Chapter One

The Reasoner of Astraia mourns for her mother, all whilst being watched by an army in the dark.

The boat burned. It was not all flames and tears, as Agatha had expected. Orange light flickered, a soft fire licking the corpse, but it did not flame. There was no smoke. It was even pretty, in its own, odd way. In a realm filled with ice and snow, fire was a welcome change.

And yet, danger. It crept through Agatha's body like a slow poison, unstoppable toxins touching her veins. They had burned the body five hours ago, when it was still daylight. Now, however, night was falling, and Agatha had no place here. Deliberately staying outside at night was dangerous enough; staying outside at night with a fire burning was simply madness.

A hand, squeezing her shoulder. “Your Imminence. The Skelski.”

Agatha looked up, meeting soft eyes. It was Gerda, wearing the red furs of a Speaker and standing right beside her. It was custom in Astraia for the new Reasoner to be accompanied by a Speaker instead of guards. Speakers were trained in far more specific arts than guards, and Reasoners had to be advised as well as protected. Still. Agatha wished she could be alone. It felt wrong, watching her mother burn with anyone but her family.

But Merthin hadn't wanted to come. She wasn't much of a mother, he'd murmured before Agata had left. It'd be like mourning a stranger.

Struggling to keep her voice level and neutral, as was fit for the Reasoner, Agata replied, “What about them?” She knew Gerda was going to tell her to leave. She knew. But Agata did not want to go back to her rooms, now invaded by thirty-odd guards and Speakers.

“It’s getting dark. Night is Skelski territory,” Gerda reminded her. “We can’t stay, Your Imminence. They’ll kill us.”

“They wouldn't dare kill the Reasoner,” Agata replied, waving her hand dismissively.

“With all due respect, Your Imminence, we have not yet renewed our terms of the Truce. They have a right to kill anyone in their territory. Yes, you’re the Reasoner, but you’re also human. Don’t be a martyr about this.”

Agata simply continued to gaze at the burning boat. The flames were roaring higher now. Black smoke was beginning to drift from the gentle shades of orange and red.

She said, “I don’t care. I’m staying. If you don’t like it, don’t stay.”

It was fortunate Speakers had so much self-control. If she'd been the Speaker in this situation, Agata would have lost her temper already. Gerda, however, simply bowed her head.

“As you wish, Your Imminence.”

The two stood in silence, watching the fire, feeling the cold air. They did not speak; there were no words left to say. Three days ago, Agata's mother had been murdered. Three days ago, a new Reasoner had risen to take her mother's place. Three days ago, the Truce with the Skelski fell to pieces. It had been three days of uncertainty throughout all of Astraia, as all eyes turned to the one person who could give them answers. Mothers, daughters and sisters disappeared in the dead of night. Fathers, sons and brothers were found dead in the mornings. The Skelski were beginning to spiral out of Reason's control, and yet, Agata did not know what to do. Her advisors told her to assert dominance through murder. Her brother told her to do nothing; answers would soon come.

Agata did not know what to do, which was rather worrying. The whole of Astraia was looking to her for answers, and she had none. She felt like she was slipping into a never-ending pit, unable to halt her fall as she desperately clung to thin air. She had been trained her whole life to be the Reasoner, and yet, her training could never have prepared her for this. Her mother had left an unstable realm to a twenty-two year old woman. Agata could not solve the realm's problems if she tried, and unfortunately, trying was currently all she had.

She remembered the moment. They had announced the death of her mother, and she'd been taken to the Council Chamber, made to sit at the head of the circle, staring in shock as the doors opened to reveal her Speakers. Her Speakers. In Astraia, there was a certain way the Speakers pledged allegiance to their new Reasoner. That day, they'd all dressed in silk, and they'd slowly walked into the room, all chanting in Agata's native tongue�"Raecurin. As the chanting women had crowded around Agata's chair, kneeling before her, their silken skirts formed a puddle of black on the floor�"venom, not blood, spilling at Agata's feet. The main Speaker had stepped forwards. For Agata, it was Gerda. The main speaker of Agata's mother's time had been Olga. Now, it was Olga on the floor, and it was Gerda who carried the arrowhead of the Reasoner in her hands.

Agata could remember standing, stepping down from her new throne. She could remember staying completely still as Gerda slipped the arrowhead, on its sturdy string, around Agata's neck. She could remember the coolness of it against her skin. She could remember that it fit just right then, and it felt just right now. It was meant for her, the arrowhead. She had been born for the role of Reasoner.

“All hail,” Gerda had said. And she, too, had bowed as lowly as her lean body would allow, and Agata had been the final woman standing.

“All hail,” the women on the floor repeated.

