The Bite of Winter
Matthias sat silent in the cart thinking things over. He knew that Torleif wanted to march towards the capitol and end the fighting as quickly as possible. The problem with that plan was that high risk it involved. If they could only come with a great plan that meant a lesser risk of losing all the troops, Torleif would not hesitate to take it.
Matthias would have to come up with a way to sabotage the soldier's supplies the enemy forces would not be equipped to continue fighting them. They would have to give in when the rebel army approached the capitol if they wanted to survive. All he needed was a few people, willing and capable of helping him plan the details and set in action such a daring plan. The only two he knew he wanted and needed was obvious. Berwald and Tino.
Tino was one very important piece in his game for several reasons. He had proved himself as a highly skilled scout and capable in a fight. His many years of hunting game made him silent in his movements and observant. In addition, Matthias felt he could trust him. They would need to make several scouting missions into towns on their way and Tino could bring observations directly back to Matthias now that they had grown closer.
If Eir was correct in her knowledge about the walls of the capitol separating the social classes from each other, a small team of rebels might only make it past a few of them. It was highly unlikely they could fake nobility for any of them. They would need coin, clothes and proof of status, fake or otherwise and they were not likely to get a hold of any of that. Therefore, they needed another way to make it across the walls if their social status could not get them through. That is where Berwald entered the picture. He was a good fighter should they meet trouble, but he was also smart and would be able to figure out a way to get across the walls should stealth fail. If they would have to scale the wall, then Berwald would be the one to know what kind of equipment they would need, and he could make it from scratch if given the right material.
A decent sabotage mission should probably have a lot more people involved, but more people also meant there was a greater risk of discovery as they were breaking in to the capitol. Matthias had to come up with a few more people he wanted to bring on the mission if Torleif would agree to let them go ahead with it, but those two were the only ones Matthias knew he wanted to have with him.
When the day turned to night and the group stopped, Matthias grabbed his pack and headed towards Berwald and the weapon cart again. Eir was already tired of his presence, even if he had managed to stay mostly silent after their lengthy discussion on Vettes and battle tactics. During the day, she became increasingly grumpy, the long march had tired her and Matthias was glad to get away from her. She was probably just as happy to see him leave her immediate presence.
Berwald remained quiet when Matthias put down his belongings by the cart. Tino offered him a friendly smile. They put down their bedrolls on the side of the cart sheltered from the wind. A cloth fastened to the side of the cart and sloped down to the ground where a couple of rocks held it in place functioned as a tent. The wind picked up late in the day and so the horses was tied up right next to the makeshift tent's opening to block out the heavy drifts of snow.
A few cooking fires had been set up and the people in charge of food had prepared gigantic pots of stew and served out a portion to everybody. The three boys accepted their bowl with a silent nod of gratitude to the woman who handed it to them and returned to their tent to eat somewhere where the wind could not reach them with its icy grasp.
They ate in silence for a few minutes before Matthias decided to speak up. He had planned to approach the subject of getting their help to sneak in to the capitol delicately, but when Berwald sighed heavily and fit him with a firm glare for breaking their silence, that plan was as good as forgotten. He hastily told them of his plan to infiltrate the capitol and sabotage for the soldiers from inside their own walls.
"Are you crazy?" Tino asked in a shrill voice when Matthias his rant. His teeth were clattering from the cold and his hands were shaking around the empty bowl of stew that had no more heat to give off. In that moment, he looked even younger than he was.
Matthias stirred the remainders of his stew, which by now only consisted of a sodden and sad looking piece of cabbage that did nothing to tease the appetite. "Well, it's not like we have any better ideas is there? Most of the plans we come up with include us slowly starving to death, freezing to death or just right up failing miserably when the soldiers finally find us. We have to do something drastic if we want to win. You have both heard Torleif worrying about this."
"But how are we supposed to get enough people inside the city?" Tino asked. "You have just asked us, and together we are just three people. What can we possibly do if we do get in? How will we get in to begin with?"
