Hilde slammed her hand on the table and growled, “This Unmentioned Beloved Fae Chanar PRICK will not cease! He keeps picking and snipping at the threads of my wards, they hold but I can only slow him so much and it won’t be long before he gets into the core of one and takes that one to pieces. Then the rest will fail in a cascade and there is nothing I can do about it!”

Raelea said, “Can you hold a couple more days? My ritual will be completed then the Fae Chanar will chase whoever attacks them right after obsessively, should give you breathing room.”

“Aye, still got a few tendays at least.”

Raelea said, “Good. Krarrnic, Pif and I will attack their camp and run for Valard’s lands. We must go there anyway because Krarrnic’s spirits tell us it is a blight on the spiritworld and we have to take care of it. The Spirit Kings and Queens demand it. We have also had no information from that land since just after we met you, the spirits have not been able to enter. We need to find out what happened to Corvus and the rest of the Fae there.”

Krarrnic said, “I’m not that happy about us being bait but it’s better than the Fae Chanar getting in here and slaughtering the Dwaris, especially those we have come to care about.”

Fheargus said, “I don’t like it much either, I don’t like my friends being in danger but I like my children in danger less.”

Krarrnic said, “I like your children in danger much less, especially that youngest of yours. The potential for spirit-talking is strong in him and I must foster any emergent Shaman.”

Hilde scratching her head said, “I have no idea where that came from, I’ve never even heard of a Dwaris Shaman.”

“Your brother’s skills as a Seer draw partially from the spirits and perhaps something in your bloodline calls to them.”

Shaking her head Hilde said, “When the little one looks to learn you’re teaching him, you realise that don’t ye?”

“It will be an honour.”

Fheargus said, “For us as well, the skills and knowledge of the Oruc Shaman are well known.”

Raelea said, “We’ll leave in three days as the sun sets.”

Fheargus said, “That’ll be colder than the Unmentioned’s Realm, the Freezing has started out there you know.”

Raelea grinned and said, “Exactly. We won’t be bothered by it, we’re either immune or will be after I create a charm of comfort for Krarrnic and the Fae out there will have to expend strength just to not freeze. Not that much of a drain on them but considering there’s thirty Fae Chanar and their troops out there waiting every little bit helps. On that I’ll want to leave Horse with you I could charm him as well, but when we’re discovered we’ll need to run and we’re faster than Horse.”

Hilde nodded, “No problem.”

“No more to discuss then, I’ll get to finishing up the ritual and making the charm.”

Fheargus said, “There’s one more thing, the kids would be really upset with you if you leave without having a meal with us again.”

“We’ll be there the evening before we leave, it’ll be good. I just hope Pif hasn’t been too much of a problem he’s been rather bored and out of things to do. Thanks for having him in your home so often.”

Hilde said, “It’s fine, the kids have got used to having a warm faintly snoring green pillow around the place.”

*******

The crusted snow and ice gave way as Raelea punched her way out of the snow tunnel, they had to dig for several manlengths to get from the door to the outside of the massive drift. Blindingly thick freezing mist covered everything outside in the still air, the Freezing had two modes, still as the grave while ice coated everything in a thick clear cover and a sweeping slow but insistent wind that blew straight across the plateau carrying blinding quantities of snow.

The Fae Chanar camp was close to the gates and warded quite heavily but Surore had to step outside his wards to try breaking Hilde’s, that was where and when they intended to attack.

He would be well guarded but that just added to the draw, the more dead Fae Chanar the better.

Leaning over and placing her hand on his arm Raelea sent to Krarrnic, “Can you feel that? There are elementals or spirits watching us.”

He sent back, “Yes, it’s elementals not spirits, no problem they will banish just as easily.”

“Probably too late, I’m sure the alarm has been raised. Banish them, call your spirit helpers and hide. The fight comes and you’re not suited to it.”

She felt his agreement just before several targeted pulses of magic flashed out into the mist and the elementals she could feel disappeared. He then vanished to every sense she had other than the vague sense a spirit of some sort was nearby.

