Two days later, Matt set out towards Winterfast, with his lifeguards, two Humans, and a banner of Winterknights in tow.

It had been a busy two days. Matt had finally finished off the Winter part of his Foundation, and started the mantras for Soul. He'd needed to ignore a little of his sparring and touring, but it had likely been worth the trouble. Matt was already feeling much faster progress towards the completion of his fourth Source, a fact that had nearly made him want to delay his departure a little longer.

At the same time, the rumors from the north were only growing worse, according to Jessica, and so a mere day after Alicia and the Winterknights had arrived, he marched with them out of the city and along the road that led north.

Captain Maysellein and her troops kept a respectful distance from him and his lifeguard as they rode, perhaps aware of the way his personal warriors looked at them when they drew close. Maysellein herself had merely acknowledged her orders without much in the way of a reaction; Morteth had said that she was a dependable commander, one who had fought hard, but was not particularly concerned with any cause. The description matched what Matt had seen so far, but he wasn't quite ready to trust her the way he had Snolt and Morteth.

The road north was relatively clear. As they rode, the wind occasionally blew through their ranks, carrying the first hints of chill. Autumn was well underway, and the leaves on the trees were already undergoing their steady conversion into a riot of color. They passed farms full of freeholders working hard to bring in the harvest; Matt mentally cheered them on. There would be plenty of need for their food soon enough.

As they rode, Alicia, Riley, and Jordan were carried in a small carriage. Riley had pouted when she had been told that she once again couldn't spend her time riding a Warg; she'd apparently missed the chance to learn while she was still getting lessons from the Speakers. Dysyani had joined the Humans, and whenever Matt drew close, he could hear them discussing various aspects of culture or history. He hoped that the three Humans had enough sense not to mention too much about Earth; even historical knowledge had the risk of upsetting things on a devastating level, here.

There were surprisingly no incidents during their journey; no assassins tailed them, and no spontaneous group of 'bandits' appeared to harass them. Maysellein kept her troops busy throughout the journey, constantly sending some of the lesser-armored Elves out to scout the path ahead and warn of trouble. For such a serious person, she still seemed to command affection and admiration from the men and women under her command, and Matt began to feel a grudging amount of respect for her as they drew close to the edges of Winterfast.

As they entered the territory of the Frost Elves, the land around them changed. The colorful, broad-leafed trees gave way to still-green pines; the steady, rolling hills flattened out, as if the land had given up on rising and falling. Water became a bit more common. They crossed numerous small streams, the hooves of icestags and warbucks ringing off of the stone bridges that arced over the water.

Of course, the signs of recent combat were here as well. When they passed a farm, it was often a scorched ruin. The remnants of Grufen's march through the Frost Elf territory had still not dissipated, though more often than not, Matt saw Elves working in the fields and repairing their homes. It looked as if the Hard Scythe Margrave had at least spared the people, even if he had been a bit rough on their homes.

To Matt's surprise, the Elves seemed unusually welcoming as the banner went past. Many of them sent up a cheer for Maysellein's Winterknights; others seemed just as ready to cheer Matt himself. He guessed many of them were freeholders, given their liberty by his personal decree. It was a welcome difference compared to the almost-sullen stares in Redspire. He wondered how long it would last, if the false Counselors repeated their mischief here as well.

It was on the morning of the fourth day that they arrived at the capital of Winterfast, the city of Northgale.

Unlike many of the cities that Matt had visited within the Kingdom, the city of Northgale had been an ancestral home for the Frost Elves since time immemorial. They had occupied the territory of Winterfast for so long that they still remembered the time before Redspire was built, and no conqueror, invader, or butcher had been able to drive them out. From what Tanya and Riley had discovered, there were signs that the city had been inhabited for hundreds, if not thousands of years. The Frost Elves might have been compelled to bend the knee or surrender, but they had always remained anchored here, against all odds and in spite of the winds of Fortune.

Their perseverance showed in the city itself. Northgale had been built at the foot of a large hill, one that sharpened to a cliff that jutted out across the southern shore of a massive, shining lake. He could see the ruin of some ancient fortress there, the old walls and fallen towers standing as a testament to greater times.

