After escaping their encounter with the fire breathing Dire wolf of all things, Shirriah retreated to Syrinx’s clearing without any further confrontations. Immediately repacking her equipment and securing the strange arrow, which she stored deep within her pack, she readied herself in the event the Direwolf pursued. Syrinx reformed shortly after and described how she used the last of her waterbody to fend off the wolf’s attack. Shirriah was preparing to leave once there was no sign of a pursuit but Syrinx insisted that she stay the night stating that it would be safer to travel the next morning. Caving, Shirriah retired early with Syrinx stating she would keep watch. That night was unnaturally quiet and Shirriah slept with one eye open. As the sun’s first rays started to light the horizon Shirriah was stepping out of the clearing. There she and Syrinx found a worn circuit around the entire clearing. Something had been circling the entire night. Glad she had to listen to her friend’s advice Syrinx had immediately insisted Shirriah leave escorting her close to Forest’s edge. It was the closest that Shirriah had ever seen Syrinx come to the edge of the forest and she would have been ecstatic if it was not for the circumstances.

Shirriah was glad she had maintained her grueling pace, shortening the day and a half long journey to a single day. The sun was just starting to set as she jogged over the final rise of the hills, a sigh of relief escaping her as the walls of WinderVal appeared in the distance. A hint of cold crept through her pack as she shifted and she quickly readjusted its position on her back. Shirriah paused for a moment and looked back at the distance forest then resumed her hurried pace down towards the city.

The stone walls of WinderVal rose taller as she approached the city. Passing wagons shot her curious glances as they returned to their quiet villages and Shirriah wished she hadn’t lost her cloak. Elves were rare this far from The Dale and though many in the city knew her there was always that select few from the outer lying villages that liked to gawk. The guards on duty nodded to her as she strode under the Large Portcullis and entered the city. Shirriah headed straight towards her mother’s Residence.

The city of WinderVal was constructed in a large circle. The housing districts were first and foremost sitting on the outer edge with some cheap inns and bars scattered here and there. A short distance Inside the Housing district sat the Business district. Blacksmith’s, tailors, merchants, and anything else you might need could be found here. Higher profile Inns and Restaurants were scattered throughout the Business district as well. The final district was a collection of personal housing, specialty business, and guild halls. It was also the closest to the Lords Keep which sat in the dead center of the city. Paved Roads allowed easy travel through all the districts with guard stations scattered at various locations.

Shirriah was headed for the Third and innermost district. Her mother had had a Building assigned to her by the residing Lord, Lord Garic after she had politely declined his offer of a place with in the Keep. Shirriah herself owned a fairly nice House in the third district as well with her father living over his apothecary Shop in the second. The thought of her warm bed made her briefly consider just reporting to her mother in the morning. The chill that slid through her pack chased the thought away. Better if she got this over with as soon as possible.

It was dark by the time she made it to her mother’s office and knocked on the door. Bensen opened it a crack and peered out into the night.

“I’m afraid we are closed.” He paused seeing her face and opened the door wider allowing her inside. “My apologies Shirriah Shaerethir I did not know you had returned so soon.”

“Is my mother still up?” Shirriah asked stepping into the foyer.

Bensen nodded. “I have not yet been dismissed for the evening and the last time I checked she was working on paperwork in her study.”

Shirriah nodded her thanks and started towards her mother’s study Bensen closing the Door behind her.

“Would you like me to prepare anything for you? Some tea or refreshments?”

“I’m fine,” Shirriah told him as he followed her up the staircase. Stopping in front of an ornately carved door Bensen slid around her and knocked softly. A muffled “come in” was heard and Bensen stepped into the room with Shirriah behind him. “Your daughter is here to see you, Ma’am. Would you like me to bring you two anything?”

Shirriah’s mother Arlahne Shaerethir sat behind her desk in the center of the room. A small fire flicked in the fireplace behind her. A set of Chairs for visitors sat on one side of the room while on the opposite side a large pair of cupboards occupied the walls. A wooden tea tray sat to her mother’s left and Her mother set the cup she had been drinking from down on it as the two of them entered.

“Thank you Bensen for seeing her up.” Her mother said setting the paper she had been reading down on a large stack to her right. “That should be all for today. You are dismissed”

Bensen dipped his head. “A good evening to the both of you then.” Turning he left, closing the door behind him.

