“For most of its history, Illyria has been surrounded by enemies and rife with internal discord. Forced to seek power to protect itself, there is a desperate need for innovation and new knowledge.”

Chapter 46

Wil stood next to the bed in the Inn, packing some of his belongings into his carry bag. He would be leaving most of his things, along with Snowflake, here in Grand Falls. He needed to travel light, so he only packed the essentials.

The meeting earlier today had not gone well after Allard’s announcement. The news that Archibald would be commanding them was only minor when compared to the other news. They would all be required to support the town during this crisis.

Mara and Bell, along with most of the other Caravan guards would be heading towards the south, assisting with the clearing of the bridge and roads in order to allow the flow of supplies to resume.

It was a dangerous task. The bugbears were still active in the area and news of increased raids by other beasts and creatures had been spreading like wildfire through the town by some of the arriving refugees.

Wil was a higher ranked mage and would be traveling with a large group of adventurers to the nearby mountains. Led by Archibald, they would be responsible for finding the source of the storm and stopping it.

The crowd had asked Allard how the Bard knew the source to be in the mountains. He had responded that the mages had performed an augury, a high-level divination spell that sought guidance from the heavens. They were pointed north, towards the high mountain peaks and the Dwarven ruins.

It seemed logical to Wil. The lake on the mountain peak, warmed by the ever-burning heart of the mountain, had frozen. It was logical to start the search there. As for his opinion of Archibald leading them, he did seem somewhat capable, despite his appearance and attitude.

A knock at the door interrupted Wil’s packing.

Opening it, he was greeted by Anabelle Quentin’s beautiful face. Her brows drawn together in concern for him. She was holding a large, wrapped package in her arms. She stepped pass Wil and into the room, before spinning around to face him.

“Here! This is for you.” She said, trusting the package at him.

“For me? You shouldn’t have! I didn’t get you anything in return...unless…” He grinned at her playfully, giving her an exaggerated wink.

“Lech!” She said, hitting him in the arm.

Wil laughed, dancing around her to dodge her blows. “Alright, alright! I’m sorry! Thank you for the gift.”

“Hmph” She sniffed, sitting on the bed primly as Wil examined the package in his hands. He slowly removed the wrapping, revealed a long, white fur cloak. It shimmered in the light, clearly magical. He could feel the mana from the cloak, like static under his hand as he ran it along the fur.

“It’s beautiful!” Wil said, in awe at the item in his hands. The fur felt incredibly soft under his hands, and a gentle warmth radiated from it. He breathed in the familiar ozone like smell from the Mana imbued in the pelt.

“It’s Ursine. They’re incredibly rare, even in the north.” She said, proud of her gift.

“Ursine!” Wil exclaimed. He had read about the massive creatures. Cousins to mundane bears, they lived in the far northern artic tundra. Their pure white hides were priceless, as it was infused with the creatures Mana. Ursine hides were natural magical items, not requiring a mage or artificer to craft.

Ursine were rarely seen, only a small number made their homes in the uninhabitable artic wasteland. Their fur was impervious to the cold, as well as most non magical weapons. He couldn’t imagine how Ursine fur made it to south to Grand Falls.

“Annabelle, this is too much! I can’t accept this. It must have cost you a fortune!” Wil said, dropping his teasing and even calling her by her first name, something he only did when he was serious.

“Not as much as you might think!” She said, smiling widely. “I got quite a good deal on it.” Wil could see how pleased she was at herself, proud at her negotiating skills.

“Then you should keep it! Selling this would more than cover the trip here.” He said, holding the white cloak out to her.

Quentin shook her head, standing up and placing her hands on the fur. She gently pushed the bundle back towards him.

“It’s a gift. You’re going to be going out in the cold, risking your life for us again. Take care of it, it’ll keep you warm. If you still don’t want it, you can give it back to me when you return!” She said, smiling at him.

He nodded at her words, holding the cloak close to his chest. “Thank you, Annabelle.”

“You’re welcome. Just make sure you come back in one piece. We’ll need you for the trip south.” She ordered, faking a stern expression.

“Of course, Miss Merchant!” Wil said, grinning at her.

She stepped forward, throwing her arms around him quickly. Caught off guard for the sudden show of intimacy, Wil awkwardly wrapped his arms around her in a hug.

“Be careful.” He heard her say, before she stepped out of his embrace and left the room.

Holding the white fur cloak in his arms, he stared at the closed door. Lost in thought, he idly ran his hand down the soft fur.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Quentin watched from the third-floor window of her inn room as a long line of people slowly left through the wide-open city gates. The snow had been cleared from the streets, but it was a continual battle against the elements. The falling snow would quickly cover the ground again.

She could spot Wil, walking at the rear of the large group. He had his head lifted proudly and she could see he was wearing his new white cloak. The Ursine fur was glimmering brightly against the flat white of the snow.

Wil had been correct at the cost of the cloak. It had been a staggeringly large amount of coin. But she hadn’t hesitated to purchase it, her usual greed overcome by the worry she felt for Wil. The thought of him facing the cold alone had caused her heart to clench in worry.

She had found the item while speaking to the hunters at their Guild house. They had found the beast while they were traveling south after hunting trip. Already dead, they took it as fortune’s blessing and brought the carcass south with them.

The negotiations had gone quickly when she saw it. She had bought it for only a fraction of its cost, but still enough to make a large dent in her finances. Ursine fur was rare, sought after in the north for its resistance to the cold. She had brought the pelt to a clothier to have it made into a cloak.

After gifting him to cloak, she had returned to her room, feeling conflicted by the worry she felt for the man. Although they had only known each other a few short weeks, he had become important to her. She felt like he was a part of her family, like her father or mother.

She knew she had feelings for him, but it was more like he was a sibling. A younger, annoying brother that caused her endless grief and worry, but one that she knew would support her through anything.

The fact that he had stepped forward to assist her in East Haven, even though they were almost strangers had, stuck with her.

Annabelle Quentin suspected that Wil felt the same. She knew that he only thought of her as a close friend. She could see that although he cared about her, he didn’t have romantic feelings for her.

The flirting and teasing, the constant innuendos, were just his way of interacting with people. To keep a distance from others, keep them off balance and guessing at his intentions. She could tell he was never serious about it, he would joke and laugh, but would never push himself on her.

It was enough for him to get a rise out of her, and she thought he may run away if she ever flirted back.

With a loud sigh, she turned away from the window. The group could no longer been seen, the storm had swallowed them completely.

She would need to assist with the reopening of the roads south. Her wagons were needed to carry supplies.

Quentin said a quick prayer to the Twin Gods for Wil and all the others safety.

With a determined look on her face, she left the room, ready to do her part to see them through this crisis.