The Dresden Files is copyright Jim Butcher. This story is licensed under the Creative Commons as derivative, noncommercial fiction.


"And I'm telling you, you're not getting out until Danny says it's okay."

It took a moment for me to recognize the voice. Arborax...

"It's fine." This time it was Flin. "The Valley is sealed. It must be."

"We wait for Danny."

It took me a moment to work out what was happening but when I did, I groaned. "Let him out, Arborax."

"Danny!" said Arborax. "You're awake. Are you okay?"

I groaned again and pushed myself up. "First, let Flin out. It is safe, I promise. And two, I've felt better but I'll survive." Fatigue still hung heavy behind my eyes but the worst of it was gone; I now merely wanted to sleep for a week.

"You heard, Danny," said Flin. "Let me go. Use some of that free will you're so famous for. Like I've been telling you too. Ever since I woke up. Five hours ago." He stood within the chalk circle, hands pressed against the invisible barrier.

Rather than rising to the bait, Arborax just flicked out with his foot. The circle broke with a crack of energy and Flin stepped forward. I think Arborax half hoped Flin would fall on his face but sidhe are rarely so clumsy.

"How long have I been out?" I said.

"Near twelve hours," said Arborax. "I've kept watch."

"So have I," said Flin. "On account of being trapped in this salt circle. Which you, Arborax, refused to break. Leaving me trapped. In here. For five hours."

"Let it go, Flin," I said. "I told him to keep you inside until I sealed the Valley. Arborax did the sensible thing; he couldn't have known that was done until I told him. It did possess you and try to kill us."

"I suppose so," said Flin, but rolled his eyes.

"Right," I said and pushed myself up. Arborax had taken my 'don't break circles' instructions to heart. Both my chalk circles on the dais were intact, still buzzing gently with energy. On Earth, sunset and sunrise would wash away such things but the Nevernever was a less certain mistress.

I broke the inner of my two circles and picked up the now deactivated Key. It seemed lighter than before and I slipped it back into my dispatch pouch.

"We should make a start as soon as possible," I said, even as my body moaned and ached in a language all its own. "It's a long way home."

"On that note," said Arborax, "I've been thinking. Charon said to throw our obols in water; he said nothing about the River Styx. And there is a large river not far from here. Remember looking down from the hill? This temple is in one of the bends."

"If Charon could come here, why didn't he do exactly that?" said Flin, clearly skeptical of the whole idea.

"I don't know, but there is no downside to trying. It could save us days of walking. And I don't know about you, but many of the dangers we faced on the way here had nothing to do with the Valley and I'm not keen on meeting them again."

"Arborax might have a point," I said. "When I asked Charon for passage, it was to the colossi. I was just following my instructions; it never occurred to me to ask if he could bring us right here. Even if he couldn't, that doesn't mean the reverse isn't true. At worse it costs us a few hours."

"Fine," said Flin. "If we're attempting this, let's at least be quick about it."


We packed and were off within thirty minutes. With the sky darkened the Weapon was a very different place. No birds cried in the trees and the only noise was the gentle rustling of leaves in the night.

"Spooky," I said under my breath and held up my arm. "Anadaio!" Diffuse white light spilled from my hand, half illuminating the jungle and casting long, deep shadows.

"Danny," said Arborax as we set off towards the river. "You sealed the Valley, but what happens to all the creatures?" He looked about, staring into the dark trees. "Are they still, um, out there?"

"The strongest should go to sleep," I said. "The rest will run themselves dry. The Valley's been feeding them power, you see. They burn far too bright to survive on their own. I was told six hours would make the Valley safe to travel. It's been twelve. Look."

I swept my light until I found the corpse of the jago-nini, lying against the half-shattered trunk of a giant tree. It was mostly sludge now, black tar which partly held a shape in places but was entirely liquid in others. Quirisax stuck proudly from the putrid mess.

Arborax nodded at my words and evidence but didn't look much happier. Truth be told, as we reached the tree line even I began to have doubts. In the dark, the tangled jungle took on strange shapes and terrifying visages. The shadows from my light cast distorted faces onto gnarled trunks, and knots of darkness high in the branches became predators just waiting to pounce. I stilled my nerves and pushed on.

The river wasn't far and we reached it after only an hour's walk. As the crow flies it was practically on the temple's doorstep, but between the darkness and the dense vegetation we moved at a snail's pace.

"It's big," said Arborax as he stared out across the expanse of water.

"There are larger in Summer," said Flin.

"There are larger on Earth, too," I said, "but it's still impressive."