Northgale itself was spread along the shores of the lake, west of the cliffs. Several piers jutted out into the water, and fishing boats still plied the waves. Further in from the shore, small, cramped houses and shops had been built from old stones, interspersed with small parks and shrines. Low walls rose out of the trees. It looked as if the city had spread past its defenses at least four times, with newer houses being built just outside of the defenses each time. The most recent homes were scattered around outside the latest wall. Matt could see some signs of yet another wall being constructed, encircling the outskirts in yet another futile attempt to shelter everyone.

Within the innermost walls, closest to the cliffs, were the oldest and tallest houses. They might have been watchtowers once, but they had been rebuilt and repurposed into small castles. The banners of the various Elven Houses flew from each spire, identifying the many families that had guided the Frost Elves through their history. Among all the High Clans, the Frost Elves apparently had the most noble Houses, a side effect of their almost constant feuding and rivalry. At last count, there were something like seventeen different noble Houses, a fact that implied an almost constant squabbling.

He probably hadn't made any of that division any better by adding an Assembly of freeholders to the mix, but Matt found it hard to feel bad about that fact. The Frost Elves had been some of his earliest and stubbornest problems, after all, even if they did seem mostly tamed. For now.

As they approached the gates, people gathered along the road to gawk at the incoming soldiers. Again, there were cheers, though they seemed slightly subdued. Some of the Frost Elves were wearing colors or heraldry now; many of them sneered at the Winterknights, or made outright rude gestures. They seemed startled when they noticed Matt and his lifeguards among Maysellein's troops, and made themselves scarce soon afterwards.

He asked Waithaana about it, and the lifeguard grimaced. "They are from different Houses, sire, and they recognized Maysellein's troops as belonging to rivals." She shrugged. "It won't affect how they see you, probably."

Matt blinked. "Probably?"

The Frost Elf shrugged. "I was from a minor cadet House, sire. They barely invited us to sit at the table, let alone learn all of their silly games."

He watched a small group of kids pick up some stones to throw, only to be chased inside by a sharp-eyed elder. "Let's hope you're right, then."

They had almost reached the gate when Maysellein called for a stop. A moment later, one of the Winterknights arrived. He bowed from the saddle and spoke with deference. "Captain Maysellein invites you, sire, to come to the head of the column."

Matt blinked. The Winterknights ahead of them were already clearing the road, making space for him and his lifeguard to pass through. "Did she say why?"

The Winterknight stared at him for a moment. "It is… traditional for the ranking noble to enter the city at the head of the column, sire. Out of respect for your crown, she would have you lead us in."

He glanced at the gauntlet of troops ahead of him. It seemed somehow a bit more threatening now, but he just nodded. "Tell her thank you for her consideration." The Winterknight bowed again, and he glanced at Waithaana as he trotted away. "Is he right?"

She nodded, looking a little perplexed. "Yes, sire." Then she snorted, an unexpected sound from her. "It's actually a gesture of great respect. Sometimes, rival nobles can get into something like a race to reach the city before the others."

Matt saw others in the lifeguard nodding, and he sighed. "I will have to thank her, then. Come on. Let's not keep the Elves waiting."

He urged Nelson forward, and the rest of the lifeguard followed. The carriage followed after him, the warbucks pulling it huffing and shaking their heads at the icestags as they passed the ranks. Matt saluted Captain Maysellein as they passed her.

When he turned to face the gates, he found the massive, ironbound doors swinging open. A trio of Elves rode out through the opening, their pace dignified and calm. Each rider was wearing a fine robe that glimmered in the light and a crown that looked like it had been spun from some kind of crystal lace. Matt tried to keep his reaction to the decorations off his face; he remembered Itrelia wearing something similar, the one time they had met face to face.

At the very least, these Elves seemed far more welcoming than she had been. All three Elven women brought their icestags to a halt in front of him, a generous distance from his lifeguards. They bowed as one, and the leader in the middle raised her voice to be heard clearly. "King Matthew, we bid you and your people welcome to Northgale. May Fortune continue to bless you, as it already has."

Matt inclined his head in return. "Thank you for your welcome, Lady…"

She smiled. "I am Lady Isellein. These are Lady Seldria and Lady Geradian. Together, we represent the Elves of Northgale to you."