Shirriah walked over to one of the chairs along the wall and pulled it in front of the desk. Dropping her pack to the side she sank into it with a sigh. Her day-long run was catching up with her. Her mother picked up another paper from a pile in front of her, her Eyes moving as she read it. Shirriah gave her a moment to finish.

“How did you know and who told you,” She asked as her mother placed the paper on the pile to her right.

“How did I know about what?” Her mother asked picking her teacup back up.

Shirriah leaned forward her voice rising in frustration. “How did you know about Syrinx?”

Her mother took a sip from her cup and set it back on the tray. “It’s my job to know who and what happens concerning Citizens of the Dale. If I did not know there was a Nymph out in The Forest of WinderVal I’d be doing a terribly poor job. I thought you knew I knew?”

“Syrinx wants to be left alone Mom and I intend to keep it that way until she feels otherwise. Also, she has never spoken to me of coming from the Dale, so as far as I know, she is not a Citizen. Which means you have no obligation or requirement to oversee her actions.” Shirriah stated crossing her arms and leaning back with a frown.

Her mother sighed. “I am not going to argue with you about the specifics of my responsibilities again.” She leaned forward on the desk. “I was told that you and this nymph were close which is why I suggested you visit her. I would assume everything went well seeing how you have returned so soon.”

“Your side-stepping my question.” Shirriah interrupted. “How did you know about Syrinx and who told you about her.” Shirriah glared at her mother. “You’re not having me followed again are you?”

Her mother rubbed her face with a hand “No I am not having you followed. And for how I know about your friend, Syrinx as you called her, am afraid I can’t tell you.…” Her mother held up a hand stalling Shirriah’s imminent outburst. “But I can say that so long as she stays in the forest, I won’t have anything to do with her.” Her mother looked her in the eye. “That is the best I can do.”

Shirriah sighed heavily. “I’m going to find out who told you.”

Her mother smiled at her. “You are more than welcome to try.” She picked up her cup and took another sip of tea. “Now was there something else you wanted to tell me or are you simply worried about your friend meeting your mother.”

Shirriah stared accusingly at her mother. “She was frozen.” She watched as her mother frowned in concern and continued. “Exactly For three months. Leave a Nymph frozen long enough and they’ll eventually die. I was lucky to get there when I did.” Shirriah clenched her hand on the chair's armrest. “That is why I want to know who told you about her. They knew what happened and did nothing to help!”

“I’m sorry.” Her mother said with genuine concern in her voice. “But I still can’t tell you anything. Besides, what would cause a nymph to freeze in the middle of the summer?”

Shirriah leaned over the side of the chair and reached into her pack, wrapping her hand around the bundle of cloth that held the arrow. She had wrapped it several of her spare shirts and the cloth was frigid to the touch. Lifting it out she dropped the bundle in the middle of the desk. “This. I pulled it from her spring. I have to take it to an engraver and see if he can tell me what it is.”

Her mother looked with disproval at the dirty shit. “When was the lasted time you washed this,” she asked as she pulled a letter opener from a side drawer in her desk and flicked the bundle open. White vapor swirled up as the cloth fell back and there was a slam as her mother stood up so fast she knocked her chair over.

“Where did you get this?”

Shirriah saw a flicker of fear cross her mother’s face as she looked at the arrow.

“You didn’t touch it did you.” She asked looking back down at it. “No, if you had you wouldn’t be here right now.” She looked up to Shirriah in alarm. “Who else knows you have this.”

“No one but Syrinx and me. And now you.” Shirriah stated.

“Good, Good.” Her mother sighed in relief. Standing she walked over to the wall of cupboards and opened one of them pulling out a sealed chest. Unlocking it she dumped a swath of papers on to a lower shelf and walked back to the desk. Using the letter opener she flicked Shirriah’s shirt back over the arrow then carefully rolled the bundle to the edge of her desk. Holding the chest next to the desk she rolled the arrow into it than slammed the lid shut and locked it.

“You know what it is don’t you,” Shirriah said as her mother placed the box back into the cupboard.

Her mother walked back to her desk, righted her chair, and sat back down. She took another sip of tea. Shirriah noted her hand was shaking and the teacup rattled as she placed it back on its saucer.

