Chill

Chapter 6

The youngsters stood there, gathered in silence, forgetting school, forgetting everything as small bits of cotton wool seemed to float down from a pale blue sky. A little gust of wind would now and again swirl the flakes in patterns like living swarms and then the gentle downward drift would resume, seemingly endless.

Tam held out a hand to grasp the flakes. They landed upon his bare skin without a sound, briefly stinging and then disappearing. Sara tilted her face upwards in puzzled delight and the snow settled on her nose and lips and eyes. She laughed and wiped the strange tingling sensations from her face. Maena simply smiled and let the flakes accumulate on her chestnut hair. Every now and then she would brush the accumulations off as she amused herself watching the look of wonderment on the faces of her friends.

"They keep disappearing. I can't catch any," Tam said.

"Melts, that's why. Frozen water does that when it comes in contact with body heat," Maena explained with a laugh. "Have you never really experienced snow flakes before?"

"Frozen water? But that's ice," Sara said, shaking her blonde locks free of the dust paler than her hair. She looked at the ground and noted little pockets of whiteness in cracks between stones, slowly turning grey and then shrinking away. It was too warm for the snow to stick.

"Snow is ice," Maena added without sarcasm. "Just made differently as it blows around up there among the clouds, except there are no clouds," and she frowned, turning her head, glancing up to where a bank of distant thunder clouds seemed impaled on the High Peaks. "Must be blowing down from up there," she concluded.

Others in the village were starting to notice the strange weather event. Many were coming out of doors to stand on the path and look up and around them. Some even screamed when they felt the icy coldness of a snow flake drift down their neck and ran back in again. Maena had only been on Troy for a year so she was not aware of just how rare and disconcerting an event such as this was for the peoples of the Wilds of Maeven. Of course they could see it on screens, so it was not a complete mystery, but actually physically being there as the soft icy cotton fell silently and continuously was a jolt to the system for most people.

"I'm thinking you've never witnessed snow first hand before," she observed as both Tam and Sara continued to just stand there, hands outstretched, looking up, blinking as flakes tangled in their lashes. Sara opened her mouth tentatively to swallow a particularly big drifting flake that came towards her but Maena squeaked a warning.

"Don't!" she said, "you don't know where it's come from," and the expression on Sara's face as she clamped her mouth shut in alarm was priceless. Maena's smile of wicked amusement turned to a pout when the blonde girl suddenly shivered in her thin sleeveless blouse as the air cooled and Tam put his arm around her.

"Does this just go on and on?" he asked the offworld expert while warming the other girl with a vigorous rub she seemed quite happy with. Maena thought for a moment, ignoring his actions. She surveyed the sky and wind direction.

"It could stop in minutes or carry on for days," she said, eventually. In her annoyance at Tam's actions she did think of mischievously suggesting it would go on until the whole world was covered in the stuff and they would all have to move elsewhere but thought better of it. After all, she wished to be near Tam as often as possible so any scare tactics regarding this strange snow fall would be counter productive.

"What happens then?" the boy said, emphasising his total inexperience of this strange phenomenon.

"We get snow drifts, skiing fun and snowball fights!" Maena replied with glee.

"Fights?" Sara said uncertainly.

"Like pillow fights only with smaller pillows," was the somewhat inadequate explanation, cut short by the sound of puffing as someone raced up the steep hill towards them. It was Allak Dimsoe.

"Did someone mention girls fighting with pillows?" he asked between gasps.

"You have extraordinary hearing if you've run all the way up here because of that," Sara said, rolling her eyes.

"No, that's not why I've come, leastwise not immediately so," the boy responded, brushing a particularly large flake off his nose before sneezing. "Just passing a message on to you Upper folk. School's cancelled." He gave a silent cheer. "The Proctors think this odd white stuff falling from the sky is too distracting for scholars. Pass the message on to anyone else thinking of dragging themselves all the way down to the school only to find the gates shut and everyone gone away. Now, what was that about pillow fights. Between whom? Will there be a scoring system, a competition? Any plans to go public?"

