The Allfather Iceflow: two days later

They say the difference between a maze and a labyrinth is that a maze is just a bunch of confusing paths, but a labyrinth is a maze that constantly changes. By This definition the Allfather flows would qualify as a labyrinth. If the icebergs that drift, seemingly at random, in this sea north of Vestenmennavenjar weren’t hard enough to avoid, the currents in the flows shifted and changed at random. Svarbald Williamson was a scholar from a Castilian university that came back up here to his homeland decades ago and tried for five years to chart the currents, only to discover they continued to change. They said he finally uncovered why. It seemed the cold currents from the melting ice were reacting to a series of hot currents under the water. Most likely from a volcano somewhere out in the flows. It is also said that in the process of charting the currents he discovered a series of underwater ridges that allowed his ship to avoid these randomly changing currents and to discover something even more amazing. The location of the ridges and what he discovered were documented in his journal. A journal that was lost when the ship returning him to Castille was attacked and all aboard killed.

Captain Horatio looked out over the bow with his sightglass. The tail end of the Bloody Siren was barely visible, both from being at the horizon line and the fog millions of tons of ince in seawater was creating. If they pulled any more ahead they would lose sight of them.

"Blast it all!" Horatio yelled to the aft castle, "can we make any more speed? We ought to be twice as fast as a ship that size."

"It's the current, Captain," the helmsman shouted back, "we keep getting pushed to one side or the other and losing speed as we readjust. She seems to know how to avoid them." He finished, indicating the Siren.

"We need an advantage." He turned around and bellowed, "Yofer!"

The boy emerged from the rigging and stood before the captain, saluting, "aye, Captain."

He handed the boy the spyglass, "keep an eye on that boat," and strode off to the cabins.

Horatio knocked on the door and was met with a quiet response of, "enter."

The big man lay on the bed, sleeping. Tara sat in the chair, her hands on his and her face showing visible signs she had been weeping. Inigo sat in a chair across the room, he had put on his spare clothes and was sewing the slashes in the ones the Lady of Blood had left in tatters.

"How is he?" Horatio asked hesitantly, taking off his hat and holding it in front of him.

"The boy at the mine was at death's door. Airk seems to have taken all the boy's damage with none to himself but he still absorbed all the boy's pain." She said, sniffing as she spoke, "still, he usually recovers faster than this. He has always seemed so… indestructible. Even when we were children."

"It seems a miracle, my lady," Horatio began solemnly, "that two people, so very special, wound up in the same place. I would say your destinies were intertwined from birth. You were literally born for each other."

"He certainly thinks so." She said with a slight chuckle, "he told me how he felt about me when he was fourteen. I couldn't tell him I felt the same. I just couldn't, not with what I see every night in my dreams. How could I, knowing what was coming?"

"My dear girl," said Inigo, dropping to one knee next to her, "you are pursuing a fool's errand if you think you can spare yourself the heartache by not admitting the truth. Even if you can't prevent it from happening, all you have accomplished is denying the happiness you could have been sharing all this time."

"This isn't what you saw, is it?" Asked the captain, as Tara began to weep again.

"No," she replied, as she wiped away the tears, "in my dream he is lying on cracked stone, black as night, as he breathes his last breath."

"Then he will recover!" Horatio exclaimed.

"But what if the reason he dies is because he is already too hurt when the fight begins?" Tara asked.

"Then," answered Inigo, "we don't let him fight until he is back to his invincible self."

"How long will that take?" Horatio asked with a grimace.

"I'm not sure,"said Tara, "why?"

"We are losing distance to the Blood Siren. We need to know how to get through the flows as she does." Horatio felt horrible asking for her to perform another miracle in her grief, but they were on the cusp of failure.

"I haven't been able to dream a solution," she began, "I have barely slept since we left Klorhulg." She said standing, "But I will try. Please, watch him Inigo."

"I will guard him with my life, my northern princess." Said Inigo with a bow.

Tara walked out with Captain Horatio, and made her way to the bow of the ship. Up front was Vulf, holding a lantern and a spyglass, trying to see the ridge under the water. But the water was too dark under the gray skies of the Allfather flows.

"It's no use," he said, "I can't spot it."

"It's alright Vulf," she said touching his arm, "you tried. Now it is my turn."

