36
The snow hindered their progress, growing thicker as they raced around the edge of the forest. Ylthara had tried to keep a constant dance of little whirlwinds to clear away the deeper drifts, but it seemed obvious the continuous channeling of Essence had started to exhaust her. The Ice-Kin's body shook with the exertion and she slumped in her saddle more the further they travelled.
Nearing the far side of the forest, Ylthara fell against her horse's neck, almost falling from the saddle and only her fierce determination helped her to dig her knees in tight, gripping the reins for dear life. Bohyiris called to his leader, more than once, to take a rest. She only stopped pushing her horse when Únik urged her horse forward, reaching out an awkward hand to grasp the reins of Ylthara's horse.
"You must rest!" Únik saw the stretched, tired features of Ylthara and expected her to shrug away Únik's hand.
"I cannot." The Ice-Kin's head bobbed and flopped as Ylthara attempted to regain her strength. "Too much depends on stopping her. So many lives. The fate of ..."
Without realising it, Únik's hand snapped outwards once more, catching Ylthara before she toppled from the saddle. Within seconds, several warriors had dismounted, reaching Ylthara and lowering her from the horse. Bohyiris fell to a knee beside her, his hand resting upon her forehead.
"I told her! I warned her! She's not powerful enough to channel this much Essence. She'll burn herself out!" Laying Ylthara down upon a bed of cloaks provided by the other warriors, Bohyiris glanced towards Únik. "If you hadn't stopped her, I think ... It doesn't matter. Thank you."
Únik couldn't say anything. She didn't understand why Ylthara listened to her and not her own people. She only knew that she couldn't let the Ice-Kin injure herself any more than she already had. Not physical injuries, but mental and spiritual. She gripped Barsa's collar as the hound showed concern for the unconscious Ice-Kin.
They had travelled for the the entire day and into the night, Ylthara pushing them all and their horses as fast as she could, taking only the shortest of rests and only then for the benefit of the horses. Each time they had stopped, Ylthara had sat, holding her star-shaped brand pendant, and meditated, shaking her head each time.
By the time Ylthara awoke once more, her blue skin darkening beneath the bloodshot, almost whiteness of her eyes, a fire had become started and the party had settled down. Most had fallen asleep as soon as their bodies touched the ground. Bohyiris had lasted longer, knelt beside Ylthara, until even his chin drooped upon his chest.
Only Únik remained awake to see those pale eyes flicker open. She held Ylthara down as the Ice-Kin attempted to rise. At first, Ylthara fought against Únik, but her small body, as muscular as she was, could not match Únik's greater weight. After a few seconds, she stopped resisting, her head falling back upon the cloaks, her hand clasping Únik's.
"How long?" The Ice-Kin looked up into the black, cloudless sky, pinpoints of light from the stars sparkling above.
"Almost two hours, I'd say. Maybe longer." Pushing Barsa away as the dog fussed around Ylthara, Únik moved further aside, allowing more heat from the fire to reach the Ice-Kin. "You're going to end up killing yourself at this rate. Why the greater urgency now?"
Ylthara's other hand reached towards her chest, clutching the place where the star-shaped pendant nestled against her breasts. After a few seconds, she turned her head towards Únik, taking her eyes away from the stars. She looked as though she held herself back from answering, as though Únik's actions earlier had removed Ylthara's trust of her.
"Somehow, she is moving faster. I don't know how, but she is." The hand holding Únik's gripped tighter and her eyes widened. "I can't let her reach Star Harbour, Únik! I can't! If she gets there before us, all is lost."
"I don't know what you want me to say." Únik tried to pull her hand away. The toss of a coin had told her what she really thought. She still held back. "I don't know what you want of me."
"I want you to believe me. Just believe. Trust." With effort, Ylthara pushed herself up on her elbows, screwing up her features as Barsa forced himself forward to lick her face, tail wagging behind him in furious waves. Únik dragged him back once again. "I don't want this. I never did. I love Hatyara with every fibre of my being, but she is our father's daughter. She would do anything for him. Trust me, please. She must be stopped and, I think, you can help me stop her without hurting her."
"I know." Her hand dropped as Ylthara released it and Únik turned her head away. "I didn't want to believe it. I don't know. Maybe because I met Hatyara first and we went through so much together. But, deep down, I know. You're telling the truth. Hatyara lied to me."
Her hand reached out to Barsa, without thinking, and the dog nuzzled his head into her palm. In truth, she knew the dog was the only creature on Ch'Ack that she trusted beyond any doubt. Trust in him was straightforward. He showed his love and loyalty in every glance of his dark eyes, every wag of his tail, every time he walked so close that she almost tripped over him.
People, humans and Other-Kin, hid practically everything, allowing their true feelings and thoughts to become known when they want them to become known. Hiding behind words and expressions, fake smiles and scowls. Never opening up completely. Even before the problems with her husband, Únik had found trusting people difficult, worse after.
