In Feather and Bone (defunct)

Map of Drakkenwald and the surrounding kingdoms.

The north wind came down over the Crystal Lake like a great hand from the heavens to shake the burning hills. There, it moved sluggishly through the fields of Eisenwald, carrying with it the earthy, intoxicating aroma of freshly cut wheat. Its presence heralded the last dying breaths of summer before the autumnal chill settled in earnest across the Holy Empire.

There was a heaviness in the air that afternoon, as though the wispy mountain clouds were harbingers not merely of a coming cold snap but of some evil creeping upon the land. Perhaps it was that they brought with them the sound of rolling thunder and the threat of icy rain. Or, maybe, it was simply that those who felt the chill left by their passage over the cobblestone streets and thatched roofs could not bring themselves to believe that the lovely weather would soon be nothing more than a passing memory.

In the quiet of this chilly evening, beneath the gnarled branches of the ancient apple tree, Elias felt the weight of Ana’s head press against his shoulder and let his eyes flutter closed. Her hair tickled at the side of his neck as he tightened his grip around her, and together, they savored this moment of peace. The stillness between them, beneath the fading light of dusk, seemed fragile, as though even the softest word might shatter the precarious peace of their world.

“These days, they’re all afraid," murmured the girl, in a voice barely audible over the sound of the gentle breeze. ”They say that King Alaric has refused his oath of fealty to the Emperor. Many fear that if the war comes, our men will have to go.”

“What makes you say so?” Elias asked, opening one of his eyes the barest fraction and staring down at her.

“My father,” she answered, snuggling closer and placing the palm of one hand flat on his chest. “He’s seen it all before, back when he was conscripted to fight the Horde. He knows how these things go.”

“Ah. I see."

Elias let his eye drift shut and patted Ana on the thigh with one hand.

“Well, if you’re worried they’ll take me,” he chuckled, “I wouldn’t. The Empire has no use for a man with a constitution as fragile as mine.”

Ana sighed in relief, pulling closer to her lover as the chill breeze buffeted them a second time.

"You’re probably right,” she said. “But I worry, nonetheless.”

“Thank you,” Elias muttered, turning his head and pressing a kiss into her hair. ”There are days, you know, when I wonder what would become of me were it not for you. You are so beautiful, kind, gentle — if it weren’t for the day I caught you wandering around in my garden, I shudder to think at how utterly lifeless and depressing my days would be.”

“Flatterer!” The young woman laughed, the musical sound filling the stillness of their glade and causing Elias’ chest to grow warm. She kissed him once, on the nose, before nestling in closer once again. “Besides, I couldn’t help it. How could I, with such strange and wonderful plants growing inside?”

“Some of them were dangerous!” objected Elias in mock exasperation. “Do you not remember the tall one with the speckled berries?”

“You also had those cute little tomatoes! Everyone in the village talks about your vegetable garden! How do you manage to make them so sweet? My father says it’s witchcraft.”

Elias smirked down at her. ”Maybe it is,” he joked. ”Or maybe I’m just a better gardener than you.”

Ana snorted and flashed him an endearing grin.

“You are. There’s no question about that. But I’m not saying that you’re not a good gardener. It’s just that there is a difference between a good potato and a potato that tastes like heaven. Potatoes aren’t supposed to be that good.”

"According to who? Your father?”

She snickered.

“My father has been a farmer since before I was born. He has lots of opinions about how different crops are supposed to taste. Yours taste almost as though you watered them with nectar fresh from the flowerbeds of Aeden.”

He rolled his eyes. ”And I thought I was the flatterer! Besides, your father is hardly an impartial judge. You know that.”

The young woman sighed, pressing herself closer and wrapping her arms around him once again.

“I know,” she murmured, lifting her head so she could look into his eyes. “But my father doesn’t mean any harm. He just wants to protect me.”

Elias gave a short chuckle, running his hand through her soft, chestnut curls. “Of course he does. You’re a very beautiful girl, Ana. There isn’t a man in Drakkenwald who wouldn’t fall for you, and it doesn’t surprise me that he doesn’t approve of my courtship."

A flake of snow came floating down out of the sky, landing softly atop Ana’s upturned nose and clinging to her skin. Elias quickly reached up and plucked the offending bit of frost away, meticulously preserving its crystalline shape upon his fingertip.

“Look at this nonsense,” he growled. ”Snow? This early in the year?” He sunk back to the ground and turned his attention back to his beloved. “I hope the harvest is able to survive. You will need the income in the months to come.”

"We’ll get by,” Ana responded. She shifted uncomfortably against him as another flake landed in her hair and melted upon contact with her heated skin. “Though I really don’t like how cold the last few years have been.”

