Chapter 35

  Beneath the Ice

  The temperature plummeted over night.

  The kind of cold that settles deep into the bones, that seeps through layers and refuses to leave. Even sleep offered little protection against it.

  Both Lazarus and Wolf try to keep warm as much as they could, the sun rises over the Ice fields as they both begin to stir. Lazarus wakes up first, cold, freezing, and tired, he stands up and walks to the entrance to the cave.

  His limbs protest as he moves, stiff from the cold and exhaustion, breath puffing in pale clouds with every step.

  Lazarus looks out to the field, more snow has fallen over night, he knows he has to try and get Wolf back to the village today to give him a better chance for recovery, the snow has let up, hoping that time is in their favour, he moves towards Wolf.

  “Hey Wolf, it's time to wake up, we have to go.” Lazarus says gently waking up Wolf.

  Wolf stirs weakly. His breathing is slow and laboured, uneven in a way that makes Lazarus’s stomach knot. He has struggled through the night, he picks him up and slings his arm over his shoulder, Lazarus places his arm around Wolfs waist to help him along.

  Wolf’s weight presses down on him immediately, armour, muscle, and injury all combined.

  They step out of the dark cave into a bright white ice field, the sun shines for the first time since Lazarus got there, clear blue sky, filled with a burning sun. The snow bright white causing glare, Lazarus squints as he heads out of the cave.

  The light is blinding after the darkness, forcing tears from his eyes.

  “Come on Wolf, lets get you back.” Lazarus says as he holds Wolf, Wolf is beginning to move his legs, but very slowly, Lazarus tries to keep him on his feet but the weight of Wolf and all of his armour makes it slightly challenging.

  Every step sinks into the snow. Every breath burns.

  Lazarus stumbles in the snow and falls forward, he helps Wolf back to his feet and tries to get back and get some traction in the deep snow, Wolf slowly drops in and out of consciousness, Lazarus is pretty convinced that Wolf has an infection, but all he can do is try and get him back to Tarule, which is his main focus.

  He doesn’t let himself think beyond that.

  He begins to lose hope as he drags him through the fields. He has grown tired, and his legs have begun to give up, Lazarus drops to his knees, he unclips is cloak from his shoulders and places it down into the snow, he rolls Wolf on to the cloak and grabs the corners dragging him through the snow as best he can, worrying about Wolf with every bump and knock, trying to avoid big dips in the snow.

  The wind cuts at his face, but he keeps going.

  The landscape changes every night from the snowfall so trying to get through the ice fields gets more treacherous every day.

  In the distance he sees a cave appearing, he breathes a sigh of relief as he gets closer and closer, every step is getting him closer to his rest point.

  Hope flickers again, fragile, but there.

  He steps into the inviting cave, and stops for a minute in the entrance way, falling to his knees shivering, unsure if its the adrenaline or the cold.

  His hands shake violently.

  He picks up Wolf and throws his cloak over his shoulder as he knows he won't be able to drag Wolf through the rocky cave entrance.

  Lazarus walks through the cave mouth as it narrows and begins to widen again, seeing the inviting orange glow of the lights in Tarule, a great sense of relief crashes over him, he hears a voice shout from the tavern.

  “Lazarus! Wolf! Your safe.”

  Sonia runs up and grabs Wolfs other arm and helps to carry him through the village.

  “Lazarus I was worried when you missed you date.” She says trying to lighten the mood.

  “It was you that kept me going.” Lazarus smiles at Sonia. “We need a doctor, where is he?”

  “This way.” Sonia says pointing over to a small house in the corner of the market square.

  They walk through the market square still helping Wolf along, whispers coming from the stalls as they help him, everyone looking at Wolf, and gasping in shock.

  The concern is immediate, heavy.

  Everyone seems worried in the state of their guardian, Lazarus tries his best to keep his head up and stay strong.

  Tears build in his eyes, he knows the last few days have been a challenge and he knows it won't get easier, not any time soon anyway.

  “Whats happened here?” The doctor says running out of the door to help with Wolf.

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  “Thornic, it attacked him, got his leg.” Lazarus says now with tears running down his face, leaving streaks in the dirt on his face.

  “We better get him in then.” The doctor says in panic.

  They place him up on the table in the doctors office and rips the trousers around the massive gash in his leg.

  The wound is ugly. Angry.

  “He has lost a lot of blood, I think he has an infection.” The doctor looks at the leg concerned, he drums his fingers on the table with concern.

  “I can give him medicine, but I don't have everything I need, I will need plants from the ice fields, you'll need to get them for me, you'll find them on the side of the glaciers, it's a yellow flower, and a black stem, you will need to find them as soon as possible, this is a matter of urgency.”

  The words matter of urgency echo in Lazarus’s mind.

  The doctor looks at Lazarus, Lazarus nods to him.

  He turns straight to the door and begins to head out, Sonia grabs his hand as he leaves.

  “Please be careful out there, we still need our drink.” Sonia holds him in her arms and places her head on his armour.

  “I will, I'll be back I promise.”

  He kisses her on the forehead and looks at Wolf.

  “Please take care of him Doc.”

  The doctor nods to Lazarus as Lazarus heads out of the door again towards the Ice Fields.

  Lazarus walked back through the market with his head slightly lowered, every step feeling heavier than the last. All eyes were on him. He could feel them, people watching in silence, whispers dying the moment he passed. This was their guardian, the man who had carried Wolf back from the ice fields, now walking alone and leaving him behind again.

  A few villagers stepped toward him, hesitating, mouths opening as if to ask what had happened. No one found the words. Lazarus didn’t either. He simply kept walking.

  The market thinned, the warmth of Tarule fading behind him as he reached the familiar cave mouth. The stone passage narrowed around him, swallowing sound, swallowing light, until he emerged once more into the vast open ice fields beyond.