She stepped up to the prow and closed her eyes, letting her mind drift, halfway between sleeping and awake. She was exhausted both from lack of sleep and weeping, and she nearly fell when her legs gave out. Vulf caught her under her arms and held her up. She began to see something in her half conscious state. The ship they followed loomed before her in her mind's eye, then it turned. Suddenly she raised a hand out, pointing to the left from the ship.

"Starboard!" Screamed Vulf.

"Starboard, forty five degrees," yelled the Captain to the helmsman.

The ship swung to the new heading and Tara’s arm followed like a compass, eventually swinging past straight ahead to the other side and the captain called out the new heading. The helmsman followed suit and the Divine Wench began to pick up speed as she was no longer suffering the drag of colliding with the currents. The ship swung back and forth, weaving over the ridge no one could see, hanging on Tara’s finger like a magical divining rod.

"I've lost her Captain," shouted Yofer. "I'm sorry sir, between the sway and the fog she's disappeared."

"It's okay lad," shouted Horatio, "Miss Tara is leading us through now, we'll catch her again soon enough."

The ship weaved over the invisible path between titanic icebergs, lurching into straight a ways and tilting into the turns as best the helmsman could manage. But she kept on course and she sailed true, following Tara’s direction as fine as they could manage.

When they rounded another mountain-like berg, the pole and the fanged mermaid figurehead of the Bloody Siren erupted out from the fog and collided with the bow of the Divine Wench. Wood crunched and splintered and gang planks dropped down onto the Wench’s deck from the Siren, grapples arced over the railings and the crew winched the ships together. As sailors from the Siren spilled over the planks, the crew of the Wench drew their weapons.

As a cutlass struck her shield, Tara swung her ax and slashed the pirate across the chest. She kicked him away as she raised the shield again to block another attacker. Vulf unloaded a shot into a charging man before pulling his saber out to parry the sword of a man bearing down on him.

"Do you think Airk is feeling better yet?" Yelled Vulf. Tara gave him a wilting look as she fought with another attacker. "Just a question, "he countered.

"Push them back," screamed Captain Horatio, "keep them on their ship." The crew of the Wench surged forward as the bound ships were pulled into the unpredictable currents and began to spin. The opposite side of the Wench ground across an iceberg as the two ships reeled out of control.

As a sword bounced off her shield again and she hooked the underside of her ax blade behind his leg and pulled it out, toppling him back just to drive the edge of her shield into his chest. He bounced back up off the deck as his sword skittered away.

Vulf was trying to reload his pistol as another pirate ran at him. Tara slammed into the man with her shield, knocking him off his feet.

She looked back at Vulf and gave him the disapproving look she usually reserved for Airk, "pick up your saber, you don't reload a pistol in the middle of combat!" And she dashed off to the boarding planks.

The wench, caught in the currents and still tied to the Siren, slammed into a berg knocking many of the fighters on her deck off their feet. Tara was already in the air, leaping to the boarding plank as some of the invaders lost their footing in the impact. She ran across the board with several of the more sure footed crew close behind her. They crashed into the next wave set to cross the planks. The Siren's crew engulfed the force from the Wench, forcing Tara and the sailors to fight back to back till reinforcements could make it across the plank.

This hope was dashed however, when a voice cried out, "release!"

The ropes on the boarding hooks were cut, and the two ships were quickly pulled apart by the opposing currents. Vulf attempted to cross before the separation but was forced to jump as the plank fell. He just managed to grab the Wench’s railing, to be pulled back aboard by the crew. Tara watched the Wench drift away leaving her and a handful of her sailors stranded on the enemy vessel.

The impact on the iceberg woke Airk from his recovery sleep. He rolled himself painfully to his side and sat up. "What was that?" He looked around as Inigo was to his side immediately. "Where is Tara!"

"I don't know jefe'," he said, attempting to calm the large man.

Airk shot up to his feet and attempted a step, only to have a jolt of pain nearly send him to the floor. Inigo reached out for him only to have Airk put out a hand to stop him as the other steadied him on the bed table. He took another step, then another, a look of visible pain on his face as he picked up pace and exited the cabin, with Inigo behind.

The ship outside lurched from side to side. "To your positions men," shouted Captain Horatio, " get this ship under control. Men dropped their weapons and rushed to their stations.

Airk strode up to the captain, "where is Tara?"

"They took her!" Shouted Vulf as he ran up to the two. "She had boarded the other ship as they cut us loose and sailed away. I couldn't get across in time, I'm sorry Airk."

"We need to keep an eye on that ship!" He yelled. "This whole assault was to get their hands on her."

