As days passed, the snowfall continued. One morning after an exceptionally bleak blizzard, Erika woke having dreamed of fighting the fire-breathing skura again. Staring at the ceiling, she lay in bed, recollecting the first time that dream had come to her when she’d been waiting for sentencing on that warm beach on Cho Nisi. To even think of Arell brought on a heartache, and so she tried to shut off those memories, to set them aside somehow. But the wounds would not close, they would always torment her, she loved him that much.

Nothing but her father’s health mattered to her at the moment, not even returning to the battlefield. Erika would don her armor and pick up a sword if she needed to, yet, for her father’s sake, she stayed in dresses and did her assignments on history and literature, resisting her desire to spar with the soldiers.

There’d be no sparring today, though. When Erika pulled back the curtains, tiny crystals in magnificent patterns clung to the stained glass. Frozen spikes of icicles hung down from the sills, and a soft blanket of white covered the entire courtyard. The only tracks were those of field mice, a rabbit, and a deer. The snow had stopped, but dark clouds hung low.

A tap on her door drew her attention. The breakfast call, she thought as she put on her robe and opened the door. A frail maid, Reena by name, no older than eighteen years and who had been working in the castle less than six months, curtsied.

“Fairest, the king would like your presence at breakfast this morning.”

“Yes, thank you. Tell him I’ll be down shortly.”

“Fairest, he says he has urgent news and would like you to come as quickly as possible.”

“Yes, Reena, I will.” Erika was about to shut the door when the maid spoke again.

“Fairest,”

Erika scowled and sighed. Couldn’t she give all her messages at once? “What?”

“Your father looks ill, Fairest. I think it’s from the news he has for you.”

“Thank you. I’ll hurry.” Erika dressed and raced down the stairs to the dining hall. The doors were open and her father, bent over holding his stomach, sat on a chair. Both Rhea and Olinda were with him.

“Father, are you ill?” Erika asked, rushing to him. He looked up at her, his flesh pale, his eyes red, and a sorrowful expression soured his face.

“What ails you, Father?” she asked. “Is it your heart?”

He shook his head and handed her a letter.

My dear Lord and King,

It is with great regret I must inform you that your son, our loving prince, and dear friend, Barin, has disappeared during the trek to Tellwater Valley. A search party has labored fruitlessly day and night, hoping for a word or a sign, but to no avail. And now the snow is so thick, and the hillsides too dangerous, I fear we must call off the quest, though many men are willing to still risk their lives to find him.

I am so sorry to have to send you this news.

There is one man who claims he saw Prince Barin the day he disappeared, but the man had a serious head wound and broken bones. It is amazing that he made it to camp in the condition he was in. We considered his report with some skepticism, as his story is rather absurd. My experience with mountain giants is that they kill on sight. Never have I heard of a man being imprisoned by one, but so you have all the information we do I am including his note.

I promise you, as soon as the weather lets up, we will resume our search.

Our deepest regrets and heartfelt sorrow.

Note: despite his majesty’s disappearance, I have sent his troops on to Fairmistle to carry out orders as you had commanded while I continue to Tellwater.

Commander of the King’s Army, Neal of Failsworth.

Erika took her father’s hand and squeezed it. She leaned over and kissed his tears. “I’m so sorry, Father, you didn’t need to hear this. Not now.”

“We were going to take Father to his room, but he wanted to see you first,” Rhea said.

“Do you have the other man’s note?”

“It’s fodder,” Olinda said. “That soldier suffered from delirium.”

“May I read it?”

Olinda shrugged and pulled a wrinkled parchment from her skirt pocket.

“You were going to toss it?”

“It has upset Father more than the letter from Neal. Only you would want to read something like this. Come Rhea, let’s walk Father to his room. He really needs his rest. Reena, would you serve his breakfast in his quarters please?”

Olinda and Rhea helped the king to stand, each holding him with his arms around them, and walked him slowly down the hall. Erika followed, pressing out the wrinkles in the parchment and setting it on top of Neal’s letter. Both had suffered damage on the long trip to them with a date showing a week and a half had passed. The other ‘note’, scribbled in another hand, had ink smeared where rain or snow had leaked through.

