"Snow Story (part two)" by Bethan Jones

Outside the snow had got worse again and the wind was rapidly becoming a gale.  The voices were further away now but when the wind died down Asha could still just hear them, and then came a piercing scream.  She sped up towards the sounds, her breath catching in icy gasps in her throat.  She rounded the corner onto the main street and stopped.  Gathered in front of the blacksmiths house was a group of people, many of them mounted, and they were all staring at the limp figure clasped in the arms of the blacksmith’s wife.

            Asha spotted Giverny lurking by the fountain and she headed over there, giving the mounted soldiers a wide birth. 

            “What’s happening?”  Giverny started at Asha hushed voice.

            “Asha!”  She cried.  “I haven’t seen you in ages.  We’ve heard the most terrible rumours…”

            “Later.”  Asha brushed her off.  “What happened?”

            “Oh!”  Giverny gasped dramatically.  “You don’t know?  Rhys disappeared yesterday and now the soldiers have found his body!”  She leaned in closer.  “He fell through the ice on the lake!”

            Asha shivered; the great lake only froze in the coldest winters and the ice was always treacherous.  Sometimes it was strong enough for you to walk from one side to the other but sometimes it was paper thin and would break beneath you feet.

            “But surely the ice is strong at the moment?”  Asha asked.  “This is our coldest winter ever!”

            Giverny shook her head sadly and stared past Asha at the limp body which was now being carried inside. 

            “The soldiers rode over it yesterday and it didn’t break, but they must have weakened it.”

            “The soldiers rode on it?”  Asha asked, incredulous.

            “The Tieryn made them as a punishment!”  Giveryn whispered delighted that her friend had not heard.  “He said they were talking behind his back!”

            There was an audible murmur from the crowd and Asha and Giverny both turned to look.  One of the soldiers had dismounted and was talking quietly with the blacksmith.  The blacksmith bowed and Asha realised it wasn’t a soldier, it was Lord Danyan.  They parted and the Lord swung himself smoothly back on to his horse and said something to the crowd which began to break up.  Then he looked straight over the heads of his soldiers towards Asha and Giverny and Asha could have sworn he smiled.

            Two huge fires burnt in the grates at either end of the hall.  Their flickering light lit up the packed room and made it seem warm and almost inviting.  The large wood tables were covered in food and the benches were filled with soldiers.  At the far end of the hall – on a raised dais – was the high table, also overflowing with food and surrounded by servants who hurried to do their lord’s bidding.

             Asha stood at the very edge of the hall watching the proceedings, while keeping half an eye on the nearby soldiers who were more than slightly drunk.  Thea hurried past and Asha shrunk back into the shadows to avoid a scolding.  From up at the high table their came a loud crash and Thea swung round.  One of the girls who had been serving the Tieryn had dropped a large pitcher of wine and was standing staring in shock at the mess. 

            “Asha!”  Thea had noticed her and was striding her way with a look on her face that would have cowed even the Tieryn.  “Get up there and help clean up!  Now!”

            Asha opened her mouth to protest that she would only make things worse, but she closed it again without speaking as Thea continued to stare her down.

            Slowly she made her way between the tables and went to help clear up the shards of pottery.  The Tieryn had lost all interest and was talking to Lord Kevan but Asha kept her head down as she worked.  She had just finished picking up the largest pieces when Thea swept up with a new pitcher of wine and handed it to her.

            “Hurry up girl, glasses need filling!”  Thea snapped, and she pushed Asha towards the end of the table. 

            As she worked her way along the line topping up glasses Asha could hear the nobles whispering as she passed.  Jasmin spoke out loudly as Asha filled her glass.

            “Isn’t that the Tieryn’s whore?  I heard that she was with him again today!”

            Asha blushed but said nothing and continued past Jasmin.  However, her comment had had the desired effect.  People up and down the table were looking at her and the Tieryn had turned in his chair to face her, a small smile on his handsome face.  Asha had no choice but to continue towards him with the pitcher but before she reached him someone else intervened.

            Danyan was sitting two seats away from the Tieryn and as Asha approached him he said in a loud and deliberately arrogant voice.

            “This wine’s terrible!  Servant, fetch me some mead instead.”

            “Of course, my Lord!”  Asha said, almost sobbing in relief. 

            She placed the wine pitcher on the table and hurried away towards the kitchen.  As she reached the edge of the hall she risked a glance back and saw the Tieryn glaring at his brother while Danyan stared back with barely concealed contempt.

            When she reached the kitchens she drew a large jug of mead and then lingered for a moment, dreading returning to the high table.  She walked slowly all the way back until she reached Danyan’s place and filled his glass with mead.  Danyan nodded his thanks and dismissed her with a wave of his hand but before she had gone two steps, the Tieryn had noticed her.

            “Danyan, shame on you!”  The Tieryn shouted, his words slightly slurred by the strong wine.  “Sending my favourite servant girl away!”