He inclined his head again. From what Jessica had been able to turn up, Isellein was effectively the new leader of the Frost Elves in everything but name. She led a faction that was made up of five of the seventeen Houses; Seldria and Geradian represented another three and two, respectively. Theirs was a fragile alliance united by being opposed to the agendas of the remaining seven, and the shifting relationships between them would have made any parliamentary politician cackle at the free-for-all.

Fortunately, all he needed was to root out whatever plots were spinning among them, without giving them the chance to backstab him or each other before it was all over. He smiled and opened his mouth to continue the conversation.

Then the loud, silver sound of an Elven trumpet cut him off. Matt blinked and looked around, searching for the source of the sound. He found it a moment later as a cluster of riders on icestags burst from the woods and raced down a nearby side street towards him.

He saw his lifeguards immediately falling into combat stances; spells crackled to life and weapons were drawn. Matt turned to look, wondering if assassins had really decided to try for him again here.

It seemed they hadn't, however. The riders weren't aiming for him; in fact, they were pushing their mounts to sprint straight for the open gates. Matt tilted his head to the side as he watched one of them, a rider in a dirty grey cloak, lift the trumpet and blow another call; she looked back and laughed at the riders that were trying to chase her down.

Matt looked back and made a gesture for his lifeguards to stand down. He saw looks of irritation and anger on the faces of Isellein and her allies, but surprisingly, the Winterknights seemed to be different. Some of them started to shout and wave at the riders; shockingly, even Maysellein peered at them with interest.

The riders had nearly drawn even with the column before they suddenly seemed to realize that the gates were open for a reason. He saw the leader suddenly jerk with surprise; the next time she raised the horn, it was to blow three short bursts. As the other riders abruptly slowed and swerved, the trumpeter brought her pace to a far more controlled trot. Instead of swerving away, as her companions had, she came boldly up to where Matt was still watching her.

Isellein spoke before the newcomer could. "Captain Oulaane. Your presence is not welcome here."

"That's not too unusual, is it?" The newcomer turned to look at Matt with a frank expression that sat well on her face. She was not the most delicate or beautiful Frost Elf that Matt had seen. While she shared the pale skin, alien facial structure, and pointed ears, she had far blunter features, and large, wide eyes. Her face split into a broad smile as she looked Matt up and down. "So, you're the King, are you?"

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Despite himself, Matt nodded and stuck out a hand. It was a sharp contrast to the formal, reserved behavior he was used to from most of the Elves. "I am."

Oulaane looked down at his hand for a moment. Then understanding dawned. "Oh. I heard about that." She grabbed his hand and shook it awkwardly. "Pleasure to meet you. You planning on staying long?"

Matt glanced at Isellein long enough to see pure rage gathering on her face. "I was hoping to get to know your people while I had the chance, yes."

"At least when we aren't trying to kill you on a battlefield, right?" Oulaane laughed, a harsh sound. She shook her head. "Well, if you need anything, I'll be out at the docks. They made me Fish Master, for my sins."

He tilted his head, and she laughed again. "It means I get stuck here in Northgale while all the others get fancy commands and go out fighting. Apparently, they don't see me as civilized enough to—"

"Captain Oulaane." Isellein's voice might as well have been a frozen splinter of steel. "That is quite enough from you."

Oulaane just looked back at Isellein. There wasn't a single trace of fear on her face. "Oops. Looks like I should let you get back to your ceremonies and whatnot. Again, good to see you, King Matt. You look like you've got plenty of good war stories to share."

Matt nodded to her, and Oulaane turned to head back to where the other riders were gathered. Her icestag trotted away without further comment. Some of the Winterknights called out to her, and she waved to them like she was seeing old friends. He watched her for a moment and then turned back to Isellein.

The leader of the Frost Elves appeared to have fought her own temper back beneath the surface of her formal mask of an expression. "King Matthew, please accept my apologies for her impolite behavior. Captain Oulaane may fight hard, but she is reprehensibly lax in her discipline and comportment."

He shook his head and smiled easily. Mentally, he made a note to look into what he could find about Oulaane. "It is nothing you need to worry about, Lady Isellein. Please, continue."