Both Sara and Maena punched the boy on an arm and the joint attack unbalanced him so that he slipped on the slushy snow and took a tumble.

"Oh, sorry," Sara said, genuinely contrite. Allak scrambled up and brushed himself off.

"It's okay. No harm done," he said as if he were the one who should be apologising. "Getting slippery here. Think I'll be getting back down," and with that he moved gingerly from one dry spot to another, hobbling slightly, as he picked his way down the winding path, pausing occasionally to brush snow out of his eyes and sneeze.

"He's so going to bruise," Maena said with an air of satisfaction. "School's out!" she then added, beaming at Tam. "What shall we do for the rest of the day?"

"Wrap up warm, I think," came an unexpected mature voice from just up the path. The three youngsters had not travelled far from the Madrullian mansion and the professor by chance having glanced out of the window and noticed the snow, had come out to investigate. "The air will get a lot colder quite quickly I fear and none of you are dressed for winter," he observed sagely, watching Tam continue to massage Sara to keep her warm. Maena noticed this too, and deciding enough was enough with all the body rubbing, so she took matters into her own hands with commanding enthusiasm.

"Let's split up and get some woollies on, meet back here and do some exploring, up there," she said, indicating the escarpment. Black rocks so recently warmed by spring sunshine, now had a frosting of snow on various ledges. "Sensible shoes that'll grip," she added. When she had first started attending school and mingling with those her own age inevitable shyness kept her in the background but that natural Madrullian characteristic of forwardness was more and more evident as she familiarised herself with everyone in Maeven. Making plans for others became second nature to her.

"What do you think's caused this sir?" Tam asked the man of science.

"Too early to say," the professor replied dismissively, thrown by the direct question. "Snow can be quite treacherous in the mountains. Sudden weather changes like this I understand are unprecedented in the Wilds. The people here are ill prepared for it I fear. I'm not sure it's such a good idea to go up into the higher valleys where conditions would surely be much worse."

"Aw grandfather," Maena whined. "Surely this is the best time to go, before it gets too thick? I'll make sure everyone's properly dressed, there'll be lots of us, and I've, um, got my ruby bracelet, remember?" She held up a thin arm where an elaborate gold and red device jangled on her bony wrist, and she coloured noticeably as she did so.

"So be it," the bearded man chuckled knowingly. "Parental permission only, from each of you. Stay away from frozen pools and steep slopes, and no higher than Arcadia."

"Deal!" Maena said and embraced the elderly man before disappearing through the gate without farther ceremony, leaving Tam and Sara to puzzle out their own plans.

They agreed to return home and change clothes as well as network with friends through instanet messaging so that before long a whole crowd of youngsters were milling around just outside the Wayfarer Inn all wrapped up and ready to do some exploring. As they prepared their plans the unexpected sight of a tall man in shirt sleeves could be seen wending his way down the slippery path that skirted the escarpment.

"Isn't that Parthan Fallow?" Teric said, shielding his eyes from snowfall with a gloved hand as he squinted up. "What's he carrying?"

As the figure got closer it soon became clear he was carrying a little girl in his arms, but when he had made it to the inn that same little girl turned out to be none other than Sumira Sumoe, the sheer scale of the man making her seem so tiny in his brawny arms.

"Hi Fallow," Tam said. Everyone called him Fallow, which felt more local than Parthan, the soft diphthong sound being unfamiliar. He did not seem to mind the customary greeting.

"What are you youngsters up to?" he responded, bushy eyebrows frosted and frowning. The cold did not seem to bother him but the girl in his arms pressed tightly to his hairy chest. Everyone knew they were together, but of course the engagement had not been made public yet, a little matter of a sudden snowfall being perhaps likely to delay the announcement. "Not thinking of going up there are you?" he gestured with his chin while taking in the assorted sweaters and woolly hats and gloves. Evie Darkwater stepped forward, sporting a spangly turtleneck, dark slacks and fur boots. The top of her smooth head was crowned by a tiara of ice crystals that melted and renewed itself continuously.