  “Well,” he muttered to himself, breath fogging in the air, “here we go again. Time to find a glacier.”

  The ice crunched sharply beneath his boots as he stepped out, the sound echoing in the empty white expanse. He pulled his cloak tighter around his shoulders, bracing himself for another walk into the cold.

  The blizzard had already begun to build again. Snow whipped sideways, stealing landmarks and turning the world into a blur of white and grey. Lazarus tried to remember if he’d seen anything, any sign of life, on his earlier journey. There had been nothing. No tracks. No plants. Just endless snow.

  He moved carefully along the ridges, brushing his boot through drifts, scanning the ground with a tracker’s eye. Where would a flower grow out here? Shelter. Cracks in the ice. Warmth trapped where it shouldn’t be.

  “Why did it have to be a colour that blends in with snow?” he muttered. “Why couldn’t it have been red?”

  Then he heard it.

  A long, distant howl cut through the storm.

  The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. Lazarus froze, heart hammering, eyes scanning the blizzard. Slowly, carefully, he reached over his shoulder and pulled the rifle free, cocking it with deliberate care to avoid the sharp click echoing too loudly.

  He lowered himself into a crouch, moving through the snow with practiced caution. That was when he saw it, just barely visible beneath the drifting white.

  A small yellow flower. Black stem.

  His breath caught. His mouth fell open.

  “There it is.”

  He reached for it—

  —and the thunder of paws slammed across the ice.

  Lazarus threw himself backward as the snow exploded around him, rifle coming up as he slid across the ice, powdered snow rising in a curved wall around him.

  It was here.

  The Thornic burst from the storm, tall and massive, teeth bared, eyes locked onto him. Lazarus’s heart slammed against his ribs as adrenaline flooded his veins.

  He waited until it was close.

  Then he fired.

  The bullet tore through the air and struck the Thornic’s underside, sending it crashing to the ice. Lazarus didn’t hesitate. He knew better than to assume one shot was enough.

  He cocked the rifle again and fired before it could stand.

  The creature let out a sharp yelp, collapsing back down. Lazarus stared, confused, as it whimpered.

  It was smaller than he’d expected.

  Too small.

  Another howl echoed through the storm, deeper, heavier.

  “What… what’s that?”

  The ground shook as heavier paws thundered forward. Lazarus spun, rifle raised just as another Thornic emerged from the blizzard.

  This one towered over him.

  Understanding struck him like a blade.

  The first hadn’t been the one terrorising the village.

  The larger Thornic stepped to the fallen body, lowering its massive head. It whined softly, nudging the smaller Thornic with its snout, then harder, desperate. It howled, a sound filled not with rage, but grief.

  Lazarus slowly lowered his rifle into the snow.

  It was a cub.

  The mother picked up the limp body in her jaws and cast Lazarus one last glance, no anger, no challenge, only something unmistakably human in its weight.

  Then she turned and disappeared into the storm.

  Lazarus dropped to his knees.

  The cold seeped through him, but he barely noticed. His chest ached. His stomach twisted. He replayed the moment again and again, how quickly he’d pulled the trigger. How easily.

  Time passed. Snow settled on his shoulders.

  “What are we doing?” he whispered. “Why us? Why can’t we just live normal lives? None of us asked for this. Why does being chosen feel like being cursed?”

  At last, he forced himself to stand, legs numb, fingers stiff. He retrieved the flower and turned back toward Tarule.

  When Lazarus returned to the village, he felt hollow.

  Sonia ran toward him, relief lighting her face. “You got the flower! Quick, let’s get it back to the doctor.”

  She stopped short when she saw his eyes.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I was attacked,” he said quietly.

  “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine. It was just… I killed it.”

  “That’s great! It’s been terrorising the village.”

  “It was a cub,” Lazarus said. “The mother came and took it away.”

  Sonia’s grip tightened on his hand.

  “I didn’t choose this life,” he said. “I was made for it.”

  Inside the doctor’s house, the medicine was prepared carefully, ground and mixed with practiced urgency. Lazarus held Wolf upright as the concoction was poured into his mouth, watching every breath.

  “How long till it works?”

  “I don’t know.”

  They left Wolf resting.

  At the tavern, the warmth and noise wrapped around them. Lazarus talked, about loss, about purpose, about the weight of what he’d done.

  “I killed an innocent animal,” he said.

  Sonia leaned closer. “You can’t beat yourself up over maybes.”

  She kissed him.

  He froze, red-faced and stunned.

  “I’m sorry,” she said quickly, standing.

  He caught her wrist.

  This time, when he kissed her back, it lasted.

  The house in Tarule was quiet when they entered. Not empty, just still.

  Lantern light painted Sonia’s face in warm gold as she traced the table with her fingers.

  “You really thought you were going to lose him?”

  “I’ve lost enough people.”

  She took his trembling hand.

  “You don’t always have to be composed.”

  “I don’t know how to be anything else.”

  “That’s why today frightened you.”

  They stood close, foreheads touching.

  “I’m here,” she whispered.

  And when he kissed her again, she met him fully.

  The lanterns dimmed.

  And the rest of the night belonged to them.

  Thanks for reading!

  Every time someone spends a few minutes in the world of Shahero, it honestly means more than I can properly put into words. Seeing people follow the journey of Tyron, Samantha, Lazarus, Freya, Cid, and Zara makes all the hours of writing worth it.

  If you enjoyed the chapter, feel free to leave a comment or follow the story. I read every comment, and it genuinely helps the story reach more readers here on Royal Road.

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  Question for readers:What moment in this chapter stood out to you the most?

  See you in the next chapter.

  — Matthew Cooke-Sumner