Arvek 10
At the very least, the room was warm. A soothing sensation after trudging in the snow and getting drenched. Their hostess ushered them to a couple of wooden chairs, handing them blankets. Lir thanked her, making himself comfortable.
A feat in this house. The fire was warm, but the house was far from cozy. The bare wooden chairs they were sitting on were all that could be used as seating. There sat a table by the fire, lit with a candle, casting light on a few random papers. A wooden ladder led up to the loft. No decorations adorned the walls, no pieces of art were displayed on the built-in shelves- only some bare necessities. This was hardly a lived-in space.
Arvek attention went to their hostess. She was dressed not unlike Rovyna. Her dress was brown with wear and wear, but had been carefully mended. It looked official, even. Her soft orange hair was tightly pulled back into a bun and covered with a maid’s cap. A few strands escaped their tight updo, testifying to a long day. One look at her face and Arvek was convinced he’d seen her before. But he could not place where nor recall a name.
Just as he studied her, she studied him and Rovyna. However, she eyed them much as one would eye a painting they suspected to be a forgery but was refraining from voicing such suspicions.
“As you can see, I have here the rightful heirs to the throne,” Lir said, gesturing to Arvek and Rovyna. “And this is Berry.”
She gave something of a curtsy. Arvek and Rovyna nodded in return.
Without a word, Berry stepped away and walked to the fire. She formed three cups out of nowhere. Pulling a kettle off the fire, she filled the cups, then handed them to her guests.
Lir thanked her for the cup. After taking a sip, he got down to business. “I don’t believe you’ve been informed of this, but the plan is that Oriana here will find work as a maid. Perhaps you know of an opening?”
“The head maid looking for some new maids,” Berry said, “in Lord Talith’s manor.”
“How odd,” Rovyna noted. “You work for him, but live here instead of in the servants’ quarters?”
“I am newly employed,” Berry explained. “They also wish to prepare the servants’ quarters.”
Uneasy, Arvek took a sip of very watered-down tea. They wanted to prepare the servants’ quarters? Why was it not already prepared? What could possibly require this much preparation, that Berry had to be out here?
“Is that so?” Rovyna asked. “And she is looking for several new maids? What happened that she needs so many?”
Berry’s expression was grim, but her answer more so. “I was informed they all ‘moved away.’”
“Ahh . . .” Rovyna leaned back in her chair, her face mirroring Berry’s.
Arvek took another long sip, liking the idea of Rovyna staying behind even less now. He felt sorely tempted to tell her to continue on with him.
“And what of the two of you?” Berry asked, pointing her jaw at Arvek and Lir.
“We will be spending the night here, then heading out to the Veil in the morning,” Lir said.
Berry raised an eyebrow. “The Veil?”
“He was recently assigned there,” Lir said with a jerk of his head to Arvek.
Berry glanced at Arvek again before continuing with Lir. “You realize there is a lot going on down there? I heard an entire village got wiped. There were some tremors coming from there as well. There are likely better spots to be assigned.”
“That may be so,” Lir said calmly, “but there are many advantages to being stationed in the Veil.”
“I am not so sure they outweigh the risks.”
“That may be, but it is the only place we may get much needed answers,” Arvek interjected.
Berry glanced at him. “You may find them here.”
“And I may not,” Arvek rebutted. “I appreciate your concern, but this has to be done.”
She pursed her lips, but said no more on the matter. “Well, space and bedding are limited. I can offer only so much.”
“What you have will be enough,” Lir assured her.
“If you say so.”
Despite her concerns regarding nighttime arrangements, it turned out well enough. The loft, where several stray straw mattresses nearly covered the whole floor, was able to fit all four of them, but little else. They did not spend much time chatting after getting the essentials, and readied for bed shortly after. Travel weary, even with the knowledge they would be parting ways in the morning, they were able to fall asleep.
When Lir woke them, Arvek felt a flash of annoyance, wondering when he would feel well-rested again.
