Cloud Watching (3rd month of Autumn, 3rd day, 16th hour, day)

  Aya woke up in the den. She had dreamed of the little girl again. Not much had happened in the dream — the girl was in her garden, thinking and counting clouds. How could anyone spend their time so idly?

  At Mansion Mink, the girls were always busy — cooking, cleaning, washing, sewing, sharpening, poisoning, enchanting — the usual. The dream girl, however, was simply wasting time. And not only that, she somehow managed to stay sad while doing it. Ridiculous! Aya wanted to spit in irritation and would have done so, if not for the cramped space.

  The den was dark, with only a faint light filtering in from above. A layer of snow had sealed the entrance. It glowed softly, lit by the daylight outside. Aya looked down at Ixi, still sleeping on her chest. As if on cue, Ixi opened her eyes and stared back.

  Aya's legs ached, though far less than she'd expected. She stretched as best she could. Starving, she reached for her backpack and fumbled inside for some jerky. Pulling it out, she shared it with Ixi. For a time, they munched in silence. Eating in such a cramped space was torture.

  "Let's go outside," she said.

  She pushed the backpack upward through the entrance, breaking the snowy cover. Bright daylight streamed in. Aya waited for her eyes to adjust before crawling out, pushing Ixi ahead of her.

  Emerging on the surface, Aya stood and stretched — this time for real — taking a deep breath of fresh, frosty air. As far as the eye could see, the plains were blanketed in white, tinged with a lilac hue from the daylight. The sight of the land, washed clean of its usual grime and darkness, was magnificent, though a bit too bright for her sensitive eyes. It must be beautiful under the moonlight, she thought.

  This, however, presented a problem. Her dark clothes would stand out against the snow, both by day and by night.

  Aya wasn't sure whether patrols roamed by nights in snowy conditions. Snow was rare in Mink's territories, and she was unschooled in northern tactics. She considered traveling during the moonless hours, but that would mean moving slower and risking running out of food. Eventually, she decided to continue marching nightly.

  She ate, fed Ixi, stretched some more, peed, and crawled back into the den. It was only the third hour past noon, and she intended to sleep for a few hours more.

  Ixi soon joined her, curling up on her chest. Aya thought again of the strange girl from her dream and her strange world. By all accounts, the girl led an easy, sheltered life — yet she was still sad.

  How does someone have everything and still feel sad? It didn't make sense. Thinking of the girl, Aya drifted back to sleep.

  Aya Plays Dead

  Aya woke to a pinching sensation — Ixi was clawing at her shoulder, looking anxious.

  "What?" she whispered. Then she heard it.

  Sounds were approaching — voices, clanging metal, the heavy thud of hooves on snow. Soon, she could make out words.

  "Here... check the tree," said one voice.

  "Where?" called another, farther off.

  "Anywhere — on the branches, in the hollows."

  The hoofbeats split, two riders circling the tree from opposite sides.

  "Nothing here."

  "Come over."

  Hoofbeats drew closer.

  "What the..." the second voice muttered.

  "Yeah, look inside."

  "Me?"

  "You."

  "Why me?"

  "Because I'm a sergeant, remember?"

  "You've been a sergeant for, what, two days? They'll demote you as soon as Nakli's back."

  "Less talk, more checking, soldier."

  "Oh, I see, your sergeantness. Yes, sir, right away, it shall be done!"

  Someone dismounted. Aya, trying not to make a sound, pushed Ixi into the farthest corner of the den and blocked her with her legs. She pulled up her hood, assumed a crooked pose, and prepared to play dead. A magical light flared above. Aya didn't look up — she knew her face, her eyes, would give her away.

  "I see him. Hey, you, come out," the soldier called from above, his voice loud and clear, almost ringing in her ears.

  Aya stayed silent and still.

  "Hey, do you hear me? Don't play dumb, or I'll stab you."

  A hand reached down, groping for her shoulder. Ixi peeked out from behind Aya's legs and hissed. The hand — and the light — vanished.

  "Oh, foul demons — there's a grave fairy down here!"

  "What? You sure?"

  "Yes! Behind him — it hissed!"

  "So what? Stab it."

  "It's too deep."

  "Then zap it."

  "It's hiding behind the body. Look — he's dead. The fairy'll eat him. Job's done. Why bother?"

  "Why do you think? I need something for the report — his gear, his description, something. If we say we got spooked by a fairy, it'll reflect badly on my career."

  "What career? You kidding me?"

  "No, dammit. Stop whining and pull out the corpse, soldier."

  The soldier sighed heavily.

  "Fine. Light me up — I need both hands."

  "It'd be easier if you just zapped it — are you sure you can't?"

