Aozaki Aoko Case File [497] (Patreon)

Edgin was wielding an axe, splitting thick logs in his yard into finer firewood to keep warm that night.

After finishing the last piece, Edgin rubbed his sore lower back and looked up into the distance.

The village where he lived was already covered in a thick blanket of snow. Even the warm lights in the villagers’ homes flickered uncertainly, as if they might be snuffed out at any moment.

Edgin sighed, stretched his body stiff from the cold, and prepared to carry the firewood inside. But his attention was quickly drawn to a figure approaching through the snow.

“How did you do today?” Edgin called out, with a hint of anticipation.

“Not great,” replied Holga, brushing snow from her hair and patting the half-starved young deer slung over her shoulder. “There are fewer and fewer animals. This is all I got today.”

“Let’s talk inside,” Edgin said calmly, picking up the split firewood. “This damned weather is just too cold.”

The two carried their burdens into the still-warm house. Edgin’s wife and daughter hurried over to brush the snow off their coats.

“Thank you, dear,” Edgin said, setting the firewood aside and kissing his wife. “Let’s start preparing dinner!”

The family of four worked together for over an hour, splitting up the tasks for dinner. When finished, they sat around the table, enjoying what barely passed for a hearty meal.

Although there were no conflicts among them, anyone could see that the family’s spirits were low. It was as if a shadow loomed overhead.

“Still no news from Simon and Doric?” Holga finally broke the silence, asking Edgin, “They’ve been stuck in Bryn Shander for a while now.”

“Last week, Doric’s animal companion brought a letter,” Edgin recalled. “That poor owl nearly froze to death—the outside temperature has already exceeded what Simon can tolerate with his elemental protection spells.”

“Since then, even sending messages has become difficult.”

“What about Aoko?” Holga asked, a bit unwillingly. “Can we still not reach her with the communicator she left us?”

“No,” Edgin shook his head. “Simon already checked—it’s not broken, but for some reason, we can’t contact anywhere outside of Icewind Dale. It’s as if something has cut this place off from the outside world.”

“I wonder if Lady Aoko received the letter we sent…” Edgin’s wife said anxiously. “That was the last courier team to pass through Targos since last month…”

“If Aoko saw it, she’ll find a way to help us,” Edgin comforted his wife, patting her shoulder. “She’s a mighty archmage, able to cast ninth-level spells. A blizzard like this is nothing to her!”

“Yeah, even that Sofia couldn’t beat her,” Holga added with a laugh, still optimistic. “Anyway, we’ll know if she got the letter within the next week or so.”

“…Yeah,” Edgin said, frowning. “Even Simon’s teleportation scroll couldn’t get him out, so if Aoko wants to come to Icewind Dale, she’ll have to fly or come on horseback—but with this blizzard, even horseback’s impossible.”

“Dad, why is this happening?” Kira asked, sensing the gloomy mood. “I heard someone say the people of the Ten Towns angered the goddess of winter…”

“Heh, gods aren’t so easily angered,” Edgin replied, smiling as he ruffled his daughter’s hair. “It’s probably some crazy mage causing trouble.”

“Let Simon and Aoko worry about mages and magic,” Holga said, giving up on the problem. “Our job is to survive and save our strength.”

“Haha, you’re right, Holga,” Edgin said, pulling out his well-worn lute. “We can’t use magic, and we can’t get through the blizzard, so all we can do is stay alive!”

The cheerful strumming of the lute and the family’s singing soon filled the warm home. No matter how the cold winds howled outside, nothing could disturb their happiness in this moment.

…

About two days’ journey away, in an inn in Bryn Shander, Doric watched expectantly as Simon focused on his spellcasting.

“How is it?” Doric asked. “Did the message go through?”

“No chance,” Simon said, discouraged as he finished casting. “I could at least use Sending to reach Edgin before, but as the snow worsens, even Sending can’t go more than a few miles now.”

“What do you think is causing it?” Doric asked, handing Simon a roasted potato. “Is it magic?”

“To do all this with magic is incredibly difficult,” Simon said after a bite and a pause. “This isn’t just a dead magic zone—someone’s changed the weather over a huge area, blocked communication, and even sealed off all teleportation…”

“As far as I know, only gods or quasi-divine beings could pull this off,” Simon said wearily. “Maybe the Ten Towns’ rumors are true…”

“About Auril, the Lady Frostkiss?” Doric asked. “Why would she trap all of Icewind Dale?”

“No one can guess the minds of the gods,” Simon replied. “Their thoughts are beyond mortals, but you’re right—there must be a key reason for Auril to break the rule of no excessive divine interference.”

Simon fell into thought, and Doric left him to it, focusing on his food.

“Oh, right…” Doric suddenly remembered something. “I heard something odd yesterday.”

“What is it?” Simon’s attention was piqued.

“They say the next town over was attacked by a group of dwarves,” Doric said. “They stole food and livestock, killed and wounded many guards and townsfolk, and then left.”

“Dwarves? Here?” Simon was puzzled. “Ordinary dwarves have nothing to do with Icewind Dale, do they?”

“I don’t know,” Doric replied with a shrug. “I heard it from a merchant I saved from a snowdrift. I don’t think he’d lie.”