When The Snow Melts

by Bluespectre

Chapter Thirteen - Family Ties

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

FAMILY TIES

Nasta crashed in through the front door of his house and slammed the door closed behind him. With a grunt, he fell forward as his tortured legs finally gave way, shaking like leaves in the autumn gales. He took great gulps of air, his heart hammering so hard in his chest that he thought he was going to faint.

“Dear! Oh my gods, what’s happened, what’s going on? Where have you been all night?!” The black-haired woman knelt beside her husband and cradled him in her arms. “You’re home now; it’s alright, you’re safe.”

She pushed away suddenly, taking in his bedraggled appearance. “Oh, Nasta! You’re soaking wet!” The woman turned and shouted for one of the servants. “Iris! Run a bath, quickly, and fetch a clean set of dry clothes!”

The serving girl bowed and hurried off, quickly surrounded by several others who’d gathered to see what all the commotion was about. Nasta staggered to his feet, kicking off his winter boots.

“Petal… Oh gods above, where are our children?”

His wife’s face paled. “What? Dear, you’re frightening me! What’s going on?”

Nasta pushed past her, flinging one of the sliding doors open and charging off down the corridor to the children’s room. His heart was hammering like a drum in his chest; if anything had happened to them…

The memory of Blossom fresh in his mind, he all but smashed through the door to their room, falling to one knee as he lost his balance. “Sera! Wing! Where are you!”

A young girl, around six years of age, sat up from her bed suddenly, her hair bedraggled and eyes bleary. “Daddy?”

Nasta scooped her up in his arms, kissing the top of her head over and over again. “Oh thank the gods! Thank you, thank you!”

The little girl sniffed. “Daddy? Is something wrong?”

Petal hurried into the room with one of the male servants, who carried a sword. “Give her to me, Nasta. Come on, you’re scaring Sera.”

Nasta took the sword from the servant. “Where’s Wing?”

“What? She’s—”

He grabbed Petal’s shoulders, his eyes bulging. “I said WHERE IS SHE?”

His wife stood there open-mouthed. This wasn’t like her husband at all. Normally so calm and light-hearted, he was radiating fear like a signal fire. It was infectious as well. Petal could feel her own emotional state starting to crumble now.

“She’s at her friends for the night.”

“Which one?!”

“Lint, she’s—”

Nasta didn’t wait. Running from the room, he shouted back to the servant, “Get everyone here armed. Lock the doors and don’t let anybody in but me, do you understand?”

The servant opened his mouth to reply, but Nasta was already gone.

Damn it! Why was she at Lint’s? Of all the times! By the gods, he hoped he wasn’t too late. Around the village, more shouting broke out. Torches were being lit and lanterns appeared in the street as armed men gathered. Nasta ignored their shouts, heading like an arrow straight to Lint’s parents’ home. She was on the other side of town, of all places, and he was still exhausted from that terrible nightmare in the forest.

He rounded a corner and pounded up the steps to the large three storey building. It was a gambling house run by the local ‘boss’, a character he really didn’t want to get on the wrong side of, but now wasn’t the time to stand on ceremony. He had to make sure his daughter was safe.

A tall tattooed man opened the door, a look of irritation on his face. “What the hell’s all the noise? The boss is trying to sleep, you bloody idiot! Don’t you know what—?”

“Where’s my daughter?” Nasta tried to push past him, but a strong arm shot out, blocking his passage.

“Shut up, will you?! He’ll—”

“Wing! Are there? WING!”

The man pushed Nasta roughly back into the street, opening his mouth to speak before an older male, still pulling his tunic on, appeared behind him.

“Nasta? Is that you? What’s all this interminable shouting about? I could hear you in the next village!”

“Chert, thank the gods. Is Wing here?”

“Yes, she’s upstairs with my daughter. Why? What’s all the commotion?”

Nasta gasped for breath, a shock of pain making him cry out; his legs could take no more. The young man caught him as he collapsed.

Chert carefully slid his arm under Nasta’s. “Help me bring him inside, Stran, and get us some tea, would you?”

“Yes, Boss.”

Chert sat the exhausted Nasta on some of the plump cushions he kept for more ‘intimate’ evenings with guests and waved to several of his girls to light more lanterns. He’d never seen Nasta like this before. He had always seemed so… ‘chatty’ and happy-go-lucky, and he had a soft spot for the man. Really, his family were like an extension of his own, and he cherished the time they could spend together. It was a welcome diversion from the endless internal politicking of gang life.

