I sucked in my breath at the question, and what it implied. I did not know Indsamling’s full power, but I knew that it was greater than my own. Perhaps not at the level of a god, himself, but certainly more than mortal. And he was a Twice-Born, as well, which offered even more questions about just how powerful he was.

I mastered myself, and smiled at the not-yet-a-god. “Having a being such as yourself by my side in the final battle would be more than I could hope for, as a rule. But there are battles still to be fought between now and then, and I do not believe that there will be time to safely retreat to my country and rest until the child is born. I would not wish to make a bargain, and then run afoul of it due to the tides of war, which, even when not deadly to a woman herself, can prove ill fortune for an unborn child. I am many things, but I strive always to keep a bargain when I’ve made it. Otherwise, no one would treat with me.”

The spirit looked pleased with my answer, and an almost fatherly look crossed his face. “Yes, a sentiment I know all too well, and one I helped to foster in the tribes when they were young. I am glad that they have kept at least some of the teachings I gave them, back when the first tribe ventured into this dale.”

He paused, and considered, looking me over. “Very well. You are correct that, even if the union were successful, there are yet other dangers between now and when you face your ultimate foe. Therefore, let us amend the bargain, shall we?

“You will lay with me, and bear my child. If the fortunes of battle take you, and you are brought to your goddess’s side, then there is no more to be said, but, should you return, or the battle go so that you survive but the child is lost, you will lay with me again, so that the bargain may be completed in good faith. And, in return, my blades and spells are yours for your battle against the god.”

I took a breath, and then nodded. That was as fair a deal as I could hope for. I did not look forward to another nine months of carrying a child, but my priority was surviving against a vengeful god. With Indsamling by my side, my chances grew much better of actually living through the battle, and seeing what shape the prophecies took later on.

“I, Melinda Rimedancer, accept your bargain, Indsamling Frostbite, of my own will. What now? Shall we retire to someplace and consummate the bargain? Or would you rather do things in the open, for all around to see?”

“Hah!” Indsamling laughed. “There is the fire of the tribes! Good. You will need that fire, for the battles to come. But, despite where I live, I am no savage who would just take a girl in the snow like a rutting beast, or putting on a show like some brute bending a tavern wench over the table while everyone watches. There is a proper way to go about things, after all.”

He looked over my shoulder, and I turned, to see the rest of my party flying down behind me. Their hands were not quite on their weapons, but they were close. I shook my head, and said, “It is all right. This is Indsamling, the one who rules over this place, and keeps it as neutral ground, where the tribes might always talk, without fear of conflict. He has proposed a bargain, so that we might gain his help in the fight against Torm, but I must fulfill my part of the bargain, as well.”

Siora’s Knowledge (Arcana) check: 1d20+31 = 40 (Success)

Siora gasped as she looked upon Indsamling. “An elf… no. Not an elf, a Leshay!” As the others turned their eyes to her, she said, “They are mentioned only in some of the rarest tomes. Fey creatures from another time. Some say another world entirely. They are immortal, and far more powerful than mere mortals, but have not risen to godhood. And I can feel the power rolling off of him. Even if we wished to face him, we would be hard pressed to take him on in a straight fight. If he wishes to ‘talk’ then I say we not hinder him. But we will be wanting details later, Melinda!”

I smirked at that comment. The sisters likely already guessed what the fey wanted from me. Of course, they would want the details! “How much, or little, I tell depends on how things go.”

“Yes, and we should get on with it. If you will take my hand, Melinda, I will transport you to my lair. I’ll return you here when you have satisfied me with your part of the bargain.”

I smiled at the others, and said, “I’ll be gone until the morning, at least. I’ve already ordered Captain Frostknife to work together to set up watches and patrols. Use a Sending to alert me, if the Archons show up early.”

Vestele nodded. “In truth, I am surprised that they haven’t shown up already. Archons have the ability to teleport at will, do they not? Surely, they could have made it here by now.”

Sanvi shook her head. “We can teleport, as the greater version of the spell, it is true, even if we have not seen a place before, but we still must have a reliable description of where we are teleporting to. How many of those in the cities have seen this place, and seen it well enough to actually offer a description of it?”