The water cut a dark ribbon through the jungle. My magical light reflected and danced off its surface and the direct reflection hung like a miniature moon.

"Do we just throw our obols in the water?" asked Arborax.

"Since we don't know if this will work, let's place them in gently," I said, "under a big stone so they won't wash away."

He nodded and stepped forward, doing just that. I did likewise a moment later; the water was ice-cold. Flin sighed and followed me.

We waited. Silence reigned. Nothing happened. Then the mist rolled in.

It came in billowing rolls, dark and white all at the same time. At its heart was a ferry, Charon's ferry. Arborax smiled as wide as I'd ever seen and even Flin wore only a half scowl. He might be proven wrong, but it did save us several days travel.

The ferry drew up beside the bank and a gangplank thunked down, landing in the mud.

"Why if it isn't my three hero specials," said Charon and then let out a barking boom of laughter. "All aboard." He looked much the same as ever, tall and wild but his beard might have been a bit better kept. The fishing pole was gone, however.

"We weren't sure you'd come," said Arborax as he walked up the plank. Flin and I followed behind.

"With true obels to call me?" said Charon and clapped his great hands. "How could I not? Never would have found this place without them and I doubt I could even now. But enough of that. On board, quickly now. These currents are not mine and could sweep us away if we do not hurry."

"The obols," I began, pointing down at the river.

"I've got them," he said and flashed his hand. Between his fingers sat three silver coins. "Payments made are mine my right. Not even this strange place can keep them from me."

We made it onto the deck and Charon heaved the gangplank back up. "Now," he said once it was lying next to the rail. "Where too this time?"

"A moment," I said and pulled Flin and Arborax into a huddle. It took us a few seconds but we managed to agree a destination which suited us all. "Do you know the Three Pig Inn on the Summer Wine River?"

"Aye, I know it," said Charon. "In the Brambles?"

"That's it," I said.

"Easy route," he said. "Make yourselves comfortable. This journey will take some hours."


The ferry chugged along, passing through mists and water both. At some point I couldn't quite identify, we exited the Weapon's glass bottle and entered different waters. Trees with purple leaves and yellow trunks lined the banks and a magenta sun burnt overhead. Harlequin clouds played across its surface. I watched the banks with half an eye; as the demons proved on the River Styx, even flowing water is not an insurmountable barrier to a determined attacker.

Light footfalls sounded behind me and I turned my head. Flin walked towards me. We were the only two on deck. Arborax was below somewhere and Charon was in the command cabin.

"There's something we need to talk about," he said and his smile was the cat who got the cream filled mouse.

"Hum?" Best be non-committal.

"It's about the true purpose of this mission."

Damn. "True purpose?" I said as easily as I could. "As I said, the White Council monitors the status of many dark gods and other powerful beings. They sent me to lock this one back up."

Flin just smiled and shook his head. "I'm a sidhe, Danny. Do you really think you can play word games with me? You know too much, let me see too many things and slipped up one too many times. The 'Valley' or should I say the 'Weapon', it's the White Council's isn't it? The only thing I don't know is why use it now. Revenge for Dresden's betrayal to Winter?"

I sighed. There was no point in denying things further; I'd need to deal my way out of this and that meant playing nice with Flin. "We didn't release it now," I said. "We released it two months ago. It was to be part of our master stroke against the Red Court. But there was..." I shook my head. "There were problems. Our agent lost time somewhere. A week in an hour, you know how it is. By the time we knew what was happening, it was already attacking people."

Flin nodded his head but stayed silent.

"Flin," I said and looked him in the eyes. "I'm honestly sorry about your Uncle and the Winter Fae; I did what I could once I knew it was happening."

"Oh very well," he said and rolled his hand. "My uncle will recover, as I told you, and I can't say I'm upset over Unseelie deaths. Others won't be as forgiving as me, however."

I let out a long sigh. Never trust a faerie, especially one you were friends with. "What do you want?"

"A favor, unlimited, any time and where."

"Two, and no treason or action against the White Council or its interests. Think about it, Flin. A wizard is a powerful thing."

"Three," countered Flin, "with your conditions."

"You will report nothing you have learnt about the White Council or the Weapon on this trip. You will not make use of this information in any way, nor let others do so. Pretend you learnt it while inside a Threshold as a benevolent entity."

"Yes, yes," said Flin. "Standard 'don't tell anyone' agreement'. Do you agree?"

"I'll agree but I owe you these favors, understand? You, not anyone else. No selling my debt or giving it up in any way. I don't want to end up owning your uncle or some other sidhe who you lose at poker to."

