Book 2 - Chapter 17

Seeing the half‑dozen Fae marching toward him — all of them no doubt accomplished conduits, if Ken’s descriptions were anything to go by — Noah raised his hands. “I mean you no harm!”

The lead guard slowed, reached into a hidden pocket in her armor, and pulled out a grimoire. A moment later she cast a spell that summoned a pale, hovering light. “Do not move,” she repeated as she approached.

“Did I do something wrong?” Noah asked.

With the floating light illuminating them, he got a better look at the warriors. All female, unsurprisingly, with white or pale blue hair tied into tight ponytails. Grimoires hung from shoulder straps, and their polished silver armor gleamed in the dark.

If any of them are as good with those swords as Aelya, I’ll be dead before I can even reach for my crossbow, he thought, recalling Ciri’s mother.

“Search him,” one of the soldiers barked in Fae.

Two of them moved instantly, grabbing his arms and stripping him of his coat, then his crossbow, then his bag. They patted him down while their leader watched him with icy blue eyes. When one soldier began examining his crossbow, Noah’s eyes widened.

“Please be careful with that.”

“Why careful?” the leader demanded.

“It’s… it could hurt you,” he said, unsure if he should call it a weapon. “It’s got a pointy end.”

The leader narrowed her eyes and opened her mouth to speak — but another soldier screamed. The guards holding Noah released him, and he spun just in time to see Piper launch herself out of his bag and onto the soldier’s face, clawing at any exposed skin. Before the woman could grab her, Piper sprang off and hurled herself at another guard, narrowly avoiding a waving sword.

“Piper, no!” Noah shouted, diving forward and catching her mid‑air.

More swords rang free of their scabbards. Noah twisted his body, shielding Piper as she thrashed and clawed, desperate to reach the perceived threat. He held her tight, ignoring the scratches tearing into his arms.

“It’s a griffon!” one guard said, realization dawning in her voice.

“What is he doing to it?” another guard demanded in Fae.

“He’s hurting her!” a third shouted. “Kill him so he stops!”

“Ow!” Noah snapped, half turning. In Fae, he barked, “I’m not hurting her! I’m stopping her from clawing your fucking faces off! Put your swords away and maybe I can calm her down long enough to explain!”

A stunned silence followed.

“You speak Fae?” the leader asked.

“Yeah, I speak Fae,” Noah grunted.

“How?”

“It’s a long story. Now, do you mind?”

After a tense pause, the leader sheathed her sword. The others followed a moment later. Noah exhaled. Piper sensed the shift and paused her assault, glaring up at him.

“Hey. Hey,” he murmured, keeping his voice low even with the soldiers staring at his back. “It’s okay. They were scared. We all were. You’re safe. I won’t let them hurt you.”

She hissed.

“No, they’re not going to hurt me either,” he assured her, then glanced at the leader. “Right?”

“You can… speak to her?” the woman asked incredulously.

Piper narrowed her eyes. Noah turned back to her. “None of that, please. I know you’re trying to protect me. And you’re doing such a good job. When we get back, you’re getting an extra helping of dinner.”

She growled.

“Okay, fish. I’ll get you fish.”

Satisfied, she relaxed against his now‑bloody chest.

Exhaling, Noah looked back at the captain. “There. See? She’s fine. We’re fine.”

The Fae woman studied them a moment longer, then made her decision. “You… need to come with us.”

He sighed. “No point asking why, is there? Or what happens if I say no.”

“No. There is not.”

He groaned, took a breath, and nodded. “Let’s go then.”

The six Fae women took up positions around him and marched him down the dock toward the warehouse. There they turned sharply and led him to the glowing grey ship he’d seen during the maintenance patrol. He gently placed Piper back into the bag as they boarded, keeping the top open so he could lay a comforting hand on her back.

Should have guessed this thing was the winter Fae ship, he thought as he climbed the plank. I don’t think I’m going to fight my way out of this. I need an angle — and fast.

The moment his boots hit the deck he was surrounded by more winter Fae guards. None drew swords, but Ken’s lessons on posture and body language told him everything he needed to know: try to run and they’d eviscerate him. He forced a confident posture, kept his back straight, and scanned the ship for anything that might be useful later.

