The [Ulf] cowered behind Kaden as Ashi drew the flames surrounding her back into her skin. “Who has done this to you? I leave nothing but ash if these clansmen did so.”

Kaden shook his head. “It wasn’t them. The dragon was attacking. I harrassed it into leaving.”

“That sounds like a tale you would tell. What of this beast?”

It took no effort to re-establish the soul bond and express how he felt about Ashi to the [Ulf]. “Come on, say hello. He’s wounded, still. I need Eve to heal him.”

Ashi drew a healing potion.

He shook his head. “[Grievous Wounds] makes those less effective until I get an actual healing. I’ll wait for Eve. How did you fly?”

“Ten days ago, Pretash brought my spellbook from Vichor. The first [Air] spell it gave was [Soaring Wind]. The mana cost at first level is extreme, every level only reduces the cost.”

Flight. Ashi could fly like the mages he saw in Verona. Student mages, level fifteen. It was still impressive. “Eve and Trella?”

“They come by sled with gifts from the Resyr. Eve is not a runner.” Ashi spoke as though she were. Kaden wouldn’t bet on either of them in a sprint. “The frost in your soul is not so bad. It has been near two weeks.”

“I went into the Ice Domain,” Kaden said.

Ashi nodded, then pressed a mana stone on her thigh.

Her skin flared red, and she began to direct mana into his soul, which let him close his eyes and bask in the inner warmth. The sun was high, the sky clear when scouts shouted of an approaching sled.

A long train of [Makur] pulled what could only aproximately be called a ‘sled.’ It was more a wagon train on slats of wood that slid over the snow, and slowed as guards rushed out to greet it. Atop it sat Eve, and beside it on one side ran Trella, her black cloak fluttering. At the other side ran Drokor, wearing armor. She ran ahead to greet the guards—then motioned for the sled to continue.

Eve climbed carefully down and then followed as Trella sprinted toward Kaden, wrapping her arms around him. “You. You decided to kill the dragon, didn’t you?”

“No.” Kaden wanted to hug her, but his shoulders, his arms ached. “Eve. I hate to ask—”

“Never ‘hate to ask’ for what comes naturally to me.” Eve invoked [Life Endowment]. “Wait, [Grevious Wounds]? How many bones did you break? New plan. We must cleanse the status effect first. But before that, I’m sorry, I have a duty Sara gave me.”

She turned and headed to the clansmen. “Do you agree to repay your potion of the war-bounty in return for restored trading rights? We bring supplies.”

Kaden didn’t hear the answer, but he saw it written in the smile on Eve’s face as she returned. “How is Sara?”

“Frozen. Drokor insists this isn’t fatal,” Eve said. “All we need—”

“Isn’t going to happen,” Trella answered. “We scavenged dead domain beasts. I’ve gotten to where I can keep Fire Essence from exploding for almost a minute. In no way is the potion stable, and we’re out of essence.”

Kaden handed her all the essence he’d gathered.

“Well, that changes things. Somewhat.” Trella sounded more hopeful.

“This is for Sara.” Kaden drew the [Fire Soul] potion.

Eve, Ashi and Trella gasped. Trella cradled it closer. “Look at it. Just look at it, the essence core isn’t shining as brightly. It’s been dampened somehow, without it exploding. What did you do to get this?”

“I screwed their healer,” Kaden said.

“Go do her again and get another one.” Trella hadn’t stopped staring at her potion. “Seriously, go back right now. Why didn’t you stay and get a second one?”

“They are running low, too. I have faith in your abilities,” Kaden said. “Keep practicing. I know how to survive in the Ice Domain if we need more.”

Eve hadn’t responded, using [Life Explosion] over and over. “This is fiendish. I detest this status condition.”

“Take a break,” Kaden said. “We really need some of your other skills.”

One by one he produced the dead [Beserkers]. “Sorry for the condition, it’s been a rough journey.”

Eve accepted a mana regen potion from Trella and set to work, resurrecting and healing beserkers to a minimal level before moving on to the next one. Soon a small crowd of confused beserkers stood around them.

