The blade of the axe whistled through the air and smacked the wood with a resonating whack. With the wood piles depleting rapidly, there was a need for more fuel and more people to gather it. Rather than training in their respective courses, Nova, Hollis, and their companions ventured into the deep snowbanks of the wilderness in search of fresh trees that hadn't succumbed to rot.
Nieve was easily the most skilled among them at chopping wood. While she and her brother wielded the axes, Finch, Kyra, and Hollis scouted for viable trees, and Nova and Bran hauled the chopped wood on their respective sled. They tried to be selective about what they chose, so they didn't take more than they needed and leave the animals with nothing. Those that remained, at least.
"Do you think the animals will come back soon?" Nieve asked, looking out at the streaks of bare trees through a white landscape.
Nova pursed her lips, "I imagine they'll remain where it's warmer until the cold subsides."
Apparently, Eris had mentioned in a letter to Kallias that a relatively thin ice bear had been found on the outskirts of the Autumn Court. It was likely in search of a new food source, which, just like theirs, had been drastically limited.
"Hey Nova!" Finch called from up ahead, trekking through a tall bank of snow.
Raising a brow, she kept pulling the sled behind her, alongside Bran. "Yeah?" She called back, their voices softer with the buffer of snow.
He turned around to walk backwards as he asked, "We talked to Cassian the other day and he said we're still good to do the Blood Rite as planned, are you still in?"
Oh…the Blood Rite. Nova had forgotten entirely that she'd said she wanted to participate. Well, things had changed now, hadn't they? She was married; she had a mate. And the other Courts certainly would disapprove of her going through the Illyrian Mountains for a claim of honor that had a high probability of being killed.
Nova shook her head as they approached the others, stopping with her sled at the top of the slope, "I can't. I have too much at stake now."
"What's the Blood Rite?" Hollis asked curiously, glancing between them.
Finch, in short, explained the meaning behind the Blood Rite. "And Nova wants to do it," he finished. "She just doesn't want to piss off the other High Lords."
"I could die, Finch." Nova countered severely.
Hollis's eyes widened as he visibly stiffened. What was right here? He wanted his immediate response to be to do it. If this was a goal of hers and it was important to her, he wanted her to achieve that. Then the other part of him, the desperate, raging love he felt for her, the part that made his heart ache when they were apart…wanted to keep her away from all danger. To ensure she didn't become some vile creature's meal.
Hollis couldn't do that.
He couldn't be her cage.
"Nova, if it's something you want to do…" Hollis started.
Nova cut him off quickly. "I won't be partaking," she snarled, then scoffed under her breath, "as if I deserve the honor." And started forward to collect more wood that Kole and Nieve had chopped.
It wasn't often that Nova snapped at him, and usually it was with a playful disposition. Hollis swallowed, following her, but didn't speak of the Blood Rite again. If she didn't want to, he wouldn't push it.
"Do you want to see the reindeer after this?"
Nova glanced over at him without turning her head. "Reindeer?" She asked with interest. How had she been here all this time and not seen the reindeer?
Smiling, Hollis nodded.
After Finch took her sled, she and Nova walked together in the opposite direction, toward the herd of reindeer kept by skilled caretakers of the Winter Court. It was a quiet walk, but the guilt chewed at Nova with every crunch of snow.
Glancing at Hollis, who looked up at the trees, wondering if they should build houses for the birds, she pursed her lips and said, "I'm sorry I was short with you earlier."
Meeting her gaze, Hollis frowned and then offered a gentle smile and nodded. "Don't worry about it," he nodded, but bit his lip, "but what did you mean when you said…"
"Oh, nothing," Nova replied quickly. "It was just…heightened emotion in the moment."
Hollis frowned and nodded, deciding now wasn't the time to push for anything more. Instead, he took his gloved hand in hers and brightened at her smile as he pointed out over the hill. "They're just over this way."
From a short distance, Nova could hear distinct, rumbling grunts. She moved a little faster, her curiosity taking her over as she cleared the obstacle and looked into the snowy ravine. There was a little cabin far off, but in the middle was a herd of…she counted fourteen reindeer.
"When I was small, there would be one to two hundred in the herd. They roamed all over the Winter Court, guarded and protected by our soldiers. They provide milk…but with the alfalfa low, we've been trying to keep them from breeding. As much as we'd like to increase their numbers, it wouldn't be fair to bring them into a world only for them to starve."
Hollis nodded at the tree line, "The other predators have become more desperate. Even entering the clearing, despite the risk." It would be a joy to see them flourish again, but that could only happen when they had a larger food supply.
As they moved closer, Nova frowned. Can the foods they eat be found in other locations? Maybe we could trade for more?"
"I suppose so," Hollis nodded, "the nutritional value might be different, but it would still be food."
"So, if we offered a good in exchange for another Court, they could begin breeding again?"
"I suppose they technically could…" Hollis thought for a moment. "Their milk is high in fats and protein, and the cheese made from it is the best I've ever had." It had been so long since he'd had some. He glanced at her, "You think maybe exchanging alfalfa for cheese?"
