Chris Evans - Ashes of a Black Frost

“Then I wouldn’t worry about it,” she said, following after the bird.

The sailor seemed to think about that for a few seconds and then promptly turned and ran. Dandy didn’t give chase, but moved toward the canvas-wrapped body of Chayii laid out on the deck. He lowered his head and using his beak, gently pulled Chayii’s body underneath so that it rested by his claws. He raised his head and looked at Visyna. His right claw was open and extended toward her.

She realized it was an invitation.

“You’re here to take us to Konowa, aren’t you?” she said.

Dandy ruffled his feathers as another wall of spray pelted the deck.

“You’re leaving us,” Prince Tykkin said, walking along the deck and coming to a stop a few yards away.

“It appears I am,” Visyna said. She started to move toward the bird, then paused and looked back at the Prince. “I am sorry for your loss. For what it’s worth, I think you have it in you to be an excellent ruler. In the short time I’ve known you. .” she realized she couldn’t finish the sentence as it would sound too patronizing. The Prince finished it for her.

“I’ve grown. Yes, well, I suppose it was inevitable,” he said, offering her a wry smile. “I had some very good examples to learn from.” He bowed toward her.

“May your reign be a long and peaceful one,” Visyna said.

“And may the winds of fortune favor you and the Iron Elves in the coming battle.” He nodded and turned to walk away, then stopped and turned back. “And for what it’s worth, tell that elf of yours that if I’d had my choice, I would have been there at his side.”

Visyna smiled. “He knows that already, but I’ll remind him.”

“Off you go then,” the future king said, giving her a quick salute.

Visyna returned it and turned to Dandy. “Okay, how do we do this?”

Elation and terror fought for dominance as she realized she would soon rejoin Konowa. She’d hoped a miracle would happen, and it had, but now she wished she’d put a little more thought into the details.

Dandy’s claw snatched her up and his wings extended. He crouched low, then pushed straight up, his other claw scooping up Chayii as he did so. He pumped his wings a few times and Visyna buried her head in his feathers as they cleared the mast and vaulted into the sky.

She didn’t scream, but not because she didn’t want to.

Penny for your thoughts.”

Konowa smiled and motioned to a spot beside him where he was staring out through the oak planks at the passing forest lining the river. The smoke from Rallie’s cigar arrived a second before she did. He pointed at the trees.

“Wolf Oaks, but these are small ones, still young, maybe a few hundred years at most. The deeper we go, the older they get,” he said. Pride had crept into his voice, which surprised him. He hadn’t been back to the Hyntaland in years, mostly because there was so little here he wanted to remember. Now, however, his homecoming felt long overdue. He shivered. It was growing colder the further north they traveled. The ship continued at a far faster rate than should have been possible, but it navigated smoothly down the center of the river as if on a rail. He took a quick glance at his father. Jurwan remained seated near the main mast position, deep in a trance. Whatever his father was doing was working.

Dawn colored the sky a deep purple. He took that as a good omen.

“Glad to see it’s not red,” Rallie said.

“Will she get here in time?”

Rallie puffed on her cigar before answering. “It’s in other hands, or feathers, at this point. Have you thought about what you’re going to do when you confront Her?”

Konowa had tried very hard not to. “I’ll do what needs to be done. This has to end, Rallie, it has to. She was a scourge before, but with the return of the Stars she’s become a monster. If She isn’t stopped now I see no hope for anyone, or anything.”

Rallie said nothing, continuing to smoke her cigar and watch the passing trees. Finally, she turned and looked at him. “Do what needs to be done, just don’t assume you know what that is yet.”

“With all due respect, you’re starting to sound a lot like my father with all the cryptic advice. Is there some school that older, wise advisors attend where they learn how to say something without actually saying it?”

Rallie laughed. “Now that’s a school I’d like to attend. I think, however, you’ve got the shoe on the wrong foot. Wouldn’t it be better to ask why young people are always so eager to know everything now? There’s a joy in patience that quick gratification doesn’t offer.”

“In a few hours it’ll all be moot,” Konowa said. “If there are any last revelations you’d like to share, now’s the time. Like maybe who you are, and the Stars?”

Rallie smiled and turned back to watching the trees. “Excellent questions. Very pertinent, too. I can see why you’d want to know.”

Konowa waited. “Well?”

“There are many ancient myths about the creation of the heavens and stars. Some think they are the eyes of gods peering down on us. Others think they are huge diamonds floating in the ether. There’s even a legend that at least some of the stars, like those that fell, were in fact bundles of natural energy long ago gathered up and flung into the heavens for safekeeping. And that one day, when that natural energy was needed, they would return.”

Konowa had the eerie sensation of standing on the edge of a thundering waterfall. One misstep and he’d go over and he’d never be seen again. Still, he decided to step a little closer to the abyss.

“Interesting. How do you suppose all that energy was put in the sky in the first place? Sounds like some powerful magic would be required to do something like that, if that’s what happened. .”

“No doubt,” Rallie said. The end of her cigar was glowing like a white-hot brand.

“But if that is what happened, it happened-as you say-a very long time ago.” Konowa could feel the heat coming off the end of her cigar.

Rallie pulled the cigar out of her mouth and studied the glowing tip. It lit up her face, throwing her many wrinkles into stark contrast. “Tell me, Colonel, what would you find more disturbing? The knowledge that I have some information that might be of use to you and I don’t impart it, believing that to do so might create more problems than it solves, or, that I actually don’t have any more information to give. That I’m just a little old lady a tad wise beyond her years, with a keen mind, a quick quill, and a mind that’s not always focused on the here and now?”

“Both?” Konowa answered, only half in jest. “But if I have to choose, and it sounds like I do, I’d rather believe in the former. In fact, I do. You probably have so many secrets you don’t even know them all yourself. . if that makes sense.”

Rallie stuck the cigar back in her mouth. “You, my dear elf, are smarter than you look.”

“Thanks?” Konowa said.

“Time, I think, to get my quill and paper,” Rallie said, stepping away from the railing.

Konowa looked into the distance. A gray smudge discolored the horizon to the north. “The mountains.”

“I’m curious, Colonel,” Rallie said, starting to turn away then stopping. “The aid of the Wolf Oaks in getting us here this fast has been spectacular. Do you know if your father has given any thought to how we stop?”

Konowa watched her walk away, a trail of blue smoke in her wake. He looked out at the passing trees. They were whipping by. Faster.

The Black Spike was picking up speed.

Konowa tore away from the railing and ran over to his father. He didn’t bother waiting and simply grabbed Jurwan by the shoulder and shook him. “Father! This isn’t a carriage. We don’t have brakes.”