"If it's any consolation, I don't doubt that she likes you." Sitting up, Ylthara searched around and found her bags laid nearby. She took out her water skin and took a drink, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. "If she didn't she would have dropped you like a hot stone at the first opportunity. She's very resourceful, she'd have found her way without you."
"She reminded me of my daughter." At Únik's words, Ylthara's hand stopped, mid-movement, as she was about to drink once more. She lowered the water skin. "I mean, she looks nothing like her and she's not a child, but ... something stirred that recognition within me. I looked at her and needed to protect her."
"I didn't know." The water skin fell to the ground as Ylthara reached out, gathering Únik in her arms. "Everyone wants to protect my sister, especially me. She doesn't aim for people to feel that way, but she'll not turn aside from using it for her own purposes."
Únik's fingers gripped the back of Ylthara's armour, beneath the thin, silk gauze cloak, so similar to Hatyara's clothing. She didn't cry, though she wanted to. Thoughts of how she had allowed herself to think like that of Hatyara. To treat the Ice-Kin like a child as a surrogate for Únik's own loss. A closed wound ripped open and bleeding once more, bandaged by caring for a little lost soul. Except Hatyara was never a lost soul.
"It's my own fault. I saw something that wasn't there." She turned her head, resting it upon Ylthara's shoulder and looking away to the west, towards Star Harbour. "Who could blame her for taking advantage of that? It was an illusion of my own making."
"It's not your fault." Ylthara pulled back, disengaging their arms from each other and reaching up to cup Únik's face in both hands. The tired, almost-white eyes seemed to search into Únik's. "It's not your fault."
"It is! If I hadn't allowed myself to think like that, perhaps I may have come to trust you earlier." Reaching up, Únik pulled Ylthara's hands from her face, holding them by the wrist. "I think I knew, in a way. I knew she wasn't telling me everything, but I pushed that aside because she looked so helpless. So innocent. I knew and I could have helped you instead of hindering you. I could have told you everything you needed to know. I could have ... I could have ..."
"It's not your fault." As Únik's hands dropped from Ylthara's wrists, the Ice-Kin cupped Únik's face again, kissing her forehead. "Rest with me. I'm still tired and we still have far to go. We'll continue the chase in the morning. Together."
Ylthara began to recline, back on to the cloaks. Pulling Únik down with her, Ylthara gathered her up in her arms once more and Únik reciprocated, wrapping her arms around the Ice-Kin's waist as they laid their heads down beside each other. Únik saw Ylthara's white eyes, the reflection of the fire's flames flickering against them.
Over Ylthara's shoulder, Únik saw Bohyiris. She didn't know when he had awoken, or how much he had heard. The shadows upon his ravaged face, wrought by the fire, did not seem as harsh or as terrible, this night. The healer only nodded to her, closing his eyes once more and Únik laid down her head.
Ylthara had already fallen asleep in Únik's arms.
-+-
Ylthara awoke, well rested, and charged everyone to mount as soon as possible. Following the curve of the forest, they returned to the roadway that had passed through the trees only to find two travellers carrying several packs. Despite the urgency of their chase, Ylthara paused to speak with them as everyone else waited with bare restrained impatience.
"My sister and the Fae have horses now." The concern upon Ylthara's face was plain to see. She now doubted they could catch her quarry. "They stole the horses from these travellers. We can't catch them if we keep having to rest our own horses and I won't kill a horse for the sake of that. It's cruel."
The Ice-Kin punched her leg in frustration, chewing upon her lip. She watched as the two travellers continued down the road, struggling with their heavy loads, once carried by their own mounts. Twisting in her saddle, Ylthara scowled as she looked upon her party. Eight warriors remaining, eight horses.
"Then it is done. We have failed." Shoulders slumping, Bohyiris looked defeated. "It will be war."
"No. No!" Her fists clenched, Ylthara frowned, staring once again at the two travellers. "Everyone but Bohyiris, Turug and Únik, dismount. Remove all excess weight from your horses. You will escort these travellers to their destination and catch up with us at Star Harbour."
"What are you planning?" Turning, Únik saw all the other warriors dismounting, taking their bags from the saddles of their horses. To the side, Barsa sat and watched the activity, ears pricked.
"We're going to push the horses. When they get tired, we'll swap to the fresher ones." Moving her own horse, Ylthara took the reins of one of the now riderless horses and tied it to the pommel of her saddle. "I will not be beaten!"
"Ylthara. Why me? Yegara is a better archer and lighter to boot." Turug, the Hagragng archer pulled to the other side of the Ice-Kin, confusion twisting his features. "I appreciate the sentiment, but you need your best."
"I need a Hagragng with me, to show solidarity. To show we are together. You are a captain in the Hagragng army, are you not?" Smiling as Turug nodded, Ylthara pointed to the west. "There is another forest, a few miles west, off the road. My sister will use the same tactic, stick to the trees and have the Fae lead the way. We will continue on the road and pass them by."
"You can't stop her if you ride past." Accepting a set of reins, Únik tied them to her saddle, as Ylthara had. "Isn't it only giving her a better chance of reaching Star Harbour."
