Northern coast of Liqaria, continent of Seiye, 26th of Seventhmoon 3045
The Eastern Sea had sent blizzard after blizzard rolling over Seiye, and the Mori plains were blanketed by a cover of snow half a metre in depth once they reached land two days later. Winter showed no sign of having had enough of tormenting the southern continent. The Khuusian mountain range looming in the distance was a misty white, blending in with the sky so perfectly that it was nigh on invisible. Though they were now officially on enemy territory, Ren’i could not help feeling fearful reverence as he looked around, and the looks on Linnee and Sava’s faces told him they shared the sentiment.
He’d only ever seen paintings of the mountains named after the god Khuus, rising much higher than the Mountains of the Eight sheltering the northern side of Hol Saro, and no pictures could do them justice. Even in winter’s embrace the land was beautiful, deceptively so. Kha’ar had known to inform them that the North Liqarian landscape was mountainous, its the height differences considerable, and one glance was enough to tell Ren’i the consul had been correct. The ascent to higher altitudes would be an undertaking, and there were no signs of roads or marked trails anywhere.
”No wonder the region’s uninhabited,” Linnee mused. The sand-brown strands sticking out from under her hat were covered in frost. ”Would be hard to build cities in terrain like this.”
”Or anything else, for that matter,” Sava added.
The dry, light snow billowed about mercilessly, obscuring the view. Thick pack ice had formed around the isles and the rocky crossing points connecting them, and they’d practically had to skate the rest of the way from one island to another. Fortunately for them the ice had been almost entirely barren: the endless winds pushed all fallen snow directly to the shore, forming tall banks where they stopped.
”There’s a blizzard approaching,” Ren’i said as the akheris joined them.
”How do you know?” Blueleaf asked.
”From experience. We’d best look for shelter and rest until it’s over. We’re not going anywhere before the storm relents.”
”There are caves nearby. One of them ought to do.”
Ren’i’s prediction came true within hours. They’d climbed on top of a hill and headed towards a low evergreen forest when the dark cumulus clouds reached the coastline. Temperature had been rising throughout the day and the snow that fell came in thick, wet flakes that slowed them down even more. They were all wet to their knees when Blueleaf finally lead them in the shelter of a cave.
The cave was wide and tall, and the stalactites hanging from the ceiling gleamed underneath a layer of thick ice. They covered the mouth of the cave with snow as carefully as they could, leaving a small hole on top for airflow.
Hawk took off his gloves and knelt. There was a depression at the very back of the cave where the ground had blackened. He touched it gingerly with his fingertips, rubbing his fingers together. ”Soot.”
”We spent the night here on our last journey,” Blueleaf said. ”Let’s get a fire going.”
”Is that wise? Smoke can be seen from afar,” Moonstone asked, sounding worried.
”Not in this weather.”
Ren’i had taken off his hat. He examined the roof of the cave. ”Just hold on a minute. There’s a hole somewhere for the smoke to get out, right?”
”There is, at the back of the cave. The snow cover is thicker than before, but even back then the hole wasn’t covered, so it most likely leads to a sheltered spot.”
”Better check it out before we all end up breathing in carbon monoxide and collapse. Sava,” Ren’i said and waved for them to follow.
Northern coast of Liqaria, 2nd of Eighthmoon 3045
The storm raged for three days. Judging by the constant howling of wind there had to be several small gaps in the cave leading out to the above cliffs, but a campfire kept the cave warm enough that they were able to sleep better than they had while crossing the land bridge. Hawk, Denae, Linnee and Sava took turns hunting and left in pairs to fetch them something to eat. Ren’i knew that his travel companions were just as unnerved as he was whenever anyone of them was outdoors, ready to take up arms and rush to the others’ aid, but there was no sign of the Liqaris, or anyone else, either. He heard Blueleaf let out a sigh of relief when Hawk and Sava returned, carrying a deer.
The noise of the whetstone was ear-splitting as Ren’i ground it against the edge of his sword. The rowan leaves carved on the hilt were so achingly familiar that tracing them with his fingers made something in his chest contract. The same pattern adorned his back, as it did the doors leading to his father’s residence in the palace.
