As Winter Spawns Read online

  She didn’t watch to see if Seph was following her, but she was vaguely aware that he did so. Together they moved towards the edge of the crowd. She needed space.

  “Jak,” he said from behind. “I just want you to know that you will get through this. We haven’t made it this far just to fail.”

  Despite herself, she whipped around to glare at Seph. “You can’t possibly expect me to just lie down and take this. You don’t know what it’s like to have everything you are taken from you. I not only lost my brands, I’ve lost everything! My mother, the Pillars, my friend! And without my brands, I’m essentially useless.”

  “Is that what you think?” Seph said, his voice soft.

  Jak stopped herself from saying more. She’d forgotten that Seph didn’t have any brands either. “No...I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to say that you were useless.”

  “But in a sense, you’re right. There is little I have to offer. I can’t scout like a Sightseer, fight like a Flamedancer, heal myself, or any of the things that others can do with their brands.”

  “Yeah, but you’re half the reason for everyone coming together. You and your book, and what you preach. It gives people hope. For me, my powers were what inspired others.”

  Seph bit his lip as if pondering her words. “Perhaps this will be an opportunity for you to discover something more about yourself.”

  Jak furrowed her brow. “I’m sure that will help us survive here, or fight Cain if he ever shows up again.”

  “You never know.” Seph shrugged. But just then, Jak noticed that everyone was staring at them, or pretending not to stare but obviously listening. Jak closed her eyes. Her and her big mouth. Now word would quickly spread that she was essentially helpless. Though it wouldn’t have taken long for that message to spread anyway. Might as well get it over with.

  She scanned the faces of those who had overheard. Most were trying hard to avoid meeting her eyes, but some kept glancing in her direction, slightly hysterical expressions on their faces. They were afraid. The reality of their situation was beginning to take hold. Jak felt it too.

  She went back to focusing on the snow-covered path ahead of her. Though she couldn’t see the sun through the cloud-covered sky, light was fading, and temperatures were dropping. They would need to find shelter soon or set up camp here and hope the Flamedancers and gnomes could keep the air around them warm enough for all to survive.

  Indeed, it wasn’t long before Skellig called a halt, then ordered the gnomes and Flamedancers to move ahead of the rest of the army, to clear an area of snow. Jak watched as the gnomes heated the rock beneath the snow, and Flamedancers shot jets of fire in all directions. Steam hissed and even at a distance, the warmth caused goose pimples to rise on Jak’s flesh. Soon nothing but wet rock remained, and with a little more effort that water rose into the air as fresh steam, leaving the land dry.

  The gnomes continued to move forward, repeating the same steps on the adjacent patch of land, and beyond. They would need to cover a large enough area for seven thousand people to stay the night. A gnome had a large reach with their powers of heat, but there were only a few dozen of them.

  “I’m not sure I like this,” said a voice. Jak turned to see not Seph but Vander, the newly elected leader of the Shadow Elves standing next to her. Where had Seph gone?

  “Like what?” Jak said, glad to have Vander nearby. They’d had their differences before, but right now Vander was the closest reminder she had of her mother. He probably knew Karlona far better than she did, since he had lived with her for years in the Hollow Peaks.

  Vander kept staring out at the dry patches ahead of them. “This,” he waved his hand in the direction of the gnomes. “Using one of the races for work like this.”

  “We’d all die without their help. The Flamedancers are there as well,” she pointed out.

  “Yes, but it still bothers me,” he said. “We Fae used to be the majority in our little group, but now there are thousands of other humans here as well. What do we do if they suddenly decide we work for them?”

  Jak was about to say something when Vander seemed to forget his concern and turned to her with a caring look on his face.

  “But I shouldn’t bother you with such words,” he said. “How are you? I hear you lost your abilities.” He didn’t seem worried or scared like the others. If anything, he looked more concerned for her.

  “Word travels fast. I’ll be looking for a way to fix it,” said Jak. “There’s got to be a way.”

  “But the effect that must have had on you. And so shortly after losing your mother.”

  Jak nodded. “It’s been a lot to process.”

  “I don’t think I would still be standing,” said Vander, patting her on the back. “You show great resilience.”

  “I don’t feel resilient,” said Jak.

  “I’m sure none of the great ancestors of legend felt they were anything special either. But I and the Shadow Elves will continue to consider you as one of our own. We do not put our faith in someone based on the number of brands they have.”

  Jak smiled. “Thank you, Vander. I will try not to let you down.”

  “Just keep searching for answers, and I’m sure they will come.” Vander patted her on the back once again. “But in the meantime, I have to go make sure that my people are appropriately accommodated for the night.”

  And with that, he retreated back through the crowd, leaving Jak alone once more. And just as well, because it wasn’t long after that when Skellig ordered everyone to move into the drier terrain and make camp for the night. They had tents, but most were assigned to bundle together with several others. It was close quarters for Jak, but she understood the need. They would need body heat to survive the night with the temperatures dropping the way they were.

