Midnight Snack - Gingerbread 5
More of Louis and Will switching places in the pred/prey relationship, while in a fantasy setting. Little bit of world building, little bit of fluff. Cause we need something to look forward to. ^_^
Midnight Snack - Gingerbread
by peachnewt
Part 5
Will, dressed in layers and fueled by oatmeal, tea, and burning curiosity, waited for Louis the Grey at the South Tower.
He hoped it was the right tower. He'd have to scurry across all of Wax Wake if Louis started cleaning at the North tower. And Wax Wake, though foreigners who had never seen a properly scaled map described it as a "backwoods, swollen, mid-mountain trading post", was huge when you had to go by foot.
Will's breath fogged in the air. The sun peeked over the mountains to the southeast, painting the valley and town in a gray-blue predawn haze. But Wax Wake had already kindled cook fires and changed the guards.
That meant Louis would be here soon. Right?
Probably not. If my "visit" to his cave was any indication, Louis is not a morning person.
At least Will would have time to think while he waited. Wax Wake had so much to offer. Last night he'd queried Head Ranger Shiloh about the lay of the land, things locals would know by rote but travelers wouldn't. How certain mountain ranges collected more snow than most, and locals avoided them until the rangers set thunder bombs to shake the snow and cause a controlled avalanche before it became something more dangerous.
Will had also noticed the embroidery on Head Ranger Shiloh's leathers, cuffs, and seams, was far more intricate and widespread than on other people. Was it part of the Ranger uniform, or did she like embroidery?
Head Ranger Shiloh had snorted. "The chain stitch is regulation. The rest is my husband's work. And no, he doesn't like it at all, but he is highly invested in keeping me safe, and willing to buy enchant-cord and sew it himself than wait for a specialized mage to take the commission."
Will's eyes rounded. While a highly skilled mage-weaver could enchant ordinary thread to hold a specific spell, ward, or curse; enchant-cord could be used in any spell depending on the dyes, shape, or pattern it was sewn with. But, it took a long time and a lot of resources to make. Even in the southern cities where the majority of it was spun, it was expensive. To get it shipped to the north must be a small fortune. Head Ranger Shiloh had been decked in a emperor's ransom of metallic snowflakes, pearlescent waves, matte triangles, floral spirals.
Will had tested Shiloh's patience by asking about each pattern and what it did to protect her. Protection against fire, against blades, against drowning, against poison. Against getting a face full of tree trunk.
"A tree?"
"It was one time," Ranger Shiloh had sighed. "And my family never lets me live it down. Took weeks to enchant it properly so I could still enter a forest or approach a sapling."
"And the wavy lines near the bottom?" Will pondered the uneven chain stitches in an overlapping spiral pattern. Perhaps the stitch length was part of the enchantment coded in thread.
The Ranger smiled. "My youngest begged some local enchanted threads from a family friend. It's a small charm for warmth."
Waiting by the tower, Will fingered the sleeve cuff. Perhaps I should learn magic enhancing embroidery while I'm here? You never knew when a skill could come in handy.
He could understand doing a craft during the cold months when stuck inside for the season. But Will would rather re-read the Star Traveler serial he received every month when he was back home in Brex. I doubt the locals would waste cargo space to get the series up here.
A shadow cut across the blue-dawn light, quiet as snow, and grumpy as a squirrel whose snack stash had been decimated. Louis the Grey had arrived. At the next tower over.
Will jogged, smiling.
***
Louis' shadow cut through the dawn like a black flag, and the locals fled. He was alone, the streets eerily quiet.
Good, Louis thought, grabbing a rag from the basket hanging off the tower. The more I focus on the task, the sooner I can get back and work on the gingerbread house. I'm not good at chatting anyway.
But the brightening dawn-quiet weighed on him like clinging snow. He glanced now and then for a flash of dark blue and copper leathers at his feet.
Scared him off. For the best.