"I haven't exactly made a fully functioning plan yet" Matthias replied. "There are still some kinks to work out."
"Brilliant" Berwald muttered darkly. The wind howled angrily as if to agree with the smith and the makeshift tent rattled ominously around them.
"The three of us can make a lot of damage if we can just get in to the city." Matthias added quickly before Berwald could continue. "If it's just three of us walking up to the capitol, they will never expect us to be a part of the rebellion at all. We can just pretend to be refugees, fleeing the war, or just seeking for jobs. They could very likely believe us and let us enter"
Tino's gaze shifted between Berwald and Matthias as he tried to make up his mind. "Do you even think Torleif will let us go? This is a dangerous plan, but I have to admit it is tempting to strike from the inside. To finally strike a blow where it will really hurt."
Berwald still did no look convinced. "We should come up with a better plan if we really want to attack from the inside. An idea on its own is way too risky."
Matthias had hoped they would be supportive, but at least they were not strongly opposed to the idea either. He forced down the final leaf of cabbage and the cold remains of the stew in silence, thought flying through his mind.
Another gust of wind brought a blast of snow into their sanctuary and they shivered. In order to stay warm, all three huddled down close together. Tino had shivered his way through the entire dinner and so the two bulkier men organized him in between them. He seemed uncomfortable at first, not moving a muscle in the cramped space, but when sleep came to him he relaxed and snuggled down.
Matthias remained awake for a long time after the two others had fallen asleep. He was not giving up on his plan, but Berwald was right. It would have to be a lot more specific if they were to have any chance of actually wining on it. There was also the vette-protection he was trying to think of. Eir had only specifically mentioned foxglove and ashes. The ashes were easy enough to get, he could just snatch a handful from any dying campfire before they went anywhere in the morning. The foxglove however, would be far more difficult to acquire. The snow had settled heavily and if there had ever been some of it growing in this area it was long dead and buried. Maybe there just was no way of protecting himself and the rest of the rebels from Lukas' magic. Even if ashes and foxglove worked, would he be able to use it?
Sleep did not come easily and the cold made it even worse. He could hear the sentries walking back and forth along the camp trying to stay warm in the ruthless winter night. Berwald and Tino started clinging to each other at some point in the night, preserving heat. Matthias did not feel comfortable enough to move closer even if he yearned for the heat radiating from the two of them. It felt as if he intruded on something, but eventually he gave up, buried his face against Tino's back, and folded his arms over his chest between their two bodies to stay warm and then sleep finally came.
He awoke to a quiet yelp right next to his ear and rapid movement as the warm lump he was clutching on to struggled to get up. Somewhere behind the lump, a deep voice muttered a complaint. Matthias wholeheartedly agreed with whatever complained against the movement and held on harder to keep the warmth from escaping. The lump made another pitiful noise trying to get free of the tangle of limbs.
More noise from outside forcibly dragged Matthias from the clutches of sleep no matter how hard he fought to hold on. Somebody tapped on their shelter and a cold breeze made its way in. "Get up you lazy slobs!" a voice barked from outside. Steps moved away and the person repeated his wakeup call to somebody else.
"As cozy as this is" the voice he now recognized belonged to Tino, squawked. "Could you let go of me now?" Matthias blinked a few times before the world came in to focus and then let go immediately once he realized he was still desperately holding on to Tino and muttered an apology.
The three of them quickly got untangled from each other, fighting off the awkward feeling after having woken up so close together. Cold air rushed in to the tent and they shivered. The best way to fight of the chill was to get up and moving immediately and start packing down the tent and prepare for the day's march.
Torleif walked past them looking grim only a few minutes after the first bag was packed. He made a nod in greetings towards the trio and discretely motioned for Matthias to follow as he walked along the lines of tents and wagons. He did not look back to make sure he was followed and kept a brisk pace towards his destination.
"What happened" Matthias whispered once he caught up after a short jog.