"That could be difficult," said Flin and frowned, which did bring me some relief even if the rest of his reply did not. If Flin hadn't been taking this seriously, he would have made light of the point. "If I owe someone and have no other way to pay the debt, my property could be confiscated under Summer Law."

"And debts are property?"

"Some would say they are the only real kind."

"Reciprocal promises? No debt but an obligation on my part."

Flin considered the idea for a few moments before shaking his head. "Can't do it, sorry. Would if I could but it really is a 'can't do' thing. It's too unequal." The chains of faerie power might hold Flin yet loosely but they did hold him.

"Debts?" said Arborax and I think both Flin and I jumped; I sure as hell did. "You can't owe each other debts for actions while members of the company. The magic prevents it."

I shared a quick glance with Flin before turning to Arborax. "This is something else. Nothing to do with the company. We have acceptable terms; we're just working out a payment scheme." Hopefully that would serve as a gentle nudge not to ask what the source of the debt was.

"Danny doesn't want me selling his debt," said Flin and flashed a roguish smile.

Arborax looked thoughtful for a moment before saying, "If it's a real problem, the Company of the Three Heralds could own the debt. We'd agree Flin has sole control over it but can neither sell nor otherwise transfer it."

"That could work," said Flin nodding slowly. "Since I am still part of the company, I can take selfless actions on its behalf. Normally I wouldn't be able to just give away something this important but... Yes, I am amenable. Danny?"

"Sounds okay to me," I said. It sounded a bit like Earthly shell companies. That was the last thing the Nevernever needed, in my opinion, but I wasn't going to turn it down if it meant I was benefiting.

"There's just one thing," said Arborax. "If the company is to own this debt, I can't dissolve it completely. I'll set it in abeyance, but it will still be there, in some fashion."

"It will still affect us?" I asked.

"Not exactly. Its magic will be dormant but it could be reactivated at a later date. We'd all need to agree to that, though."

That didn't sound overly onerous. "Okay."

"Then we have a deal," said Flin.

"Based upon our agreed upon terms," I interjected before Flin could go further. "And with the understanding that the Company of the Three Heralds owns the debt, under the system outlined by Arborax."

"Quite," he said and held out his hand. I took it and he said, "We have a deal. We have a deal. We have a deal."

"We have a deal. We have a deal. We have a deal," I said back. "By and on my power we have a deal."

It was done. Now I just had to hope owing Flin didn't come back to bite me too hard. It surely would to some degree.


Several hours later Charon's ferry pulled up to the Three Pig Inn's jetty. It stuck out into the wide but slow Summer Wine River and made a pleasant change from scrambling on muddy banks.

"All off," said Charon and slapped a meaty hand covered with small scars down on my shoulder; I tried my best not to buckle. "As passengers go, you three are alright. If you plan another trip to the Underworld, give me a call."

"Out of all my deathly ferry men you are definitely my favorite," said Flin with a straight face.

Charon boomed with laughter and slapped his other hand down on Flin's shoulder, who did buckle for all that he could be a mite superhuman at times.

"I plan to live a long life before I travel this way again," said Arborax.

"There's wisdom to that," said Charon.

"Thank you for your help," I said, a touch more formal than my companions.

"Think nothing of it," he said and removed his hand from my shoulder. "Now be off with ya'."

I nodded once more and headed for the jetty, Flin and Arborax trailing behind. The deck of the ferry move rhythmically under my feet but I timed my half-jump well and stepped onto solid planks. After so long aboard ship, it felt almost strange.

"A round of drinks before we go our separate ways?" said Arborax, motioning towards the Inn. "I'm buying."

"I'm game," I said. Free drinks were almost always a good thing.

"Lead on," said Flin.

We set off up the jetty and towards the Inn's water access doors. They were thrown open and nothing but a welcoming sight.

There's a saying in the Nevernever: you can't go wrong with a Three Pig Inn. They're an institution and have completely integrated themselves into Nevernever traveler culture, despite being relatively new as these things are judged. They are one of the few places you can reliably find a strong threshold and good wards, not to mention quality service and filling food, no matter your particular pallet. There had to be hundreds these day, run as something of a family franchise, but the inn on the Summer Wine was the oldest, biggest and first.

It stood three stories tall, made of well-set brick and stronger magic. It had been built centuries before by the original three brothers to withstand a powerful Wolf Demon and had only grown since. The waterfront doors and the jetty were perhaps the newest part (at a little over fifty years old) but were already seeing use. A set of half-submerged tables were occupied by a motley collection of giant trout, salmon and a lone beaver. They seemed to be holding a political activist group of some kind, although I couldn't quite work out their particular cause. They were definitely very passionate about it, however. Truth be told, I didn't pay them that much attention. This was the Brambles, where Faerie gave way to Fairy Tale.