The tea arrived in short order, Chert pouring it out himself and waving his people out of the room for some privacy. “Care to tell me what’s happening in my village, Nasta?”

The healer weakly shook his head. “Is she safe, Chert? Are you sure both the girls are safe?”

The boss called for one of his servants, who appeared obediently at the doorway. “Are the girls upstairs?”

“Yes, Boss. They’re both upstairs, fast asleep. Jinu checked on them when Nasta started shouting for his daughter.”

Chert nodded, relief flowing through him like a flood. Damn it all, the man’s hysteria was infectious. He needed to know more about what was going on, but Nasta was clearly very distressed. He would have to be careful how he teased the information out of him. Chert was about to speak when Stran stuck his head into the room.

“Boss? There’s something going on out there. There’s armed villagers taking to the streets.”

“Find out what’s going on, would you? I shouldn’t be the last to know!” Chert banged his fan on the wooden floor angrily. “GO!”

Stran bowed and ran out, shouting for other to go with him.

Nasta took a deep draught of the tea. It was good, a warming and soothing blend. Chert always could afford the best. He looked up into his eyes,

“There’s something in the forest, Chert. We… We went looking for it with the new deputy, Rush, Cray, and bunch of the youngsters.”

“I heard. Did you find the thing that killed poor young Blossom? She was that reed worker’s niece, wasn’t she?”

Nasta’s face paled. “Yes…”

“So what happened? You were hunting an animal, weren’t you? I said it was bloody stupid going out so late at night, and in winter too.”

Nasta shook his head. “Gods, Chert, we were so foolish. Why the hell we listened to that idiot of a deputy, I don’t know. I just don’t know…”

Chert reached forward and took his friend’s shoulder. “Where’s the deputy now, Nasta?”

“He’s dead. They’re all dead… every last one of them!”

“Dead? Who? What the hell are you talking about? You’d better start making some sense, my friend.”

Nasta took another draught of the tea, snatching up the pot and shakily pouring himself another cup.

“You don’t understand! That… That ‘thing’ that killed Blossom, it’s a monster! It hunted us down through the forest like cattle to the slaughter. They were cut down, Chert, cut down one by one until there was only… Oh, I don’t know!”

“It’s alright, Nasta, you’re safe here with us now.” The boss shook his head and turned to the door. “Where the hell is Stran?”

Right on cue, the tattooed gang member reappeared, a group of armed villagers in tow. “Boss! Something’s out there! It’s killed a bunch of the youngsters and set fire to our supply barns!”

“WHAT?!”

The boss stood, holding his hand out for his sword which promptly appeared, brought in by one of his servants. “Right then, Nasta. You are going to tell me exactly what’s been happening. Stran?”

“Yes, Boss?”

“Get the boys, all of them.”

“All of them, Boss?”

“Do I need to repeat myself?”

Stran bowed low, backing out the door and started loudly barking orders at the others. Nasta felt himself beginning to shake, the cold and terror of the night gripping his heart with a vice like grip. Chert noticed his friend’s distress and draped a blanket around his shoulders.

“Don’t worry, my friend, I’ll get a few of the boys over to keep an eye on your place. Meanwhile, I want to hear your story. It’s important, Nasta, so don’t leave out any detail, no matter how small.”

Nasta’s teeth chattered despite the heat of the tea.

“A few of the boys…” he muttered bitterly.

Chert looked up as Nasta’s bloodshot eyes fixed on him. The weary man, soaked in sweat and near complete exhaustion, hung his head before continuing.

“You’re going to need a lot more than that, Chert.” He let out a long breath. “A hell of a lot more.”

Author's Note:

Edited by JBL

Comments

[00ginji]

I started reading this cause it sounded like an interesting take on the often similar human/pony story but it's gone so far past what I was expecting that at this point I have no idea what to think. I feel like I've just read 13 chapters of setup from every other perspective then the one I wanted. Will keep reading in hopes of more time with Rush and Celestia.

[DOOMRIDER]

This is an old story but really good. when I read this.
Stran?”

“Yes, Boss?”

“Get the boys, all of them”

“All of them, Boss?”
I thought of this scene.

[Marmo]

Sadly this journey ends for me here. After soo many chapters we still have no interaction between the main characters.
World building is cool and interesting for a story. But its just too much and too many unnecessary pov'smake the story more difficult to read each chapter.

Just my opinion.