The Eye of Winter's Fury (19 page)

If you manage to defeat the dark prince, turn to
658
.

102

The door is nudged open and a woman enters carrying a basket. She is plump and stocky, dressed in a plain wool tunic and heavy overcoat. A fringe of grey hair pokes out from beneath her hood. When she sees you, her face takes on an accusing frown.

‘I . . . I didn’t mean . . . I’m . . . lost,’ you stutter quickly, raising your hands in a show of surrender. Noticing the dried blood on your cuffs, you lower them abruptly.

The woman’s eyes move to your sword, her frown deepening.

‘I . . . I can explain,’ you reply, offering what you hope is your friendliest smile.

‘Go on, then,’ mutters the woman stiffly. ‘Surprise me, but it better be good.’

103

As you pull onto the winding pathway that snakes round the mountain you experience a sudden lurch, accompanied by a scraping thud. Twisting in your seat, you see a grapple embedded in the back of your craft, its metal chain stretching back to another racer who is clutching the other end. He is skidding along on the remains of his own sled, which amount to a few boards of wood and a skin of leather.

‘Extreme sports, man!’ he shrieks, waving his fist in the air.

Your dog-team start to slow, straining against the extra weight of your unwelcome passenger. Unless you can cut them loose quickly, you will be overtaken by the other racers. Not only that – the man has now drawn a wand from his belt, its tip igniting with bright sparks. Cackling with insane glee, he thrusts the wand in your direction, sending a flurry of bolts towards your zigzagging sled.

To break through the chain you will need to take a challenge test using your hero’s
brawn
or
magic
score:

If you are successful, turn to
267
. Otherwise, turn to
708
.

104

The clerk lifts his stock of furs and places them inside a wooden crate. When he turns back to you, he is shaking his head. ‘Poor quality,
barely worth the shipping. Think all the best trappers must have got eaten up by one of them crevasses that keep appearing. So, what about you, eh? Make it quick, ’cos I’m shutting up shop.’

The clerk will purchase the following items from you:

Remember to remove any sold items from your hero sheet. (Note: If you have the
trapper
career, you can increase the value of each pelt by 5 gold.)

If you have a
hunter’s chest
and/or a
locker
, turn to
309
. Otherwise, with your business now concluded, you decide to leave. Turn to
659
.

105

The mage grins, evidently pleased that you have shown an interest – and given him a chance to show off. ‘I’m studying perfective and progressive inflections,’ he says, patting the open book in front of him. ‘They give extra power to runes – I shouldn’t really be reading this stuff.’ He glances nervously towards Segg’s chamber. ‘I have a magic reading age twice what it should be – I’ve already perfected apollonian circles, ones I don’t think even graduates of the university could master.’ He leans forward, dropping his voice. ‘If old Seggie Singed-Pants had his way, I’d still be practising my minor morphemes. You believe that?’

You pass a hand over your head in a sweeping motion. ‘What you just said – no clue. Magic is beyond me, I’m afraid.’ You pick up another book, flicking through the endless sketches and diagrams. ‘I prefer reading stories of adventure – you know, with characters and
plot. This is . . . like homework.’ You toss the book back onto the table.

‘So like Brack,’ mutters the boy, shaking his head. ‘Learning magic – it’s the best adventure ever.’

106

The compound is a confusion of colour, shape and noise, from the brightly-coloured tents and awnings and the bustling throng of people; mostly travellers and sailors, but also high-born visitors, drawn here by the promise of adventure and the spectacle of the sled races. These well-dressed nobles are made conspicuous by their entourages – armed bodyguards and mercenaries, pushing and shoving their way along the tight avenues, one eye on their charges, the other on their belongings.

You head into a less crowded quarter, where the vicious snarling of dogs rises above the chatter and din. A series of wire pens have been set up along one of the walls, maybe fifty or more side-by-side, each holding its own dog-team. There are also kennels, with larger hounds chained to posts, growling and pulling at their restraints.

Next door to the pens, the churned snow has been scattered with greasy odds and ends. A gruff-looking man in oil-stained leathers is currently fixing up a sled with new runners. Behind him a row of finished sleds are lined up on display, all polished to a bright sheen.

