Ice Shards - By Yasmine Galenorn Page 0,8
back hurt beyond any pain I’d ever felt. But I understood that I wasn’t going to die, as much as I’d prayed for it.
The doors slowly began to shut. I turned and screamed, throwing myself to the ground. “Don’t forsake me. I am called by the goddess! She is in my heart. Kill me, please.”
The High Priestess stared down at me and a sorrowful look filled her eyes. “This is the last any of us will ever speak to you unless you can prove that you did not kill Vikkommin and bind his soul to the shadow. You have been stripped of your strongest powers and are no longer a threat. You have been stripped of the title of Ar’jant d’tel. You are excommunicated from the order. Go forth, back into the world. For your life here is over.”
She turned away, slamming the giant doors against me.
I stayed prone for a long time, weeping until the tears froze on my face. Slowly, when the cold ate into my body, I stood and shouldered my pack and—as it rubbed against my wounds, setting off sparks of pain—began the harrowing journey down the mountain toward the portal that would take me out of the Northlands, back home to Finland where I would have to lie to my family to avoid the embarrassment my downfall would bring on them.
“IRIS, ARE YOU okay?” Camille poked me on the arm.
I shook out of my memories and blinked. “I just . . . it’s been a long time since I’ve been here. I stayed at this inn a long, long, long time ago. It is very old yet still it stands against the ice and snow.” And so do I, I thought.
We headed up the steep flight of steps—the entrance to the inn was a full story off the ground, to avoid being snowed in every winter. When we reached the door, Howl pushed it open and we followed him in.
The central dining hall was huge and jam-packed. Northmen, a few ogres, a large party of dwarves, and other mountainhearty folk filled the room. Howl motioned for us to follow him to the bar.
“Jonah, you have the rooms ready?” he asked the barkeep.
Jonah, a dwarf, gave him a curt nod. “Aye, Master Howl. They are ready, indeed. Here are the keys.” He pushed four keys across the counter. “Will you all be wanting dinner?”
“Yes, we’ll eat over there.” Howl nodded toward an empty table, then handed the keys around. “Stew, bread, solid food for traveling.”
We made our way through the crowd to the table and slipped onto the benches. Smoky seemed unusually silent and I tapped the table in front of him.
“Is everything okay?”
He gave a quick shake of the head. “As far as I know, but I am uneasy. We need to keep watch. My father could be in this area and he would have the advantage here.”
Smoky’s father had a grudge against Camille, as well as his son, and had threatened to kill them just a few weeks prior. Now we were headed into territory that led to the Dragon Reaches and could easily meet Hyto or his friends.
“We’ll keep our eyes open,” I murmured.
Roz let out a long breath. “No matter how many times I come here, I am astounded by the strength and resilience of the inhabitants. I cannot imagine living here.”
“It is beautiful, if you like your beauty sparse and cold,” Smoky said. “The Dragon Reaches are snowy, but they are at the top of the world, where the mountains are craggy and overlook fields filled with mist and fog. During the summers, the Northmen bring their goats and oxen to the fields to feed, and we have bounty. They always bring extra, as a tithe, for we allow them use of the fields. An ox cow can feed a dragon for well over a month.”
He leaned back, draping one arm around the back of Camille’s chair. “At some point, I will take you home to meet my mother, love.”
She paled. “After meeting your father, I’m not sure how much I look forward to that.”
“My mother is far more pleasant than Hyto.” Smoky grinned at her, but then a scowl crossed his face. “If he comes near you, he will die.” Hyto had threatened to rape and eat her when they’d met.
Just then Jonah appeared at the table with a cart covered in plates. Heaping bowls of beef stew, thick loaves of bread and a crock of butter, a wheel of