William Grey

Once the men had returned from the woods, the villagers, and the soldiers made their camp inside the abandoned village. The soldiers had medical supplies, and Mary, and some of the other healers immediately began to heal those who had been wounded. Considering the side of the force they had faced, that was most of the men who had fought.

Some of the fighting men had stayed back however to guard the children in case any of the bandits broke through, luckily none had. The soldiers were well versed in healing too, and some of them had begun to stitch wounds in one of the larger houses. Meanwhile, John, Tom, and Will all had come out of the fighting unscathed, though admittedly tired.

Now they sat around an old Inn, the other commander, who turned out to be Flint’s eldest son, had made a fire in empty fireplace. Once they had settled down, they began to discuss matters, beginning with the introductions. “John this is my son Geos, he is second in command of the reserves now”, they said when they had sat down.

The man was about twice their age, he was a large man, and looked like his father however he was more muscular, and his hair was all black where the other mans was grey. The man’s hair was also very short, and he carried himself with pride. Geos smiled at John, “wonderful to see you again uncle”, he said smiling at John, a gesture John returned to him. They shook hands, and John spoke up gesturing to his two sons.

“This is William, and Thomas Grey, my adoptive sons, they helped defend the wagons earlier”, John said as way of introducing them.

The other man looked at John with surprise, and then looked at Tom, and Will with suspicious eyes, his gaze lingering on Will a second too long. Tom spoke up, “guess that makes you our adoptive cousin then huh?” he said with a smile. Will said nothing not liking the way the man looked at them, then reluctantly said “pleasure”, Geos nodded with a thin forced smile. Then the man turned and spoke to his father in the northern language.

“We killed maybe ten of the men during their retreat, but they know this area better than us father”, Geos said with a business-like voice. “However, it would seem that their numbers have dropped to below half during their battle with the villagers”, Geos said then he turned to John again. “Mostly due to you, I would imagine” he said with a smile.

John shook his head at the man, who frowned, and looked at him confusion. John nodded towards Will, who suddenly felt very self-conscious. “Will here killed more than me, he’s the best fighter we’ve got”, then he shared a look with Flint, and continued “in fact, he’s the best fighter I’ve ever seen”, John said.

Flint seemed to realize what John was saying because his eyes widened a fraction, and he studied Will, specifically his eyes. “Really uncle, is that so?”, Geos said studying Will, “well maybe I ought to spar with him, we can learn from each other”, Geos said. “I’d like that cousin”, Will said, surprising the two soldiers at the table.

“You speak the northern language as well”, Flint said with a smile, then he turned to his brother. “What brings you north brother? It’s been ten long years since your last visit I believe”, Flint said glancing at Will as he said it. John smiled, “the Gold Dragon’s are moving again, the villagers will be safer up north”, he said, “besides, I found everything I was looking for in the south brother”, John finished.

Geos interrupted now, “you found the Winters cloak? and the winters relic?” Geos said with an excited tone, which made him sound younger than he was. “Aye, and I found the bearer”, John said with a satisfied tone, showing more emotion than he typically did.

“Will show them your left hand”, John ordered looking at Will, who hesitated for a second, and then showed his hand to the table. Flint, and Geos gasped, and stared at the blue ring, and the blue gemstone embedded into it. “It can’t be, he is of the old blood”, Flint asked, while Geos continued to stare at the ring.

“Aye, he shows all the signs, he wears the Winter cloak as well, prefers the cold, and is a natural fighter”, John said to his brother who nodded. Flint thought for a moment, and then began speaking with John, Will was focused on Geos though, who now looked at him distastefully.

“This is preposterous, a boy born in the south, comes to claim the throne”, Geos said suddenly stopping all conversation. The man stood quickly nocking over the chair he had been sitting in as he did so, “you expect men to bow too this boy, the mountains won’t have him” he said angrily. Tom reached for something under the table, just in case the man got too heated.

“I do not come for a throne, I come for the village’s safety”, Will said his own hand moving closer to his sword. Flint, and John shared another look, “Geos sit down or leave”, Flint said with authority in is voice, the voice of a commander. Geos scowled at Will, but moved to pick his chair up, and take his seat, he faced Will angrily.

