Mountains west of Northgate
Winter 23
Ethan
The western trip through the winding mountains was slow and strenuous. Each day the group made careful progress, slowly carving a path, vaguely guided by the general directions inscribed on the maps they carried. The cold was just as terrible as Ethan had expected. Even dressed with the warmest (and most expensive) furs he could find, the frozen air somehow managed to sneak past his tightly synched clothing and chill everything underneath.
The nights were different though. Because of Sav’s magic, the times that should have been the harshest were instead the most comfortable. Each night, the group would huddle around and within minutes they were warm and dry. Sitting inside that magic bubble, sheltered against the elements, a small campfire set in the center, breathing the crisp, clean mountain air beneath the vast canopy of countless stars… Ethan found himself enjoying life outside the city for the first time since he was small child.
Roux, Astarael, Talith and Vanja were sharing a story about giant scorpions. From the sounds of it, the battle had been fierce. Astarael and Vanja each seemed surprised; it was difficult to tell whether Roux was also surprised, although he shouldn’t have been. Seeing this, Ethan realized that they may have thought the yeti or perhaps these scorpions were good examples of the terrors that roamed the north. But these creatures were small potatoes, and since Ethan was something of an expert on small potatoes, he decided to share the story of the creature they encountered almost two years ago.
“Ok all that sounds terrible, but it’s nothing compared to what we saw a couple years ago,” he says, excited to share his insane story.
“We were making our way towards this old hunting lodge – me, Bax, Talith and Garbon. We had a vague idea where it was, but mostly we were just blindly headed in a direction and hoping to get lucky. Each of us had rented a horse, except Garbon, I think. I think he shared one.”
“Anyway, we’re following a road looking for a path or road that used to exist (like 80 years ago or something) when all of the sudden the fog around us starts getting unbelievably thick. Until it basically turns to soup – you can’t see more than 10 feet or so in any direction. The horses start acting funny, like they can sense something’s wrong. And so can we. So we dismount, draw are weapons and wait. And we hear… nothing. Total silence except for our breathing, the flicker of the horse’ tails and the distance sound of a limb snapping under the weight of thick snow.”
“Then, coming out of the fog, we see it…”
“A woman, about twenty or thirty feet tall. No eyes. Completely naked. Each step she takes, leaves the snow completely undisturbed beneath her and none of her movements create even the smallest sound.”
“She hears our horses (who aren’t clever enough to completely freeze in place) and moves to where she’s looming over them. Then, with one hand, she picks up one of the horses, and tosses the entire thing into her mouth.”
“The crunching of the animal’s bones in her jaw was… something I will never forget.”
“So, Vanja, when you kept wondering why I was so hesitant to leave the city – it’s because I know the shit that’s out here beyond the walls.”
“Men and women in the city may be dangerous… but at least I stand a chance in a fight. And most of the time, I can know when they’re coming!”
Ethan wondered if Bax had seen anything equally crazy during his time alone in the North.
Talith
Talith sat on a nearby rock as he dug at his fingernails, listening to Ethan’s story. It was true. Talith would never forget the impact of force that monster had when it shoved him off his feet with only a finger. How they managed to not be eaten is still nothing short of a miracle, but for now, Talith would only listen and nod in agreement while Ethan tells the tale.
Astarael
Astarael listens to the tale Ethan shares, a look of horror on her face. She looks over to Talith, seeing him nod. She looks at Bax, then over to the giant scorpion tail, leaning against a rock just outside the dome they are in. And then gives her attention back to Ethan. When he’s done talking, she says,
“I feel like maybe this would have been a good story to share before we left? Um…where exactly did this happen? Far, FAR away, right?”
Ethan
Ethan considers this, scratching the stubbled beard that was beginning to grow on his face. His eyes narrowed as he thought back.
“Mmmm… nope, it was around here, kind of. I mean, it was in the mountains just outside the city. I think we’d traveled for… a few days maybe? A week? I can’t remember.” He looks to Bax and Talith, hoping one of them might chime in with the answer.