‘Time’s running out! Grab a sled and sign up for the races – you don’t want to miss out!’

You turn to see a large wooden board propped up against a ramshackle cabin. A man is currently gesturing to the board, where various names have been scrawled onto stretched parchment. ‘Come along, sign up for the season. If you want to win the Winter Diamond, then take your chance on the ice!’

The muddy track continues to meander past the last of the tents, leading into a cleft between two granite outcroppings.

107

You shoot out of the tunnel and straight into a dark storm of black bodies and buzzing wings. The insects are giant-sized and frenzied, covered from head to abdomen in ridges of chitinous black armour. A green venom drips from their razor-edged legs, which are already ripping into your transport with a hungry delight.

But they aren’t your main concern.

Rising up behind them is a much larger creature, a colossal version of the black-armoured drones but with a bright crimson-hued shell. You suspect it must be the hive’s queen. Her sharp mandibles flick back and forth, producing a harsh clacking sound. From the adjoining side tunnels you see more drones pouring into the chamber, evidently answering their queen’s summons. It is time to fight:

	Special abilities
	Queen in peril : At the end of each combat round, if the queen is still alive the swarm’s health is increased by 10. (Note: this ability can take the razor swarm above their starting health . Once the swarm is defeated, this ability no longer applies.)
	R The swarm : At the end of each combat round you must take 2 damage, ignoring armour . Once the swarm is defeated, this ability no longer applies.
	Fire at will : You may use your nail gun or dragon fire ability in this combat.

If you manage to defeat the deadly swarm, turn to
754
. (If you are defeated, remember to record your defeat as normal on your hero sheet, then turn to
15
.)

108

With the cart destroyed, you have now lost everything on board. (Remove any collected barrels from your hero sheet. Also remove the keyword
envoy
, if you have it recorded.)

‘Guess those thieves got their just deserts,’ says Henna, glancing back at the soldiers’ bodies.

‘We’ll send someone back for them,’ you reply, your gaze still fixed on the smouldering debris. ‘They deserve a proper burial.’

Henna nudges you. ‘Hey, at least we can still return with something.’ She points to the sack of items, still lying in the dirt. ‘Shouldn’t be too heavy for you,’ she grins.

If you have the word
thievery
on your hero sheet, turn to
182
. Otherwise, turn to
221
.

109

You leave your chair and approach the nearest bookshelf, running a thumb along the many spines. Most appear to be scholarly works on plants and medicines. ‘You have an admirable collection. Some rare books.’

‘You’re sounding quite the enthusiast,’ says Sylvie.

‘I grew up around them, that’s all.’ You shrug, as if it is of no consequence.

‘Hmm, actually it was my late husband who was the real collector. But I’ve needed to keep up with the latest findings for my studies. Not always easy when you’re reliant on tinkers and merchants for your supply.’

Your thumb comes to rest on a battered, leather journal. You pull it out, flipping open the pages to reveal a collection of notes and sketches, mostly categorising plant species.

‘That was Randal’s,’ says Sylvie, moving to join you. ‘He always
was something of an obsessive. There are plenty more of those – I have a trunk full of them in the back room.’

Scanning through the rest of the journal, you stop suddenly on a drawing of a wolf, its eyes staring out at you from the page. ‘And this?’ You look questioningly at Sylvie, noting her troubled frown. She leans forward and takes the book from your hands.

‘He was prone to dreams,’ she states softly. ‘That’s how he met the wolf. Ghost walker.’ She strokes the parchment with a distant look of longing. ‘He believed the wolf watched over him. An ancestor spirit.’

Your mouth has suddenly gone dry. ‘Dreams? What kind of dreams?’

Sylvie snaps the book closed and hands it back. ‘Ones best forgotten.’

You return the journal to its resting place, your eyes lingering on the other books. Herbal remedies, plant medicines, potion recipes. ‘These dreams . . . He was looking for a cure, wasn’t he?’ You absently finger the pouch at your belt. ‘I’ve heard dragon leaf can be an effective relief.’ You glance her way, curious as to her response.

