Ice-Bound Promise [Wattys 2023 Shortlister]

23

Únik had only seen a few signs and symbols of Patrons. The three-as-one of Elea Kha, the Eternal Mother, Patron of Maidens. The all-seeing eye of Grava Kha, Patron of Thoughts. She had never seen this one. A circle, with eight arms spreading out from it. Though she had never seen it before, she could see that here, centuries before, this Patron was important to the people of Pithnar.

"What Patron is that a symbol for?" Before attempting to open the doors, she paused, guiding the eyes of Shihiri and Hatyara to the carving.

"I don't know. I don't care much for Patrons. Not even Ilsith or Weire, though my kin would have fits if they heard me say that." Shihiri only glanced at the carving before running a hand over the surface of the door. "Let's just try and get inside, out of this rain."

"My people worship only Arayaray Kha, Patron of the Ice. No other Patron matters to us." Following Shihiri's lead, the Ice-Kin shrugged as she passed Únik, placing her own hands on the door.

Giving the circle and eight arms one last look, Únik shrugged, herself, before putting her own hands upon the door. With a look that passed between all three of them, they began to push with all their remaining strength, only to find the door opening with little effort required. They all stumbled as the door swung inwards.

With a frown, Shihiri moved to the other door, pushing against that one alone and that, too, swung wide, revealing the temple within. Barsa had returned from his wild running around, standing beside Únik, lifting his nose in the air and sniffing. The dog's ears fell flat against his head as he gave a slight whimper.

This was a different sound than before. Not the protective growl as Barsa had sought to protect them from the stream of rats that had fled the flood waters. This noise almost sounded as though Barsa were in pain. The hound cowered beside Únik, resting his weight against her legs. Únik had never seen Barsa react like this.

"Barsa doesn't like it." Únik stepped back, reaching out to comfort Barsa without looking, her eyes fixed upon the darkness within the temple. "We should look for somewhere else. Maybe there are other buildings we can rest in? Behind this one."

"You said it yourself, Únik. We're all ready to collapse. We need rest." Shihiri looked inside the doorway and spotted old torches in sconces on both sides of the entranceway. "At least we can get in for a short while. Stay within this entrance, light those torches, if we can, and not go much further?

Únik found herself chewing her bottom lip. She trusted Barsa more than anything, anyone. If the dog found this place so terrifying, it made him cower? That was a place Únik did not wish to explore. Not even the entranceway. Yet, she couldn't deny how her tired legs felt as though they could collapse at any second.

There was little choice here. She looked to Hatyara and saw that, despite her attitude, showing the determination and nobility that she projected so often, the Ice-Kin shivered. From the cold of the beating rain and winds, or from exhaustion, Únik could not feel certain. Shihiri, too, belied her straight back and shoulders. Únik could see the exhaustion upon that silver birch skin.

"Just the entrance, then. Out of the rain." She looked down towards Barsa, his head pressing against her leg. Seeing her brave, strong hound cower like a pup disturbed her. "But I'll go no further into this place."

With hesitant steps, Únik moved forward, into the entranceway and felt the rain stop falling upon her head. For the first time in hours, she could not feel the constant battering of raindrops upon her and, she had to admit, she felt relief flooding through her entire body, as though the rain had pressed down upon her more than any weight she could remember.

Were this home, back at Tracis' Midden, the rain would have frozen to snow long before it reached the ground, even in the height of Summer. She didn't like the rain, not anymore, at least, after this storm that felt as though the rage of all the Patrons had fallen upon them since entering this dead city. With a last look at the carving upon the door, she wondered if it was, indeed, the Patrons' hands that had thrown such difficulties their way, attempting to keep them away from this temple to one of their own kind, lost and forgotten in time.