Ashi rushed to find Drokor and recruit help. “Listen to Drokor. To raise a fist against her is to discover how well you burn. Test me on this if doubts plague you.”

Drokor had been about to speak to the newly resurrected. Instead she choked slightly and addressed Kaden. “You have made a journey that few survive. I’m sure you have questions, but you will rest better back at our village. I would appreciate all of you going back. Eve, there will be time for negotiation, but that negotiation will go better if it begins with us.”

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“Of course,” Eve said. “We should be able to restore Sara with the [Fire Soul] potion, but are there side effects?”

“She’ll be cold in every way,” Drokor said. “Warm her with fire and food and friendship. We’ve brought back those who spent years embraced by the ice. Shouldn’t you use it on yourself?”

Kaden shook his head. “Trella’s going to make more.”

“The [Ulf]. It’s tame?” Drokor asked.

It was currently laying on its back so Ashi could scratch its belly. Kaden gave it a pat. “It’s hurt and has nowhere else to go. I’ve currently got it soul-bound but it’s less about that and more about trust.”

“The [Makur] handlers will not like it,” Drokor said. “But they will keep their peace.”

Trella clutched the [Fire Soul] potion. “We’ll see you back at the village then.”

###

An older, foresworn Beserker met them when at last Kaden approached the Resyr village on foot. And the village hummed with so much activity. Everywhere, Resyr loaded sleds with goods and set off.

“I thought only two of the tribes had trading rights?” Kaden asked. The jouney had taken the better part of the day, because [Grievous Wounds] required Eve to choose which bone she was healing at a time. And she refused to heal the [Ulf] because, in her words, ‘Kaden could barely walk.’

Eve waved to a sled passing by. “Two have agreed, but Sara set orders. It’s easy to ignore what you don’t have and can’t see. On the other hand, a sled passing by, filled with potions and medicine and armor and food? That raises the memory of what was lost.”

Guzan, as the old man was known, waved a stick for their attention. “Drokor sent word. We already pulled back the soil, she is covered only with snow, now.”

*Don’t freak,* Trella sent in code. *When [Frost] takes hold, the safest way to keep victims intact is to bury them just below the surface.*

Kaden would have sprinted, but for now he could only hobble out past the groundhouses. There, nestled in the snow, lay Sara’s frozen body. “Why is she naked?”

“It’s the last stage of [Frost],” Guzan answered. “As it takes over, their own body heat is unbearably hot. The snow is too hot. The frozen earth, barely bearable.”

His wounded [Letydir] would have to do. Kaden held it ready as Trella kneeled, pouring first a drop, then a dribble of [Fire Soul] into Sara. Her lips, blue and frozen, changed first. Fissures oppened in the flesh of her cheeks as she tried to speak.

“Quiet, quiet,” Guzan said. “Drink the potion before you speak or move.”

Inchy by inch the color spread downward until even her toes were pink and warm—and shivering. The [Letydir] engulfed her, eager for body heat she barely had, while Sara’s teeth chattered and she wept tears that froze on her cheeks.

“A moment, Sara.” Eve put her hand on Sara’s cheeks and used [Life Endowment] to knit them back together. “There you are, better now.”

Kaden picked her up, cradling her as the Horror blossomed from her back, two green psuedopods which nibbled the snow and frozen earth before wrapping around Kaden’s shoulders so he could carry her more easily.

“We brought heatstones by the hundred,” Trella said. “The groundhouse is more of a greenhouse at this point.”

When Trella opened the doors, the heat felt like a blast furnace.

Kaden ignored it to carry Sara inside and nestle her in one of the beds, while Eve brought soup and fire-wine.

Sara’s gaze flitted across each of them. “Ashi?”

Kaden gestured up. “Burning her mana on [Soaring Wind], hoping to gain another level.”

A surge of excitement burst through him, and Kaden sprinted out of the groundhouse, looking wildly—then toward the [Makur] pen. “No, no! Don’t eat them!”

The [Ulf] had hungered. The [Ulf] had seen prey.

