Page 6 of Winter Gods & Serpents

“Since now,” she almost squealed. She had always found it hard to lie, she was too sincere for her own good.

I traced a line above her brows. “Nia, your forehead literally folds in half when you lie.”

“I didn’t lie, and I don’t hate all people.”

“Mhm.”

“Fine,” she sulkily admitted. “There is writer from Asra travelling the continent. Jeremiah from the village council said she is coming tonight to witness the Autumn festival for her travel diary. I wanted to meet her; she has written some of my favourite books.”

“You know there is romance outside books too?”

“I don’t care for that, not when it is so beautifully done in writing.”

“Alright my hopeless romantic who doesn’t like romance, shall we be any later?”

“Says ‘the lust is romance’ woman who is the reason we are late.” I had gone for a run before meeting with Nia, she would hold a grudge for it forever.

“That is because just like you, I know men only love you back in those books. Pretty words fade, the caress lessens, there is no fluttering heartbeat when you look at their faces and no desire to have their heart, only what stands between their legs.”

She frowned. “That only means you have never been in love.”

“I’d think I would have found one by now, the moment they open their mouths is the moment it reminds me it might never even exist.” The dizziest a man had made me was when they stared at my breasts long enough that my eyes had rolled so far back my head they had forgotten to return.

“It exists, one who has never been in love can never write books like the ones I’ve read. Speak like that and never have not experience it, even if for a short moment.”

“It is hard to find it, not imagining it. Now let’s not make you late. I bet you’re dying to be lied to by that author.”

Nia slapped my shoulders viciously. “You cynic, some faith wouldn’t kill you.”

Faith kills a lot of people, I had no desire to end up a martyr.

Chapter 3

Autumn and Fire

The festival took place at the edge of Soren Forest, just above Fernfoss village, where it had taken place for the past few years. A foreign tradition brought here by nomads and travellers of other lands that had settled here fearlessly after Olympia had perished. All around Fernfoss, the only habitable location in Olympia, was surrounded by people from every corner of the continent, even some from the continent of the unblessed lands, Vrammethen.

Your grandfather would cry tears of shards, Alaric had said once we arrived in Fernfoss, If he saw who resided in his solemn lands we’d see him cry for the first time in history.

The forest appeared grimmer at night, it had gone deadly quiet. The only noise and light omitted were from the festival that grew between a scarce patch of trees. Crowds gathered towards the food and game stalls. Several men and maiden were sat in tree logs in front of the hot crackling Autumn bonfire, toasting on ale and chatting their way to each other’s hearts. Tavern maids had relocated into small tables serving food and drinks to the festival goers, flushed red from work they boomed with energy as they circled around the busiest day of the year.

Just outside the perimeter of the celebrations I could spot Cai’s dark brown head, hunched over on a log, drinking. His mother’s emerald stone pendant left to him after she’d died in childbirth, dangled by brush of wind. Different from Nia and I, Cai was born and raised in the lands of Old Olympia, to him this was home. He never got to see Myrdur, at least not to remember, but he’d often sit amongst the ruins and run his hands over their silhouettes imagining what it would have been. He’d walk around there for hours picturing himself amongst his people that had perished while he’d been barely two, held by his grandmother in a deep cave in the Volants while his father had been burnt in the attack. Alaric liked to call him lucky, one of the very few that had made it out, but Cai had different words for it: god’s sour sense of humour.

Nia pulled my arm dragging my attention to her. “I will get us food and drinks. If you even think of tricking me and going into hiding, I will hunt you down myself. Remember fun can be found outside the bedroom and away from bloodied knives too.”

“Never found it anywhere else,” I murmured, overtaken with an itching rash I got when surrounded by people.

She shook her head and left approaching a group of people into conversation. Cai hadn’t yet noticed we’d arrived, probably credit to the white face veil that all women young and old were wearing as tradition. Men were to follow us in the chase without knowing who we were. Archaic, just like the idea of women wanting to be chased by men only. I’d like to be chased by a woman—I’d like to be chased by many beautiful women. Why would we be chased in the first place, we were not elk to be made venison.

I shook my head from thoughts and headed towards the edge of the celebrations and sat next to Cai. Noticing he’d startled, I threw an elbow to his stomach. “Who else besides me and Nia would approach a lone loser like yourself?” Snatching his goblet, I lifted the veil and took a sip. The sour taste hit my mouth, throat and then stomach, causing me to wince.

He chuckled silently. “All those brave words yet your body betrays you.”

I dared take another sip. Some numbness would help tonight go quicker. “Just why are you sitting out here, you look happier when I make you chase me through the woods.”

He turned to me, emerald eyes piercing through mine while he took a deep sip from his goblet. Once that stare had made my stomach flutter. “I could ask the same or are none of these gentlemen worthy of your royal arse?” A smirk lift on the corner of his mouth all tease he wanted me to fall for. He and I have been friends for the past twelve years, at one point we tried our luck at being more than friends, but it never felt right, the flirting always had left me in a cringe. We kissed the night of my seventeenth birthday while on our way home from our run in the forest. We were both confused and agreed to never speak of what had happened, not that I particularly wanted to recall embarrassing moments.

“Certainly they are not, you better than anyone would know that,” I said quietly, taking the goblet from his hand and gulping down the remaining ale.