A sign hung above the open doors, moving slowly in the wind. It showed the Inn's logo of three forward facing pigs, and below it was the classic motto, written in one of the Faerie Tongues: 'Be welcome and enter freely but do no harm'. There was magic in the words and in the bricks and in the ground. The original three brothers had been talented warders, and their descendants inherited the skill.

I stepped inside and breathed in the smells of rich food and sweet drink.

People talked all around.

"Greatest victory since the Wonderland Wars," said one.

"Maeve's on the ascendance," said another.

"Sent those monsters right packing."

"The Redcap will keep the Lord Marshal's baton, mark my words, even when Mab returns."

Flin shot me a look but I just nodded to the bar. It was manned by a comely lass with flowing red hair and sparkling green eyes. Given that those eyes also had a touch of cat to them, she probably had a measure of faerie blood in her veins.

"What will you be having?" she said and set down the glass she'd been cleaning.

"I'll have a glass of the house red," said Arborax. After a second's hesitation he added, "wine not blood."

"Starlight ale?" said Flin and received a nod in reply.

"Beer," I said. "Whatever you have on hand. And some news."

"Aye?" she said, a note of wariness entering her tone.

While Arborax handed over some silver, I asked. "What's this about Maeve?"

"Oh that," she said as she set about getting our drinks. "You been out of touch? All anyone's talking about 'round these parts."

"We've been traveling, yes."

"Well, for the past month there's been attacks by monsters, coming from this place people call the 'Valley'. Well, this Valley struck deep into Winter but Lady Maeve called the Unseelie host and met it in battle. She fought it for three straight days, they say, and on the field every minute she was. These are terrible beasts, you understand, but Maeve wasn't afraid. She faced down the Valley until it broke and ran, then chased it half way back to the deep Never."

"But that was—" started Flin but I kicked him in the shin. "Why did you do that—" I kicked him again and he took the hint.

"Thank you for the news and drinks," I said and took my beer. Flin took his starlight ale and Arborax his wine. We found an out-of-the-way table on the second floor and sat down.

Once seated and alone, Flin glared at me. "Why did you kick me?"

"Because you wouldn't shut up."

"And why should I? It was us who dealt with the Valley, not Maeve."

"Do you want to tell her she's wrong?" I said. Sidhe couldn't lie but they could be wrong; they tended not to be happy about it, however.

"The displeasure of a Winter Fae is not my problem, Danny."

"It could be your very pointed problem," I said. "You heard people. Given your hearing, you're probably still hearing them. Maeve's star is on the rise and she rules Winter while Mab is absent. Oh there will be other power blocks. Mab loyalists like the Leanansidhe. Independents like Santa. But she sits the permafrost throne in Arctis Tor. Do you really want to make her an enemy? I doubt even your uncle could shield you from that."

"You think we should keep what we did a secret, Danny?" said Arborax but I shook my head.

"A secret, no. Hand in your reports. Let the people who matter, know. But let's not shout it from the rooftops. I like my body without icicle stab wounds.

"If you insist," said Flin and nursed his ale for awhile, sulking.


"So how do we do this?" I said. We stood in front of the Three Pig Inn's road entrance. It was here we'd go our different ways.

"First we need a circle," said Arborax. "It's not strictly necessary but it helps."

"Want me to do it?" I asked.

"I've got it."

While Arborax drew the circle with his sword, I turned to Flin. "Any idea when you'll be calling in the favors?"

Flin flashed me an enigmatic smile, still stained by a touched of his not-entirely-forgotten petulance. "We'll just have to wait and see."

"Done," said Arborax and sealed the circle with a dab of blood. It sparked against my mystical senses, weak as circles went but still more than fit for purpose. "Now that we're isolated, we set the company in abeyance by saying it's so. Just say, 'The Company of the Three Heralds is in abeyance."

Shrugging, I said, "'The Company of the Three Heralds is in abeyance." The energy in the circle stirred.

"'The Company of the Three Heralds is in abeyance," said Flin and the potential grew.

"'The Company of the Three Heralds is in abeyance," said Arborax and alien magic cracked against my senses.

It was done. That was all there was to say.

Our task complete we went our separate ways. Flin headed Earthwards, towards the Bramble Marches and his place at court. Arborax went in the opposite direction, deeper into the Nevernever and the Kingdom of the Towering Mountains. I forged my own trail, a diagonal path which took me to the Hidden Halls of Edinburgh.

