The Fell War - Chapter 28 (Patreon)

Alfre stood next to Orli as a series of magicians worked together to raise a marble pillar into place. The construction of Orli’s temple was well on the way, several clerics ran about with blessed oil, painting it onto every viable surface to cleanse the building for proper use once it was done. Little Olivia led the charge, carrying a bowl of burning sage.

“I must admit,” Orli said, sounding like she was honestly impressed, “I am pleased. So far anyway. You Fell know how to build, I’ll give you that.”

“There are many temples like this in the old world,” Alfre explained. “They’re all in disrepair by this point, since they’re all ancient, but pretty much everyone knows about them. It was pretty easy to draw inspiration from them. Still, I’m glad you like it.”

“I suppose I’m not allowed to demand sacrifices,” Orli grumbled, but Alfre was fairly certain (or at least very hopeful) that she was kidding.

“No blood sacrifices, at least,” Alfre agreed. “But they might be willing to leave you some wine, if that’s your sort of thing.”

“Wine is more of Abital’s thing,” Orli corrected. “Needs the booze to deal with his day job. Sweet fruits will be sufficient. That, and a well-kept temple. That’s all I ask.”

“You’re being far less demanding than I expected,” Alfre admitted, stuffing her hands into the pockets of her pants, direwolf coat buried deep in her inventory with how warm it was on Ahmar.

“My clerics will be fully informed of my preferences,” Orli stated, sounding about as snooty as Alfre expected. “That little one Koseret blessed is doing fairly well, considering she wasn’t originally my devotee.”

“You protect her city now,” Alfre said. “Even if she wasn’t yours before, I think she loves her city enough to convert.”

Orli nodded stiffly. “Good. I’d rather not lose such a dedicated cleric.”

Alfre gave a casual shrug, not bothering to hide her amused smile. “As long as you hold up your end of the bargain, I think you’ll find that the City of Heart will embrace you with open arms.”

It was early winter before Alfre and the others managed to board their ships to leave for home. With rebuilding well under way, and Hadi and the other guild masters able to restore their authority, Alfre and the other guild masters of Spade, Clover, and Diamond felt that Heart was secure enough in its future to leave behind. Alfre had been more than happy to watch the people who had once flocked to her for guidance steadily turn their gazes towards Hadi, Einmora, Makoto, and the other guild masters from Heart. Even little Olivia was being sought after, having some how stumbled into Head Priestess status at the temple of Orli through sheer tenacity. Tori was both very proud and very concerned.

“You should let me bless your voyage,” Olivia had insisted not a day before the Spade army was to leave Ahmar. “Winter seas are rough, especially heading north. Canus told me so.”

Alfre had never once heard of such a thing from the Wonderlanders who sailed about on their fishing boats – and Canus’ snickering in the background of the conversation made her even less inclined to believe him – but Olivia seemed so damn determined to bless their voyage that Alfre couldn’t bring herself to refuse.

Olivia had arrived with four other clerics, all of them at least five years older than she was, and a whole entourage of other Fell and Wonderlanders from the city and beyond. Even Cassandra showed up to see them off, the imperial crown upon her head and far fewer guards at her side.

Olivia smeared holy oil on the hull of the ship as her fellow clerics burned sweet-smelling incense. She chanted in a language Alfre didn’t recognized (but assumed was Latin or something equally ancient), her whole body glowing pale lavender. Alfre had to admit the color looked better on her than Koseret’s blue did. She tapped the side of the ship with her staff, the sound far louder than Alfre expected.

“May these vessels be Light Touched,” Olivia incanted, her voice echoing with the same ancient power Alfre’s did when she used her spells. “May their passage over the Great Sea be safe and unhurried. May Orli watch over them until they reach shore.”

She slammed her staff down into the sandy ground, and a light breeze that had not been blowing before swept over those gathered. Alfre could practically feel Orli’s smirk in the wind.

