Kestrel had been leading them through the forest for the last hour. They’d chosen to walk their horses the remainder of the distance to Ratha as the path became harder to follow. Kai’s feet had frozen a while back, and he couldn’t entirely feel his fingers where they gripped the reins anymore, but none of that could put a damper on his anticipation.

This might finally be it—he might have finally located his sister after years of searching.

Kai had always known in his heart that his sister was alive, and when Neorah had let the truth slip, he’d begun his search.

It was a small comment she’d made about the Princess, but it had been enough to make him suspicious. It hadn’t taken much questioning from him for the healer to confess the truth.

His sister was alive. The Queen had faked her death.

Neorah hadn’t known what had become of the Princess, or why the Queen had wanted everyone to think she was dead. So, he’d moved on to his next target.

His mother had been a harder one to crack. He knew he couldn’t outright ask her about it, so he’d hinted around it, poking and prodding to get the information he wanted.

The most he had been able to get from her was that her former Queen’s Protector, Jensira, had disappeared not two days after the Princess’s death had been announced. It hadn’t taken him long to figure out she must have carried the Princess with her.

Supposedly, Jensira had fled the kingdom. It was suspected that she might have gone to the human lands, but no one knew for sure or cared to go after her.

After that, Kai had seized every chance he could to visit the human lands and continue his search.

At first, he’d assumed Jensira would try to get as far from the portals as she could. When that had turned up nothing, he’d changed his tactic and started looking closer to them.

It seemed all his hard work was finally going to pay off—or at least he hoped it would.

Kestrel held up her hand to indicate he should stop as they neared the edge of the forest. She crept forward alone while he waited in the shadow of the trees.

A few minutes later, she returned.

“It’s about mid-afternoon now, and it looks like there are a good number of people in the streets. I think we should wait until nightfall to enter the city.”

Kai agreed with her. They didn’t need to attract more attention than necessary.

“Also,” Kestrel continued, “it looks like there is another snowstorm blowing in, so we will be in for a cold night.”

He snorted. “You mean colder than it is already?”

The man from the last inn hadn’t been lying about the unusual weather. They’d encountered the winter weather when they’d entered the forest, and it had only gotten colder the farther north they’d traveled.

If the man had been right about the weather, then he was likely right that the people of Ratha hadn’t seen anyone from the outside in quite a while.

“We’ll wait until a few hours after sundown, preferably before the snow arrives,” he proposed. “Then we’ll find an inn to stay the night.”

“And after that?” Kestrel asked. She blew into her cupped hands to warm them. “The minute we step in there, we’ll be the talk of the place.”

“Maybe. Maybe not. Their interest could potentially be used to our advantage. We’ll say we’re long-lost relatives of Jensira and have someone point us in her direction.”

Kestrel laughed. When she realized he wasn’t smiling, she stopped. “Oh. You were serious.”

“Of course I was serious,” he said. “Did you think I was jesting?”

“I was hoping so because that was quite possibly the worst plan I’ve heard from you yet, and I’ve heard a lot of terrible ones.”

Kai shifted closer to his horse, hoping the beast might share a little of its warmth. “What exactly is wrong with it?”

“For one,” Kestrel held up a finger, “what if Jensira changed her name?”

“So I give a physical description of her.”

Kestrel tilted her head. “You remember what she looks like?”

“Vaguely. She had long hair.”

“Long hair. Right. And what if she cut it? Do you remember what color it was?”

“Black?”

An eyebrow went up. “For two,” Kestrel said, lifting another finger, “what if she doesn’t want to be found? What if she’s made friends here and warned them that someone might come looking for her?”

Kai scowled. “All right. Fine. I was only thinking to save us some time since you want to go home so badly. What would you suggest?”

“I would suggest coming up with a story as to why we are visiting that has nothing to do with Jensira. We should ask around discreetly, as we have been doing in the other cities. I would also suggest that you stay put at the inn and show your face as little as possible. If this endless winter is magic caused and not related to your sister, I don’t think you should be spotted here.”

“The first two I will consider. The last one I will not.”

Kestrel gave him a look before continuing, “Lastly, I think you need to temper your expectations.”

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

“Temper my expectations?” he repeated.

Kestrel sighed. “I mean don’t get your hopes up. I—”

“I appreciate your concern, but I’ll be fine,” he said, putting an end to the conversation.

They settled in for a long, cold wait. Finally, when darkness fell and the city went to sleep, the two of them left the trees behind.

----------------------------------------

Snow fell in soft, fat flakes as they walked the streets in search of a place to stay the night. The temperature had dropped significantly and even their horses looked miserable, dusted in a coat of white.

“I think I see a place up ahead,” Kestrel announced.

The last few inns they’d tried didn’t seem to be in operation anymore. He hadn’t considered that they might have issue finding accommodation, but it made sense since, without visitors, the inns would have no business.

Kai ducked his head against the falling snow and trudged after Kestrel. Unlike other cities that boasted a bustling—and sometimes unsavory—nightlife, Ratha was quiet. They had yet to see another person on the street.

“Hold my reins,” Kestrel said, when they arrived outside the building. “I’ll go inquire about rooms.”

She bounded up the stairs and disappeared through the front door, letting out a brief spill of warm, yellow light.

He sincerely hoped this place would have rooms because he was sick of the cold. He didn’t understand how these people had lived in these conditions for years.

A few minutes later, Kestrel returned with a young boy trailing in her wake.

“He’ll take the horses,” she said, indicating the boy whose eyes barely peeked out between his scarf and hat.

With numb fingers, Kai pulled their packs from the horses before handing the animals over to the boy.

“I’ve secured us two rooms,” Kestrel said, as Kai handed over her belongings, “and the innkeeper promised to send up warm food.” She looked like she wanted to say something else.

