Chapter Twenty #2
Lumi didn’t look sure. “Abundant males aren’t mindless animals if they push their heat.”
“I know, but it’s been a crutch for you.
I don’t want you to fuck me if you have to use a crutch.
You have to want it entirely on your own, and not because you think you need to give me sex.
You don’t have to suck me off to keep me.
Those days of faking and doing whatever because someone demanded it are over. Understand?”
“Yeah…”
“I do like us cuddling together. We can do that if you want.”
They settled back down with Lumi’s head on Jaki’s chest again.
***
When they arrived, Jaki was grateful to get out of the carriage and do something besides sit. The area was rather bare and windy with scraggly patches of trees and snowy hills.
The tomb was a simple, rectangular stone structure above ground. If they went past it and up a snowy hill, they’d be able to see a small bay on the other side. Jaki couldn’t see the water since the ground was hilly, but he'd read a description of the area once in a book.
On their side of Iceland, they couldn’t go any farther north unless a barren island further out counted.
Jaki had a small pack with the Crown inside, and he hid it under his cloak. He told the men they wouldn’t be long, and they headed for the entrance with the High Mage.
The doors leading inside were stone, and as far as Jaki knew, they were the only ones that opened by themselves if one stood in front of them for a few seconds. He didn’t know what kind of magic made them work.
Once the doors opened to reveal steps heading down, Lumi held up the lantern.
“What if someone’s in there?” asked the High Mage. “I could see bandits living down here. Who’d bother them?”
“And who would they bother?” asked Jaki. “If there are any snow bears, I doubt they have anything to rob.”
“I suppose.” He still didn’t appear thrilled.
“We have to do this,” said Jaki. “The sooner, the better, so let's get it over with.”
They headed down. The doors slowly closing behind them was rather creepy, and it gave Jaki a spooked feeling as though he were trapped. Since others had been to Rinder’s tomb and hadn't been trapped inside to starve and die, he knew they'd be able to leave later.
Halfway down, he paused as a faint vibration ran through the stairs.
“What was that?” Lumi whispered as they stopped.
“I don’t like this,” muttered the High Mage.
Jaki glanced ahead, although there was nothing to see. The stairs headed into darkness, and above them, he couldn’t see the doors anymore. “I never heard of the ground quaking in this area.”
“Maybe it does,” said Lumi. “But hardly anyone is around here, so it’s not known.”
“Here, take the Crown. Give me the lantern, and I’ll go ahead. Whatever that was, I'm sure it's nothing to worry about.”
Going first wouldn’t save them if the tomb collapsed.
Jaki still felt as if he should. He passed the pack to Lumi and took the lantern so he could go ahead.
Lumi stayed close behind as they went, and the High Mage followed.
What if there was some kind of trap he didn’t know about?
Since the tomb was preserved, it should stand for thousands of years and not shake like it was ready to collapse.
But since a few others had been there over the ages merely to look around, and they had returned, a trap didn’t make sense.
The stairs kept going, taking them farther underground, and the dark pressed on the circle of light the lantern made.
The air was rather stale. Finally, the stairs turned into a short straight hall that led into a room.
Jaki lifted the lantern so they could see better.
Ahead lay two stone doors, and he knew Rinder rested beyond them.
The High Mage looked around. “What’s to keep someone from entering Rinder’s tomb and stealing the Crown?”
“It’s a crime to steal something from a tomb,” said Jaki.
“It doesn’t mean no one might be tempted.”
“It’ll kill the land they live in, and if it does happen, then I guess Iceland isn’t meant to be,” said Jaki.
Between the doors and the ceiling was a decent gap, almost as if the room had been placed inside and not carved out of the stone.
To one side, a portion of the wall had strange lines carved in.
In the center lay two keys with their heart-shaped bows touching.
Jaki stared at them. Where had he seen those keys before?
“What’s that?” Lumi pointed at them.
The High Mage tilted his head. “Decoration?”
“I think that’s what the Valentine family has on them,” said Jaki. “The scarring they’re all born with. I saw a drawing years ago in a book. They all have those keys in the center of their lower back. Just like that.”
“Why would that be here?” asked Lumi. “The Valentine line didn’t have anything to do with us back then, right?”
Jaki approached the wall to touch the keys.
Whoever had done the carving, their lines were neat, deep, and nearly perfect.
“I don’t think so. Then again, we’re right next door, and when fairies first came here, they likely came through East Forest. Rinder could have known the original Valentines and even been friends with them.
We don’t know much about his early life. The first King of East Forest…uh…”
He’d learned in his history lessons as a child, but he’d long forgotten it.
“I believe it was Ryder,” said the High Mage. “If I remember correctly. He was talented with horses and unicorns.”
“I guess that would make sense,” said Lumi. “Perhaps he decided to have the wall carved with their markings to remember their friendship by. They're kind of similar to the Tree, aren’t they?”
