"Lein slowly opened her eyes. She stared at Fenrir's cute face and hugged him. As their face came closer, she gently pressed her nose on his snout."

Can you stop that Pampil? I don't need someone to narrate what I am doing.

"But I'm bored!"

I don't care I have stuff to do, you know that thing about an ice staff that is really close to the fort.

"Oh come on! I know it was cowardly of me, but I really need you to come here and get that staff. You won't regret it, I swear!"

Well, I'm here anyways, I don't have much of a choice.

"It'll be worth. Oh and do use my name if they refuse to let you in. See you later."

Wait who let me in?

You do know I can't speak right? How am I supposed to let them now that I am your friend? Pampil?

I hate you you god damned witch!

While I was conversing with the long dead witch, Lein droped me next to the campfire and stroked my fur as she prepared a meager meal with whatever provisions we have left. I must say I'm still surprised that neither Veria nor Lein complained about the unexpectedly long trip. Did they expect something like that? I guess they did since we are not out of provisions yet.

Albius was really talkative this morning, he kept giving stupid ideas to reach the palace's door. We mostly ignored him, though Lein and Veria would sometime interupt him to point out the loopholes.

When the humans were done eating, I led them toward the "invisible" staircase.

And Albius smashed his foot on it. He wailed and even let out a few tears. Lein laughed a lot at his expense. And Veria, in her usual pragmatism, observed the strange invisible shape our blond companion found.

I jumped on the invisible ice structure and chaneled my powers. After a more or less stable mental link was established, I tried to convey to Lein what I am siting on is.

{What is this strange feeling. Fenrir is doing something I think. There is something amiss but I can't tell what.}

Oh right, I only used this on Veria, Lein is clueless. Still might need to use it on her later so I'll make her learn.

{Are you trying to tell me something? Something under you? I know that, but I can't see it. It's cold? And transparent? Is it ice? Why do I only get scrambled informations? I think it is ice!}

Her way of thinking is far from Veria's. Not in a positive or negative sense, just different.

{It's strange though I can't see anything under, that ice can't be flying. It can? No it's just not attached to the ground. Then what is it attached to? Up? It's under the palace's door? There is a golem under it? No? Is there a pillar under it? Yes! More? There is something around the pillar? Spikes? No. Something that goes up? A ladder? No. Stairs? Yes? }

She understood!

{Wait there is an invisble staircase fixated on an ice pillar under the palace entrance? What?}

Yeah just a different way of thinking. Now she should be ready to go up but I'll keep the link just in case she gets too close to the edge.

Now that I am looking more closely at it, the staircase is enchanted. Must be to prevent it from breaking. It was made by a good enchanter, he even added magic to hide the enchantment

Lein is following me without a complain. Veria was surprised when she saw it but still followed quickly. Albius on the other hand is shaking, just like his dog. They are both scared of the height and the unsure footing. They didn't complain though. They must still be grateful that we accepted to let them come with us.

We managed to reach the top without anyone falling, even Albius managed to stay calm enough to follow us without problems.

Now that we are in front of it this door is gigantic. Could this place actually be the home of ice giants? I though they were more of the tribal kind.

"Who's there?" a faint voice came from the other side of the door. From the tone you could tell it wasn't distrust or some kind of threat, it was said in a playful young voice filled with curiosity.

Lein and Veria looked at each other in some sort of non verbal communication. Veria nodded after twoseconds and answered:"We are lost, is there anyone here that can give us directions?"

Not the best lie but good enough. Plus it is semewhat true as I am the only one aware of what is going on. The voice on the other side didn't answer, she just walked away in a hurry.

Just when I was starting to think we were ignored someone else came. Heavier footsteps, coming from an armor's weight considering the faint sound of pieces of iron colliding. Another, much sterner but still feminine voice came:"Who are you?"

Making excuses won't work here, I can tell by the tone that this woman doesn't believe the story we told her friend.

I could see Veria hesitating. Albius was completely out of it. And Lein spoke up.

