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“I don’t know who made the decision, I just do what I’m told. And I was told to take everyone in that cottage to the Temple. My captain, Andris, gave the order,” the man said.

“Who does Andris report to?”

“The Deacons,” he coughed, spitting blood at Byrgir.

Byrgir was not phased. “You said everyone in that house. Did you know how many there were?”

“Go fuck yourself,” the man barked back.

Byrgir grabbed the man’s broken nose and twisted. I flinched as he screamed through gurgling blood.

“We knew there were two,” he sputtered, flecks of red flying from his mouth as he coughed.

“Good. Not so hard, was it? Now, if you ever try to hurt her again, I will drive this blade through your chest so hard your spine will shatter. Do you understand?”

A chill climbed my own spine at the malice in his voice. The man nodded shakily.

Byrgir lowered the sword, then swiftly gripped the man’s dominant arm, rotated it, and brought it down over his knee with brutal speed, just like breaking a stick. A sickening crack and the man’s scream pierced the quiet forest again.

“Easy now, easy. You’ll be alright. Gods, it’s like you’ve never broken a bone before,” Byrgir muttered as he rose and strode to his horse, pausing to wipe his claymore in the snow. He looked at me where I stood, staring at him, mouth agape.

“We need to move. I should’ve killed this one too.” He gestured nonchalantly at the man moaning and clutching his arm in the snow and mud. “His friends will be here soon, and I’m sure he’ll be all too eager to tell them where you’ve gone.”

“What about Eilith? We have to go back for her,” I protested.

“We can’t do that. I need to get you out of here. Eilith can handle herself.”

“But there were so many of them! And only one of her,” I said, but he was already swinging a leg over his mount.

“We can’t go back.” Byrgir repeated. “We need to get you somewhere safe.”

I finally followed him, and we galloped down the road, away from Eilith’s house.

“Who were those men?” I asked.

“Paragons. Let’s get off the road.” He slowed his horse and turned into the woods. I followed, more questions rising above the fear and confusion I felt.

“Why did you come?” I asked as I regained my composure.

“Because I’m supposed to protect people from monsters like that,” he said, his voice heavy with guilt. I did not push him for any more answers.

∞∞∞

We made our way to the village, keeping our hoods up and heads down as we snaked between houses to his home on the edge of town. The early night of winter had fallen hours ago, and throughout the town windows glowed with firelight. I was painfully aware of how cold and achy I was.

We hitched our horses at the back of Byrgir’s house and left them saddled. Byrgir moved quickly around the small cottage, hurriedly packing supplies as I had done hours before.

“Can’t we stay here tonight? Or somewhere else in town? I doubt they know where you live,” I asked hopefully. I didn’t want to go back out into the cold and dark.

“There’s nowhere safe for us here. There have been too many Paragons around for too long.

And I don’t want anybody to see you and I together.

” He glanced at me. “Not… like that. No offense.” I shrugged and he continued, “But they’ll be looking for us, asking around.

Wouldn’t be surprised if they already are.

And if people notice us bunked up at the inn, or leaving town together, they’ll talk.

I want as much of a head start on them as we can get. ”

“Nobody saw us here. We can hide the horses and keep the lights out. It’s just so warm, and I’m freezing.”

He sighed, then gestured toward the small kitchen. “Make some tea and something warm to eat. Eat as much as you can. It’ll help keep you warm tonight.”

I did as I was told, glad to have something to do with myself, though my hands shook as I lit the stove.

It had all happened so fast, and now I was in a house with a man I thought I knew, but who suddenly felt like a stranger.

And I couldn’t help but feel a creeping sense of betrayal.

They truly were strangers, Byrgir and Eilith.

They had had their own secret lives right in front of me that I knew nothing about, couldn’t be involved in, didn’t even see.

Once again, everyone was in on the secret but me.

And now Eilith might be dead, her home and all her animals abandoned. I felt the creeping, oppressive weight of helplessness. Suddenly everything felt so foreign, so unfamiliar.

Byrgir entered the kitchen with a bag and scanned for things to pack. His eyes met mine, and he read my emotions on my face.

“Oh, Halja, I’m sorry. This must be frightening.