The young mage drew in a deep breath, letting the brisk air fill his lungs and wake his mind. After the passage of nearly ten seconds, he released the air from his mouth, blowing a cloud of icy vapor into the space before them.

“You’ll be fine,” replied the mage with a reassuring nod. “I’ll make sure of it. It’s not much, but I have my vegetable garden. If you ever run out of food, you are always welcome to help yourself to its bounty. It is little enough.”

“But if the others see your crops growing when theirs are lying dead...” The woman shook her head. “Then you’ll be accused of witchcraft and they’ll burn you in the public square.” She took his hand in her own, squeezing with a frightened intensity.

“Perhaps. But nobody in Eisenwald has the stones to lay a finger on me. I’ll bet you’ve heard the rumors? Not all of them are true, my dear Ana. But some of them are more true than even I would care to admit.”

His fingers traced small circles across the fabric of her dress, slipping tantalizingly low along the curve of her spine. She giggled and swatted his hand away.

“Not until we’re wed,” she admonished, though her bright blue eyes betrayed the intensity of her lust. ”I want to keep my virtue pure.”

“Why bother? We’ve only two weeks until the ceremony. And the fact that you’re to marry a hedge wizard has already tarnished your reputation.”

Ana straightened and brought a finger up to her mouth, biting thoughtfully at the nail as the sky grew darker. At last, she sighed and rested her head back against his shoulder.

“Oh, Elias,” she murmured, brushing a stray curl from her eye. ”It’s not my reputation that concerns me. If they want to think I’m tainted, then let them. As long as my soul is still pure on the inside, it doesn’t matter what the people say. Besides,” she added, nuzzling closer and nipping playfully at his earlobe. ”Two weeks isn’t really that long, is it?”

“I suppose not,” Elias conceded with a laugh. “Especially since I can already feel you tugging on my ear. And yet, I must ask—what of my soul, beloved? When our bodies have joined together as one, will not our souls be joined as well? Does that not taint your spirit in its own way?”

"Your soul is no more tainted than mine, silly Necromancer. Sure, the rest of the world may say otherwise, but that does not make it so.” She grinned and met his eyes, the corner of her mouth quirking upwards as she let her hand trail across his chest.

“You really are too good for me,” replied Elias, pushing himself into a seated position and stretching his sore limbs.

Ana rose with him, standing to pick an apple from the tree overhead, then dropping back down next to her betrothed. Together, the couple shared the succulent fruit between them, eating quietly as sun finally sank behind the Crystal Lake. In the growing darkness, the sounds of the forest became sharper and more urgent, and from somewhere distant, a wolf cried out to the heavens with a melancholy howl.

Elias let out a long sigh. “It’s getting awfully cold,” he muttered, more to himself than anyone else. “Perhaps I should walk you home.”

Ana made a disappointed whine, turning to bury her face in his chest. She mumbled something, though it was muffled to incomprehensibility by his clothing.

“What was that, love?” he asked.

“I don’t want to go home,” she repeated. “I wish I could stay out here with you forever. That we could stay like this.”

A dark cloud settled on Elias’ consciousness, and he grimaced.

“You’ll get no argument from me on that count,” he growled. “If it were up to me, I would never let you go. But your father will kill me if you’re not home soon.”

The girl gave a dejected groan of acknowledgment and reluctantly rolled away. Her movements were sluggish, and the tension in her shoulders made her reluctance to depart painfully clear. Finally, once the last of her remaining resistance had evaporated, Ana climbed to her feet and stood up straight. She peered down at Elias, blue eyes soft and imploring.

“Are you coming?” she said.

Elias took her hand in his and pressed a lingering kiss to her knuckles.

“As always, love, your wish is my command.” The hedge wizard sighed and stood, wincing at the stiffness in his joints. “Come on. Let’s go.”

Together, the two began their return to Eisenwald, setting off at a brisk pace to fight away the creeping chill of evening. Night had descended over the mountains, and a blanket of shadows was draped heavily around them. From somewhere nearby, another wolf sent its plaintive cry across the stillness. A moment later, the eerie call was echoed by the keening of several others.

“That sounds like it’s almost on top of us,” Ana breathed, clutching to Elias even more tightly and pressing herself close against the relative warmth of his body. “Why do they sound so... disturbing? It’s like something has upset them.”

“Probably just the chill. Strange weather can make animals behave very erratically.” He placed an arm around her shoulders. “But if it makes you feel safer, we can take the longer path. Circle around the village, keep out of sight. Your father wouldn’t approve, but I would rather that than have to kill some poor beasts just to calm your nerves.”

She gave a shy smile and pressed even more insistently against him. “Let’s go the long way, then. My father need never know of this detour.”