He could feel the spell’s tingling on his skin whenever he brushed against the sword, no matter how light the touch. Vannuil had summoned him to the consul tent the day after the meeting, and Ren’i had been surprised when she’d opened her travelling trunk and pulled out a familiar scabbard.
”Your father asked us to give this to you,” Vannuil had said, placing the scabbard in Ren’i’s hands. ”Unsheathe it and hold it with both hands. Qel, if you please.”
Vannuil and Qel placed their hands on the blade and Ren’i felt the force rushing through him as they released their ashays. It nearly forced him on his knees; apart from the empress no one had ever targeted the entire force of their ashay on him before. The sensation was so dizzying that he could hardly breathe. Their eyes flashed like fire. It made the hair at the nape of his neck stand on end, feeling a peculiar, throbbing sensation crawling up his arms and going right through him. For a moment the sword nearly seemed to glow.
Vannuil’s lips moved as she spoke, a commanding voice making the sword vibrate with each word. Each of them was at once alien and familiar, as though Ren’i ought to recognise them, but they slipped between his fingers everytime he tried to focus.
”Well, that was that,” Qel remarked. He and Vannuil let go, and Ren’i’s knees gave as the presence of their ashays withdrew.
”The protective spell on the sword is the most powerful one we’re capable of casting,” Vannuil said, interpreting the quizzical look on Ren’i’s face correctly. ”The same spell has protected your father when he has wielded that sword. Carry it with pride.”
”Thank you,” Ren’i said uncertainly. ”But why?”
Vannuil did not smile, but her expression softened for an instant. ”A farewell gift from your father. It was his wish that we deliver the sword to you when the situation calls for it. ’Keep my child safe’, he said. We intend to do just that, if only we’re able.”
Ren’i did not know what to say for a moment. He swallowed fiercely, but the lump in his throat would not budge. He slid the sword back in the scabbard, just to have an excuse to mask his confusion, and hoped that Vannuil and Qel didn’t see the moisture in his eyes.
”Where have you learned Old Demonic?” he asked when Vannuil turned to close the travelling trunk. ”I thought the language was long since dead.”
The consul’s expression was calcuting as she turned around.
”Not all tales we’re told about the old world are entirely true, your highness.” She nodded towards the mouth of the tent. ”If you’ll excuse us, we have arrangements to attend to before tonight’s meeting. We’ll see you there.”
Ren’i had switched his ordinary sword for his father’s the same night.
”That’s not the same weapon you’ve used up until now.”
Ren’i lifted his gaze, jolted out of his reverie. Hawk was sitting on the other side of the campfire, staring at the sword. It was a one-hander, much like the ones Kishan soldiers carried as part of their equipment, but the edge was narrower and the scabbard elaborately decorated, unlike an ordinary officer’s sword.
”It is not, no,” Ren’i admitted. He continued polishing it with accustomed ease, shifting the angle as he went, and pausing to test the blade with a fingertip every now and then.
Hawk’s eyes landed on the pattern on the hilt. There was something vaguely familiar about it, but he could not quite recall what it was.
”What tree is that leaf from?” he asked.
”A rowan tree. Oh, right, those don’t grow in the Hytherlands, I guess? Shame. They’re lovely, we’ve got loads of them in the north.” Ren’i blew the dust off the blade. ”Rowan is my father’s crest. This is his sword.”
”Prince Oerei’s.”
Ren’i chuckled. ”I’m surprised you even know his name.”
”Everyone knows of him.”
”Where I’m from they probably do, but I didn’t think you were particularly interested in my family.”
Hawk shrugged. He assumed a more comfortable position on the cloak he was using as a cushion, reaching out towards the flames. ”He’s well-known in the south.”
”Is he?”
”Of course. Your father was behind the amendment that guarantees empty-bloods living in the borderlands the same civil rights as half-bloods, along with independent land ownership rights.”
”Was he?” Ren’i looked surprised.
”Aren’t you supposed to be the crown prince? You’d think you’d be more aware of these things than I am,” Hawk pointed out in harsh tones. ”Not that I expect your majesty to be interested in our rights.”
