Strondheim, Village in the Kingdom of Ederath, mid-spring 15 AR

Jon looked down at his meal. The taste was amazing, especially with the wild sage and salt it was cooked with but he still wasn’t too sure about eating giant magical eels. The look of the little ones had reminded him too much of the snake meat he lived off of in the Dain. It still looked more appetizing than clams though, Jon had yet to try them.

“Not bad… Could get use to this!” Ragnar loudly announced as he dug into his serving of the delicious and surprisingly harmless eels.

Tira hadn’t known about them when she jumped into the water and learned of the danger at the same time as Jon as she heard Sunada call out but it had been too late. Everyone along the shore seemed to think the monsters would rip her to shreds and started yelling when she hit the water. The panic drew everyone's attention and Jon sprinted to the water’s edge but when he got there he realized she was fine. Rather than attack, the eels had darted away in a blind retreat, not willing to try their luck against the unknown being that had just entered their space. They went every direction and two large ones and a dozen smaller ones beached themselves on the shore or got stuck in some rocks. Once there, they were easy prey.

“So… Ragnar, what were the reason you all came out here?” Andrew asked.

“To talk to the Inaris,” Ragnar answered with a mouth full of eel, he didn’t even cover his mouth.

More than a few people sighed at his failed attempt to understand that a single one of Sunada’s kind was an Inari and a group were still Inari. Jon wasn’t sure how he didn’t seem to get it considering the same could be said about the Elvanni.

“Think he meant about what,” Erin spoke up to clarify what Andrew meant, who confirmed with a nod.

“Oh… yeah… I have no idea,” Ragnar shrugged and looked at all of them while taking another bite.

“How the fuck don’t you know. You’re Ser Hallr’s squire?” Aethred was confused, or annoyed, by Ragnar’s vague answers that he put down his bowl and stared at the young squire.

“Exactly, a squire!” Ragnar laughed out. When Aethred didn’t stop staring he continued with a sigh, “Tis a matter for the kingdom. I’m only here because Ser Hallr is. Finn’s here because he volunteered to fight alongside Hallr and Neera represents her people and knows healing magic, we don’t… plus, well, you know. I don’t get to know the plans of princes, even a Thane hadn’t been informed yet. Though that’s more to do with those dumb bastards… She doesn’t know either.”

He finished his explanation by pointing his fork at Neera, who nodded, ignoring the vague comment about her love life. While Jon couldn’t speak for everyone it was obvious that they all understood. Ragnar and Neera just weren’t important enough to know, they were both too low rank for diplomacy between nations. Jon doubted it was a lack of trust, Ragnar and Neera had both earned Ser Hallr’s trust in the Dain but that was in a fight or on a personal level.

“The orders I received from my lady were simply to greet them and learn more of them," Neera said before suggesting, "It’s likely the same as Ser Hallr's orders along with discussing trade."

“Of what? They don’t have anything other than that tooth cleaning paste!” Aethred exclaimed. It was true, they didn't have any wares to trade.

“Information’s just as valuable as wares,” Gertrude cut in once her area of expertise entered the conversation.

“Since wh-” Aethred stopped and looked over at Jon, “Nevermind, good point.”

“I like tooth cleaning paste,” Tira said and gave Jon a wink. He smiled back at her. He'd learned it was his breath. She admitted it after he started cleaning his mouth with the Inari concoction and rinsing with the mint water. She still didn't like her nose licked though.

“Hey Andrew, what else do they have?” Erin asked a question that hushed the others. It was rude to demand but still a valid thing to question. Jon hadn’t even gotten to the point of obtaining information from them. He’d ensured that they had free access to see what the people of Strondheim were doing but it wasn’t in the hopes of equal trade. He’d been more concerned with getting them to move to Strondheim and didn’t want them to think he was trying to take advantage of them.

“Well… See, I don’t know what else they know how to make. Sunada were able to draw some pictures for me, things like what her home looked like and pictures of dresses, armor, and weapons,” Andrew said. It wasn’t much but it may be a lack of trust or simply a lack of communication. “She ahh… She’s not a very good drawer.”

“What about what they brought?” Erin asked ignoring the avenue of conversation that led towards Sunada’s lack of artistic talent.

