The Kingdom of Liticea: The Sorcerer Prince

Chapter Fifty: Katherine's Song

"A fine time for winter to show it's face," Argus said, strutting back and forth around Lady Katelyn Ryd's tent, "If it continues to fall like this, we won't get back to Talonwood for days!"

"And when we do get there, we will have lost half our men," spoke Rengle, "Lady Katelyn, we cannot stay here."

"Not if you hope to live," Katelyn and Katherine were both huddled together in heavy robes and a blanket made from the skins of deer and fox and each with a warm cup of tea in their hands.

"Is there any place we can go? Until the snow stops?"

"My mother-in-law will welcome you, I'm sure."

"You mean Lady Bryn?"

"Lady Abigail Bryn, yes. Though now, it would the Widow Abigail Bryn. Her husband perished with mine in the war."

"I'm sorry to hear that, my Lady," Argus said, giving his condolences.

"I'm afraid I've grown too accustomed to horror to feel much right now. My husband, my father-in-law, and now my uncle and cousins are all in chains and my youngest cousin has sided with the Morcars. All that matters to me is the preservation of my daughter."

"You'll forgive me if I say this is not a great place for preservation," Rengle said, "Your daughter should be behind walls, not in a war tent."

"I'm afraid Grapevine Hall is not much of a fortress. It is much more of a comely house than a castle. My daughter would not be much safer there, so I keep her where I can keep an eye on her."

"Fair enough, but will she welcome us?"

"The good lady Bryn adores visitors, Lord Fallaner, and she is always eager to share that damn wine her family boasts about."

"Brynyard Wine is famous around the Kingdom, Lord Rengle," said Argus.

"Very well, how many days march?"

"Only one, Lord Rengle. In this weather at least. And it's right in the direction of Talonwood so you will lose no time when the snow melts."

The flaps of the tent then parted and the pink-faced Jergan walked in.

"What on earth were you doing out there, young man?" Katelyn demanded to know immediately.

"Doing out there?" Jergan asked, bewildered at this woman's questioning.

"Yes! Any longer out there and you would be a flesh and blood icicle!"

"I'm... sorry, my Lady."

"Well, no guest of mine is going to freeze to death. Get by the fire at once!" near where Katelyn and her daughter were seated there was a furnace that warmed the whole tent. It was not much protection from the cold outside, but they were better off than the poor souls stuck out there being slowly buried. Jergan took a seat beside it and Katelyn handed him a blanket.

"Will Grapevine Hall be able to accommodate my whole army?" Rengle asked.

"It will be crammed, but we'll think of something."

"We need to, or else we'll arrive back at Talonwood with an army of skeletons," Argus agreed.

"But what is to be done about Olsen?" Katelyn asked, "Forgive me for reminding you, but he still has at least two thousand men."

"He will need all those men to defend Rydstone from an attack from Prince Tauron. He will not be a threat to us. Besides, this snow will stop any advance for at least a day."