"I am Lein Ardegarde, the ones with me are my servant, a soldier and two pets. I came here because I heard a legend of an ice palace."

What is she thinking.

"Hmph, common humans, can't resist your curiosity, can you?"

It is working?

"There is no way I will let you in!"

Nope.

"But sister, they are lost we can't let them die in the cold!"

"I don't care!"

The conversation on the other side is heating up.

"But they need our help!"

"That's not my..."

She was cut short by a third person. A man with an displeasing overbearing tone.

"What is going on?"

"There are outsiders at our door sir!"

"Outsiders?" he took a few seconds to think. "Sure, why not? This place needs a bit of change every now and then."

A loud noise was heard and the large door started moving. Behind it, the three were staring at us. A small hunched old man with a dark blue robe holding a grey cane topped by a green magic stone, a young woman in a white dress giving us a big smile and who I believe to be the one opposed to our arrival, covered from head to toe in steel mail.

Also they weren't human. Their skin was white, nearly transparent, and their hairs were different shades of blue. Lein was facinated by those, she kept glancing at the young girl's sky blue hair during the whole conversation. The old man spoke first.

"Pleased to make your aquaintance humans, I am Lohtrim of house Oradiel. The two young ones are Vatel and Erith of House Ervadiel."

"Lein Ardegarde with my maid Veria" she looked toward Albius.

"Albius of house Hormal." he said with a slight bow.

"I welcome you to our frozen haven, Erith will help you find a place to rest. Feel free to join us in the day of rebirth tommorow."

The man left right after that.

"So I'll be showing you around right? My name's Erith, even though I guess you already now it."

"Please to make your aquaintance." Lein asnwered while Albius and Veria slightly bowed.

"No need for formalities, the elders are the only ones that bother with it!"

"Sure, could you tell us what the day of rebirth is?"

"It's a common celebration we hold when the blue drake's hatchlings are born."

As she kept narrating how this festive day came to be, we crossed the palace. The place is gigantic and filled with inhabitants of the same specie as Erith. There are large halls, banners floating at every window and large gardens covered in flowers and exotic plants. The place was unexpectedly hot, Erith told us that they actually didn't like the cold that much and heated the place just like anyone would do. The ice is enchanted to resist heat.

The inhabitants seem all pretty well off, though there seems to be some more important than others. The whole place like a royal palace filled with nobles and their servants.

Erith explained that tommorow is the day when the blue drake's eggs hatch. Blue drakes are the main way the locals travel, the land roads being too dangerous and slow to be a viable alternative. They celebrate this day by feasting and dancing around the relic of their kin.

When we finally reached our destination, Erith showed us some vacant rooms. As she was going to leave Lein asked one last question.

"How do we call you? I mean not you in particular but the peoples that live here."

"We are called iceborns." she said with a dazzling smile.

After that we settled in the rooms we were given. Veria, me and Lein were in one, Albius and his mutt in another. Once we were done, Lein and Veria went to walk in the gardens. Albius tried to find a place to eat but got lost in the palace.

And I ran around trying to gether information. I didn't forget my dream from yesterday, I need to find that woman and help her. The problem is that I roamed everywhere around the palace but couldn't find her. When night was falling I still had no clue about who that woman was. I reluctantly went back to Lein's room so we could eat together.

This day wasn't useless either though. I got a grasp of the situation. There are four major houses here. The Oradiel who control the eastern wing of the palace, the have countless wise men and mages in their ranks. The Soraviel are warriors, they are now more reliant on their sword art's tradition than actual war to keep their power, their dojo is in the west wing.The Helkael are producing food for the entire colony, they occupy the underground caves that are used to grow local plants. The Helkael are also the only ones that trade with the outside. Last but not least are the Ervadiel, the drake tamers. The queen of the iceborns is one of them, they occupy the largest, northern wing of the palace.

I am kind of wondering what the Helkael managed to grow here. Guess I'll know soon.