“Ya saw most of it! The weapons and tools. Guess they got a good amount of seed left, different types. They done planted a bunch for crops, not sure how they're going to harvest them. They're outside of Hani... but I got from Sunada that they kept some to trade with,” Jon’s eyes shot open at the revelation. Unique things often sold quickly and for a high price, his own products were an example from the wheeled string toy to clear glass and of course concrete. There was no telling what kind of crops they grew on the other side of the world but even he knew it wasn’t likely wheat and apples. Maybe it was even mangoes!

“What kind of crops?” Erin beat him to the question but Andrew only shrugged. She gave an exasperated sigh, “Can you ask Sunada when she returns?”

Sunada was currently having her evening meal with her father in the Inari section of the camp. She would return shortly but Jon hesitated at the idea of asking her after a thought. If it was to trade, then they could but he didn’t want to scare the Inari straight back to Hani within days of them getting there. Especially if they already had crops planted there, “No one asks Sunada. She or the Chajin will offer it if they want to or we can ask once everyone’s settled.”

Jon’s declaration went through the group well, except for Erin. She nodded in agreement but seemed peeved. It didn’t take long before they got off the conversation of tradable goods and somehow ended up talking about Hallr and Finn. Neera didn’t have much of an opinion but despite the difference in numbers, two versus a thousand, she figured they were alright. An hour later he went to bed.

***********

Unknown cave in Salesari Range, The Elvan, mid-spring 15 AR

Leo laid on his back near the entrance of the cave. There wasn’t much else he could do, not with his injuries. He’d heal faster than a normal person but not that quickly. It’d take time but it didn’t matter that much.

“So? We just sit here and wait?” Vonus asked looking around the slope.

“Pretty much,” Decanus Aevald was the one to answer him.

“If necessary I will go and seek aid,” the count volunteered to go but Leo knew that would be a problem. One the Decanus seemed to realize as won't.

“Milord, if you do, we won’t have your spells,” He said carefully and politely to the noble, “We’ll likely be overrun and they’ll be on the hunt for you.”

It was the same problem that Leo had spotted. Without him holding the front their best option was to hold long enough for them to gather in the tunnel and the Count could cast [Flame Jet] to kill a large number of them at once. With luck, any survivors would be sent again.

“You sure we can’t just fuckin’ leave? If they catch us in the open, we’ll just kill them like when they attacked the first fuckin’ time,” their token rapist blurted out. The Decanus turned to him in a less polite tone.

“Ugh… Boy, that was with them splitting their attention between thousands. They come after us now, you wont be fighting five against one, it’ll be the other way around. Here we can at least cover our flanks with stone.”

“Fine then…”

“Where we going after? I mean after Salesari?” Vonus asked after a minute of silence.

“I’m heading straight to the first bawdy house I see. I’ve got nothing against pointy ears as long as the woman’s head-”

“Enough of that!” The Count bellowed but was also shushed. He looked angry but Leo suspected that it was toward the vulgar comment that the rapist was about to make and not from being silenced. They all agreed that the situation called for it.

“I’m heading back to the war, hopefully, it don’t last long. After that it's heading home to Vandia,” the veteran named Tael kept the conversation going.

“Where’s that?” Mason asked.

“A little village south of Vayla. It's where I’m from… good thing the wife don’t know about this,” Tael pointed towards the cave. His wife must already be worried, Leo thought.

“I just realized, I’ll never get to go home again…” Vonus said and looked at his feet.

“Got family there?” Daoud asked.

“A ma, brother, and two sister count? Don’t have a sweetheart if that’s what you’re askin’,” Vonus stared to the east. He looked out of it.

“Same here…” Mason realized that it applied to him as well. After a moment of silence, he looked at Daoud, “How bout you?”

“Getting on a ship and heading to the mainland. Got a wife and two little ones to find.”

“You have children?” Leo was surprised. He’d known the man for months and not once did he mention a family.

“Yep, little Haifa is lets see… nine now, Verud is six,” Daoud said solemnly, “Hadn’t seen him since he was one.”

“Think they moved around on ya? Where are you from?” Vonus snapped out of wherever his thoughts had just taken him.

“De’ Kolda, It's a little city on the Utina Sea in Darvony,” Daoud answered but didn’t look too thrilled.

“Gods, that’s barely even a kingdom nowadays…” the count let out but realized what he’d said and attempted to recover, “I must apologize, the wolves may have taken most of it but I’m sure any city on the sea was easy to evacuate.”

