The Last IceBreaker, part VI
"Harlios, wake up"
"Drel...."
Harlios opened his eyes, and saw a strange shimmer in the air above him. Brownish-red it flickered, like the underside of a dome. It seemed to be anchored by gleaming red wooden posts, strangely twisted looking. Not physicaly twisted, but internally, somehow. The Ritual Markers!
He sat up slowly, wooly-headed. But he felt marvelous, overflowing with vitality. His surroundings began to register; he was inside a warded area, naked. His clothes and gear were stacked off to one side, and the shaman was watching him....
"I thank you, Wolf Brother, for your healing." said Harlios.
The shaman sat quietly, side by side with his ally, or fetch, or whatever
shamans called such things. He looked like translucent glass, lit up
from within. The wolf spirit looked similar, but had little in the way
of defined boundries. Harlios pushed at his eyes, but his vision did
not shift. "Either I am still in the Realms of Legends, or my eyes have
been affected by what happened with Valind," he thought. "Or perhaps it
was the sight of Himile."
"How are you called, Char-un Friend?" asked the shaman.
"I am..... I am....."
"I am Harlios!" he cried out in his mind, but the words would not
pass his throat.
"Harlios the Traveller!"
"Harlios, Priest of the Seven Mothers!"
"Harlios, Lord of Yanafal Tar'nils!"
"Harlios of Fer Caron!"
"Harlios, son of Telavel!"
"Harlios Halt-of-Foot!"
"Harlios Putrid-Blade!"
But not even the last two hated callings would emerge from his
mouth. The Doom of Valind would not permit. Slowly, reluctantly he
said, "I am the Last IceBreaker."
"I was expecting someone called Lord Harlios," said the shaman.
"Such was my name, or rather, one of them. But the King of
Winter has stolen it from me. Why were you expecting me?"
"Hear my story...."
"I gathered my brothers, and all my sisters too, and brought
them to the Place of Challenge. I do this once every four or five
years, that they may see the Black Rock, and watch IceBreakers in
their rituals. So I came here even as Inandana DaughtersBlood arrived.
She asked me to keep the pack away from her beasts, but otherwise
welcomed me warmly. She had a cask of salted meat broke open for
my kith, and a great trough of water placed to slake our thrist.
Inandana asked nothing, but said that if we would support her Formal
Challenge, she would be gratefull. That we gladly did. Uzhim are no
weakling enemies, and no wolf can slay a hollri."
"We howled and bayed, as Inandana circled the rock seven times,
shouting out her challenge. The Black Rock hummed it's aproval. The
ritual markers glowed brightly, and many wolf spirits joined the pack."
"The next day, before the caravan got underway, a red-haired
woman aproached me. Her eyebrows too were red-dyed. Yasmin, Priestess
of Etyries is my name she said. Will you exchange favors with me?"
"perhaps, what is it you want?" I asked.
"I want you stay in the vicinity of the Black Rock, and maintain
the ritual markers," she said. "Lord Harlios was expected to be with us,
but he is not. I had thought that he may yet turn up, racing to catch up
with our slow wagons."
"I do not know you marker's spells," I said.
"I will show you that. And in exchange, I will give a Blessing of
Etyries, a Findng of the Way. When all seems lost, and there is no path
that leads to safety, call forth this blessing. The way shall be clearly
seen."
"I will do as you ask. I will not stay here always, but will range
about and return. Lord Harlios is....your mate?"
"No. I doubt he remembers me well. But I was with him at the
College, in the Class of Inner Light. He did not understand what Lady
Jarvenesh was teaching, but he asked many searching questions. I
was like the second goose in a flock, following in his wake. Harlios
never did understand, but his questions threw everything into a new
light for me. I learned much wisdom because he was there."
"And so I was here to witness your arrival. But I see that you
have failed in some terrible way. Suddenly you slowed, then stopped.
You glowed from within. Then all at once, you were rhimed with frost.
Your horse was frozen into a solid block. It took two days for it to
thaw enough to eat."
"You ate my horse?!"
"It was dead, and my pack was hungry."
"......you have done much for me. I will not begrudge your
pack a meal. But the healing was not part of your bargain, was it?"
"I have met Etyries folk before. Always it is something for
something. But some deeds should be done because it is right, regardless
of favors or debts. I have healed you because you are an IceBreaker.
If you have failed this year, then there is always the next."
"No. There is no next year for me, I am Doomed. I remember
Yasmin, but it helps nothing. All who went with Inandana are dead.
Kalikos and all her folk are dead as well. The Host of Winter is marching
south, and will slay or freeze everything in their path. Take your
pack and flee to the south."
"This is bad to hear," the shaman said slowly. "Can nothing be
done?"
"I will do what I can, but this will be the worst winter in
generations. Longer, darker, colder. Even the great river by Graclodont
may freeze. Now I will ask a favor....."
"My strength is much spent, but I will help you as I can."
Harlios moved over towards his gear. He thrust his armor aside
and pulled out his two curved blades. "Take this to the Temple of the
Great Sister," he said, partially unsheathing his iron scimitar. "Give
it to Chiak. Tell him all I have told you."
"I will not enter a stink hole."
"Mmmmm, well you need not. Camp on the plain a few miles away
and thrust this into the ground." Harlios held forth the shorter blade.
"It is a claw! What mighty beast did you slay, to have such a
thing?"
"A wyvern. Once the base of the claw was carved into a hilt, it
served well enough as a short sword. I used it in my left hand, and the
scimitar in my right. Rub you hand lightly down it's edge, leave a little
trail of blood. Then focus you magic on it for a little. Chiak will feel
it, and come to you. He is one of the others that helped kill the creature,
and he has such a claw too. All who did swore mighty oaths upon the claws,
and we two added more to them as well."
"Go south yourself, and deliver the claw with your own hand.
You will throw away you life to no purpose," said the shaman, as Harlios
began to dress.
"I cannot. I am too deeply caught up in the challenge and
the rituals. If I attempt to flee, my feet will not move, my breath will
fail me. I will use my two-hander, and kill as many as I can. Winter's
strength has grown in proportion to it's victories. My efforts will only
produce a minor setback, but that is all I can do."
"Uzhim are cruel to prisoners."
"Uzhim are the least of my worries."
"I will not take your message."
Harlios turned slowly, and asked, "Why not? You said that would
help me if you could."
"My pack goes to the west. We will forage on the verge of the
elf woods. The lands south of the river are not fit for wolves to roam
in. Men cluster so thick there, they are like herds."
"The winter will kill half your pack, or more," warned Harlios.
"The strong will survive. That is the Way of the Wolf."
End of Glorantha Digest V4 #330
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