Berry served them a quick breakfast of barley cakes and watered-down tea. Arvek found himself having to push himself to eat, as his stomach rolled in knots. As soon as breakfast was over, he and Rovyna would part. It seemed a little unreal. Yes, they had split ways before, but he had always thought her safe the other times he had done so. Now she wouldn’t be.
When Lir declared it time to leave, Arvek followed him to the door. Rovyna stepped behind him. He turned to bid her farewell. Instead of words, Rovyna stepped forward and curled her arms under his arms and around his shoulders. He wrapped his arms around her, closing his eyes and resting his chin on her collarbone. They didn’t say anything. It didn’t feel necessary. All that was needed was the physical affirmation. All too soon, their arms slid off each other and they stepped back, looking into each other’s eyes. For Arvek’s part, he tried to memorize her face. She had not yet put the lotion on, so she was as he wanted to remember her.
Lir cleared his throat, and the goodbye was broken. Arvek turned and followed Lir through the door, down to the hedge, through the tunnel, and on the other side of the city wall. There they began their grueling journey through the snow to the Veil.
It was slow going, and quiet. The suns were still waking, and the snow muffled anything that would make any noise. They happened upon no other travelers, let alone any other signs of life. The walls of Chester loomed behind them, never getting smaller as though mocking their progress.
The lack of tracks and beaten paths led to cold, wet feet. Arvek forced himself to focus on anything else so he would not frustrate himself with his inability to do anything about his uncomfortable situation. His mind decided the best distractions were those of the same nature, such as his freezing fingers, or how the wind made his face raw.
They finally arrived at the little shelter before the bridge. Lir allowed a short break, handing out some barley bread. They did what they could about their feet, encouraging the suffering appendages to carry on just a bit farther. Before they lost too much more sunlight, they headed out.
The darkness began to gather as they started crossing the bridge. The rushing water beneath them faded from their view, blending in with the shadows and rocks. It reminded them that it was still very much present with its dull roar, waiting for one of them to fall off the bridge and to a cold, watery death. Their shoes left fresh marks in their snow- not even a horse’s print could be made out. The cold’s bite grew sharper, angrier, leaving stings wherever it could reach, seeping in through the fabric of their clothes as though it were nothing.
Even with the prospect of having to live as a soldier and spy, Arvek found himself looking forward to the barracks, for surely it would be warmer than out her. He couldn’t even make himself care about the soldiers’ abysmal behavior. Just warmth and dryness filled his mind.
The suns disappeared completely, swallowed by the dark of winter. Yet they had not yet reached civilization. With only Lir’s lantern to guide and protect them, their surroundings had become less of just the existence of nature and more a hostile environment, waiting for the right opportunity to attack. The thought of Berry’s dire warnings of “tremors” and the state of Ridgestone flashed through their minds. Who knew what horrors awaited them just beyond the line of trees?
When Arvek became tempted to call it quits, to bury themselves in the snow for the night, they saw light in the distance. Both of them heartened by the sight, their pace began to pick up, as much as their frozen limbs would allow. Said limbs became more unthawed as the light draw closer. At long last, the village came into view. They stumbled into its roads, the well-trodden paths a welcome relief. They hurried to the source of light- the tavern.
In the back of his mind, something told him it wasn’t right. There was something wrong. But the desire to be warm and dry outweighed the little alarm.
As they climbed the steps, Lir turned around, and gave Arvek a pointed look.
The potion.
Arvek fumbled with his pockets, his fingers not working with the same dexterity they had had that morning. They fumbled with the bottle and he pulled it out, hoping that his body heat had kept it from freezing solid. After some trouble with the stopper, he got it open and took a tiny drop. He gasped and coughed, the tiny bit of liquid burning the back of his throat while leaving an acrid taste that would surely never leave his mouth ever again. He closed the bottle, clearing his throat and swallowing constantly.
