As we stepped into the living room, Jaira was sitting with her back turned next to the fireplace. “Ah, so you finished up, huh. Nice to meet you, Rathina I...” Jaira’s voice trailed off as she looked at Rathina and blushed and looked down as the floor. I glanced over at Rathina who seemed amused at the display. “Hello to you too young Ms. I am indeed Rathina, though I feel I failed to catch your name.” Rathina gave Jaira a soft and friendly smile, which made Jaira blush even deeper. Jaira’s blush grew even deeper. “Jaira, Ma’am.” I wasn’t sure whether to be amused or exasperated by the situation.
After a moment’s deliberation, I decided on a simple middle ground. “Alright, kiddo get your head out of the gutter and stop drooling over your mother’s girlfriend, if you would.” Jaira blinked a few times then blushed even deeper. “Wha? Oh, err, right well that is embarrassing. I never imagined I would be on the receiving end of the stuttering, usually I am the one causing the stuttering. Please, let me try this again.” She cleared her throat.
“I am Jaira Vèl-D?-Set Byrne, Master Merchant, leader of Caravan Jaira and, as my mother so eloquently put it, I am your girlfriend’s daughter.” She lowered her head in a respectful nod before meeting Rathina’s gaze, now without shying away or blushing. Rathina chuckled. “I will admit I might have cranked up the charm a bit to make a good first impression. It's a pleasure to meet you. Your mother told me about you during my last stay.” Rathina pulled Jaira in for a hug before moving through the room and greeting everyone.
The last to be greeted was Nettle, who was sitting on the mantelpiece next to Soot. Rathina’s greeting was, instead of the rather casual one she met everyone else with a formal one that involved a bow and the words “Greetings to you, Lady of Winter.” It didn’t take a genius to guess Rathina just spoke in perfect Sylphi, the language of the Pixies, if Nettle’s surprised expression was anything to go by.
She took off from the mantelpiece and returned the gesture. “Greetings to you Daughter of Infernin.” She gave a soft trill from her antennae. “I must admit I didn’t expect Lady Morgana’s girlfriend to be an Infernal. This year’s feast will be eventful, that’s for sure.” She flew over to the table and grabbed a walnut and cracked it open using her needle like a crowbar. “That aside, how will we travel this year?” An apt question.
“Well, under normal circumstances I would have taken the broom, but with a group this big that’s unfeasible considering how far we have to go this year compared to last year when the feast was in Tinder Top. So, I was thinking of using the carpet.” Nettle took a bite out of the walnut core and tilted her head. “Carpet?” Right, she wouldn’t know about that. “I enchanted a carpet for mass transport, far more efficient than using multiple brooms, I am surprised Ivy hasn’t told you about it.”
Nettle finished the walnut and, as she did gave a simple shrug before taking to the air again. “Ivy‘s fixation with food is the obvious culprit for that, but that’s just how Ivy is, and I wouldn’t change that about her at all.” That sounded like Nettle alright. As Nettle turned towards the door, I went with her. “How about you join us for the carpet ride? I know you aren’t bothered by the snow and cold, but it would be more fun with some company across the mountains, wouldn’t it?”
Nettle paused her antennae dinging softly as she considered my offer, with a sound not too unfamiliar to sleigh bells. “Hmm, that sounds like it could be fun. Why not? I’ll meet you here the day after tomorrow then. She gave me a polite nod and flew outside as I opened the door for her. I watched her disappear into the forest like a deep purple streak of color against the gloom of the setting sun.
As I walked back inside, I picked up the carpet from where it was leaning against the wall next to the door. “Honey, care to help me with some enchanting work? Since flying this thing in winter will be extremely unpleasant, I figured enchanting it to make sure the riders are comfortably warm wouldn’t be a bad idea.” Rathina perked up. “Sounds like a great idea, let’s use the library.”
As we left for the library, Meleri waved to get my attention. “If the feast is in three days, why are we leaving the day after tomorrow?” Well, that was an easy one. I glanced over at Rathina, then put the carpet back down. “Let me just show everyone.” I hurried over to the nearby bookshelf and pulled out a map of the region. “Now then, let’s see here…” I went into the potion room and fetched a pendulum.
“Just a little magic and…” The pendulum began to vibrate before it pointed to a clearing in the swamp area. “This is where we live.” I marked the area on the map with a walnut. “And this…” The pendulum shuddered before it pointed northward, to where I was forced to grab a bigger map to cover the distance. Finally, it settled down in a small valley far to the north. “This valley is where Winter Glen is. It’s a beautiful place inhabited by winter Fae. I’ve been there once before about eighty years ago now?”
I glanced over at Soot who blinked a few times before he shook his head. “It’s ninety-four.” He flew over to his roost and began to preen his feathers. Winter looked up at him as she fluffed up her own feathers. “I wonder if they still serve those tasty little morsels before the feast itself.” Meleri reached out and scratched her under the beak, earning her a few happy chirps from Winter. “Well, regardless, I take it the trip will take a while, so we will be staying the night?” I picked the carpet up again. “That’s right.
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
We spent the rest of the evening poring over the carpet, reinforcing enchantments there, improving others there and adding new ones in various ways. Rathina sewed in a series of infernal glyphs that would help regulate the temperature of the air above the carpet, as well as make sure snow and rain would curve around it as we flew. How the glyphs worked was beyond me, but Rathina assured me they would work out great.
