Okay dokay, by all standards I should be concentrating on my history coursework but instead I'm here. Hi.Disclaimer: How many times do I have to tell you people 'NO'?

And finally we have some names. Characters are finally being properly introduced: everyone cheer with me now. I'm afraid I have fallen into the trap of giving Jounouchi the typical cliché roll he always seems to have in fics like this but ah well, its what he suits best after all. I think I may also be recovering from that small bought of depression I've been suffering from; I don't think I thank doctors as much as I should.

Firefly In Ice

Chapter Two

"Umm… Y-Your highness?""What?"

"May I ask you a question?"

"That all depends upon the nature of your question."

"Well… you know I'm supposed to protect you right? You know that I'm meant to keep an eye out for you?"

"Like the child my parents think I am yes. But, personal guard or not, you do little in the way of protection. I do not need it."

"I know sire. But it's just that lately… you disappear a lot."

"And you are worried that you will be dismissed for not fulfilling your duties? Fear not, my parents won't find out about my disappearances. Will they."

"N-not if you do not wish it my prince. But am I not allowed to worry."

"… Is this your question?"

"Not really."

"Then hurry and ask it. My patience wares thin."

"What do you do when you vanish? I have to know you aren't in any danger your Excellency."

"And that is your question?"

"… Yes."

"Then I will not answer it."

Today was a cold day. Colder then usual anyway, which considering the land was perpetually covered in ice was saying quite a lot.

He liked the cold.

There was something about the snow that was incredibly beautiful. Since childhood the first thing he had always done after a fresh snowfall was leave the castle and ride his horse through the virgin white, across the wide plains and through the deep greens of the conifer forests, leaving a trail behind him of one narrow rut. A single path of hooves across otherwise untouched snow.

Lately though he had been forced to abandon this luxury for more pressing matters. Matters of war and eligible women. He found he disliked growing up.

And so when he had woken early that morning and seen the results of last nights blizzard he had left his bed for the stables before even his grandfather woke. Picking out his favourite mare from the herd he had ridden bareback (as was his peoples custom) to his most favoured part of the kingdom, the vast open plains. The Tundra. It seemed to him then that he had been freed from his duties by the sheer emptiness of the snow-covered land around him. He loved the feel of the cold powder spraying upwards about his legs, kicked up by the horses cantering hooves, and he loved the thought of how it would look to others. This sight of him speeding over the flat white ground like a black arrow, the snow flying up behind him as seawater would behind a fast ship. Not that there was anyone so far from the city to see him.

So far did he allow himself to be carried away by the feeling of freedom that it was very late afternoon by the time he returned to the castle. The poor mare was exhausted and neither of them had eaten since the night before, but he was content.

It was what happened next that he did not enjoy.

"Prince Yami where exactly have been?!"

Yami winced. Of all the welcomes he could have received… "Nowhere Father, I was only visiting the Tundra."

"What were you doing to be gone for so long? Comb searching the whole thing? There is a war on Yami! A war!"

"I know father."

"No Yami I do not think you do. Your mother is sick to death with worry, you could have been taken by the enemy out there in that wilderness alone and with no weapons. What were you thinking!"

"They would not have ventured onto the Tundra father you know that. It is too open for them."

"Don't argue with me young one! You will apologise to your mother and go directly to your room, you will not leave it until you have rid yourself of these foolish whims, do you hear me!"

"Father you cannot treat me like this. I am no mortal child, you punish me as those humans would their own offspring."

"Have you ever thought that perhaps they may be on to something with their child's disciplining?"

"No, frankly I have not. And I will not allow you to order me around in such a manner! I am one hundred and seventy this year father, I am no longer a child!"

"Then maybe you should cease to act like one and take the responsibility you were born to shoulder. Find a bride, come to the war room, and show interest in the regiment of soldiers I have put under your order."

"The tenth regiment father? They are country boys and farmers, simpletons compared to me! I want the second regiment, the real soldiers!"

"Do not speak of your own people that way Yami. Remember a king is supposed to lead and protect his people, to serve them, not the other way around."