Under different circumstances I’d love a closer look at this ship, he thought.

The hull looked like a cross between wood and stone; ropes moved as if alive; there was no visible steering mechanism. Rowboats were stowed carefully along the side, and a large black case filled with grimoires sat at the stern. He made a mental note to ask Hannah about it if he ever got out.

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The lead guard disappeared for a minute, leaving Noah by the mast with several dozen winter Fae warriors watching him. One by one they returned to their tasks — loading crates, polishing armor, talking — but the nearest kept a constant vigil, eyes unblinking.

They don’t really know what to make of me. Maybe I can use that.

“It’s okay,” he whispered to Piper when she growled at a nearby Fae. “We’re going home soon.”

“You shouldn’t make promises you can’t keep,” a voice called across the deck.

The crowd parted as a Fae woman approached. She looked older than Hannah — though with Fae age‑magic, appearances were unreliable — her skin ghostly pale, hair white, and eyes a striking purple. She wore the same uniform as the others, but a much larger sword hung at her hip.

Trying to catch her off guard, Noah tilted his head and pointed at the blade. “How do you wield that?”

She blinked, stopping a meter away, a bemused smile crossing her face. “What do you mean?”

“It’s gotta be… what, two meters long? Seems like it’d take forever to swing. Not to mention tiring.”

She barked a laugh that showed the faint lines at her eyes. “My guard captain told me she captured a human who spoke Fae and cared for a griffon. I see now how the first part is true.”

“You do?”

“You are filled with curiosity.”

He shrugged. “Sounds like something we share.”

Her smile widened. Sensing he’d struck a chord, he pressed on. “You’re curious too. You want to know why a griffon — your house’s namesake, if I’m guessing correctly — has a parental bond with a human.”

“I am curious,” she admitted. “Are you familiar with our customs? Our punishment for lying, perhaps?”

“I am.”

“Good. Then answer the second part of my question, or the last thing you see will be a first‑hand demonstration of how I wield my sword.”

“Good thing I plan on telling the truth, then,” he said.

She raised an eyebrow. “You seem very comfortable for someone in mortal danger.”

“If you’re invoking the laws of hospitality, that means unless I break them you won’t hurt me,” he said, gesturing down. “Or Piper, for that matter.”

“You… named a griffon?”

“It’s a long story. Do you have somewhere we could sit? And maybe a different shirt? I don’t want to bleed all over your nice boat.”

The Fae woman blinked, then waved him forward. She led him to the stern and opened a door into a well‑lit cabin with windows on all sides. It felt like a luxury apartment: an enormous white bed, pale blue couches, and grey‑white furniture that looked like wood.

He started to fixate on a small rotating device with blinking magical green lights on a desk before a chime of magic snapped his attention back. For a second he worried she’d changed her mind and meant to kill him — then his skin stitched itself back together and she moved toward him with a bundle of cloth.

“Here. These robes are unisex — worn by both our conduits and our scribes. Change and come to the table so we may begin.”

He set his bag down and slipped off his torn shirt. “You know, normally I like to know someone’s name before taking off my clothes in front of them.”

She laughed. “Lady Veralith Frostwing. You may call me ‘my Lady’ or ‘Lady Frostwing’ in public.”

“And now?” he asked, pulling on the robe.

“You may refer to me the same,” she said with a grin, purple eyes glinting. “Now, sit.” She gestured to a table further back.

Noah scooped up his bag and took a seat. Piper leapt out of the satchel, curled into a ball on his lap, and purred. When Lady Frostwing sat, Piper growled softly and extended the claws on her back paws.

“Easy, girl,” Noah soothed, petting her.

“She seems very attached to you.”

“She is.”

“So, tell me.” Lady Frostwing unbuckled her belt and leaned her enormous sword against the table. “Start with your name.”

“Noah Calder.”

“Good. How did you become bonded to a griffon hatchling?”

“Her name is Piper,” he said defensively. “I found her egg in the forest east of Rookhaven.”

“An unattended egg? I told you not to lie,” she snapped, leaning forward and narrowing her eyes.

