Either way, no one was harming Lumi again.
When he saw the Ivar River, he knew he was in West Iceland. An outpost was far, far away as he sat on his horse at the edge of the snowy forest and peered around. The tower was a smudge, and in the water, a lone fishing boat went by. Neither side pestered single, small boats when they passed through because it was pointless, and it wasn’t like one side had more fish than the other. The Ivar and Rinder Rivers went through both.
Further north was a bridge, and he crossed it. Even though he could have been anyone, and his thick winter clothes hid his appearance, he was afraid he stuck out like a sore thumb. Both sides close to the border were no-man’s land.
He went south, found the Rinder River, and tried to get a pair at a tiny port village to take him so he could make the trip faster. The Rinder would cut several days off, but the brother and sister who owned the boat refused.
“I’ll pay you,” said Jaki. “I’m begging you. My Grandmother isn’t well, and I need to get to-”
“No,” snapped the man.
“A man needed a ride a few weeks ago, and that fisherman is-” The woman ran a finger along her throat. “The bastard stole what little fish he caught too and took whatever he could get his hands on.”
“We ain’t trusting no one unless you’re one of our own.” The man gestured at the village. “And you ain’t. No one here takes strangers now.”
“Horses on a boat is bad luck anyway,” said the woman.
For Elira’s sake. Some backwater places still believed that even though it was nonsense. Jaki had no choice but to continue on land as he followed the river.
By water, Tivar wasn’t actually that far because the Rinder was swift. Going by land was much worse. The Rinder cut through a treacherous, rocky area. Going on foot would be hard, and to go all of the way around would take ages. The less dangerous way also turned out to be a bad idea since the fairies in the next nearest town said a gang of vicious outlaws lived around there. To avoid that spot meant heading more north and taking far longer.
Jaki wasn’t about to take his chances with a dozen men lurking about and ready to pick off lone travelers. He took the treacherous way and had to lead the horse since rocks and uneven ground hid under the snow that nearly came to his hips. Riding the horse might lead to it breaking a leg if it stepped wrong, and Jaki could be trapped underneath.
With no firewood or proper shelter, he had little choice but to walk in a circle at night and stomp the snow down. Once finished, he had a hole to hunker in so the wind wasn’t so biting. The horse, a typical northern beast with thicker skin and fur, had to deal on his own.
It took four days to get through with Jaki pushing himself with little sleep and sore legs. The horse was worn out and probably hated him. Jaki hated his achy legs and cursed the snow. The cold seemed to have settled in him too.
Thankfully, a failing town wasn’t too far away once he was through, and he planned to get going in the morning. A blizzard whipped up in the night, so he was stuck at the crummy inn for four fucking days. Even an Iceland fairy who could deal better with the cold in decent clothes wouldn’t risk traveling in a blizzard. Without being able to see more than a few inches in front of him, he’d end up terribly lost.
Despite being able to deal with the cold, it wasn’t impossible to freeze to death while lost either. His trick of making a hole for himself wouldn’t work so well when it seemed like the wind was going in every direction at once.
He’d worn the glamor around others and made himself look like a plain man, unworthy of remembering. When he finally approached Lilling, he used it again and prayed it would last because he wasn’t sure how much charge it had left since the lord had used it a lot. Hopefully, Jaki wouldn’t need to stay there for too long because he had no way to charge it.
***
“I’m sorry, m’lord, but Tivar sent away the court,” a guard said when he approached.
Jaki's heart thumped as he eyed the pair who looked lax since they likely had nothing to do except stand around during their shift while yakking with each other. Still, if anything wentwrong…He almost couldn’t believe he was practically in the enemy’s home. “I have urgent business with him.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, Lord Smith,” said the guard who must have remembered the fake’s name and appearance. “Er, King Tivar isn’t here right now.”
Jaki leaned down from the saddle. “Where is he?”
The guard fidgeted. “Er…”
The other sighed and nudged his buddy with a smirk. “Everyone knows. King Tivar often likes to go to the Games and Dames whorehouse.”
“Ah. What exactly is that? I haven't been there.” If Tivar were gone, Jaki would have an easier time. He’d merely change his plans a bit.
“It's a house where you can play cards and other games with the whores if you like a bit of fun before, er, the main fun. At least there, if you lose your clothes, you get them back before you leave.” The guard snorted. “He won’t be back until late, but you’re welcome to stay the night. May I ask what your business is? We’ll tell a servant to let the King know he has a visitor in the morning.”
“It’s private.”
As he expected, the guards didn’t pry. His horse was taken care of, and a servant brought him to a guest room. The Castle was almost eerily quiet, and his heart thumped when he imagined Lumi inside.
When he asked the servant why King Tivar had disbanded the court, she shrugged.
“I’m not sure, m'lord. The cook thinks he simply grew tired of…” She suddenly shut her mouth, and two pink spots appeared on her cheeks.