“Oh, they got out. I can tell ya that much. You don’t work on a ship without making a few friends with a way to travel the sea,” Daoud looked like he actually believed it and Leo hoped it was true.

“How bout you wolfman?” The rapist turned their attention to Leo.

He stared the man down for a moment but decided to join the conversation despite the insult, “Heading to Ederath, that’s where my friends are… Sister’s in Saena but she’ll make her way there as well.”

“Ederath? Bit unspecific ain't it? Ya like not talkin’ or is it ya just don’t want me to know where that sister of yours is going?” the man asked with a crooked smile.

“Western coast, Thane Halladson’s lands and if you mention my sister again I’ll toss you down that tunnel,” Leo threatened dryly. He might have a hard time carrying it out but the man looked away, he didn’t want to chance it.

“That’s the young lad who had the liquid stone?” the count spoke up, suddenly taking interest other than to volunteer to runaway or stop vulgar ramblings.

“Yes,” Leo answered without the honorific.

“He mentioned that he was just building it up. It is enviable in a way, to know such a thing and be able to start with a fresh canvas to work on a masterpiece. I’m afraid I won’t have that luxury in Nola,” the pompous noble said while sitting in the dirt like the rest of them. But he had at least been more pleasant than some nobility Leo had met.

“I understand, my father ran into many problems in Terra and that was just a small village and before we learned of cement. The construction of the wall was also… problematic,” Leo said. The problems had been numerous just juggling the people as new houses were built and streets were improved. After learning of cement, the plan for the wall faced problem after problem and most of it stemmed from the fact no one knew how to actually do it until they taught themselves.

“Was it completed before ah…” Vonus hesitated on his question.

“No, it was halfway finished. Not sure it would have helped,” Leo answered but didn’t feel much. A lot had happened in the past year. He looked at the count and decided to continue, at least when it concerned walls, “Have you heard of a village called Darnis? It's built in an ancient fort along the coast north of Ebrus?”

“I’m afraid I have not…” The count said after thinking a moment.

“If you’re going to build walls, go there first. The walls of the fort are in ruins but it’s where my father went. You can see how they put it together. The walls are forty feet high and supposedly only fell because of magic,” Leo received a polite nod from the Count. The man didn’t speak though and took out a thin book to write the name. Walls that high were far taller than the one planned for the fortress or the walls of Terra. Neither of them needed walls that tall anyways, they were just piled stone but the walls the Utinum Empire built had layered structures inside that helped support it. It was still a good idea to learn how to build it properly if it was going to protect thousands of people.

“They gonna have walls like that up in Ederath?” Mason asked.

“Ha!” The count laughed out but snapped his mouth shut. Everyone listened for a moment but Leo didn’t hear anything, “If you go to Ederath, you’ll see why I'm amused.”

“Don’t feel like fucking spoiling it?” the rapist quipped at the noble.

“Honestly, no. I’ve only been to Vanheim and laid eyes upon Wolfheim from a distance but no. Even I'll admit it's something better to experience than to be told of,” the Count smiled overly politely, which Leo knew was the noble equivalent of a shit-eating grin.

“No, wadn’t speakin’ of those places. I meant where you’re going, Leo?” Mason asked again.

“Knowing Jon? Yes, there’ll be walls like that in his lands eventually. I wouldn’t doubt that it was a part of his plan from the moment he set out,” Leo smiled at the thought of his friend building up a village and trying to turn it into a town. Leo had to admit, it would be far duller than what he’d been doing but he was familiar with the idea of growing a settlement.

“Can I come with?” Mason asked with a pleading look that made Leo think of a puppy, “I ain’t got family and you know I work hard.”

“You also don’t have to worry about him stealing from you,” Daoud said with a grin. Leo chuckled, which made him shake slightly and send pain from his leg.

“Mason, if you wish to follow the I’m not going to stop you,” he said after the pain faded slightly.

“How bout me?” Vonus asked.

“Got a bawdy house there?”

“Vonus, Daoud are both welcome,” Leo said, leaving the rapist out of it. He just smirked at Leo but if the man wanted to follow them to Ederath and try his luck with the women of the north? Leo would let the man walk into that early grave.

“Ha, Might take you up on that, my fri-” Daoud stopped as Leo jerked his hand up. He shifted to his lycan form for better perception and faced the tunnel to determine anything he could about the growls. After a moment he heard it again but...

“Get in the cave!” Leo ordered, not caring about being quiet, “They’re out here with us!”

