Not Gonna Die (A Skybrine Fanfic)

|Chapter 6| Kingdom of Snow

Alright, long chapter ahead because I want to get this plot moving so we can get to more interesting stuff.

          Mitch's breath steamed in the frigid air, creating a cloud of fine white mist which hung in the air for a moment before disappearing. He breathed out more slowly, creating a thicker white cloud which followed the way of the first. The snow made a hush hush sound underneath the hooves of the horses, the breath of the horses also steaming in the air. He huddled deeper into the fur of his jacket, loving the feeling of his body being nice and warm in the jacket while his nose and ears tingled in the cold, despite the knitted beanie he wore. The snow country always held a special place for him as his mother's grandparents had owned a small house just inside the snow border which he had visited at the beginning of every winter until he was 10, while his father's grandparents owned the army base down south.

          "Are you sure this is the right way, Jason?" Ty's voice asked, his face hidden in the hood of his thick jacket.

          "Positive," Jason said from beside him. "Head north, past the wide river with two willow trees crossing over to make an 'X', past the dead forest. We should find them soon."

          "If you say so," Ty said, standing up in his saddle partly to stretch his legs and partly to try and see the first sign of the kingdom of the Snow Strikers. The landscape was a white carpet as far as they could see but up ahead were several groups of either small mountains or large hills, it was hard to tell which. The sky was overcast and although it had been threatening for the past several hours, it finally acted on its threat and the first snowflakes came fluttering down, settling on the shoulders and ears of the horses before it was flicked off. The hoofprints of the horses faded as a combination of the slowly darkening sky and the flurry of snowflakes blocking them out.

          Mitch's horse reared suddenly, flashing its hooves in the air as the snow a few metres in front of it rose up. Mitch, a skilled horse rider practically since birth, easily retained his seat in the saddle and held the reins tightly, bringing his horse under control. The other horses had similar reactions as more figures rose up out of the snow, as silent as the powder around them. Their clothes, thick and form-fitting, were varying shades of light grey and white that made them blend into the snow even though Mitch knew exactly where they stood. They didn't hold any weapons and they were silent, but over their shoulders were bows, and daggers were by their thighs and swords were at their waists. Their faces were covered by the same material their clothes were made of, hiding their mouths and nose while leaving their eyes free. Mitch held his horse in, calming it by patting its neck while eyeing the warriors warily.

          "Who are you?" Ty asked, his horse skittish and stepping back from the warriors nervously.

          "That is for us to question," one of the warriors said, his voice muffled by the material over his mouth. "It is you who are in our territory."

          "We don't want any trouble," Jason told them.

          "That is for us to decide," the man said again. "Who are you and why should we let you stay?"

          Mitch slowly rested his hand on the hilt of his sword and glanced at Jason, motioning for him to reply. He hesitated for a few moments before doing so. "My name is General Jason. I've been in communication with Queen Anne of the Snow Strikers and we've come up here to make a treaty as the Queen and I discussed."

          The warrior nodded slightly as if considering his words. "And what about your associates?" he asked, gesturing with a waved hand to the others.

          "These are Generals Mitch, Ty and Quentin," Jason said, "as well as our small escort."

          There was a tense wait as the warrior cast his eyes over them one by one, assessing them. Finally, he gave a nod and said "Had my Queen not told me of your arrival, I would have sent you back the way you came. Follow us, the kingdom is not far."