The return trip was even less pleasant than the way out. The shock of stepping from a hot, humid summer day to the depths of a snowstorm was... harsh.

  A line was tied between each of them, with Ethan and James in the center to prevent issues. Loaded down as they were, it was still a long, painful trip back.

  "Open the gates." Ethan projected, picturing the Watch commander in his mind when the mountain spur at the head of the valley at last came into view.

  The climb up the icy, snow-covered hill was dreadful, with Leo and Guile at the top half hauling on the ropes to help the rest get up it, but at last they trooped through the final bit of wind and into a blessed reprieve.

  If not warm at last, then at least not frigid!

  Ethan considered, and not just for the first time, spending an extra build point today on making it comfortable, not just survivable. Then regretfully dismissed the idea. It was already costing him a third of his points and they needed too much built to spend another third.

  Instead they were quickly stripped down, piled into fresh, clean and more importantly, dry fur robes and handed a cup of steaming broth. And despite that, Ethan made a mental note to send James to Blake.

  Between pallor, shaking and sweating, he was beginning to worry.

  He stumbled into the council- cum bedroom and gratefully into a chair. Wrapped up like some funerary cult in multiple furs and fresh, thick wool socks. He just breathed for a few moments, trying and failing to suppress the shivers. Then absently wiped his forehead. His hand came away slick with sweat. And perhaps he'd have to set a good example and do the same.

  "Did you enjoy yourself?" Ermina stepped out of the hallway behind him, running her eyes over his still shivering form unhappily, her tone more touched by exasperation than resentment.

  Ethan glanced down at the steaming mug in his hand. He’d hoped to get most of it down before having this, or any, conversation. Ah well. He took an awkward, ragged sip.

  "N-no, and at t-the same time, y-yes!" He stopped and took a larger drink, wrapping the furs tighter and with sheer will, forced his jaw to relax. "It was good to get out, even if it's hellish out there!"

  He took another sip. "Besides. I needed to see it."

  "Why? Plenty of others could have handled it!" She spat, but turned to rummage in a pile of blankets and clothing, before emerging with another fur throw, draping it over him and tucking it in around his hips.

  "Thank you. But no, I don't think they could have." He relaxed into the furs gratefully. "The Boss was no Joke, My Lady. And, as much as you don't want me to risk myself, I had to see this. I've never run a minute rift and much of our immediate future will revolve around closing them."

  She grunted, looking away. Despite her, and their, legitimate fears, he wasn't wrong. A leader had to be willing to LEAD. To understand what he was asking others to do and to set a good example for them.

  "So you will be going back out again?"

  "Only sporadically, and for tier 2 rifts." He offered. Unwrapping the blanket enough to grab his cup for another sip. He couldn’t afford to fall behind, and a tier up to third would do wonders to stabilize their position.

  "The new class is going to be a Godsend." he offered her. "Even with their low level, that passive... it was impressive. Even at two-thirds the stats, they handled the cold as well as Conner or Andrew did.

  She nodded, moving over to a small stone table carved from the very wall and a steaming pot perched on a rock, nearly red hot from the kitchen fires. She returned a moment later with a filled bowl of meat stew. Or soup rather, there might have been a few beans or a pinch of millet in it. Maybe. He gave it a doubtful glance, then smiled. Genuinely this time.

  "Check my bag. No, the one to the right. Yes, that one." He directed, nodding first then directing Ermina to the small sack filled with vegetables and with two dozen peppers piled on the very top.

  She whistled as she looked. "I almost forgive you, just for this!"

  He smiled comfortably. "Tier 2."

  She froze, staring at him for a moment, then quickly dropped her head to smell. Exploding into a set of sneezes as the fiery little peppers did what they do.

  He carefully buried his face in his drink, pretending not to notice. Heh.

  "You might have warned me!" She managed, gasping for breath.

  Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

  He gave her a look of innocent confusion but she wasn't buying it.

  The curtain moved to the side and Conner and Andrew, sans armor and wrapped in furs and tabards held on by a belted sword, walked in, James half-carried between them. With Miro clucking over him from behind them and Guile and Leo following her.

  Ermina gave him a final narrow-eyed glare that promised they weren’t done with this conversation before turning to the newcomers. A single glance and she moved to the side rapidly, pulling out a chair and fishing another pile of furs. "There is soup in the pot. It's not much, but it's hot." She offered, smiling as Miro quickly moved to dish up a cup of broth for James, much to his muttered, teeth-chattering complaints.

  "S-some meat dammit-" Ethan caught, though little else between Miro's mothering and the muffling from the furs.

  "Leo." he caught the man's eyes and nodded to the door. "Can you send someone for Blake?"

  "With or without healing boards?" He asked, giving James a doubtful look.

  "Without." For now. Later though... well, let Blake be the judge. He nodded and leaned his head back through the door.

  "I's left the feed wit Birinus." Conner offered, not bothering to wait. Leo'd hear him even if he whispered across the room, much less with a measly curtain. "He’ll get it dry before it molds. Wish wes had it before you started the butchering."

