Tear of Ice

Chapter 3

Walking deeper into the Neigless forest was always something of a gamble. Something I've never really done. Grandma always told me to leave that area to the pack, I can understand why now, being faced with somehow even colder weather than the norm, the usual light flurries become a swarming blizzard. Grandma had told me to bundle up in preparation, and luckily I did with a few more coats, my arm before my face as I held the hood down. Grandma strolls along before me though, casually, seemingly unaffected by the blizzard around us. Even as her long dress billowed and her hair and shoulders covered with snow, she walked, head high and with no hesitation.

"Grandma, are you sure about the-"

"We are almost there, Carmine. Your meeting is long overdue." She spoke, without the same chatter and chill in my voice. Meeting?

Suddenly, the blizzard had stopped, the air peaceful and trees being behind us. Before us was ice, pure and blue. sSome spiked and curled around, protecting what was in the center. In the center of the flooring of ice, a pillar and on that pillar-

"This is Wiesse. Well, her tear." Grandma turns to me, hands together over her stomach. "Come, watch your step."

My foot moves slowly, stepping off of snow and onto the ice. I tense at the clack of my low heel, my eyes not leaving the magical artifact. In the ten years, I've lived here, I've never been allowed to see it. Years of knowing Wiesse's name and now getting to meet her in some fabric of the word.

"Wiesse..." I was breathless, unsure of what to say.

"This is the last remnant of Wiesse herself. Where her power is stored. This is what keeps the Neigless forest afloat." Grandma walks over closer to it, a gentle hand hovering over the small tear.

"It cannot be broken, but it can be abused. Which is why it was left here at the edges of the Guecedand. But it's very powerful, as any of the Hexes artifacts."

"The other Hexes have artifacts like this as well?" I ask.

"Some, however, they are missing. And we are the only Loraines connected to Wiesse."

I step closer, "Wiesse's tear...,"

She nods, as I stare at the artifact, approaching it closer, I can see some waves of light. A pale blue, matching the icy surroundings around the small crystallized tear. It's hard to believe this is what caused this forest to be as it is. And that it alone is where Grandma gets her powers.

"Grandma, can you show me? What is her power like with the tear?" I look at her, graying eyes as she slowly lowers her hand and steps back. Softly, calmly, her eyes glow a pale blue color as a frosty mist rises from our surroundings., Wind blows all around her as her hand conjures a ball of snow and frost. Flakes danced in her palms and her fingers eloquently swayed, before her hand closed in a strong fist, a sharp ice spike growing from the swirling ball of energy. Before her hand opens once more and it fades into white dust.

"But with the tear..." She steps to the altar, grabbing the artifact with a delicate grip as that same frosty mist instantly begins to swirl all around us. Wind picked up and I held the cloak tight as I watched Grandma, her feet rising from the ground, floating on nothing as her hand rose to the sky, the mist coming up to her. It swirls and swells as it spreads wider and wider, falling to the ground in all too sturdy of a formation. My eyes darted to each piece, all standing together as pillars of ice, as it crystallizes into ice and shatters into more dusty mist.

Grandma slowly floats down to the ground, the glow in her eyes gone as she begins to keel over. My body lunging forward and holding her up. She panted and leaned against me.

"I'm not as resilient as I used to be." a small laugh leaves her that changes into coughs.

"Let's get you back home." I readjust my grip on her as she shakes her head gently. Her hand shakily comes to one of mine, as she places the tear into my palm.

In my hand it laid calmly, the gentle mist around it faint. If I didn't just watch it happen I wouldn't believe it was this tear that caused all that power to surge. I've watched the magic from the pack and Grandma for years, yet never saw it to its full effect while being amplified like this.

"Carmine, I do not have long left. The power will become yours, and you will be the next vessel for Wiesse." Her voice was hoarse, as my attention quickly turns to her.

"Wait- '' In all the years I watched her and prepared for this, she never let me in about this. She never told me of the actual process of the Wolf Ringer being chosen, of Wiesse's powers, and what it is to be her Loraine. And with the influx of emotions and information, I couldn't help but stare at her blankly as she held onto me.

"There cannot be two. And I have raised you well. I will be leaving our home and our family to you." Her grip turns soft as her hand touches my cheek. I barely notice the tender touch in my flurry of emotions.

"What do you mean? You can't be-" my voice wavers. I almost couldn't believe what she was telling me.

"May Wiesse be your light." her voice shook, full of some emotion I can't pinpoint. Looking into her eyes, how grey they have gotten. When did they lose the blue that was in them? How had I not noticed the life in my grandma leaving? I did now though; I watched as she struggled more and more to push herself. This woman who had taken me in and raised me, who I watched grow and age and slowly become bedridden. Was this all because of Wiesse and her status as the vessel? How blind had I been?

I wanted to ask, I wanted to yell and scream and cry and refuse for this to happen. But this is all I know, all I've ever come to know. Is that why Icarus was so hesitant? Because with me taking up the position as Wiesse's vessel, Grandma is going to-

"Rose!" A low voice rings out, with a rush of footsteps. Hurriedly, Icarus came running to her side. Grandma turned to him with a forced giggle.