“Not that it’s your choice anyways Geos”, John said with a raised eyebrow at his nephew. “The throne shows who is the rightful king, nothing else. Until someone is claimed by the throne, they are not the king”, John added. Will frowned at that, he had read the same thing in his book, though he did not understand it.

Resolving to figure it out later, he listened in when Flint changed the topic of conversation. “It seems that we are at a standstill here”, the older man said, “I think your men are too injured for another fight, and you cannot stay here”, Flint said. John nodded, “aye, we need to head to Relian, there we will be safe, but we cannot make the journey on our own”, John said to his brother.

“That we agree on, I will take one hundred of our soldiers north through the mountains with you, Geos you will stay, and hunt down the rest of the bandits”, Flint said. Geos nodded, and then added, “very well”, then the man stood, bowed to them all, scowled one last time at Will, and started to leave the abandoned inn.

“Father, I would like to join the men as well”, Tom said before the man exited through the front door. “I can’t any green boys slow me down father” Geos said turning to leave again, Tom spoke up before he could. “I see in the dark, and can scout better than most, my hound is great at tracking, I can lead right to those men”, Tom argued.

“A night owl relic”, Flint asked, shooting a gaze at John who nodded thoughtfully, “may I ask why Tom”, he asked his son with a frown. Tom smiled at him, “it’s finally something to do other than ride”, he said causing Will, and John to snort at the same time. “Very well”, he said with a wave of his hand, “if you’ll have him Geos”, he said looking to his nephew.

Geos thought for a minute, then said, “where was your dog during the fighting, we saw the crow, but not a dog”, he asked curiously. “Guarding the children”, Tom said, Will almost rolled his eyes at that, “guarding Elaine he means”, Will thought.

Geos answered swiftly after that, “very well, we will be happy to have you, and your hound, we leave in the morning”, he said exiting. “Very well, then we leave in the morning, your injured will be on the carts, and our soldiers will protect them. Will I’d like the chance to speak with you more if you’ll right in the front with me, and your father.

Will nodded, not sure he wanted to speak with the older man anymore, it sounded like they were planning to crown him. “Well then, father I have something I need to go do, if you’ll excuse me”, Will said standing. “I don’t know if- “, Flint began to say, before John cut him off, “very well Will, be back before dark” John said.

Flint shot a glare at his brother, and looked like he wanted to protest, but Will left the Inn before anyone could say anything. Leaving Tom, Flint, and John alone to discuss whatever they wished, Will headed outside the village.

Will stopped at the head cart, and grabbed his fur cloak putting it on, and feeling the comfort that its presence brought him. Will had felt naked without the cloak for so long, he headed out into the woods, until he found a paw print. There was blood on it, which made Will fearful that the bandits had attacked Anna, Will called out to her, and soon after she exited a cluster of trees.

Anna was covered in blood, her white fur stained red, but after looking her over, he realized with relief that little of it was hers. “Where did all of this come from girl”, Will said absent mindedly to the beast, after a while, Will decided to follow the blood trail she left in the snow. Not taking long of him to find the source of the blood.

Three bodies were torn open, claw marks across their bodies, their entrails hanging out, and looking like something had feasted on them. The only recognizable parts were the torn, and scratched mismatched armor, it seemed some bandits had run the wrong way. Anna walked up to one of the bodies, licked it then turned, and nudged Will’s hand with her giant head.

Will realized he had gotten blood on his hand, and he scowled at the snow cat, “dammit girl”, he said as he scrubbed his hands with snow. The snow cat didn’t seem to notice, and went back to its meal, not wanting to see anything further Will turned to leave the woods.

When Will returned to the camp, Cain flew to perch on his shoulder, Will ignored the bird, and the soldiers who stopped what they were doing to look at it. Walking over to the building the injured villagers were in he entered the building Cain still on his shoulder.

Will spent the rest of the day helping with the injured in any way he could, often fetching things for healers, or holding down men for stitches. When it was time for him to leave, he ate with Tom, discussing their plans to separate, and then he found a bed in the inn, and slept.

