Prose Magica: The Ballad of the Seventeenth Part 15

Heavy breathing and jingling metal mixed with a howling gale. Odette ran, feeling the crunch of snow beneath her steel boots. It was still powdery and fresh - no more than an inch thick - making every step a fight to keep from slipping. She pushed forward, an arm held in front of her face to shield against the blinding snow. The world beyond a foot in front of her was a solid wall of twisting, swirling white. The cold bit at her skin and chilled her bones. Rime crept its way up the black cloak trailing down her back like a white shadow, raking her with icy talons.

Still, Odette ran. She couldn't afford to stop and breathe. Figures emerged from the edges of her vision as she moved, veiled in the blizzard. They grasped with desperate hands as cold as death. They begged for her to stop and look at them. She had to keep moving. The sound of blood pumping pounded a steady marching beat in her ears.

The silver-haired girl stumbled. Pain seared through her gloved hand as it scraped against the rough ice on the ground. As Odette regained her balance, she shoved the hand under her cloak and against her side. It forced her to lower her other arm, exposing her face to the biting cold. Snow and ice stung at her eye before she could shut it. A single, thin streak of ice ran down her cheek where tears had once been. The wind shrieked past her ears - a mournful, wailing noise.

Odette spared a quick, pained glance over her shoulder. It kept pace with her while maintaining an impossibly relaxed and deliberate saunter. No matter how fast she ran, it always seemed to keep pace with her. Odette ran ten metres and she'd turn around to find it two steps closer. Every now and again she'd mutter a quiet, "No, no, no," to herself, pleading for the world to pull over and let her off.

"JUST GIVE UP!" The wind shrieked. "THERE'S NOWHERE LEFT TO HIDE HERE!"

The cold had a way of sapping one's strength. She was stumbling more than ever; her legs begged her for rest. Soon enough, Odette fell to the ground. She couldn't be entirely sure if she'd tripped or if her feet had finally surrendered ahead of her mind. The icy ground stung her hands as Odette desperately tried to pull herself back up. Instead, she only succeeded in crawling a handful of feet before something smashed into her ribcage and knocked the wind out of her.

"I told you, didn't I?" An all too familiar voice asked. "Look at me."

Odette nearly dug her face into the snow. A hand seized a shank of her white hair and forced her face up, its fingers crackled as they moved and felt unnaturally rigid.

"LOOK AT ME!" The figure screamed.

She did. Odette stared at a face that was broken and twisted beyond recognition. It was deathly pale and tinged blue with frost. One eye was nothing more than a ragged, empty hollow. Worse yet were the figure's hands; from the elbow down, they were coated in what Odette could only imagine was frozen blood. Each crystalline, talon-like finger ended in a jagged point that poked and cut into the fallen girl's scalp.

Despite her best efforts, she couldn't quite tear her gaze away from the eldritch mirror image whose glare bore a hole through Odette's soul.

"There's a good girl," the mirror cooed, brushing a few stray strands of long, angelic white hair out of her face. "Look at yourself. Look at you, scrabbling around like an animal. You had a CHANCE. WE had a chance. You know, I bet that if you walked in right now, Therese would roll over and let you be Warmaster again. Instead... Instead, LOOK AT WHAT YOU DO!"

Odette's shadow yanked on her hair again, forcing her to arch her spine painfully.

"You come home with your tail between your legs, begging for them to let you prove yourself again," she spat, her face contorting into an expression of purest hate. "Well aren't you just the prodigal daughter. And then- And then you... I don't even want to say it. Not only do you sleep with that FUCKING whore, you MOVE IN WITH HER?! And I know what you plan on saying to her. Oh, do I know. You promised. You promised yourself, you promised US! Mark my words, Odette Brighton, you will regret it," the mirror image hissed, bringing herself so close that their noses almost touched. "You will suffer."

With her peace said, the twisted figure released Odette. As her head hit the ground, the ice began to crackle and pop. The last thing she saw before the ice gave way and plunged her into the waters below was a strange, misplaced glimpse of pink.

✱✱✱

Icy waters gave way to cold sweat as Odette's eyes snapped open. She was home. It had only been her home for a span of a few hours, but it was home nonetheless. She wasn't just shivering - she was shaking so hard that she could barely move. Tears streamed down her face as she sat upright, hugging her knees. The blonde to her left recoiled in shock as her hand brushed up against Odette.

"Holy-! Jesus, Odette!" She cried, sitting up. "You're freezing!"

The one-eyed girl didn't respond. She only shook and whimpered faintly with each breath. Lotte gathered up every blanket on the bed, then wrapped Odette with them and hugged her tightly from behind.

"Hey. It's okay, I've got you," the Callidus cooed as she rocked Odette gently. "I'm here. You're safe."