"We thought we might take a look," she said breathlessly. "This is all old stuff to you, being from the Frozen Peaks and all, but to us," and she embraced everyone around her in an expansive gesture, "this is a once in a lifetime experience. Got to make the most of it!"

The man stood there a moment in thought. Sumira from her curious position of being wrapped in the tall man's arms, smiled down at everyone in turn, excited and confused by recent events but mainly excited. While her fiancé pondered Evie's observation she could contain herself no longer.

"We're going to get married," she said quietly, resting her head on the man's chest.

"Oh wow, congratulations!" Sara replied and there were mutters of approval from others also, mainly the girls. Tam thought it appropriate to shake Fallow's big hand but as he was otherwise occupied he let the moment pass, offering a nod instead.

"I'll tell you what, youngsters," Fallow said. "Let me drop off my girl here at her place, grab a cloak, and I'll come with you, for safety's sake," he suggested. "Will be but a moment."

No one objected to this and after a brief pause in which some of the lads had already begun to anticipate the climb by creeping up slippery ledges, Fallow reappeared dressed in the most dashing dark cloak imaginable. The girls sighed as his great form marched purposely up hill towards them, a curiously carved and shaped wooden staff keeping time with his powerful legs. It reminded Tam of the one Paterion always had with him.

"Never you mind that!" Fallow shouted at the boys who were up ahead, struggling on precarious ledges. Maena was among them. She had made the greatest progress but leapt down impressively on hearing Fallow's voice. Tam was well aware as to how such a frail looking thing was able to out jump any boy. "We'll keep to the passes. The escarpment is too dangerous in these conditions," the wise northerner advised.

They all fell in line with the tall figure as he silently led them up the switch back route to higher ground that was now the only safe way of reaching their intended destination, the once lush meadow lands of Arcadia Valley. Toiling up the winding pathway, breath from panting lungs clouding the cool air around them and the thickening snow muting the sound of footsteps, their journey eventually took them out onto a high windswept terrace. The sky seemed unnaturally dark for the time of day and everyone paused on the lip of the bowl which swept down into Arcadia Valley. Some looked back the way they had come and expressed admiration at the splendid view, so different from what they were used to.

Shadows from the Ridge on the other side of the Wilds seemed to be projected on the air yet the sky above the horizon was bright with sunshine. Green forest and dark orange soil appeared to glow through a curtain of falling snow for Proctor Bridge and beyond was untouched by the very localised storm. Closer in the effects of the fall were evident as familiar sights were transformed by soft layers of powdery whiteness and cascades of meltwater found channels to flow down, especially behind the Wayfarer Inn where Tam and the others so often liked to skim. The water would gouge out new channels and flood the marshes, he realised. The Vissoe would probably be transformed into an actual river for once.

The view of the Arcadia Valley was equally spectacular. High above, the Peaks looked like shadowy giants cloaked in swirling shrouds that rumbled ominously. Fallow paused to gaze upon them, grunting uncertainly at the battle of the elements above their heads, an air of grim dissatisfaction seizing upon him at the sight. He pushed forward into the valley and the youngsters followed willingly, some gasping and making little comments at what they could see. It was for them a moment of great excitement, never having experienced anything like this before.

The grassy slopes that led to higher passes in several directions were now grey with slushy snow and here and there silver streams threaded down from plateaux to fill Lake Mirron. The latter seemed to slosh and sway with the additional input of icy water from various sources but showed no signs of freezing. Maena wondered if she could adapt her shoes for skating if the cold snap continued long enough to freeze the lake. Snow flakes disappeared in its dull steely surface as they watched.

The Plighting Oak, so recently a witness to a moment of romance beneath its leafy greenness, was now coated in a sugary frosting that added to the picturesque scene. Allak sidled closer to Tessanna and suggested they shelter under its branches a while to avoid the snow. She blanked him completely and those who witnessed the exchange laughed.

Tam found himself stood next to Maena as everyone took in the sweeping view, now curtailed by dark clouds.

"What do you think?" she said, giving him a quick, expectant glance.