After my recent adventures, it was an almost pleasant walk. I went through mountains and under rivers. A friendly rainbow offered me a lift and set me down next to an ice-covered pool, saving me several hours. From there it was easy to skirt the Winter border and arrive at my destination.

I strode out of the dense pine trees, just as I had many times before, and almost jumped out of my skin when a Warden blade appeared at my throat. It was the new kind, raw and rough and it burnt against my skin and mystical senses. Its razor edge also felt far too close and I tried very hard not to swallow. Instead I just concentrated on staring dead ahead.

After a few seconds it withdrew. "Damn it, Danny," said Smyth. "You can't just wander up anymore."

The air shimmered as the veil dropped and she flickered into view. At another time the easy skill would've made me faintly jealous but I had other things on my mind, sharp pointy things. Her round face bore a frown and not a smile. It looked odd and out-of-place

I licked my lips and resisted the urge to touch my neck. "Smyth," I said. "What's going on?" Something stirred at the back of my mind. "The Toulon raid?" I hadn't thought about it in days.

Smyth nodded. "That was just the start. There have been attacks across the Mediterranean Sea, dozens. It's even worse in the Americas."

That was... Scary. I mostly dealt with Nevernever powers, not those that made their home on Earth, but the scale struck me all the same. "Who?"

Smyth let loose a bark of angry laughter. "Who's not?" She shook her head. "A dozen groups. The Red Court's destruction left a power vacuum and it seems the waiting is over. The worst are the Fomor. They're swarming out of the sea in numbers we never dreamed they had."

"When and how long?" I asked.

"Things really kicked off around the 9th, and it's December 14th today, seven days since I last saw you."

I nodded slowly; while it was almost impossible to directly compare times between Earth and the Nevernever, Winter would probably have still been occupied with the Valley at that point. Was there a connection? "Thanks. I need to go report now."

She nodded and pointed towards the high earth mound which held the gateway. "Go, and use the path in the future. We're all on edge, and others might not be as restrained as me." For the first time, I seriously considered doing just that.

Smyth's tension was reflected in the other wizards I saw. They kept their heads low and hurried through the corridors. Even the wardhounds that guarded the Intelligence Office seemed on edge. They followed me with their eyes and heads as I walked towards them but didn't attempt to block my path.

Ancient Mai looked up as I entered and motioned towards the Lock Room. Its wards buzzed against my senses as they activated, leaving us isolated and alone.

The first thing she said was, "There's strange magic in your aura. Summer and something else." Her eyes narrowed.

"Towering Mountains," I said. "Dragon magic taught to humans. I was forced to request aid but I used the cover story. It's intact." Which was technically true.

She nodded, accepting my explanation. "And the mission?"

"Successful. Dane's Weapon has been sealed." I pulled the Key from my dispatch bag and handed it over. "But I'd strongly recommend never using it again. I've seen its heart. It's evil and grows only stronger. The power is so thick in the central chamber that you can see the imprints of past wizards. It becomes harder to seal each time it is used."

Mai gave me a carefully neutral expression. "Your report will be taken under advisement."

I took a breath. "There's one more thing I need to know."

"Need?"

"Yes," I said, just a touch of heat creeping into my voice, "need. The Congo in the nineteenth century. The White Council used the weapon. It killed people, lots of people. Humans. I need to know why."

The weight of ages didn't suddenly settle on Mai's shoulders, but subtle changes around the eyes made her look a lot more human. "Wizard Archdale," she said. "It was never our intention that people would die. We were trying to enforce the First Law, not break it. The scramble for Africa had just begun. European powers were invading the Congo area. The native sorcerers objected. They raised their powers and spirit allies against the invaders. They were killing with magic. If we had just stood by, the area could have sunk into a pit of darkness able to swallow the entire world."

She shook her head. "So the then Merlin decided to act. We sent wardens to arrest the sorcerers and deployed Dane's Weapon against the spirits."

"Only it went wrong?" I said.

"It went wrong. The Weapon went too far. It breached the barrier to Earth, something it had never done before, and began killing everything in sight. By the time we regained control it was already too late. Thousands were dead, the native sorcerers were wiped out almost to a man and the damage was done. The Merlin took responsibility and retired before the year was out. Does that answer your question?"

I nodded but inwardly I was asking a different question now: and yet to used it again. Instead I said, "Thank you for telling me." Like so many things, I didn't know what to think.

"There is one last thing," said Mai. "Wizard Burkwater's funeral is in two days' time. If you choose to attend, I hope I can trust your discretion concerning matters which best remain secret."

"Yes ma'am." What else could I say?

The end