“They are.” Not quite the same, but close enough. Perhaps a long time ago, it had meant something quite particular, but it had been lost to the ages. Besides, the Tree belonged to the Cleel line, not the Valentine line.
“Do you think there’s anything behind there?” asked Lumi.
“Perhaps. I’m certainly not going to try to break-”
The High Mage made a strange noise from behind Jaki just as a voice spoke. “Are you going to stand there and blather about meaningless lines carved ages ago?”
Jaki whipped around. Lumi stood frozen as he stared at the Mage.
The man had collapsed with an arrow sticking from his throat.
Above them in the gap, shapes moved in the darkness, a lantern suddenly glowed, and a winged fairy was coming toward them with an arrow ready.
Several others crouched in the space with bows held low so they didn’t hit the ceiling, and one had a crossbow.
Jaki drew his sword, and an arrow narrowly missed him. The winged fairy landed closer to the steps to block them from leaving, and he aimed an arrow at Jaki.
“One wrong move, and Lumi’s dead,” said Tivar.
Several arrows were pointed at Lumi. He held the pack with the Crown under his cloak as he stared up. His face had gone completely white, and it almost looked like he wasn’t even there. Not in his head.
“Lumi,” Jaki hissed, trying to bring him back. If they had to fight…he didn’t have a weapon, and there were at least ten men up on the ledge.
“I don’t really need him,” said Tivar. “He’s practically worthless, and when he did finally get pregnant, he gave me a useless girl. So much trouble for nothing.”
Jaki glared at the traitor near Tivar.
“As for you, Jaki…I want a closer look at you. I suggest you stay put unless you want to see Lumi full of arrows.”
Lumi wasn’t Tivar’s main goal. Not anymore.
A couple of men threw down a rope ladder. Jaki couldn’t see where they’d anchored it. Further back, they must have been waiting, knowing the Princes would come.
All while eating the food Elswere had happily allowed Lord Smith to take. The lord watched him with a blank expression as Tivar carefully made his way down the rope ladder.
Lord Smith, hearing where Jaki was going, had sent a dove to Tivar, left, and hurried for the tomb.
As for the others…if a winged man is strong enough, he can carry another long distances.
It’s a dangerous, unpleasant way to travel, especially in such a cold climate, but it can be done if someone wants to be elsewhere as fast as possible.
Tivar had braved it once he had a note from his spy.
Tivar stepped off the ladder, although he didn’t approach.
He had a patch of dry skin near his nose, and his face was red like he’d been flown from far away, and the cold wind had irritated his skin.
Jaki had the wild thought to rush and gut him like a pig, but Lumi would be full of arrows in seconds if he did.
“Even flying, I was worried we wouldn’t make it first,” said Tivar. “It seems I worried for nothing. We’ve been eating the food you so graciously donated. Thank you. Family should help family.”
Shit. They were fucked, and Jaki had helped Tivar. Lumi shook as he clutched the pack.
“You’re not family,” Jaki forced out as he slowly lowered the lantern to the floor. “Not anymore.”
Tivar snorted. “Lord Smith had a fine time at my court while we decided what exactly he’d tell you once he returned.
I didn’t think you’d actually cross the border alone and come all that way like a fool.
” He shook his head and let out a short whistle.
“You got me good there. I was expecting the city guards to ring the alarm one day and say a huge, armed group of men were approaching.”
Lord Smith laughed. “He’s certainly a man with guts. I didn’t think he’d pull that either.”
Tivar looked Jaki up and down in a way that made his skin crawl.
“You look strong and good for breeding. Unfortunately, you can’t get pregnant, but that’s all right.
I didn’t want to get other prisoners, and it’s not easy keeping someone hidden.
I’ll have to now. There are quite a few homeless around now, so it shouldn’t be too difficult to snatch three or four women.
You can breed them, and whoever first gives me a boy gets to live. ”
Jaki nearly spat on him.
“Honestly, Lumi’s only good for receiving, since I think he’s a bit tapped in the head. You look like you could get a few up the stick pretty quickly.”
“Fuck you.”
“No, you’ll be doing the fucking,” said Tivar. “I’ll let you fuck Lumi if you behave.”
Jaki would rather die than rape Lumi or a woman for a baby to help Tivar, and he couldn’t see a way out that wouldn’t result in at least Lumi’s death. If he agreed to save Lumi, and Tivar let him live, it wouldn’t last long.
If Jaki produced a boy with a woman, Tivar would kill them all once he had his new heir. He wouldn't need them anymore.
He wouldn’t be able to kill the man closest or climb the rope ladder to reach the others. They had arrows. He only had a sword. The guards he’d brought would never hear them yell, and they’d be caught unaware when Tivar and his men came out.
“I told you what I want,” said Tivar. “So what’s it going to be? If you refuse, we’ll kill Lumi, and we’ll only need to injure you enough to incapacitate you.”
Lumi suddenly bolted for the doors to Rinder’s room.