Agata remembered smiling in spite of the loss of her mother. Her time had come. “All hail,” she'd said, bowing her head in respect for her country. “I am Reasoner Agata II. I take Astraia as my charge.”

A twig snapped. Agata's memories vanished into nothing at that sound. Hollow dread dripped through her like water from the mouth of a cave. Agata turned slowly, as though she'd been drugged, and stared out at the white woods, eyes searching for the culprit in the darkness. Her thoughts, she knew, could be dangerous. Distractions would not do for the Reasoner.

“Who�"” Agata started, but Gerda immediately shoved a leather-clad hand across her mouth, stopping the words there.

Agata did not struggle. If Gerda dared to touch her, it was because something was happening. So instead of protesting Agata followed Gerda's gaze back to the trees, searching, searching. Skelski were quick, very quick; it would be difficult to see them, even if they were there. And yet, Gerda had been trained to do this. She'd spent her whole life waiting for this moment, and now it had come, and Agata was concerned that neither woman was ready.

Another twig. Skelski did not make that much noise. Perhaps it was a human? Agata gently pushed the Speaker off her, taking a step forwards and ignoring the way the snow crunched beneath her boots. Her trousers seemed to cling to her legs; her furs felt too hot around her throat. In the light of the moon, Agata's eyes were wide and glistening, and she could not help the shivers running up and down her body. She did not need a Speaker to protect her. She could protect herself.

“Who's there?” she said. Her voice was strong, and carried over the trees. The person, whoever they were, would have to hear it. And yet, there was no reply. “I said, ‘Who’s there’?”

There was still no answer.

Agata turned, uncertain, and glanced at Gerda. Gerda had her bow out, and was pointing it in the direction of the trees, waiting for the culprit to show themselves. At least she had Agata's back. Agata turned back again, still watching. Either the person in the woods was afraid of her, or they were simply waiting for the right moment to kill her. Skelski used swords, or so Agata had heard. They would have to come out from the woods if they wanted to hurt her.

She raised her voice again: “If you come out now, I won’t hurt you. I swear.”

This time, there was an answer. A deep voice, female, low and husky. “You are trespassing.”

It was a Skelski; the voice was heavy with a Northern accent. The Skelski did not leave the safety of the trees, however, and Gerda seemed to be having trouble locating the source so that she could shoot. Agata was just going to have to use oratory to win this battle, as she'd done a million times before. It occurred to her, in that moment, that Skelski didn't seem too fond of showing themselves to humans. Nobody ever saw them. The only reason Agata had ever seen one was because of the ambassador in her mother's Court, who was now in Agata's Court, too. Agata had never learned her name. She didn't even know whether Skelski had names. They were like an infestation, in Agata's mind; one did not name rats.

“Show yourself,” Agata demanded. Despite the knowledge that it was a Skelski, her voice did not shake. She was the most powerful woman in all of Astraia. She did not get frightened by shadows in the dark.

“Do you take me for a fool?” the Skelski answered, chuckling. The laugh was low and strange, sending tingles and shivers down Agata's spine. “I don’t have a death wish. Your woman will kill me.”

“She won’t.” Agata did not take her eyes off the trees, certain that they were on the invisible Skelski, but she did motion to Gerda to drop her bow. Gerda was clearly reluctant to do so, but an order from the Reasoner was an order. She put the bow away. “See? We’re unarmed. We’re not going to hurt you.”

There was a pause.

Agata said, “I don’t want any trouble. The only reason we’re here is so we could burn my mother’s body.” She raised her voice again, just a fraction. “My mother, the Reasoner. Did you know her?”

“I knew her.”

“Then you know she’s the reason the Truce existed. She wanted peace.”

“Did she? You could have fooled me.” There was a pause. Perhaps the Skelski expected an answer. She didn’t get one. “Even if she did,” she continued, “it’s of no consequence now. She’s dead; you’re the Reasoner now.”

The words made little sense to Agata, who was beginning to feel the pins of frustration behind her eyes. “We’re unarmed,” she said impatiently. “Just show yourself.”

“You are not unarmed.” There it was again: that chuckle. It made Agata want to get closer so she could hear it better, but such an idea was mad. She was trespassing, and a Skelski had found her. She would die if she moved a single inch. “I’m not blind. I can see your bow and arrows. Put them down, like your woman, and I will come.”

Slowly, Agata removed her cloak so that she could access her bow and arrows, and removed those, too, putting them carefully on the ground. Then she replaced her cloak and waited. Her skin crawled with anticipation. She had seen Skelski before, but never in their territory. She only ever saw them in her spaces, where she knew she was safe and in no danger at all, surrounded by her guards. Now, out here, not only was she endangered, but she was also sacrificing her only defences just because a Skelski stranger had told her to. She felt certain she was going to regret it, but what else could she do? It was not unreasonable to want to leave in peace.