“What?” he asked, hefting his pack over his shoulder. “Something I need to know?”

She shook her head and turned back to the stairs. “You’ll see,” she said cryptically.

The moment Kai stepped across the threshold, he understood what Kestrel had meant. Every eye in the room fastened on them as they crossed the main floor and made their way to the stairs. The place was warm and inviting, but most of the tables were unoccupied. Though the innkeeper pretended to be busy cleaning a glass, Kai could feel him watching them, too.

“Welcome to the Grumbling Bear,” he said, when Kai passed. “I’ll have food up in a minute. Let me know if you need anything else.”

Kai thanked him and followed Kestrel up the stairs to a pair of small rooms.

“The Grumbling Bear?” Kai murmured. “Of all the ridiculous names.”

“I thought it was appropriate,” Kestrel said.

“I’m not sure what you mean.”

She smirked, but said nothing else.

Kai found a fire already burning in the room he’d been given, and though the bed linens appeared fresh, the room had a stale smell about it, as if it hadn’t been opened in a while.

He tugged off his gloves and strode over to the fire to warm his hands, wincing as the feeling came back into them.

True to the innkeeper’s word, food arrived shortly in the form of stew and a side of crusty bread. Kai wasn’t sure what exactly was in the stew, but he was too hungry to care. He wolfed it down before falling into bed, already half asleep.

The next morning, Kestrel knocked on his door before popping her head inside. “Want me to have breakfast brought up?” she asked.

Kai picked up his discarded gloves and headed for the door. “Not today. I was thinking we could eat in the dining room and perhaps get a feel for the locals.”

“Are you certain that’s a good idea?”

“I don’t know how else we’re going to find my sister if we don’t speak with anyone.”

“All right. If you insist.” Kestrel let him take the lead down the stairs.

What he found in the dining room was entirely different from the night before. Every table in the place was packed, and the room hummed with conversation.

As soon as they were spotted, however, the sound immediately died, and every eye swung to them.

“Good morning. Good morning,” the innkeeper called. “Care for something to eat?”

“Yes, please,” Kai said. “Though I see you have no open tables.”

“Oh, don’t you worry about that.” The innkeeper surreptitiously shooed a group of men away from one of the tables at the center of the room. None of them complained as they grabbed their dishes and moved over to stand at the bar. “Have a seat right here.”

Kestrel slipped around them and pulled out a chair on the opposite side of the round table. The other patrons had gone back to their conversations, but Kai noted, they still watched them.

“Always this busy?” Kai asked as he took a seat.

The innkeeper smiled. “Not in ages, but I suppose I have you two to thank for that,” he said, confirming Kai’s suspicions. “What can I get for you?”

“I’ll have whatever you think is best,” Kestrel said, folding her hands beneath her chin and making eye contact with a few of the nearby people who were listening in on the conversation. They quickly looked away.

“I’ll have the same,” Kai said.

“Good. Good.” The innkeeper bustled away.

“Don’t say it,” Kai said to Kestrel before she could open her mouth and tell him ‘I told you so.’

She grinned and went back to returning people’s stares.

Kai, meanwhile, tried to listen in on the conversation going on around them.

By the time their food arrived, he’d learned the people were speculating they were traders, but couldn’t figure out what they were selling.

After they finished eating, they headed for the door with the intention of exploring the city.

“Might want to pull your hood up now,” Kestrel murmured to him as he was tugging on his gloves.

This time he heeded her warning, and when the door opened, he was glad he had.

The snowstorm from the night before had passed, leaving a bitter cold behind, but that wasn’t the reason he was glad for the hood. No, that was because of the crowd that greeted them.

There were all kinds of people gathered around the base of the stairs, and Kai understood he’d severely underestimated how well they were going to blend in and go unnoticed.

He nudged Kestrel with his elbow. “Any ideas?” he asked.

“Hmm?” she sounded distracted.

“Any ideas what to do about this?” Like the humans inside, these people seemed to think they might be traders. Apparently, no one else came to visit this city for any other reason.

“Pretend we’re looking to buy a special made item we heard can only be found here?” Kestrel suggested.

“I think that might only increase their interest.”

“I’m not sure there’s any other way around that.”

“We can go with my original plan and tell them we’re visiting long-lost family.” Before Kai could raise his voice and announce this, however, the innkeeper came bursting out the door behind them.

“Wait. You have a message.” He waved a card around in the air for everyone to see. “Just arrived from the castle.”

The crowd whispered amongst themselves at the announcement.

“I’ll take that,” Kestrel said, plucking it from the innkeeper’s hand and breaking the wax seal.

Kai waited for her to read, along with everyone else.

“We’ve been invited to the castle to meet with a Lady Zahara,” Kestrel said, keeping her voice low. “She says at our earliest convenience.”

Kai frowned. “How about never? We aren’t here to entertain.”

Kestrel pursed her lips, staring down at the invitation. “I don’t know,” she said after a moment. “I think we’re going to have to accept this if we don’t want any trouble while we’re here. Besides, what could it hurt?”

“It’s a waste of time.”

“But what if it isn’t?” she countered. “We go. We chat. We show we mean no harm, and perhaps we learn about this winter situation. Also, don’t forget Jensira was a former Queen’s guard. She could still be using those skills now.”

Kai sighed, knowing Kestrel was right. “I will agree as long as it is not today. I want to get a feel for the city first and what we might be walking into.”

“Tomorrow, then,” Kestrel said.

“Tomorrow,” he agreed, already dreading it.

He waited while Kestrel spoke to the innkeeper about sending a message of acceptance.

When that was settled, he turned back to the waiting crowd, most of whom were still trying to figure out who they were and asked, “Could anyone point me in the direction of the shops?”