“But yeah — terrible creatures. Horrifying, unbelievably deadly things are all around this place. I kept wondering why all of you were so eager to leave the city, especially with no supplies or,” he looks to Vanja, “by yourself.”
“I figured you were all just kind of…” Ethan catches this opinion before he voices it. “Uh… very brave.”
Nailed it, Bishop chimes in.
Shut up, Ethan thinks back.
Vanja
Vanja sits back against her pack, and pulls a small knife from her belt. Shield balanced over her lap, she starts to work on an intricate design of runework along the shield’s edge.
She pauses, and looks up at Ethan, brows raised, as she hears the surprising…. compliment?
“Brave?” She grins, and laughs at him, not unkindly, appreciating the effort.
“I wasn’t intending to be brave. Or reckless or foolish either. But traveling alone in itself isn’t so dangerous.” She nods to Bax, “If you know what you’re doing in the wilds. And in the north, it’s the cold that is the most pressing danger.”
“I never thought it would be easy here. Or that there wouldn’t be monsters. My parents told plenty of stories themselves, of things they saw. During travels with their tribe. There is a reason they settled to the south of the Torbjaers, to have a family. Jorung is a hard place.”
She shrugs, “But people do live here.”
“And it’s simpler here. A giant isn’t capable of intrigue. A frost scorpion doesn’t kidnap people, or imprison them, or torture them. An ice bear doesn’t have a grand scheme to wipe a whole race from the earth. Here it is just life or death.”
“I understand the importance of the ongoing battle against the Inquisition. But it’s a complex thing, that needs so much time and planning.”
“Hunting the yeti seemed to be a job that needed to be done. It’s been all through the mountains, killing Swans and villagers alike, even on the Isendel side. And in many ways, it’s easier to kill a monster than a man.”
She leans forward and resumes the runework on her shield.
Ethan
Objectively speaking, Vanja’s assertion was incorrect. But Ethan was smart enough to avoid offering a counterpoint.
“It’s funny, I haven’t thought about that giant woman since…” he trails off. His smile falters, replaced by a strange sense of recognition that settles across his face. Like a man who just remembers making a kettle of soup that morning, but doesn’t remember taking the kettle off the flames before leaving his home for work.
“Ah….” he stammers.
No… his mind thinks. That… no…
He shakes his head, jostling loose the thoughts overwhelming his mind and tossing them out as words.
“Um, Talith. That girl you mentioned before. Your ‘friend.’ Amberlyn. That was Amberlyn Petriar…?”
Talith
Talith is staring at the ground beneath him when Ethan prompts the question. Talith perks up upon hearing the name “Amberlyn,” but that quickly fades as he catches Ethan’s expression. He’d realized that the question carried weight, and so Talith would match his tone with that of the question.
“Yeah. The Petriars were the ones that took me in. Why do you ask…?”
A moment passes before the sheer tension of silence forces the words from Talith’s lips.
“But I can assure you that I’ve cut ties with her like you suggested. So don’t worry!” he says as a grin reaches the corners of his mouth.
**Ethan**
Ethan’s face is a shade paler than it typically is.
“Her mother… is she… Lady Savine Petriar?!”
Talith
Confusion subtly begins to contort Talith’s face.
“I—” He pauses for a moment. “I… No. Now that I think about it, Amberlyn never told me her mother’s name, nor did I ever ask.”
Talith raises an eyebrow.
“But why do YOU ask?”
Ethan
“No, Talith, seriously, this is important. You were there for almost a year. Amberlyn is not head of that house. You must have heard her parent’s names…!”
“Hells, you must have met them… right?! I mean… a year!”
Talith
Talith stands to his feet, seemingly caught off guard by Ethan’s words, forcing Talith on the defensive whether he needed to be or not.
“Wha—Yeah, I know she’s not the head of the house, her great uncle is! Why—”
Talith scratches at his scalp apprehensively.
“—And I don’t know her mother’s name! Amberlyn always just referred to her as ‘my mother’ or ‘my mom’. Also, she and her parents didn’t even stay in the same building as I did. What’s the big deal, Ethan? Why is this so important!?”
