Dripping Wings
A curtain of snow lay before him. The mane of Astarte blended almost painfully well with the glittering flakes, and he couldn't even see her head. The night around them was dark and clouded in white. Their only light shimmered from the light gifted that came along, himself included. It was amazing to see himself glowing as he was. Little did he realize how impressive of a sight it was for the warriors behind him; their ruler-to-be was shining like the goddesses would do, leading the way for them next to their Prince. The aura of authority around him had been tripled with his new white attire, his pure white Sacred, and his light guiding them and leading them down a darkened path off to war. Yuugi wasn't sure when the last time had been that sunlight touched this earth. Three months? Four months? A year?
The troops behind them were as silent as a calm breath. The dragons had disappeared seemingly ages ago. Atemu was a silent phantom next to him, Senke's shimmering mane rivaling that of the mare next to him. Despite their
silence, however, they were moving swiftly. The pace of the Sacred horses as they stormed through the forest was so smooth it was hard to tell they were actually running. It wouldn't be long before they reached Ice Ridge.
He reflected upon what the Prince had told him earlier. Eve is the shortened name of the Goddess Eternity. There are in fact very few who know this, but the goddesses have names that they use when they reveal themselves here on earth; aliases that no one else will recognize them by. Just as Tranquility is called Senehle, and Divinity is called Dvinah. Only the royal archives hold the names that they have used. And this omen warms my heart, for it is a sign that this is what we are both supposed to do.
So, he saw a goddess. And what was more - he saw one of the Divine Sisters. The Sacred Trinity of the Heavens. And she said that 'we're all quite fond of you here.' She must have been talking about the other goddesses. Do they really favor me as everyone else has guessed? Yuugi was feeling quite overwhelmed at the moment. Goddesses appearing before him, war ahead, and traveling through a land that all but ice lovers had forsaken. Who in their right mind would attack a land comprised of nothing but ice and snow? What could be up here that was so important it warranted them striking up an impromptu war? It just didn't seem right. It didn't feel right. Yuugi looked over to the Prince next to him. Those bright blood red eyes were narrowed as they peered out into the blizzard, and, after being so close to him for so long now, Yuugi could see the intense worry etched within those clouded orbs of red. The gnawing in his stomach, he knew, was shared by Atemu as well. But what to do about it? They'd be fighting by the break of dawn, if not by sometime the next evening.
He clenched the hilt of the sword hanging at his side. Sweet Goddess, he hoped they'd be okay. He hoped he'd stay alive...if he could manage.
Lights off in the distance began to shimmer just slightly. Astarte quickened her pace, eager to reach their destination. Lilian had done a smart move; portals were incredibly easy to trace, as the amount of magick required to create a portal was huge. An enemy, even a lowly mage, could track the place they exited, which would lead them straight to the Hold. Lilian had dropped them off about four miles north of Ice Ridge, which was closer to Kyanah's hold than it was Ice Ridge. If the enemy was tracking their moves, which they most likely were, they'd reason that whoever came through that portal was on their way to the center of Northern Reach, and the largest Hold in the region. They'd show up at Ice Ridge and not expect to find an army there ready and waiting for them.
The lights started to gain more form as they drew ever closer. Yuugi could just start to make out a wall of ice as it glowed in the lights form from mage energy, acting as a barrier around the Hold itself. He looked up, seeing a tall cliff reaching far up into the sky, unable to see where it ended as it was lost amidst the snowfall. The wall stretched out from the cliff that jutted up into the sky, wrapping around to the other side and encasing the inhabitants inside safely.
They called this a Hold? Yuugi thought it looked more like a fortress. He couldn't even see the Ice Guardians that were on patrol on top of the icy wall, but he knew they were there.
Their entourage stopped at the center of the wall of ice. He could hear a voice call out from somewhere above him.
"Who goes down there!" a male voice bellowed.
"His Royal Highness Prince Atemu and his Betrothed Lord Yuugi! His Highness and his First Royal Battalion are here on the behalf of war!" a herald next to them stated loudly. Yuugi tucked away the thought that it was weird having a spokesperson.
"The Prince!" the voice above asked bewildered. "Bloody hell! Open the gates!"
The wall of solid ice split open suddenly, the door that was actually there coming into barely discernable view as it opened up for them, just wide enough to allow ten bodies abreast to walk in. They were being extremely cautious.
It took nearly ten minutes, but eventually the whole battalion filtered in to the Hold.
A woman with long, icy blue hair and pale skin rode up swiftly on her Sacred that also appeared to be carved out of ice, her face a mixture of importance and confusion. Yuugi and Atemu rode on their horses and met her half way. Once they stopped, she lowered her head respectfully, then lifted it up again. "Your Highness," she asked confused, "what on earth are you doing here? Why aren't you at Kyanah's Hold? That's where the next at-"
Atemu held up his hand, silencing her. "No time for questions now, my Lady, we have to get ready. I want to meet with you and the rest of the Ice Ridge Council in five minutes in your main hall."