“There is no official name for them. But we call them Bolts of Eternal Frost” Her mother said. “Little is known about how they work. We first encountered them in our second Battle against the Enemy. They were mixed in among the normal arrows that covered their assaulting forces as they advanced.”

Shirriah frowned in confusion. “That seems like a waste. I fail to see why you would want arrows that freeze water in a battle against elves.”

Her mother’s voice was deadly serious as she spoke looking Shirriah in the eye. “They don’t just freeze water. They freeze everything. And the Ice continues to spread until for some undiscernible reason it suddenly decides to stop. Entire sections of our defensive shield wall suddenly became coated with ice and it spread from soldier to soldier like a disease. Those that went to help were covered as well. The very plains we stood on became coated in ice as I watched.”

Her mother shook her head at the memory. “How we managed to fight back the enemy’s assault I don’t know. After they fled we tried to free those frozen and found our spells did nothing. Nothing we had seemed to harm the ice, not the sun, not our tools or weapons nothing. Once we discovered the arrows were the source we tried to remove them or destroy them. The result was the same as being struck by them. Whatever touched them was encased in ice.”

Her mother looked towards where the arrow sat locked away in the cupboard. “There were a few we found that seemed to be flawed. There powers drastically weaker allowing us to collect them. While they were still dangerous we studied them the best we could. Our mages still have not been able to find a way to reverse the process. The ice persists to this day refusing to melt.”

There was only the crackle of flames for a moment before Shirriah’s mother snapped out of her reverie. “Did your Nymph friend say how the arrow found its way into her spring?”

“It was shot there by an unknown individual with a crossbow,” Shirriah said.

“Then it was a good thing you went as soon as you did.” Her mother sighed.

“There’s more going on than just the arrow.” Shirriah sighed.

Her mother frowned at her statement. “More How?”

Well for starts there were several lightning strikes a short time after I removed the arrow. Syrinx mentioned something about the forest calling for aid and we went to investigate. We found recent trail activity and ran into a warded clearing. In an attempt to circumvent the ward, we tailed the group that had just left and found them dead from a Dire wolf ambush. It seems that a rather large pack may have moved in from deeper in the forest.”

Have you spoken with the Guard or the Guild about them yet?” Her mother asked interrupting.

Shirriah shook her head. “No, I plan on doing that tomorrow.”

“I see.” Her mother said motioning for her to continue.

There was evidence of someone escaping the ambush but I don’t think they made it far as they were all riding packhorses. We couldn’t find what they used to pass through the ward until Syrinx noticed that each of them had a cloak of similar make.” Shirriah pulled out the bundle of cloak scraps that she had collected and placed them on her mother’s desk. “They look of elven make but I couldn’t find any of our people’s crest’s woven into the material.”

Her mother pulled a piece of cloth from the bundle and began to examine it as Shirriah continued her story.

“Syrinx’s hunch paid off with the cloaks allowing us to pass the ward. We found a clearing with several overturned wagons, a single male body, and what appeared to be a summoning ritual.”

The last discovery brought her mother’s head up. “You’re sure it was a summoning.”

Shirriah nodded. “It looked exactly like the descriptions we were taught. The circular platform, arcane markings and there were cracked cores inside. There were also footprints inside the circle.”

Her mother set the scarp down on her desk and swore. “I imagine both councils are going to get involved. This is going to be a nightmare.” She sat back rubbing a hand over her head as she thought over Shirriah’s story. “Please tell me you brought the body back with you?”

Shirriah shook her head in disappointment. “We were prepping to bring it with us when I went to check a pair of saddles I’d seen by one of the wagons. That was when one of the largest Dire wolves I’ve ever seen attacked us. I got a single hit in on it which barely phased it so I made the call to leave. Mostly because the damn thing was breathing fire and torching everything in the clearing. When I turned to grab the body it was gone.”

“So he was alive and managed to escape in the confusion. Also, A Direwolf breathing fire!” Her mother exclaimed in disbelieve.

Shirriah shook her head again. “It sound’s crazy but yes, the wolf was literally on fire at one point. As for the man escaping, I don’t see that happening. I didn’t detect a heartbeat or a pulse and a large portion of him was burnt to a crisp. I doubt anyone could move in that condition.”

