Waiting for Spring - Part I

Chapter Twenty

What is worst, I cannot tell, the weather or the peasants. I need knights, soldiers, even guards, but farmers? No. I do not know what to with these untrained, petty, cowards. They are good for nothing. And Lord Marick expects me to do wonders. It is only a matter of time before Ward realises that this castle will fall like a feather to a blow. I dread the day, but I will not desert. My people are starving and if farmers, cobblers and tanners are all I have, then I guess I will die for my kingdom.

- Excerpt from Ser Grimsay's journal, found in the ruins of Castle Greenest, Windsor.

Almost a day had gone by. Once again the sun was setting at the horizon and the small group of people had reached the bottom of the path leading upwards the mountain. The journey that day had been awfully quiet. April had a lot of think about. She could not keep herself from trying to relive the memories from the previous night. It was as if the storm inside her heart had settled. It could not be explained through words. It was reassuring too, to know that Mira, behind her veil, felt something, cared for her, felt the same even.

April wondered why. She wondered if she had lost all sense of self-esteem but somehow she had sensation. Why would Mira want me? I am just a ranger from the woods.

Dark clouds settled on the horizon as April put her boot upon the snow-covered grass on the Great Plains. Nothing but mist in the far vicinity could be seen and beyond all the dim lights Theron had noticed yesterday night. Mira halted and so did the others.

"We should get to the dead tree and set camp, something is going on a few hours away," she slurred while gazing the open field.

April did not understand how they could make estimations like that. She had a hard time estimating any distances at all, for all she knew the dim lights could be a dozen feet away.

"Should we not wait for the soldiers?" Darnell argued with a coarse tone. "We don't know what's going on," he continued when he received no answer.

Both Theron and Mira shook their heads. Mira stretched her back and turned her head around.

"We cannot stop now. We need to find out what's going on."

The journey continued for a while. The frosty grass cranked underneath April's boots and chilly wind blew right through pelt and leather, or in Darnell's case, plate and sapphire. They were all quiet and Theron was on constant lookout with a weary look on his face. The mist did not seem to settle any time soon either. April felt a little shaky, nervous to say the least. The tense atmosphere only grew closer with each step towards the dead tree, which was yet to be spotted.

About an hour later the sky had grown even darker and in the distance a small tree could be hinted. It was hard to see it through the mist. With each step April had taken since they reached the foot of the mountains she could swear that the dim lights had only become larger and more visible. It was a dreadful sign, since it most likely was not good. Theron still claimed that it was the light from soldiers' lanterns.

"It could not have gone this fast," Mira said when he told her. "It's impossible. We have too many ships patrolling the eastern border."

"Yes, but how many of them are on the west side right now, or the south?" Theron countered. "Idwallia would not leave any coast unattended, even if it meant releasing ships from one side to another." Mira remained quiet.

Just as Darnell shoved his shield down the soil near the dead tree something could be hinted just some feet away in the mist. The four travellers quickly readied themselves while keeping an eye on the mist around them. April released her bow from its straps on her back and held her hand on her quiver.