I chuckled. “Unless things are greatly changed since last I walked the Dale, you are the first outside the Tribes to have seen this place from anywhere closer than the peak of Helvar’s Fall, and, even then, the eagle-eyed individuals would only have seen steam rising up from the hot springs beneath this place.”

“Much has changed since your Sundering, but not that much. The tribes keep away from the cities, except rarely to trade for things they cannot make as they roam, and even those hunters from the cities do not make their way this far from their homes. They will have to fly, or run, if they are to come here.”

I nodded. “Then it is settled. Set up defenses, and prepare, but I should be back well before they arrive. Now, I must attend to my part of the bargain, and Indsamling.” I offered him my hand, and he took it, smiling.

There was a flash of light, and, the next instant, we were in a stone chamber, lit with everburning torches. It looked as though we were in what was once a natural cavern, but magic had clearly been used to shape it into something that was clearly a home. And, even if I had not been immune to the cold, I would not have needed even a simple coat, for the air was warm, and a bit humid.

As I looked around at the exquisitely carved furniture, made from wood that was most certainly not native to the Dale, I realized where we were. Indsamling had taken us to his lair, no doubt, but that lair was somewhere underground, close to where the hot springs rose. I didn’t guess as to why the tribes had not stumbled across it by now. No doubt a glamour of some sort covered the entrance. Perhaps there was not even an entrance at all, and no way in or out without teleporting! Magic made many things possible.

Indsamling walked around in front of me, and I took the time to look at him properly. He wore clothes that were alien to this world, but were made of rich fabrics, and in a style that looked as though it would be just as at home in a samurai’s castle as it would amongst the barbarians I grew up around. It defied simple explanation, but it was beautiful.

Indsamling, too, was beautiful to behold. I knew, through the Voice of the World, that my own beauty had reached levels that few could comprehend, but part of that was due to the magic items I wore. Indsamling was as gorgeous as I, and I did not sense there was any glamour aiding that. Or, at the very least, not so much as I was using. He just was elegance and perfection made manifest.

It was fortunate that the refined, elegant style was more of what attracted me than brute strength. Oh, there was something to be said to seeing a man with bulging muscles, bristling with physical strength and, one hoped, the endurance to match, and I would not turn away a view like that, were it offered. However, the attitude that typically came with such a body reminded me far too much of my old life, and the men who had hurt me there. They’d always been big, and strong, and they used that strength to take what they wanted. To take me, whether I wanted it or not.

Indsamling had muscles, yes, but not to the level a warrior espoused. He was lean, and had barely any fat on him, like a swimmer, or a runner, rather than a barbarian. And he walked with a practiced gait that spoke of a hunter, or a martial artist. Every bit of him oozed confidence and control.

I saw him moving, but, even so, it was as though he moved in the blink of an eye. One moment, he was standing in front of me, my hand in his. The next, he was behind me, one arm upon my waist, while his other hand ran up through my hair, before grabbing it at the base. Gently, but firmly, he pulled my head to the side, and I felt his warm breath upon my neck.

Such quick movement and getting into such a position so quickly should have set off warning bells. It should have made me scared, showing how far out of my depth I was, like prey before a predator. But it did not.

Instead, I felt safe. Secure. Something about his aura and the way that he was so perfectly in control made it feel as though worrying about little things about how he could overpower me was not worth talking about. He made it so easy, so comfortable to relax my guard, to allow him to take control of things. Of me.

“Mmm. You smell just as good as I thought you would. You know, the first time I laid eyes upon you, as you entered my realm for the first time, I was drawn to you. There are too few of us who have been born and born again. You feel it, too, don’t you? That separation between you, and those who have known only this life. Even your friends cannot know things the way you know them. Only those who have been through the same thing have any clue.”

I nodded, slowly, not trusting my words in that moment. That was something I had thought, more than once. My friends and companions were dear to me, but my knowledge of my old life, and all the things that were in my world, made this one seem small, and limited, even if I was so much freer here. It nagged at me, in the back of my mind, a refrain so constant that it went unnoticed until someone mentioned it.

His arm brought my waist in close against him, and I felt something hard prodding me as it pressed up against my backside. Once again, Indsamling’s warm breath whispered in my ear, “I thought I lost my chance when you Sundered yourself, and went beyond my influence. Now, you are here, and you are going to be Mine, now, and for always. You’ll never escape me again.”