankets.

  Family is family, she thought as she closed her eyes. We make of it what we can.

  Fifty-nine

  The morning broke bitterly cold. The mountains were being pounded with snow. We were low enough to only get a couple inches. The tents held up, and my sleeping bag was toasty, but my boots were damn cold when I stamped my feet into them.

  Jimmy got a fire going pretty quickly, and we huddled over it while the water boiled for coffee. Instant was fine for camping, but I really wanted to head to Monkey Shines and grab a triple-shot mocha and about two dozen crullers.

  Then I thought of the young barista there who’d been murdered because of me, and the coffee turned bitter in my mouth.

  “Home, soon,” Jimmy said, slinging a half a cup of coffee into the scrub. “I want to go up to that cave first.”

  I froze. The cave where I’d killed the troll, where we’d found Frick and Frack. The cave where I’d killed that troll mother who was doing nothing really beyond caring for her babies.

  “Why?”

  “I don’t like when some beastie sets up home that close to the farm. Call it professional curiosity.”

  We were pretty close this far out. Probably only a couple hours’ walk there. I shrugged. “Yeah, sure. Why not?”

  We packed the camp but made sure to eat an extra large helping of my favorite oatmeal. I loaded it down with our remaining dried fruit and plenty of sugar. It would provide enough calories to see us through the cold morning.
>
  The woods were thick, and the air absorbed sound. I didn’t remember it being this quiet the last time through here, but I’d been focused on catching the troll on the way up and trying not to fall over on the way down.

  I knew there was something wrong before we got to the clearing. Jimmy stopped when I held up my hand. There was a taint in the air. Not quite a smell. More like a feeling.

  I squatted down on the trail and looked through the trees. I could see the cairn across the snow-covered clearing. There were no real signs of disturbance, but the runes in my hairline began to itch.

  Jimmy squatted down next to me. “I don’t see anything.”

  I cocked my head to the side and picked up a stone. He watched me with an amused expression on his face as I tossed it toward the cairn. Nothing happened. Maybe I was just feeling guilty.

  We stood, drew weapons, and entered the clearing. My senses were alert, pinging. “There’s something here,” I said, turning slowly. “Or there was.”

  He had a long sword in one hand, the one from the battle way back, when the troll under that cairn and her friends had invaded the farm.

  “If anyone’s been here,” he said, glancing around, “the snow’s buried any trace.”

  I grunted and approached the cave cautiously. Inside, the invasion was apparent. We’d left the place in good shape. Things as packed away as they could be, bed put together, even the wood stacked neatly for future fires.

  Now it was a disaster. The bed had been scattered, the furniture smashed, and the fire pit scattered about.

  “Someone searched the place,” Jimmy said. “Kids, maybe?”

  He didn’t look like he believed it any more than I did.

  “Maybe.” I walked to the back and saw something. A handprint burned onto the wall of the cave. “Someone with power, it seems,” I said, passing Gram in the air before the mark. A spark like static electricity jumped from the handprint to the blade, sizzling and popping for a split second, before dissipating. The print faded as I watched.

  “Residual magic,” Jimmy said, watching from several feet away. “Someone was loaded for bear, and must’ve stumbled or something, braced themselves against the wall there.”