The Vampire & Her Witch
Chapter 409: A Devoted Fan (Part One)

Chapter 409: A Devoted Fan (Part One)

The winds of the high pass tugged at Ashlynn’s heavy fur cloak as she left Nyrielle’s carriage to take her place at the head of the army. It had been one thing for Nyrielle to force the defeated Savis to act as her herald when approaching High Fen City, but now that Ashlynn and Nyrielle were traveling together again, it was time for her to take on the role of announcing Nyrielle’s arrival.

She could have refused, and Nyrielle would likely have indulged her. As the Mother of Trees, her status wasn’t any lower than that of the Harbinger of Death, and as Nyrielle’s lover, if she wanted to demand equal treatment, she was certain that Nyrielle would have granted it.

In the years to come, Ashlynn was certain that there would come a time to discuss such an arrangement, but when she measured herself up to her lover, she still felt herself to be far too lacking. When she arrived in the Vale of Mists, she had nothing to offer, not even the clothes on her back, yet Nyrielle had taken her in, saved her life, and provided her with everything she could ask for and more.

At the start of their relationship, Nyrielle gave everything and Ashlynn could only accept it. Now that she’d begun to grow into her power, the scales were beginning to tip. Between the benefits Nyrielle gained from feeding on a powerful witch to the resources she was able to gather from High Fen City, she finally felt like she truly had something to offer to the woman who had brought her back from the brink.

But until the scales were closer to even, outside of the occasions where they existed purely as lovers, Ashlynn threw herself into her role as Nyrielle’s Seneschal. As the first among all those who served the Harbinger of Death and her Mistress’s chosen representative during hours between dawn and dusk, there were many places where Nyrielle needed Ashlynn’s help and she gave that assistance gladly.

Ashlynn’s final days in High Fen City felt like a frenzy of activity as she and Nyrielle worked tirelessly to prepare for their journey home. Because of Ashlynn and Heila’s efforts, Nyrielle’s army welcomed not only the ninety trained warriors that Heila defeated in the arena, but hundreds of merchants, tradesmen, and their families. The additions turned the military march into a small town on the move, requiring extensive support to make the march through the barren High Pass.

Amidst the flurry of activity, she found herself apologizing again and again for delaying things that felt important but weren’t time-critical. Even though the nights were growing longer, she had yet to find an opportunity to speak more with Ignatious about the Holy Flame Blade. There would be plenty of time to speak at length about their complex relationship with their faith and the powerful artifact that represented it once they returned home, and since that was the case, any further conversation had been pushed aside for more pressing concerns.

Artificer Erkembalt had agreed to accompany them to the Vale of Mists, though he was only willing to stay for the winter. Once the pass cleared again, he insisted on returning to his home and his shop. Privately, Ashlynn hoped he might find something charming about the Vale of Mists, or at least interesting enough to consider relocating his business and his family to the Vale permanently, but for now, gaining his assistance in preparing for the war was the most important thing.

Of all the matters that needed to be settled, however, one of the most surprising had come in the form of an experienced gladiator named Kurtz who offered his services as a bodyguard for Heila if she would consider taking his daughter, Emmie, as her student. When they met, it was clear that Heila’s performance in the arena had a profound impact on the young horned girl who donned a midnight blue dress and carried a thin, metal whip in clear imitation of Heila’s outfit during her battle against the Cauldron of Flame.

"Welcome, Master Kurtz," Ashlynn said when Heila led her two distant clansmen into the sitting room she’d been using as an office during the day. Even with Virve hovering in the background and a separate, smaller desk for Heila, the luxurious sitting room could have easily accommodated a dozen or more guests.

With comfortable chairs, sofas, and a well-stocked bar for refreshments in the corner, it gave her everything she needed to tend to her duties as Nyrielle’s Seneschal, though the cold marble floors and paintings of heroic arena battles on the walls felt like constant reminders to Ashlynn that she was a guest in this place, and one that would be leaving soon.

She’d tried adding potted trees and other plants in order to make the space a little more comfortable but when she realized that the trees felt trapped in their pots without any other roots near their own to allow them to connect to each other or even ferns or underbrush, she suppressed her desire to repot them into small groups that wouldn’t be lonely and asked them to be taken away instead, firmly reminding herself that she wouldn’t be here to care for the trees afterward and she certainly wouldn’t be taking them across the High Pass with her.

"I’m told that you have a proposal for Heila," Ashlynn continued with a smile on her face as the father and daughter took their seats. Though Ashlynn knew that he was a respected champion in the arena, one who had earned the right to attend the welcoming celebration on the first floor of the arena the night of Heila’s battle against the Cauldron of Flame, the polished, refined appearance he presented with his neatly braided beard and hair tied into a tight bun made him look more like a successful businessman than a mighty warrior.

Perhaps that history of success was why Kurtz seemed reasonably assured of himself despite the stature of people he was meeting with, but as calm as the father was, his daughter Emmie’s eyes had been all but glued to Heila since she entered, barely blinking now that she was in the presence of her hero.

"Yes, your Dominion," Kurtz said formally, placing a hand on his daughter’s shoulder. "Lady Heila has inspired my little Emmie like no one else," he said a touch awkwardly. "She’s watched me in the arena since she was old enough to write her name, but even if High Lady Erna were to take to the sands, I doubt she’d be so enthralled."

"That’s because High Lady Erna isn’t one of us," Emmie said, finally tearing her eyes away from Heila to give her father a look as though she’d explained this several times before. "But the Willow Whip is a real Horned Champion. I want to grow up to be like her, Father," she said brightly.

"I told you, my little hayseed," Kurtz said, ruffling her hair and giving his daughter a doting look. "Lady Heila is a Witch and not just anyone can be a witch. But, if she thinks you have talent, and if she’s willing to teach you a bit of sorcery or how she fights with a whip, then Father will serve as her loyal guard the entire time."

"I know it may be a bit much to ask," the horned gladiator said, turning to face Ashlynn with a look that said he expected to be rejected. "You’ve already done me a great favor by letting her come to meet Lady Heila in person," he added, winking slightly to Ashlynn in the hopes that she understood that the chance for his daughter to meet her hero was really all he came for.

"Well, little Emmie," Ashlynn said with a warm, welcoming smile. "Why don’t you tell us what it is you hope to become by learning from Lady Heila."