"Sheep can eat and drink at the same time," he responded, endeavouring to see the practicality of snowfall. Maena snorted.

"Don't you think it's lovely? It gets even better if it snows for longer and then stops." She frowned a moment. "Sometimes when I think of snow and blizzards, it reminds me..." she added uncertainly, stopping in mid-sentence to touch her forehead briefly as if struggling to recall past thoughts. Tam noticed the gesture.

"You okay?"

"Yeah. I think my brain's starting to freeze," and she pulled her woolly hat tighter over her ears. Her silvery grey eyes looked a little confused a moment and she shook her head before resuming her more normal placid and interested demeanour.

The great sheltering bulk of the large sessile oak was a good place to assemble and the majority of the youngsters began to gather among its gnarled roots to either observe the usually placid lake or the undulating sides of the valley now dissected by foaming torrents from the heights above. The lake emptied through one of the unfrequented passes to the south of the escarpment and Fallow, wise in the ways of flooding and freezing, pondered the impact the increased volume of water would have lower down in the Wilds as he weighed up the possible effects of all the changes around him.

"You like this?" he bellowed over the chatter of the youngsters while they continued to explore the transformed landscape in and around the lake's edge.

Various responses in favour of the experience were shouted back to him. Gusts of icy wind drove a few adventurous souls off the higher slopes where they had gone to investigate a new torrent that gurgled out of a cave beneath shelving black rock.

"This is just a little dusting," the man assured his young audience casually, gesturing with a great bare hand at the gathering whiteness which seemed to cut them all off from the rest of Troy. "Where I come from a valley like this would be filled to the brim with snow in a matter of hours and a grown man would barely be able to push through the accumulated drifts. Yonder lake would be a solid sheet of ice so thick not even a flash rifle could make a mark on its surface."

"You've used a flash rifle?" Allak Dimsoe gasped, impressed.

"For hunting, yes," Fallow replied.

"Nothing to hunt here," Teric responded, "except sheep."

"They can be quite nasty when cornered," Evie observed with a shudder, remembering an unpleasant experience when she was younger. She had been out for a stroll and inevitably found herself in a meadow full of browsing sheep that seemed somehow to resent her presence. It was as if they thought she intended to compete with them for the crop of daisies they were enjoying in a narrow defile she had to pass through on her journey home. Unable to withstand their vacant stares and chewing jaws as the creatures stood their ground she had to make a lengthy detour to get past them. Fallow laughed at the girl's bare comment, not knowing the origin of it, for she did not elaborate. The children of the Wilds of Maeven were soft creatures indeed, he thought, remembering he had chosen to settle among them and marry one of the softest and sweetest of their number. No child his intended of course for Sumira Sumoe was a year older than him, but there was gentle sweetness about her that seemed to soothe the bitterness wrapped around his soul and which had driven him to this milder place in an act of healing. He hoped Sumira's loving caress would cure that which ailed him.

"When I lived in the Frozen Peaks several years ago, we hunted the arctic elk," Fallow said, squatting down in front of the largest knot of youngsters. He had their attention and thought now would be a good time to tell stories of the great frozen wastes of the north where he grew up. "Northern Glacion and Devil Crevasse were full of them one winter. They had driven out the meadow elk when the severe snows came. The arctics, they love the frost and ice. Their hooves are better adapted to the slippery conditions. They're lighter and move swifter than their temperate brethren thanks to the adaptive gene stock the first landers brought with them. Makes them a whole lot fiercer too. My brother, bless his soul, was wounded not once, but twice in the same hunt by a bull elk we had cornered before the beast was brought down in crossfire."

Both the girls and boys, huddled in their woollies beneath the spreading oak branches laden with snow, listened to this tale of the forbidding north with wide-eyed fascination. The scene was perfect for such tales and Fallow took full advantage of the opportunity. In spite of sad memories of his past life, the personal losses he underwent which prompted his move to the more temperate climate of the Wilds, he appreciated the harsh life he had grown up in was a source of admiration to these youngsters. He could see amid the falling snow the light of interest in their young eyes and it took him back to fireside nights in Glasswald, the hunting village of his birth, where surrounded by family and friends the elders regaled their audience with tales of fierce battles in times long past.

