XXII. Absit Omen

Alice shivered and tightened her fur cloak about her slight frame. The sun glared off the frozen surface of the silver lake while citizens took leisurely strolls upon its brick pathways. Soldiers of Duvachellé huddle about sharing cigarettes over steaming cups of coffee, and the ladies of a lakeside café scurried about to refill their mugs while supplies were loaded up for the trek north. Birdsong hinted at the springtime to come, but the drifts of hard packed snow betrayed winters cold grip still upon the land.

Aichlan shrugged the satchel from his shoulder into the waiting cart with a thud, causing Alice to jump in surprise. She adjusted her earmuffs and took a step back as another soldier approached to load up the cart. Several more soldiers chatted idly by a fire as everyday traffic and gawkers watched the spectacle.

“This is absurd.” Alice said through chattering teeth and pouty lips.

Aichlan wiped the sweat from his forehead onto his tunic. “You didn’t need to show, go back inside if you’re cold.”

Aichlan glanced over his shoulder to the column of civilians flanked by a spattering of mounted men as they marched drearily towards the border. Alice snorted in disgust at the procession and tightened her gloves. She had been a very vocal opponent of the Queen's plan to repatriate the Sorn refugees, but unsurprisingly, her pleas had gone unheeded. Aichlan sighed and turned his attention back to the task of packing. While he was also no fan of essentially sending the defenseless to their slaughter, the political sphere was one which he had proven himself unprepared to navigate time and time again. His primary focus had to be bringing an end to Osric’s tyranny, otherwise no one would be safe.

“I’m speaking of the timing.” Alice huffed. “Is Ashe alright with you leaving so soon?”

Aichlan laughed aloud. “Ashe couldn’t wait to be rid of me.”

“That’s not true…”

“She’s come to understand what must be done at the very least. “Aichlan fastened on his coat of plates shrugged on his mail and. She’s surrounded by old friends and new, I’ve just been in the way.”

“I suppose.” Alice sighed. “I still think you should take Rémann with you.”

Aichlan shook his head. “No, that’s your man, he needs to keep an eye on you while I’m away. Can you hand me my coat?”

Alice rummaged through her bag and handed Aichlan a new surcoat and cape in silver and green. Aichlan laughed and held it up to admire.

“What’s this? I’ve given Rémann my answer already Alice, When this is all done—“

“You’ll accept the commission.” Alice brushed a lock of hair from her face, her eyes avoiding his own. “Yes, yes, I’ve heard. Unfortunately, you’ve no choice.”

“Oh?”

Alice took a deep breath, avoiding eye contact, dreading the task ahead despite volunteering for it. “Given that you have broken your vow of chastity and fathered a child, you are officially excommunicated from The Order, forsaking all titles and privileges associated with your previous office.”

“Lucien,” Aichlan snatched up his sword and stormed off towards the palace, “that fat fucking cunt.”

Alice placed her hand to his chest to halt him. “Yes, Lucien suggested it, but Clarissa signed off on it. With my blessing.”

“What?” Aichlan demanded. “Do you have any idea what you’ve done?”

“It wasn’t your rank in The Order that got you this far, it was your leadership. By severing ties with them, you are no longer bound by their politics. It’s for the good of the army.”

“You have no idea what that pompous fool will do! As soon as he gets the chance, he’ll remove Clarissa from power and we’ll be even more bogged down in petty bickering and politics!”

Alice laughed, much to Aichlans displeasure. “Clarissa isn’t going anywhere. She has the support of the crown and the people. You however are a less than popular figure.”

“It’s not a popularity contest.” Aichlan snorted. “I get the job done, it’s all that matters.”

Alice grabbed Aichlan by the chin and forced his eyes to meet her own. “Scandal surrounds you Aichlan, your little affair was more widespread than you know.” Alice released her hold on him and shook her head, watching the supply carts line up for the march. “So long as you wear those colors, the two will be conflated to the point of distraction. You are of Aes Sidhe, your father is of Aes Sidhe, that will be your legacy; to continue the honorable service to the crown of Aes Sidhe, not as the adulterer and oath breaker The Order would paint you as.”

Alice handed Aichlan his coat once more, and after several moments of inner conflict, he acquiesced in taking it.

“This woman is mad with power;” Alice nodded in the general direction of the palace for emphasis, “we cannot afford to give her any more by which she can undermine our efforts.”

Aichlan watched the weary band of refugees as they snaked their way towards the horizon and certain death. The people of Sorn had always been second class citizens of Silex, though he would have thought the threat of extinction would have tempered the prejudices of Duvachellé if only a bit. However, it is often at the most desperate of times that people seek out a scapegoat. A similar scene likely played out during the collapse, it is in human nature to go against their own self-interests as he was beginning to realize.