Furious Yami turned from his father and stalked up the white castle steps. There was never any snow in the city, the elves magic ensured that, but sometimes he sorely wished there was. The guards stood as ridged as always at regular intervals along the halls and corridors, their spears pointing directly upwards as if pointing to the heavens themselves, Yami ignored them, he always did. He never actually saw them do anything, as a child he had tried to trick them, aggravate them into moving, into proving they weren't simply lifelike statues, but they never did and eventually he had given up. Bored with his own game. And had thus ignored their existence, almost forgetting them entirely.

His father had dismissed him by not calling him back; he thought it was a punishment for his little spat. HA! Spat! His parent's new nothing about him. And he intended to keep it that way. His father was a fool. Ruling as if he were almost below the people. How ridiculous! They were the divine family! He was the divine heir and soon to be keeper of all of the elves magic and his father expected him to serve the people he was supposed to lead. His father was a fool.

Yami didn't go to his mother to apologise, although he loved her dearly and was regretful of her anxiety he did not feel as though he done anything wrong, and she was too easily upset these days from the loss of his cousin in battle. She needed to get a grip Yami thought as he snapped at a passing castle worker to bring him a late lunch. Seto was as much an idiot as his father and uncle. He used to strut around the halls as if he were the eldest prince and Yami the unfortunate mage-in-training that had just missed out on a royal title. Yami had hated him with a passion and he was certain Seto felt the exact same hatred towards him. Upon the announcement of his cousins unfortunate death the only thing that had repressed his smile of glee where his mother's tears, and damned be to the rest of them. And so Yami did not go to visit his mother because he knew she would manage to wind herself up and end up in tears because she thought he had been killed. They were all idiots, the goblins would never venture onto the Tundra; they lived in caves for heavens sakes, why would they be, quite randomly, scouring the open plains? It was nice to know they cared, really, but they could be perfect fools sometimes.

He slammed his bedroom doors behind him only to growl as a knock on the wood from outside forced him to open them again. He snatched the platter of food from the maid woman and slammed the door again, irritated that it didn't have quite the same effect now it had been repeated. Sitting at his private table he stared broodingly over at the open balcony doors, the cold did not effect his people as it did those silly humans and so he felt perfectly warm and at ease with the icy breeze eddying about his room. He twirled his silver fork around his plate. Despite the fact that he was starving he was too angry to concentrate on eating, and so he picked at the cold meat of the arctic fox on his plate, until, halfway through his meal, he looked down and saw that he really didn't fancy eating a plate of mangled mush. Yami pushed the silver plate away and reminded himself to reprimand the cooks later for sending him such an unappetising looking meal.

Grabbing a large round red fruit from the cone shaped dish in the centre of his table Yami concentrated his aggression on ripping off its skin. Find a bride? He would much rather not. Brides wanted attention, they wanted affection, and they even wanted love! A bride was a silly thing he wanted to manage without for as long as possible. Besides, he didn't feel anything towards any of the maidens of the court nor for any of the worker girls it was almost acceptable for him to have flings with as long as he was unwed. Maybe the odd pang of lust when that red haired nobleman's daughter flashed her green eyes at him over the banquette table but nothing more.

He took a bite of the bitter flesh of the fruit and scowled. Nothing more… Did he even want anything more? There was no one in the kingdom that wouldn't jump at the chance to be his bonded partner, he was certain. But was there someone in the kingdom who would jump at the chance if he weren't a powerful prince? He didn't know. Everyone wanted power after all, but not everyone wanted love. He knew he wanted power and he knew he had it but did he want love as well? It seemed like an unnecessary distraction. Yami knew what love was but he had never felt it himself. He was quite happy without it thank you very much.

His head snapped up from staring at the groves his teeth had made in the fruit at the sudden sound of a horn. A battle horn. It echoed from the top of the chief watchtower a few miles away and flooded the city with its deep call.

Yami knew what that meant, "Shit!" He growled.

He dropped the fruit; it fell with a dull thud upon his immaculate floor and rolled under the many grand legs of his table. He leapt from the high backed chair and sped out to stand on the balcony, griping the white stone railing tightly as he strained to see above the castles roofs and turrets. The sun was beginning to set, its pale glow already touching the mountaintops. Over the high city walls a rough mile away he saw a mass of black dots swarming over the white and black mountains in the far distance. They had already reached the foot of the hills and were making their swift way towards the city. The sound of the castle guards leaping into action was already echoing up from below.

