The Ice Warden | Chapter 1
This is an extra story that expands on some scenes from Flower of Light, the first book of the Eternal Stones, and gives more insight on the characters of Yuri and Sheila (and in a small part Atres as well), their background, their development, and the start and growth of their relationship.
The first part begins from the day of their first meeting, which corresponds to the “Water” section of Flower of Light. In there I only cover a few days of their two weeks travel from the Ice to the Star Kingdom. In this story a few new things happen, still keeping it consistent with the main events, and the point of view is more focused on the characters and their inner thoughts.
You’ll notice that in the retelling of some scenes that are already in the book I kept the same dialogue lines, again, for the sake of consistency, while expanding the narration and adding more dialogue.
The first six chapters are free to read for everyone, while the following ones will be accessible only to our subscribers; this is mostly because the more we progress the more there will be spoilers on the main story and also things might get a bit more romantic/intense. The story rating still remains 16+, as the main books, (no graphic/explicit scenes) but since this will probably be an ongoing story continuing even beyond the end of book two, at some point things might happen that require an 18+ rating, but we’ll see when we get there. For now it’s all SFW.
Reading order recommendation. Even if you could read this first part at any point, you might get a few reveals ahead of time, so my suggestion would be to read it after or along with Flower of Light (you can use the reading guide above to read the chapters in the correct chronological order). But even if you don’t want to commit to the whole story yet and you’re just curious, I think you could safely read the free chapters, and some of the following ones at least until the arrival to the Golden City. After that, other characters will show up that have been introduced in the previous 10 chapters of the first book so you might get a bit confused if you don’t know who they are and what happened to them so far.
Also please consider this is a first draft, since the story is not complete yet and therefore has not yet been proofread by a native speaker, so you might find some odd phrasing, typos, and language mistakes, even if I did my best to give you a clean text.
You can find the chapters list and info on how to log in here.
Thus said, I hope you enjoy and will join my characters in their adventures!
The Ice Warden
Chapter 1
Year 665 of the Bluand Era
Month III, day 21
Cold as ice.
Yuri was knee-deep in the snow. He had separated from his fellow soldiers; he was alone and lost.
The outpost of Ykten was too far away. The Ice Kingdom scouts had set camp well into the Cold Desert when they were ambushed by the Kadwasi tribesmen, or, as they called them, the Leopard Men. A few of the Ice soldiers had survived the attack. Only two had made it back home.
But this was five years ago. Yuri was not seventeen anymore. He was back home now; that must’ve been a dream.
He looked around, and something caught his attention: a splash of color in the white. A purple flower, something completely out of place, out of time. He tried to reach it, when he heard a voice in the wind. “The tenth spring is near.”
She called Yuri’s name, and his insides twisted.
Then he woke up.
It was early in the morning; he could tell by how faint the light of the sky was. The sun was not even visible yet, rising behind the Eastern mountains.
He got out of bed and poured water from a pitcher into the basin next to the window. He splashed his face, and it felt like coming back to life. The cold water always gave him a jolt of energy. He brushed his shoulder-length auburn hair, put on some clothes, and then sneaked into the kitchen to look for the previous day’s leftovers with which to throw together a quick breakfast.
He was munching on dry bread and salted meat when he heard footsteps approaching. He could tell from the heavy thumps it was his cousin Lara; she was loud in every way possible.
“What are you doing?” she hissed, breaking into the room.
“What are you doing up so early?” he replied, gazing at her with his icy-blue eyes.
Lara’s were more on the green side, while her braided hair was red like his and her father’s, Yuri’s uncle.
“I wanted to make you all breakfast. Pa and Vik will wake up soon.” She stared at his plate. “Are you eating everything cold again, like a savage? Let me warm up some tea or milk.”
“It’s all right,” he shrugged. “I have to go down to the docks early. There’s a merchant’s ship about to sail, and they need more guards to watch the cargo.”
She looked at his grayish-blue shirt and pinched his sleeve with two fingers. “And you’re going out dressed like that? You’ll catch a cold.”
“It’s almost spring. I’ll wear the guard’s gear when I get to the barracks.”
Lara shook her head and went to put some tinder into the hearth. “You didn’t even light the fire.”
“I was going to do it before I left.” He glanced back at her. “Do you need more wood? I can bring it in.”
“It’s fine. Want me to heat some soup?”
“I’m good. I have to go.” He was about to put away his plate, but she snatched it from his hands, almost offended.
“Wear your cape, at least.”
