A Song of Snow and Ashes by S.J. Drew
your chances even better. My sword will rend your weapons as though they were made of paper. Or perhaps I'll send away my sword, and take up an ordinary blade against you, but I'll still have an advantage of physical strength. Do you want to fight me?" she demanded.
Only Hialmar seemed to be making an effort to say something, but no sound came out.
She held the sword in front of her. "That's what I thought. I am not weak. I'm not helpless, I'm not stupid, I'm not to be coddled and condescended to. I'm the Champion of Light, Avatar of a god. I am the LightBearer."
Fear was evident in all their faces. Even Jomei, who had caught a glimpse earlier that day of her power, still felt his heart beat faster. The inner glow was not exactly brighter, but it was more intense, like sunlight, and it hurt their eyes to look at her. There was no doubt that she was indeed a vessel of divine power, and the men of the Council could only stand there and stare, completely awestruck.
She looked into their eyes, and every one of them backed down. Silence descended for several moments.
Finally Hialmar stepped forward. "Forgive us, my Lady," he started, with a quaver of fear in his voice. "We have sorely underestimated you and your power. The god would not have Chosen you without reason. We were too old and stubborn and set in our ways to see that you are indeed worthy to be our Champion."
To her amazement, although she hid it well, he knelt down to her. One by one, the rest of the men followed, and bowed their heads. She sent the sword away, but kept the Armor on. "You are forgiven," she replied, her voice still thundering. "Will you now include me in your Council?" She reached her hand down to Hialmar.
"Of course, my Lady," he answered, looking up. Trembling slightly, he took her hand.
She pulled him up easily and smiled in a reassuring fashion. "Good. Since you're all gathered together, why don't we go to wherever you hold your meetings, and you get me caught up on the situation?"
The others stood up, looking a little lost.
"Yes, we'll do that. There's a lot to tell. Have you studied anything about the politics of this part of the world?" Hialmar asked.
"Yes, I have, as well as history." Her voice was returning to normal, and the light was fading.
"Good, good, that'll make things easier. We generally meet in my cottage. But don't you normally have fighting practice in the afternoons?"
"I'm sure Aidan will understand." They started to walk toward the door. With a thought, she sent the Armor away, and by the time they reached the door, her appearance was nearly normal, except for her eyes. She was pleased her bluff had worked so well.
When the doors opened, there were several young men standing around, trying to look like they were just taking a break from practicing. No one was fooled. It was clear they had been eavesdropping, and most were just staring as Eliora emerged with the Council.
Hialmar shook his head slightly, but didn't say a word to them as they went to his cottage. His cottage was larger than most of them because he had an extra room that seemed to be the Council's standard meeting room. It was covered in maps and letters. Someone fetched an extra chair, and the Council talked to her until dinner time.
"Well, that's the situation. We still don't know where the ShadowWalker is hiding, or what he's up to. We're pretty sure he's not in Trevelan, because all the mages would make it difficult for him to gain any sort of power without resistance. So we guess he's somewhere in the city-states, trying to gather political power and people to fight, or he's in the Charred Lands, trying to gather an army. That leaves a lot of territory," Hialmar finished with a sigh.
Jomei winced at the title, but said nothing.
"We'll be meeting again in two days. That should give you plenty of time to digest this information."
"Digest?" she thought, momentarily confused. Some idioms didn't quite translate correctly, but after a second, she figured out what he meant.
"Alright, gentlemen. Er, people," he corrected himself. "It's been a long day, even if it was short on daylight. I don't know what your custom is, my Lady, but the day after the winter solstice is the first day of the new year. We generally have a feast to celebrate new year's eve and new year's day."
"Yes, we have something similar. We celebrate the lengthening of the days, the return of sunlight, but we don't normally have a feast."
"Well, party might be a better term," Jomei offered. "There tends to be a lot of ale passed around, and many games played. The new year's day feast is a bit more sedate."
"Whatever you want to call it, we're running a little late," said another man.