As the day of departure arrived, Nettle arrived just as we were about to start breakfast. I shuffled over to the door and let her in. “Morning, Nettle.” I suppressed a yawn. “We’re about to eat breakfast, care to join us?” Nettle nodded and flew inside. “It’s cloudy today, so visibility might be down as we cross the mountains.” Poor visibility, huh? Bummer, I was hoping to get a good view as the vista from up in the mountains was breathtaking.
“Well, it can’t be helped. At least we will be in good company.” Nettle landed on my shoulder as I walked towards the kitchen. “You are right. Also, thanks for coming with me to the feast every year. I get rather lonely since everyone else is sleeping through the winter, and since I am obligated join in the feast as a representative of Nettledale, I always feel awkward going alone.” I glanced over to her. “Hey don’t mention it. Morning everyone, sleep well?” Meleri looked up from the frying pan, where a large omelette was being made. “I’ve slept like a log.”
Irane and Irenji looked up from where they were sitting. “So have we.” Winter and Soot came flying into the room. Soot landed at his usual spot at the table. “Ah, morning everyone.” Winter circled the room once before she landed on her spot as well. “Hope you are doing well this morning.” I reached over and scratched both of them lightly. “I’m well, and I am certain Nettle is as well.” Nettle took off and landed at the plate next to mine. “I am. Where are Bahruun and Millid?” I walked over to the cooling closet to fetch some apple juice. “Eating breakfast, I’d wager. We built them a little hut of their own just before the first snow hit as they wanted some privacy.”
Winter stopped preening her wing. “I saw them when Soot and I were getting some fresh air, they were eating breakfast, so they should come over once they are done.” I gave Winter a grateful nod as Meleri levitated omelette slices onto all the plates. “There we are, enjoy everyone. Irenji, Irane, just hold on a moment and I’ll get you some meat to go with your eggs.”
Meleri gestured towards a smaller pan where bacon, sausages and some ground meat were cooking, and the contents levitated off and began to distribute themselves among the various plates just as Midnight entered the room. “Sorry that I’m late got distracted.” She hopped onto the table and gave an experimental sniff at the food on her plate. “Mmm, this smells delicious Meleri. I can’t wait to taste it.” With that, she began to dig in with no restraint, and soon the meal was in full swing.
Bahruun and Millid joined us just as we finished up breakfast, and after distributing a few warming potions to Meleri and Bahruun, just in case, we all headed out into the cold, and I rolled out the upgraded carpet. Rathina shuddered a bit against the cold despite her innate resistance and the cloak she was borrowing. “Ugh, the temperature certainly fell fast. It was actually tolerable before, but this is too cold even for me.” I set the carpet to levitate, and everyone got on. The effect was immediate. The moment I got onto the carpet it was like stepping into a bubble of hot air.
“Well, the carpet is good and warm. Your glyphs are working perfectly.” Rathina sat down beside me and put a hand around my waist. “That they do, a pity, I wanted an excuse to snuggle. I guess I have to make do without.” I gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. “While I would love to aquiest that, I’m the one who will be flying this thing, and I can’t afford any distractions, even one as beautiful as you.” I gave her another kiss on the cheek as I scooted ahead to the front edge of the carpet while the others got themselves comfortable.
“Everyone ready, Meleri do a headcount would you?” A few moments later, I heard her response. “Everyone’s set and ready, sis.” That was all I needed to hear. “Alright then.” I gestured towards the entrance, and three rapid clicks could be heard as the main entrance as well as both the pet door on the entryway and the one in the rafters were locked. “Off we go then.” With that, I willed the carpet into the air just as the sun crested the eastern sky.
Dawn was not much help for visibility, thanks to the cloud cover, though it was good enough that I could make out shades of grey against the snow. “Looks like we will be flying semi-blind for a while yet.” Soot, who was sitting on my shoulder made a soft chirp in reply. “Quite unfortunate that the weather would turn sour like this.” Soot was right. Still, it was just overcast. Who knows? The weather might improve by the end of the day.
Millid looked up from the book she was reading with Bahruun. “So when will we arrive in Winter Glen?” Nettle glanced up at her. “It’s about six hours as the pixie flies, provided there are no breaks, so at this speed…” she paused as she glanced down at the ground below. “… It should take about nine?” I glanced back at her. “It will be less than that. We are higher than you usually fly, so it looks like we are moving slower than we are.”
It would seem luck was with us, as the cloud-cover began to break apart about four hours later. By this point, we were now far northwest of the house. Far below was a rather pretty-looking river valley with the river snaking along in the same direction we were flying. Both the river and the snow were glowing under the sunlight, a veritable winter wonderland as it and we began our climb into the mountains.
The snowy valley gave way to snow-covered hillsides and then mountainsides as the altitude increased. “Quite the sight, eh?” Meleri glanced upwards. “How tall are these mountains?” I shrugged. “Not sure, around the same as the Himalayas, I guess? Not like anyone has measured the height of the Three Teeth or the surrounding hillsides. That aside, we will just be crossing over them, as we’re still only halfway there. Once we're onto the plains on the other side, it’s just a straight shot north-northwest towards the Frost Talon Mountains where Winter Glen lies.” As I spoke, I crested the peak of the mountains, giving everyone an unobstructed view of the plain beyond. And also an unobstructed view of the storm front that was coming straight for us.
