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Reaching the Wall
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2024-10-29 19:42:56On the journey to the border, some pleasant and some bad memories were made. At one point, they had to flee from a party of soldiers that saw them per chance, and slightly less dangerous were the small bands of bandits that started to terrorize certain territories since the chaotic government couldn't keep up the protection of villages and roads when the soldiers were called to arms.
Against which threat the army was built for, wasn't announced, but the death of the dragsean diplomat couple as well as the dragsean call for arms on the other side of the border, was enough indication for the common people. Everyone believed that a war was coming between Dragsa and the Icelands.The further the companions proceeded towards the border, the emptier the road became and the villages resembled ghost towns. Only some stubborn folk remained guarding their life-long home from theft and decay.Despite the climate rising continuously, the hearts of the companions felt cold seeingRelated chapters
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Despite all the precaution, Nathaniel and his company never reached the General. When the portcullis of the wall fell shut behind the group of four and their escorts, Nathaniel's suspicion spiked. His eyes grew frighteningly cold and calculating as he inspected the defensive measures of the stone corridor they'd entered.Towards the sky, it was unsealed, more like a street passage with buildings to the sides. Yet, both ends were blocked with portcullises and only one door lead away from it. A door, which he suspected could be barred with iron locks from the other side. There was not one other soldier in sight, not even archers up on the walls to the sides of the stone corridor.Nathaniel's eyes met Sam's shortly. At the same time, all riders halted their horses and began to dismount. Since they were heavily armored, the escorts took a longer time than their four guests."Wait here. The General will come to meet you soon", Marcus Iceflower said, and, without another gl
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Between the borders of Dragsa and the Icelands, three people wrapped in blankets sat with their backs to a big tree trunk, shivering. The warmth slowly returned to their limbs after they had shed the soaked clothes and left them to dry on a branch, but it took some time. Beneath the tree, it was almost dry, with sprinkles of water sometimes being blown in from the sides and the wind strongly pulled on them as if trying to rip the blankets away. Despite the storm, the three horses next to them were asleep, exhausted from the run. Lady Brandon leaned on one of them to share its warmth. She was asleep as well. For a person who was a captive in the golden cage of the Capital for years, she seemed oddly familiar to these dire conditions. Remembering how she was the only one protesting against going naked under the blankets, made Katherine wonder if she was the one being a flimsy society puppet now - a thought she disliked very much. And yet, neither her husband nor her friend s
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It rained for the whole night and half of the following day. In the end, even the ground beneath the big tree's branches grew wet. Breakfast was a leaf of bread each. Around midday, when the sun poked through the clouds and made the water on the plants sparkle like diamonds, some warmth finally returned to the traveling group. That was also the moment Lady Brandon opened her mouth for the first time. "Where exactly are we going, actually?" Seeing that Nathaniel was about to set out again, she felt like she had to ask now. While resting, her gaze had wandered to the path they were coming from once in a while as if expecting something. Yet, nobody had come after them. Since she herself had noticed the lack of manpower, she wondered if they had not even enough to follow after them or expected them to find their deaths by themselves. Curious herself, Katherine gazed at her husband. Knowing that he had planned to stay on the border for a while after convincing the Gen
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For as long as a day, the party of three managed to escape the knights of Dragsa by riding along the river. Yet, the heavens were against them. On the second day, a whole mountain stood in their way, only leaving the hole the Dimgard had grinded through it. When they tried to bypass the broad massif, another party of knights blocked their way, then the pursuing party caught up as well. Uneasy, Katherine turned her horse, but the knights of Dragsa had them surrounded from all sides. It was like a Deja vu.Anxiously, her gaze swept to her husband, but Nathaniel's eyes seemed dark and gloomy. Even the regions around his eyes seemed almost black on his pale skin. Suddenly, she remembered that she did not see him sleep, neither in this night nor in the one before, where she herself had leaned against him under the giant tree. Had he held night watch? How exhausted was he now? With the questions, despair grew in her. After all, it was common knowledge that magic needed energy. Rememb
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Noticing that Nathaniel was missing, Katherine shed all her anger instantly, and seriousness took its place. She knew very well that this powerful husband of hers was not unbeatable. Even though she only knew later that it was him, she'd nursed him for weeks. The patient was someone who could not move at all in her memory. He'd seemed almost fragile with those black veins all over his body. Overlapping this image with the Nathaniel she knew was hard at first, but it made more sense when she saw his magic firsthand. Every power had its price. And his was just too powerful.He'd used this power just recently, so it would be no wonder if the repercussions overwhelmed him. Besides, she reminded herself a little late, none of the walls were inherently friendly places. Not the one they passed, and not the one they were in now. If he was ambushed somehow, he would be wounded like any other person."We should just return to the Icelands", Lady Brandon complained, but Katherine was
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"Seriously, you never tell me anything!", Katherine continued, regaining her former train of thought. "Not when you are hurt, not about your future plans, not even when it concerns me! Now, let me down, you dummy!"With a quiet sigh, Nathaniel rubbed his cheek against her neck. He didn't want to let her go yet. To his soul, cuddling her was a more powerful medicine than her magic could ever be. "Dear, we shouldn't cure it now. Not here. What would we do with the poisoned blood? The soldiers will get suspicious with almost a liter of it on the floor.""But you look so tired already. We can't just leave it be", Katherine protested, and struggled to free herself of his arms. "It's just blood. Maybe we can hide it somewhere here? Maybe in one of the closets?"A kiss prickled on the skin beneath Katherine's ear, before Nathaniel carefully sat her down. "It needs to be disposed of correctly, my dear. Did you never wonder what Sam did with the basins of blood you left?"
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