"Then this Council meeting is dismissed. Have your messages ready for our Lady to carry," he ordered.
The men nodded, and everyone filtered out.
It was fully night outside when the meeting adjourned. The demian lanterns bathed the area in a soft twilight, and music came floating down from the treetops.
"The demians celebrate as well," Jomei said, in response to her unasked question.
"'Surround yourself with music, with fire, with friends. Keep the light close on the cold solstice, for this moonless, longest night of the year is when the creatures of Darkness go abroad, and when they are strongest,'" she quoted, translating from the Light language.
"You gave her the Book of Sol to read? Of course," remarked Hialmar to Jomei.
He nodded.
"Knowledge is power," she replied.
"Sounds like something a damned mage would say," he muttered.
"In this case, those damned mages are quite right."
He looked surprised that she'd heard him.
Before they even opened the doors of the dining hall, they heard a din of noise inside. But when she entered, the room went dead quiet, and everyone, nearly eighty people, were staring at her.
She said nothing, only noted that there were women present, and that they were all at least fifteen years older than she was.
After a moment, Hialmar spoke up. "I thought this was a celebration. Come on, people, celebrate," he ordered, but he was smiling.
This broke the spell, and the crowd went back to talking.
The kitchen door was wide open, and she followed the Council as they went back there and helped themselves.
"You'll sit with us at the head table," Jomei said quietly. "I think it'll be easier on you."
"Thank you," she replied gratefully.
It didn't take her long to eat, but she had trouble talking to anyone. When the men of the Council were finished, they joined their wives and friends for games and drinks. She approached the young men, who looked at her fearfully.
"May I join you?" she asked, hesitantly.
"Sure," Aidan replied, but he didn't seem eager.
She sat down anyway. "How many of you were eavesdropping?" she asked bluntly.
Aidan and about a dozen others answered her, including Davin, who was giving her a very odd look.
"That's what I thought. What did you hear?"
"The gym has thick walls," Aidan replied. "We didn't really hear that much. We heard them talk, and we heard you talk, and you were talking really weird. Your voice went deep and rumbling or something. And whatever you said, or did, made the Council ask you to join them. Damn." He took a long drink of ale. "Davin was the only one of us smart enough to fetch a ladder to look in a window, but he hasn't told us what he saw."
She glanced at Davin. He seemed to flinch a bit upon noticing her eye color, but returned her gaze. His expression was impossible to read.
"So now you're all frightened of me?"
"Well now, we wouldn't say that," Aidan answered.
"I would," interjected another. Several others echoed this sentiment.
"I stand corrected. You're scary, alright? I felt like the very ground was shaking when you were talking to the Council. And your eyes are still all white. I mean, we were used to you, you know? You were kind of scary when you first got here, and then you starte
d to learn to fight, and learn to talk to us. I forgot you were the Champion."
The others nodded in agreement.
"I don't know. It's just, well, it's unnerving to be reminded how scary you are."
"I do understand, and I'm sorry. I've joined the Council, and we're going to do some planning. This may be the first time I've scared you, but it probably won't be the last," she replied resignedly.
They stared at her, surprised. Some leaned away. Davin's expression was still unreadable.
"You don't have to put it like that," Aidan replied finally, taking a nervous drink.
She smiled wanly. "I understand. I'll leave you to your celebration. It's not my custom anyway. Will there be fight practice tomorrow afternoon?"
"I don't know. Depends on how much I drink tonight," he answered.
"Alright." She stood up. "Have fun." Then she turned and left.
Powdery snow was starting to fall from the sky, and her breath crystallized in the air. She walked away from the loud, boisterous sound in the dining hall and made her way to the unused watch tower. Here it was quiet, as it was far enough away that even the demian music couldn't reach it. She climbed up the branches, getting her gloves soaked through. She lit the lantern, and swept the snow off the platform with a broom Davin had thoughtfully brought up a few weeks ago. Then she sat down and stared into the night. The new moon and cloud cover rendered the darkness complete, and all around her was silence. Nearly two contemplative hours went by.