"Sir, Airk," cried Yofer, "run me up, I'll spot it!" As he grabbed the flag on its line.

Airk ran the line up all the way in three mighty pulls. Yofer swung over to drop into the crow's nest and pulled out the spyglass. "Thirty eight degrees north by north-east."

The ship swung onto the course, following the directions that the cabin boy continued to cry out. Airk ran to the bow, the aft of the other ship still visible in the fog.

Vulf ran up to Airk, "We'll catch them, we're faster." He said, trying to reassure the giant.

"Good, keep the ship on their tail." He put a hand on the carl's shoulder, "I'm counting on you for back up." And the large Vesten immediately hopped up on the rail and dove into the water.

"That water is freezing," cried Vulf, as Airk broke the surface, "you won't survive."

"What in the blazes?" Yelled the captain, as he and Inigo arrived at the bow, "what is he doing?"

"Going after her." Said Ingio plainly. "And I for one believe he can do it."

Minutes past as Yofer continued to call out headings. After what seemed like forever of staring at the dark water with no sign of Airk the boy called from the crow's nest, "he made it to the ship! He's climbing the anchor."

Tara and what was left of her group that weren't cut down had to eventually surrender, whittled down to her and three men. The sailors were bound at the wrists and led away, Tara was bound from wrist to elbow and taken to the aft.

She stood before Fortain, who was forced to look up, the beautiful blonde's exotic eyes meeting the brim of his hat. "Well, the inquisitor will be pleased to meet you for sure, after all this time."

"You're just bringing his death to him." She said with a vicious gaze. "I hope he understands this."

"You talk a good game for someone tied up," said Fortain.

Tara smiled, then immediately drove her forehead down on the man holding her to her right. He instantly collapsed, unconscious as she kicked out her leg, catching her captor to the left in the shin. A sharp crack accompanied his scream as he dropped to the deck as well. Fortain's cutlass was quickly at her neck, "don't be trying that no more missy, or you'll force me to bring you to him in…less than pristine condition."

Another loud crack echoed across the deck as a man flew from the bow of the boat and impacted the main mast. He ricocheted off the pole and tumbled to the floor looking up with wide, unseeing eyes. The Captain grabbed hold of Tara and spun her to face the front, sword held to her throat. She saw Airk striding across the deck, seawater freezing in thin sheets on him in the wind just to flake and break off as he moved. The pirates of the Bloody Siren drew their swords, but none seemed eager to approach him. He strode across the deck directly for Fortain.

"Let her go before I break every bone you have, including ones you may not know of." Airk said in a growl.

Another sword appeared at her neck, as Cutter stepped around to the side of Tara, the arrogant man even had her shield and ax across his back. "I'd stop if I were you," he said confidently, "unless you think you can reach both of us before one of us cuts her pretty throat." The slimy man smiled, "Now present your arms and surrender."

Airk stopped as the rest of the crew surrounded him, still maintaining a dozen feet beyond his reach.

"Don't stop, you oaf," said Tara, "take them out. Don't worry about me."

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"Shut it," whispered Cutter.

Airk stood there silently as the crew held their breath, but finally held his arms out in front of him.

"No," said Tara, quietly.

Three crewmen rushed over to wrap chains around his wrists and pull it tight with a padlock.

"So the invincible Airk, one man ship wrecker, does have a weakness after all." Fortain smiled.

"Idiot," she mouthed at Airk.

"I didn't think he'd sacrifice you," Cutter whispered in her ear, prompting a look of disgust on Tara’s face that got Airk to take a step forward.

In a panic Cutter nodded to the men on the sidelines and two groups of them yanked ropes away from where Airk stood. As the ropes pulled the support bars out from beneath the loading doors, Airk was dropped into the hold below.

"Take ten men down and finish him." Yelled Fortain, but the men looked around at each other nervously. It did not get better when they saw Tara shake her head. "Fine twenty men." He added, but another shake of her head only angered the captain. "Go!" He screamed, prompting the quartermaster to start shoving men toward the stepps to the hold.

As the men descended the steps nervously, a groan erupted from in the hold and chunks of chain link flew out of the open hold. Fortain's face was drained of color.