The rest of the welcoming ceremony went smoothly, and the Frost Elves led him and his lifeguards to a small castle at the center of the city. It looked like it had been vacant for a while, but some effort had been made to clean and repair it. Maysellein had led her banner towards the barracks near the docks, leaving his lifeguards to clear the tower and its attached rooms, while he and the Humans settled into their new quarters.

Servants had greeted them, and submitted quietly to a search from the lifeguards. Lady Isellein had asked him to attend a feast later that evening at her House's personal keep and had then departed with her allies in tow.

Speaker Dysyani had smiled when Matt had mentioned it to her later. "You'll likely be receiving invitations from all of them now, my liege. The nobility uses such celebrations as an opportunity to meet and negotiate."

"So, it's like a Council meeting, only with food. Great." Matt tried to sound at least a little enthusiastic, but given how Riley and Alicia both started chuckling, he hadn't succeeded.

Jordan, on the other hand, looked enthusiastic. He actually rubbed his hands together. "This should be a great chance to talk to exactly the type of people I need to see. I can come along too, right? They wouldn't take offense?"

Dysyani shook her head. "They would expect some retainers to accompany him, so your presence would not be too remarkable." She paused. "Though you will need to be careful. It will be easy for them to read intentions into your words that you did not mean."

Alicia smirked. She seemed far more confident than she had back in Redspire. "Jessica might not like it if you spend all night flirting with Elves, either."

Jordan gave her a disgruntled look. "I'm not here to flirt with anyone, you know. I'm here to make business deals, that's all."

Matt gave them both a stern look. "That's not the only thing we're here to do." He looked at Dysyani. "Would you be able to investigate some things for me, Speaker Dysyani?"

The Frost Elf shook her head. "I'm afraid not, sire." She glanced at Riley. "The Maiden of Books and I are going to leave the city to visit a… friend, if you recall."

He blinked. For a moment, he battled the urge to ask the Speaker to delay her attempt. As important as regaining his magic might be, he needed someone who could have their ear to the ground here in Winterfast to sniff out any traces of the false Counselor. None of his lifeguards would be suitable; even Waithaana would be recognized as his agent and treated with suspicion. It wasn't like he could wander around Northgale asking questions, either. Even if he didn't get stabbed, he doubted he'd get many honest answers, and he'd give away why he was actually in Winterfast more or less immediately.

As he was still wrestling with the problem, a new voice spoke up. "Perhaps I can be of assistance, my liege?"

Matt turned to look at the newcomer in surprise. It was a Coldhearth Orc, wearing plain clothing and a curious expression. Her dark hair hung down her back in a single ponytail, and her eyes narrowed slightly as she examined him. Tiridine was standing next to her, looking slightly uncomfortable. Why hadn't they stopped her from entering the castle? "And you are?"

"Tabinthra, Voice of Winterfast, my liege." The Orc bowed, her movements far less refined than her noble superiors. "I came to introduce myself to you before the nobility got their hooks in too deep."

The wry tone of her voice made Matt smile, and he gestured for her to straighten up. "Voice Tabinthra. I think Tanya mentioned you to me once."

Tabinthra smiled. "Ah, Lady Tanya. She and I did meet several times. I was still learning my duties as Voice, and she had some effective advice." Her smile grew a little malicious. "The Houses might not have wanted me to learn quite so quickly, I suppose, but that was more their problem than mine."

Matt felt a hint of skepticism over Tanya's supposed help, but he tried to shrug it off. "And how can I help you, Voice Tabinthra?"

The Orc's eyebrows rose slightly. "I was actually more interested in seeing what I could do for you, my liege. After all, it is to you that I owe my freedom, along with the freedom of everyone in Winterfast. From what Tanya told me, you would never come here if there wasn't something important to be done, and if the task is important to you, I would imagine it is important to me and my people as well."

He nodded slowly. "That… may be true, Voice." Matt glanced at Speaker Dysyani, but the Frost Elf was still examining the Orc with surprise and distaste. Clearly, she hadn't met the Voice before, so she wouldn't have any advice on whether to distrust her. "I came for many reasons, but one of them involves certain rumors that I've been hearing. Ones that would concern a certain… foreteller."

Tabinthra's eyes widened slightly. "You mean the soothsayers. The fake ones." Matt flinched in surprise as she continued. "There were several of them, some time back. All of them claimed to be the Counselor, actually. They've already been taken care of."