“It wasn’t unattended,” he corrected.

“I… see.” She glanced at her sword. “Continue. Did you kill a griffon then?”

“No. I was with a group looking for ancient Fae ruins. A mated pair of griffons nested on top of the ruins. They were killed by humans from Rookhaven. They put their heads on stakes.”

“Monsters,” she spat.

He nodded, jaw tight. “On that, we agree. Sometime before they destroyed the nest, the griffons tossed a runt egg out.”

“Describe it.”

“Small, round, and black.”

Satisfied, she leaned back. “Go on.”

“At first I didn’t know what it was. Eventually I realized it was a griffon. I intended to help it hatch and raise it until it could defend itself, then set it free.”

Piper squawked in his lap; he stroked her. “Don’t worry, I’m not doing that with you,” he told her. “I’m just explaining what I thought would happen.”

“Interesting.”

“I took the egg with me. Circumstances brought me to Crownspire. Piper hatched just before we reached the city. I fed her and named her.”

“How did you know how to care for her?”

“I grew up with animals — dogs and cats mostly, the occasional bird. It was trial and error at first, but I figured it out. She helped, too, telling me what she liked. I started with luroch milk; she’s moved to solid food since.”

Piper cawed happily and wrapped her tail around his wrist.

“A wise choice. Luroch milk is high in fat, similar to griffons.”

“Lucky for me. Luroch farms are everywhere around the city.”

“How did you learn she was bonded to you? That’s not common knowledge among humans.”

He hesitated at the lethal look in her eyes. “I stole a book from the academy library.”

“You stole a book?” she asked.

“I’m not really a student, despite the coat,” he admitted. “A friend helped me get in. The library has books on many subjects, most written in Fae. There was one about griffon parenting and reproductive habits. Given that she understood me perfectly no matter the language, it wasn’t hard to put two and two together.”

“Yes. I can see how that might be the case.”

“You seem to know a lot about griffons too,” he said.

“They aren’t just a namesake. The founders of our house rode griffons into battle. They are our patron animals and spiritual guides. From them we take inspiration on everything from war to politics. It is incumbent on each member of our house to understand them thoroughly.”

“Then you’ll understand that a griffon’s parental bond lasts until they reach a certain size,” Noah said. “Which, given that Piper is a runt—”

“She will not reach. Yes.” Lady Frostwing finished, standing and pacing.

“Does that answer your question?”

“It does. It begs another: what to do with you?”

“I’m biased, but I’m in favor of letting us go and forgetting this ever happened,” Noah said lightly.

She smirked. “Normally, interfering with a griffon hatchling like this is punishable by death. I have killed humans for less — especially human men. However…” She trailed off, looking at Piper. “She seems healthy. She is bonded to you. My ancestors would say a griffon’s judgment on who to trust is wise beyond our comprehension. And if my guard captain is to be believed, you put yourself between her and their swords — something you would not have done if you did not care for her.”

“If someone wants to hurt her they’ll have to do it over my dead body,” he said, dead serious.

She chuckled. “You are free to go. Care for your griffon proudly. She is obviously proud of you, given how she’s chosen you as her person.”

He moved to place Piper back in the bag, then paused and locked eyes with her. “Now, I know you were protecting me, but I need you to apologize to the nice lady for gouging her guard’s eyes.”

Piper narrowed her green eyes and growled, challenging him.

“None of that, little miss. Go apologize.”

She stared him down, then relented. She hovered, flapped, and dove toward Lady Frostwing. The Fae woman didn’t flinch; Piper nuzzled her face apologetically.

“Magnificent creature,” the Fae woman murmured, closing her eyes.

Piper took flight again, landed on Noah’s shoulder, and he kissed the top of her head before placing her back in the bag. Her head popped up a moment later, the silver griffon clasp clutched in her beak.

“Oh — I forgot about that. Sorry.” Noah took the clasp and handed it to Lady Frostwing. “And I really am sorry about your soldier.”

“It’s fine. She is likely healed already,” the pale Fae woman replied, then pushed the clasp back toward Noah. “Keep it. Consider it compensation for this evening’s unpleasantness. Go collect your things from my guards on your way out.”