Torleif huffed and dragged a gloved hand through his hair, sending off a flutter of snow in the process. "You'll see soon enough. I just got word myself and haven't actually seen it yet." He marched towards the end of the caravan where a guard obviously was expecting them and waived them over. His face was also grim and he led them in silence towards a tent. He pulled the flap aside and gestured for Torleif and Matthias to come closer so they could look inside.
Two people were huddled together in a bundle of blankets, but it did not move at all. Matthias glanced towards Torleif who nodded at him and Matthias slowly knelt down and moved a hand towards the bundle and pulled aside some of the cloth. The face revealed was that of an older woman, pale and carrying a bluish tint. Her eyes were closed as if in sleep, but Matthias could guess that under the frozen lids a pair of dead eyes would stare back up at him had they been open.
He pulled aside the cloth from the second bundle and a man and another dead face showed. This one belonged to a man, probably the husband. Matthias felt goose bumps break out all over his skin at the sight and pulled the cloth back up to cover the bodies again.
"They passed away sometime in the night," The guard said, breaking the silence. "We only noticed during wakeup call. There was no response. The cold got to them."
Matthias rose back up and stepped away from the tent. He glanced over at Torleif and the look on his face revealed this was not all the bad news he had. "This is not the only ones are there?" Matthias reasoned. Little else could be as loosing people for no real reason.
Torleif shook his head.
"How many others are there?" Matthias asked, feeling his stomach twist uncomfortably.
"At least six more from what I know" Torleif replied grimly and muttered a long string of curses under his breath. "Six people and a horse we lost to this damned cold." He ran a hand over his beard and kicked at the layers of snow on the ground. "All of the ones that died had seen more than forty winters, but still, we cannot afford to lose a single soul. We do not have time for a proper burial to give them even a last honor. We can tuck them in to protect them a bit from the elements, but that is about all we can do. At least the horse can provide a decent meal. We haven't had fresh meat in while."
A messenger rode up to them and interrupted their dark line of thought. "Most of our people will be ready to move as soon as we have breakfast served up. What should we do?"
"We move south" Torleif replied. "The winter is usually milder further south and right now that is exactly what we need. I'll give a speech right after breakfast before we take off." He turned towards Matthias. "Do you think you are ready to ride by horseback again? I suppose cannot protect you from the world and we could use all the scouts we have."
"I'm alright," Matthias said. "I'd rather be riding on horseback than on one of those carts."
Torleif nodded again and sighed. "Get something to eat boy. I will find a horse you can use and send it your way"
Matthias headed back towards Tino and Berwald who had packed the remainder of his things together and waited with a bowl of gruel for breakfast. He muttered thanks and forced down the soggy mess that was supposed to function as food. A guard came by with a horse on the lead just as he forced down the last spoonful and handed the reins over wordlessly before he left again. The horse nudged Matthias' shirt in search of a treat and stomped the ground in annoyance when there was nothing to find.
Yelling and loud voiced from the campfire area drew their attention. A large group of their people had gathered and Torleif was standing atop a large rock yelling for everybody's attention.
"Some of you might have heard already that we lost a few people last night," Torleif yelled. "For those of you who didn't know, I have to inform you that we lost eight people tonight. Good people taken by the cold." He took a few moments to collect himself. "It was such an unnecessary loss. For a while now we have been uncertain of how to continue our journey. This has made me sure of my decision. We will move south and spread the word of rebellion to more cities. We cannot stay in the north all winter. We start moving immediately after breakfast."
"Well that was cheery," Tino whispered to the others once Torleif stepped down from his rock and everybody else returned to their duties and preparations. The rest of the crowd muttered among themselves, but they seemed pleased to know they were heading towards the south where the weather would be warmer.
Matthias' horse was slow and careful as it moved through the snow and Matthias silently he cursed at Torleif's tendency to be so overprotective. However, if he was honest the man had a reason to be skeptical about his state of health and at least he was finally back on a horse and in a proper saddle instead of bouncing around in one of those carts.