Still confused, she nodded, then looked off to her right. "Sehmehleh! Set up the troops with our temporary housing! Get the resources in order! We've got work to do!"
There were minimal grumbles as people started to scurry about, setting to work at the tasks ahead. Atemu nudged Senke to follow the woman that had greeted them, and Yuugi followed suite. They trotted through the Hold, different buildings slipping past them, the doorways glowing with lights that flickered in the snow. They stopped in front of a particularly large building, placed directly under the shadow of the huge cliff that loomed above them. Atemu dismounted, as did the woman, and Yuugi did likewise, just now noticing that Jono was still with them. The Cavalry Captain would definently need to hear what they were planning to do.
The Sacred stamped their hooves and snorted as their riders walked into the building.
Yuugi pulled down his hood and untied his face mask once they were inside. Atemu did likewise, as did Jono. Only the Ice gifted were dressed as if it were simply a chilly autumn day, their faces open, their hair down, and a simple cloak. Yuugi could only shake his head, knowing that he'd freeze to death.
The hallway they were in was covered in murals of winter forests and buildings of ice. The floor was tiled, but the rooms that were off to their left and right were carpeted in a soft blue carpet. They entered a large room, a big table greeting them that was surrounded by many chairs. Yuugi and Atemu seated themselves at the head of the oval shaped table, placing their discarded masks in front of them. The woman and Jono bowed deeply before seating themselves. "The rest of the Council has been informed of your arrival, my Lord, and will be here momentarily," the woman stated. She was seated at the opposite end of them. Atemu nodded his approval, then sat silent.
Yuugi tried not to fidget as he sat there, a set of cold blue eyes upon him curiously. He'd never been seen outside of the Divine City, and probably heard about even less. He was sure that the woman was curious about him. He had guessed by now she was the Head of Council here at Ice Ridge. Jono didn't bother to stare. Not only did he know Yuugi, but Yuugi was sure that he didn't have the personality to stare at someone, no matter who they were.
Footsteps echoed down the hall as people headed their way. Ice Guardians began to filter into the room, all of them also in white cloaks, their skin fair and their faces solemn. They gathered around the table seemingly simultaneously, bowed lowly in his and Atemu's direction, then sat down.
"Greetings, my Lords, and welcome to Ice Ridge. I am the Head of Council, Kyehna. However, I'm afraid that we are short on formalities this evening. Please, tell us why you are here and not elsewhere where it is believed the help needs to be."
"Formalities will have to be shorter still," Atemu stated. "As the situation has gone from bad to worse. Jono, will you show them the map?"
The Cavalry Captain stood, pulled the rolled up parchment out of a pouch at his side, and unrolled it for all to see.
"These attacks are taking on the form of Kyanah's symbol. They have been premeditated, planned, and targeted. Ice Ridge is next on the map. We have come up here to stop this war before it turns into a larger disaster than it has already become. We must plan for battle."
"Do you have any idea when they will attack?" Kyehna asked, her pale face losing what little color it had.
"The Ice Guardian Kehlnic informed us that the attacks have been occurring three to four days apart. From what we've been told, the last attack, which was at Hold Behneleh, was two days ago," Yuugi spoke up. The Council looked up at him, appearing to accept his authority.
"Then we have a lot of work to do," a different Council member stated, looking at the map hard. "And it has to be done fast."
"Assemble our Guardians and soldiers and set them up with the First Battalion that arrived. Get our healers together, and store the food that was brought along. Take the remaining family members and move them further into the Hold. Strengthen the defenses and send another dozen watchers and spies out into the forest to watch for the enemy lines. Everyone, you know what to do, get moving." The Council stood up and headed off in different directions after Kyehna finished speaking. Atemu stood, and Yuugi took that as the cue to stand up as well. Jono stood up with them.
"Status report in three hours," Atemu stated. "Until then, you can find us in the war room."
Kyehna bowed. "Very well, your Highness." With that, she turned and left the room.
"I'm going to go and check on the troops, Sire. I might not be back for a while," Jono stated, standing up as he did so.
"It's all right, Jono. I'll send for you if I need you," Atemu stated.
Yuugi's gut felt like it was squeezed to the point of bursting. "Atemu," Yuugi asked.
"Yes love?"
"Were you planning on leaving me in here when the enemy finally arrived?"
Those deep red eyes looked at him for a long moment, the resolve in them slowly beginning to ebb. "Yes Yuugi. If something happened to you out there...I..."