Ethan
Then, he remembers. It was hard to keep track of each and every noble he met or heard about.
But it came to him, finally.
“No… not her mother. Her aunt,” he says to himself.
His eyes look up and meet Talith’s once again. “Lady Savine Petriar is her aunt. Savine is the noblewoman that Sireli turned into a widow. The one who came to witness the execution of a witch who murdered her husband, but instead watched as the creature blew out a hotel room and escaped across the rooftops.”
Talith
Talith opens his mouth to respond before Ethan even finishes, however instead of words, his mouth is left slightly agape as he takes in what his friend had just said. Finally, after a beat or two, Talith manages a response.
“Oh..” His eyes linger around the room, searching for his next words. “That’s unlikely. If what you’re saying is true, Amberlyn would have brought it up! And IF it is true, then it’s probably information that she’s unaware of. Not everyone in the Petriar family is close. They’re family by name and blood, but that’s it. I wouldn’t be surprised if Amberlyn doesn’t even speak to relatives outside her immediate family unless called upon to do so. IF she were aware and it puts me at risk, then she would have told me. So… either it’s not true or Amberlyn just isn’t privy to or doesn’t care to hear that bit of info.”
Talith’s thumbnail begins to press into his hip as he continues to stand.
“Think about it. I was living under Petriar care for a year. Don’t you think her aunt would have tried something or at least confronted me if she knew I was at the scene that day? …And besides, even if she DOES know I was there, it’s not like I did anything wrong. I was just another victim of this ‘witch’.”
Ethan
Ethan’s eyes are fixed downward, staring through the ground as Talith speaks. His eyes remained focused on their target as he responds with a sanguine nod.
“Yeah… yeah, think about it…”
He lapses into silence and he continues to do just that.
Astarael
Astarael has been watching this back and forth between her two friends with great interest. But now it seems as though neither Ethan nor Talith are going to offer up much of an explanation.
“Well, I don’t know who Sireli is, nor the events that you spoke of with a widowing and an execution and an explosion.”
She looks at Ethan.
“But perhaps someone here will offer an explanation into that. I also don’t know much about the noble families in general, something I wish to remedy. I’ve been spending some time each day carefully observing the gates of the White Ward—the headquarters of the Inquisition’s presence in Northgate, as well as where the main barracks are for the Painted Swans. Many things and people pass through each day, with great scrutiny, but it’s worth noting that I’ve seen many nobles—from most of the major houses, and some lesser—come and go each day. This in itself is not overly suspicious, as it’s likely they have business with the barony magistrates. However, knowing that the nobles do regularly spend time there, two things have occurred to me.
“One is that if we do have a close alliance with someone we can trust, who has been able to enter the White Ward, the information on the inner layout and workings of that place would be invaluable to our future planning.
“But, if I correctly understand what Ethan may be implying here, he’s saying that perhaps the act of Talith being taken in and provided for by the Petriar family is not as innocent or fortuitous as may have seemed.”
She looks over to Talith now. He seems uncomfortable, and understandably, defensive. It sounds like he’s considered Amberlyn to be a very close friend. And now it’s being suggested that she may have been manipulating him all along.
“This is concerning, because even if most of the noble families dislike the presence of the Swans, and their disruption to commerce, any one of the families would have plenty to gain by cooperating with the Inquisition and their quest to root out the troublesome magic users in the city. And they would be smart to do so.
“So, Talith. You spent a year with the Petriars, but how much did you learn about them? How much was from a source other than Amberlyn? And I’m sorry to ask this, but do you know for sure she is who she claims to be? Did you meet anyone else from the family?
“It might be best for you to enlighten us a bit on how you found yourself in her company.”
Talith
The pain in Talith’s hip subsides as he releases the pressure of his thumbnail. To his surprise, Ethan didn’t seem to have much else to offer. Had Talith won? Had he actually taken the advantage in this discussion? Talith wanted to feel pleased with himself, but something about the tone of Ethan’s short statement felt as though it were still ringing, chipping away at Talith. He couldn’t help but feel that Ethan had more on his mind. Talith was about to speak when Astarael chimed in.