She sent, “Pffbt, bad-old-masters come, we fight. Smash their shields as we’ve done before.”

Feeling more than seeing his sly grin she received, “Yes nice-nice. Bad-old-masters feel witchy tricks after doggie eats their shields. Bad-old-masters not see Pffbt, painted rock-lady teach Pffbt how to hide good.”

He vanished into darkness, he’d discovered the ability when he’d seen Hilde use her Dark Realm magic to do the same. He couldn’t actually use Dark Realm magic, it seemed like it was an innate ability like his ability to perform very short teleports.

The Death doggie appeared and vanished, it’s body almost exactly the same colour as the swirling mist.

Time to draw some attention.

Seating herself cross-legged, the mist glowed bright red around her as the runic script along her arms, legs, and torso lit with a fiery light.

She could feel the Fae Chanar camp to her left, a dozen people within it’s wards. She couldn’t tell who they were or if they were Fae or Fae Chanar because the wards blocked her sight mostly. It was actually a testament to her strength as a spirit that she got even that much, Krarrnic’s helpers got nothing if they were sent to check.

But she could tell there was no one outside the camp’s wards and usually Surore would have started by now.

She chuckled darkly, he must have stopped because the elementals had reported. Good.

Now to wait for them to come out and fight.

The mist abruptly burned away in a large area as a large area was bathed in the heat of the midday desert sun and four groups of Fae Chanar appeared, three with the muted crackle of thunder and one in a wash of darkness.

As the grass withered and the ground turned grainy with sand, exposed Pif’s doggie leapt into one group. Biting at them and tearing most of their shields asunder, only one shield wrapped around a shape of darkness and water held as the rest of that group fell to the ground.

Raelea was hit from the other three groups by ranged attacks of all sorts, crushing pressure, jets of hissing water, beams of light, fireballs, bolts of pink tinged lightning and more.

Panes of flickering flames deflected every last attack, appearing and disappearing almost too fast to see. Raelea dashed forward into a group lasing out with hands and feet as tendrils of flame lashed across their shields, only one shield among the five of them remained intact under her furious assault and it also nearly guttered out as the deep blacks, blues and greens of a bruise showed it’s stress. But it held just long enough, and with a muted crackle the fallen Fae Chanar and their High Fae Chanar guardian disappeared.

She spun and hurtled toward another group as the doggie did the same but as they got close the groups moved flickering around the mist free area as another two groups of Fae Chanar arrived and more came running out of the wards around the camp including one on a huge Lion but not the one they wanted.

Toixnae, covered in ice and already flaming shouted, “Hunt down the Oruc and the Goblin, we may not be able to kill her but them we can! We’ll kill them like we killed Corvus and leave her standing alone.”

Raelea could hear the lie and she was about to shout it out when Pif ignited in a blazing ball of plasma as he heard the lying words. She turned to go to Pif, but she was too slow.

Solid streams of flaming gas left scorched passages and glittering glass across the grass and sand as he lashed out.

Pif collapsed, unconscious. Where more than twenty Fae Chanar including Toixnae had stood only slowly drifting ashes remained.

In a crackle of thunder a single Fae Chanar arrived, hidden behind monstrously strong shields she opened a wide gateway that showed ranked masses of Fae and fifty or more Fae Chanar leading them.

Sprinting, Raelea scooped Pif up as she sent to Krarrnic, “Retreat back to the tunnels, they were ready for us.”

Feeling an acknowledgement she made a break for the snow tunnel, relying on her skills in stealth to hide her and Pif as she ran.

She made it back inside unobserved and laying Pif down waited for Krarrnic to make his way back in. She was worried, the Fae Chanar were ready and waiting for any attempt to break out and she was certain she couldn’t get Krarrnic and Pif past them. Perhaps not even just herself either and they still needed to stop Surore from breaking the wards.

*******

Under the dome the desert sun blazed and the ground underfoot was burning sand, outside a whistling lazy wind blew flurries of snow across the desolate frozen plateau until it fetched up against the feet of the barrier ranges.