“I’m grabbing it right now,” he replied, heading for the door. “Say hi to Uncle Xej and Vik. See you later.” And out he went.
Even though the spring was near, the Ice Kingdom remained cold, but Yuri barely noticed. He walked through the streets of Laske, headed to the docks, following the same path he did every day. But today, there was something different in the air.
That weird dream was stuck in his mind for some reason.
By the time he had a full view of the sea, the hairs on the back of his neck were standing as if there were danger ahead.
He saw a ship that had just docked, displaying the Imperial banners. At first glance, he noticed armed guards on board.
Nikolaj, one of his elder comrades, was checking the papers of two people who were probably emissaries. They were wearing capes, so he couldn’t see their clothes, but one of them seemed to be well-armed, judging by the scabbard that was poking out near his legs. Yuri could only glimpse that he had short, dark hair.
Walking closer, he had a full view of the other, shorter figure. A woman. For a moment, among all the people passing through, she looked straight at him.
She had brown eyes, with a slight almond shape, and long, dark lashes. Her brown hair was combed in a braid, which fell to the side, sticking out of her lowered hood. Her skin was pale, but with a tan shade, and her nose bridge was softly curved. Her full lips were tinged a dark pink by the cold. She was probably from the South, like the man next to her.
Her gaze on Yuri gave him an even eerier feeling, as if she knew who he was. But then she quickly averted her eyes and resumed talking to the guard.
Since Yuri was headed in their direction, he got close enough to catch their conversation. That’s when the guard spotted him and called out. “Wodjstav! You, of all people, come here.”
He silently approached, while the man continued. “Our Yuri would know how to find his way back even from the otherworld,” he said with a laugh. Nikolaj always thought his jokes were so funny.
“Sounds like just what we need.” The Imperial man looked him over with a grin, but his green eyes were not smiling. There was something piercing and suspicious in the way he looked at Yuri. Meanwhile, he noticed a resemblance between him and the the woman – they could be related.
“These are the Emperor’s people,” Nikolaj explained. “Show them the way to Soth.”
Yuri frowned. That was not what he was supposed to do at that moment. “It takes at least a day’s walk, but if you want a map, you should ask the Master Cartographer to prepare a copy for you.”
“And how long does it take?” asked the Emperor’s man.
“About a couple of days.”
The guard burst out laughing again. “Don’t talk nonsense, Wodjstav, the emissaries certainly don’t have time to wait. You can bring them there directly.”
Yuri was starting to get annoyed, but his stare remained cold and unfazed. “I can’t leave the port without permission.”
Nikolaj waved the documents in his face. “Do you see these papers? They are signed by the Emperor himself. I’ll talk to the Captain. Now, get off your rear and go get ready for the trip.”
“As commanded,” Yuri replied. He was not in a position to refuse, since Nikolaj was his elder.
“Our guests will be waiting for you at the fishermen’s tavern,” the guard turned back to the emissaries. “Don’t let the name fool you, it’s a favorite of the Lord of Laske. You’ll be able to settle in at your leisure.”
The Imperial man grinned. “Great. And I thought everyone in the North was as cold as their climate.”
Yuri raised an eyebrow, while the woman elbowed the foreigner’s side and gave him a dirty look. “Thank you very much,” she said to Nikolaj; her voice was as charming as her features. Then her eyes went back to Yuri. “We will wait there,” she concluded, and he felt something crawling up his spine.
He just nodded, then turned around, retracing his steps, while thinking of what he could need for such a travel.
Leading those two strangers up to Soth meant a full day of walking on a narrow path, with nowhere along the way where to stop and eat or drink, so he’d need provisions. His travel bag. Weapons, just in case. Soth had a small inn where they could stop for the night. What in the world did two Imperial emissaries have to do in that tiny village?
He shook his head and went back home.
He found the whole family having breakfast at the big table, in front of the lit fireplace.
“Yuri! Back already?” His uncle Alexej greeted him. He was his mother’s younger brother, close to his forties. He was the Master Woodcutter of Laske, a big, strong man, with ruddy cheeks and a jolly attitude, quite the opposite of his nephew.
Next to him sat his second son, Vik, a shy tween boy with strawberry blond hair and green eyes. He was the one who resembled his late mother most, while Yuri and Lara were Talwa through and through, like Uncle Xej and his sister.
“Something came up, I have to leave for Soth,” Yuri explained.
“What do you have to do up there?” asked Lara, immediately curious.
