“What the hell is that,” Kelly asked, staring down the hill into the small valley.

  Standing next to her, Senora smiled. A couple of the other Valkyries, standing at the top of the hill, wore similar expressions to Kellys.

  “That is the work of the Dawnmother,” Senora said, pride and reverence in her voice, replacing the usual haughtiness.

  They were still in a city in Massachusetts, or maybe they had finally crossed over the border into New Hampshire. Kelly wasn’t sure. It had been a long time since she’d seen a townline or directional sign. Loch had mentioned that when they’d been together. It seemed an odd thing for the Worldcore to take. Such a small amount of metal, but she supposed it would add up over time.

  The valley wasn’t natural, not a feature of the landscape or something the city builders had planned on. It was a large crater, the sides sloping down. Not natural, it looked like someone had taken a large shovel and dug into the ground. A half mile long and quarter mile wide, the sides jagged and rough.

  The bottom wasn’t much better. Uneven ground, lots of rocks, some that had fallen down the sides of the slopes. It made for a hellish landscape.

  And there were dozens of people moving about. Some were setting up tents. There were large firepits scattered around the base. Other people were bringing loads of logs, carried by hand as the ground was too uneven to use wheelbarrows or wagons. Still others were skinning animals at the far end, throwing the meat into what Kelly thought was a smoking hut. A small group was going through what looked like piles of vegetables.

  Just past the people working on the vegetables and animals, Kelly saw a portal. It was open, leading to somewhere that looked warm. She thought she saw Greek or Roman architecture, not sure if it was on Earth or somewhere else. Only a small handful of people were moving through the shimmering circle of energy. They wore strange clothing. Light and airy, in bright colors. Not all the people in the valley, Kelly didn’t know what else to call it, wore the same. Most wore clothing like the people in the caravan behind her. Worn jeans, t-shirts, jackets. Earth clothing.

  The people in the bright colors were Elves, the rest were humans. Even though the slope wasn’t that high, she couldn’t tell if the humans were slaves or volunteers. Maybe people rescued like her people?

  “What am I looking at?” She asked Senora.

  “This is to be your home for the winter,” Senora said. “Thanks to the charity of the Dawnmother?”

  “Charity,” Tiffany scoffed. “Are you kidding me? We’re supposed to stay there for the winter? She’s got to be joking.”

  “Do not speak that way of the Dawnmother,” Senora barked, turning on Tiffany, her eyes glowing as she started to summon her Spirit for an Ability.

  Tiffany turned, face impassive, holding her spear at the ready. Kelly stepped between them, glaring at Senora. Her spear wasn’t held at the ready, it was up, the tip pointing at Senora.

  “Stand down,” Kelly said, her tone giving no room for argument.

  Senora shifted her gaze to Kelly, locking eyes. The two stared at each other for a moment. Kelly lifted the spear an inch, taking a step forward. Senora took a step back, lowering her hands. The glow faded from her eyes.

  Kelly pointed down into the valley.

  “This is where you’ve been leading us this whole time?”

  “No,” Senora said. “This is just where the Dawnmother wants you to spend the winter. Then come the Spring, we will continue to the final destination.”

  “And where is that,” Kelly asked, not taking her eyes off Senora.

  The elf priestess looked uncomfortable under Kelly’s intense glare. She swallowed nervously, looking down at the valley and then the portal, before looking back at Kelly with far less confidence.

  “Through the portal,” Senora said. “But the Dawnmother must gather more power before she can bring so many through.”

  “What’s her plan for us?” Kelly asked. “Why bring us all this way just to enter that portal?”

  “As you know, it takes a large amount of energy to power a portal and the more Connected that go through one, even more energy is required.”

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  Kelly nodded. She’d been told all that when Senora had used Freyja’s power to open the portal that sent Kelly to Northwood. The portal she’d used on this end, along with the one in Northwood, had both been created by the Divine Being Concept Of Death. That had established a connection between them. Kelly thought of the portal stone she had in her Spatial Bag. She shifted to look at the large portal at the bottom of the valley.