There was a moment of hesitation after Astarael had finished. Talith rubbed his eyes and let out a sigh before responding.
“Ughh okay. It’s only fair everyone’s up to speed since we’re having this conversation.”
Talith rubs his chin before clicking his tongue, eyes scanning the friends around him.
“Sireli was a companion of ours. We only recently learned of her death when Danica returned. Before Garbon’s death, we had discovered that an innocent life was going to be taken due to accusations of witchcraft. Ethan had revealed to us that Sireli had previously disguised herself as the innocent woman and with that woman’s face, she killed a nobleman. As a result, his wife wanted justice and they captured the alleged witch, whom Sireli no longer wore the face of.”
As if moving on their own, Talith’s hands met at waist level before extending his left fingers and applying pressure on each knuckle, resulting in a popping sound.
“In an attempt to acquit this woman without revealing our magic, we staged an attack for everyone to see. Garbon used his tools to resemble the woman on trial, only he WOULD use his magic for all to see so that there would be undisputed evidence of this woman’s innocence. Considering that this ‘witch’ supposedly lured men with money, I played the part of the victim and entered an inn with Garbon disguised as the witch. Lumotu told the guards that he saw the real witch enter the inn and he then eventually gave Garbon and I the signal to start. The staged attack of the witch resulted in a hole being blasted out of the inn with myself appearing to be injured while Garbon, the witch, began his escape for everyone to see, including the deceased nobleman’s wife.
“After all of the commotion had died down, I was taken in by the Petriar guards and questioned. The captain recommended a personal guard, Murin, from the Petriars just in case the witch decided to attack again. I agreed to it in order to not raise suspicion. It wasn’t long after that that the Swans began to heavily occupy Northgate and our place was set ablaze and… Garbon was killed…
“After that, I fled. I managed to stay hidden for a day, but I had many close calls. I eventually found myself fleeing again. I wasn’t sure if the Swans had spotted me, but I didn’t want to take any chances. I turned the corner and crashed into a girl, Amberlyn. At first, I had to lie and say that I was running because I had made a group of people mad due to winning more card games than average. She helped me find a place to lay low and she would bring me food and water when she could manage.
“The next day, however, Amberlyn returned informing me that she had seen my face on one of the wanted posters. I thought about fleeing again, if i’m being honest, but I had nowhere to go. And so I told her that that accusation was false. She seemed to believe me. She told me that recently, she’d heard of someone else being falsely accused and so my false accusation wasn’t a stretch. Over the next few days, we grew closer. She would bring me supplies and we would talk and play… games./. Eventually, she was caught seeing me. She apparently had a potential suitor in town and seeing another man wasn’t a good look. As a result, we were both taken to the head of the Petriar family.
“The head of the house recognized me from the wanted posters. I told him the same thing I told Amberlyn and she backed me up. That was when he agreed to allow me to stay there provided I work for him.”
Talith eyes scan the area until they find Astarael’s.
“And no, I didn’t meet many members of the family aside from Amberlyn, the head of the house, and possibly some lesser family members and guards. I was being kept in secret, after all and the Petriar family has multiple buildings in various places. The times I would meet random members with lower status, I would be previously instructed to disguise myself using the skills with makeup I had acquired from my days as an actor. Eventually, as I continued to outgrow my wanted poster, I didn’t have to use my disguise as often. The only information I really ever got about anything were instructions on executing missions from time to time such as eavesdropping on a conversation between Swans or attending parties to gain information for the family as well, all revolving around the Swans.”
Talith takes a few steps towards Astarael.
“And yes, having someone on the inside would be helpful. Unfortunately, I’m told that having someone on the inside is too risky because…well, because they’re on the inside.”
He briefly glances in Ethan’s direction, then back to Astarael.
“And yes, I know she’s who she claims to be. I have no reason to believe otherwise and every reason to trust her. If I were to stop trusting her based on theories being thrown around right here and now, then what reason do I have not to stop trusting you, Vanja, or Sav? I’ve known Amberlyn much longer after all.”