He had already disappeared into his room to get the belt with his weapons and the travel bag. “Escort some Imperial emissaries, it seems.”
“To Soth?” it was Uncle Xej this time. “Has the Emperor run out of wood all of a sudden?” He laughed.
“Nobody in his right mind would want to get wood from a cursed forest,” Lara remarked in her know-it-all tone.
“I’ve been there a few times, nothing cursed about it.” Yuri came out of his room in full gear. His grandfather’s axe hung from his right side, while on the opposite hip, he carried a sheath with his special dagger. Something that a stranger left behind a few years before.
“Then why are you armed?” his cousin pointed out.
“You never know.” Yuri shrugged. “Is there some food left that I can pack? And where’s the waterskin?”
Vik jumped from his chair. “I’ll get you the water,” he offered in a low voice, and Yuri reciprocated with a nod that made the boy’s eyes light up.
Lara was already preparing the provisions. “And why does it have to be you to escort those fancy people?”
“Because no one else would want to bother doing it.”
“They always make you run around like that just because you are the youngest,” Lara scoffed.
“I’m just doing my duty.”
“You’ll stay the night, then?” asked his uncle. “I’d come with you, but I have to move the team toward the river.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll be back tomorrow,” Yuri replied, but as soon as he finished his sentence, that weird feeling caught him again. He shrugged it off and continued getting ready.
* * *
Half an hour later, Yuri entered the fishermen’s tavern and found the Imperial emissaries sitting at a table with their guards.
“Sorry for the wait.” He bowed his head. “If you’re ready, we can go.”
“Good.” The man got to his feet. “My name is Atres Shaysjh’yar, by the way.”
His surname sounded like it came from one of the kingdoms of Ur. “Should I call you Sir or My Lord?”
The man laughed. “Nothing like that. I’m not a noble. Just Atres is fine. Nobody can ever pronounce our surname anyway.” He gazed at the woman. “She’s my sister, Sheila.”
Yuri nodded. Sister. That’s why the resemblance.
“What was your name again?” Atres continued.
“Yuri Wodjstav. Just Yuri,” he replied, looking at her, then realized he was staring, and quickly averted his eyes.
Sheila stood up as well and shouldered her bag. “Is there a place to stop for the night in Soth?”
“There should be an inn.” Yuri looked outside at the late morning light seeping in from the windows. “If we leave now, we will arrive before sunset. How many of us are there?”
“We have to go unnoticed,” Sheila whispered to her brother.
“Since the guy seems well-armed, a couple more guards should be enough,” he whispered back.
“Fine, but the Fay might not trust us if she sees Imperial soldiers.”
Yuri looked back at them, frowning. Maybe he’d misheard. “Fay?”
Sheila seemed to flinch but then explained. “We are looking for a person who lives in Soth. She is known as Sahama.”
He shook his head. “Never heard of her. But we can ask once we get there.”
Atres stepped in. “Well, I’ll go talk to the Captain, and then we can leave.”
“Tell him to find a ship bound for the Star Kingdom for when we return,” added his sister.
“It’ll be done,” Atres replied, leaving them alone.
There was an awkward silence between Yuri and Sheila, while they waited, both avoiding each other’s eyes. He fixed his attention on the Imperial guards for a while, but what the emissaries had said was strange enough to make him question the reason behind their journey. There was nothing else in Soth but legends, and he always thought they were just stories to scare the little kids. “The person you are searching for… is it a woodland spirit?” he asked at last.
She looked back at him. “Is that what the Fay are called in your land?”
“So they say, but not many people have met them. Why are you looking for her?”
She paused for thought, and what she said next was nothing close to what he’d have imagined. “Because she is a Warden of the Flower of Light.”
A Warden? “I haven’t heard that name since my grandmother’s time.” The words slipped out before he could consider whether he should say them.
His grandma, Xej’s and his mother’s mother, was still alive when he moved in with his uncle. She loved to tell stories about the Wardens, the Fay, magic, and the legends of Wodr. They all thought she was just going mad because of her old age.
“What name?” Atres’s voice interrupted them, two Imperial guards now following him closely.
“Nothing,” Sheila replied, dryly. “Can we leave?”
“We have horses…” her brother started.
“The road is winding and steep. Better go on foot,” Yuri interrupted.
“You’re the expert.” Atres shrugged, but he didn’t seem so happy at the idea.
Yuri headed for the door. The Urash man and the guards would be fine. The woman, though, didn’t look used to such long journeys on foot. Still, he said nothing, since it was none of his business.