Alfre and the others left shortly after, not wanting to overstay their welcome. It was time enough for the Fell from Heart to take their future into their own hands. Besides, Alfre thought, they’d been gone from home far too long. The plants in Wally’s garden would need a serious watering. The guildhall was likely full of dust. And who knew what sort of trouble those left behind had gotten up to. Cherry could only do so much on her own.

She stood up on top deck, staring out into the blue-grey ocean, the wind much colder than it had been when they left. Her direwolf coat whipped around her knees. She ran a hand through her hair in a half-hearted attempt to keep the wind from blowing it in her face.

“Miss Alfre?”

Alfre didn’t even bother to turn around. “You know, if we’re actually going to date, you really should drop the ‘miss’.”

Wally laughed, only a little embarrassed at being called out. “Sorry, it’s habit by now.”

Alfre smiled as he moved to stand beside her, linking arms with him the moment he was close enough.

“Are you happy to be going home?” he asked casually, though Alfre could tell there was something more on his mind.

“Yes,” she answered. “I’ll be more than happy to get back where I belong. Heart was nice, don’t get me wrong, but it was far too warm for little old me. Besides, I’m tired of being Commander. It’ll be nice to go back to just being Alfre.”

Wallace stared at her, and Alfre noticed how the sun made his eyes seem almost amber-colored. How had she not noticed before?

“But you’ll never be Just Alfre, you know,” he mused. “You can’t ever shake the title of Commander. If anything like this happens again, the people will turn to you, especially now that everyone knows how special you are.”

“I’m not special,” Alfre argued mildly, turning her gaze back out to the sea.

“Alfre Gordon, Guild Master of the Alliance of Frozen Stars,” Wally recited, his tone far too serious for Alfre’s comfort. “Commander of the Fell Army, Favored One of the Wilds, Blessed by the Great Druid, Death’s Chosen Champion, Light Touched…Master of the Vorpal Blade.” His eyes fell to the sword at Alfre’s hip. “The others may have received blessings as well, but none of them are blessed by all the gods. None of them wield the most important sword in the history of Wonderland. You’re special, Alfre, whether you want to believe it or not.”

Alfre sighed heavily, feeling the weight fall back on her shoulders. “And Spica wonders why I want to run away to the Wilds and live like a hermit in a little cottage.”

“And leave me behind?” Wallace asked in mock horror. “You wouldn’t dare.”

Alfre smiled. “No, I’d steal you away and make you plant a new garden. Make you help me repair the cottage; maybe add onto it. There’s no way I could fit all three of you in there with me otherwise.”

“All three of us?” he echoed curiously. He quickly realized what she meant. “Oh, Canus, Abital, and me. Yeah?”

“Yeah,” Alfre agreed. She squeezed his arm a little tighter. “Are you okay with that?”

“Honestly, I don’t know if I am,” Wally admitted, turning his eyes out to the sea. “Is that the only way I can be with you?”

Alfre pulled away, leaning her arms against the deck railing. “I don’t think I’m capable of choosing just one of you, as selfish as that may seem. Canus and Abital have already agreed that they are willing to share. And…I have to admit…if it was between just you and just the two of them, I think I’d chose the two of them. I’m sorry.”

Wally shook his head, red hair whipping in the wind. “It’s fine. I knew from the beginning that my affection for you could never really be more than a crush. I am…happy that you loved me back. But if you can’t love only me…then I just don’t think it could work.”

“I understand.” Alfre inhaled deeply in an attempt to fight off the tears that threatened to fall. “If you ever change your mind…”

“Thank you,” he cut her off before she could finish her thought. “Really, thank you. For everything.”

“It sounds like you’re going to leave us,” Alfre whispered. “The guild, I mean.”

“No, no, I could never leave the guild,” Wally assured her. “I may not be able to share you in that way, Miss Alfre, but I would never throw away our friendship, or the friendship I have with Miss Spica and Mister Elias. Nor could I abandon the garden. I worked way too hard on it.”

Alfre laughed, and that made ignoring her tears a little easier.