The Rosewood Prophecy

Chapter 59

"You too, Aaron. Why did you engage in combat with him? You know Lionel's just upset about losing Indigo; why did you provoke him further?"

"Kath, you heard what he said! He blames it all on me and it wasn't my fault! I nearly died out there too, okay?" Aaron crossed his arms and huffed angrily. "He's not the only one who cares about Indigo!"

"Well you're going to die out here again if you don't go back inside too. Do you want to proceed to stage three hypothermia?" I ushered Aaron inside the cave. "We know it's not your fault; no one blames you. Lionel is just upset, he doesn't really mean it."

Inside, the soldiers were looking at us curiously. Lucian glared at anyone who seemed a bit too interested in our conversations. The five of us sat in a circle around a campfire a little ways apart from everyone else. Aaron sat as far away as he could from Lionel, still angry.

"So, what's the plan now?" Lucian asked. "Are we sending a rescue party? Are we proceeding as planned? What are we going to do?"

Lionel stared into the fire, his sword in his lap. He gripped the scabbard tightly. "We're going to make Lord Victor pay." Each word was forced through gritted teeth. "I'm going to make him regret ever being born."

"That's the spirit," I said with a small smile. "So, Commander Lionel, what do you propose?"

* * * * *

The snowstorm lasted for another three days. When it finally stopped, the snow piled up was nearly as tall as a person. With difficulty, we located the ropeline we erected. Aaron led Lionel to the spot where Indigo disappeared, marked with Aaron's scarf on the ropeline, and they dug through the snow. They managed to find Indigo's sword buried under four feet of snow, but there was no other indication of where she might've gone.

The armies of both caves reconvened with much difficulty through all the snow. Lionel had a team of sixteen soldiers shoveling snow in the front, and every twenty minutes a fresh batch of soldiers would take their place. The army trudged through the mountain pass at a pace much slower than before.

With each day that passed, Lionel seemed more agitated. He paced back and forth when we stopped to eat or rest, and stayed up alone late into the night. Even though he constantly motivated the troops with an optimistic outlook, I knew he was anxious and worried about Indigo deep inside. Aaron soon forgave Lionel for his outburst and comforted him often instead.

It wasn't just Lionel who was worried about Indigo. We all were. I, who had been captured by Lord Victor before, had a very good idea of what she might be going through this very minute. If Lord Victor could get into my mind, could he get into Indigo's too? Since our army is approaching the stronghold, would that push Lord Victor to more extreme measures and more severe torturing of Indigo? Indigo was smart and the mastermind of our group, but is she capable of outwitting Lord Victor?

Nearly two weeks later, our scouts returned to tell us that Lord Victor's stronghold could be seen just around the mountain we were on. Aaron, Lionel, and I went ahead to take a look. On the next mountain, a formidable castle stood against the wind and snow at the top. Black flags fluttered at the tip of every tower. The castle could be mistaken as a part of the mountain, if not for its dark color against the white snow. It rose from the surrounding landscape, unapologetic and bold, banning entrance from all who dared to approach. Even from this distance, I could see the huge iron gates, looming battlements, and sturdy ramparts. This was an impenetrable fortress, and we had to find a way in.

The three of us were silent for a while, each thinking our own thoughts while we took in the sight of Lord Victor's stronghold. Aaron was the first to speak. "So, we have to invade that place." He raised his chin at the castle.