The sound of the doors to his chambers bursting open caused Yami to turn and glare at the elf that had burst in. His personal guard skidded to a halt before him and bowed hastily.

"Your Highness. The goblins they –"

"I have eyes Jounouchi." Yami snapped.

Jounouchi stalled, confused, then looked over the Prince's shoulder to see the black swarm of dots crossing the snow and nodded, his mouth forming a small 'O' of comprehension. Yami brushed past his guard as he walked back through the balcony doors.

"Has father sent you?"

Jounouchi trailed after him as Yami entered the hallways outside his room. "Yes… and no. Did his Majesty the King not tell you were commanding the tenth regiment sir?"

Yami growled, "Unfortunately yes."

Jounouchi nodded, his pale gold armour making ever so quite clinks as he walked. "They are waiting for you by the stables Sire, the King wishes for you to lead them towards conflict with the right wing of the enemy defence, to draw them away from the centre. I am to be your second in command."

Yami resisted the urge to roll his eyes as the guard puffed himself up in pride. Reaching the royal armoury he replaced his soft leather boots for hardier, black riding boots. A thin vest of extremely rare, extremely valuable mithril. The beauty of its silver sheen shimmered like light on water across the great stone walls as Yami moved. The grace and powerful elegance of his step only surpassed by the fluidity with which the material moved. And then it was covered by a long, jet-black leather coat that reached to the elfin prince's knees. Adjusting the golden buckled cuffs Yami replied to Jounouchi's earlier statement, "So we attack the right flank while father and the first regiment go for the centre?"

"Yes. The ninth are going for the left."

"So. While we go for the two sides and the goblins are distracted father crashes trough to the heart of their ranks and destroys them from the inside thus earning all the glory and recognition."

"Umm…"

"How many of us are on horseback?"

"We are Sire, and the ninth regiment. The first and second will be following your father on horseback too. Battalions three through to seven are remaining to defend the city and the eighth will follow us on foot to pick off the stragglers."

Yami frowned. Jounouchi sounded very convinced that they would win, he knew morality had to be kept but… They had had so many setbacks and tragedies. The goblins were so numerous, apparently endless. Their mines and tunnels stretched for miles underground, they had taken two of the major cities already by bursting up from out the ground. The magic around the capital had thus been enforced; they could not take this city that way. But if they could break through the elfin defences they could easily destroy the main gate. The elfin soldiers were good… but the goblins were wild. They thought and fought like savage beasts. It was impossible for the elves to keep up with that type of… living. They could not predict or counter attack efficiently because it was impossible for an elf to understand a creature like a goblin.

Yami looked back into his personal guards stubborn expression. Jounouchi's mane of blond hair visible from under the lightweight helmet swayed limply over his deep brown eyes that were filled with such a reckless determination and eagerness for battle that Yami had to wonder if Jounouchi actually knew what was happening to them.

Yami wondered if his father had told the people that they were losing the war.

"Sire please. You must tell me. I am worried. The people are worried. Your parents are beginning to ask me where you are all the time."

"Then tell them I am visiting."

"Visiting? As in a friend?"

"Close enough."

"So each time you disappear its so you can go meet this person?"

"Don't get any ideas. I will not hesitate to remove you head from your shoulders myself if I find you spying."

"No Your Majesty I would never intrude."

"Good. Silence now. I am thinking."

AN: A relatively small chapter but hey at least its an update. I was originally going to include part of the battle but then I thought that would probably be too much in one because we all know where you-know-who is right now don't we. (see ending of previous chapter if you don't).

I suppose your all wondering what the italics are supposed to be. Well shame 'coz I'm not telling. Not yet anyway, you'll find out soon. If there is anything you desperately want to ask me my email address is now on my profile page (and should be working better then it has been recently) I'll get back to you as soon as I can.

Next Chapter: We see the return of everyone's favourite little purple eyed bishie, with most of his memory back, and boy is he ready to kick some ugly goblin ass!

Judging by the hit counter (which is ridiculous compared to the review numbers) I don't think it would be unkind, or unfair, to ask for about five reviews for this chapter so I know the hard work (and artful dodging of college work) I am putting in is at least a little appreciated. Come on people. Five reviews out of over a hundred hits isn't asking for much is it? Please?