Page 18 of The Shadow of Polaris

“I see… Well, thank you. The city guards these days think they’re above the law- taking anything they want. Are you hungry? Stew’s almost ready.” Frya hobbled to the kitchen and stirred the thick simmer, maintaining a watchful eye through the open doorframe.

“Stew sounds wonderful. Thank you.” Rune threw her a cautious smile before rising from his knees, now covered in short, black hair.

I motioned for us to sit, returning to our seats from the night before. A residual tingle tickled my fingertips as we faced each other, and a rosy shade of pink flushed across my cheeks. Rune shifted in his seat, frantically searching for something to say. “Did you sleep well?”

“Yes, I did,” I said, glancing at his hands resting across from mine. “The wine put me right out.”

Rune smiled quietly, uncomfortable beneath the hawk-like vision of our chaperone.

“I was wondering if you’d like to go for a walk this evening. It’s going to be a clear one tonight. The borealis should be beautiful.”

Arcturas’s ears perked straighter than a nail at the mention of a walk. I nodded, suppressing my eagerness as best I could. I could feel the fresh air on my face, the crack of snow beneath my boots. My legs yearned to stretch.

“I would love that, but…” I turned toward Frya, watching her expression curdle into suspicion, “Frya may need help here. The clear weather always brings in a swarm of patrons.”

Ladling stew into three chipped bowls, the barkeep snorted and placed our supper on the table before taking her seat beside me.

“Oh, well, that’s alright.” Rune stroked the stubble on his chin, avoiding Frya’s snarled lip.

I sighed, resigning into my seat. The clanking of spoons filled our thick silence. It wasn’t smart to leave the tavern, especially walking through the city. I would risk my safety for a second taste of freedom, but was I willing to risk hers? After the tragedy she’d experienced with her own daughter, I couldn’t threaten the sliver of comfort she’d built just for my selfishness. We continued eating, wandering eyes meeting between mouthfuls, then abruptly darting away. Placing my spoon in the empty bowl in front of me, I caught Frya’s gaze. Her eyes softened as she glanced toward Rune.

Patting her lips with a cotton napkin, she said, “If you’re careful, I ‘spose Arcturas would like a hike up the mountainside tonight to see the borealis. With the cold, you’ll likely not run into anyone and Gods know the poor creature probably needs to stretch her legs.”

A grin, wider than I thought physically possible, cracked across my lips. Arcturas’s eyes glittered as she trotted over to the barkeep.

“She’d love that,” I said, not sure if I was talking about the wolf or myself. There was an unmistakable twinkle in Frya’s eye as she witnessed my face light up. For the first time since we arrived, her eyes softened in indisputable compassion. I reveled in the airiness of her expression until it snapped abruptly back to her usual scowl.

“But you best behave yourself, boy. Any funny business and this one here’ll make sure they can’t recognize your body when you they find you frozen on the mountainside.” She pointed her spoon at Rune. He gulped back his last bite of the meal.

“And you!” She swung it towards Arcturas, “If I find pieces of bone on my floor again, I’ll cook you into supper and use your pelt for a new cloak!” Whimpering, the wolf lowered her ears and sulked back to her bed by the hearth.

“I just need to finish up my chores, if you don’t mind waiting,” I said, scurrying to the back storeroom.

The skin on my fingertips was raw and red by the time the shadow of night fell over the horizon. As I had rushed around the tavern- sweeping ash from the hearth, chopping bushels of wood outback, and peeling bag after bag of potatoes, Arcturas remained stretched on her bed- licking the remnants of bone off the floor, chasing a rabbit in the back courtyard, and curling into a warm nap by the hearth. Rune, seated at the bar, silently sipped on an ale. I felt his eyes follow me as I rushed back and forth, a taste of freedom fueling each step.

“Let me change, then we’ll go,” I called to him, tossing my apron across the bar. I couldn’t decide which ached more, my back or my knees as I hobbled up the staircase to my bedchamber, Arcturas racing past me. My exhaustion didn’t hinder the growing excitement deep in my belly at the thought of seeing the borealis once again. After five years surrounded by shades of grey, seeing the vibrant greens and violets felt like a drug. I craved the fluorescence like an addict craved the poppy.

It was nearly time to go, as the sun had fully set, and the city lampposts had been lit. Hastily, I washed the layer of grime and sweat from my body and changed into a fresh black tunic with matching trousers. Braiding my hair into a tight plait down my back and twisting it into a bun, I secured my mother’s comb into place. Arcturas whined impatiently, scratching at the door as I finished dressing.

“Alright, alright, I’m ready!” I said, turning the knob of the chamber door. Just as I pulled it ajar, she shot past me, leaping over the last few steps and landing with a thunk on the wooden flooring below. I guess her ferocity made up for the grace she so clearly lacked when she was excited. Clicking the door shut behind me, Frya’s scolding carried through the house and I couldn’t help but chuckle as I bounced down the stairwell and met them in the tavern.

“I packed you an extra cloak and gloves in case you catch the cold,” Frya said, handing me a brown leather pack. The strap, nearly worn entirely off, sagged as I thanked her and took it across my shoulder. Arcturas, now howling by the door, clawed at the wood. Frya shot her a glare and said, “Well, you best be going before that beast tears down the door. Remember what I said, boy.”

The night air was crisp across my cheeks as we started towards the city center. Snow fell silently around us, slowly erasing our tracks as we made them. Arcturas, with her tongue bouncing from one side of her jaw, trotted happily beside me.

Frya had been right. Not even a rat passed by us as we crossed block after block down the street. Moonlight beamed through grey, wispy clouds, washing the world in shades of silver as we neared the city’s heart. Standing erect and illuminated by the night, the giant marble Polaris gazed upon us with watchful eyes. Her arm was outstretched towards the North with a sharp metal dagger, glinting in starlight.

Arcturas sniffed at her large marble foot, and continued on, passing through the archway and starting up the slope of stairs to the summit.

It was known across the city that the temple had the best view of the borealis. With heavy, winded breaths, I climbed after my wolf as she leapt from step to step with incomparable ease. What seemed like a thousand steps later, we arrived at the peak. A brisk wind whipped through my bones as Arcturas sprinted around boulders shrouded in blue ice. Her thick black fur jolted with each powerful stride of her legs.

“She’s loving every second of this,” Rune chuckled. I realized we’d walked in silence up the mountainside. The beauty of a silent, snowy landscape had distracted me from my companion.

“Oh, I know.” I smiled, letting the frost in the breeze caress my cheeks. “She was born of the wilderness. I know she loves Frya and her bed by the hearth, but it’s cramped. There’s nowhere for her to run or explore. Out here, she can do or be everything she needs.”

“Why do I feel like you’re not so much talking about your wolf?” he said, watching me with awestruck eyes. I smiled wildly. A playfulness sparked from somewhere I’d kept locked up. Shoving Rune into the snow, I took off up the mountainside, letting my legs reach the speed they’d yearned for over this last month. With lungs that felt as if they’d burst, I finally reached the top. Stopping to catch my breath, I leaned against a tree and gazed across the sleeping city.

Freedom was as crisp on my tongue as a freshly picked fall apple. Rows of lampposts flickered peacefully on the cobblestone streets below. The piercing whistle of wind faded away as I closed my eyes and let the mountainside consume me.

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