"I can't catch her if we don't ride the horses to death. I can't stop her with only the four of us, her magic is too powerful." Seeing everyone with their spare horses, ready and waiting, Ylthara turned her horse to face the west. "My only option now is to reach Star Harbour first, convince King Vraniik of the danger that faces her. To do that, I need a trusted Hagragng to gain us an audience."
"We tried that before!" Shaking his head, Turug tugged his reins, turning west alongside Ylthara. "Her advisers refused to allow it."
"Then we'll just have to force the issue." Ylthara gave her horse a kick, sending it leaping forward into a run, her voice trailing behind her. "For now, we ride!"
The sudden departure of Ylthara and her two horses caught Únik by surprise. With her limited skills, she managed to set her horse to a run, feeling a slight tug as the reins for her second horse became taut, but then loosening as the horse's instinct took hold and it joined the rush down the road.
She glanced backwards to see the remaining warriors reaching the travellers, taking their loads from them and helping them along. None of them even looked towards the four of them galloping away. They had their orders and performed them. They had no reason to say any farewells.
It took a few seconds for Barsa to decide to run after them, but Únik had no doubt the dog would follow. She didn't need to tap her leg, or whistle. Barsa's loyalty to her was absolute, as the warriors' loyalty to Ylthara was absolute. They would escort the travellers as far as they needed to and then they would rush to catch up with their leader.
The miles disappeared beneath the hooves of their horses. As soon as it appeared the horses were tiring, they swapped across to their other mounts, continuing on at a pace that Únik found difficult to maintain. But she did, surprising even herself. She felt glad that Bohyiris was along for the ride. She didn't doubt that she would need his healing before the ride came to an end.
Before too long, they caught sight of the forest that Ylthara had mentioned and it seemed to cause Ylthara to redouble her efforts, lowering her body over the neck of her horse, the fresh wind created by the speed sending the ponytail tied strands of her hair trailing behind her. Únik followed suit, leaning forward, glad that the position gave some respite for her battered backside.
At one point, close to the forest, Barsa began to peel away, his strong legs and powerful lungs helping him to remain close to the racing horses. Únik couldn't understand why he changed direction, at first, until she spotted the two lines of tracks heading towards the tree line. Ylthara had judged correctly.
Of course Hatyara and Shihiri would choose the trees. Even with Hatyara's Ice Magic, the two of them could stand little chance on the open landscape against eight warriors. Even with Shihiri's skills with a bow, they could not fight all eight. Using the cover of the forest, a Fae's preferred battle ground, they could destroy a force two, three times greater than Ylthara's war party. More, with a little luck.
"Barsa! To me!" Her hound came to a halt, one ear flopping against his head as he looked back at Únik's shout.
Barsa had caught Shihiri and Hatyara's scent and raced to greet the two other people he cared for. Only, now, Únik could not let him. With a glance towards the trees and a little whimper, Barsa turned back towards the racing horses and soon caught up, cutting the corner to reach them and rejoining the chase at their side.
Soon, the forest began to dwindle into the distance and Ylthara allowed them to swap horses once again. Morning turned to afternoon. Afternoon turned to evening and, only as the speed of the horses deteriorated too much, Ylthara finally drew them to a stop. White sweat lathered the fur of the horses and their heads drooped as they licked at the snow about their feet, chewing on tufts of long grass peeking out from the white blanket.
"Even swapping horses so often, we're going to burst their hearts, Ylthara." With a clump of snow in his good hand, Bohyiris rubbed the sweat from his horses, checking the creatures' legs as he moved around them. "I cannot heal exhaustion."
"It's not far now." Glancing across to Turug, the Hagragng nodded, confirming Ylthara's words as he began to set a fire for the night. "We can take it steadier from here on in. Hatyara will not beat us to Star Harbour now."
Únik huddled against Barsa, her arm wrapped around her dog. He had managed to keep up with them throughout the day, but she doubted even he could keep up that pace for much longer. Barsa flopped to the ground, not even scratching himself a space through the snow, and dropped his head onto Únik's lap. She smoothed down his sweat soaked fur and tickled him behind his ears causing him to kick out his legs and push his head against her fingers.
"Is this going to work?" Únik almost laughed as she noticed Barsa had fallen asleep within seconds. She watched as Ylthara followed Bohyiris' example, wiping down the coats of her horses. "Is it going to be enough? If you can convince the king, will she capture Hatyara, or kill her? This is all above me. The movements of nations and kings. It's not my world."
"I don't know what the king will do, but I will counsel mercy. If she will listen to us at all." Ylthara paused, her hand allowing the dirty snow to fall from her blue fingers. Her head dipped. "I don't want Hatyara to die, but if it stops a war, so be it."
Únik did not want Hatyara to die at all, to stop a war or for any other reason. In Únik's mind, if she could only speak with Hatyara, everything would work out. She felt certain she could convince the little Ice-Kin to stop this mindless vendetta, perpetrated by her hate-driven father. With words, Únik could stop Hatyara. She knew it.
If only she had the opportunity.