  She had seen a few people walking out of it, and now a larger amount going through it. All the people going through the portal wore the clothing of the Elves. None of the humans. Some of the elves stayed behind. The portal flashed and then disappeared. The group watching reacted, all turning to Senora in confusion.

  “They just brought supplies didn’t they?” Kelly asked.

  “Yes.”

  “And all that is supposed to last us all winter?”

  “Yes.”

  Kelly could barely control her anger. She felt like such a fool. For months, she’d allowed Senora to guide them north, listening to the elf and her promises that Freyja had a plan and destination. That Freyja would take care of them. Promises that the couple hundred people that Kelly was responsible for would be taking care of. And then to see the valley.

  It looked barely large enough to contain them all. Tents were no shelter against winter and snow. It barely looked like enough food.

  “With the coming of Spring, when the Dawnmother’s Concept is at its strongest, she will have the power to bring you all to her.”

  “And where is that?” Kelly asked, looking down into the valley.

  The people there had taken notice of her group, talking among themselves and pointing. A small group, three people, walked away from the others, heading up the slope.

  “Your people called it Rome.”

  Kelly shook her head. With the way the Earth had grown, a mile became six or more. Thousands became tens of thousands. And Rome wasn’t now just thousands of miles away, it was across the Atlantic Ocean, which had no doubt had grown in size as well. It might as well be another planet. If Kelly went through that portal, she would never see her family again.

  She had been a fool, but no longer. Not since coming back from Northwood.

  There was a plan and she would see it through.

  “You can stay here,” Kelly said, pointing at Senora’s feet. “We have no more need of you.”

  Before Senora could say a word, Kelly started walking to meet the group coming up the slope.

  ***

  “Greetings,” the elf in the lead said, bowing his head to Kelly. His eyes drifted past her to Senora up on the hill.

  Kelly had heard Senora move to follow her, but had also heard Tiffany and two other Valkyries get in the way. She had kept walking, acting like she was ignoring it all. Senora Barkfall was no longer worth her time.

  “Will the Priestess be joining us?” the elf asked.

  “No,” Kelly replied, inwardly smiling at the confused and shocked expression on the elf.

  “Well… uhm…,” he started.

  “Who are you?” Kelly asked.

  “I am Yorin Greenstone,” he said, looking from her to Senora up the hill, still confused. “I am the Dawnmother’s Priest in this,” he said, with a little more confidence, hand extending behind him. “Winterhome.”

  “Winterhome?”

  “Yes,” He said, bowing his head.

  “This is not our winterhome,” Kelly said, looking past the elf at the two humans that had followed him. An older man and younger woman. “And you two are?”

  “Jacob Turner.”

  He had silver hair and beard, standing about six feet tall. Jacob looked strong, but Kelly had a feeling he’d been really old when the Connection had come and Adapted him. He wore decent clothes. Jeans and a flannel with a vest.

  “Holly Brackett.”

  She looked to be about Kelly’s age, with brown hair and blue eyes. A couple inches over five feet, she wore clothing similar to Jacob.

  “Are you two in charge of this winterhome?” Kelly asked.

  “No, Lord Greenstone is,” Jacob answered.

  Kelly could tell, reading between the lines, that Jacob did not like the elf. From Holly’s expression, neither did she. If Yorin Greenstone was anything like Senora Barkfall, she couldn’ blame them.

  “Well now you’re in charge,” she said, pointing to Jacob.

  Yorin started to say something, eyes wide in outrage. Kelly glared at him.

  “That one used us,” she said, pointing up at Senora. “So I’m not a big fan of you Priests and Priestesses of Freyja right now.”

  “She is your Patron,” Yorin said, outraged.

  Kelly ignored the elf. She walked by him, coming to stop in front of Jacob and Holly.

  “That’s not going to work for the winter,” Kelly told them, pointing at the valley. “We need to do better.”

  Jacob impressed Kelly, he didn’t protest or try to argue. He just nodded.

  “What do you suggest?”