  "Maybe I could, but I'm nearly spent. You?"

  "Same. Let's not waste it, then. Just keep your blade on it — it can't jump you from underground."

  Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

  The light returned, and a sword appeared, its tip dangling inches from Aya's face. It was pointed past her toward Ixi, but the gleam of sharpened steel so close was unnerving. Ixi hissed again and squirmed, but Aya held her in place.

  "Feisty critter. Stay back, or I'll stab you!"

  A hand came down and grabbed Aya's shoulder. She tensed, subtly pressing her back and knees against the walls, trying to stay wedged in. The hand tugged and slipped.

  "Stiff already. Come on, you slippery bastard," the soldier grunted.

  The hand reached deeper, grabbing her jacket at the neck. He'll choke me like that, Aya thought, and prepared to zap him. Then, suddenly, the light vanished.

  "Filthy demons — light!" the soldier cursed, releasing her coat.

  "Riders. We need to go," the sergeant said, voice tense. "Leave the body, Tokli. Move!"

  Aya heard the sergeant mount up.

  "Demonic demons, filthy filth!" the soldier spat as he scrambled to his feet and mounted. Moments later, they galloped off.

  Aya's heart raced. She pulled Ixi close, holding her tightly to her chest. For a long while, she lay unmoving, calming her breath. Ixi remained perfectly still.

  Who were the riders they mentioned? Was someone else headed this way? It was too dangerous to stay.

  She crawled up slowly and peeked out of the hole. The plain was empty. The sky had darkened — it was already evening. She emerged, crouching low, and scanned the horizon. At last, she spotted a group of riders a league to the west, moving past her.

  Aya retrieved her backpack, slung it over her shoulders, and set Ixi on top. She began walking east, keeping the tree between her and the distant riders. The tree stood on a small rise, and she hurried down the slope.

  It didn't snow, but the wind had picked up, sweeping strands of snow across the ground. This was fortunate, as it reduced visibility and covered her tracks. Aya walked as fast as she could, strengthening herself every few minutes. She no longer tried to preserve her body.

  By the time the moon rose, the unlucky tree had vanished into the white haze behind her. She shifted course northward and kept moving. The ground blizzard howled on.

  The fear eventually faded, but the incident weighed heavily on her heart. She felt angry, then weak, then angry again — and the anger kept her walking.

  Translator's Note on Ranks

  The term "sergeant" is used here to refer to a squad commander — the lowest officer rank within the warrior hierarchy. Standard squad sizes are six for infantry and four for cavalry or mages, with the sergeant included in that count. These squads represent the smallest functional unit of troops. In larger scale warfare, squads may be doubled or tripled, meaning a single sergeant can command up to 17 soldiers.

  The term sergeant may be slightly misleading, as it suggests a regular standing army rather than a feudal warband. However, in this world, the line between the two is blurred. Warriors often transition between warbands and city troops, expecting their pay and rank to remain consistent. As such, a sergeant in a city watch is considered equivalent to a sergeant under a feudal lord.

  Two other ranks mentioned in the text are captain and lieutenant, which should be self-explanatory.

  Cold Morning

  She had walked all night and stopped half an hour before dawn. Exhausted, she lay under a tree and fell asleep. A couple of hours later, she woke up from the terrible cold chilling her to the bone. Forcing herself up, she tried to warm her body by jumping. It helped a little.

  It was a crisp, clear morning. The wind had stopped, and visibility had improved. The plain seemed even whiter than yesterday. The only black things remaining were the trees sticking out here and there. Aya had to squint — her sensitive eyes hurt from all the whiteness.

  She decided to make a fire. This was risky, but Aya felt she would die otherwise. She found a couple of branches under the tree, snapped them, made a tipi, and lit it with magic. Lighting a fire was similar to illumination magic but required more concentration and power. She used to struggle with the trick, but now it worked without a hitch.

  Aya stuffed the two empty flasks with snow and placed them by the fire. They ate in silence. Aya was thinking about yesterday's encounter and what she had done wrong.

  In that den, she had been one step away from death. Suppose she had zapped the soldier. It would not have killed him. In response, he would have simply stabbed her. The safer option would have been to give voice, crawl out of the hole, and then attack. But what could she have done against two warriors up close?

  Both paths spelled death. Was it better to die on the surface? For some reason, she thought it was. This made no sense — dying was dying — but the idea of being stabbed while trapped made her skin crawl. She much preferred to die in the open, fighting for her life.

  "This will never happen again," she said aloud.

  Ixi looked at her with interest. The fairy had acted subdued since yesterday, mirroring Aya's grim mood. Aya ruffled her hair.