Sylvie shakes her head, offering you a sad smile. ‘A relief, yes. But not a cure.’ She takes your arm and guides you back to the table. ‘Come, there’s more stew in the pot. Time for seconds, I think.’

Return to
191
to ask another question, or turn to
207
to end the conversation.

110

The bronze circle has a patterned motif engraved on its surface, depicting dragons and other creatures of the underworld. There is also a series of magical runes that twist from the edge of the circle to the black stone at its centre.

You cautiously approach the plinth, wary of a trap and unsure of its purpose. The stone stands waist high, smooth and rectangular, without adornment save for a small square depression carved into the top. You assume something must be placed in the niche for the magic to work.

If you have the
stone dragon
in your backpack, turn to
351
. Otherwise, you are unable to interact with the structure. With nothing
else of interest in the chamber, you decide to continue onwards. Turn to
2
.

111

The staircase spirals round, bringing you into a narrow chamber where a pair of wooden shutters bang to and fro in the wind. A small wooden desk is pushed up against a corner of the room, where a figure sits hunched in a chair. They are dressed in a long white night shirt, with a nightcap resting lopsidedly on their head. They make no move to acknowledge your presence.

In the opposite wall, an unlit lantern sits in an alcove, next to an archway that leads through into a curving passageway.

112

You start to close the gap, the racers ahead of you having slowed to a crawl to navigate the high winding ledge. Determined to move up the rankings, you crack your whip, urging your dog-team to quicken the pace – seeking to take the inside line on the next bend and pass one of your competitors.

They glance back, realising your intent, then respond by cutting in front of you, forcing your dog-team to swerve to avoid a collision. Desperately you fight to regain control of the sled and stop yourself from skidding off the edge into the grotto below.

You will need to take a challenge test using your
stability
attribute:

If you are successful, turn to
77
. Otherwise, turn to
756
.

113

(If this is your first time exploring Bitter Keep, turn immediately to
137
. Otherwise, read on.)

You emerge from the tower, blinking like a new-born in the garish white light. Tugging your hood down low to shield your eyes, you brush past the guards standing station at the foot of the tower and head out into the flurry of quickly falling snow.

To either side of you two high walls of smooth black stone stretch away, widening to form a wedge-shaped courtyard. At its furthest end, the walls meet a tall, rectangular keep fronted by narrow windows and a pair of large double-doors. You assume this impressive building is the keep’s main hall, where the soldiers take their meals.

To the left of the hall, the battlements rise via a set of stairs to a higher level, where a round tower stands stark against the pale sky. Everard had mentioned that Segg, the keep’s resident mage, had a library and quarters there – and was keen to meet with you as soon as you were able.

Through an archway in the nearest wall, you spy a smaller yard where soldiers are sparring against one another. A gruff-looking trainer moves up and down the drill lines, barking orders and dispensing swift flicks of his leather crop at anyone too slow to follow instruction.

Back in the main courtyard, voices draw your attention. A small group of soldiers are milling around a set of snow-dusted statues. From this distance, it is difficult to discern what has caught their attention.

114

You hear a scrabbling sound and a man’s grunting coming from behind you. Cautiously, you retrace your steps to see one of the Skards struggling to pull himself onto the plateau. A group of petrels are pecking at his hands, fluttering about his head and cawing. He goes to swat one of them away, his wild swing causing the rock to crumble from underneath him. For an instant he meets your gaze as he scrabbles for purchase, his expression caught between anger and fear. Then he drops in silence, the skittering of stones the only accompaniment to his long fall back to the ground. You peer over the edge to see the hunter’s body sprawled in the dust below, his dog-team’s frantic barking now reduced to sorrowful whines.

If you have the word
envoy
on your hero sheet, turn to
158
. Otherwise, turn to
177
.

115

Heading through the tunnels you find yourselves back at the ledge, overlooking the vast gulf and the roaring glacial waters below. Caul eyes the rock walls, looking for another means of re-entering the caves. He shrugs his shoulders in defeat. ‘There’s nowhere left to go.’