Arm in arm, the lovers turned from the worn path and began the trek around the outskirts of their small community. For several long minutes, the only sounds that accompanied their journey was the crunch of twigs and fallen pine needles beneath their feet, until Elias broke the silence with a sudden fit of coughing. The spasm shook his frail frame, and Ana stiffened, looking up at him with concern in her eyes.

“Are you well?” she asked, her brow creasing in a frown. “The chill doesn’t bother you too much, does it?”

Elias spat something sticky and viscous into the snow and wiped his mouth, swallowing down his next spasm of coughs. “No, I’ll be fine,” he murmured in a strained voice. “Just my usual infirmity. No need to worry yourself, dear.”

Ana shifted her gaze to the crimson smear staining the nearby bank and pursed her lips. “You told me that you were feeling better,” she admonished him. “Don’t lie to me, Elias.”

The mage stared down at the ground and said nothing for a few steps.

“I wasn’t lying,” he finally replied, turning to look at her again. “It’s been nearly three weeks since this happened last. But these colder nights aren’t helping anything. Every year it just gets worse and worse.”

Ana winced. “That may be so, but you know it pains me every time you feel compelled to hide something from me. I wish you wouldn’t conceal the pain when you are hurting.”

“And I wish I would not have to! You have enough to worry about without the added burden of my own physical failings. As if there were not already enough whispers behind your back on account of our relationship alone!”

“Elias...!” She frowned at him.

“My apologies. I don’t mean to sound ungrateful or take you for granted, beloved. But please, believe me, I only meant to spare you this... unpleasantness.”

There was another pause. Then, finally, she nodded.

“I can accept that,” she answered, the stiffness in her posture melting away as she pressed back against him. “Just promise me you’ll tell me next time instead of keeping it locked inside.”

“Of course.” He sighed and stared up at the rising moon. “I just... I don’t want to scare you away.”

This made her chuckle. ”Nonsense! Nothing could make me run from your side, dear Elias. You know that.”

Her words bit him like a knife through the heart. In response, he tried to swallow the lump in his throat and tear his eyes away from her beautiful face. When he felt them welling with tears, he found himself unable to stop their flow.

“Elias?” the girl sounded truly alarmed. “What’s wrong? Don’t cry!”

The mage sucked in a deep, shuddering breath and wiped furiously at his eyes. For several seconds, he tried to get himself back under control, but his attempts were futile. After a few moments, he gave up.

"I don’t deserve someone as kind and forgiving as you.” The words came suddenly, welling up unbidden from the deepest corners of his soul. “I′m a selfish coward who lies to the one person who cares about me! And because... because...”

He choked, words failing him as his legs went out from under him.

“Because you’re a Necromancer?” Ana prompted gently, embracing him and lowering his face into her shoulder. “Is that it?”

She pulled him tightly against her, holding him securely against her chest as she ran her fingers through his hair. Elias felt the burn of embarrassment, his face growing hot at his own emotional immaturity. Yet, even though shame flooded his heart, he could not deny the intense sense of relief that accompanied the physical closeness of their bodies.

“I’m sorry, Ana,” he whispered. “I must look such a fool.”

“Even so, you are my fool.” The young woman’s voice was tender and compassionate. “Your sorcery is no matter, nor are the whisperings of our neighbors. I’ve known about your secret for some time now, remember? It changed nothing then, and it changes nothing now.”

Elias sighed. “I suppose you’re right. But it’s not fair to you. Being with someone like me has harmed your reputation and made you a target for ridicule.”

“Fair or not, that’s simply the way things are.” She smiled softly at him and kissed him on the forehead. “But we don’t have to let their gossip rule our lives. You and I, together, can stand against all the hatred and judgment in the world. All you have to do is ask me for help. Do you think you can do that?”

He leaned heavily against her, nuzzling his face into the smooth, warm skin of her neck. He took another deep breath, trying desperately to stem the tears that were blurring his vision, before letting it all out in one great, sobbing gasp of air.

“Of course,” he finally managed, after several moments had passed. “You are everything to me, Ana. There’s no way I can do this alone.”

She stroked his hair a few times and held him in place. “Then you won’t. That’s all there is to it. No matter what, I’ll always be here for you. Everything will turn out for the best.”

She stepped away from him, reluctantly releasing her grasp on the mage’s trembling shoulders.

“Now let’s hurry along,” she continued in a firm but gentle tone. “We need to get you somewhere warm and dry before your illness gets any worse.”

Elias tried to protest, but was once again seized by another spasm of coughing. When at last the fit subsided, Ana pressed a hand to his lower back and pushed him forward, gently guiding him back onto the trail and into the gloom-shrouded forest. Side-by-side, the couple proceeded slowly towards the dim lights of the distant village, and as they walked, Elias could not help but admire the incredible woman holding him so tightly against her side. How had he gotten so incredibly lucky? he wondered. And more importantly, how was he ever going to deserve her?