Lotte kept whispering to her, reassuring her. There was a time, a bit shy of three years ago, that such things were a nightly ritual. It almost brought the blonde girl to tears seeing Odette like that again. Every night after the first Warmaster had died, she'd stayed with her. It had taken a month for Odette to finally be able to sleep undisturbed. The Callidus had almost become an expert at soothing her. She wrapped Odette in the sheets and held her, making sure to keep talking, never for a moment letting the other girl think that she was alone.

Just like old times, Odette stopped shaking - or at least calmed down to a slight shiver - after just under ten minutes. Lotte pulled her in closer and kissed the back of her white hair.

"You okay?" She asked, her face still buried in the other girl's hair.

Odette nodded without a word.

"You want a hot chocolate?"

The one-eyed girl shook her head. "Just stay like this," she mumbled, just above a whisper. "Just a little longer."

Cold as she was, sitting there buck naked, Lotte obliged. She knew enough not to say anything more. The fact that Odette had turned down something sweet to keep being held told the blonde all she needed to know. Neither of them quite knew how much time passed after those few spared words. To Lotte's surprise, it was Odette who chose to break the silence first. Only three words were spoken. Three simple words that were enough to open the floodgates and finally drive the Callidus to tears. Odette didn't even deign to lift her head as she muttered that which she had kept herself from saying for two years.

"I forgive you."

✱✱✱

Several hours later, sunlight filtered in through the windows and threw stripes of light over the sleeping pair. Odette groaned softly as her brain churned to life. She was still mostly draped across Lotte's chest, her head cushioned by pillowy softness. The one-eyed girl pushed herself upright, stretching and yawning. A quick glance at the clock told her that it was already nine in the morning. As she tried to pull herself out of bed, Odette felt the Callidus' hand wrap around her own.

"Stay," Lotte murmured, a sleepy grin on her face.

"I'd love to," the silver-haired girl answered, giving the blonde's hand a squeeze, "but I've got work to do."

"It's not going anywhere."

Odette rolled her eyes and laughed at the Callidus. "Remember that 'fresh start' thing I was talking about? Besides, the quicker I wrap this case up, the quicker I can take you out somewhere nice."

"You- You mean like," Lotte muttered, suddenly sitting upright, "a date?"

The silver-haired girl laughed again as she lifted herself out of bed and began scouring the floor for her clothes. "Figured that'd get your attention," she said, unable to wipe the grin off of her face. "Yes, y'doof, like a date."

Lotte blinked. "This is real, right? This actually happening?"

Having thrown on some underwear and scooped up and armful of clothing, Odette leaned over the bed and gave the stunned blonde a firm flick on the forehead. "Real enough for you?"

"Well- I- Okay, um," Lotte stammered as she tried to find her words, "at least let me make you breakfast before you go."

"I can do breakfast," the one-eyed girl replied, throwing the blonde a winning smile. "But first, I should probably get cleaned up."

Lotte nodded several times before everything seemed to register. Her eyes were still sore from crying earlier in the night; no doubt she had a pair of streaks down her face to match. It wasn't until she heard the dull roar of the shower being turned on that she finally pulled herself out of bed and threw on a t-shirt and pants as quickly as she could. Lotte had always managed to stay cool when it came to matters of the bedroom, but what came afterward was a different matter entirely. Usually she just said her good-byes and the two went their separate ways. Now she had to think of breakfast, not to mention the fact that the one-eyed girl LIVED there now.

By the time Odette stepped out of the shower, Lotte had already set down a glass of peach juice and a plate of blueberry toasted waffles. The blonde silently cursed herself for being so frugal with her grocery shopping. The one-eyed girl dried her silvery hair with a towel as she took her seat, letting out a satisfied sigh.

"Man," she started, taking a sip of her juice, "that was nice. I haven't had a hot shower in months."

"Wait, you," Lotte cocked an eyebrow at the other girl's comment, "you haven't had a shower in months?"

"A HOT shower, I said," Odette clarified as she began working on the waffle. "Just took cold showers at home, since I didn't want to run out of hot water. Not like it bothers me, anyway."

The blonde let out a quiet "hmph" as she rested her head on her hand, idly watching the former Warmaster eat. "So what's on today's agenda?"

Odette swallowed a mouthful of waffle, then tilted her head from side to side as she thought. "Gonna go interrogate that little shit," she answered. "Gotta talk to Holly about some stuff and get Sue back. After that, I dunno. Oh, need to talk to, uh, what's her name? Bernard, I think. How 'bout you?"

"Probably gonna go back to bed," Lotte sighed. "May's in town, so I might go hang out with her later."

"Mm. We should go see one of her shows together."

"Yeah?" The Callidus asked, her eyes going wide. "What, um, what if she sees us? Like, together? I'm never gonna hear the end of it..."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Odette laughed. "Were we supposed to keep the whole 'dating' thing a secret?"

"Well, no, I just- I thought that you-"

"Relax, Lotte," the silver-haired girl rolled her eye, smiling gently. "It's not like it's some big secret that we were already foolin' around. Even Foobs picked up on it."