Her mother stated at the piece of cloth on the table. “Here I was hoping for a nice peaceful Fair of Starfall this year.” She muttered.

“Damn I forgot Were that close already,” Shirriah exclaimed.

Her mother nodded at her motioning towards the stack of papers on her desk. “That’s all I’ve been doing the past couple days. A bunch of merchants wants to sell eleven wares so I’ve been busy checking over all their requests for different goods.”

“Speaking of which.” Shirriah added, “I need a new travel cloak, mine is shot with all my recent traveling.”

“I’ll put in a request for one. I’m also going to send these scraps to a friend of mine. She’ll be able to tell me if there were elven hands involved with the weaving. ” Her mother stated. “For now I would advise you to stay in town for a couple of days. The council is definitely going to want to speak to you once I inform them of what you found. And once the mages get involved.” She shook her head. “Yella help us all. It’s going to be a nightmare.”

Shirriah stood up and picked up her pack. “Well if that’s all I’m exhausted. I gong to head home for the night then.”

Her mother nodded at her as she headed towards the door. “I might have a job or two for you…”

Shirriah paused her hand on the doorknob. “I did my three months I’m done.”

His mother sighed quietly behind her. “If you ever going to learn how to do my job you need experience and I would prefer you to handle the Dire Wolf Pro...”

Shirriah stepped out into the hall. “I’ll keep you posted on what happens regarding the council. Goodnight mom.”

“Shirriah!”

Shirriah paused looking back at her mother who stared at her with genuine concern in her eyes.

“I’m glad you made out all right.”

Shirriah smiled her thanks then closed the door behind her, trotting down the steps as she headed towards home for a good night’s rest.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

Arlahne sighed at the sound of the front door closing as she collected the bundle of scraps, securing them in a drawer in her desk. Pulling a blank piece of paper to the center of her desk she began to draft her report to Garic. Once he read it he would then send his own to the Mage Council. Shirriah would most likely inform the City Guard and the Mercenary Guild about the Direwolf increase in the morning but it never hurt to cover all of the bases. A small breeze wove through the room rustling the papers on her desk accompanied by a quiet giggle.

“If you scatter my paperwork all over my study again a lengthy letter will be sent back to her majesty,” Arlahne told the room.

There was another quiet giggle. “She did very well on the journey and in the forest.” The breeze whispered.

“I will not allow it.” Arlahne stated.

“It is not your decision to make.” The breeze whispered. “She has passed my assessment and is of age to make her own decisions.”

“Then reassess.” Arlahne stated flatly.

The breeze ruffled her hair. “Who are you to deny her the path she wishes to take. She has already shown her dislike for the position that you hold. She will not take your place.”

Arlahne placed her head in her hands. “She has to. She’s not ready.”

The breeze wove through the room with a whispering sigh. “I disagree. You daughter has shown remarkable skill. There are few that can befriend a nymph. And fewer still that encounter weapons of the Enemy and live to tell the tale. As you are aware yourself.”

Arlahne looked towards the cupboard where the arrow laid locked away. “What do you suggest then?”

A final assessment.” The breeze whispered. “One of your choosing. One that once she finishes will lay your mind at ease knowing that this is the path she wishes to take and will accomplish.”

Arlahne reached for a second piece of paper and began to write on it. “A final assessment then. Then if it is what she wants I won’t try to stop her.”

The breeze rippled across the paper as she wrote as if reading it. The fire in the fireplace flickered. “This will cause a greater strife between the two of you.”

“I know.” Arlahne said

She will need assistance and not from you.” The breeze responded.

Arlahne nodded “I am not sending my daughter out on her own. She will have assistance.”

“Then a final condition.” The breeze whispered. “She must be made aware that she is being tested. I will send one of my own to oversee and inform her on what. You must inform her on the why.”

Arlahne stamped the paper with a seal pulled from a small drawer on her desk and folded it in half. “Agreed.”

“That it is settled.” The breeze sighed “My representative will arrive with-in a week. Please introduce the two of them as soon as possible.

Arlahne nodded as the breeze swirled around her and vanished. Looking at the paper in her hands she sighed and leaned back closing her eyes. Halfar was going to kill her for this.