Minstrel

Chapter #15 ~ Stans

Stans watched from the warmth of a shallow cave as the snow blazed outside. The winters in Riverfall had been harsh, but he had never seen anything like the blizzard that raged outside in the pine forest. After two weeks traveling with the elf, who had said her name was Aria, Stans had grown accustomed to his new life. The only thing he would never get used to was being without his sister.

Aria constantly told him Creak was be okay and once they got to the supposed "Rebel Kingdom" people could be sent out to find her. Stans would rather be looking for his sister instead of a bunch of musicians, but he didn't feel very hopeful searching the whole kingdom on his own. It was safer with Aria and he didn't really see a better option. In the end, if the Rebel Kingdom actually existed and helped him, it would make finding Creak much easier. So he had followed Aria and hoped for the best.

Their journey had been fairly uneventful, without any problems until the blizzard. It had slammed the land hard; like a snowball to one's face, it hit with a frosty shock. They couldn't see the road three feet in front of them and had been forced to take shelter.

The cozy little cave that Stans sat in now provided no warmth, but it did keep them out of the wind.

Cold spasms had Stans turn away from the snow outside and to Aria, who was sitting in the corner. She was staring at nothing in particular, but her head shot to him when he turned.

"The snow hasn't stopped." She stated matter of factly.

"Yeah," Stans grumbled. "I can see that."

"We won't be traveling today, but we'll need food." She nodded looking out at the white wonderland. "Once the snow slows down I can teach you how to hunt."

Stans nodded. He didn't really care about eating even though he knew it was necessary. All he cared about was his sister. Was she safe? Was she freezing out in the blizzard or had she found a cave like his?

As if she could read his mind, Aria came over and put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I'm sure your sister's fine."

Stans tried to smile. "She's strong... a survivor."

Aria nodded. "That's good because if Queen Isabelle takes her in she will have to be. War's just a few steps away."

"It's ridiculous you know." Stans shook his head. "Fighting a war over something that should just be resolved with an exchange of words. Why do people have to die?"

"You wouldn't understand." Aria said tensely. "You're too soft-hearted."

"And is that really a bad thing?" Stans knew Aria was right. He had never seen a point in breaking the rules. He felt war brought nothing but pain and should be avoided at all costs. He had survived and raised his sister by himself and if he had learned anything from the experience it was that unneeded danger was the kind that got you killed.

Aria answered the question with a low growl. "In this world your way of thinking is a weakness. When it comes to King Florence you can't just ask nicely."

Maybe she was right, but Stans wouldn't give up on the pinch of hope he had left. He would go to the king himself if it meant his sister wouldn't have to fight a war. He would do anything to keep Creak safe.
A horse's nay sounded in the distance and Aria scrambled to the cave's entrance. Her pointed ears twitched like a cat's as she listened closely.
"Did you hear that?" She whispered as if someone might hear them, but the blowing wind made Stans seriously doubt that.

"Yeah." He was annoyed with her and made a point to let her know with the tone of his voice. "It was just a horse. Probably a lost rider."

"Oh no, no, no." She shook her head with a faint smile. "That's no lost rider. I know that horse."