"It was not just elk we had to encounter in the Glacion that winter," he continued, almost in a whisper, heightening the effect of his words. "A couple of decades ago someone thought it would be good to introduce bear to the upper slopes, being cave country as well. They are rare, small population numbers even now, but fierce as fierce. Well worth the hunting for the pelts are worth a thousand units a brace. No flash rifle could bring them down, and besides the burn would spoil the pelt. We had to utilise traps and bolts to paralyse the beast and that could only be done up close and personal." There were gasps of admiration at this revelation of danger.

"Did you ever...?" a boy at the back of the now gathered group asked the inevitable question. For answer Fallow grunted and with a nod he opened his cloak, pulled on the shirt he wore to expose a hairy shoulder. The gesture explained itself as everyone could see in the dusky light four vivid scars running over the exposed skin, the marks of huge bear claws.

"Eight of us pinned the beast before a killing bolt could be administered." He gestured with the great staff in one big fist and everyone could hear the energy humming within the thick trunk of the device. It was not a walking staff but something more powerful, something lethal. "My share of the kill kept me in good stead for six months and the little swipe the bear gave me kept me in hospital for just a week so I got to enjoy the fruits mostly right away." He indicated the cloak, stroking the thick dark fur of its massive bulk thoughtfully. "It's not just the effects of his claws that keep me company," he said with grim humour.

"Ew," Sara yelped. Animal fur did not agree with her, not even leather could tempt her. Wool sheared from living sheep was as far as she would go in allowing such creature comforts to touch her sensitive skin. She hugged her brightly coloured sweater closer to her as the air around seemed to take on a sharper bite. The electric sense of awe had captivated the youngsters a moment. In keeping with this Fallow turned his tale from the dangers of elk and bear to the untouchable and unknowable supernatural beings always to be found in remote locations where people faced a harsh and precarious existence. It was of a piece with his upbringing for the peoples of the north were renowned for their superstitious dread of the unknown. Mountain peaks lost in impenetrable mists were ideal lurking places for strange beings not of the real world.

"Some say there are ice demons haunting the more desolate tracks of the Frozen Peaks, creatures whose very breath would freeze you where you stood, in a trice. Or..." and he paused, remembering a tragic moment in his past, "or topple whole mountainsides on you without warning."

Fallow, who had remained crouched as he told his tales of the north, making marks absently in the snow encrusted turf with his carved staff which the youngsters now knew doubled up as a bear hunting weapon, stood up to his full height when the sound of a horn made everyone look beyond the lake. Fallow made long strides to round the oak and peer into the murky distance.

"Dad!" someone shouted and one of the boys rushed forward, making footprints in the thin layer of snow as some shadowy forms resolved themselves from the curtain of haze. A group of men, shivering and looking a bit bewildered, ringing bells as they went, herded around half a hundred sheep through a dip in the valley to the west of the lake. The direction would take them towards the droving pass that carried round the flank of the mountain and descended to lower pastures closer to the Cut of Doerath. The boy's father was among them and they greeted each other with mutual wonderment at the predicament each found themselves in. Malten Pamistoe hugged his boy affectionately as his brother, the flock master, approached the unexpected assemblage of youngsters. When he caught sight of Fallow among them he went straight up to him. He was a thickset gruff individual in his thirties, stern in demeanour, but forthright in his sense of duty to both man and beast.

"Dorstal Pamistoe," the northerner greeted the man. "Strange times this. I expect the Lammer Field's a bit unhealthy about now," he said, shaking the older man firmly by the hand.

"Almost a white out up there. I reckon your Frozen Peaks sheep would probably be happy skating around in such conditions, but our poor flocks are not so keen, so I gave the word to bring them down. We'll have to pay for the privilege, grassing them in Farmer Petaloe's meadows for the while, but in times like this I hope we can all stick it together. Was that my brother's son I saw just then, Eastel?"

