Page 19 of Weaving Winter

“No…it’s just…” He turned toward me, a look of incredible sadness on his face. “I have something to tell you. You’ll find out sooner or later, and it’s better I tell you now, especially after what you’ve just confided.”

I caught my breath. “What is it?”

“We’ve managed to keep it hidden from you, because we weren’t sure if you’d be moving on or not.” He leaned against the table in the center, ducking his head. “My people—we are from the Wolf People. I am not the leader of the entire Wolf Nation, but I am close enough in rank.”

Floored, I stared at him. “What? You’re a wolf shifter?”

He nodded. “I am. I lead the Lorani, the Outer Guard. My brother is the Prince of Eleago.” He looked so deflated that I almost felt sorry for him. “I suppose you hate me now.”

I could only stare at him. “I’m not sure how I feel. Were you the one who killed my grandparents?” I was telling the truth. I wasn’t sure of what I was feeling. I had never met my grandparents. Their tragedy was just a sad story to me. My father and mother were both dead. If I kept up a feud, it was me against the enemy.

“No, I was not. But I’m certain that my brother, the Prince of Wolves, led the raid. He reigns because he’s the eldest. I knew about the raids…in fact, I know first hand because I took part in some of them. But not, I think, the one on your village.”

That gave me a start. “You’re…then you’re at least twice my age?”

“Even more. The Wolf People live a long time.” He sighed. “Do you want to hear what it was like that winter?”

Not sure of my answer, I merely nodded. I had gone through too much the past week to just toss everything out the window. If I broke ranks with his people now, I’d freeze to death before I could reach the Leanderial Line.

“Very well. I’ll listen,” I said.

“The Snow Witch was angry all winter. She brought storm after storm against the entire area—and she reached south of the Bramble Fel Forest, to encompass your lands as well. The game was sparse, hunting was difficult for everyone due to the fear of getting caught out in her wrath. The skies that summer had been overcast with a dark ash from one of the volcanoes in the far frozen northlands that erupted. The ash cooled the skies, dampening the growth of all food as far south as the Southern Jungle. The berries were stunted, and so were the crops. It was a harsh year for finding food.” He stood, pacing toward the door with his hands behind him.

“My people were hungry, and the game elusive. So my brother, who ruled even then, decided we’d go on raiding parties. And raid we did. All through the villages above the Leanderial line. I was not in the raiding party that took your village by surprise, but I know my brother was. I will give him this: he’s no coward. He’s not afraid to ride in the front lines.”

“And so he led the raid that killed my grandparents?” I knelt by the fire, holding my hands to the flames. While I wanted to hate him for what he did, the truth is, the People of the Snow lived on the edge. My people were used to facing hardships. Raiding parties were just one of the dangers we lived with. And my grandparents…I never knew them. If they were like my father, I couldn’t claim they were good people. He had been an incredible bowman, but as a husband and father, he had severely lacked.

“He did,” Bran said.

I straightened my shoulders. “Then your family owes me a blood debt.”

“We do. Your grandparents were protecting their wares.”

Blood debts could only be enforced when the two parties had not been in a mutual feud that was agreed upon by both sides. And it couldn’t be enforced against someone you slighted or hurt, although they could turn and claim the debt against you, if you murdered or maimed one of their loved ones.

I thought about it for a moment. “I will save it for now. Should I need help in the future, it might come in handy.”

If he had hoped I’d put it to the side, he said nothing. Instead, he said, “I will tell you now, my brother might not honor the debt, but I will if I possibly can.”

“Understood.” I wanted to ask more about his family. His brother was the Prince of Wolves, and Bran was the royal scout, from what I gleaned. But he didn’t seem entirely fond of his brother, and I wondered if the feeling was mutual. Impulsively, I stood and walked over beside him. “I won’t ask for the moon. I’ll only ask for help should I need it.”

He turned to face me, a dark smile on his face. “I wonder…” But whatever the rest of the sentence was, he didn’t finish it. The mood grew thick, and my head began to spin as I stood so very still. Outside the hush of the snowflakes falling crackled like static electricity. My stomach was in my throat, and a storm of our own felt ready to break.

Before I could move, he suddenly turned the other way. “We should get back to work,” he said in a harsh voice.

Startled, I merely followed his lead and sat down in front of the pile of mending. As we sewed late into the afternoon, I tried to keep my thoughts to myself, but it was difficult.

That evening, we had just finished mending everything that had been in the pile, when the clang of a gong rang.

“Dinner,” he said. We’d stopped for a quick lunch of bread and cheese which Fenling brought in, but other than that, we’d worked in silence. As the hours wore away, I realized that I was comfortable in silence around Bran. A rare joy. I enjoyed talking to friends, but my time to myself was important, and I was used to days out in the forest, hunting, with no one to talk to. I had grown used to the silence of my thoughts.

“I’m hungry,” I said, standing to stretch. “Is the storm still bad?”

He peeked out of the tent. “Worse.”

“I need to use the privy,” I said. “Where is it?”

“Too far from here to chance. You can use the one in my tent. Come, follow me.” He led me outside by the hand. “Don’t let go. I know my way around the camp blindfolded, but it’s nearly zero visibility and you could easily get lost in the blizzard.”

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