Still off-balance, Matt tried not to stare at her in shock. "They were taken care of?"

The Orc nodded, and a satisfied expression stole over her features. "When I first heard of them, I was suspicious. Most foretellers are reclusive, or restrict their services to the rich and powerful. Even then, Winterfast has learned not to trust in idle prophecies. Not after Itrelia."

He glanced at Dysyani, and found that the Speaker's expression had closed down completely. She avoided his eyes. "What do you mean?"

Dysyani was the one who answered, her voice distinctly uncomfortable. "A soothsayer gave Itrelia a prophecy just before the demise of the Red Sorceress. He told her that if she rebelled against the Sorceress' successor, she would bring freedom to Winterfast."

Tabinthra laughed, her mirth a sharp contrast to Dysyani's discomfort. "And that she did, my liege! Without her mistakes, the serfs of this province might have had to linger and wait for the nobility to embrace our status as freeholders, the way they have in the High Peaks, or the Red Plains. Instead…"

Matt smiled. "Instead, I freed you as part of the Frost Elves' punishment."

"Lady Tanya spoke of something called a monkey's paw, in your world. Or a genie." Tabinthra made a broad gesture with her hands, as if to take in the city around them. Matt caught sight of old scars on her arms. "If the rich and powerful could be ensnared by such things, why wouldn't we? Better to chart our own course, and not rely on some fragile foretelling to guide us."

She gave Matt a look, as if she were giving him advice, and he blinked in surprise. Before he could react, however, she continued in an even tone. "In any case, these false Counselors were not even real soothsayers. The Maiden of Art helped me to see beneath the surface of things, in order to deal with noble plots, and it helped me here as well. They were clearly attempting to turn us against each other and to undermine the Kingdom."

He managed to find himself a bit more on balance now. "What were they doing?"

"They had started several plots, my liege." Tabinthra shook her head. "One was encouraging freeholders to arm themselves and march against Northgale by implying there was some noble plot to enslave us yet again. Another attached themselves to House Dyenti, saying that the House was to lead Winterfast to dominate the rest of the Kingdom. Yet another was spouting some nonsense about an uncrowned king, toiling away on a Winterfast farm, destined for power and glory once he rides south. I'm not sure what they hoped to achieve with that last one, but they seemed rather focused on it."

Matt felt himself grow still. The first two were obvious attempts to get the freeholders and nobility to turn on each other, or on him, but the last one spoke of something else, something far more dangerous.

Because whether or not he liked it, there was an uncrowned king in Winterfast. He'd almost forgotten about the order he'd sent while he was still in the Summerlands, the one that had 'killed' Prince Dornal, heir to the dynasty that had once ruled over the Knights that now followed Lucy. A new freeholder by the name of Lanrod had been sent to live on a small farm, along with several noble colleagues that would otherwise have been destined for the execution blocks under the revolutionaries' rule.

Now it appeared that whoever had sent these false Counselors had it in mind to use the disinherited prince for their schemes. How they had figured out Dornal's fate mattered far less than what they could do with the knowledge now.

Outwardly, he tried not to show any alarm, even as he made a note to send someone to check up on the man. As long as the once-prince was still on his farm, there wouldn't be any real problem. If he wasn't, though…

He kept his voice neutral. "You said that they were dealt with. How?"

The Voice smiled. "I went to meet the one who was stirring up the freeholders, and he quite rudely tried to kill me." She glanced back at the doorway, where the most heavily muscled Frost Elf that Matt had ever seen was leaning, arms folded against the door. A large, empty, sword sheath was at his side. "My lifeguard, Lutris, took care of him and his friends. Permanently."

Lutris held Matt's gaze for a moment. Then he nodded, as close to a bow as Matt wagered he'd ever get. Matt nodded back. "Well done."

The compliment provoked a slightly raised eyebrow, and no other change at all in the Frost Elf's cool gaze. Tabinthra continued with a satisfied tone. "As for House Dyenti, they were already beginning to gather their allies in order to do something… ill-advised. I visited them, corrected their course, and attempted to take their supposed friend into custody."

Matt's pulse quickened. "Was he captured?"