"Get that hatch closed," the captain yelled to his men. He handed a rolled up chart to his navigator, "follow us with this" He turned to the man holding Tara, "Take her Mr. Cutter, we are leaving." Said Fortain, quietly as he handed Tara over to the man. The captain took his cutlass and made a nick on his arm. As the blood pooled, he stuck his sword into the air and carved a circle in it. The circle roared to life as a portal in the air. "Close your eyes, both of you, or be lost forever within," and stepped through. Cutter grabbed the captain's coattail and drug Tara through with him by a length of rope from her bindings, as the portal closed behind.

As the hatch was closed and the sounds of the fight began, the ship began to rock to the sounds of the blows below. Someone slammed against the underside of the latticework hatch, receiving a cracking sound from the wood.

As he swung one pirate around by an ankle like a living weapon against his comrades, Airk heard someone cry out, "Mr. Airk!"

The three captive crewmen of the Divine Wench were tied up in the hold. Airk tossed the man he was swinging into a group of his friends and moved to help the sailors. He picked up a sword and cut the bindings of one and handed him the blade, "free the others and arm yourselves. We are finding Tara and getting back to the Wench. "

As he finished, a pirate attempted to run him through, but Airk stepped back just in time as the sword bit into the wood of the hull. The man dodged just as Airk swung a fist at him, letting go of the sword. The man continued to backpedal, dodging fists as he moved. The pirate ran out of hold as he backed into the mast. He dropped to the floor as Airk swung again, missing but taking out a chunk a quarter size of the mast itself. The pirate curled into a ball and whimpered. Airk picked the man up and slid him across the floor further into the hold, and into a stack of barrels.

By this time the sailors of the Wench were free and joined Airk, swords in hand, "let's get topside" he said and ran up the steps to the deck.

The Wench was closing the distance fast to the Siren. "She's listing,!" Cried Yofer from the nest. It was true, the Siren was hardly keeping a straight course at this point, Vulf was sure it was Airk and Tara giving them trouble. They were likely to find the whole crew subdued by the time they reached her. "Can we go faster, captain?" asked the carl.

"We're giving it all we got." Said Horatio, "it won't be long now."

"Think the Blood Bitch is aboard?" Asked Inigo. "I owe her for ruining my last vestments."

"I'm sure you'll get the chance to take your frustrations out of her hide, my friend." Smiled Vulf.

Airk and his three sailors stormed out onto the deck. They had searched the decks below and found no one else from Wench and no Tara. A sword was swung at Airk, who caught it in his left hand and drove his right down on the flat of the blade, snapping it in two.

"Take the castle!" Screamed the man who introduced himself as James, pointing at the rear cabin with the wheel atop it. "See if we can't take ourselves a ship." James was immediately set on by three pirates.

Airk bowled into the tree men, knocking them into the railing across the deck.

"John, Ridley, get the wheel, we got this," James repeated, and positioned himself behind Airk, "I got yer back, lad. Let's show these pirates how real sailors fight."

As John and Ridley stormed the aft castle, Airk began laying a pounding on the charging pirates. James spun around a jab from one of the Siren's crew, and with a quick knee to the elbow, took control of his sword. James fended off attacks florentine style but a stray slash leaving a wound on his arm told him he was losing ground fast.

John and Ridley took the sparsely manned bridge with ease. The helmsman soon found a sword at his throat, "where is your captain?"

"He…he left for the Cutthroat, with that… that lady." The helmsman stammered.

"Get going then," he said, waving the helmsman away. When he didn’t budge he asked. "Tell me son, is that wheel worth your life?"

The man abandoned the helm quickly and John grabbed it, turning the boat hard, back toward the Divine Wench.

John yelled over the railing, "she not be here now. They took her to the other ship!"

"Well looky here," said Ridley cheerfully, looking over the chart table next to the wheel, "looks like they has the course through the flows." Ridley rolled it up and stuck it in his shirt."

"Hey, don't I need that?" Complained John.

"Not if we get it back to the Wench." Laughed Ridley.

James collapsed against Airk, panting and his left arm going numb, "I can't go on much longer, boy-o."

"Then get the others and get to the lifeboats." Said Airk. "I'm going to slow them down." He snatched up one of the crewmembers and quickly said, "Duck!" Before hurling the man through the crowd blocking James's path to the others.

A pirate came tumbling past James on the stairs courtesy of a kick from Ridley. The three men met on the steps, "we found something!" Said Ridley excited, before being cut off by James.

"No time, get to a boat. He's about to do his thing, I think." And hurried the men down the steps.