When they mounted in the morning Tom, and Will said their farewell, “good luck with the bandit’s brother, though I doubt you’ll need it with so many men”, Will said used to wishing his brother a farewell. “Aye, and I wish you luck, and I’m sure you’ll need it”, Tom said with a wide smile, Will grinned too, and embraced his brother.

Tom mounted his horse and left turned to join the soldiers who had gathered on horseback, Will turned, and joined the wagons that headed over the mountains, moving to join the two leading horses. John road on the back of a horse now, not wanting to take up space in the wagons.

“How long until we reach Relian”, he asked when he joined the two older men. “A little less than a week”, John answered gruffly, and Flint nodded in confirmation. “The city builds by Forest Winter, the second Winter king”, Will said hoping to impress them with his knowledge. Neither seemed to be impressed, and they only nodded in confirmation at the words.

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They rode in silence for a while before the brothers spoke, in their native tongue, “any others come to escape the gold dragons?” John asked. Flint nodded, “Two actually, curiously enough the emperor’s own sister, Jasmine Vein”, he said Will felt surprised, and listened carefully.

“Really, why would she flee south, I thought she was betrothed to Jeremiah Bale?”, John asked, surprise in his gruff voice. “I doubt it”, Flint said with a harsh laugh, “came with a story about her brother seizing power, killing the old emperor, and attempting to kill her”, Flint said causing both Will, and John to look at him incredulously.

“You can’t be serious”, Will said with surprise, “aye that’s what she said, and she stayed for five years, so she was clearly scared of something”, Flint said. “Five years?”, John asked his brother, Flint nodded, “why would she stay that long, that doesn’t make sense”, John asked.

Flint grunted in agreement, “aye, except she found she liked it in the north, even seemed to adapt to it, stayed until news about her brother being injured in Feos, then she flew west”, Flint said. “Flew” Will thought incredulously, scarcely believing what the man was saying.

“Hm, and the other one”, John said with a curious tone, Flint smiled at that, “that was someone your well acquainted with, her protector”, Flint said. “The Old Fox himself”, he said. Will saw John’s eyes widen, and a smile break out across his face, “Tristan Fox, still protecting princesses after all this time”, John said with a laugh.

“Who is Tristan Fox?”, Will asked the two, they both snorted, and John answered with a wry smile on his face. “The greatest southern fighter to ever live boy” John said with reminiscent eyes, Will raised a brow, and kept silent, curious to hear more.

After they stopped speaking of old foxes, they began to talk about world news, and being on the road for a few weeks Will was curious to hear it. “What’s happened to Feos?”, John asked his brother, Flint shot him a grim face, “unsure, no news has arrived about it, last we heard it was under siege”.

John nodded, adopting his brother’s grim expression on his own face. “Any news at all about the new empire then?”, Will asked, Flint grunted, thought for a second, and then answered. “Seems the Empire was attacked by ships, though we don’t know much about it”, Flint said with a sigh.

“It’s hard to receive messages in the north, people rarely send message orbs too us, unless we send someone to request it”, Flint added, John nodded at this. Will sighed, he had been hoping to receive news of the event of the war when he got to a city, these men were from a city, and knew nothing.

Will worried for the village they had left, the place where he spent the best part of his life, and it might be burned down in a war it had nothing to do with. Will had been feeling grim, when he suddenly felt something shift in him, nothing bad, but as if he had become different somehow.

Will gasped loudly, and felt his relic activate, and knew his eyes would be glowing as well. Flint, and John looked at him in surprise, and then the feeling passed, and Will panted. “What just happened?” he asked the two older men, John looked at him seriously before answering, “the throne it calls to you”, he said grimly.

Deep in a castle made of ice, a light shines in the middle of the castle, it spreads through the ice causing a glow to emanate from the frozen structure. A humming sound vibrates throughout the castle itself, growing louder, and louder, until it is joined with the howling of wolfs, the roar of bears. The mewling of Snow Cats, and the cries of all birds, they all call for the same thing. Their protector has come, their leader has come, their king has come.

Lady Balia Fair

Lady Fair woke to the sound of howling, she slipped out of her bed, a giant thing, that is fitted with fine fabrics that had been In her noble family for generations. The howling itself is louder than she had ever heard before, loud enough to almost shake the walls, it cuts off soon after. Balia was already dressed, but she put on a heavy coat anyways, it was a light blue coat, the color of her family.