She shook her head and sighed. "No, I'm afraid she was killed during the attempt. House Dyenti's guards were a bit too overzealous, I suppose." Tabinthra made a face. "I imagine they might have wanted to cover up some of Dyenti's plots by making sure the soothsayer couldn't talk, but there's no use crying over spilt milk. I've already informed the House that they are being watched, and so far, they have made no further moves."

He grimaced. So much for taking one captive. "And the third?"

Tabinthra shrugged. "They disappeared before I could reach them, unfortunately. Given what happened, they may have decided that Winterfast was not a fertile field for their plots to grow." There was no attempt to hide the satisfaction in her words. "I've already sent word to Voice Palset in the High Peaks, and Voice Sepluth in the Darkwoods, just in case they show their faces there. Both places seem a little more fragile than we are here, and I wouldn't want any more… misunderstandings like what happened in Heartlight to happen again."

There was a grim determination in the Orc's words, and Matt felt a wave of relief wash through him. He exchanged a brief look with Dysyani, who looked a little impressed despite herself. Riley looked almost in awe, while Alicia was just nodding in approval and Jordan seemed as happy as Matt felt. "I see. I'm glad to hear that you have had so much success in avoiding those troubles, Voice Tabinthra. I'll admit that such rumors were part of what brought me here. Perhaps I should have trusted more in you."

The Voice bowed, a broad smile on her face. "Your praise warms my heart, my liege." Then she paused. "All the same, I hope that you were not intending for this to be a brief visit."

There was a warning in her voice that made Matt hesitate. "I… was hoping to only stay until the problem was seen to, and then return home shortly afterward. Would you advise me otherwise?"

Tabinthra grimaced. "While I am loath to contradict you, sire, Winterfast is a place of pride and balance. I'm sure the Houses have already invited you to a feast?" Matt nodded, and she continued. "If you were to attend some feasts and not others, it would imply that some have your favor and some do not. While that may indeed be true, it would be better to avoid making it obvious, lest you encourage some Houses to take action in your name, or drive others to rebel in order to avoid being prematurely crushed."

He stared at her in mounting horror. There were seventeen Houses in Winterfast, which would mean… "Can I attend multiple feasts in a day?"

The Orc shook her head. "Each House will have its own day. They likely already have the order worked out, so that no one is overly offended or snubbed. While they would understand if an emergency called you away, anything short of that…"

"Would do almost as much harm as the soothsayers." He felt a slow pulse of a headache run through him again and closed his eyes. When he opened them, he looked at Dysyani. "Speaker, it looks like you and the Maiden of Books are going to have plenty of time for your visit. Feel free to leave when you are ready. Be sure to take a few of my lifeguards with you."

Dysyani bowed. "I will, my liege." Riley nodded as well, and they started to talk in low voices about what they would need.

He looked at Alicia and Jordan next. "Jordan, you're going to have plenty of time in the city to arrange things. Use it well. Alicia, is there anything you need from me while you are working here?"

The Maiden of Health shook her head. "No. I heard that there was some disease going through the fishermen…"

Tabinthra nodded. "Hookbait's cough. It grows unpleasant sometimes in the fall and winter."

"Then I'm sure that Alicia will do her best to find a solution for it this year." Matt glanced at Alicia again, and she nodded. He made another mental note to make sure that she remained close to a lifeguard or two as well. Just because the soothsayers were dead or gone didn't mean all of the plots in the city were done, and over two weeks would be well more than enough time for someone to arrange something unpleasant.

He nodded to himself. "Voice Tabinthra, thank you again for your help. I hope that you feel free to come visit me over the coming days. Your advice and insight will prove valuable."

Tabinthra nodded, her eyes widening slightly in surprise. He glanced at Tiridine, who gently guided the Voice back through the door. Lutris, who remained as impassive as ever, joined the Orc on her way out.

They had just left when Jordan spoke quietly. "Well, at least Tanya will be happy." Matt looked at him, and the Master of Coin shrugged. "She wanted you to take a break, and now you pretty much have to, right? All there is to do here is relax and go to a few parties. There shouldn't be anything too bad there. You can relax."

Matt experienced a brief moment when the memories of every party he'd ever gone to in this world flashed through his mind. In far, far too many of them, somebody had tried to kill him.

Out loud, he tried to smile and not grind his teeth. "Yeah. Right."

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