            There were a few sniggers from around the table but most of the nobles were trying to ignore their drunken overlord.  Danyan gave a forced smile and turned to the Tieryn.

            “My lord, she is very busy at the moment.  I’m sure you can manage to wait a while longer.”

            The implied insult made the surrounding nobles lean in closer, suddenly interested in the conversation.  The Tieryn stared at Danyan for a long moment, while Asha remained frozen where she was, then he smiled cruelly.

            “Danyan, if you wanted a turn with her you only had to ask!”  He said with a falsely cheerful laugh.  Some of the other nobles obliged by joining in but most remained silent, waiting to see how the argument would end.  “I’ll have her sent to your chamber at once!”

            “There’s really no need.”  Danyan said coolly, without bothering to add the customary ‘My Lord’.

            The Tieryn smiled again and waved the nearby guards forward.  For one horrible moment Asha thought they were going to attack Lord Danyan but they stopped behind her instead.

            “Oh, but I insist, brother!”  The Tieryn snarled.  “You’ve obviously had your eye on her the whole meal and she’s more your type than mine.”

            Everyone nearby seemed to have gone quiet as Asha felt one of the guard’s firm hands grab hold of her.

            “Take her to Lord Danyan’s room.”  The Tieryn snapped at his men.  “And make sure she stays there!  Lord Danyan will join her after the meal.”

            As the guard dragged her past, Asha felt the Tieryn’s eyes boring into her and she knew that this punishment for her as much as Lord Danyan.  She felt her eyes sting with tears as the guards half carried her out of the hall.

            They walked for what seemed like miles until they reached Lord Danyan’s rooms.  The guards flung her down in one of the corners and told her to stay there or she would be more than sorry.  After they left Asha curled up tightly in the corner, and rested her head against the wall, but she didn’t cry.  It would be hours before the meal was finished and Lord Danyan returned, and until then she might as well rest.

            Less than ten minutes later she heard sounds from the corridor outside and she recognised Lord Danyan’s voice.  He sounded furious.  The door to the main chamber slammed open and she heard movements inside the room, then the noise of the door slamming shut again.

            “Asha?”

She shuddered helplessly at the sound of his voice and shrank down further into the corner.  She thought he would come straight to find her, but instead he remained in the other room, moving around quietly.  Then the door opened and he came in, pausing almost in surprise when he spotted her.  Then to Asha’s shock he started laughing, a low quiet laugh, so much nicer than his brother’s.

            “You don’t have to stay hidden in the corner.  I’m not going to hurt you, I promise.”

            He walked over and held out his hand to her but she shrank back still more, unable to believe that he was not going to take advantage of her. 

            “Suit yourself.”  Danyan said indifferently.  “Stay there until you are ready!”

            And he turned his back on her and walked away again, pausing for a moment to call back over his shoulder.

            “But I shall want to get changed soon so I suggest you come out of the bedroom.”

            A small smile twitched at the corner of Asha’s mouth although she hastily smothered it.  As Danyan walked away she climbed slowly to her feet and stood, leaning against the wall for support.  She felt cold and clammy and when she tried to walk away from the wall she swayed dangerously and had to lean on it again.

            Almost a full two minutes passed before Asha felt confident enough to walk, and even then she paused at the door which was slightly ajar.  At last she summoned the courage and pushed the door cautiously open and walked through. 

            Danyan was standing by the window holding a glass of some clear liquid and staring pensively at the still snow covered grounds of the brec.  For the first time Asha took in the plainness of Danyan’s rooms compared to those of the Tieryn and some of the other Lords.  The furniture was made of grey wood, which was rare enough in it’s self, but it was far from ornate, and there were no expensive tapestries adorning the walls.

            “I don’t know how you put up with this climate.”  The voice made her jump again and she almost retreated back into the relative safety of the other room, but something held her in place.

            Danyan had not turned round but the words had clearly been aimed at Asha and she struggled to find a reply – the last thing she wanted to appear was rude and ungracious.

            “It’s not always so bad.”  Even to her own ears her voice sounded frail and quavering.

            At last the young Lord turned around and she was forced to put up with the stare of those piercing grey eyes.  Danyan appeared quite relaxed but Asha could sense the boiling anger underneath and burning resentment at what had happened.  She found she could easily read his emotions and it must have showed in her eyes, because Danyan was the first to turn away.

            “Maybe not but I’ll still be glad when spring comes and we can get away.”

            Asha was tempted to agree with him but she did not, instead she began to inch slowly towards the door into the corridor, her mind whirling and searching for an excuse to get away.

            “I wouldn’t.”  Danyan said in a voice that hovered somewhere between resentment and amusement.  “The guards are still out there.”

            Asha felt her heart sink as she heard their voices and knew that he was telling the truth.

            “Why don’t you get yourself a drink?”