"I am alright, Icarus. You know what this cold does to my body." She attempts a joke, but neither Icarus nor I are falling into it. She pushes off of me and regains her balance slowly. Icarus comes to her side as she uses him for support.

"You shouldn't be out of your bed. I told you that." His voice was soft, full of worry and care.

"I can leave my bed if I please."

"Not if you nearly collapse." He sighs. "Can you walk, Rose?"

She nods as he slowly moves forward, Grandma holding onto his fur as she follows. I look down at the tear in my hand, fingers trembling around it. Before I reach forward and place it back on its perch.

For this, I will have to give up the person who saved my life. If that's the price, do I even want it anymore?

Do I even have a choice in questioning this?

Walking back through the blizzard was hard on Grandma. She coughed and struggled to walk. Those symptoms were nonexistent on the way there, it shows how hard magic is for her to do now with her deteriorating body. And we walked through the blizzard into the more calm flurries, until we reached our small cottage, Icarus helping Grandma up the stairs as I rushed to open the door for her. She slowly steps in, her feet dragging across the wooden floor as she leans against her wolf partner, other cubs, and wolves parting to give her room as she makes it to her bed and I help her in.

"Thank you, dear." She smiles as I pull the blanket over her.

"Rose!" Lia cries, leaping onto the bed instantly and curling up beside her, having their noses meet as the other children whimper and bark. Grandma got to work calming down their fears while petting Lia. Icarus nuzzles against her free hand as she pet him as well. "I'll be fine, I just need to rest for a while."

He moves away and nods, turning towards me before slowly making his way towards the door. As he comes to my side, he motions for me to follow him. I do so quietly.

We exit the house into the calm stillness of the snowy woods. I sit on the stairs and he sits beside me. For a moment we sat there in silence; I watched as some soft flurries fell as I catch some in my gloved hand, my other gripping my cloak close, her old cloak.

"I'm sorry." In the corner of my eye, I glance at him.

"What are you apologizing for?" I shake the snow off my hand and grip the cloak harder. "I get it now, anyway."

"I'm sorry for doubting you, Carmine." He pauses, "It's not that I think you cannot do it. It's just-"

"It's that Rose will be gone, isn't it?" I interrupted him. I didn't bother to look at him as I kicked my foot out, laying the heel in the snow. "And you knew she would be."

I hear him sigh, "It's hard on all of us. I can't even imagine how the kids will take it."

"I can barely take it." I lift the hood and hold it over my face.

"Carmine-"

"She's going to die, Icarus. And I will be taking her place." My voice shook. "And doing this was all I was being trained for. Understanding the forest and the animals within, and learning basic things about Wiesse. All of it was to prepare me for this. And she knew that."

My hands shake, my grip on the hood becoming violent as I choke back a sob. "Why?"

"Vessels are still human. That's why," He speaks quietly, "Eventually the helm of the Wolf Ringer would've had to be passed on. And Rose would've had to go." My eyes shut as I sniffle and bite my lip, attempting to stop my tears.

"Rose and I have lived for many, many centuries. Far longer than a normal life of our kind."

"So you took me in so you can just end it?" It came out harsher than I wanted. I couldn't help my eyes as the tears fell, my vision blurring, while I turn to the wolf beside me.

"No. It's because Rose wanted-" he pauses, breathing in deep and let out a sigh, "Rose wanted a child to raise as her own." I stare at him as his ear flicks down and he looks away, his scarred eye closing as he leans down.

"She took you in, not just to make you the next Wolf Ringer, but because she wanted a child to care for. She loves you, Carmine. More than anything." He sits back up and finally turns to me, his eyes sad, warm, and earnest. "I love you as well."

My shoulder tense, taking my hands and trying to wipe my eyes as he spoke, sniffles coming out of me. "I'm sorry, Icarus."

"For what? You had no choice in any of this." My hands reach up to his face and I rub his fur lovingly.

"It's because I was making this harder on you than it should be." I willed my tears to stop falling as I spoke.

"You didn't know."

"But I do now," I smile.

For a moment he stares at me, quiet as I watch his eyes fill with soft joy, before his eyes close and he nuzzles his snout into me like he used to. I reciprocate with pets as I collect myself and clean my face.

Rose will be gone; I will be losing Grandma and inheriting the powers of Wiesse, leaving the forest and the pack in my care. It'll be hard, but we will manage. At least, I'd like to think we can.

In my pocket, I pull out the ripped cloth, showing it to Icarus. He blinks at it and looks back up at me. "Are you-"

"I'm ready to ask her. I have nothing to prove now."

Icarus nods. "Let her rest for a while longer."

I nod in return, holding the cloth closer to my chest. Everything was still hitting me. I wasn't going to be human anymore; I was going to be a vessel for some ancient power of a dead woman, but most importantly-

"Rose is going to die." The words still felt unreal. I thought of Grandma as invincible, as everlasting as the snow in our home. But facing this reality, one that she had already accepted, I almost couldn't believe it.

