Rise of Winter, Week 4, Day 5
The horses were sleek, black, and particularly slim. They weren’t war horses, their hooves slender and fragile, no. These were meant for speed.
Freddie was wearing long sleeves, pants, and a traveler's cloak to keep her warm—all in the same pitch black cloth as Tiltham and the other knights. They were out to the back of the barracks, far away from the main entryway and prying eyes.
It was Freddie, her immediate family, and the squad of knights. Altogether, there were nineteen bodies and twelve horses.
“Wait,” Freddie said, counting the knights and the horses again. “We’re missing a horse.”
Beside her, Tiltham huffed, “We’re not. You just aren’t riding alone. You’ll be with me on the road.”
Freddie whipped her head to look at Tiltham, a savage grin on her face, “Tilly! Say it isn’t so! You and me, together again?”
Tiltham looked up to the sky and released a long breath, “Yes, my Lady. You and me.”
“Wait, I thought I was supposed to try for the [Riding] Skill?” Freddie asked, confusion lacing her tone, “How can I do that when I’m not the one leading the horse?”
“You’ll practice your balance and fuel your intentions, then it’s up to your potential to do the rest —some people never get the Skill, others get it in a few minutes,” the Duke said, providing Tiltham time to take out her clipboard and begin performing her final checks.
“I’ll get it,” Freddie declared, gripping her cloak tightly with one hand. “I’m sure of it.”
“Well, it’s not the end of the world. Tiltham has a remarkably highly evolved [Riding] Skill. So you won’t be slowing anyone down, either way.”
Bristling, Freddie peeked over at Tiltham, eyeing the older woman skeptically.
“Tilly does?”
“Tiltham does indeed. She’s quite the proficient rider.”
“Hmmm, do you think her potential in the Skill will help me learn it?” Freddie mused.
Beside her, the Duke froze, looking down at his granddaughter.
“Are you feeling all right?” He asked, pressing his hand to Freddie’s forehead to check for any issues.
Freddie pushed his hand away, “What? Why?”
“You’re not usually that perceptive, darling,” Aster chimed in with a soft smile from behind the Duke and Freddie.
Freddie huffed indignantly, “I’m plenty perceptive! I just don’t like to read.”
“Yes, yes, Fred, well, I think Tiltham is ready for you.” The Duke deflected, pointing to the Void Captain heading back their way, her clipboard at her side.
Freddie bounced on her feet and looked at each of her family members.
This is it. It’ll be a while before I see them all again. At least a month. She thought longingly.
Freddie dove for her mother first, wrapping her arms around the woman’s waist tightly. Aster’s arms dropped to Freddie’s shoulders and squeezed so tight Freddie thought she might pop. Then came Bridian, who pulled Freddie lightly back to get her to release her mother and wrapped her in his own embrace. Next were the triplets, who had bright smiles and didn’t know where Freddie was going. They tackled her with laughter and giggles. Freddie could feel the aches of the jumps settle into her bones.
[Regenerate]
Finally, Freddie said goodbye to her grandfather.
“Remember, Freddie, our star, our darling girl, you are the Heir to Nemo. The Holder of Blazing Light. Make us proud.” His voice was rough with unshed tears.
Freddie nodded.
“I will.”
Her voice was fierce, full of fire and life and determination. Everything she would need on her way to the dungeon.
And so, she turned to Tiltham, who was waiting with a dull expression.
“I’m ready.”
“Good, follow me.”
They left swiftly, Freddie jumping and mounting the overly tall horse that was Tilthams.
“Her name is Opal,” Tiltham had said as Freddie pet the beast’s head. “It’s after the bit of fur on the back of her neck.”
There was a small bit of iridescent fur that grew on Opal and Freddie was entranced by it, unsure how such a thing even happened.
As they left the estate, they trekked through the snow, wind whipping around them due to their speed. Tiltham and Freddie were in the lead, setting the pace, and, at first, it was exhilarating.
The way the light of the suns reflected off of the snow-covered moors, the rhythmic hitting of the horses' hooves, the occasional shout of a knight to turn to avoid an obstacle or beast.
That wore off about an hour after they’d long since passed the walls of the estate and headed on an off-the-path trek through the plains of Nemo.
“Tilly,” Freddie said seriously, forced to look forward due to Tiltham’s arms locking her in on either side, “We have a problem.”
“What is it, my Lady?” Tiltham asked, already preparing herself for whatever nonsense Freddie was about to spew, if her tone was any indication.
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
“I’m bored.”
Tiltham, to her credit, made sure to only glance at the sky and not actually say anything rude back.
“Have you gained the [Riding] Skill?” Tiltham asked instead.
“Oh, no,” Freddie said, “All right, here we go. Wanna bet on how fast I get it?”
“No.”
Freddie laughed in response.
“I’m betting less than an hour.”
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“This Skill is stupid,” Freddie proclaimed loudly, dismounting Opal with stiff legs. And, for some reason that she was sure had to do with [Nemoan Martyr], a small cut on the back of her hand.
[Regenerate]
It had been a constant battle to keep her body from aching all afternoon. It wasn’t until long after the second sun had set that Tiltham called for a rest.
“My Lady, it can take days to receive a single Skill, you know this. Some people never receive it.” Tiltham parroted the Duke’s words, and Freddie groaned.
“Whatever. Hey, does this mean it’s time for dinner?” Freddie perked up.
Tiltham had a wide grin on her face when she responded, “Oh, yes, my Lady. You’ll love it.”
And then she pulled out a familiar sack from the saddle bag. Freddie thought she was gonna cry.