Vasil

The commander asked me to write my witness of the disappearance of Prince Barin. Pardon my penmanship, I’m not much of a scholar. Been a soldier most of my life, and I’ve fought alongside the prince more often than not.

Commander Neal asked me to tell you what I saw. He claims I acted a little lightheaded, having had to stumble with a broken hip down the side of a mountain by myself after they took Prince Barin away. He’s probably right, but I can tell anyone reading this, this my account of the way I saw it happen as I swear on Vasil the Crown of Tobias.

The prince and I were riding tail while coming down the mountain to River Ream. Skura attacked, horses and men panicked. When we tried to get to the trouble, my horse slipped down the hillside, throwing me and breaking some bones. The horse died. Prince Barin, with his good heart, didn’t want to leave me alone, so he climbed down to where I fell to help me. Well, by that time the rest of the company defeated the skura they moved on before the prince and I could even start down the hill. Sun set. Mist started forming. This is where everyone says I went a little daft, but I swear on the King’s Throne itself I speak the truth. A mountain giant took him. The thing came out of the mist and turned into a tremendous rock who talked. His hands were stone, and he took Prince Barin in his fist and asked him his name and title. Barin, gallant soldier that he is told that giant his name and his royal affiliation, and that mountain giant laughed and told him he was taking him to the devil, Lord Skotádi himself. I’m not lying. I’ve been to these mountains before. I know this sorcery. Only way to get him back is to chase down that devil Skotádi.

Your loyal soldier Talos Del Monroe.

Erika’s heart raced, and her hand grew damp with sweat. Her sisters had hurried well ahead of her and so she ran to keep up, following them into her father’s room. They helped him gown, Erika brought his night cap and cool rag.

“You may leave me, girls,” Tobias said, his voice soft, mournful.

Both Olinda and Rhea curtsied. “Erika, are you coming?”

“In a moment,” Erika said, busying herself with the curtains. Once they closed the door, Erika put a chair next to her father’s bedside and took his hand.

“Father, did you read the note from Talos?”

He patted her hand and sighed. “War is a dreadful thing, Erika. We lose many good men to it,” tears welled in his eyes and instead of crying he coughed.

“Father, Barin isn’t dead. It doesn’t say here that he’s dead. Did you read Talos’ letter?”

Tobias nodded, “Even if this man’s words are true, how would we find your brother? If Neal could, he would.” Her father sniveled. Erika gave him a hankie, and he blew his nose. “I will not give up. Not until spring will we announce this tragedy. We may yet find him.”

“Talos said they captured Barin. They didn’t kill him. When Barin and I came home from Mount Ream, mountain giants attacked us. I know personally how horrible they can be. They almost crushed Rory in a matter of minutes. If they wanted to kill Barin, they would have. They’re horrible, but we can easily defeat them. I know how. Let me go find Barin.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

“Where is Rory?” Erika asked.

“I signed his release last week. He’s training again. Why?”

“I want to show him this letter.”

“Girl, what are you planning?”

“Nothing, Father. I just want to show him the letter and talk to him. I promise I won’t do anything to upset you.”

Her father took her hand in his. His face had been pale before, but now he flushed. The whites of his eyes were yellow. “My dear daughter, so long as I live, promise me you will not go chasing delusions. I need you near me. There are letters to write. You do that much for me. Do not pick up a sword unless the devil storms our keep.”

Skotádi may just do that, now that he had Barin in his clutches, she thought. She didn’t repeat her concerns to her father. The king’s health was marginal, and she worried about him, but she also frowned because of the promise she had to make.

“I promise I won’t leave you. Just let me take this letter to Rory and talk to him about it.”

“You won’t go away?”

“I won’t leave you, Father. I know you need me.”

He patted her hand again. “I don’t want to send your sisters to spy on you.”

Erika laughed, “Neither do I,” she said, drawing a grin out of him.

He ceased smiling immediately and whispered her brother’s name as, with a blank stare, he gazed out the window. “My dear son, Barin.”

She wanted to tell him she’d find him, but he wouldn’t hear it. Perhaps there’s another way. Perhaps she would send someone like…. Rory.