"Eliora?" came Davin's voice, sounding loud to her ears.
"Yes."
"What are you doing up here?" he
Only Hialmar seemed to be making an effort to say something, but no sound came out.
She held the sword in front of her. "That's what I thought. I am not weak. I'm not helpless, I'm not stupid, I'm not to be coddled and condescended to. I'm the Champion of Light, Avatar of a god. I am the LightBearer."
Fear was evident in all their faces. Even Jomei, who had caught a glimpse earlier that day of her power, still felt his heart beat faster. The inner glow was not exactly brighter, but it was more intense, like sunlight, and it hurt their eyes to look at her. There was no doubt that she was indeed a vessel of divine power, and the men of the Council could only stand there and stare, completely awestruck.
She looked into their eyes, and every one of them backed down. Silence descended for several moments.
Finally Hialmar stepped forward. "Forgive us, my Lady," he started, with a quaver of fear in his voice. "We have sorely underestimated you and your power. The god would not have Chosen you without reason. We were too old and stubborn and set in our ways to see that you are indeed worthy to be our Champion."
To her amazement, although she hid it well, he knelt down to her. One by one, the rest of the men followed, and bowed their heads. She sent the sword away, but kept the Armor on. "You are forgiven," she replied, her voice still thundering. "Will you now include me in your Council?" She reached her hand down to Hialmar.
"Of course, my Lady," he answered, looking up. Trembling slightly, he took her hand.
She pulled him up easily and smiled in a reassuring fashion. "Good. Since you're all gathered together, why don't we go to wherever you hold your meetings, and you get me caught up on the situation?"
The others stood up, looking a little lost.
"Yes, we'll do that. There's a lot to tell. Have you studied anything about the politics of this part of the world?" Hialmar asked.
"Yes, I have, as well as history." Her voice was returning to normal, and the light was fading.
"Good, good, that'll make things easier. We generally meet in my cottage. But don't you normally have fighting practice in the afternoons?"
"I'm sure Aidan will understand." They started to walk toward the door. With a thought, she sent the Armor away, and by the time they reached the door, her appearance was nearly normal, except for her eyes. She was pleased her bluff had worked so well.
When the doors opened, there were several young men standing around, trying to look like they were just taking a break from practicing. No one was fooled. It was clear they had been eavesdropping, and most were just staring as Eliora emerged with the Council.
Hialmar shook his head slightly, but didn't say a word to them as they went to his cottage. His cottage was larger than most of them because he had an extra room that seemed to be the Council's standard meeting room. It was covered in maps and letters. Someone fetched an extra chair, and the Council talked to her until dinner time.
"Well, that's the situation. We still don't know where the ShadowWalker is hiding, or what he's up to. We're pretty sure he's not in Trevelan, because all the mages would make it difficult for him to gain any sort of power without resistance. So we guess he's somewhere in the city-states, trying to gather political power and people to fight, or he's in the Charred Lands, trying to gather an army. That leaves a lot of territory," Hialmar finished with a sigh.
Jomei winced at the title, but said nothing.
"We'll be meeting again in two days. That should give you plenty of time to digest this information."
"Digest?" she thought, momentarily confused. Some idioms didn't quite translate correctly, but after a second, she figured out what he meant.
"Alright, gentlemen. Er, people," he corrected himself. "It's been a long day, even if it was short on daylight. I don't know what your custom is, my Lady, but the day after the winter solstice is the first day of the new year. We generally have a feast to celebrate new year's eve and new year's day."
"Yes, we have something similar. We celebrate the lengthening of the days, the return of sunlight, but we don't normally have a feast."
"Well, party might be a better term," Jomei offered. "There tends to be a lot of ale passed around, and many games played. The new year's day feast is a bit more sedate."
"Whatever you want to call it, we're running a little late," said another man.
"Then this Council meeting is dismissed. Have your messages ready for our Lady to carry," he ordered.
