Late morning on the day before the festival's end, Ashura received word that several Völur had arrived in Luval Town. Three Völur, to be exact. The news did not particularly please him, but Völur always appeared in the town during festivals. They conducted blessings and consultations with the townsfolk, and lent authority to certain religious observances.
Rarely did the Völur encroach upon the castle or court. They usually held themselves aloof from what they considered the profane politics and frivolity of the country's rulers. The last time they had appeared inside Luval Castle had been two years previous, during the spring Sunbirth festival after he had rescued Fai. They always presided over the King's Sacrifice during Sunbirth at the ancient sanctuary within the Silvalfar Forest, but that year the sacrifice had triggered magical events that Ashura still considered unfortunate, though they had been viewed by most everyone else in the country as an excellent omen.
That there were three Völur in the town now made Ashura particularly unhappy. He fretted that they might be the same three he had met in Seresu's far northern reaches. He dreaded encountering them again and feared what their arrival might portend. Muttering under his breath, he retreated to his office, thinking that he should scry them out.
He almost didn't perform the spell. Did he truly want to know if the same trio had returned to haunt him? But curiosity overcame apprehension, and his fingers moved as if of their own volition. The magical script flared, and a large mirror of ice materialized, hovering in midair before him. Images shimmered into view on the flat, transparent surface.
As though from a high vantage point, Ashura saw the whole town. It was dim and shadowy, as the sun on the horizon barely lightened the thick clouds, coloring them in shades of muted red and yellow. The festival coincided with the sun's shortest trek through the sky, when only a few hours of daylight brightened the days.
Fluffy white flakes drifted downward, adding to the picturesque landscape of snow and timbered, steep-roofed buildings. Windows glowed with the golden warmth of lamps, and more lamps lit the streets. He narrowed his search, and the image came closer, closer. People were out and about, chattering among themselves in the gentle snow. In the town square workmen constructed a large, pyramidal structure of logs and sticks for a bonfire. Many of the townsfolk added to it from their own stores: dolls made of straw; small papers and wooden plaques inscribed with wishes; food items; personal belongings; even the occasional flower from those who had the means to nurture such frail life during deep winter's harsh grip. Offerings to the gods.
The three Völur stood together at the north of the pyramid. Their blue and black cloaks and their staves identified them without question. Each townsperson brought his or her offering first to the sacred priestesses, who blessed it. Then the offering was reverently placed somewhere on the bonfire stack, to be set alight on the final day of the winter festival. It was a typical bonfire blessing. The commoners held one just like it during most of Seresu's holidays.
Ashura paused to consider that he had never taken Fai to a bonfire lighting. He wondered if Fai would like to view one sometime. Perhaps this one. Though Fai often traveled about on his own, he might enjoy a small, shared adventure with Ashura.
In general, Ashura did not usually attend the town's celebrations. He had done so on occasion, but the appearance of a royal entourage, with its many guards and noble attendants, always disrupted events. He had never witnessed a normal celebration, as the town leaders always deferred and catered to him. Look at how his presence at Luval Town's ice sculpture contest, back when Fai had lit the sculptures with colorful magic, had drawn out an official delegation.
Until now, Ashura had never particularly cared about the pandering. It was his due. But on this occasion it would be a hassle and interfere with Fai's outing. Even if he only took a small retinue, he was still the king. Everyone would be so busy fawning and gawking at him that the bonfire would become an afterthought.
Perhaps if he and Fai went incognito? Donned commoner clothes and wore magical glamours to disguise their facial features, and went without a horde of attendants? The idea amused him. His guards and councilors would have a fit if they found out.
He and Fai need not go completely unescorted. A court wizard like Syed D Greenstone could serve the dual purpose of guard and guide. Syed, Ashura recalled, had not been born into the highest nobility, but rather into the cadet branch of a minor noble house. He probably knew his way around town festivals. Ashura considered who else among his court and guards might possess the right sense of humor. They couldn't attend for long, because they needed to be in Luval Castle for the court's celebrations. But just for a little while, that wouldn't hurt. Pleased with his irreverent idea, he leaned back and watched the preparations on his mirror. If these Völur weren't a threat, maybe he could indulge in a little silliness.
Ashura magnified the image of the Völur and inspected them. They looked like any other Völur. Raptor feathers and gold fittings decorated staves topped with fluorite orbs. In addition to their distinctive cloaks and staves, they wore elaborate necklaces of fluorite beads, black lambskin belts and gloves, tooled leather shoes decorated with brass or gold knobs. The most elaborately dressed Völva—probably the senior priestess—stood between the other two.
Most importantly to Ashura, they were unknown to him; they were not the same three he had met before. This trio seemed more earthly, more...human. He relaxed as his sense of foreboding eased. Perhaps he really could find a way to take Fai to the bonfire celebration.
All three Völur lifted their faces in unison, seemingly looking straight at him. He could swear their eyes met his. And then they all smiled, nodded their heads in respect, and returned to their blessings.
Ashura broke the spell. The ice mirror shattered, the shards evaporating into air.
He hurried from his office, barely keeping himself from running. After a few minutes, he calmed and berated himself for idiocy. Of course the Völur had noticed him spying on them. Magic called to magic. Skilled magicians would have felt his magic touching them, and even the weakest of Völur were well trained in the detection of magic. Theirs was a secretive cult, and they did not allow others to learn their mysteries. Not even the king could be privy to them.
Ashura wasn't sure he would notice if they spied upon him. After his encounter with them in the far north, he feared he would not. More interesting was that these Völur had allowed him to scry them. They had not interfered with his spell, but had instead honored him, albeit in an unnerving way. A bonfire blessing was an open event, though, not one of their secret gatherings. He doubted he would ever be allowed to learn anything substantive about them.
It mattered little whether they were stalking him or not. He could do nothing about it, and in any case, he was the most public person in the entire country. Everyone watched him, not just the Völur. He put the Völur from his mind and resolved to enjoy the rest of the winter festival.
However, he would not take Fai to the town's bonfire lighting.