I stayed another few days in Erengrad, though I made regular excursions to the camp outside the city to drill my men and ensure that they were not causing too much trouble. It was during these few days that I began to notice that I was frequently being followed. Not all the time, and never when I went outside the walls, but when I was out in the city proper doing some shopping or on my way to a tavern. On those occasions, I would get a sense that someone was watching me, a little prickle at the back of my neck. Every time I turned to look, however, I only caught a glimpse of a pale blue robe or the impression of a blushing face, before whoever was stalking me vanished into the crowds of the city. On the second day of this, I was certain it was that Ice Witch that had been watching me train just from the glimpses I had gotten. On the third day of this, I decided to ask around about her. I didn't have much to go on, just a description, and many of the people I asked had no idea and told me to check at the Frosthome.
The Frosthome was a large tower of ice, surrounded by a wall of ice, on the other side of the Temple of Tor from the Citadel. It was the foremost bastion of the Ice Witches in Erengrad and one of the few places in the entire nation that was of organizational importance to them. Every year on Shoika's Day, the Ice Witches would gather at the Frosthome for their annual Caucus, where they would trade lore, take on apprentices, and vote on political issues, among other things. Suffice to say going to the Frosthome was a big deal and not likely something that I should do on a whim like this, heir to the city or no.
It was fortunate then, that I found someone who could tell me about my Stalker without stepping foot in the Frosthome proper. The Frozen Goblin was a pub near the Frosthome where journeyman Ice Witches liked to drink away from the sight of the elders that inhabited the Frosthome. The sign out front was of a comically inept goblin frozen solid in a block of ice, with the name of the pub painted in blue letters. It was the last place I would enter to go looking for the identity of my Stalker, as there was no way I was going to chance the Frosthome over something so petty. I entered to find a well lit and furnished common room. The tavern clearly catered to people with money. Ice Witches it seemed, tended to have deep pockets, or at least the ones in Erengrad did. Stuffed leather padded chairs were arranged around tables of lacquered red wood. Hunting trophies were mounted on the walls, everything from reindeer antlers to bear heads, to the tusks of a norscan mammoth. A stone fireplace with carved bears at the corners had a roaring fire in it. All around the place were dotted women in blue and white robes of different styles and makes. Some were of padded cloth with leather reinforcement, Witches who had fought and likely were still attached to the garrison. Others were made of silk with ermine trim or lace, noble daughters who had displayed the gift for magic and performed more administrative tasks for the Ice Witches. There were also a few young noblemen, hoping to chat up an Ice Witch and be able to brag about a successful seduction. I wished them luck because it was unlikely they would succeed, and it was even possible that they might have bits of them frozen off if the Ice Witch they thought to chat up and seduce was especially offended. I bellied up to the bar, a slab of lacquered oak, and ordered a mug of the house kvas from the Barman. Waiting for my drink before speaking to the real reason I had gone up to the bar.
Sitting next to me was a regal looking woman, she was attractive in the conventional sense, but I could tell by the slight crinkles in the corner of her eyes that she was in her 40's. Her blue and white satin robes marked her as someone of importance within the order, as those of noble birth had their standing in the Ice Witches enhanced. Her robes were of too fine a make to not be a noble of some description, to say nothing of how she retained attractiveness into her 40's. If anyone in here would know the identity of my Stalker, it was her. As I sipped my drink and debated how to open the conversation, she took the initiative and pre-empted me.
"You have a look like you want to say something to me. You really shouldn't, I am at least twice your age." She said.
"It's not that, though you are undoubtedly attractive, it is just that I had some questions about a certain Ice Witch that has been following me of late, and I thought that someone so undoubtedly high up in the Order such as you would be able to help." I replied.
"Indeed?" She asked before taking a sip of her drink, some type of mixed vodka drink. "How do you know how high up in the order I am? I could very well not be." She continued.
"I deduced by your manner of dress, your age, and the fact that you seem to be keeping your drink at a consistent temperature despite the roaring fire in the hearth that you must be. Forgive me for my presumption if I offended you, my Lady." I replied.
"You are perceptive, though I suppose you would have had to be to have come up with the plan that so shattered the servants of the Dark Gods. Ask your questions, if I can answer them is another story." She replied with a small smile.
I described my Stalker to her and the ways in which I had caught her following me over the past few days. As I described her and her actions, the Ice Witch seemed to sigh and rubbed at the bridge of her nose as if this had brought on a persistent headache. When I had finished describing my Stalker to her she simply said, "Of course it's her. That girl has been no end of trouble for years now."
"So you know her?" I asked.
"Every Ice Witch in Frosthome knows her. That is Oksana Ivanova, Frosthome's resident librarian." She groused.
"Ivanova, as in Voivode Simeon Ivanova of Goranitch in the Northern Oblast?" I asked.
"She's his eldest. She displayed a talent for magic at age 11 and was sent to the order for training. Unfortunately, she doesn't have the temperament for our magic. Her blood runs too hot, it has caused issues with her mystical growth. The Elders stuck her in the library a year or so back until they could figure out a way to resolve the conflict between her temperament and her magic without causing her to fall to corruption. If she has developed a crush on you, that is even more evidence that she is of the wrong temperament. Ice Witches are pursued, they do not do the pursuing." She sniffed.
"I just wanted to know who it was that was following me around." I muttered.
"Now you do. I would ask you to not encourage her, it will only cause more friction between her temperament and her magic in the long run." Replied the Ice Witch.
I left shortly afterward to head back to the Citadel. I didn't think that there would be an issue with acceding to the Ice Witch's request. I didn't even know Oksana Ivanova. Hadn't spoken one word to her in fact. That was no basis for a relationship, even if she wasn't currently being a weird stalker. I wasn't likely to reciprocate feelings without being able to even speak to her, after all. Hopefully, her crush would fade after I'd left the city for a bit. I was planning on leaving in the next 48 hours anyway so it wasn't like I would be here for her to obsess over much longer. It was an odd feeling to have someone have a crush on you though. Tadeusz had been too oblivious to notice before I was dropped into his body, and I had never been crush-worthy in my old life. I didn't really know whether to be flattered or weirded out by the whole thing, honestly. Given that Slaanesh was a thing in this world though, I was leaning towards the latter.
As I arrived back at the Citadel, I headed for my rooms and began to draft messages to the various officers and quartermasters to make ready my Pulk for departure back to Chebekov. It should take a day or so to get everything squared away and make ready for march. Normally that time would be spent gathering the troops from the various garrisons while I had my clerks stockpile supplies, but we were at least partially stood down now that the battle was over and we'd won so it would take some time. I had some runners take the messages to their intended recipients so they could start preparations this evening and spend tomorrow making ready. We'd break camp the day after and begin the march home. I wasn't expecting much else to happen between now and winter when I'd have my trial for Ursun.
Of course, I hadn't planned on my father returning to the City the next day and wanting to speak to me personally