She did not have much time to waste on idle panic. As she watched, a woman stepped out of the trees. Agata gasped. She was unbelievably tall, with long black hair hanging down broad shoulders. She was lightly muscled and lithe, and she wore leather armour and fur, just like the Speakers, which hid every single part of her body. Even her face was partially obscured by a large, fur-lined hood, but Agata could just about make out clear skin, and the yellow, reptilian eyes of the Skelski. Her cheeks were hollowed, and her eyes deep-set. It was the eyes, Agata thought. Despite their strange, alien appearance, there was something alluring about the coldness. It was like a layer of ice hiding a lake, and in that lake, a million secrets to discover. Agata felt like she was slipping on that ice, drowning in that water.

The Skelski waited unsmilingly, watching Agata stare with a crease furrowing her brow�"a frown of disapproval, Agata identified. Agata cleared her throat. She was not getting distracted by a Skelski. That was not something that happened to Reasoners.

“Who are you?” Agata asked, though there was something familiar about the face. Something about the way she stared.

“Do we all look so similar to you, that you'd forget me so easily?” the Skelski murmured in reply. Now that there was a face to the voice, she sounded softer, somehow. Her voice was velvet dripping with poison. She was a snake in the form of a woman. “I am the Skelski ambassador.”

Of course; that was why she looked familiar. Agata frowned, trying to remember her name�"again. She didn't need to. The Skelski ambassador bent in a mocking bow, introducing herself�"again.

“Kaja, leader of the Southern Skelski tribe, at your service. You may address me as Captain.” Her words were mockingly grandstanding. Agata felt resentment beginning to twist in her gut. Kaja straightened, raising an eyebrow and fiddling with the glove on her right hand. “And you are Agata.”

Gerda gasped, leaning down to pick up her bow again, but Agata held up a hand to restrain her. It was one of the biggest offences in Astraia, to address the Reasoner by her real name. It was simply not something anyone did, unless they had a death wish. But perhaps Kaja was unaware of this custom. After all, she was Skelski. Agata's mother always said the Skelski were thick creatures, with more brawn than brains.

“I am the Reasoner,” Agata corrected.

“Congratulations,” Kaja answered. She was smirking. Agata realised with a start that she was enjoying this�"treating it like a game. “Reasoner or not, you’re trespassing. Anyone travelling through these woods at night is fair game. We have rights.”

“So you have.” Agata struggled to retain her neutral tone. Reasonless? Who did this Skelski think she was?

“And yet, you still dare to do so? Dear me. For someone whose title implies sensibility, you are stupid.”

Again, Gerda lurched forwards as though preparing to punch her. Again, Agata had to restrain her with a single hand. Again, Gerda was forced to stand in the background, scowling at the Skelski as though simply daring her to do anything to her mistress. Kaja only seemed to find this even more amusing, much to the frustration of Agata.

“I am here to burn my mother's body,” Agata said. “I stayed too late. I made a mistake. I only ask that you let us go in peace.”

Kaja glanced at Gerda. “I doubt 'peace' is a word your woman knows well.”

“Why, you�"” Gerda started.

“Gerda,” Agata snapped. Immediately, Gerda dropped her head to the floor, still scowling furiously. It was difficult, Agata knew, to obey every one of the Reasoner's orders. Not every Reasoner had as much sense and sensibility as her mother.

Kaja glanced behind Agata and Gerda, watching the burning boat float away on the ocean. Her face was completely unreadable, even for Agata, who was usually excellent at reading emotions in a person. Kaja, however, was blank.

“I will let you go in peace,” Kaja said finally, meeting Agata's eyes. “But I have conditions.”

“Name them,” Agata answered.

“You will create a new Truce between humans and Skelski, just as your mother did before you. In this Truce, you will allow the night to remain ours.”

“Done,” said Agata, ignoring Gerda's sharp intake of breath. She could not protest; she had no place in politics, only in protecting the Reasoner. Agata's word was final. Even the Speakers in Court could not sway her opinion; once it had been made, it had been made, and that was that.

“You will also stop the rumours spreading.”

That was interesting. Agata had expected the offered Truce, but rumours? She did not know of any rumours. She glanced uncertainly at Gerda, but Gerda said not a word. She didn't know, either. Agata turned back to Kaja, raising a quizzical eyebrow.

“Rumours?” she repeated.

Kaja nodded. Her face was all too serious now; there was no smirk, no laughter. “Your women are disappearing. Your men are dying. Rumours are spreading that this is the work of the Skelski.”

“And it isn't?” Agata challenged.