”First of all, ouch. No need to be rude. Second of all, only the empress is addressed as ’your majesty’. Other members of the imperial family are addressed as ’your highness’.”
Hawk quirked an eyebrow. ”My deepest apologies, your highness,” he said, voice dripping with sarcasm. ”Or would you prefer ’excellency’ instead?”
Ren’i grimaced. Titles sounded grotesque coming out of Hawk’s mouth. ”If you want my honest opinion, I liked it better when you called me by given name. You may bad mouth me all you like, as long as we remain on first name basis.” He sighed deeply. The past week’s poorly slept nights were starting to weight on him, Hawk could see it on his face. His hair was a mess and a short, reddish stubble now covered his chin, which rather suited him. ”The truth is, I don’t really keep tabs on what my father does for work. He’s just father to me, not prince-senator Oerei. I sometimes forget that he’s such an influential person.”
”How can you forget something like that?”
Ren’i was quiet for a moment. ”You can’t, not entirely. We rarely have time to be together as a family.” He sighed again and scratched at his stubble. ”I enlisted at the age of 26 and haven’t done much else since. I lived it the barracks and trained with other rookies the few first years. I didn’t see my father once during that time. Nowadays we spend what little time we have together discussing other matters than politics.”
”Rough.”
”Kind of. I suppose.” Ren’i stared at the tips of his boots, feeling strangely awkward. ”I don’t know why I’m even telling you all this. There’s no one more privileged than I in the whole empire, so I shouldn’t complain.” He set the sword aside and grabbed a couple of new logs from their pile of firewood to toss in the fire. ”Forget I said anything.”
Flames swallowed their firefood within seconds, and the crackling of drying logs was the only sound, save for the whistling wind, in the cave. Denae had returned outside, this time with Linnee. The others were dozing in their tents. Hawk took a knife from his belt and started skinning the deer, his movements speaking of experience. They had bled the animal outdoors already, making the rest of the process less messy, and it did not take him long to start separating meat from the bones.
”I can’t remember if I’ve ever asked how old you are,” Hawk said without looking up from his task.
Ren’i managed to smile. ”Probably not. And I’m 98 years old, thanks for asking.”
”Onniar was right. You are just a child.”
”What about you?”
”I’m turning 184 this Tenthmoon.”
”Ha. You’re not much better by our reckoning.”
Hawk met his gaze and said with a touch of self-satisfaction, ”maybe so, but keep in mind that only one of us has spent over 70 years of his life in the army and still gotten his ass kicked by an ordinary hunter.”
Ren’i felt heat creeping up on his face. ”Do you have to keep reminding me about that constantly?”
”Yes.”
”I suppose you’re enjoying this.”
”There’s not much else to do to pass the time.”
”Please think of anything else.”
Hawk pretended to consider the matter. ”Hmm. A rematch?”
”Besides that.”
”You’re making this difficult.”
”What do you want me to say? I surrender, I recognise your infinite superiority,” Ren’i complained. Hawk turned his gaze back on the deer, the corners of his mouth twitching. ”Hang on. Was that a smile?”
”No.”
”Yes, it was. You smiled.”
”You’ve hit your head,” Hawk replied, not trying to hide his amusement.
”You’re smiling even now, you liar,” Ren’i laughed. ”I didn’t even think you knew how.”
Blueleaf peeked out of their tent, hair a serious mess from sleeping. ”Hey, keep it down over there. Can’t catch a wink with you two nattering like a pair of street vendors.”
Ren’i guffawed harder at the look on their face, and Blueleaf uttered quiet curses as they retreated in the tent.
Hawk shook his head, smiling despite himself. There was something catchy in Ren’i’s laughter, something irresistably cheerful; listening to him made Hawk feel like he was sitting in a gentle sunbeam. Hawk had noticed it already at the summer festival, and now, far away from the sphere of influence of music or alcohol, he was forced to admit to himself that he could have listened to it all evening.
What he was not ready to admit, however, was that the wide grin Ren’i flashed his way made his heart beat faster.