But disappointment trickled through his mind like an icicle in spring. Think about something else. The gingerbread house. Maybe he could prop up the edges of the roof so they could dry in place.
Right, like that worked the last time.
Louis sucked in a breath to fog the glass for polishing.
"Hi!"
His breath came out a startled wheeze that turned into a rough cough.
"Did I startled you?" asked Will.
"No."
Louis frowned, but inside he was happy to have a distraction.
***
Will eyed the hems of Louis' clothing, walking in an arc to see cloak and tunic.
"What?" grumbled Louis, voice a low rumble.
"Looking at your clothing," said Will. "The embroidery is different than the kind done here. Spell woven?"
Louis hummed. "Rarely. North giants are resistant to cold. And I don't need threads to take care of an enemy." He hadn't had much chance to use his axe, but he still practiced. His fingers touched the front of his gambeson where dark blue lines and geometric patterns melted into sun-worn black fabric. "These are clan patterns."
"Who sewed them?" asked Will.
"... my mother." Louis cleared his throat, focusing on the sooty rag. "What was so important in Wax Wake that you traveled through a blizzard?"
"Experience." Will motioned to the carved eaves and roofs on either side of the road. "I'm talking to the master carpenters, the craftsmen, and architects. I'm a journeyman builder, I still have a lot to learn, and the more techniques and styles I can expose myself to, the better."
"Hn."
The tower glass was crystal clear, time to move to the next one. He slowly put the basket back and walked to the next tower. As streets cleared and doors shut, Will scurried a step behind him.
"Speaking of building..."
The nibbler was really bringing that up?
"You were trying to build a gingerbread..." Will hesitated to call the dilapidated shack a shack again, especially if he wanted to stay in the giant's less than murderous graces. "Structure?" he ventured.
Louis sneered a he picked up the basket hanging off the next tower. How did so much soot get on the windows? "Why do you care?"
"Curious. You know, I could help you with that."
"What could a tiny human like you do?"
"Journeyman builder, remember. Raising homes and barns are kind of my thing."
"Raising barns all by yourself? You couldn't even raise a broken wall off yourself."
"Well... it's usually it's a group thing. Wax Wake wasn't built by one person. Or one giant. You've been trying to create a gingerbread house all by yourself, right? Wouldn't it be easier with another person?"
Louis thought hard. The Frost Empress' edict hadn't mentioned the gingerbread houses had to be a solo project. But did he really want to depend on a mortal human?
He can't possibly make a worse house.
"If you're yanking my chain, I'll eat you again."
Will grinned. "Deal! I'll meet you tomorrow at the next tower and we can talk about what you're trying to build."
Then Louis' stomach grumbled so loud the snow on the closest rooftop shuffled off onto the cobblestone street.
Will's eyes went wide. Louis ignored the talkative human and his stomach as he rubbed away soot on the tower's glass.
Go ahead, run. You have reason to. Fee fi fo-
"Would half a cookie help?"
Louis looked down. Will held up a small brown disc, the size of Louis' pinky nail, with a small bite taken out of it.
The nibbler stayed.
Louis reached down, holding out a hand. "It... couldn't hurt."
"It might." Will put the cookie in the giant palm. "It's a local bark cookie."
"How bad can bark taste?" Louis popped the tiny morsel into his mouth and ground it against his teeth once.
Louis froze.
"I did warn you."
"Mm."
"The guy that makes them says they are a work in progress."
"Mhm." Louis' jaw trembled. Don't spit it out. Don't spit it out. Wasting food is rude. Don't spit it out.
"You can spit it out."
Louis aimed over the guarding walls and spat with such distance his brothers would have cheered with pride. He glared at Will.
"Sorry?" the human said sheepishly.
Louis the Grey spoke with the gravity and grit of a landslide. "If I ever meet this baker of yours, we're going to have a talk."
Will gulped, silently praying that Reese would never meet Louis.
Gingerbread - 1
Gingerbread - 2
Gingerbread - 3
Gingerbread - 4
Other Midnight Snacks
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