“No.” She said firmly.
“Mmm, it’s this or nothing, my Lady.”
Freddie stared at the bag for a long moment. Finally, she took it from Tiltham’s hand.
“I hate jerky,” she said glumly.
The camp was utilitarian, with quick-release tents that set themselves up due to their enchantments. There was no fire, and Freddie herself had to share a tent with Tiltham.
“It’s for your protection, Lady Fredericka.” Tiltham sighed as she looked at Freddie’s face.
“It’s because you’re obsessed with me.” Freddie was grinning, pointing at Tiltham.
“Okay, my Lady.” Tiltham’s voice wasn’t quite weary, but Freddie noted that it wasn’t indulgent.
“Tilly?” She asked, her voice light and airy.
“Yes?” The woman responded, settling down on the ground, two small pillows and blankets resting beside her.
“You’re no fun.” Freddie laid next to Tiltham, grabbing one of the pillows.
“Okay, my Lady.” She said dully and grabbed her own set of supplies.
Before she slept, Freddie whispered to herself.
“[Nemoan Protectorate]”
In her mind's eye, the plains of Nemo sprouted and she could feel that her family all remained at the estate.
And so, reaffirmed of her family’s safety, Freddie slept in the clothes of the day without changing. And though she fell asleep, it wasn’t comfortably. She woke often, spoiled by the comfort of the Nemo estate. Now, it was coming back to bite her. In elsewhere, this would have been a non-issue.
The Nemos have made me soft already. Freddie thought as she was preparing for the day with a Quick Clean potion misting around her.
The notion displeased her. Kalina wasn’t soft by any means. Freddie had every intention of being the same when she Awoke, sort of. The Freddie of the before was well-loved, though. So, it changed her ideas of what soft means. She’d allowed herself the warmth, the kind she’d never received in elsewhere. But the other things? The luxury, the opulence? She needed to cut that back. It was unnecessary.
Freddie ran her hand across the chain under her collar at the thought. It was the necklace from her grandfather. That opulence would remain. It was an emotional comfort, not a physical one.
At the very least, the travel to the dungeon would mean she would harden up again.
Beside her, Tiltham’s spot was empty. Freddie left the tent to find the rest of the camp halfway packed. Half of the Void Knights were tending to the horses, and half were snapping up the tents and watching as they folded themselves up. The final tent left to snap up was Freddie and Tiltham’s. Freddie went and grabbed a sack of nutritional jerky, a mix of fruit, vegetables, and meat in a leathery stick, and began her day.
“Here,” Tiltham said after Freddie had finished her breakfast, handing her a vial filled with a blue liquid, “It’s True Wash.”
“Thanks,” Freddie sighed and misted herself with the potion. The same sense of cleanliness filled her, and her teeth were too sharp in her mouth once again.
“It’s just…” Freddie began and looked to Tiltham, defeated.
“Thorough, my Lady, yes, you’ve said.”
All the knights around her did the same routine, misting themselves with their own potions. Freddie watched as the grime of the day before left them.
And then they were off again.
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Lunch was much of the same. Just nutritional jerky and water.
Also, Freddie found out, if one drinks a True Wash potion, they don’t have to go to the bathroom. That was rather horrifying —but she used it anyway.
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Freddie was focused. She could feel every movement of Opal beneath her, could feel the tightening of her leg muscles, could feel Tiltham’s every breath. Her eyes were closed, and she was ready. Ready to learn a Skill.
She adjusted herself to flow with every jolt and thump and hop. She was water, rushing at the leisure of the banks of the river. She was a leaf blowing in the wind. She was—
[Congratulations! You have learned the Skill: Meditation!]
Freddie’s eyes popped open, and she swore.
The crimson notice was taunting her at this point. It was supposed to be about intention. That was how you gained Skills. You had to want them. Had to be focused on gaining them.
But, then again, Freddie thought back, realizing she’d simply wanted a Skill for what she was doing. Which, arguably, was not [Riding].
“Tilly!” Freddie complained. “I just got [Meditation] instead of [Riding]!”
Beside her, TIltham's arms tightened, and when she spoke, her voice warbled. “Sorry to hear that, Lady Fredericka.”
Freddie, who had spent quite a bit of time with Tiltham over the past month, gaped.
“Are you laughing at me?!” Her voice was filled with indignation, but inside, Freddie was thrilled.
Every reaction from Tiltham was more interesting. With her crow's feet decorating her eyes and stern expression, the older woman hardly ever laughed or smiled. She mostly squinted at Freddie. It was rather vexing for the girl, who wanted to rile up Tiltham.
This was the highlight of the day for Freddie.
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And so, they rode past villages, avoiding the small collections of buildings. They moved around monsters using an unknown Skill one of the Void Knights possessed. They camped around the plains, no fires or warm food.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Freddie saw more of the plains of Nemo over one week than most would see in their lifetime.
It was as they were approaching the edge of the Nemoan lands that she could see the low mountains that separated the Dukedom of Nemo from the Dukedom of Dawn. They were nothing compared to the Northern mountains along the borderlands of Nemo, but they made it clear where one land ended and the next began.
Tiltham called for the Void Knights to come to a stop at the edge of the forest that lined the mountains.
“We’ll break here. We have the location of the dungeon, but there’s no telling what’s in the forest on the way, or how close it is to breaking until we get there.”
“Yes, Captain!” The knights resounded.
Freddie waited for Tiltham to dismount before following her, landing steadily even with the layer of snow coating the ground.
They were getting close. She could feel it in her bones.