Icarus didn't respond, but I felt a weight on my side. Soft grumbles, full of care that I had missed over the past few days.

"You know, you're surprisingly soft." The joke leaves me as my hand comes to his head once more.

"And you're surprisingly emotional."

"Shut it." My voice is fond, as my hand scratches back and forth through silvery fur. And for a while we sat there, leaning on one another as I took in the soon-to-be reality. I didn't cry anymore; Icarus' presence was enough to calm me as I tried to think about how I was going to handle all of this when the time came.

The Ice Solstice isn't far; I can't let grief blind me.

The door creaks open and I turn to see Icarus' oldest leave it, Lia seeing us all comfy beside each other. I see the soft smile in her bright blues.

"Rose says it's okay to come back in.."

I nod, and gently rise to my feet, swiping remnants of snow off of me as I went back in, both wolves following me.

She looks at me, her smile strong as her fingers lay intertwined in her lap. Icarus all but ran to her side and leapt onto her mattress with nary a thought. I could see his instant comfort as she pet him and he laid at her side.

"Carmine. I know...I told you a lot. It must be so difficult for you to handle."

My eyes trace the lines of the wooden floor, trying to organize my thoughts properly. "It is." My voice croaks, unsure of how to approach this.

"But I promise I will do everything I can to prepare you for the Solstice, and for when you inherit Wiesse's power." It did little to ease the tension in my chest. Pushing it away, my eyes meet Grandma's greys once more as I held out the cloth to her.

"Grandma, Icarus and I found this a few days ago, lying in the snow not far from the borders. Do you recognize this?" My desperate change of the subject severely confused Grandma. But she looked at the cloth, brows furrowing in concentration for a moment.

"That blue..." She trails off, a wrinkled hand reaching into greying hair. Twirling a piece as she thinks before her eyes widened in recognition.

"That battalion I chased away weeks ago."

"A what?" My voice rose, enough to spook the cubs littered on the floor, scattering as I try to soothe them as fast I could, before turning my attention back to her.

"Yes, weeks ago a small battalion had approached from the borders." Her hand lowers from her hair as she slowly recounts. "I was alone at the time and the battalion came from a far place, not like the nearby villages in the Guecedand."

I vaguely recall the look of the villages in the nearby wildlands, Arboose being the only one I have any familiarity of as it was the closest. But the people there hated the forest and knew better than to send their militia here. Besides, no village nearby was particularly formal; All of them were very rustic and warm, and only wandering citizens or hunters were seen around or had entered the Neigless forest. And some of those people we helped escort out. The more hostile wanderers never escaped.

"This blue is from the flag they carried. And their soldiers wore silver armor. They made demands- and I didn't bother with them. My magic was enough to force them to retreat."

I look back down at the cloth, as Grandma told us the tale of her run in with the soldiers.

"Soldier's here? That's scary." Lia comments as she scratches her ear.

"Perhaps. At most the villages of the Guecedand have militias. So it was weird to see a battalion here." Grandma tugs the blanket as Icarus sits up more.

"Do you believe they're from the Guecedand?" he questions.

"No. They were too put together. Too experienced, and they spoke of a Commander. I believe they could be fro-"

"Kreidd." The name left my lips.

The distant kingdom of Kreidd is blocked off from the Guacedand and Neigless Forest, from the Great Fjord that splits this continent in two. A parliament of knowledge and wisdom, with an army of devout knights who willingly lay their lives down for the creed of their kingdom that is devoted to the Hexes. As I stare at the piercing blue of the cloth adorned with a gold border, it all sunk in.

A soft nudge takes me from my thoughts, looking down to see Lia. "Carmine?"

I look away, "Is that really where it is from?" She asks as she tries to meet my gaze.

"Yeah, I finally remember." I wondered why it was so hard for me to pinpoint it. I wanted to forget about this blue. "I was born in Kreidd."

I hear the exaggerated audible gasp from Lia.. " You weren't born here?"

"No. Grandma and I aren't blood related, after all. You know that." I remind the young wolf.

"That makes little difference to me." Grandma pipes in. "Besides, the battalion is gone and any sign of them would've been reported by the other lookouts by now."

Icarus nods. "Why didn't you tell me, Rose?"

"I would've if I thought it was much more dangerous. But they didn't even attack, they simply ran when I conjured frost." She rubs her knuckles, "I had no idea it was an official Imperial battalion."

"That only makes this more concerning though." My voice cuts through, I clench the piece of the flag and trace the gold rim. "Why would a Kreidd battalion travel this far out? The kingdom isn't exactly a neighbor."

Icarus looks at me, a hum as he thought. "For the tear?"

"That would be the only thing here worth coming for." Grandma lays back onto her pillows and sighs, Icarus biting the rim of the blanket and pulling it over her figure softly.

"Well, it's been weeks! They won't be coming back here!" Lia claims as she bounced, Her tail wagging from her confidence. I wish I could share it, but as I stuffed the cloth back into the pocket of my skirt, leaving the room to go prepare lunch and for night patrol, I couldn't help but worry.

There is a lot riding on me now after all. And I know all too well how that Kingdom's knighthood is.