“Is it always so cold here? We usually don’t get this much snow in Laegenshire. Only the very shallow ponds will freeze hard enough to walk on them. Unless we go to the mountains—it’s much colder there.”
“It stays pretty cold here in the winter—this is fairly typical. And it’s usually cloudy like this in the winter months. The other day when you came to me in the snow... even though the sun came out, it was still below freezing.” She looked back at the two playful kittens. “I should try again to move Mittens. They’re practically in the middle of the ice now.” She closed her eyes to concentrate, occasionally cracking open one eye to see if anything had happened.
“I’m sorry it’s taking so long,” she said. “Maybe we should give up and try to call them to us.”
He rubbed her hand gently with his thumb. “I don’t mind if it takes a while. I enjoy holding your hand without your uncle glaring at us. We can stay out here all afternoon if that’s your desire.”
She warmed at his words and the soft caress of his thumb. A small mewling sound came from her feet, and she glanced down to find Mittens on the ground in front of her. “Look! I did it!” she cried, scooping up the confused kitten and placing her in Kaevin’s free hand.
“Incredible! How did you do it?”
“I have no idea,” she admitted, “but I’m gonna try for Ringo now.”
She started trying to imagine Ringo on the ground in front of her. She tried to relax and repeat what sh
e’d done with Mittens, but nothing seemed to work. She tried with her eyes open and with her eyes closed. Meanwhile, the frightened kitten started crying as he sat alone in the middle of the frozen pond.
Alora and Kaevin started as the scream of a hawk pierced the air. She shouted when she spotted the predatory bird circling the area. “Oh, no!” She dropped his hand, dashing onto the ice. “He’s going after Ringo!”
“No, Alora!” Kaevin cried. “It’s not safe! Come back!”
She rushed toward the kitten, yelling to frighten the hawk away. As the bird abandoned his quest in the wake of her assault, she stopped running, suddenly recognizing her precarious situation. What was she thinking? This was the stupidest thing she’d ever done. The kitten was several yards away, but she knew better than to venture farther.
“Alora!” Kaevin called. “Don’t take another step! Can you lie down gently and spread your weight out?”
She nodded, slowly bending her knees, gradually lowering herself to the ice. At the sound of a loud crack, she froze. She saw Kaevin’s horrified gaze as the ice gave way beneath her.
Chapter Five
Vindrake took the flask from Abaddon, removing the lid to sniff the contents. He cringed—it was disgusting.
“Only a small amount is required, Sire. Merely a thimbleful.”
“I’ll take a sip after you have done so.” Vindrake handed the flask back to his shaman.
“Very well, you can see the transformation for yourself.” Abaddon put his lips to the flask and lifted it quickly, swallowing a small amount of liquid. He smiled in an obvious attempt to mask his reaction to the taste. Vindrake never saw the change take place. He was simply looking at Abaddon one moment and looking at someone else the next. The new man had green eyes rather than blue. His hair and build were similar to Abaddon’s, but his facial features were unrecognizable. Vindrake searched his aura for a sign of the bondmark. He could not detect the bloodbond, but some giftedness seemed apparent.
“Your gift is not totally masked, Abaddon,” Vindrake remarked. “Perhaps you did not drink enough.”
The man who no longer looked like Abaddon answered in a voice that sounded different as well. “As there are so few people who have no gift whatsoever, I designed the potion to mimic a peasant’s power. Otherwise you would be suspect, simply by appearing devoid of gift.”
“I see,” said Vindrake with grudging respect. “Perhaps the potion will work as planned. As you predicted, your bondmark is not apparent. You are certain the bond is still effective? I would not like to start this expedition without the guarantee of fealty from my companions.”
“Sire, I assure you, no small potion of my making can counter the powerful bond you have designed for your kingdom’s citizens. You have nothing to fear.”
Vindrake took the flask back and handed it to his weapons master. “You will be next to sample the potion.” One by one, the men and women sipped the awful potion that changed their entire appearances and auras, while Vindrake gave out final instructions for the expedition.
“We will start with the large group of thirty, fanning out into the countryside to question all the small farms and shires of southern Stone Clan. Tonight, we will come back together here.” He indicated a small lake to the east of the main road. “Each morning we will repeat the process, until we have accomplished a thorough search and are certain the girl is not anywhere in Stone Clan. Then we will search the other small clans along the way to the mountain pass.”
The flask came back around to Vindrake, who quickly sipped the liquid, wiping his mouth on his sleeve and ignoring the foul taste. “Be certain you are well armed with sword and knife, as your gifts are no longer effective. We will remain masked until we have located the girl. It is imperative we not alert the Stone Clan of our expedition. Whether or not they are aware of Lena’s existence, they must not guess we have that knowledge.”
Vindrake’s voice sounded strange to his ear. He stretched out a strand of his hair with his hand. The texture felt the same as always, but to his eyes the hair appeared brown and curled. Satisfied, he dropped the hair and held up his hand, indicating the copper ring on his middle finger. “Do not forget to wear your ring at all times so we can recognize one another.”
*****
Alora’s breath left her with the shock of the ice water enveloping her body. She worked to keep her head up, her sodden clothes weighing her down, her hands fumbling on the edge of the ice. In a heartbeat, Kaevin’s hands were reaching out to grasp hers as he lay flat on the thin ice near her. He grappled to pull her toward him, but he had no purchase on the slippery surface. He moved his hold down her arms to her elbows and, bracing his own elbows on the ice, lifted her head from the water.
The frigid water burned her skin with intense pain, such that she could hardly breathe. “Alora,” Kaevin urged, “you need to transport us. Somewhere. Anywhere.” He cried out as he felt the ice crack underneath one of his elbows. He slipped forward, and Alora dipped lower into the water.