Chapter Sixteen

  We War for Spring

  “I think killing this myself makes it taste better,” Hurlorn said as he took another helping of monster flesh.

  “It’s really not that bad,” Luris said, cutting through tough meat and taking another bite, “It’s just like the rabbits and bucks we would hunt, meat does taste better when you get it yourself,” he said.

  “Would never think there would be this much edible meat on a monster,” Dewman said, “But it is palatable,” he said, washing down a bite with some water Gerbil melted from snow gathered just outside the mountain.

  “It’s better than Spider meat at least,” Gwen said.

  “You’ve eaten spider-folk?” Luris said, “What part of spider-folk do you eat?”

  “The edible part,” Cailean said, giving Gwen a smile.

  “Id try it,” Hurlorn said, “Yeah, I would try it,” he nodded.

  Gerbil entered the cavern’s mess hall holding a note, “Hate to interrupt a well-earned feast, but I’ve news for the Hunt Master, one of my owls came back today, clutching this in its talon,” he said, handing a small scroll to Cailean.

  The Winter Hunter took the scroll and looked it over, a small dollop of wax held it shut tight, “This is the Dark Stalker symbol,” Cailean said, running his thumb over it. He took his thumb and broke the seal, opening the scroll.

  “What does it say?” Gwen asked, “Is it really from the Dark Stalkers?”

  “It’s from Kal-Dovean,” Cailean said, reading out the scroll, “The Prince of Night seeks to meet in peace with the Sun Blood and turn the anchor of Goddess over so that the seasons may change as they are meant to, a meeting in the great city of Mythis is requested so that the seasons can find their right and true order. The Prince of Night wishes to see his family’s duty fulfilled, may the night of the next full moon be the final one before the seasons are shifted and man can build anew again. Bless the Sun Blood” Cailean looked to Gwen, “The Prince of Night, Gailech,” he looked down, “It’s a trap,” he said.

  “Yes, it is definitely a trap,” Gwen said, “That’s why we’re going to go,” she stood up, fists clenched, determination in her voice.

  “Wait, Prince of Night, that sounds ominous, who is this Prince of Night?” Luris asked.

  “Edmund Gailech, son of the Gailech family, heir to the throne of night,” Cailean said, “I saw him during the last turning, I remember he looked as if he knew just what was going on when the Shadows attacked the Sun family,”

  “I’ve seen this prince as well, dark premonitions surround him,” Gerbil said, “I would doubt that this man truly wishes for peace, the Winter Hunter is right, this is a trap,” he said.

  “That’s why we’re going!” Gwen said, pounding her palms on the table, “Gailech thinks he can flush me out, wants to find me so he can kill me, and end the Sun Blood,” she looked to Cailean, “We turn it on him, and he wants to meet the sun blood, bring him the sun blood, and an army of hunters behind her,” Gwen said.

  “There's only three of us,” Luris said.

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  “Cailean, you’ve killed dark stalkers, they’re not so mighty, Gailech has been held up in Kal-Dovean, planning, sending monsters to find me, this could be our chance to get him on neutral ground, we kill him and we kill winter, if he brings the Anchor we can recover it and then I can use it to bring the spring back, this could be our only chance,” Gwen said.

  “I could kill some Dark Stalkers, Hunt Master, you know how they fight, you can teach us how to beat them right?” he asked.

  “We can’t rush into things,” Cailean said, “I can kill one loose Dark Stalker, but fighting an army of them, you know that’s what he’s going to bring to Mythis, and we may have some skill but who knows what kind of force he’s going to bring. This is just to get us out in the open, get you out in the open,” Cailean said.

  “We have the spring behind us,” Gwen said, “We have the Goddesses behind us, we have the Red Lady, they saw us through getting out of Tycolm, they saw us to the Severed mountains, they protect us, if we fight for them they will protect us,” she said.

  “Goddesses may be protecting us, but we could be facing a legion, we’re just four men, and you’re too important to risk,” Cailean said.

  “I know the danger I’m in, I saw it,” Gwen said.

  “Saw what?” Cailean asked.

  “The Voice, when I meditated, I talked to the Voice, he came to me, tried to scare me, and he failed. I’m not afraid of him, not one bit,” Gwen said.

  “Voice? What voice?” Luris asked, once again having no idea what the Hunt Master and the Sun Blood were worried about, “What did we sign up for?”

  “You signed up to stop the winter,” Cailean said, then looked back to Gwen, “You saw it? The Voice of Winter?” he said, “Why didn’t you tell me? To be honest I didn’t think you were going to see anything, I just gave you the Icee leaf so you could get a good night's sleep,” Cailean said.

  “The Voice is afraid of you, afraid of the order, the Winter Hunters, he’s scared to death, he knows that you win in the end,” Gwen said.

  “What is this Voice, what does it want, and how do we kill it?” Hurlorn asked.

  “I also would like to know what the Voice is,” Dewman said, “And this business with the Prince of Night, I had heard that it was the natural way of things for Giran and Gailech to trade power in the turning of seasons if he wants to perform the turning that should be a good sign right. That should mean he wants the natural order to proceed.”

  “This Prince of Night has no heart, I’ve seen him, at least visions I think it's him,” Gerbil said, “A prince without a heart, a man with a crown of blackened steel trying to hold sway over all the land, he rips his heart out, and makes room for the Voice to manifest in this world,” Gerbil, clenched his staff, “To play into the Prince’s hands could mean death, but it could also bring opportunity,” he said.

  “Opportunity, for what?” Hurlorn asked.

  “The Anchor, we need it if we’re to return the spring, the Sun Blood must take it in their hands, channel the power of the loving Goddesses through it, and with that the Sun Blood can return the spring to this world,” he said.

  “How do we even know he will bring the Anchor,” Cailean said, “This is obviously a trap, he wants to get the Sun Blood away from the safety of the mountains and kill her,” he turned back to Gwen, “I won’t let you do it, I can’t,” he said.

  “Oh, he’ll bring the anchor,” Gerbil said, “If what we fear about this Prince of Night is true, he’s likely been trying to destroy it,” he said.

  “What will giving Gwen the Anchor do to help him destroy it?” Cailean asked.

  “The Anchor is a relic of the Goddesses, while the Sun Family gives it as a token of fealty to the Night Family, they can do nothing to it, they can’t chip or chop or break it, the Anchor holds the seasons together, and gives the Goddesses their power to influence this world or so the legend goes. He’s probably thought of every method he could muster to try and break it, by offering it to you, he gets you out in the open, were he to kill you and end the line of the Sun Blood, then he would finally be able to destroy the Anchor. He will bring the relic, likely with a plan to hand it to you just before he slices your throat, and then smash it into pieces as his first show of force in the coming winter without end,” Gerbil said.

  “So he can only smash the Anchor if he kills Gwen, so Gwen can’t come,” Luris said.

  “If you four show up without me, he’ll know you’re coming to kill him, he’ll march his Dark Stalkers to battle immediately,” Gwen said, “If I show up, we can lure him to think we’re just arriving for the Turning, make him think we bought his charade,” she stayed firm and put her hands on the table, “All we have to do is convince him long enough to put the Anchor in my hand, then as soon as we have it, we-” Gwen paused.

  “We what?” Luris asked.

  “We war for the spring,” Gwen said.