**********

Jorvik, Capital of the Kingdom of Ederath, mid-spring 15 AR

“My dear, please. You must!” Queen Katla said to Jaesmin. She hesitated, from anyone else that would be a request but she was speaking to a queen.

“Now now, mother. There’s no reason for Miss Jaesmin to stay any longer on my sister's account,” Prince Lief came to her rescue, “She’s not bound for the legion, she's speaking of going to the west to settle those lands.”

“But…” Astrid started but lost her words.

“But nothing. It won’t be long until you’re traveling with father or mothers, touring the kingdom, and when you do you’ll be able to visit those lands yourself and see Miss Jaesmin. You know Thane Jon and his companions. From what Erik has told me, the young man is quite gifted and those around him are dedicated and capable. I imagine it won't be long until a proper road has been built through the hills and you'll be old enough to travel there freely,” The Young Prince said with a charming smile. Jaesmin knew by 'wouldn't be long' he meant from a lycans perspective.

“Can you stay for a little while?” Astrid decided to change tactics and looked towards the lone commoner in the room. A look that was followed by the other two royals. Jaesmin gulped.

“I’m afraid I must leave, Princess. Yet I must stay for some time at least. Until Freya is able to shift,” Jaesmin said.

“Then that settles it! At least a month or two then,” Queen Katla walked to the door and opened it to find a servant waiting, “Please prepare rooms for Miss Jaesmin and her companions.”

“Of course my Queen.”

Jaesmin gulped again. Her friends were timid around relatively low-ranked knights! That was bad but also wasn’t including Solara, who’d she’d asked to stay with Dani. The fae alone could be a danger and Jeasmin didn’t want to be blamed for harming a royal.

Astrid seemed delighted though and the four of them continued to talk. Which amounted to Jaesmin sitting quietly unless spoken to. She’d thought the letter from the Queen was nice and had planned to one day take her up on the offer to visit but when she got to the Great Hall anxiety hit hard. There was a difference between getting a letter and having tea with more than half the royal family… Well, it was actually a flavored sweet mead and not tea but that had caught her off guard only a little.

**********

Dani sat in a tavern waiting for Jaesmin to return from the great hall. It had been hours but she knew it could take at least that long. Besides the invitation, that she knew about, Prince Leif had entered the city and met Jaesmin with Prince Erik at the gates to their family’s seat. Which meant they were also probably discussing the situation with Saena.

The rest of their group was there as well. Stoki and Arn sat with her in silence, mainly due to boredom while Freya slept with her head on the table. Even Solara had disappeared after sitting there for a while. Dani snorted at how nice it must be to disappear with a *pop* and go to wherever it was that fae go. Only to teleport elsewhere on a whim. Dani sat and thought about it, eventually deciding that if a spell such as that existed it would be a heavily guarded secret and she would never trust herself to cast it in the first place. She’d probably end up inside a wall or a hundred feet in the air. Now flying? Flying she might do but that was her own family's secret.

The door opened up behind her and she turned to look for Jaesmin but spotted a couple of guards and a well-dressed Elvanni man enter the room. He looked at a slip of parchment.

“Arn Karson, Danielle Yelhana, Freyja Alrickson, Stoki Bjornson? If you’d please follow me.”

Stokie reached over and tapped Freya, who woke up with a snort. She'd been healed but Dani felt sorry for her still, trying to sleep while bruised and broken had been hard for her. The group traded looks but the man had spotted them and approached.

“What’s this about?” Dani asked.

“Where are your possessions? I’ll have them collected and explain when we arrive,” the man ignored the question.

“Ummm… They’re locked in our rooms at the Silver Moon Inn, it’s near the… south gate?” Arn answered with his voice fading further into confusion.

“Keys if you please?” The man requested.

The four of them dug into their pouches and each produced a small key to their lodgings. Dani had no idea what was going on but the man seemed official and the guards bore the seal of the royal family. She wasn’t sure if she could refuse if she wanted. The guards took the keys and departed with the man gesturing them to follow as they walked into the street.

“Who are you?” Dani tried a different question.

“I apologize, I am Chamberlain Elmon. I serve the royal family,” Elmon said as they walked in the opposite direction of the guards. The group traded wide-eyed glances. They all knew who he was. “I’ve been sent to collect you at the behest of Queen Katla and Princess Astrid. You will be joining Miss Jaesmin during her stay within the Great Hall.”