Spending time with Tino was also a nice change from Berwald's silent company and Eir evil stare. They did not speak much after when they had made their way from the main company and separated from the other scouting teams, choosing to keep their eyes and ears focused on anything that might be out of place. Tino took the lead and forced his horse through the heavy fresh snow and between the trees.
The forest was almost eerily quiet around them. The birds had fled south for the winter and other animals kept their distance. Tino looked well at home on horseback. His movements precise and elegant. A quiver was slung by his side and the bow was sitting at the ready in his lap should he need it in a hurry. Matthias had his battle-axe strapped to his back, recently honed by Berwald and ready for fight. In addition, a sword swung by the saddle for easier access if they were ambushed.
After a few hours, the forest finally let up and the trees opened up into a field. They rode a bit further out and in the distance, they could spot the small forest road the company had followed exit the forest and connect with a larger road heading towards the south.
Tino held his horse back so Matthias could trot up beside him. "I don't think we are that far from the road to the capitol now. Two days top. It will make traveling easier, but also more dangerous as there will probably be much higher security from here on unless we find a different road to take us south. Wait here, I want to take a quick look around the area." Tino kicked his horse into a gallop and did a quick sweep around the area, never out of sight for Matthias before he returned. "The area ahead looks clear to me. There are no prints or tracks in the snow so nobody has been here recently. We should probably report back, they should be expecting us by now."
They turned their horses around and headed back, adjusting their direction so they would come across the small forest track and find the main company easier.
"Isn't I kind of strange that we haven't come across any travelers or traders?" Matthias said thoughtfully. It is only early winter. I have heard the roads are the busiest during autumn and spring. People should be trying to sell their goods after a harvest and before the snow closes the roads completely."
Tino scratched at his neck with a gloved hand. "We have met a few people out on these patrols. It seems that the people who have not heard about the rebellion has at least heard about the insane taxes from the king. People are afraid. They will not risk heading out on the road and they will not sell what they have in fear they might need it themselves later. Some of the people we met are even trying to get out of Feawen all together. They believe that even if they can survive the winter, the king will not give up his insanity and eventually the tax collection will kill us one way or another, eventually. They seek a kingdom with a saner ruler. They stay away from the roads to lessen the chance of meeting soldiers."
"That sounds about right" Matthias sighed.
They continued in silence until they could hear the noise from the rest of the rebels. The loud chatter and clattering of metal was audible from a longer distance than they would have liked. They kicked their horses into a light trot so they could get there sooner. The moment they broke out from the trees and people started noticing them, a number of people greeted them with cheers and waives as they went past.
Torleif noticed them after a while and waived them over. He looked even more tired and exhausted than ever, if that was even possible. His face was ashen and the circles around his eyes were dark blue, almost black. "Anything worth reporting out there?" he asked once the two of them drew their horses to a halt next to him and jumped off.
"We will soon be out of the forest" Tino replied promptly. "If any other teams have made it back I suspect they will have told you the same thing already. If we follow the road when we make it out of the forest, I estimate we will reach the main road to the city in three days tops with the current pace. There was nobody in sight, the roads looked clear. Sadly there were no game to see either."
Torleif sighed. "Well, but we still have proper food for tonight even if it would have been nice to come across some game. Then I want you back out there scouting if you feel up for it. It has been quiet for a long while now. Too long. I feel like we are just waiting for something to happen." He paced back and forth through the layers of snow, unable to find peace enough in his body to sit down. He realized the two boys were looking at him in worry and stopped his pacing for a moment. "Don't worry about me. Go get some food before it is all gone." He made a shooing motion with his hands towards them.
The two of them turned their horses around and went in search of some food. Tino sighed when he smelled the contents the bowl handed to him. "I am so hungry right now and this smells really amazing."