As James fought his way to his crewmates, Airk charged forward with arms outstretched and mowed through the gathering pirates like a field plow till he reached the mast. With a mighty heave the already damaged mast let out a loud cracking sound. The men of the Wench, began to lower the boat as the pirates screamed when they realized the mast was wobbling and about to fall. The men of the Siren ran in all directions, some to the castles, some to the longboats and some below deck. As the mast broke free, instead of toppling over,Airk pulled it upright with a loud groan. The giant Vesten lifted it higher before driving the mast straight down through the hold doors. The mast broke through the floor of the hold and lodged against the keel below. The mast seemed to have rooted itself in the new mounting, remaining upright and still for several intense breaths before a creaking sound emanated from the wood. The pole swayed and eventually began to fall backwards towards the stern. The mast fell on the aft castle shattering deep into the cabins below. The broken base of the mast dug into the keel, prying up on it like a crowbar till the wood split. The longboat with the men from the Wench fell the final dozen feet to the water as the ship cracked in two. Water poured into the hold and bow and stern rose up out of the water to greet each other. The crew of the Bloody Siren dove off the sinking halfs, some trying to make the longboats, some attempting to make it to a nearby iceberg, but many were swallowed up by the icy waters.

"Blessed be," whispered John.

"Do you see him?" Asked James taking the oars, and beginning to row back toward the Divine Wench. "Keep an eye out, he has to be here somewhere." The other two kept an eye on the water as James continued to row.

The crew of the Divine Wench watched the Blood Siren's mast fall and the ship break apart.

"That is one man I never want to make angry." Said Captain Horatio quietly.

"I hope they made it off before she sank." Said Inigo.

"I don't think he would have destroyed it if she was aboard," added Vulf with a hint of fear before continuing, "not aboard alive anyway."The other two gave shocked looks at him for insinuating anything such as that.

"Boat ahoy," cried Yofer from the nest. Below a longboat with only three aboard pulled astride the Wench. When they were hauled aboard the captain was overjoyed, "John, James, Ridley!" He looked about but found no one else. "No Tara and airk?"

"She was already taken to the other ship, and we searched for Airk on the way back, but saw no sign of him." Said John, as he took off his hat and placed it over his heart.

"If she was not on the ship,"said Inigo, "he's already making his way to her, somehow. I'm sure of it."

"But how do we follow?" Asked Vulf. "Without them to tail or Tara to guide us, we are lost out here.

The sound of Ridley laughing got everyone's attention. The sailor pulled out the chart from the siren and waved it about while dancing a jig.

The portal spit Tara and Cutter out behind Fortain. Cutter fell to the ground and retched while Tara attempted to cover her ears with her arms bound so. The screams echoed in her mind like the dreams of Ragnarok. It was as if Fortain had drug them through her nightmares and out the other side. Fortain took her hands in his and was surprisingly gentle with her.

"It's ok. It's ok now, miss. It's over." Fortain then looked down at the man being sick all over his deck. "Get up Mr. Cutter," he childed, "you're embarrassing us. Be a man for once in your useless life."

Cutter muttered something as he stood and wiped his mouth on the sleeve of his coat. "That's twice you've dragged me through hell. How can you get used to something like that?"

Tara opened her eyes to find the Cutthroat docked against a sheet of ice the size of Vendel, across it loomed a glacial wall that had to be a mile high in her estimation. Against the wall rose a black tower that reached all the way to the top of the wall. "The Keep of the Night," she whispered, but not to either of the men that she was with, "it's real Airk. It exists." The ship had unloaded its whole cargo bay, it seemed. The encampment at the bottom of the ramp seemed like a small town. Tents and cookfires dotted the icy surface and sled dogs were corralled while several of the ship's cannons were being loaded on some of the sleds. The distant barking between them and the tower told her they were in the middle of making trips back and forth to the tower. It didn't seem to Tara like exploration, this seemed like a siege. They were preparing to attack the Keep.

Tara was led to the camp and Fortain took her right up to a man loading sleds. "As soon as the next one arrives, she is the priority cargo." He took the length of the rope they had been dragging her by and tied it to a post driven into the ice, she was being hitched like a horse.

Fortain posted two men to guard her and began the walk toward the keep. "You can drive the sled, Mr. Cutter, she is your responsibility. But," he added, turning to glare at Cutter, "his grace has ordered she not be touched. Mayhaps she needs to be unsullied to do what he needs her for, who knows? So I expect you to control those baser instincts of yours that keep tripping up our plans." Fortain took two strides back to the man, drawing his blade, "if you cannot do that I swear I will drag you back into my porte' and leave you there!" And he turned to stalk off to the keep.

