Chapter 94: A Servant’s Troubles (Part Two)
When Ashlynn’s echoing footsteps stopped, the rest of the group stopped along with her, each one of them staring at the massive block of ice and the things frozen inside it.
Within the ice, Ashlynn could see several strange and powerful looking creatures she’d never seen before. Their massive shapes were frozen in fierce poses as though they were moments away from unleashing their fury on anyone foolish enough to stand before them and only the thick ice stopped them from feasting on Ashlynn and her companions.
The first one looked like a giant cat, larger than the work horses from the stable, with giant fangs as long as her forearm. Next to it stood an even larger beast with two wickedly sharp teeth protruding from it’s rodent like face and ending in a wide tail that looked powerful enough to crush wagons. The ice was so clear that she could make out individual strands of fur, preserving the trophies perfectly for who knew how long.
"Is that, is that really a beaver?" Ashlynn couldn’t help but ask, staring at the giant buck toothed creature. "I’ve seen smaller ones in the rivers in Blackwell County, they’re hunted for their fur, but this..."
"This is a capraba," Hauke said proudly. According to the engraving on the ice, it had been slain by his great-great-grandfather Egon. "They used to live in the forests at the edges of the tree line, but none have been seen in these mountains in over a hundred years."
"Their meat is tough and stringy," Nyrielle said. "But their pelts are very warm. When the humans attacked the nations along the mountains, many nations were forced to flee into the mountains if they wanted to survive. Caprabas were hunted in droves so that broken nations could survive the winter and cross the mountains to the safety beyond."
"Ha ha," Hauke laughed awkwardly. "I forget, sometimes, just how long Lady Nyrielle has lived. I’m sure our High Pass would have been overrun by humans if not for your defense of the Vale of Mists."
"True, but my people wouldn’t have survived the aftermath of Cellach’s war if it wasn’t for the High Pass taking in our elderly, women and children while we fought off his armies," Nyrielle added politely. "The vale will never forget that the High Pass protected us in our hours of need."
Hauke grinned in pride, flashing his sharpened teeth while the iridescent light within his horn seemed to brighten. After spending a few more moments admiring the beasts preserved in ice, the group continued on their way to the banquet waiting in the grand hall.
The air grew noticeably colder as they progressed deeper into the fortress, and Ashlynn found herself drawing on her magic to ward off the chill. She noticed small ice crystals forming in the air with each breath, and her lungs felt tighter each time she drew in a fresh breath of the thin, chill air.
This clearly wasn’t a place that humans were ever meant to live, much less thrive. The only thing missing to make the place feel less hospitable was a frozen human soldier, captured in ice alongside the capraba and the giant tiger.
Still, Hauke’s gentle hospitality helped to blunt the chill in the air and Nyrielle’s presence beside her helped remind her that while this place may not welcome humans, that didn’t mean it didn’t welcome her. As a witch, she refused to let the natural elements of this place overwhelm her as she strode deeper into the icy fortress.