"O-oh," Lotte murmured as her gaze wandered around the kitchen. "Dating, huh..."

"We've kinda been doing things in the wrong order, eh?"

"I guess so." A smile tugged at the edges of Lotte's lips as her eyes found their way back to Odette. "So, um, does that mean I can call you my- my girlfriend?"

"Beats me," Odette shrugged, taking a bite out of another forkful of waffle. "It's not like I've done this kind of thing before, either. But, I don't really mind it..."

The blonde nodded, smiling to herself. "Odette is my girlfriend," she muttered, trying out the phrase. "Odette is my girlfriend..."

The one-eyed girl simply laughed and shook her head. "You are such a dork."

✱✱✱

It was rare for the Warmaster to call upon Fredrica Volk. It was rare for the new Warmaster to call upon anyone personally, for that matter. Sure, they had been partners for assignments in the past - one might have even called them friends - but the Warmaster seemed to have distanced herself from her old friends over the past week. Some said she was too broken up over Odette's disappearance, others that she was finally taking her job seriously.

Freddy shifted her weight as she stood at attention before the Warmaster, itching to fix a clip from her white shoulder-cape that was uncomfortably digging into her shoulder. Therese typed away at her computer, a large, flat, rectangular box sitting off to the side of her desk. The junior Eversor had already been waiting some time, trying to keep herself from imagining why the Warmaster might have called her in, or what the box on her desk might contain.

"Right," Therese finally announced, pushing her keyboard away. "I'm sure that you've heard the news about Frieda Norton by now, yes?"

Freddy nodded. She had heard, alright. The rumour going around was that her soulgem went and witched out at an airport in Calgary. Still, Freddy remained silent.

"You have my condolences. She was one of our best Callidus, third only to May and... Miss Laufson," the Warmaster stated, with no small hint of disdain in her voice as she spoke the second name. "Now, with the leader of the Valkyries gone, that leaves me in a bit of a predicament, as I'm sure you can imagine."

The boyish magical girl nodded a second time as she slowly began to realize what the contents of the box must be.

"You are well-respected among their ranks. Recommended by Odette herself, as I recall," Therese nodded as she pulled the black box in front of her and pried the lid off, revealing a black shoulder-cape, nearly identical to Freddy's own. "Which is why I believe it would be fitting for you to be Miss Norton's successor."

Freddy's eyes went wide as a mixture of surprise, joy and confusion coloured her face. "Terry, I-"

"Warmaster."

"Ah, Warmaster, I- I'm honoured," the Eversor gulped, trying to sort out her words. "I really am, and, I don't mean to be ungrateful, but... does this mean I won't be getting the promotion to, um, to Rank Leader?"

Therese cocked an eyebrow as a wry grinned crept up her cheek. "And what makes you think that, Fredrica?"

"Well, it's just, y'know," Freddy stammered, fidgetting with the hem of her jacket, "traditionally, a- a Rank Leader couldn't be a member of the Valkyries. It's- it's how we've always done things and-"

"Traditions change, Freddy," her superior replied as she leaned back in her chair, giving the junior Eversor a smile that seemed so very unlike her. "This is no longer Odette's officio, or Brie's for that matter. Out with the old, in with the new, as they say."

"So... so you're saying that I am getting the promotion?"

"If you'll accept it, that is. It's been a long time coming, if you ask me."

"Wing Captain and Rank Leader..." Freddy murmurred, letting the thought trail off.

"The very first."

"Well, shit," the Eversor laughed, grinning sheepishly, "if you put it like that, how could I say no?"

"Excellent!" Therese smiled, clapping her hands together. She lifted the box from her desk, holding it out to Freddy in a rather reverent manner. "Then by all means, try it on."

The black-haired Eversor nodded, sighing with relief as she finally got to unclasp the white cape from her shoulder. She picked up the black one with all the respect any Valkyrie would give it, feeling its weight in her hands. It was silk - top quality silk, at that - in contrast to the cotton of her old one. The pair of golden clasps that every Valkyrie's cape bore were adorned with round, brilliant cut diamonds. It was awe-inspiring in a way. All of Freddy's idols had once worn that same cape; Odette and Therese, along with just about any past or present Rank Leader in the Seventeenth.

"I've got some big shoes to fill, huh?" Freddy asked, unable to supress the smile on her face as she put on the new cape.

"You'll do just fine, Freddy," the Warmaster assured her. "There will be changes around here in the coming weeks, and I look forward to having someone of your talent by my side."

The boyish Eversor saluted, thumping a fist over her heart. "I won't let you down, my lady."

"I should hope not," Therese laughed, waving the newly-appointed Wing Captain off. "Dismissed. I'll give you a couple hours to prepare something to say before we make it official."

Freddy bowed her head without a word before she turned to leave. After hearing the click of the door closing, Therese spun about in her chair, twirling a pen between her fingers.

"'My lady', huh?" She laughed, smiling from ear to ear. "I like the sound of that."