Through the snow-covered lands they rode, their horses’ hooves crunching through the white drifts that had piled up during the long winter.
The wind bit at their faces like tiny knives, and their breath came out in white puffs that quickly disappeared in the cold air.
Jaenor had never been so far from Frostvale in his entire life. Rena and others, too. They had tense expressions on their faces; on one side, they were leaving their home and their family, and on the other side, they were going into something completely unknown.
Every tree, every rock, every hill was new to his eyes.
The mountains around them were bigger than anything he had imagined, reaching up toward the sky like the fingers of sleeping giants.
It took them several hours to make their way out of the mountain passes. The horses struggled sometimes in the deeper snow, and they had to stop often to rest and let the animals catch their breath.
Morgana led the way, seeming to know exactly which path to take even though everything looked the same to Jaenor.
Just as the sun was beginning to set, painting the snow pink and gold, they heard the sound of hooves behind them.
Everyone turned in their saddles, hands moving to their weapons, but it was only Darian catching up to them on his sturdy brown horse.
"How did it go?" Morgana called out as he rode up beside them.
Darian’s face was grim. "The Blu Phoenix got them away safely," he said, breathing hard from his fast ride. "But those shadow fiends soon found their way leading towards us. They’re following us now, maybe a couple of hours behind."
Morgana’s jaw tightened.
"Then we keep moving. Southeast, toward the valleys."
They pushed their horses harder now, following winding paths that led down from the high peaks. The snow began to thin as they descended, and after a couple more hours, they reached a wide valley that cut between two mountain ranges.
Through the valley, Morgana led them away from the northern mountains entirely. The landscape began to change around them.
The white snow gave way to brown earth, and soon they found themselves entering a forest where no snow had fallen at all.
Jaenor stared around him in wonder.
The trees here were different from the pine and fir trees he knew. These had broad leaves, even though it was winter, and the ground beneath was covered with fallen leaves in shades of brown and gold instead of snow.
The air was warmer too, warm enough that they could finally stop shivering in their saddles. It felt like entering a completely different world.
They rode for several hours straight, not stopping even for a minute.
After they had ridden deep into the forest, Darian called for a halt. He told them to rest and start a fire, and then he went back.
After an hour, he came back.
"We lost them," he announced.
"The fiends lost our trail back in the rocky part of the valley. I think we’re safe for now."
Everyone let out sighs of relief. They had been riding hard for hours, and both the horses and the riders were exhausted.
"We’ll rest here," Morgana decided.
"The horses need water and food, and we all need sleep."
They found a small clearing beside a stream where the horses could drink.
Baren and Rena gathered dry wood while Darian started a fire using his flint and steel.
Soon they had a cheerful blaze going, and they all sat around it in a circle.
As they shared some bread and dried meat from their packs, the reality of their situation began to sink in.
Rena was the first to speak what they were all thinking.
"I can’t believe how much everything has changed," she said, staring into the fire.
"This morning I was in my own bed, worried about whether the harvest would be good this year. Now..." She gestured around at the strange forest.
"Now I don’t even know where I am."
Baren nodded, his broad face thoughtful. "I’ve lived my whole life in Frostvale. Never been more than a day’s walk from where I was born. My father was a blacksmith, and his father before him. I thought I’d spend my whole life working the forge and raising my children in the same house where I grew up."
"And I didn’t even get to stay a night with my wife."
Jaenor and Taeryn looked at each other, holding their laughter back. Even in such a situation, humour wasn’t lost on them.
"The trees here are so different," Rena continued, looking up at the canopy above them. "And the air smells different too. Like flowers, even though it’s winter."
"Yes, this is the new reality now. We have to accept it and pray that our families stay safe," Taeryn said.
Darian and Morgana were listening to them; Darian was tending to horses, and Morgana was looking at the map.
"Where do you think she will take us?" Baren leaned closer and said in a low tone.
Rena shrugged, and Taeryn’s face wrinkled as she said, "Maybe to the empire?"
"Wherever she takes us, we need to stay alert and have each other’s backs, all right?" Rena said to others.
Both of them nodded.
Jaenor listened to them talk, but he stayed quiet.
His mind was still trying to grasp everything Morgana had told him. He was an Arkwright. He had their blood in him. His birth parents had died fighting the dark army to protect him.
It was too much to take in all at once.
Just the thought of someone giving their life to save him weighed a lot on his mind, and he had been unaware of such a thing all this time.
The others continued to share their thoughts about how strange it felt to be so far from home, but their voices seemed to come from a distance.
Jaenor stared into the fire, watching the flames dance, and thought about Rosa, wondering if she was safe in the mountains with the Blue Phoenix.