‘Not exactly.’ You step to the very edge of the outcropping and look over, watching the churning brown waters as they spill past the rocks then drop into the darkness below.

Caul moves to your side, confused by your intent, then gives a startled gasp when he realises what you are proposing. ‘That’s madness! You’d have us jump?’

‘A leap of faith,’ you nod, flicking a stone with your boot and watching it spin away into the abyss.

Caul retreats back to the wall, glaring at you as if you’ve gone mad. ‘Let’s go back, please. I’d rather take my chances with the flames and lightning.’

116

You slide the ring free from the skeleton’s finger. Holding it up to the murky light, you see that the band has been inlaid with a row of emeralds, each one intricately carved with its own runic symbol. If you wish, you may now take:

Shine

(ring)

Ability: heal

As you rise to your feet, you freeze when you hear a squelching sound coming from behind you. Spinning round, your eyes sweep across the ring of toadstools, looking for the likely cause. But the noise has gone and there is nothing there – although you are almost sure the toadstools have shifted position, standing a little closer to you.

Another squelch from somewhere behind. A quick look confirms there is nothing creeping up on you, but again, those toadstools . . . they look even closer now, their black bodies almost touching as they form a dark wall around the clearing. Turn to
202
.

117

With effort, you manage to pull yourself out of the mud, using the gnarly rungs of the ladder for leverage. The level of the mire continues to rise, but you are able to stay one step ahead of it, climbing higher and higher up the shaft. As you near the top, you spy a nest of woven twigs and leaves cradled in a branch. Inside are a number of potions and a stone rune.

You may now help yourself to any/all of the following:

You resume your climb, but suddenly the ladder begins to shake and lurch. Looking down, you see that the mud has turned into a pair of giant hands, which have closed around the bottom rung. You try and ascend higher but the hands are pulling the ladder down, its frame creaking and shaking beneath you. The hands give another yank, then you are tumbling into darkness. Turn to
435
.

118

Segg’s study is deserted, the fire in the brazier reduced to a few flickering tongues of flame. In the wall opposite, where there had once been a bookcase, there is now an open doorway framed by cobwebs. Of the bookcase, there is no sign – making you wonder if it was an illusion all along.

The room beyond is pitch black. You wait a moment for your eyes to adjust. Slowly, you start to make out shapes – each edged with a shifting green light. A pile of books on a table. Candles set in niches around the curving walls. A chair and the outline of a man.

You walk into the centre of the room, eyes fixed on Segg. His robes shine bright, the rubies and other adornments gilded with a piercing green glow. You nod your head, wondering if the mage can see you as well as you can him. ‘Segg?’

‘I see you have the gift.’ The ghostly figure nods his head, then raises the fingers of one hand. A whoosh of heat passes around the room, lighting each of the candles in turn. As it sweeps round you, the room is steadily filled with a soft flickering light.

Segg is seated in a high-backed chair, hunched forward slightly to scrutinise you with his shrewd, blue eyes. His long pale fingers play with the ends of his beard. ‘Impressive. You are a natural.’

‘I didn’t do anything,’ you reply, confused. You glance warily at the candles as their flames sputter and then appear to grow brighter.

‘Most mages can’t do what you do – not without many years of study and exercise, not without drawing from a kha. For you, the shroud is simply a part of your being. Magic is natural to you, like breathing.’ He pauses, eyes flicking to your still body. ‘If you’ll excuse the expression.’

‘Was that the test?’ You put an edge to your voice, already feeling impatience.

‘Oh no, this is the test.’ Segg makes no movement, save a slight nod of his head. From three of the candles next to him, the flames roar up in a showering column – then fall back into the room, taking on the shape of humanoid creatures. They remind you of the demons from your dreams, their bodies fashioned from pure dancing flame. Moving on all fours, the sprites stalk towards you.

‘What is this?’ You draw your weapons, raising them defensively.

‘Magic is about concentration,’ says Segg, casually settling back into his chair. ‘You can’t be distracted. You need to focus.’

One of the sprites lunges for you, narrowly missing your leg by inches. You look down to see smoke curling from your charred breeches.