The men nodded, and everyone filtered out.
It was fully night outside when the meeting adjourned. The demian lanterns bathed the area in a soft twilight, and music came floating down from the treetops.
"The demians celebrate as well," Jomei said, in response to her unasked question.
"'Surround yourself with music, with fire, with friends. Keep the light close on the cold solstice, for this moonless, longest night of the year is when the creatures of Darkness go abroad, and when they are strongest,'" she quoted, translating from the Light language.
"You gave her the Book of Sol to read? Of course," remarked Hialmar to Jomei.
He nodded.
"Knowledge is power," she replied.
"Sounds like something a damned mage would say," he muttered.
"In this case, those damned mages are quite right."
He looked surprised that she'd heard him.
Before they even opened the doors of the dining hall, they heard a din of noise inside. But when she entered, the room went dead quiet, and everyone, nearly eighty people, were staring at her.
She said nothing, only noted that there were women present, and that they were all at least fifteen years older than she was.
After a moment, Hialmar spoke up. "I thought this was a celebration. Come on, people, celebrate," he ordered, but he was smiling.
This broke the spell, and the crowd went back to talking.
The kitchen door was wide open, and she followed the Council as they went back there and helped themselves.
"You'll sit with us at the head table," Jomei said quietly. "I think it'll be easier on you."
"Thank you," she replied gratefully.
It didn't take her long to eat, but she had trouble talking to anyone. When the men of the Council were finished, they joined their wives and friends for games and drinks. She approached the young men, who looked at her fearfully.
"May I join you?" she asked, hesitantly.
"Sure," Aidan replied, but he didn't seem eager.
She sat down anyway. "How many of you were eavesdropping?" she asked bluntly.
Aidan and about a dozen others answered her, including Davin, who was giving her a very odd look.
"That's what I thought. What did you hear?"
"The gym has thick walls," Aidan replied. "We didn't really hear that much. We heard them talk, and we heard you talk, and you were talking really weird. Your voice went deep and rumbling or something. And whatever you said, or did, made the Council ask you to join them. Damn." He took a long drink of ale. "Davin was the only one of us smart enough to fetch a ladder to look in a window, but he hasn't told us what he saw."
She glanced at Davin. He seemed to flinch a bit upon noticing her eye color, but returned her gaze. His expression was impossible to read.
"So now you're all frightened of me?"
"Well now, we wouldn't say that," Aidan answered.
"I would," interjected another. Several others echoed this sentiment.
"I stand corrected. You're scary, alright? I felt like the very ground was shaking when you were talking to the Council. And your eyes are still all white. I mean, we were used to you, you know? You were kind of scary when you first got here, and then you starte
The others nodded in agreement.
"I don't know. It's just, well, it's unnerving to be reminded how scary you are."
"I do understand, and I'm sorry. I've joined the Council, and we're going to do some planning. This may be the first time I've scared you, but it probably won't be the last," she replied resignedly.
They stared at her, surprised. Some leaned away. Davin's expression was still unreadable.
"You don't have to put it like that," Aidan replied finally, taking a nervous drink.
She smiled wanly. "I understand. I'll leave you to your celebration. It's not my custom anyway. Will there be fight practice tomorrow afternoon?"
"I don't know. Depends on how much I drink tonight," he answered.
"Alright." She stood up. "Have fun." Then she turned and left.
Powdery snow was starting to fall from the sky, and her breath crystallized in the air. She walked away from the loud, boisterous sound in the dining hall and made her way to the unused watch tower. Here it was quiet, as it was far enough away that even the demian music couldn't reach it. She climbed up the branches, getting her gloves soaked through. She lit the lantern, and swept the snow off the platform with a broom Davin had thoughtfully brought up a few weeks ago. Then she sat down and stared into the night. The new moon and cloud cover rendered the darkness complete, and all around her was silence. Nearly two contemplative hours went by.
"Eliora?" came Davin's voice, sounding loud to her ears.
"Yes."
"What are you doing up here?" he