"You were given a chance to live, Mr. Cutter," she began, once the captain was out of earshot, "all you had to do was disappear."

"I'll not live in fear of your witchcraft, or your hellbeast." He spat, "his grace has assured me the church will protect me. I don't fear you."

"There is no grace in that man, or in his assassin, bitch." She replied. "They seek to end the world. Tell me Cutter, what kind of protection is that?"

"They promise my eternal glory," he began, taking large strides toward the bound woman, "and your damnation!"

The guards left by Fortain drew their blades and stepped in front of the enraged Cutter, forcing the man to take a step back. At least Fortain seems a man of his word, thought Tara.

The trip on the sled still took the better part of half an hour. The tower seemed to grow larger the closer they came to it. When she was finally next to it, she could see the base of the tower was larger than most of the villages on Weird Island. It seemed like it was less a tower than an impossibly thin mountain. Cutter stopped before an opening in the base which appeared to have doors built into it made of the same black stone as the tower itself. The whole structure seemed to be formed of the same piece of glass-like stone, there were no individual cobbles or bricks.

Cutter handed the sled off to the next driver before untying her lead and pulling her up out of the sled by it. He began to walk to the cavern formed by the base of the tower but was stopped short by the rope pulling taut. Tara dug in her heels and refused to budge. "I'll not be going anywhere you lead Mr. Cutter." She said straining against the pull of the smaller man.

"Blast you witch," he cussed, "you have an appointment I have no intention of you missing."

The two remained engaged in a stubbornness tug-of-war for several minutes before the laughter of captain Fortain caught both their attention. The captain walked up and took the lead from Cutter. "Go inside Mr. Cutter, he's waiting for you." He turned to Tara. "Don't be so bullheaded, my dear. I know you are curious to see the inside. Your life has built up to this point, has it not?" Fortain walked toward the door and this time the lead did not tighten. As much as she'd like to keep fighting, the man was annoyingly correct, everything had led to this moment. She did need to see inside.

Past the doors the tower was as seamless as the outside, polished black floor, and a spiraling stair across the way leading up. Above her, the top was open to what seemed a pinhole of gray that was the sky outside.

They had been busy before her arrival, building a contraption that lowered and raised a platform to carry supplies to the top to avoid hauling things up the stairs.

As Tara and Fortain began their ascent, the stair disappeared into the walls after one turn of the keep, and the part that was exposed to the minuscule amount of light shattered that light into every color she had ever seen by its glossy surface, like a rainbow. They climbed for what seemed an eternity before reaching the top. As the stairwell opened to the top of the tower, the top seemed barely smaller than the bottom they left, open to the gray sky above. To the right, a massive circular door stuck in the wall like a cork in a bottle. Carved in it, in purple, the only color in the tower not a glassy black, was a rune. Across from the door was the lifting mechanism where members of Fortain's crew were unloading some of the ship's cannons. And in-between, the inquisitor and his assassin looking pleased as can be.

"My dear," he said, walking up the bound Tara, "how wonderful to finally meet the famous Tara Ivethaysdatter." He was all smiles, in direct contrast to the solemn and serious look she always saw in her dreams. "And those eyes," he put a hand on either side of her face, prompting a look of disgust from her, "astonishing. Purple is usually regarded as the color of royalty. It stands to reason, the people I've talked to about you have called you the princess of Weird Lake."

"You have to stop." She said bluntly, trying to ignore his false pleasantries, "you are on the verge of starting the end of the world."

"I know you believe that, my child, but you are mistaken." He said, without a visible change in his demeanor.

"I'm not mistaken," she said, memories of Ragnarok that assaulted her dreams every night resurfacing in her mind so vivid as to start the tears welling in her eyes, "I've seen it. Every night, all my life. You know what I can do."

"Oh, my dear girl," he said, with his usual condescending arrogance, "I am sure what you saw was terrible, but your kind lack the context to truly understand what you saw. The change we will bring about will raise us to new glory."

"Fool," she spat back at him, "you will set the world a fire and burn along with it. And I will not help you do it."

"But you will." He replied, gesturing to the black door, "you know what that rune means."

"Prophet," she said quietly.

"Yes. So you see, you are the key, and I do not require your cooperation, just your blood."

