Hero of Haven

Winter gazed down at the city spread out before her. Comforting bronze light stretched from one end of the crescent valley to the other. The mountains flanked the city like stalwart snowladen sentinels. One of the features that kept the city safe for as long as the generations of story-tellers can recall. The other is Winter’s job. Grand Warden.

She thumbed a copper piece as she took in the inviting warm glow of the city before heading in to prepare for the ritual. It had become a ritual of itself. At least that's how her mentor had spoken of it. In the short time of her being in the role she’d come to love it as well. It was a short distance to the edge of the city. Her first stop.

The crisp night air nipped at Winter’s exposed cheeks causing a pleasant burning as she trudged towards her mentor's house. The moon cast a beautiful blue glow across the normally blinding valley. She loved this city and would give anything to protect it. Her mentor had tried to guilt her into it, but she’d already fallen in love with the city before she was even given the job. As she slid down a small hill she skidded to a halt near the street cobbles. The relatively even streets glistened with melted snow so she stomped her way over to the target house. Free from any excess refuse she rapped on the door.

A bang came from inside and she grinned as someone stomped their way to the door. Muttering bled through the sturdy wooden door as the old codger opened the door with a look of thinly veiled annoyance.

“Ah. Winter. I was expecting you and still I am startled.” He gestured for her to enter. “Please be here to tell me this is the last time you will visit.” He shuffled, slightly hunched, through the entrance hall and into a cozy living room. A brick fireplace roaring in the corner cast dancing light around the room. A gas lamp standing behind her mentor’s highbacked leather chair was the only other steady source of light. He had a tray of biscuits with a steaming pot of tea, chamomile from the smell, resting on a side table. The only other object was a mystery novel. He settled in the chair and picked up the book, keeping the pages open.

“Good one, Arthur, But no. In fact, I wanted to give you this.” I pulled out a small wrapped rectangle from my bag and held it out for him. “This is for you. For being such an amazing mentor.”

He looked at me skeptically. Tenderly accepting it, he carefully opened it up. His foggy eyes opened up wide with shock. “This is..” He stopped, unable to find words.

“The latest mystery, unreleased.” Winter’s eyes sparkled with pride. “I know how much you love them and it might be a little rough but you got it a couple months early since I know a guy.” Arthur’s eyes teared up and he looked like he was about to fill a small pool with tears. Instead he rose from his chair and wrapped Winter in a hug that smelled like chamomile and cinnamon and ginger. She returned the hug before he finally let go and blubbered out a happy thank you. “Consider it repayment for everything you’ve done for me. Including forcing me to drink tea.”

Arthur let out a small laugh. “Well, even though you were my only apprentice, you were still my favorite.” Something had finally changed in the old man. Maybe it was the relentless visits or the thoughtful gesture but Winter liked to believe she’d simply finally broken through the walls of the lonely old man.

Leaving a happy Arthur, Winter left to continue the rest of her ritual walk through the city, gathering the things for her actual ritual and seeing her own favorite people. Apothecary after Apothecary she chatted pleasantly with the pharmacists. The ingredients for the ritual were important and every shop knew to keep materials on hand. Unfortunately the Grand warden, however lofty a title, wasn’t allowed to keep the materials outside a licensed apothecary, and it was a law that anyone under a special title wasn’t allowed to run any formal licensed business. However, Winter didn’t mind gathering the components. Not like some of her predecessors. It helped the Role most crucial for the city stay in touch with the place they were sworn to protect.

Arriving at the last shop, she entered the herbal and earthy scented small hole in the wall, to a jangle of brass bells. Moss draped over the shelves like the place hadn’t been cleaned in decades. Making her way through the musty warm shelves she reached the back just as a hunched woman waddled out of a small doorway obscured by beads.

“Ah Winter! So glad to see you darling.” She rested an elbow on her wooden moss infested countertop. “I am sad to say we don’t have the required ingredient." She smiled sheepishly. “I looked all day, and I knew I had some just yesterday, but I woke up today and it was gone.”

I was speechless, and Kim saw it on my face. “I might have a suitable substitute. Maybe this will…”

“No. That's very nice of you, but the ingredients are very specific.” I felt a little bad for cutting her off, but if I don’t get any crushed snakeweed then it’s going to be a bad time for a lot of people I care about.

Winter found herself in the cold again, only the warmth she'd felt earlier was gone. The cold crisp air was suddenly damp and chilled Winter to the bone. As she slid to the ground a shadow moved across the street. A small figure stalked the shadows, seemingly following Winter.

“Get over her.” She said firmly. The figure froze. “I’m not going to repeat myself.”

The figure emerged into the lamplight. A thin coat hid a rosy nose in shadow and the culprit carefully crossed the empty street.

“Who are you and why are you following me?” Winter said a little gentler this time but still curt.

“Please don’t tell anyone.” A child's voice drifted up to Winter. Small hands pulled the hood down to reveal a small girl, cheeks and fingers red from the cold. Winter couldn’t help but wonder how long she had been following her. “I snuck out after the mistress put us to bed. You’re just so cool!” Despite the cold she had a huge grin on her face. And it was me.”

“What?” Winter barely had a chance to get one word out after the odd confession, when the girl produced the missing ingredient. “You stole it?” Emotions flashed through Winter. After a second frozen in wavering emotions, she let out a laugh. “What’s your name?”

“April.” April’s grin widened, a tear leaking out of her eye.

