Frieda's Tale

Prologue

Unlike Emily, who came from our world, Frieda was born on the Nameless World and was raised in the Cairngorms, one of the poorest and most desolate parts of the Allied Lands. She developed magic when she entered her teenage years and was sold to Mountaintop Academy, where she was lucky enough to meet Emily (The School of Hard Knocks). They became friends and Frieda was allowed to follow Emily when she returned to Whitehall

She never returned home, until now.

Chronologically, the story starts roughly midway through Oathkeeper.

There was something in the air.

Radovan could feel it as he pushed his way through the twilight, stepping between trees and down paths that had barely been explored since the nearest village had been destroyed and the land cursed. It was rare for anyone to come so close, and even Radovan himself had been careful to skirt the edge of the ruined village, rather than go into the pooling shadows. The risk was just too great. Those who walked into the ruins never came out again.

He kept moving, frowning slightly as he pressed through the undergrowth. It had been a mistake to travel so far from his village, but times were hard — they were always hard — and his family were desperately short of food. Nothing had been decided, yet, but the murmuring had already started. It was just a matter of time before the old and useless, or the small and weak, were shoved into the cold, giving their lives — willingly or not — so the rest of their families could survive. Radovan hated the thought of his aged grandfather, a man who’d reached sixty, being sent to his death, but what choice did they have? If he found food, the old man might live to see sixty-one. And here…

His fingers searched the bushes, feeling for hidden mushrooms and other fungi. They would feed the family for a few short days more, if he found enough. If not… his stomach hurt, the hunger gnawing at his soul. He knew he should bring his find home, to feed his parents and older brothers, but he wanted to eat it himself. He knew, although he’d never admit it, that if he didn’t find enough he’d put himself first.

Why not? Everyone else did.

The ground shook, violently. Radovan tripped and fell, rolling down an incline he was sure hadn’t been there a few moments ago. He heard things crashing behind him, saw giant shapes — tree trunks — flying over his head, smashing to the ground further down the incline with sounds that almost deafened him. There was a brilliant flash of light, like lightning in a cloudless sky, there and gone so quickly he barely registered it. And then the world seemed to stop dead. He hit the bottom of the incline and lay still.

Silence. There was nothing but silence. And the whispering.

Radovan stumbled to his feet, quickly checking himself for wounds. There wasn’t anything beyond a handful of bruises. He breathed a sigh of relief as he straightened, taking deep shuddering breaths. The world was a harsh place, for a man with broken bones. His family couldn’t afford to let him heal on his own, let alone take him to a healer. The very thought was utterly absurd… he shuddered, feeling his body ache as he moved. The bruises would heal quickly, if he got home. If…

He looked around. There was… something, a strange shimmery radiance, flicking in the air, calling to him. The whispering was growing stronger, a sound right on the edge of his awareness… a sound tempting him with understanding, if only he listened long enough to make out the words. He staggered towards the radiance, despite all the old wives’ tales of things lurking within the darkness. He wasn’t sure what was calling to him, but… he couldn’t resist. His legs seemed to move of their own accord.

The world shifted. Something was right in front of him, something dark and yet illuminated by a strange light that made his eyes hurt. He gritted his teeth as the whispering grew louder, unable to comprehend what he saw. Or heard. He reached out, a lone voice screaming at the back of his head to stop, to run, before it was too late, and pressed his head against the thing. The whispering grew louder, the voices suddenly clear. They promised him everything he’d ever wanted — a full belly, a life of idleness, a wife and children who didn’t have to slave all day if they wanted to see the night — as long as he let them in…

… And he did.