Astarael
Astarael has been sitting with her back to the wall of the magical shelter. She notices Vanja has stopped working on her shield, and is waiting for a response as well. After a moment, Talith begins to relay his side of the story. Astarael listens intently, and meets his gaze when he looks at her. She keeps her face neutral. She’s not passing judgement on Talith for any choices he’s made in the past.
We all mislay trust, sometimes. Hopefully it’s not true in this case, with Amberlyn. Unfortunately, Astarael is not quite as optimistic as Talith on that matter. But, she has not met Amberlyn, so she can’t say for sure.
She sighs, and looks away from Talith for a moment, deep in thought. And then she answers.
“I appreciate you sharing what happened. Having more information is always helpful. It sounds like Amberlyn was just what you needed at the time. It’s not surprising you grew close. But it does seem a very strange coincidence for it to have been a member of the Petriar family who found you. I think regardless of how trustworthy we think they are, it’s best to not let any outsiders know much about our true selves if we can.
“And I appreciate the irony of that statement, considering I myself was an outsider to your group not all that long ago. Believe me when I say that I learned the hard way how easy it is to mislay trust in someone. That lesson cost me dearly. So, why should you trust me, despite knowing me a shorter time? How can we trust anyone here?
“We all know that as magic users, or allies of them, we are being hunted by the Inquisition. But if you think that the greatest danger is in dying as we fight back against them, you’re wrong. They don’t want us dead. They want information from us. They want our POWER. I know this first hand. When I was captured, they could have executed me. Instead, they faked my death. They brought me to Galoring, tortured me for months on end, and finally when I told them what they wanted to hear…
“…they brought me to Tyr Isendel herself. And from that day on, I was trained, and experimented on, molded with the intent to become a tool in the Baroness’s terrible arsenal.”
Astarael takes a deep sigh. She hadn’t noticed she was standing. If there had been room, she probably would have been pacing again.
“I was once afraid to tell all of you about that. I know that it might make me seem less trustworthy. But I do so now in the hopes that you believe me when I say, I know the stakes of what we do.”
Astarael looks Talith in the eyes, and says, “You can trust me, because I would rather risk getting re-captured again, than allow you to be overwhelmed when fighting an Inquisitor and captured. I used my magic that night, in front of him, revealing who I was, because I knew that you could not fight alone. So, I didn’t let you.”
She looks around at the rest of the group.
“And I would do the same for any of you.”
She looks back to Talith now.
“Vanja and Sav also came to your aid in the sewers. At great personal risk. Vanja almost died. Sav revealed how powerful she is. That’s how you know you can trust us. Would Amberlyn do the same for you, given the chance? Would she risk her own life? The safety of her family, if she were caught? Do you trust her not to turn you, or any of us into the Inquisition, if she thought it best for herself and her family?”
Vanja
Vanja nods to Astarael and looks back to Talith. She touches her fingers absently to her sternum, pressing hard. She takes a breath. Smiles. Shrugs.
“As to trust, who’s to say. It’s a complicated thing.
“But at this rate we’ve all saved someone or another’s life, in the group. And at the very least we all know each others’ faces as witches and runemakers, and much of the magic we can do.
Vanja laughs a little, “I suppose it’s a trust of…mutually assured danger. If any of us were to betray another, it would be a quick interrogation and then that person would be found as a witch themself.” Vanja gestures in Astarael’s direction, “And, as Astarael says, captured and tortured and weaponized as the Inquisition seems to do.
“But trust who you like with your own secrets.
“And if I’m understanding this correctly, Talith, you spent the past year, when Bax, Lumotu, Roux and Ethan were all in hiding working as….some sort of agent for this noble family? The Petriars? And you were able to be spying on Swans and things while in disguise? Amberlyn could have betrayed you at any time, and she didn’t.