“No, it isn't,” Kaja answered. Her eyes were cold. “Perhaps, if you stop blaming everything on the Skelski, you'll see the real problems facing your queendom.”

It was another insult, and yet, this time, Gerda did not even move. She seemed too interested in what Kaja was saying, which was understandable. Agata was interested, too.

“Very well,” Agata said slowly. “I’ll do all I can to stop the rumours. If you let me go.” She paused. “Who is killing these people, then? Taking them?”

Kaja shrugged. Her face was annoyingly indifferent. “Why should I care? They aren't taking Skelski. My people are not in danger. But yours are. And if you were a good leader, you would be concerning yourself with that, instead of spending hours staring at a dead woman's burning corpse.”

Agata flinched. A cold feeling washed over her, but she ignored it. It wouldn't do to get angry now�"not when they were being offered an escape route. Her mother had taught her better than that. Compromise meant both sides were displeased in some way; she was going to have to accept the insult. For now. When she next called Court, however, she was not going to let the Skelski ambassador get away with it.

She held her head up high, chin in the air, sniffing disdainfully. “If you didn't care, you wouldn't have mentioned it to me.”

Kaja still looked indifferent. “Oh? Because you know me so well, do you?”

Agata scowled. She was getting tired of this Skelski and her games. She'd been warned against this a thousand times as a child. Her mother had always taught her: Skelski know exactly what they're doing. Never trust them.

But Agata knew what she was doing, too.

“And how is it that you speak for all Skelski?” Agata demanded. “There must be some who disagree with this. With letting us go.”

“There are,” Kaja agreed. She did not elaborate.

Agata's hands curled automatically into fists. Though they were gloved, she could still feel her nails digging into her palms. “Then why are you speaking for them?”

“Because that’s what leaders do,” answered Kaja, shrugging again. “My people are not so fickle as yours. Their loyalty has been earned. But you. You thrive off the loyalty to your mother. Who in your Court is loyal to you personally?” She did not give Agata a chance to formulate a response. “I said you could go�"so go. If you want to stay out here, in Skelski territory, be my guest. But don’t expect me to take the responsibility when you die.”

The Skelski turned again, apparently knowing she was not going to be shot in the back. Agata heard herself shout, “Wait! I'm not done with you yet!” but Kaja did not reply. Instead, the Skelski ambassador and leader of the Southern tribe began to walk back into the trees, merging with the darkness. Agata glanced at Gerda, uncertain of what she was supposed to do.

Did she stop Kaja? Did she let her go? What was a Reasoner supposed to do?

But by the time she looked back at Kaja again, her dilemma was solved for her.

The Skelski was already gone.

Author's Note

Hey.
I'm hoping this chapter has enough of an atmosphere. It's the main thing I was trying to put across when writing it, as well as the tension between the characters.
Let me know what you think! Any constructive criticism is very welcome.

Reviews

[Drew Harvey]

This was an interesting and fun read! I will definitely check out more of this story!
Some (hopefully constructive) criticism, I'm not the biggest fan of the names you've chosen for characters and especially 'Skelski', for me it is an unnatural sounding word that made me pause every time I read it.
I think you also have a strange use of dialogue, it is not entirely natural in some places, i mean it doesn't read like a natural conversation between two people, it reads like dialogue on a page between two fictional charters.
Other than those small things I enjoyed this piece!
I'd appreciate it if you could read some of my writing!

[solsystemtillnervsystem]

Thank you for your review!
Your criticism is definitely constructive; thank you very much. I didn't even realise the dialogue sounded stilted, but reading back over it, I can definitely see where you're coming from. I'll be sure to make editing that a priority. My intention was to present the characters, particularly Agata, as very cold and aloof in their dialogue, but it seems more robotic.
Thank you again for your review; it's always really helpful to hear a reader's view on it (especially on the names-I'm so used to writing them that it's never occurred to me that they might be really awkward to read, so I appreciate you pointing that out to me!). I'm glad you enjoyed this chapter despite the mistakes.
(Also, I'll be happy to read some of your writing!)

[Novel Minded_75]

I must say that I truly enjoyed this Chapter.
The characters are interesting and the writing reminds me of James A. Moore, who wrote the 'Seven Forges' series.
Love the setting of the story and the imagination implemented into the roles and names of the characters and their societies.
Great introduction into your world :)

[Wayward Soul]

I love the Idea for this story, I do belive the titles of speaker and reasoner should be switched, but I understand why you did it that way. It takes a lot to keep me on the edge of my seat, and thats just what this chapter did, cant wait for more

[solsystemtillnervsystem]

Thank you so much! Really appreciate the review. Your feedback about the titles is very helpful; I'll keep it in mind in future edits. I'm glad you're enjoying the story!