Tear of Ice

Chapter 15

As the ferry pulled into the port, Lia and I looked outside the window. The village hustle and bustle like normally as people walked off and were welcomed home by friends and family. As Lia and I stepped off I looked up and saw a familiar smile on the other side.

Rio walked over, with a stupid grin as he welcomed us back. And then his red eyes looked at me expectantly. I hold out my fist with the tear in it, and nod and he chuckles. Smiling wider as he patted my head. I smacked his hand away with a little giggle and he chuckled with me. He pets Lia too, who appreciates it far more than me.

Eventually the three of us make it to the carriage as he says his goodbyes to the people of the portside village. I climb into the passenger seat beside the drive and Lia hops in the back.

"I'm glad it all worked out for you." Rio said as he started having horses trot.

"Kreidd will be severely handicapped in the war."

For a second he went quiet, the horses neighing the only thing that was heard between the three of us. "Do you care?"

I shrug. "No, not really."

Rio hums, "Then what is it?"

I sigh as I touch my hair, that same insipid bright red as her own.

"I guess I just wish it wasn't so complicated." I lean forward, looking down at Wiesse's tear. "And that no one had to die over it."

"For Kreidd, or for Wiesse?" I looked at Rio, as he cracked the reins and the horses sped up as we entered the open roads of the Guecedand.

I look in the back, seeing Lia laying comfortably as she rests. My smile was small, as I turned back and looked back down at the tear. Holding it closer to myself again.

“Hey, Rio?” he hums in response to me. “How does Itrora feel about Loraines?”

He scoffs, “Like I told you before, If you are one you get ahead easier in there. But I guess-” he pauses, staring off at the scenery.

“They’re tools to Itrora. Well taken care of tools, but tools nonetheless.”

“Then why did you leave your siblings back there?”

“Because at least they’re safe there. People like you and I with the heritage of Loraines get it bad enough here in the Guecedand, can you imagine what they would do to them?”

I look down, “I was sent here as a child, I don’t need to imagine.”

An empty laugh left Rio, “Fair. Nothing ever changes.”

“...Not unless we work to change it.” I mutter. From the corner of my eye I see Rio look at me, his grin wide.

Hours passed as the night came, our carriage reaching Lostwick as the giant city slept around us. Only Abent Guild members roamed the streets and corners, they were few and far between. Slowly the carriage trotted to the original base and when it came slowly to a stop outside of the slightly familiar building. Rio hops down and I follow him, Lia standing up and shaking herself off as I meet her in the back. Rio jingles the pass to us as he points to the door. I nod and he disappears inside.

“We owe him, y’know? watching the door close behind his back, Lia sighs.

“I know. But it’ll be hard to from home.” She scratches her ear a bit and yawns. My hand came to her head in a soft pet.

“Carmine?”

“Yeah?”

“Do you really want to see that village?” For I second Lia stared back up at me, and I nod.

The door opens, and Rio gives a grin as he walks over. “Alright, for my final escort I’ll walk you two to the exit of Lostwick.”

I nod as we all stroll our way to the large stone wall.

“I have to admit, I’m a bit surprised at you.” Rio suddenly spoke up.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean-” he starts, “ Of course we’ve known each other for barely a time now. But you were so rude to me at first.”

I snorted, “You were very suspicious.”

“Extremely suspicious.” Lia added.

“Rude, but fair.” He chuckles

“Besides, It hasn’t been that long. Reminiscing is a bit weird.” I cross my arms as Rio hums.

“Perhaps, but I would say, it’s not the amount of time but the content within that time. And a lot has happened since we met on that humble carriage.”

I nod as we made it to the stone wall and the gate. The members of the guild stood guard as we approached. Rio talks to the guild members as they nood and decide to open the gates for us.

And as the guild separates to open the gate Rio comes back over to us. “Alright, on your way home.”

I nod, “Hey, Rio.” he hums.

“Thanks, for helping us.”

He shrugs, “Hey, I was bored.” Lia scoffs at him as she steps closer and he pets her head. “No, but really. It was nothing.”

“If you need anything, Just… come by.” I pat his shoulder, to which he blinks at me confused.

“A personal invitation to the Neigless Forest, by the Wolf Ringer herself?”

“Don’t rub it in. And only for emergencies. I’m going to be-” I look down at Lia and nod, “Very busy from here on out.”