Marloff gazed at the flurrying snow with distaste then deliberately turned his back on it to face Surore and said, “How soon? That little green thing must pay for her death, I would love to see it try to burn me!”

Surore said, “Not too long now. Another day, maybe two at the most then we can purge these Dwaris Fae for their temerity in defying us. Already the full hunt waits for the weather to break, it’s still too cold for the Fae up on the plateau but once it does the Oruc Fae will be purged as well. Anyone that Witch has been in contact with must be considered hostile.”

“Merganet will not be happy with that.”

“Merganet cannot stand against the will of all brethren and has been soft on these Oruc Fae, she will be replaced by someone a little less forgiving and the Oruc Fae with Fae.” Surore smirked and continued, “Bwarmm played this well we all know she’s wanted the herds ever since she ascended but Merganet was too well entrenched, defending her Oruc Fae has cost her dearly.”

Marloff said, “You play the game to win or you lose in it. Merganet has avoided playing for far too many turnings.”

“You rarely play.”

“Too many of our brethren are blinded to the superiority of the desert and find my lands desolate, unwelcoming.” He smiled, “Also any who weren’t fell long ago and do not dare to contend with me again, if they try I am always watching.”

Surore snorted and said, “This sand gets in everywhere, I’m with the ones who don’t like it. The elementals have given no warnings?”

“None.”

“I’ll go work on the wards then. Warn me if that changes.”

Marloff just nodded then went back into the pavilion where Sunfire was sprawled out, paws in the air, as Surore walked through the wards and into the Freeze.

Once out in the cold and dim conditions Surore let his shield drop, the heat of the desert was not for him he’d been born in the mountains and even the bitter cold of the Freeze felt comforting. Walking over to the gates he leaned into the ward structure, tracing and following the intricate magical weave that made it. It was exacting and tension filled work, Surore loved every second of it and he’d actually even learned from their structure. It was just a shame whoever made them had to die.

Eventually even his resistance to cold wasn’t enough and he stood up to walk around a bit, get the blood flowing in his numb fingers and toes again.

He slapped his hands together, blew on them, stamped his feet and enjoyed the tingling as they warmed. His mind ran through the structures he’d been working with as he did.

Distracted he didn’t notice for a short while as the charm around his neck burst into violent life, glowing brilliantly. When he did his shield came up and he didn’t look around, he didn’t say a word, he immediately broke into a flat out sprint for his wards.

He just as fast skidded to a halt because standing in his way was a short tribeswoman, glaring at him with a very angry look.

She said, “Don’t move! How did you avoid the curses!?”

He couldn’t help himself and blurted out, “Amulet against the evil eye, Witch! Your curses hold no power over me.”

Narrowing her eyes she looked at the glowing amulet and said, “Hmmm. Who showed you that?”

He said, “Cranniis is a Malheura and deals in curses, hexes, and banes. Now stop forcing your will on me Witch!”

“Stop me if you can. Does anyone else stand a chance of breaking these wards?” A vein bulged on his forehead and she could see him fighting to not answer so she repeated as the runic script flared on her body, “Who! Can! Break! These! Wards! Other than you.”

Still fighting he said, “Only me, no one else posses the skills. H-how d-did y-you get p-p-past the el-el-elementals UNNOTICED!?”

“That was quite some effort, well done. In honour of that I’ll tell you how, I’m more spirit than person these days and I’m a very strong spirit. The spiritworld is as always very simple, the strong overcome the weak without fail. Your elementals did not and cannot see me unless I choose.”

He knew suddenly he was going to die here and now unless he ran and he really didn’t give much for his chances of managing even that.

She knew he’d realised, he saw it.

The runes on her body became intolerably bright, just before he felt a coldness in his chest.

He fell to the ground wondering where all the strength of his legs had gone, as his sight faded all he saw was her face, somehow she looked sad as she slowly shook her head.

Leaving the corpse where it had fallen Raelea walked off toward the sally port, the Dwaris were safe under the mountain. It was time to go to Corvus and see what he’d done.