“Tell you what, April.” Winter crouched down and accepted the final ingredient. “Next ritual walk, meet me at the start and you don’t have to follow me in the cold. I know you’re not old enough for a role yet.”

“Ten years and four months. I want to be like you, Grand Warden!” She beamed.

“How about you call me Winter. And I hope you grow up to become a warden too. That way you can use what you learn from our walks.

“What about Mistress?” April's happiness quickly vanished as she realized that she might not be able to spend time with her hero.

“Don’t worry; I’ll take care of her.” Winter tousled her hair. With April’s happiness returned, Winter stood. “Alright, Let’s get you home and Me to my very cool, important job. That you might get one day.” Winter winked. April giggled and they made their way to April's orphan home. After a quick chat with the Head-mistress, Winter made the arrangements and went on her way after a very grateful Head-mistress agreed to her terms.

Leaving the city limits, The chill of the night pushed at her more without the warmth of the living. But she braved it, because the people were counting on her. Something else picked at the back of her mind though. A feeling she couldn’t quite place. It didn’t feel… Right.

As she trudged up the path only a Grand-Warden travels she took one final look at the breathtaking valley. After wasting probably too much time, Winter crested the valley pass and plodded through the darkening woods towards a clearing lit by the cool light of the moon. In the center of the clearing a large slab was embedded in the ground. A circle with symbols and ancient words around the center of the ritual in a chaotically organized manner signified where her duty lay.

She emptied the contents of her bag and began the ritual of preparing for the ritual. It wasn’t long before everything was in place, only the not right feeling was still there. In fact it had grown as time went on. Something was wrong, but she didn’t know what. Just to be sure, she looked over the ritual circle over again. Nothing looked amiss so she proceeded with the ritual.

She pricked her finger with a needle. She let a drop fall at each of the four cardinal directions of the outer circle. Retreating to the center she closed her eyes and started chanting the activation words. The circle began to glow. The relief projected a wicked red light into the night sky. As she continued through the process she opened her eyes in time for something to move in the woods just outside the barrier. The barrier that the dark shape decided to barrel out the darkness and smash into. A brilliant red flash of light sent ripples through the whole barrier. The intricate magical lattice shuddered as the ripples cascaded through the night sky. The whole city was covered by a magical anti-material barrier meant to keep one thing out. The very thing currently bashing itself against.

After a dozen smashes, it stopped. The ritual took another five minutes of non stop chanting, and Winter’s feeling finally had a name. Dread. What was happening was not just wrong, it meant something bad was about to happen.

Another blur and a lithe black mass sped out of the cover of darkness and leaped at the barrier. Right before the bright explosion of magic it formed a spike. As the spike met the barrier, the barrier shattered. The shards of magic blew past Winter who kept chanting, trying to keep her composure. The monster stood after gracefully somersaulting across the ground. The spike lowered and remained attached to what must be one of its arms.

The ritual went from brilliant red to a deep orange. Winter could feel the puncture in her soul, this had never happened before. The dread making her waver, the monster revealed a wicked set of teeth in a maw as it opened in preparation to strike.

The new color of the ritual tugged at Winter. Mostly to her knees, but it felt like invisible threads digging their way under her skin. There was a presence too. A voice began to tug at the back of her mind. Winter had barely noticed her blood rushing in her ears until Arthur’s voice broke through the whispers and the pressure of the ritual pushing her to her knees.

“Get out of there!” He shouted, for probably the third time. I shook my head and tried to gesture at him to run, but the monster had already noticed him. I couldn’t do anything but watch. The Monster took off at an inhuman speed and I was about to scream when everything stopped. The murmuring in the back of her head stopped as well, only an old woman stood before her. She was stately and wore a simple mage robe. “Finally. You really are stubborn.”

She looked Winter up and down. “I see you need an explanation. We’ll get to that, but if you want your mentor there to live, in fact if you want that city to continue in peace I suggest you do what I tell you.”

“What does this cost?” Winter knew enough about magic to know that nothing came free. That's what using all the bits and bobs of nature was for.

“You’re life.”

“My life?”

“If I’m honest, you were dead the moment the ritual destabilized. I’m merely giving you a chance to not waste your last moments.” She had genuine concern and care in her eyes, giving winter no choice but to accept her word.

“Alright. Tell me what to do.” Winter was still frozen in place but the pressure lessened as the woman whispered instructions into her ear.

The moment the pressure intensified again, her time was up and the circle was tearing her apart again. She shouted the words the woman told her to chant. The monster missed its attempt to bite off Arthur's head off as an invisible force dragged the creature through the air. The circle’s color shifted, it became red again and then gradually lightened to pink before darkening into a vivid purple. The Anti-material barrier pulsed with the purple color as the shattered portion forced the monster out and mended itself. Winter now lay in the center of the purple beacon. The night sky glowed purple as the other rituals accepted the new parameters of the ritual and the barrier became stronger.

“Oh Winter. What have you done?” Arthur laid his walking stick against the stone. He picked her up gently as she took a ragged breath. The toll now taken, she looked up at her mentor with glassy eyes.

“It’s Ok. She said it would make it stronger, no more rituals. Everyone is safe. For good.” She rasped out one last word. “Bye.” She fell still. Arthur cried as he carried her to her final resting place.

“You were the best of us. Thank you for your sacrifice.” He gently laid her down on the bed in the Grand Warden’s shack that was not far from the ritual site. After a teary goodbye he went to prepare a proper funeral and tell the town about the Hero of Haven, The Last Grand-Warden, Winter.