Balia glanced at herself in the mirror, her light blue hair, and light blue eyes stood out on her pale skin. She was young, she knew but respected by all, barely twenty, she took a second to compose herself. Lest the lords under her believe her a scared child when she investigated the wolfs howling so loudly.

Balia slipped out of her room, and made her way into her courtroom, where she would no doubt find someone else waken from the howling. To her surprise, she found the whole castle to be awake, some were panicked others were praying, and others were cheering. Balia entered her courtroom, and immediately saw the reason behind the mixed feelings of the men, and women.

The Winter Throne, which was in every castle in every courtroom in the north, for the Winter King to sit when he visited, was glowing. The blue throne with veins of white now shown, and seemed to hum softly, and Balia knew what that meant. The new Winter King had come, and soon he would take the throne. Every lord in the north would see this, and this would bring change, whether good or bad she did not know.

Balia walked up the stairs toward the blue throne and sat in her throne seated next to the Winter Throne, none could sit of the Winter Throne except the Winter King. Most could scarce touch the throne; else they catch a shiver so bad they died from it. Next to the throne was a stone throne with the symbol of a blue tree embedded on it, the hall itself had a blue floor that seemed to shine.

Torch light lit up the pews that stacked on each other, they were stone, and cold, but not unbearably so. They faced the blue hall and would make every man who sat close to the middle of the hall be dressed in a light blue light.

“Gather my underlords” Balia said, “we have much to discuss it seems”, she said preparing for a long night.

Once the court of Fair had been assembled, all men fell silent as was the tradition, they would not speak until the highest member of the court spoke. Otherwise, it was considered a harsh insult, if one spoke before her, they would be announcing to the world that they had more authority than her. Once that happened her knights would cut that man down, without a second thought, it was harsh, but men never broke the tradition.

“Begin”, Balia said, and all at once men began speaking, yelling, trying to be heard. One man could be overheard over all the men. A slight man, not overly scrawny, but not a muscular man either, a handsome man in his late forties name Chanden Ridge. The man was a close advisor to her father before her, and he was here over the rising yelling, and men quieted down, showing him the respect, he was due.

The man had long black hair, and light-yellow eyes, making him look like a predator, he had not facial hair, and a solid white smile. Wearing a light-yellow vest, and a yellow dagger on his waist, he looked every bit the noble man he was. When the man spoke it was with a sickly-sweet voice, that made men seem to bend to his words. “The throne has lit, and wild has spoken, a new king comes”, Chanden said with a satisfied smile, as if he had planned it to happen.

The quiet that had preluded his speech ended abruptly after that, and began yelling once again, a cascade of emotions Balia didn’t even try to discern. “ENOUGH!”, a voice yelled from the back of the room, Jace Mule, the largest man in the room had spoken up. Jace had a large black beard and was solid muscle not a part of the man’s body was flabby. Long black hair was braided down to the small of his back, the man dressed in thick furs to combat the cold.

Jace had turquoise eyes, which were a hard color now, as he stood, growling all men went silent as they looked at him. “If a new king truly does come, then we must decide, whether or not we should follow him or her” the man said in a deep voice. Another man spoke up, Brale Swallen, a older man, with a head of white hair, and brown eyes that seemed to absorb all the light around them.

The man was old, very old the last man to have met one of the Winter kings over a hundred years ago, and when he spoke all men quieted, listening to the elder noble. “Should a king come” Brale said with a voice raspy with age, “then we are honor bound to follow him, it is not a question of if, we are not oathbreakers”, the old man said to the court.

That lead to some nods throughout the courtroom, only once the room was sure Brale was finished speaking did someone else speak up. “Perhaps we should look at where this potential king may be located, so that we may go, and see him for ourselves, let us see if he can actually sit the throne of ice”, Jalyn Mule spoke up.

Jalyn was a girl around Balia’s own age, though they weren’t quite friends, despite the other girls attempts. Jalyn was a pretty girl with black hair, and turquoise eyes, “Relian would be the most likely place for a king or queen to go” Sir Jarice Swallen said, Brale’s son, and an aged man, with several kids. Jarice had brown hair, and brown eyes, and a hard face.