"What am I supposed to do in here?" Yuugi asked. "And what do I do if something happens to you out there?"
"Yuugi, I'll be fine," Atemu pressed.
"Oh, bullshit, Atemu! All of the training in the world won't prepare you for real combat. I've had real experience! I have to go out there to help watch your back! How can I heal you when I'm stuck in here!"
The Prince was momentarily taken aback. Yuugi had never cussed at him before. However, once again, Yuugi was pushing for his freedom, and for more responsibility.
"What do I do if you die out there, Atemu? What will happen to me?" Yuugi asked, holding up his arm that held the faint bond scar.
"I...it'll hurt. It could even kill you."
"And what will everyone think, if you die out there and they find me dead in here? What will that leave them to think?" He watched as the Prince's face fell. Yuugi knew Atemu didn't have the heart to get angry at him, or raise his voice. However, he so desperately did not want Yuugi to fight. "I will not sit in here when I know what to do out there." It nearly broke Yuugi's heart to see the despair on the Prince's face, but he couldn't give up his resolve.
"All right, Yuugi. I won't make you do otherwise."
Yuugi walked up to Atemu, wrapped his arms around him tightly, and kissed him. "I love you," he whispered in the Prince's ear. "If I didn't, I wouldn't want to be out there with you."
"I know, my love. I know."
xxx
Dawn broke. Morning sunlight began to spill over the horizon, trying desperately to pierce through the still falling snow. It was windy, and it was cold.
Deathly cold.
Yuugi and Atemu were in a temporary building that was set up towards the entrance of the Hold. It was serving as a make-shift war room. The Prince was signing documents and regulating troop lines, whilst Yuugi had been nearly forced to nap for a while, as he had been up for nearly a full twenty four hours. He was up now, however, looking over a map with Atemu, Jono, and Kyehna. They had an idea the direction the enemy would be coming from, but they weren't sure, and they were currently speculating on the amount of time it would be before whoever it was attacking Northern Reach would reach the front gate. They were expecting by nightfall, at the earliest, or by the dawn of the next day.
"Your Highness!" A voice could be heard calling the Prince from the outside. "Your Highness!"
"Enter!" Atemu roared.
A Guardian burst into the room, snowflakes billowing around her as she stumbled in and shut the door. "The enemy, Sire! Not but a league south of here and heading this way! Scouts sighted nearly a hundred and fifty men armed to the teeth! They come!"
Yuugi was already putting on his face cover and hood as Atemu barked out instructions. "Assemble the ranks! We meet them outside of the Hold. The battle will not be fought in here!"
The Guardian turned and fled from the room, her white cape billowing out behind her as the wind reentered the room. Atemu turned, picking up his own mask as Yuugi buckled his sword to his waist. "They're early." He paused for a moment, giving his lover a long look. "I love you Yuugi."
Yuugi smiled, but it wasn't seen by the protective covering over his face. "We will make love when this is all over."
The Prince smiled as well, but his brief grin was also not seen. "You'd better count on it."
Composing themselves as much as they could, they slipped on their gloves and headed out the door. The outside was a frenzy of activity. People in white were running around everywhere, frantic and determined. Before Yuugi or Atemu could move any further, Senke and Astarte barreled up to them, their hooves sounding like bells as they clanked on the ice covered ground. They mounted without a second thought, grabbing the reins and heading towards the Hold's entrance.
"Sire!" Jono was on his Sacred, pulling on the reins as he attempted to slow down the eager war horse. "Sire, the enemy is perhaps a hundred staves away. Everyone is in position, we're just waiting on your call."
Atemu nodded. "Once we exit the Hold, these walls are going to be sealed, unable to be opened until Sehmehleh alone reopens them on them on the signal. Are we ready?"
"Anytime," the Cavalry Captain replied.
"Hya!" They all cried, and their Sacreds sped out of the partially opened ice wall.
Yuugi knew what they were doing. They still had the element of surprise. Their army was hiding on either side of the hold, just beyond sight of the southern route the enemy was taking to get there. Atemu would ride out once they reached them, and demand that they give up the fight. (In Yuugi's opinion, that silly custom was simply ridiculous.) After they refused, the Prince would call the fighters up in an ambush, and the battle would begin.
Yuugi was glad he hadn't eaten anything that morning, for his stomach was all in knots, and would have surely pushed out whatever food he had eaten. Astarte snorted as she ran up the hill that was hiding one half of the troops, Jono's Sacred next to her. She stood still than stone once they stopped, her head held high. Yuugi was proud of her for her bravery in this situation. He leaned down and whispered into her ear. "Stay strong for me, Astarte. I need you in this fight."
Her neigh was soft, barely a grumble, but Yuugi knew it was a noise of affirmation, and felt comforted. He sat back up again, and waited.