Dani gasped quietly. She now knew she couldn’t refuse and they soon approached the gates that led to the Great Hall of Ederath. Unlike what the name implied, the 'great hall' wasn’t a single building and more of a complex with the actual Great Hall in the center. They walked inside to see the massive central structure up close. The lower two floors were made out of heavy, carved stone while another three stories were built on top out of wood. It had two tall, steep rooflines with arching ridges on the top, the ends sweeping upward slightly and extending away from the rest of the structure. In the small gap between the two wings of the royal seat, guards could be seen standing post along the top of the wall.

There were buildings just as tall in Saena but Dani couldn’t think of one that was built on the same amount of space. The exterior stone walls could have probably housed a small village or at least a fortified villa. That was only a single part of the complex, circled around the Great Hall was a series of shorter buildings of the same architectural style forming the great hall. As they walked she looked at the knights, servants, guards, and even citizens of the city that came and went.

“Any may enter the walls if they have business to attend,” Elmon answered a question that hadn’t even been asked. He approached the heavy oak doors of the main building. The two doors were opened by guards as he approached, “but only those with an invitation may enter here outside the times my king holds court.”

Dani walked into a fairly unimpressive room but her hand was over her mouth to hold in a gasp when they moved through the second set of doors. Massive timbers came from the top of wide stone pillars cut in the shape of octagons that lined the room. Each timber connected to another and formed a lattice of support with the ones going from the pillars to the wall in a king's post pattern and the central aisle sporting a hammer post structure. Dani looked up and realized it was a single massive room that looked to be built between two stone buildings. The roof was arched stone and must have been where the guards had looked down from above while the walls had small balconies coming into the room for people to observe from.

It was on one of those balconies that Jaesmin stood and gave a worried smile. She pointed at the throne end of the room and bowed. Dani didn’t understand what that was at first but then she nearly fell from the shock, ‘We’re going to meet the queen?! Do we kneel before the throne? I don’t know how to do this!’

Dani breathed a sigh of relief as they walked past the throne and into the eastern wing of the Great Hall. Chamberlain Elmon stepped up to a door and opened it before stepping in, “My Queen, May I present Cadet- Magus Arn Karson, Cadet- Magus Danielle Yelhana, Cadet- Magus Freyja Alrickson, and Cadet- Magus Stoki Bjornson.”

Dani froze before realizing what Jaesmin had meant. Don’t forget to bow! She did politely as well as the others in her group.

“Ah, good. Thank you Elmon,” The queen said informally with a bright smile. She waved her hands as to raise them up and after a moment they all did, “I just wished to meet you all before you settle in. I’m unsure if you know but my daughter is quite fond of Miss Jaesmin and wishes to spend time with her before she departs. As her companions, it is only right that the invitation be extended to you as well.”

“Thank you, my queen,” Arn kept his wits about him and replied, causing the other four to mumble the same. She didn’t look offended and walked to a separate entrance to the room.

“It is a pleasure to meet you and I'm sure we'll speak again. Elmon, Please have someone show them to their rooms. There’s no need for you to do it yourself and a reminder, we’re in the residence,” she gave the man a stern look. Dani heard him give a frustrating sigh… to the Queen! If Dani could clearly hear it, the lycan queen had no issue but she only smiled and walked out with a wave goodbye.

“Let’s depart,” Elmon said, the flair in his voice taken down a notch or two. Despite the Queen’s suggestion, he led them through the building personally until they reached a large set of double doors. Inside Dani found it was essentially a mid-sized apartment with a large common room and three bedrooms leaving it. Two of the rooms were designed to hold two people while the last had a single large bed.

“Ambassadorial chambers,” Elmon explained. Which made the layout clear to Dani, a single bed for the ambassador and rooms to hold his or her entourage, “Miss Jaesmin has been granted the main room. You may decide amongst yourselves on the others… Ah, and here she is. I’ll let her explain to you further.”

Dani ignored the man’s sudden lack of formality he spoke. She turned around to see Jaesmin and a young girl enter behind them.

“Ummm… This is Princess Astrid. Astrid this is Dani, Arn, Stoki, and Freya,” Jaesmin gave a quick introduction to the girl, the Princess of Ederath, who smiled like a child that had just gotten a new toy. Dani bowed again before Jaesmin led them to the seating area. They all sat down and Dani exchanged glances with her friends again. ‘What’s all this about!?’