“I shall serve you and the crown well my lady.”

Alice smiled and untied a black ribbon from her hair, and wrapped it around Aichlan’s wrist.

“Am I your champion now?” he teased.

“You’ve always been my champion.” She held out her hand, and Aichlan knelt to kiss it. “This ribbon merely makes it official.”

Donough cleared his throat and planted his massive blade into the soil. The wound upon his shoulder had mostly healed, leaving a scar not unlike the one worn by his niece, Enyo. As usual, he was shirtless, wearing a manica and pauldron on his sword arm, with bandages wrapped around his torso. Aichlan sheepishly stepped back and hastily pulled on his surcoat as the big elf watched them with impassive eyes.

“Master Stone-Wood, you weren’t requested for this detail if I recall.” Alice said sweetly.

“I should like tae join regardless.” Donough grunted in response.

“I’ve no problems with that.” Aichlan said as he fumbled with the claps to his cape. “Son of a bitch…”

Alice rolled her eyes and took over the task for Aichlan before he made a bigger fool of himself.

“I realize that you are protective of Enyo,” Alice fastened the clasp and wiped the finger smudges off with her sleeve, “but she is a capable warrior in her own right.”

Donough spat and crossed his arms over his bare chest. “Naethin’ tae do wit the lass. I daen’t do well idle is all.”

“I see.” Alice adjusted her glasses and met his stoic gaze. “If the general has no qualms with you joining, I shall inform Odell of the additional member.”

Donough titled his head in a semblance of deference. “Much ‘bliged m’lady.”

Alice smiled politely in return and turned back to Aichlan. “Now you wear the emblem of my house and the kingdom of your birth, I trust you will wear them honorably.”

Aichlan placed his fist over his heart and bowed at the waist. “On my honor as a knight.”

Alice swatted him on the shoulder with the excess fabric of her sleeve. “Do not mock me sir, I’m being serious. Not only will any uncouth behavior reflect badly upon me, but little Aelfric and Ashe as well.”

“So many A names in one family…” Donough muttered.

“What was that?” Alice shot back.

“I will keep an eye on him fer ye m’lady.” Donough stiffened and stroked his goatee.

“Hmm.” Alice cut him a sidelong glance for several moments. “Be certain that you do.”

Alice embraced Aichlan and he kissed her once on the forehead. She waved her final goodbye before rejoining Sir Cadan and another of Rémann’s knights, who escorted her back to the palace.

***

Aichlan ran his hands through his hair and turned towards the mountains across the lake, jagged and towering monoliths like a demon’s maw stretching across the horizon. He suddenly regretted his decision to lead this operation, if only because it seemed like a waste of time and troops.

“Enyo is ahead with a scouting party.”

Aichlan folded his hands atop his head and nodded slightly towards Donough. “How’s the wound?”

Donough clenched his fist and ground his teeth briefly. “Flesh has mended, but the soul thirsts for vengeance.”

Aichlan chuckled and stretched grandly. “Well, hopefully we don’t run into the blighter that nicked you up on the trail. I’m trying to go up and back as quickly as possible.”

* * *

Aichlan swore and feebly tightened his cape against the sudden gale. The company was forced to halt once more as stinging ice pelted them and obscured the trackless pass up the mountain. The temperature was at or near freezing, and the wind-chill was nigh unbearable, and there was neither shrub for kindling nor alcove for respite from the biting gales. The tempest abruptly halted as quickly as it came, leaving an eerie stillness to the air before it inevitably swept through their ranks once more. To compound their misery, the sun was setting and no torch could remain lit for more than several paces.

Aichlan dug deep to take advantage of the calm, powering his way through stiff limbs and exhaustion as he climbed. He glanced stiffly over his shoulder to find the escort spread out and disorganized, with several Duvachellian knights huddled about the new king towards the rear of what used to be a formation. Reluctantly, he issued a halt to allow them to regain some semblance of cohesion. Even though they were rapidly losing daylight, Aichlan was more worried about the onset of frostbite than being ambushed by any creatures of dusk. If those fell demons were willing to tread this desolate and blasted path, then they deserved the kill.

Enyo approached, bundled in furs and wrapped in a heavy cloak. The ice and snow sizzled before it even touched her skin, but still she shivered.

“We should find shelter, General.”

“No shit.” Aichlan said through chattering teeth. “There’s a lovely lil travelers lodge just over the rise.”

Enyo frowned and tightened a scarf about her mouth. “Nae need tae be an arse about it, General.”

“I’ve been looking for a place to wait it out, but no such luck.” Aichlan replied glibly. “So, we either hunker down here and be dead by midnight or keep on and possibly freeze by dawn.”