Jarice was often said to be the most honorable man in the mountains, and he detested dishonestly, Balia had heard him described as dull a few times in the past. Brale nodded at that, and most men seemed to agree.

“Aye to the reserves, if one sits the Winter Throne, they will bow to him without second thoughts”, Jace said gruffly. “What of the other lords then”, Chanden Ridge said, “they will try to take advantage of this new ruler, try to use him to gain power”, he said with a disgusted expression on his face.

“My lady, you hold the most claimed land in the north, it will be your power they attempt to take”, he continued drawing shouts of anger, directed at the other northern lords from the nobles. “Allow me to take some men to Relian, to see for ourselves if there is a claimant to the throne”, his finished with a bow that looked to be out of a play.

Balia pursed her lips, and thought, men continued to argue with each other, but Chanden Ridge stayed bowed to her. Only once she spoke did he rise once again, “you will go to Relian, however”, she said pausing to ensure all attention was n her. “I shall join you in your journey to Relian”, Balia said, men protested, some cheered her, she ignored them all.

Chanden smiled at her, a smile that showed no emotion, Balia could never read the man’s expressions. Once the meeting was over, and a few more nobles decided to make the journey, along with nights sworn to their families. The hall was emptied, Balia left her seat, and went to her room, she found no comfort there, and felt herself wide awake, despite the late hour she awoke.

When her younger sister, Crystal entered her chambers, she smiled at her, happy to see her sister after the grim meeting. Crystal was twelve years old, with a head of blue hair, and light blue eyes, her hair was darker than Balia’s own. Crystal came in practically jumping with excitement, she did jump in fact onto the bed.

Balia chuckled at her sister, and turned to face her from her desk, where she was admittedly brooding. “They say there’s a new Winter Queen”, Crystal said in an excited voice, “and that she will unite the north again”, She continued. Balia shook her head at that, “I’m not so sure about that young one”, she said with a gentle smile.

Crystal snorted as if she had heard something outrageous said, “grandma Fair says that when the wild calls they signal the rise of a new queen”, she said with a huff. Balia snorted at that “how do you know it’s a queen, and not a king”, she said then continued before the girl could answer. “Besides you should watch listening to the old woman, she barely knows what she says anymore”, Balia said with a roll of her eyes.

Crystal narrowed her eyes, “that old woman is your grandmother, and she said that only a girl would be able to unite the northern lords, men are too harsh she says”, she said with a giggle at the last part. “Well, that’s true enough I suppose”, Balia said with a smile at her younger sister. “See your listening to her too”, Crystal said, causing Balia to groan, “see what you’ve done to me”, she said to her younger sister.

“Mother says that if a new king comes, you should be the first to greet him, to get in his favor”, Crystal said a little too innocently. Balia scowled at her, “your mother says quite a bit doesn’t she” she said with a distasteful tone.

“Men around the castle say your leaving soon”, Crystal said, eager to change to conversation away from her mother. Balia sighed, “aye, that’s the truth of it, all the lords will likely flock to Relian, even if there isn’t some new king to deal with”, she said with annoyance.

“Queen, you mean”, Crystal said with a smile, Balia raised an eyebrow at her, “anyways, may I travel with you?” Crystal said innocently. Balia scowled at her younger sister once again, “your mother wished you to ask, didn’t she?”, Balia asked in a harsh tone.

Crystal gave an embarrassed smile, and nodded, “she said its only right that I go, since Sir Jarice will more than likely rule over the castle in our absence”, Crystal said excitedly. “Besides shouldn’t I see if we have a new Queen” she continued eagerly.

Balia sighed, while Crystal might be innocent, and truly wish to see this new ruler, Balia knew not to trust her stepmother. Yet she found it hard to say no to her sister, and besides northern lords were harsh people, but there were harsh punishments for harming a child. “Very well, but don’t be disappointed if we find nothing”, Balia said to her sister’s delight.

Crystal gave an excited squeak, shot out of the bed, with a “thank you, thank you, thank you”, before running from the room. Presumably to tell her mother, Balia sighed once again, sorry for her sister’s absence. Then she found herself thinking about this potential new ruler, and the other northern lords.