“Amberlyn has done right by you, so far, it seems. So I don’t see how whatever friendship you have is suddenly more dangerous than it ever was. And with her being a Petriar, and of the same family as the murdered man, well, fate is a funny thing. I met Bax out of chance. Even the other day, running into Astarael and Roux and you, Talith, in the wilds? Out of any place in the world?” She grins, “Sometimes coincidences do happen. And you can’t question fate when it makes people flow together.
“And if the Petriar family has a connection to the Swans, in any way, and if being with Amberlyn gave you access to see some of those comings and goings, even just at parties or overhearing how they interacted with her family, it seems like that…friendship is an asset.”
She pauses and looks down at her shield, pressing her thumb against the new runes, and continues in a quieter voice. A flush rises from Vanja’s neck and across her face, and she shakes her hair down to hide it.
“Especially now that we’re all trying to forge new connections to get more information about what the Swans, and the inquisition are working on. Some of us have had to get… pretty close to Swans, ourselves. Trying to learn things.”
Astarael
Astarael mutters to herself, “Quick interrogation…?”
Bax
Bax had been half listening to the conversation at hand. His mind was focused elsewhere while he unconsciously fiddled with a twig he’d found earlier.
It’s when Astarael stands up, seemingly to be on equal footing with Talith, that Bax’s attention snaps back to reality. The group seems to be discussing Talith’s time within the past year, his living with the Petriar family.
Oh good, he thought to himself.
Politics.
He could feel tensions rising within their small bubble. No one seemed to be moving to break up the situation so he decided tackle it himself. Placing the twig between his teeth, he cupped his hands and clapped loudly twice to get everyone’s attention.
CLAP CLAP
“Okay aaaand we’re good! I’ve been zoned out for I think at least the past hour so I dunno what we’re talkin about but I need you guys to bring it down. Whatever this conversation is about is over. I’m sure it’s important but we can pick it up another time.
“Let’s see…” Bax looks over the small crowd, his eye landing on who appeared to be the center of attention. “Talith! You’re comin outside to watch the goats with me! Grab your shit and we’ll relieve Danica and Paloma.”
Before anyone can object to his sudden interruption, Bax stands and walks out of the bubble.
Astarael
Astarael is lost in thought, anger rising in her. Bax’s claps snap her back to reality, however. After he leaves, she mutters something about “needing more firewood” (despite the temperature in the dome being regulated by magic), and she bundles up and storms off out the door, past Bax, and off into the dark.
Bax
Astarael rushes past Bax without a word. She seemed to be in a hurry though he couldn’t imagine where she was headed.
“Don’t stray too far,” he calls after her. “And like I said, I dunno what was goin on in there. So if ya need to talk about anything later lemme know.”
Talith
It was a lot to take in, everyone’s opinions, but take them in he did. Astarael’s words were reassuring in some ways, but in other ways, doubt regarding Amberlyn was very much present, understandably so.
Vanya’s words helped lessen the weight off of his shoulders. It was nice. For some reason, anytime his actions were doubted or his relationships questioned, Talith couldn’t help but feel like a child being scolded by adults. To be fair, he had very much been a child most of his life. Now, however, he was an adult and it was a relief to hear Vanja understand the situation and where he was coming from.
Best of all were Bax’s words. Bax had given him a way out of this questioning. Talith would much rather face the cold outside than continue this conversation here.
Currently, there were two things aside from the discussed topic that brought concern to him. One was Astarael’s history and her abrupt departure into the darkness outside. The other, Talith couldn’t guess what was going through Ethan’s mind even now as he sat there. His previous tone continued to ring through Talith and it wasn’t a pleasant ringing.
Regardless, these were all issues that Talith couldn’t process at the moment. Currently, he would put himself first before he continued to contemplate everything else.
“We can… continue this later I’m sure. I’ve said my piece on the matter. If anyone wants to come to a conclusion based on potential theories, then that’s your prerogative.”
Just before stepping outside to join Bax, Talith looks back to his friends.
“And for the record, of course I trust you all. I trust Amberlyn just as much. For me, she’s just as important a friend to me as any of you… Anyways… I’m going to watch the goats with Bax.”
And with that, Talith steps outside.
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