  "I don't." Ethan barked. "Hard enough getting that one started without giving people false hope."

  "Is it false? We could have farmed that rift." Andrew offered.

  Ethan glanced speakingly down at his fur wrapped state, then over at James. Andrew merely waved a hand. "You and he didn't need to come. It’s not just us that has 2nd tier body stats, My Lord. Lancers, the rest of us and the Pahadi could have done a few rounds. Even if the hurry-up attacks respawned a boss, we’d have handled it."

  An instinctual objection stuck in Ethan's throat. That... that wasn't wrong. Huh. It was hard to picture his vaunted Lancers off their chargers, the next best thing to knights cutting hay and packing it out like laborers. But then, he’d not hesitated to do it himself, had he?

  Was it noble pride sneaking into his head or stir-craziness that brought on that blank spot? Then again. "All right. You could indeed manage it. How much would that have changed?"

  He glanced over at James for the final question. The man leaned back his eyes half closed and lips moving slightly. Then he nodded. "W-with mostly tier 2 f-foliage, maybe a month of feed. A-all told."

  Ethan winced, both at his answer and his continued shivering. "For..?"

  James shrugged. "F-for what we have l-left. 4 d-dozen goats and 2 d-dozen sheep of b-breeding ages. About 2/3rds pregnant and they'll n-need extra feed to keep the k-kids. Add on t-the 30 odd c-chargers." 33 Ethan added in his head, and one noble palfrey that was worth too much to butcher. Not to mention being one of the necessary status symbols for a noble lady to travel with. "Who eat as m-much as all the herd animals c-combined and tier 2 g-greens only go so far."

  Still. A month. He grimaced. What a waste.

  "Throw in a few more rifts like this..." Guile added leadingly.

  Ethan slashed a hand in negation. "You can't count on what hasn't been seen. Out of how-"

  The curtain swung back and Blake walked in, swaddled in a large purple and gold robe stitched up with various unreadable signs and symbols, forcing Ethan to look away at the assault on his eyes. Both from the unknowable symbols and the shear gaudy mess of colors. The Magister was briskly rubbing his hands together and didn't stop to listen, instead heading straight for the pot of soup, drawing himself a cup of broth to warm his hands as much as eat. Or drink.

  Ethan paused, then restarted. "Out of all the rifts Blake found, that was the only tier 2. In what? 5 miles?"

  Blake waved a hand back and forth, his mouth busy sipping at the steaming broth, but his eyes already fixed worriedly on James. He wandered over and placed a hand on the mans forehead, ignoring his protests.

  "Of the rest, how many do you think can be harvested for fodder?"

  "No cue, don't think you do either." Leo offered, spooning up a bite of... some kind of meat. Ethan carefully didn't ask.

  "I don't." Ethan agreed. "And because I don't, we can't count on them to provide."

  "Hmmm." Andrew offered, unconvinced by his tone, but he didn't offer any new arguments either.

  "So what now den?" Conner asked, leaning back in his chair and tapping at the table. "Da Bir quests have to start soon. And all does other rifts need closen, tier 2 or no."

  Ethan nodded. "Wait for a warmer day for questing. I'd rather they didn't freeze to death before they find whatever creatures Leo locates. But the Rifts. That's both an opportunity and a job that needs doing. The new Pahadi with one of you at the help I'd think. Might as well practice low tier bow skills on low tier rifts. Their spears will carry them through when it matters."

  They all nodded at that. Loot, training and land clearance in one. Especially useful as come spring they'd need to get the animals out and grazing early. That'd be a lot easier with out monsters all over the landscape.

  "How many did you find?" Guile asked, removing his boots and placing his thickly wrapped feet on the table, to a grimace from Ermina. "Rifts that is."

  Blake looked up from James, his a few worried wrinkles showing between his eyes. He stared for a moment, then shrugged. "Twelve last I checked. It's not exactly a map with pins in it. It’s like listening for a sound in the dark. Direction and how loud is all I can tell. A stronger rift at a distance looks about the same as a weaker up close. Then I do another ritual from the other end of the keep. An expensive ritual, mind you, and cross-referencing the noises, I can figure out what's close and what’s strong. Might be able to do it better if you built me that Magister Tower." He offered with a grin, and accompanying groans from everyone in the room.

  The debates over what buildings to build first had been... active. So far he'd spent every point they had just on getting enough room inside to fit everyone... well, that and the mushroom caves. But that was multiple birds with one stone. Locating the resource, opening a renewable food source (eventually) and some extra room he didn't have to pay to carve out. Three bonuses in one.

  But once the discussion was brought up again-

  "Training ground first." Conner barked predictably.

  "Archery range!" Andrew spoke half over the top of him. "With the new Pahadi-"

  "Cookhouse!" Joined quickly by Ermina. "Feeding the cooking fires-"

  Voices shot up in volume as damn near everyone in the room began to argue for their preferred room first.

  Ethan dropped his head into his hands.

  ___

  Raj Whitehall Series by S.M. Stirling and David Drake is a spectacular blend of military fiction, sci-fi and an almost fantasy element that comes from collapsing sci-fi.