  She sensed something and looked up. High above them, a single raven soared. The sky was bleak, covered in its usual swirling patterns of gray and lilac. The raven made a wide arc and headed west.

  Aya stood and picked up her backpack.

  "Let's keep walking."

  Ixi took off and followed.

  Translator's Note on Species and Genders

  I have chosen to use the terms man and woman for all sentient species. Alternatives such as male elf or she-dwarf feel dehumanizing and distasteful. Since most characters are elves, I use man and woman without clarification for them. For other species, I include a specifier, such as dwarven man or troll woman. This applies to humans as well, who — being nearly extinct — barely warrant mention.

  Second Patrol

  They stopped once during the day to eat. The strain on her body mounted, yet she decided to keep walking.

  Daylight was already dimming when Ixi started acting strangely. She repeatedly flew up and dove down to hover in Aya's path. Aya ignored her until she opened her mouth and made a sound:

  "Ya-ya."

  Did she just speak? Aya stopped and looked at the fairy. Ixi pointed her hand in the direction they had come from. Aya turned around and peered into the twilight.

  Far away, she saw a group of riders, barely recognizable at this distance. They were exactly where Aya had come from. Following my tracks, she thought. Aya turned east and walked as fast as she could, aiming for the closest tree.

  Sure enough, the group changed direction, following her. Aya never reached the tree — it was still a hundred paces away when the riders caught up. She faced the pursuers and stood motionless, waiting for them to approach. Ixi landed on top of the backpack, peeking from behind Aya's hood.

  The group consisted of four riders — a typical mounted patrol. Their leader, however, was atypical. Instead of a petty officer, the group was led by a noble. He was a tall elf with a well-proportioned face and the same air of superiority that masters usually wore.

  "Who are you, and what are you doing here?" he demanded.

  "I am Aya, a servant of House Mink. I am traveling to the city of Torkei, my lord," she said, looking him in the eyes.

  The noble gave Aya an appraising look.

  "Alone? On foot?" he asked, a hint of amusement in his voice.

  This was not the reaction she would have expected from her old master. Master Mink would have been angry, not amused.

  The other riders silently watched the exchange. Aya quickly scanned their appearances. The elf at the front was a warrior in scaled armor, with a longsword at his hip. The second was a scout or ranger. Unpleasantly, he had a lasso attached to his saddle — seeing it made her think of captivity. The third, a woman, was a mage in light armor. She carried a short sword, similar to Aya's.

  "My comrades were killed. The mares too. I have no choice but to travel on foot," Aya said.

  "I see. Is that a grave fairy behind you?" asked the noble.

  Ixi shifted. Aya hadn't prepared any explanation for her presence.

  "It is. She's my familiar," Aya answered.

  "How unusual," he said, his eyes lingering on Ixi for a moment. "Tell me, Aya, do you have a road letter from your master?"

  And if I say yes, he will demand to see it, Aya thought.

  "I have no letter. My master is dead. House Mink is no more," she said.

  The riders exchanged looks.

  "You will ride with us, then," the noble said with finality. "The master of the house will want to hear your story. Bregi, pick her up. Niena, take her things."

  "I refuse," Aya said.

  Ignoring her, the noble guided his mare to the side, making space for the soldiers. Evidently, negotiations were over. Aya dropped her backpack. Ixi sprang into the air, ascending several feet.

  "What about the fairy?" asked the mage.

  "Keep it alive — I want to show it to my brother. Don't bother catching it, though. It'll follow its master," the noble said.

  As if on cue, everyone moved. The ranger picked up the lasso. Aya stepped back and drew her sword. The warrior smirked and unsheathed his own. Ixi shrieked.

  It was the same blood-chilling shriek Aya had heard in the ruins. She felt it reverberate in her bones, giving her goosebumps. The mares went mad. The noble's mare bolted forward, galloping away with its rider barely holding onto the saddle. The mage's and ranger's mounts backed away, resisting the reins. Only the warrior's mare remained under control and moved forward, ears flattened, nostrils flaring.

  The warrior leaned in the saddle, trying to strike Aya with the flat of his blade. She jumped to the side, evading the blow. She saw the mage sending a spark upward, followed by Ixi's screech. Blood rushed into Aya's head. Without thinking, she zapped the mage twice in quick succession. The mage wavered, leaning forward. Aya turned to the warrior and zapped his mare. The beast let out a shrill cry and reared. The warrior cursed, pulling the reins, trying to stay upright.

  A rope tightened around her shoulders. The tug yanked Aya off her feet. Mid-fall, she slashed at the rope with all her strength. It snapped. Aya rolled on the ground and jumped back to her feet, looking around frantically. Then, with a flash of pain, darkness came.