Even knowing where the meat in the stew came from, Matthias had to admit that Tino was right. He was starving and the aroma from the bowl made his stomach growl. He started devouring the meal in an instant. The stew was more filling than it usually was, with proper meet in addition to the half rotted vegetables they usually got. It was not enough to fill them up completely but it was still the best meal in a long time.
Tino sighed contently. "It's been such a long time since we had a proper meal with meat. It almost makes you forget we are running out of food." He licked his spoon and the bowl clean before he cleaned it with some snow and looked down at the empty bowl before he handed it back to one of the women responsible for dinner. "I was thinking we could check out the path behind us; make sure there is no one following us."
Matthias only nodded absentmindedly and finished off his own dinner. They waived at a few other people from the scouting teams that rode past. "It doesn't really matter to me where we scout." He handed back his own bowl and the two of them prepared to get back into the saddle. The mood was lighter with their stomachs almost full.
They rode on in silence for a long time, never straying far from the stomped down path from the company. They were four hours into their trip when Tino suddenly increased his pace and headed into the bushes. After a moment, he signaled for Matthias to join him. When Matthias was close, he realized there was a deep line of worry on the hunter's forehead. "What is it?" he whispered. Feeling a sudden need to stay quiet.
Tino pointed towards a set pf prints on the ground. "These tracks doesn't belong to any of our people.
"How can you be sure?" Matthias asked. "There are plenty of tracks for our people leaving the path of the main group."
"Yes, but not like this. These tracks are fresher and belong to far nobler horses than what we have among our scouts. Trust me; these tracks are not from our people. We should find out whether this is just one traveler or if it's worse."
They headed towards where the tracks came from at an increased pace, Tino leading the way, weaving skillfully between the trees. After a few minutes, he cursed quietly in a high pitch. "This not just one traveler" he hissed quietly.
Matthias rode up beside him and saw what he was talking about and cursed as well. The one track they had been following led towards a much larger collection of tracks from several more animals. "Can you tell how many they are?"
Tino jumped of his horse and studied the tracks closer. "Not precisely, but I would say there have to be at least 30." He cursed some more and ran a hand through his hair out of frustration. "This could just be one large scouting party, but it might be something more, there is no way to know without actually finding the group. "We have to warn Torleif. Of this is a scouting group they will have to ride back to their main party before they can do anything about our party, but they could be anywhere. We know there is at least a couple of these people between the main group, and us but we do not know how many and what they might actually do. There is no way to tell that out from tracks alone."
Tino quickly climbed back into the saddle and kicked his horse into a gallop. Matthias was hot on his heels and struggled to stay in the saddle at the abrupt breakneck pace Tino set. Branches whipped past and cut up his face when he did not duck fast enough. They followed the single trail of tracks they had followed to begin with. They followed it back to where they had first seen it and followed it further on.
They rode quickly, but Matthias managed to see more tracks join up with the one they had first followed as they went. It appeared the group had joined forces again and rode together as one unit, right in the direction of the rebels.
The horses frothed at the mouth when Tino increased their pace even more. "They are way ahead of us," he yelled back at Matthias. "It's not a scouting team, it's an assault team. They are heading directly for our people who are not expecting an attack. They will be sitting ducks, just waiting for slaughter unless we can make it back first."
They could hear the sounds of the rebel company ahead of them. Matthias thought they had made it back in time at first, but then he noticed something moving in his peripheral vision and turned toward the movement. Several black and emerald green-cloaked figures were riding almost next to them at great speed. One of the other riders were slowing down a bit to draw a bow.
"Keep your eyes on the path!" Tino yelled, apparently he had noticed the same thing. "We have to get to our people first."
An arrow whistled past Matthias's face and he yelped and kicked his horse harder in the side the poor animal struggled to keep up the pace after such a long hard ride but must have sensed their urgency and kept going.
They finally saw the last wagon from their company up ahead. "Ambush!" Tino yelled desperately, clutching the reigns as he forced his horse forward the last distance.
"Ambush!"