He chuckles. “I know, I know.” The screech of the gate as the guild finally was able to lift it up. Rio’s hand comes to my red hair and pats it softly. I smile into it. “And if you really plan on changing the Guecedand-” he starts, he pulls his hand from my head with a smile. “Let me know, I’ll help.”

“Thanks, Rio.” he shrugs.

“See you later, Carmine. See you later, Lia.” He pets Lia as well.

“See you, Rio.” Lia smiles at him as she turns out the gate and strolls. I wave to him as I follow behind, thanking the guild members as we begin our long walk back.

Under the stars of the Guecedand, I look down at Wiesse’s tear in my hands as I close my fist over it.

We still had one last place to go to. To see it through, to see how I will lead the forest.

Days had passed as we walked back to the forest, the walk back more leisurely than the walkout. Seeing the black barked trees in the distance in the mild meadow. In the dusk sky above us as we could even see the moon that always hung over the Neigless Forest from here.

Lia began to run towards the trees and I follow after her with a smile. Once we enter the melting forest we stop, pulling out the tear. Instantly, blue frost burst forth from it in a large cloud that surrounds us. Already breathing in cold winds with blue speaks of crystal on them. Lia and I walk through, watching in awe as our home returns to normal.

And then we reached the cabin, the clearing in front of it clear of the corpses we saw when we left as Seff stood on the porch looking at the snow. Lia lets out a howl and I call to them and with that so many wolves, adult and young, rush to us. From the trees, from the porch, and from the home. Before I knew it we were tackled and covered in licks and barks and words of worry.

"You got it back!"

"You're safe!"

"Carmine! Lia!"

My family is still here with me. As I held and nuzzled into them all. Thankfully, even though I can't feel the cold of the snow anymore, I can still feel this warmth.

I look at Seff and he nods. As we all make our way back to the altar. Every wolf in tow. As they all gasped and awed at the slick ice space, looking at Seff, he nods to me. They did her body justice, I know they did.

I placed the tear on the altar carefully. Watching as it suddenly erupted into a beam of pure frost, shooting to the sky and disintegrating. As flurries began to fall around us and all over the forest. Snow bunched up and slowly, the forest seemed to be slowly covered again in its blanket of snow. As I reach, catching the flurries in my hand. I can’t feel how cold they are.

Is this how Grandma felt for so long?

Lowering my hand, I turn to Seff. “There is also something else.”

He tilts his head at me. As I reach back out and touch the tear, using my free hand to run along with Icarus’ scars. Awash of blue comes over me, and a ghostly wind blows from my fingertips through my body until blue wisps blow past all of us and form the shape of Icarus.

Instantly, so many of the wolves gathered around him. Lia watches from my side as they whimper and nuzzle into their leader.

“He can’t speak like this, but-”

Seff slowly approaches Icarus’s figure, seemingly unable to hear me. His paws gently limped over to him with silence. He shook, and Icarus leaned his snout onto Seff.

The family was all together again, as together as they could be. The pack was much smaller than before, and Grandma was no longer here. I was all they had left and like this, we will never be able to be exactly how we were. Let alone- if we should.

“Icarus.”

I call out to him, as the others look up at me with curiosity. Icarus then gently rose and start walking over to me.

“You were around for the fall of that village all those years ago weren’t you?” he nods. “So you know what happened to it?” he nods.

“Can you take me there? I want to see it for myself.”

Icarus pauses, looking down for a moment. His form shifts and billows a bit until he looks back up at me and nods.

“Which direction is it?” Lia spoke up, Icarus slowly turns and faces Southeast. We look in the direction as well, as I try to imagine what lies there past the forest.

A soft howl of the wind as I turn back to Icarus as he fades away. The wolves all around us whimper and pat at the spot he stood. Seff then walking up to me-

“Are you both sure about this? No one but Icarus and Rose knows what’s there.”

I look at Lia and we both nod to each other.

“We need to do this, Seff.” I step away from the tear and kneel to Seff as I pet him. He leans into it with a sigh.

“I’ll handle things here for a bit longer. Don’t take too long'' We both nod at him. Before I rise my feet and the other wolves and cubs come to me. With pets and kisses, I step away from everyone as Lia nuzzles our family.

She steps off with me, and we look towards where Icarus told us. Making our way forward.

Whatever we will find there, hopefully, it will help us in what we want to do.