  Thank the ancestors for Skellig. The woman didn’t miss a beat once. She continued giving orders and checking up on each of the various factions within the group. There were a lot of them. The foreigners they had found in the valley led by the Triad: Bretton, Li, and Mosaial. Each of the various Fae species, and a few other human recruits, most of whom were either followers of Seph, or Watchers that had come with Jak from Mt. Harafast. They were all here.

  The next step was to arrange for food to be passed out among them. This was mostly provided by the Triad’s foreign companies who had spent years preparing for an expedition they could only guess was coming. They had enough food for everyone, not to mention a massive supply of still-living livestock.

  Jak graciously accepted some dried meat as it was passed out. She chewed on it absently for a while. The others left her alone for the most part. Most didn’t even look at her. By now, word had spread that she had failed them as a leader. She had created this world for them, led them to it, only to discover that the world was an icy wasteland, and to have her power to do anything about it stripped away from her.

  So she ate in relative silence, savoring the food as she realized just how hungry she had become. Before, her Hungerless brand had staved off the need for regular food. But now she would need to eat every day like everyone else. There were several others of the company with a Hungerless brand, but few in comparison to how many were here.

  They would have to find a new source of food fast, or they were all goners.

  The sound of someone speaking brought her out of her thoughts. She turned towards the sound and saw someone standing on a wagon, his arms out and speaking to the crowd around him while they ate. But in the dimming light, she couldn’t quite make out who it was.

  She moved closer. It was probably a dissenter, someone who had found out what happened to her. Probably blaming her for bringing them to Illadar, for creating a place that defied all of their expectations.

  But it wasn’t. When she was close enough she recognized the man’s posture, and a familiar voice drifted to her.

  “And so I thought it best to speak about the Guiding Hand today, that force that brought us here, and that will, in time, help us survive
and come out of it even stronger than we were. Hopefully I can teach something new to those of you who have not heard my sermons before, and provide a refreshed understanding for those who have.”

  There were a few disgruntled mutters throughout the crowd. But most were listening. Most of the audience within earshot were the foreigners, judging by their appearance. But there were a few faces Jak recognized, and a few Fae as well.

  “There are difficulties ahead for us,” said Seph. “I’m not going to say otherwise. And I cannot promise that deliverance, at least of our physical form, will be there for all. But we can gain some measure of comfort in knowing that we’re not alone. There is a great destiny ahead for our people. We must assume that we will not perish completely.”

  “But there’s nothing here to eat,” said one person. A chorus of agreement ran through the crowd. The few closest to her shot her distrustful glances.

  “Yeah! And we can’t survive out here in this cold for long,” said another. “We were happy in that valley and you led us here to die!”

  That provoked an even greater chorus of hostile agreement. Jak swallowed. Was Seph unwittingly provoking a riot? What would he do, or rather what would she do, if the people were to rise up against them? Her brands were useless to her if she was attacked. She began taking a few quiet steps backward, slowly turning away.

  “I want you all to imagine for a moment,” Seph continued. Jak faced him again. He looked completely unphased by the crowd. If anything, he looked even more excited. “I want you to imagine these lands covered with greenery and life, of a land rich in minerals and tilling soil, where there is enough for human, Fae, and beast alike. But more importantly, I want you to imagine a culture where human and Fae work together for the betterment of all, and where we serve each other so that no one need go hungry or without shelter from the elements.”

  People were starting to listen now, some even leaned in to better hear what Seph would say next. Jak too was carried across the world of imagination as she envisioned the land as Seph described it. It was beautiful, lush, and peaceful. But was it even possible?

  As if sensing her words, one of the others cried. “You talk but how can we even begin to have a life like that under our present circumstances.”

  Seph thought on that for a while before speaking. “I’d like to tell you a story,” he said. “Of a time after I found a certain book, the Book of Illadar. In it, I read many things I considered most strange. I read of humans becoming something else, changing into forces of nature. I read of a world of peace and prosperity for these beings, who would live beside humans and prosper together. At the time, I thought it was highly far-fetched, even after all I had seen that led me to the book. How could such things be possible? I admit that even I had serious doubts at that time. I began to form a following, but many looked to me for answers that I did not have. I had only to trust that the book was true.”

  His eyes roamed across the crowd until they landed on Jak. A smile formed on his lips, that dazzling smile that used to fill her with so much delight, and now it filled her with love.

  He kept his eyes on her while he spoke again, “And then I met a young girl, reading in a library. We talked and I learned about the Fae. I learned that much of what was spoken of in the Book of Illadar had already come to pass. I learned that not only was that girl a messenger to me of the fulfillment of prophecy, but she was prophecy herself.”

  Jak’s face drooped. Why was he focusing on her? She could no longer be a leader of these people. Not without her brands. Sure, Seph was right that the book had prophesied of her. The evidence was too perfect to ignore. But all that was over. She had created Illadar like the book had said, but it said nothing of her role beyond that. That had to be because Jak had no role after that. Her part was over.

  She fully expected someone to call Seph out on this, but to her surprise, no one said a word. They were listening to Seph’s story. And so he continued. “It wasn’t until that time that I truly came to believe the prophecies. By following the council I had been given, I was led to its truth. And the prophecies are not done. There is still much left to do.”