The [Ulf] had damn near attacked a young [Makur] Kaden thought looked awfully familiar. “Here. Have a scorpion steak. Have four. Those are not food.”

Under the withering glares of the Resyr, Kaden lead his [Ulf] back to the groundhouse and in. “Sorry. It’s like, all my beasts are my children. And one of my children wants to eat another of my children.”

“That’s parenting,” Guza said. “Whose children do not try to kill each other? It is always, ‘Kristof, put away the knife,’ and ‘Alexi, is that a rock you held over your brother’s head?’ ‘No, Popu, you said not to use a rock, it is only a block of ice.’”

Which was one of the reasons Kaden didn’t want children.

Now his thoughts turned to Basu.

“Trella finally succeeded,” Sara said.

That ruined Trella’s mood completely. She stood and dusted herself off. Her shadowblade outfit was lumpy where she’d pulled it on over the [Letydir], which didn’t mind at all. The poor beast simply thought it was being hugged. “Trella did not. This particular Trella should be working in her lab. I’d do it here but how many times did I lose my eyes?”

“Three,” Eve said. “We’ll check on you in a bit.”

“Bad news,” Kaden said. “I asked Kai Fen to return his part of the debt. It’s not happening.”

Sara closed her eyes. “You’ll have to swear it before the System for the Quest to update.”

“I swear before the System, Kai Fen refused to repay his clan’s portion of the debt,” Kaden said without fear.

Oath heard and acknowledged. Entity Kai Fen was offered the chance to repay and declined.

Sara smiled for the first time since she’d been unfrozen. “Good. That’s all it takes for the Mercari Quest. They’re fully aware some clans will not agree. It’s the principle. The Skan have agreed to repay when—and only when—we can provide them with more [Fire Soul] potions.”

Eve prompted Sara to eat more. “I did exactly as you instructed. We sent sleds to every clan, healing potions, utensils, cloth. The standards. With one exception. The Iro are suffering from an outbreak of [Mana Rot] and their healers were afflicted. Two cleansing potions seemed like a reasonable deviation.”

Sara nodded vigorously as she slurped her soup. “It’s fine, fine. There’s a fine line between withholding trade, dangling a carrot and surrendering leverage. I can sleep at night even if they refuse. How long was I frozen?”

“Nine days?” Eve asked, counting. “Kaden had been gone forever. Days blend. Kaden, let’s see if we can’t purge more of those [Grievous Wounds].”

With Sara present, her mana regen would surge.

Half an hour later, Ashi returned. “I do not yet know the balance of this spell. My Mana ran out miles from the village. Shall I warm your soul?”

That sounded acceptable. Not great, but nothing really did. Nothing was terrible, nothing was great. “I’d rather you help me with an experiment. Trella’s trying to control fire essence. Can you help her?”

Ashi shook her head. “We tried. The potion does not form. Alchemy requires the mana be shaped with care and if I blunt it, the result glows, but does not warm. Why have you not healed your [Ulf]? Why have you not demanded it of Eve?”

Kaden understood Eve’s reasoning.

But also understood how to motivate her.

With care, he sent warnings through the soul bindings—and summoned Vip.

The [Lightning Chevalier] dashed up the wall and past the [Ulf] to leap into Kaden’s arm, filled with jealousy. She pushed herself up against his chest and tucked her tail.

“It’s ok,” Kaden said. He ran his fingers through Vip’s silver fur and then reached to pet the Ulf, who could have swallowed his hand. There wasn’t a need for jealousy. There wasn’t a chance in all nine hells he’d trade Vip or replace her, something he let [Beast Soul] relay.

And to the [Ulf] he sent the acceptance and belonging any creature bereft its family would desire. This small dog was a friend. Kaden reconsidered the emotions from Vip. The small dog was not an enemy, that much was certain. Friends was probably stretching it. They were about as much friends as Kaden and the Ice Dragon.

The true, pressing problem was that [Frost] would continue as long as Kaden stayed outside the domain, and the Ice Dragon would remember their battle if he went back in.