I can’t imagine…” He trailed off, his tall, powerful frame that had moved so confidently and gracefully on the road now looking out of place, as if this tiny kitchen were too small for him.

Then he crossed the short distance between us and pulled me into a hug.

I was enveloped in his warm, comforting scent.

Cinnamon and other warm spices, tobacco.

All muffled by the wet leather of the armor he still wore.

I hugged him for a moment and then pulled back. “I’m just worried about Eilith.”

“I know,” he said, looking down at me with soft eyes. “But if there’s anybody I trust to handle themselves, it’s Eilith.”

I nodded, then asked, “How did you know to come for us? It takes hours to get to Eilith’s from here.”

“I saw those men ride out of town and had a bad feeling about them, so I followed. I’m just sorry I wasn’t faster.”

∞∞∞

We slipped out of town and took the main road heading southeast. Darkness swallowed us as we left the dim lamplight of Skeioholm behind and were consumed by the shadows of the forest.

The road was clear, the ground still soft with the first hints of spring warmth left over from the day.

We rode in silence for hours by the light of the waxing moon.

Finally, to my relief, Byrgir turned off the road and followed a side path up a small ridge and partway down the other side, to a flat space where we would not be visible to anyone passing by.

We made camp for the night, and I climbed into my bedroll shivering.

We didn’t dare light a fire, and the lack of light and warmth let the shock of the day dig its teeth into my bones. I finally drifted to sleep.

We rose with the sun in the morning. My body ached from the cold night on the ground, and I stayed in my bedroll watching Byrgir pack and saddle his horse for as long as I could.

He did not rush me, but diligently prepared himself and quietly waited for me to follow suit.

I chewed smoked salmon and handfuls of dried cranberries in my saddle, hoping the energy from the food might chase some of the ache from my muscles.

“We’ll stop in a couple hours and make a fire, have a warm meal,” Byrgir said, as if reading my mind. “I just want more distance from town first.”

The snow in the trees began to drip as the sun’s rays hit them, melting the cold night from their boughs. I stretched, breaking from the hunched position I’d been riding in as the sun warmed my face.

Movement to my left caught my eye, and I glimpsed the fleeting ghost of a huge wolf pacing us through the woods off the road. I started and reached for my bow on instinct, but the flash of fur was a familiar, clean white.

“Vardir!” I called gently. The wolf trotted toward the road and stepped into it in front of Byrgir. His black Friesian, whose name, I had learned, was Eira, tossed her head.

“Friend of yours?” Byrgir asked.

“One of Rose’s litter. She must’ve tracked our scent from Eilith’s.”

A moment later, another huge wolf, deep black as a starless sky, emerged from the trees and crossed onto the road beyond Vardir.

He swung into step and led the way, nose low.

I recognized him as Garmr, another I had given a northern name too, to match my own.

Vardir waited until I reached her and touched my leg gently with her nose as I passed.

I reached down to pat her head and was struck by her size.

I could reach her by leaning in my saddle, without even dismounting.

I knew they were big, but had never realized that they weren’t much smaller than a pony now.

The wolves fell into step with us as we traveled. One scouted ahead while the other watched our backs. Their quiet presence was comforting. They patrolled as we stopped at last to make a warm breakfast.

Byrgir stirred porridge in a small cast iron pot over our little fire and looked at me. “How are you feeling?”

“Sore. Tired. Worried.” I thought for a moment, then added, “And confused. You ready to give me some answers?”

“I don’t think I have that many answers to give,” Byrgir said. “It seems like the Paragons of Light have decided to take a more aggressive approach in their conflict with people like Eilith, and people like you.” His eyes flicked up to me and held mine.

My heart rate quickened and my chest constricted. I looked down, unable to hold his gaze.

Byrgir continued, “And their conflict with you and Eilith is a conflict with me.” He leaned back and straightened, the hilt of his sword bobbing above his broad shoulders where it was strapped across his back. I pitied anybody who found themselves in conflict with him.

“I don’t understand what they have against Eilith,” I said. “She isn’t fae-touched.”

“The Paragons believe that Sourcery, and its connection to the fae, are dangerous. They think the world is safer without it. That using it only calls to our distant fae neighbors, and may welcome them back into our world, as they see it. And so it follows that they don’t like Sourcerers or those who follow the Old Ways, like Eilith.