I carried on walking north. As I did I could feel the temperature drop with every step I took. Before too long the ground grew crisp under foot and a white powder covered the floor. Tracking the monster would have become impossible if its tracks had been as scarce as they had been yesterday, but this region of the wilderness seemed to be its territory - there were signs that it had been here to be found everywhere - and I was trespassing.
I came upon a series of caves. They were like the burrows I have been trapping for food, but much larger. Big enough for me to enter. Big enough for someone to enter at least. There were footprints in the snow outside the entrance to one of the tunnels. Not the footprints of an animal, and not the marks of the monster. These footprints were from a human, and I only knew of one other human in these parts.
Of course I entered the cave. Part of the motivation for me to come into the wilderness was to find the woman who could translate the runes from the mine. I was certain that the prints belonged to her. They were much lighter than mine. They were the kind of prints I would have expected to find left by the kind of person who favoured a bow. Light as a feather; not the heavy trenches pressed into the ground by the feet of a swordsman or brawler.
The cave was not too dark; light managed to bounce its way around the corners and through the tunnels well enough. With the red glow from the staff I could see almost as well as I had been able to outside. But the tunnels echoed. I did not realise it at the time but my sense of hearing was greatly hindered in the tunnels. I couldn't tell which direction sounds were coming from.
I was quite far into the cave, still able to see clearly, when something brushed past me. I felt a freezing chill all over my body. I span around and saw the path I had just walked along covered in pearls of frost. The path that had definitely not just been covered in such items. But now it was. A freezing breeze blew from ahead of me and I turned around again, feeling as if there was something behind. Pearls of frost were appearing everywhere now; they seemed to be growing out of the ground before my very eyes.
My grip tightened around the hilt of the Shard-Blade. I spun around again and saw it. The monster. At first it was like a ghost; incorporeal. I could see through it to the wall behind as well as I could see it itself. Gradually its form grew more solid - from something as substantial as breath on a cold day, to a hulking creature that looked to be made up of jagged blocks of pure ice.
The monster bore a resemblance to the Water Elementals from stories. They too could choose to be a gaseous cloud of vapour, or a man shaped column of liquid, or anything in between. Perhaps the monster used to be a Water Elemental, but lost its ability to sustain a liquid form in the low temperatures of the north.
The origins of the monster weren't my first concern as it became more and more solid before me. I had two options - either I stayed to fight, or I turned and fled. There would be no peaceful solution with an Elemental.
I did not think that fighting would be successful. It would turn to mist as my sword was about to hit it, then return to its icy form to attack me with cold, heavy fists. I had to run. I span on my heel and darted through the tunnels. When I came to a fork in the path I went left without a thought. The way took me up and up, then around a corner, and then all of a sudden I was back outside.
I allowed myself to turn around to see how much distance there was between myself and the Ice Elemental. As I found my footing it emerged from the cave mouth. I began to turn to run once more when "shweish!" A flaming arrow soared past my ear (so close to my head, I later discovered, that it singed some of my hair). Then another flew through the space between my arm and my side, then a third between my legs. For an instant I thought I was being ambushed but I soon realised that all the arrows, that had missed me, had found their intended target - the Ice Elemental.
The archer was crouched about 50 paces from me and had another arrow ready to shoot. However, this one had not been lit.
"Good, you've led the monster to us!" She shouted to me with a hint of sarcasm. "The fire will only melt it for a minute or so, after that it will chase you again. So I suppose that gives you just enough time to tell me what you're doing with my Dragon-Eye staff, but not long enough for you to think of a lie that will stop me from shooting you. "
"It was a gift from the leader of Old Traders' Village. I needed a light so that I could explore the Dwarven Mine and I was given this. I had only gone looking for a torch. "
"You think faster than I gave you credit for. But there is a hole in your story. I was home that day you came to my house looking for a torch, which, by the way, is a very odd place to expect to find one when there are shops nearby. You didn't see me but I overheard your brief conversation with my father, and I am well aware that he sent you away empty handed. You must have sneaked back in later and stolen the staff! "
Behind me I heard the Ice Elemental's struggle cease. The archer whispered something and released the arrow she had been holding. Mid flight the arrow tip became fire, and it buried itself in the Elemental.Please stop reading over my shoulder now.
"Thank you. "
"Don't. I'd prefer not to have to fight the monster to get my staff back when you could just bring it to me. Come, we should continue our conversation somewhere safer - I don't have enough arrows to keep it at bay for very long. I have already used four more than I would have liked to. Having said that, I'll happily use one on you if you try anything. "
I had no choice but to go with her. The Elemental was already recovering from the last shot. I ran the distance between us and then we both jogged away, with her slightly ahead to lead the way. Every so often she would crouch down and whisper to herself, and the snow would melt away around her and the ground would reveal itself to look freshly burned.
On the other side of a small incline in the land we came to a pit. It was huge. It was impossible to see into it due to all the smoke rising up out of it. I asked what was down there but the woman wouldn't tell me. She said that if I knew I would turn around and take my chances with the elemental. It wasn't the most comforting response but she assured me that I would be safe there as long as she was with me.
"Now, tell me who you are, why you're here and why you were exploring the mines. "
"My name is Esunai. I'm in the wilderness to try and learn why the Ice Elemental is getting so close to the village again after leaving it alone for so long that the only memory of it ever coming near is bound to a folk song, and I'm right here because you told me, while you were aiming at my head, to follow you. I wanted to explore the mines to search for clues as to why the Dwarves died out. "
My abrupt honesty caught her off guard and she hesitated before talking again. I took the opportunity to speak more and to ask a questions of my own.
"You are Al'Lanua; Lanua for short. You are the most skilled with a bow in your village by a long way, and you always win the shooting game at the Festival of First Seed. You are also the only person who can translate the runes carved in the Dwarven Mine and the other reason I came into the wilderness was to ask you to tell me what they mean and why the rocks glow. "
I took this diary out of my pack and found the picture I had drawn of the runic carvings. Lanua had become quite quiet, almost distant, and seemed not to know what she should be doing. She looked at the picture and I could see her translating the text in her head.
"I'll give you the eye-staff if you tell me about them. And why the rocks glow. "
At this she looked up.
"You found rocks that were glowing? "
"Yes, why? What are they? "
"Do you have one with you? "
"In a way. I fell in a cave in the mountain and the rock I had with me shattered causing a shard to lodge itself in my upper arm. What do the runes say? Here, take this - it's yours anyway. "
I offered Lanua the eye-staff hoping that she would decide I'm not just some dishonest rogue, and that she would tell me what the picture said.
"It says 'The Power Of The Mountain Succumbs Only To The Greed Of The Soul' but, before you ask, I don't know what it means. "
Neither did I. After a short time we sat down and began to talk about what I had been up to since I left Teeluw, and about her life, which was entirely more adventurous than I would have expected from anyone who lived in Old Traders' Village.
That brings the story to where I am now as I write it by the red glow of the Dragon-Eye Staff and with Lanua poking the fire she made and occasionally reading over my shoulder to make sure I'm telling it right.
The Ice Elemental.
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