The water poured off Airk as he pulled himself onto the ice sheet, freezing as it did and smashing as it impacted around him. He pulled off his soaked vest and let it fall to the ice. Next to him was the Bloody Siren, moored to the ice but mostly abandoned. Through the wind and snow the crew's encampment was just visible. Well, he thought, they wouldn't mind him borrowing something then.

The few men on watch were surprised when the gangplank fell. "We're drifting,'' the man in the crow's nest shouted.

"The anchor!" Shouted another, "the chain has broken. Drop the other anchor!"

Back at the encampment, some of the crew on guard noticed a sound growing ever louder, like a scraping sound of metal on ice. But soon the sound of a scream began to over take the first sound. As it grew loud enough to make out where it was coming from, the men looked up to see one of their own hurtling through the air. The scream stopped with a meaty thump as he impacted the ice, spraying red out all over the tents and crates. Airk trudged out of the wind blown snow, dragging a chain behind him that ended in none other than the ship's anchor.

The men screamed and drew weapons before charging at him. Airk gave a powerful tug on the chain, and swung the anchor around, the metal hook scattered men like leaves. He continued the spin, as he walked forward, passing it over his head and bringing it down as more men arrived. Like a scythe he continued ahead. Letting out more of the chain to reach tents and structures, smashing them apart and screaming, "Tara!"

Around and around the anchor swung, breaking wood and bone alike. The guards were running now, away from the onslaught. A sentry let out two short blasts from a horn followed by two more.

"Now my dear," said the inquisitor, "time for you to fulfill your purpose."

"Wait," interrupted Fortain, listening to the horn in the distance. "The camp is under attack."

"We expected the Wench might eventually arrive." The priest said coldly. "I'm sure your men can hold them off a little longer."

Fortain narrowed his eyes at the priest, "that is the signal the camp is under attack, but they never blew the signal for another ship arriving."

The priest seemed unsure how to take the news, until Cutter spoke up, "her hellbeast has arrived."

"Indeed, it would seem." The inquisitor replied.

"Tick tock, Mr. Cutter," whispered Tara to the man, "your time is running out."

The priest looked thoughtfully at the tall blonde. "Captain, take her to the edge there and wait."

Fortain pulled Tara’s lead closed and once more held hisbsword to her throat, as he walked her to the edge into the central tower.

"It is time to truly test what is important to your giant, my dear." Smiled the inquisitor.

The dog sled stopped at the base of the tower. Airk stepped off and gazed up the black stone cylinder. It was the Keep of the Night, he was sure if it. "It's real Tara," he whispered, "I told you it was real."

He rushed inside to find three of the priest's men waiting for him. They charged at him, and the first man received a punch that drove him to the floor. Airk caught the arm of the next man, grabbed him by the breeches and lifting him up, immediately drove him into the floor as well. The last man got a foot in the chest that sent him back into the staircase. Leaving them behind, Airk ran up the stairs.

Airk reached the top in minutes, no one appeared to be stationed to stop him. Could the priest be out of men already? But as he turned the final bend in the stair, more men lined the walls of the platform at the top, and the priests waited across the way, trying to keep out of reach.

To his right the Captain held Tara at the edge of the drop, sword to her throat. Her eyes pleaded, but she shook her head in the way she always did when she knew he was about to do something stupid. So he stopped where he was, "release her, now!" He demanded of the priest.

"Oh look, Captain. He can try reasoning." The inquisitor sneered.

Tara felt as if the ground had given out beneath her, and she was already falling. This was it, this is what leads to the dream she had suffered through for the last fourteen years. This is how he dies. All her attempts to stop it now lie in vain. Tears ran down her face, as she muttered, "please, Airk. Please don't, please don't try to save me. Please."

"Oh how touching." Smiled the priest, "she does core more for you than she does herself. How commendable, but the question is, my large friend. Does she mean more to you than your own life?"

"What do you want?" Growled Airk.

"Simple," he answered, like it was the most obvious thing in the world, "I use a little of her blood to open the door, and afterward you two may walk away. You let this go, you abandon this quest and enjoy each other for as long as you can."

He looked over at Tara, tears still running down her cheeks. She shook her head at him and mouthed, 'don't you even dare…"

"How about you let her go before I destroy every last one of you?" Said Airk glaring at the inquisitor.

"Such a pity," he replied, with a shake of his head and a tisk tisk sound, "it seems he cannot use reason after all. Oh well," the priest waved his hand at the captain like he was shooing away something heinous, "drop her, Captain."