"I don't see why not." Nova shrugged. "Everyone would get something they need."
"We would need to be careful which Court to trade with specifically, especially with only fourteen in the herd."
"We'll see who has the most to offer and who has the best nutritional value." It was nice to speak about something in the future. It made it feel more like they'd have one.
They paused in the snow as a reindeer, much bigger than Nova would have anticipated, ambled over. Head bobbing, he nudged Hollis's shoulder before walking past. He circled them and did the same to Nova's gloved hand.
Smiling, Hollis nodded, "They're looking for a treat."
"Sorry," Nova laughed lightly, touching his nose carefully, "I don't have anything." She said and tilted her head as she observed his rather lopsided head. "I didn't realize they could lose half their antler. The antlers I find in the forest are full."
"It's not uncommon," Hollis smiled, "Especially if he's been roughhousing. I've met a lot of reindeer, but not many deer. I suppose I saw a few while we stayed at the Illyrian Camp, but I never had the chance to observe them."
More reindeer ventured toward them, followed by their caretaker. She wore a pleasant smile, patting the rump of one she passed. "They've been missing visitors. Would you like to feed them?"
Nova grinned, and for the next hour, she and Hollis fed each reindeer a handful of alfalfa and another of icy blueberries. She was still giggling halfway through their walk back, recalling the look on Hollis's face when a sneaky cow licked her long tongue across his cheek.
They were already late for lunch, but they didn't mind. Not with the new memories to be stored away and resurface on a rainy day. Speaking of a rainy day, Nova thought, looking up at the sky as they approached the palace. The sky was much darker than it should have been in the far distance. Not for this time of day.
"Looks like a bad storm is about to blow through," Hollis said, opening the door for her to enter first. "I hope it will hold off before Tara can get the reindeer into their pens."
Rather than going to the dining room, they went upstairs to Hollis's room, where they'd be able to change out of their wet and heavy clothing. It wouldn't have taken so long…if Hollis hadn't found himself distractedly hiding the nearly faded bruising on his neck.
"They're not going to notice that," Nova giggled, "it's tiny now."
Hollis shook his head, applying a bit of pale concealer to it—something he'd used often in the past for other purposes. "Oh, I'm not risking it. Feyre and Ana might be able to keep your father and Azriel behind the line, but Nesta would sic Cassian on me."
Snorting, she shrugged. "As awkward as it might be, they also know that I'm happy," she said and stood from the edge of the bed, joining him in the bathroom. She wrapped her arms around his waist and smiled at his face in the mirror. "And they know that I wouldn't have done it if I didn't want to," she pressed her lips against the shell of his ear, "and I wanted to."
Hollis shivered and then yelped as she pinched his ass and left the bathroom. "You tease…" He groaned, but was only met by her laughter.
Downstairs, they entered with growling bellies. Many had already vacated the table, but there was still enough for them to partake.
"I heard you saw the reindeer today." Viviane smiled as she stood with her empty plate. "How did you like it?"
Nova couldn't help but grin, "I loved it. It's a shame there aren't more of them."
"Hm, yes, they have dwindled," she frowned and then quirked another pleasant smile, "but soon that will change, too." She left to attend to some business with Kallias in his study.
Bran, Kyra, and Finch were still eating, and her uncles looked to be about finished, but it was her father's stare that caught her attention.
"Is something wrong?" She asked, furrowing her brow as a wave of panic swept over her.
It was in her head that she said, You don't think you deserve to perform the Blood Rite?
Blinking wildly, Nova stiffened, looking between the others. Who had told him that? She met Bran's hard stare, and she narrowed her gaze.
"You told on me? Really?"
Bran released a sigh and shook his head, "I said nothing."
"His thoughts were loud with frustration." Her father interjected, glancing around the table at the confused expressions. "Perhaps you'd like to handle this privately?"
Shrugging, Nova shook her head, "I have nothing to hide. I explained my reasoning for not participating in the Rite. That's my choice to make, and you don't have the right to guilt me into changing my mind."
She would have never anticipated that Bran would hold something like this against her. Finch, maybe, out of some moment of heroic stupidity, thinking he was doing the right thing, but not Bran.
Bran leaned across the table with the most severe scowl she'd ever seen him wear, and never directed at her. "You said you don't deserve the honor? Why? Because you fell at the feet of your enemy?"
Nova froze as he continued, "If you genuinely don't want to join us tomorrow, then fine. I won't say another word about it. But do you know who else fell at the feet of the enemy? Enalius. To say someone is unworthy because of the adversity they have faced is the only thing dishonorable."
Bran stood to his feet, leaving everyone at the table speechless as he said, "We'll be leaving at dawn's first light tomorrow. If you decide to go, make it for the right reason."
When he left, the table was utterly silent. Not even Finch uttered a single sound. Slowly, she looked to her left where Azriel and Cassian stared at her, and she knew…
They agreed with him.