Chapter 32

  Snow never pretended to fully understand Sage’s gift. Gifts from the old gods never appeared to fit some logical pattern. Mortals made up reasons or stories for them because they naturally desired an understanding, a predictability, but that didn’t mean the stories were true.

  While blind to the world around her, Sage had the ability to see beyond it. From the time she was a young child, she could see beyond the present moment. Snow suspected she saw both past and future all at once but only spoke of the former so as to not influence the latter. All the village was sure her ability was a gift from the goddess and Sage grew up with the weight of being her ‘chosen one’ all her life. It was something the two had in common and had drawn Snow to her when they met years ago.

  While there was no community hovering around Snow looking for him to lead their temple, he had always felt his power was a kind of mantle placed on him for a purpose. There were no others like him in the world save for Cicero, who was adamant about discarding his gift. To Snow, that surely meant that whatever designs this world had for a resurrectionist, it would fall on him. He had always kept a lookout for such a destiny hiding around every corner, and there were a few times he thought he had found it, but each one quickly turned into yet another disappointing adventure in the life of Korvinian Snow: resurrectionist and outcast of the world.

  Despite having her role seemingly shoved onto her, Sage took to it naturally. The young woman was a beacon of patience, acceptance, and surprising cleverness. She understood people and taught Snow how to better interpret emotions and reactions - how to pay attention to voice and breath. He found himself lingering in the village for months and, for a time, he was smitten with her. Sage was beautiful, graceful, and engaging. Even now, the woman continued to stir warm feelings in him, but he knew this life was not for him. Sage needed someone who would share her quiet home, and Snow knew his fate was still out there on the road.

  “I knew you were coming back,” Sage said.

  She had asked a very reluctant Max to show Lia out to the pasture where she might find something for dinner. The ex-savior had clenched his jaw tight enough to crack something, but then tightly nodded.

  “You knew that without your sight,” Snow smiled as he said it. “I said I’d come by this season.”

  “True.” Sage began to smile as well. “Now, what is it you want to know?”

  Snow leaned forward with his elbows propped on his knees. His head was almost bowed in weariness.

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  “Is there a war coming?”

  Sage sat still and sober for a moment before replying. “Yes.”

  “Am I to play a role in it?”

  Again, a few heart beats went by before she replied. “Yes.”

  “Will I-,” he started until Sage interrupted.

  “Kori, you already know the answers to these questions. Why not ask me what you really want to know?”

  Snow sighed and looked up. “Will I see him again?”

  Sage smiled kindly. “Yes. And you will be glad when you do.”

  “But…,” Snow started to explain everything that had happened, but again, Sage didn’t let him.

  “You will let him speak and then you’ll know.”

  Snow rolled his eyes before giving Sage a tired smirk, “You couldn’t just tell me now?”

  Sage smiled back. “I don’t know exactly what he’s going to say. There is more to him than I can see. But I can see that you liked him… that you had hope.”

  Snow bowed his head and ran his fingers through his filthy hair.

  Sage continued. “And I know you need a rest. When Max comes back in with Lia, I’ll tell him to help the two of you.”

  “I can handle it, Sage. I just need a good meal and a long bath.”

  “I noticed,” Sage scrunched up her nose with a bit of a smirk.

  “I’ll make a spot in the cellar for Lia. I’ll be fine sleeping here by the hearth.”

  “Kori?”

  “Hmm?” Snow looked up.

  “I’m glad you’re here.”

  “So am I.”

  Sage was the only one Snow suffered to be called ‘Kori’. It was a name he had confessed to her while talking of his childhood and she had adopted despite his grumbles… or more precisely because of his grumbles. Sage was utterly convinced that Snow took himself far too seriously.

  It reminded Snow how Titus had used that ridiculous nickname… Snowflake. At first it felt mocking, but as Snow looked back on it, there was an air of playfulness when Titus said it. In the aftermath of Folfern, Snow told himself it was just a sly effort to force a feeling of friendship. That’s why it cropped up whenever Snow took issue with something, but he had a hard time believing the smile that accompanied it was false.

  Snow sat quietly for a bit wondering what on earth that idiot could possibly say to explain all that had happened.