Aichlan winced and turned his back to a sudden gale. As it died down, he saw in the gloom that half of the company had disappeared.

“Aw bollocks…” He swore as he fumbled to draw his sword with numbed fingers.

Enyo held out her arm, preventing him from charging back down the mountain. “They’re going into the mountain…”

“What?” Aichlan shielded his eyes and squinted to get a better view.

Donough waved his hand overhead and launched a spout of flames into the air. The few soldiers nearby to Aichlan quickly turned around and jogged down the mountain with newfound vigor. Aichlan swore and sheathed his sword, hurrying to join them.

The cave was little more than a narrow slit in the rock face, angled as such that it was invisible from their previous heading. One by one, they crouched down and sidled several back breaking and joint cracking meters into the crevice until it opened up enough to stand no more than two abreast. Aichlan fumbled in his pack for a torch as some feeling began to return to his fingers in the form of shooting pain. He struck the torch against the wall, and it erupted into a brilliant ball of fire, like a match, illuminating the crevice and the wind burned faces of the knights around him.

Several more torches were struck as the last of the men filed into the cave. The four clerics present made their way through the throng, doing their best to alleviate the symptoms of frostbite as Aichlan contemplated the next move. The cavern appeared to go somewhere, though where was another matter. It made the most sense to wait out the storm, but it was unlikely the weather would get much better before they exhausted their supplies.

“Shall we hold here general?” Madden asked as he dusted the snow and ice from his coat.

Aichlan rubbed his chin with his free hand, staring uncertainly into the darkness. A dozen or so mages, four clerics and over two hundred soldiers attempted in vain to warm themselves behind him. The cavern was barely wide enough to walk two by two, and it was unknown if it would widen out, close in or simply end abruptly further down.

“Perhaps…” Aichlan said thoughtfully and turned to one of the King’s Guard. “Does this go anywhere?”

“It’s possible…” The knight said cautiously. “It is rumored that these mountains once held a network of tunnels…”

“But?” Aichlan asked anticipating there was more to the story.

“Those rumors come from old children’s morality fables. They also speak of trolls that eat children who bully others and of four goddesses that brought about the changing seasons.”

Aichlan grunted a laugh and adjusted his pack on his shoulder. “Fairy tales are no longer tales in this age. I say we push onward.”

“That is not your decision to make sir.” The Guardsman said sternly. “This is his majesty's expedition.”

“If his majesty didn’t want my opinion, his majesty should have left me at the palace with my family.” Aichlan cut his eyes towards the knight as he beat the frost from his gloves. “Since he did not do that, I say we should go on, staying here with our dicks out accomplishes nothing.”

“True,” Odell said as he wiggled his way through the throng to join the conversation. “I don’t believe waiting out the squall is a viable option, but I’d rather not rush into anything without first exploring all our options.”

Aichlan smiled politely, clenching his fist as he willed himself not to punch the smug guardsman in his shit eating grin. He was constantly surprised at the changes his group had made, but the last person he expected such maturity from was Odell. Hopefully the young king wouldn’t forget his humble roots, or how when they first met he was little more than a drifter in a dress begging for passage.

Still, if Duvachelléian legends were true, they had only about a month left to get to that tomb before all hell broke loose, or rather, more hell. Aichlan did his best to ignore his pain and discomfort, as well as the snide remarks in Elysian from the Knights of Marquez while he thought over their options. The journey up the mountain was not something to be done in an afternoon, even the most seasoned adventurers took two weeks to the top. From a rough estimate, they weren’t even a quarter of the way up. In spite of all this, or perhaps because of it, the young king looked oddly composed and lucid.

“Your highness,” Aichlan conceded, “This is in fact your expedition, what would you have us do?”

Odell took a moment to think, glancing briefly to the faces of his friends and guards before answering. “I would be…open to suggestions, General.”

Aichlan mustered a half-smile. “Of course, your highness. As you may well already be aware, I am not one to remain idle. I say we press on, even should this be a dead end, we may be fortunate enough to find a break in the storm upon our return.”

Taryn squeezed past Madden to stand between Aichlan and Odell. “Oi, sayin’ this does go anywhere, anyone have any ideas where it’ll let out?”

One of the Knights shrugged. “I can’t say for certain, but it will likely lead deeper into the mountain, whether it’s anywhere you wish to be or not is another matter.”

“What d’ya mean by that?” Madden demanded.

“Enough.” Odell said definitively. “this is getting us nowhere.”

“Time is of the essence my king.” The guard added.

“I am aware of this.” Odell tightened his cloak about his shoulders and ushered Aichlan on. “General, lead the way.”