Page 45 of The Iron Raven

TIR NA NOG

A few centuries ago

It was possibly not the best idea I’d ever had, but I’d never let that stop me.

It was the name that piqued my interest: The Lost City of Frozen Skull Forest. I mean, how could you not be curious? Lost cities typically had all manner of ancient treasures, and all manner of ancient beasties, traps, and guardians to overcome. Never mind that it was deep in Unseelie territory, in a tangled, frigid wood that I discovered was also home to some very cranky ice trolls who didn’t take kindly to me stomping through their hunting grounds. I was, of course, not supposed to be there. I was part of the Summer Court, and this was Winter’s territory; if Mab or any of the Unseelie discovered I was trespassing, it was within their rights to have me killed.

Again, not that I ever let that stop me.

“Well, that was fun,” I muttered, dusting snow off my hands and gazing around. The bodies of the three ice trolls that attacked me had already turned to stone, which was what happened when you tried to ambush Robin Goodfellow. I had nothing against trolls, but if you were going to pop out of your little ice hole to try to shove a claw through my face, expect me to do some stabbing in return. “Sorry about your luck, guys. Though I do appreciate the knowledge that there are troll holes in the world. That alone is worth it. Now...where the heck is this lost city?”

Turning from the bodies, I scanned the forest, shielding my eyes from the glimmer of sunlight on the snow. It was suddenly very quiet.

I paused a moment, listening to the forest, then smiled.

“You’re awfully good,” I called to the empty air. “I can’t get a bearing on where you are, so congratulations for that. But you might as well come out. Unless you plan on staying in a troll hole all afternoon. There’s no reason to hide, I don’t bite. Hard.”

For a few heartbeats, there was only silence. Then a ripple of glamour went through the air, and a dark form stepped out from behind a cluster of trees. Tall and lean, like most gentry, he was dressed completely in black, with a cape that rippled behind him and a glittering blue sword at his side.

My eyebrows arched as the faery prowled forward and stopped at the edge of the circle, watching me with eyes like silver coins. “Well, don’t I feel important,” I announced, smirking in the face of that cold, hostile stare. “If it isn’t Mab’s favorite son. What was your name again, princeling, something with a tree, right? Prince Dogwood, Prince Huckleberry? Tell me if I’m getting close. Prince Crabapple?”

“You don’t need to know my name,” the Winter faery replied. “It won’t matter for much longer. I know whoyouare, Robin Goodfellow.”

“You and the rest of the Nevernever, princeling,” I drawled. “Not much of a mystery, there. Everyone knows who I am.”

“I also know that you’re trespassing.”

“Wow, nothing escapes you, does it?” I grinned at his annoyed look. “Well, Your Highness, guess I’ll just have to call you ice-boy until you actually grace me with your name.”

I knew his name, of course. He’d been to several Elysiums now, and one did not forget the sons of Mab. I’d crossed paths, and blades, with his two brothers before. Sage was a competent swordsman, and sometimes hunted the woods of the Nevernever, but as the heir of the Winter Queen, he was almost always surrounded by warriors and gentry of the Unseelie Court. We had dueled a few times, but I got the feeling that Sage was almost bored with the hassle of it all, and the only reason we were fighting was that it was expected of us. I couldn’t stand the other brother, Rowan; he reminded me of a grinning viper that would bite you as soon as your back was turned. He, too, was a competent swordsman, but I very rarely saw him outside of the court and Elysium. From what I’d observed, he probably didn’t like getting his fancy clothes all dirty. Though I had to admit, it took talent to pull off white on white.

So, how would Ash, the youngest son of Mab, stack up to his brothers?

Ash took several steps forward, prowling like a panther over the snowy ground. He certainly moved like a fighter, graceful and sure-footed. His sword pulsed blue against the pale backdrop as he stared at me with a cold, flat expression. “You’re trespassing in Unseelie lands, Robin Goodfellow,” he told me in an icy voice. “No one from the Summer Court may cross into Tir Na Nog without the queen’s permission. According to ancient law, I could kill you on sight for this transgression.”

“Not going to happen, ice-boy,” I said breezily. “But you could certainlytry—whoop!”

The words were barely out of my mouth when Ash gestured, and a flurry of glittering ice daggers sped toward me out of nowhere. I dodged and twisted, and the frozen projectiles went hissing into the woods, sticking in tree trunks and pinging off rocks. Grinning, I looked back at the Winter prince, who looked slightly annoyed that I wasn’t peppered with ice shards.

“Oho, that was a sneaky move, princeling.” Pulling my daggers, I twirled them once and shook my head at the still impassive Winter faery. “You almost had me. I was sure you were going to spend at least the first half of the fight monologuing like your brother.” Raising my chin, I looked down my nose at him while striking a ridiculously imperious pose. “‘Well, well, well, what have we here?’”I drawled in my best nasal voice.“‘A lost Seelie dog, come sniffing around where he doesn’t belong. Oh wait, not a dog, but a vermin. A Summer vermin, in the land of Winter. How do you want me to dispatch you, vermin? Let me regale you with the ways,’ blah blah blah.” I rolled my eyes. “Makes you want to stab yourself just to get him to stop talking.”

One corner of the prince’s mouth twitched, as if he was fighting to not smile. “I’m not Rowan,” he said. “I don’t see the point in talking when we should be fighting. If I’m going to duel someone, it’s to hone my skills, not to listen to a speech.” He looked like he, too, was on the verge of rolling his eyes, before he caught himself. Setting his jaw, he raised his sword and pointed it in my direction. “But that is a prince of Winter you’re disparaging, Summer fey. I should cut out your tongue for such mockery.”

I smiled. “You and everyone else in the Nevernever, princeling,” I said cheerfully, and raised my own weapons, feeling glamour swirl around me. “Well, shall we get on with it, then? Though I can’t promise not to creatively insult you while we’re trying to kill each other. That’s just part of the fun.”

Ash returned the smile, though his was rather grim. “That will be difficult once your tongue is missing,” he said, and lunged at me.

We met in the center of the clearing, blades flashing and snow twirling around us. To no one’s surprise, the youngest son of Mab was a skilled swordsman. He wasn’t as viciously sneaky as Rowan or as formal as Sage, but he was quite graceful, and faster than either of them. I found myself working hard to avoid or counter his blows, which was both surprising and delightful. It had been so long since I’d had a decent challenge. I think I liked this kid enough toreallyplay with him.

“Not bad, ice-boy, not bad,” I taunted, leaping back from a stab to the chest. He gestured sharply, and I ducked the ice daggers that came at my head, snatching a few dead leaves from the ground as I rose. “I hope you’re having as much fun as I am. In fact, I’m having so much fun, I think I need to invite my friends to the party.”

I tossed the leaves into the air, and they exploded into three identical Pucks, grinning widely as they surrounded the prince. Ash jerked back, momentarily startled, as all four of us Pucks laughed, our voices ringing over the treetops.

“My brothers said you were devious and didn’t fight fair.” Ash parried a dagger thrust at him but immediately had to step back as another Puck pressed close, swiping at his head. “I see that they were right.”

“You’re not telling me anything I don’t already know, ice-boy,” I said, leaning back and watching him dance around the clearing with the copies. “But if you already know so much about me, you should have predicted this. And if you knew it was going to happen, you should have already been prepared for it.”

The prince snarled. “I am.”

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