"No school today on account of the weather," Fallow explained. "The kids wanted to see what real snow was like so I escorted them up here to keep an eye on them. No higher mind."

"You know about these things," Dorstal said, pausing to give the go ahead for the flock to resume droving down below. Eastel went with his father. "What's caused it, do you reckon?"

"Can't rightly say." Fallow looked up at the looming bulk of the High Peaks swathed in dark purple clouds that rolled in on themselves and flickered with hidden fire. They were actually higher than his home mountains but being closer to the equator the air was much warmer so that the sides of the black rock here along the Ridge were generally coated in a lush vegetation which on the south facing slopes near the Cut were almost tropical. Up here oaks and birches were the more common trees, the former good also for tanning hides so a hardier version had been seeded up north in anticipation of a growing fur trade on the newly colonised world. "Lot of moisture around still so it'll last a few days at the least, but what brought on the freeze I have no clue. High altitude air stream plunging down perhaps, a cold funnel?"

"Search me," the flock master shrugged his shoulders, theories on atmospheric phenomena being beyond his simple sheep herding experiences. "Got to get home and get warm," he added. Dressed for a mild spring, the cold snap had all but frozen the sheep herders, and they were thinking as much of themselves as finding good pasture for their animals. Dorstal left them then, standing by the Plighting Oak, and disappeared into the gloom which seemed to be drawing ever closer around the small gathering of teenagers. A few had joined Eastel to travel down with the sheep, having had enough of snow flurries for one day.

"You think we got a few more days of this?" Teric asked, overhearing something of what the northerner had said.

"Cold like this draws the moisture out of the air," Fallow explained. "There are no large lakes this side of the Ridge, so it's the humidity that's fuelling the snow storm and the thunder up there. Once that's all used up then it'll stop. Should get warmer again with no cloud and Myscenna beaming down on us," and the big man smiled, beaming down on his dwindling audience. Teric seemed pleased with the prospect.

"No school for like three days at least!" he cried.

"Yeah, but no skimming either," Tam observed.

"Snowball fights," Maena jumped in. "Believe me, you'll love it. Violent but non-lethal." Then she paused and stood stock still, staring fixedly beyond the lake. "What's that?" and she pointed. Fallow leaned forward and followed her gaze. He could see nothing out of the ordinary and shook his head. "I thought..." Maena began and then held her head. Tam gave her a worried look. Was hallucination one of her conditions?

He was about to suggest they get back for the sake of Maena's health when a sudden powerful blast of icy wind caught everyone unawares. Sara let out a squeal of alarm as she almost lost her hat and Evie hugged her for mutual protection. Following this cue the ever optimistic Allak made to protect Tessanna but a look of warning from her forestalled his intention. The flakes suddenly got a whole lot bigger and the air seemed to roar across the lake like an army of ice demons on the move.

"Okay you lot. Fun's over for the day," Fallow decided. "It's almost noon so go get some warm food inside you and rest up. We could be stuck in Upper Maeven for a few days. Thank goodness we got the Sorrell Wayfarer Inn up here," and Fallow clapped Tam heavily on the shoulder gratefully before ushering the group to the footpath that avoided the more treacherous escarpment.

The youngsters filed away in front of him and Fallow let them get some distance ahead before he paused and turned again to look up at the jagged black shadows soaring into the thunderous sky with its angry clouds and ominous mutterings.

"You killed my family, you ice devils," he growled at the swirling snow clouds, raising a defiant fist. "I tried to get away from your accursed lands, to start afresh with a new family here in Maeven. Have you followed me, demons, to finish what you started?" His deep blue eyes stared with smouldering fury at the gloomy shadows dancing above him.

He remained standing there, alone now and in silent angry thought, communing inwardly. Whispered oaths of bitter determination hung upon his lips as his dark bear cape flapped in the increasing gale. Like a mighty oak refusing to yield to the snow blizzard he lingered, seeming determined to defy the elements to the last, until a shrill questioning voice in the lower distance deflected him from this impending battle and he turned his back on the demons that haunted him to follow the youngsters down to the milder slopes below.

To be continued...