Chapter 35: Finding shelter

Irin pushed forward. It had been almost two days since the bridge, and they hadn't stopped. She hadn't found a safe place yet, and it was becoming an issue. Koth was still unconscious; she kept him alive by administering small doses of healing as they travelled. It wasn't a long-term solution. She needed a place where they could rest and where she could heal him properly. She hadn't slept for almost two and a half days, except for dozing off in the saddle for five minutes. The horses were tired and needed rest, food, and water. And Irin was scared. She felt alone and vulnerable. She was scared that she would lose Koth. It shouldn't be her who was in charge like this. Everyone knew she could get lost in her own bedroom. Whose brilliant idea was it to put her in charge like this? With her luck, she was leading them straight back to Behenoth and certain doom. They had left the road behind them and were travelling through the forest. There were no helpful road signs, no staked-out road, just an endless number of decisions that needed to be made.

As dusk settled over the forest on their second day, Irin tried to maintain what little hope she had left. The forest thinned, and in front of her was a large meadow slanting downwards to a mountain lake. In the background, there was another forest, followed by snow-covered mountains. The soft pastel pinks of the setting sun reflected in the water. For a moment, Irin just took everything in. It felt like a balm to her soul. That was when she saw it: a small building by the lake. It was hard to discern any details in the faint light, but there wasn't any light coming from it. Maybe it was abandoned? Irin felt hope grow as she reluctantly urged Glima forward again. When they got closer, she saw it wasn't a full house, but a wind shelter. Rough logs made up the corners; there was a platform a foot above the ground that had been secured between the logs. A straw roof would protect against the rain, and on two sides – the sides that had been visible from the forest – twigs had been used to create two simple walls. Irin could have cried from relief. It wasn't exactly a fortress, but it was a place where they could rest and be out of the elements. She dismounted and felt her legs almost give way beneath her. She took a moment to lean against the horse to find her strength. She would need it for the next part. Irin led Maximus as close to the shelter as she could get him, and then she untied Koth. With the use of her magic and what little strength she had left, she managed to get him down from the horse and dragged him into the corner of the two walls. She desperately wanted to lie down and take a nap next to him, but there were things she needed to do. She took the saddles and the saddlebags off the horses and let them roam free. Maximus and Glima were loyal, at least that is what she hoped. If not, that could be an issue for another day. Irin made sure their belongings were securely inside the shelter, took their water skins, and walked to the lake, filling them up. She splashed water on her face and felt how cold it was. Back in the shelter, she took out some cheese, which she munched on as she changed the bandage on her arm. The wound wasn't big, but every time she used the arm, it started bleeding again. It would have been a good idea to heal it, but Irin was using her healing on Koth; he needed it more. That was the next thing she did. She checked his pulse, which was still fluttering and light. He was still cold and sweating, and his breathing made a rattling sound.

"Please hang in there a little longer. I just need to rest for an hour or two," Irin told him as she gave him a dose of healing to keep him stable. She needed to sleep. It wasn't something she could pretend she didn't need any longer. It was hard for her to focus, and her vision was starting to become unfocused. She tried to calculate the risk of going to sleep and leaving them without a lookout, but her thoughts refused to cooperate. In the end, she decided she didn't have any other option. She rolled out her blanket next to Koth, curled up under her cloak, and allowed herself to sleep.

Irin was startled awake. She sat up, ready to fight. Something had woken her up. She looked out over the lake. It was still dark outside, but the sky closest to the horizon was getting lighter. She had slept through the night, and she felt better. There was a scraping sound, and Irin quietly got up and sneaked around the shelter. Maximus stood next to the wall, scraping his hoof against it. She laughed and put away the dagger in her hand.

"Did you think it was time to wake up?" she asked the horse as she rubbed his forehead. "Thank you." Glima stood not far away, eating the spring green grass and relaxing. "Go on, eat and take it easy. I will patch up the grumpy one. You know he will want to set out as soon as he is awake, so take care to enjoy yourself," she said to the horse. He snorted and walked over to Glima, joining her in eating grass. Irin watched them for a moment. She then walked back into the shelter. Koth's state was as it had been the past two days. It was time to do something about it. Irin was tired of being alone; she wanted his grumpiness back. She had admitted her feelings to him a while back, to herself. She knew she loved him, and even if he didn't feel the same, and never would, she was happy with just being his friend, and she wanted her friend back. Irin sat down next to Koth. He was lying on his stomach, and she used her dagger to cut away the bandage she had dressed over the wound, and then she cut a hole in his robe. Ignoring the black veins that spread over his skin and the fact that the wound looked worse than the last time she had looked at it, she took a deep breath and put her hand next to it. His skin felt cold and damp. Irin sent a prayer to Alesseja, and for the first time, she felt a resistance. The goddess wasn't giving her magic. Irin frowned and did it again, with the same result. No! Irin thought. She was not accepting a no. Again she prayed and pushed harder, not asking but demanding that the magic be given to her. Nothing changed. Then a breeze picked up, and Irin opened her eyes. In the soft morning light, looking out over the meadow and the lake, she saw a figure taking shape halfway between the shelter and the lake. Maximus and Glima, who were grazing not far from it, didn't react. As the shape formed, it was a young woman. She was beautiful, with long wheat blond hair that gently moved in a wind that didn't exist. She was dressed in a sheer pale green dress, and light seemed to emanate from her. Irin got up and knelt down.

"My lady," she greeted Alesseja.