When Lir felt him recovered enough, he opened the door.
It was one thing to not find unruly, partying soldiers. It was an absolute shock to find the tavern room devoid of people entirely.
Arvek shut the door behind him, looking at Lir, as though hoping he would explain. But lir seemed just as baffled as he.
The shutting of the door alerted someone in the kitchens. A man stepped out, brandishing a fire iron as a weapon. Arvek recognized him as the barkeep. Gerald. His eyes were wide with determined fear. The fear softened when he saw the two of them, but he was far from warm and welcoming. He jabbed the iron in their direction fiercely.
“Who are you? Why are you here- what do you want?!” he demanded to know.
Lir slowly raised his hands to show himself unarmed. Arvek copied him.
“We are not here to cause harm,” Lir said reassuringly. “We were looking for shelter.”
“At this time?” Gerald barked.
Lir, a little puzzled, answered, “Why, yes, it is dark, after all.”
“Which is why you should’ve already been inside!”
“Sir, we had no idea- we’ve only just arrived,” Lir said, remaining calm and assuring.
“Arrived from where?”
“Chester.”
“Ain’t nobody supposed to be crossing into the Veil! Travel was cut off.”
“Yes, well, this is my fault,” Arvek said, stepping forward. He didn’t have to try hard to be sheepish- he was the one who had sent the generals and with that the mess they had made, after all. “I was assigned to work under the generals when they arrived, and I delayed.”
“Should’ve just stayed home,” Gerald growled.
“I was assigned to Greyglade,” Arvek said smoothly. “I was hoping to avoid public humiliation.”
“And you think I’d help you? A soldier?” The barkeep spat on the ground. “That’s what I think of your kind!”
“Not even if we pay well?” Lir said, trying to entice him.
“Gold means nothing when there’s nothing to buy,” Gerald told him. “You should decide if you would rather face a night outside or public humiliation. And don’t take all night. I want you out.”
Arvek slowly turned to look at Lir, using his lack of haste as means to think of something. The alternative was to sleep in the cold, and he wasn’t keen on that. As his eyes met Lir’s, it clicked.
He turned back to Gerald. “It must be exhausting to watch over the inn all night.”
Gerald lifted his poker higher, eyes narrowing.
“You probably want a good night’s sleep.”
“Get-“
“What if instead of a room for the night, we will stay down here and guard the door, and you can rest easy?” Arvek offered.
“You expect me to trust the two of you?”
“Well, if there is nothing to buy, what is there to steal?”
“A wisecracker, eh?” Gerald growled, unamused.
“We just want a warm place to stay the night,” Arvek said simply. “We want nothing more.”
Gerald regarded them with suspicion and dislike, but the offer of a night’s rest was far more tempting than the money.
“If I catch you leaving this room, or find both of you asleep in the morning, I will report you to the general,” Gerald said.
“I think that is reasonable,” Arvek agreed.
“More than,” Lir added.
“I want the two of you out as soon as dawn breaks,” he said.
The men agreed to the terms and slowly back up to the door, sitting on either side of the frame. The barkeep kept his poker trained on them the whole time. When they say, he backed out of the room, just as slowly as they had.
Lir encouraged Arvek to sleep first. They alternated throughout the night, taking care that they did not sleep at the same time. At the sight of first light, they did their best to shake off the weariness remaining and left.
They continued right through the next few villages. The reception of Gerald’s and the closeness of their target encouraged them to continue without stopping as much as possible. It was well into the night when they arrived in Greyglade. The changes to the village were minimal from when Arvek saw it last. The repairs appeared to be finished, and the smoke indicated people were moved in. But the streets were quiet. The inn was quiet.
Casting a glance around, Arvek realized a section of the village appeared blacked out. Writing it off as weariness and the dark of night, he stumbled after Lir, who had taken off in the direction of the barracks. He took another tiny dose of the potion as they drew near to the door.
Lir lifted a hand and knocked.