Fortain whispered, "I'm so sorry, miss." And shoved Tara off the edge.

Airk was across the floor before she had fallen more than a few feet. His shoulder slammed into Fortain as he passed, knocking him off as well and the three plummeted down the open central shaft of the keep.

Fortain had dropped his cutlass when Airk collided with the man, so the captain was halfway down before he managed to fish out his knife. As fast as he could he cut his palm and carved a circle in the air below him. His crew watched as the other end of the portal opened up back at the top of the stairs, shot their captain out like a cannon and smashed him against the wall of the keep. His ragged breath slowed and eventually stopped staring out at the inquisitor.

"Dear me," he said turning to Sister Mary Rose, "it seems you will not be partaking of your fun with the good Captain after all." He then addressed the crew, "well, one of you go down and inform Mr. Cutter that he needs to bring the woman back up, no matter her condition."

Tara looked up to see Airk speeding to her. He had launched himself off the edge while she was simply falling, and had managed to catch up to her rather quickly. She wanted to yell at him for being a stupid oaf for hurling himself off a cliff after her, but she could only manage a scream as they fell. But he was strangely calm, as he wrapped his arms around her and with a jerk of his weight rolled them over in midair so that he was positioned below her as they fell. He wrapped his arms and legs around her tightly, enveloping her as much as he could. As they fell he simply looked at her face and smiled, and she managed to whisper his name before they impacted the stone floor below.

Her head pounded and her ears rang in the blackness that surrounded her. She had no idea how long it had been since she last took a breath, but Tara’s ribs ached when she finally forced a breath into her lungs with one big gasp. The world throbbed to the beat of a music she was unfamiliar with, but she could tell it was slowing down. She managed to open her eyes to a world out of focus. The big blur beneath her eventually coalesced into Airk, he was bleeding from his mouth, eyes, nose and ears. She struggled to sit up, both from the pain and his heavy arms still around her. The black stone beneath him was shattered into a web of cracks and cobbles, and was sunk into the floor the thickness of his chest at least. His breathing was slow and getting slower.

"No, no, no, no!" She cried, as he reached up and touched her cheek, wiping blood across it, its color matching the make-up over her other eye. "What did you do?" She whispered, "what were you thinking? Why did you come after me, you big lout?" Her body wracked with sobs as she looked down on the image that had haunted her dreams all her life. Was Inigo right? Did she waste the time they had in this foolish attempt to avoid this heartbreak she was feeling anyway? "You can't die. I didn’t give you permission to die." Tears dripped onto him in a near constant stream as his eyelids slowly drifted together. "No!" She tried to scream horsley, "Don't close your eyes. Don't you dare close your eyes! Airk don't leave me, please don't leave me." She sniffed and sobbed as his eyes finally closed, "please Airk, I do love you. I've always loved you. You can't leave me alone." She collapsed on his chest in her tears, "I should have accepted your attention. I should have let you love me. Why didn't I let you love me?" She finished softly.

Hands grasped at arms and pulled her off. "No!" She screamed, "Airk! Airk! Please, don't leave me!" Two men held her by her still bound arms, and the lead was once more held by Cutter.

"Looks like you were wrong" he smiled, "looks like he won't be killing me or anyone else."

One of the men had foolishly put one hand on her shoulder. She bit down hard on his hand and kicked the other man holding her. Tara drove her knee into the stomach of the man she bit and hit him between the shoulders with her bound hands. The man crumpled to the floor as others rushed in to grab for her.

"Hold her lads," said cutter, "she's just one woman."

Five men hoisted her onto their shoulders, but Tara continued to kick and scream his name like a banshee.

The inquisitor even heard her from the top of the tower and remarked, "I guess that means she survived the fall?" Sister Mary Rose raised her eyebrows.

They marched her to the lift platform and were hoisted slowly up. By the time they got there, most of the men had bruises, bites and scratch marks. One had a black eye and another a broken nose. Cutter held her against him, the rest of the lead wrapping her upper arms to better control her outbursts.

"Having trouble, Mr. Cutter?" Asked the inquisitor.

"She's a bit of a wild cat, your grace."

"And her giant?"

"Dead, your grace." He said smiling, "to be sure."

"So much for the invincible Airk," the inquisitor said to Tara. A quiet sound was emerging from her as her tears once again fell, "what is she saying?" The priest asked Cutter.

"She seems to be singing, your grace," answered Cutter. "Something about wives, husbands and storms."