  A few mutters of “what more” or “what can we do” ran through the crowd. Jak stared at them in amazement. Moments ago they had been angry at Seph, and angry at her. Now they were begging to hear more of Seph’s knowledge. Even she wanted to continue listening. What had changed?

  “There are yet more Fae to come,” said Seph. “The book speaks of twelve races, including humans. We have yet to see four of them. It may be these four races will be the key to our survival, or perhaps they will come once we have established peace. We cannot know for sure. But for those of you who think Illadar is done being formed, think again. The formation of Illadar was not an event, it is a process, one in which we must all participate.”

  A few heads nodded, and even Jak felt encouraged. There was something about Seph, something in his posture or the way he spoke. He truly believed that what he spoke was true. That much was evident in his enthusiasm and confidence. Perhaps they would find a way to survive after all.

  “The Guiding Hand will put us through many trials. But only because we learn much from those trials. We will grow stronger, and develop a more sure foundation on this planet. It might not look like much now, but it is ours. Ours to shape, ours to till, ours to mine. We will make it through these trying times because we must. And in doing so we will develop the mightiest nation either world has ever seen, one that survived the worst that could be thrown at it, and spat in the face of adversity.”

  This time, it wasn't a chorus of murmurs that ran through the crowd, but a chorus of cheers. Seph was doing it. He was motivating them, getting them excited about surviving. Perhaps they even had a chance at doing so. Seph was a natural leader. Perhaps he would be the best choice to replace Jak in the end.

  After the speech, Seph wandered back to her, shaking hands as he went and speaking a few kind words to some of the more tired-looking individuals. Jak watched him draw near, her arms folded to retain heat, but with admiration in her eyes. As soon as Seph came close enough, she grabbed him by the coat and pulled him into a kiss.

  3

  “That was amazing,” Jak said when she finally pulled away from the kiss. “You somehow managed to keep them from turning into a mob.”

  “I only deliver the words required of me,” said Seph. She stifled a frown. Couldn’t he accept praise for once in his life?

  “Well whatever you did, you’ve kept them sane for now. And word of this will spread.”

  “Perhaps, but there are so many here. I tried to find a place where I could speak to as many as I could, but my voice doesn’t carry far enough to speak to all.”

  Jak lay her head on his chest, and he responded by wrapping his arms around her. She felt her muscles relax and her flesh tingle as they shared the warmth from their bodies. It seemed that the absence of her brands made his embrace even more comforting.

  “You can speak to more of them tomorrow,” said Jak, glancing at the sky and the waning light. The cloud layer was still so thick it was difficult to know in what direction the sun lay. But regardless, their light was nearly gone.

  “I’m sure I will. It’s probably best if I make my sermons a regular thing again. I think I’d like that. I haven’t preached regularly since I was in Skyecliff.”

  Skellig began making the rounds, riding on a horse from one end of the camp to another. “Stay close together for warmth tonight,” she shouted. “Gnomes and Flamedancers will take periodic shifts to heat the stone enough to keep everyone from freezing. But we have no fuel for fires, so stick together and share blankets.”

  Jak glanced at Seph as Skellig rode away to continue the message. “So...um, want to share a blanket?” she felt the blood rush to her cheeks. While she had known that they would need to sleep close together with everyone around them, she hadn’t thought about those sleeping arrangements involving Seph. Despite their blossoming relationship they had
never…

  He smiled. “Well it was the major’s orders.”

  She smiled back, feeling her embarrassment drain away for an edge of...excitement. She was still blushing though. Both her father and mother had cautioned her to reserve the more intimate part of herself for someone who was truly worth it, and with whom she would want to spend the rest of her life. Did she want that with Seph? Were they even ready for that?

  Perhaps she was thinking about it too much, but the thoughts persisted as they settled down for bed that night. She and Seph ended up together, and Jak felt her blush only increase as Seph put his arms around her as they lay. But nothing would happen of course. There was a soldier on her other side as well, and a Bright Elf beyond that. Everyone was huddled together.

  Maybe it was the nearby Bright Elf’s light that kept her awake, or maybe it was the cold, but she found herself awake for a long time, despite her exhaustion, long after Seph’s deep breathing indicated he was asleep behind her.

  Would she want to spend her life with Seph? Perhaps, now that she had lost her brands and was essentially no longer the leader of the group, perhaps they could find solace together. They could go off and live a quiet life. Maybe raise sheep like her father had done. If they could find a way to keep the sheep and themselves alive long enough for that to happen. That was a good thought. A really good thought. There had been a time when all she wanted was to leave Riverbrook, go to Skyecliff and learn everything she could. Now...well now a boring life was far more attractive. Particularly if Seph could be there with her.

  The feel of Seph’s warm body behind her, his chest rising and falling as he slept, combined with her exhaustion of traveling this far after losing her brands, finally put her to sleep.

  The next morning she awoke to the sound of Skellig’s horse riding again up and down the perimeter. “Wake up!” she yelled. “The temperature is rising and we will have to move fast to reach the mountains before it drops again.”