There was very few travelers on the road, as the morning misty rain threatened to turn into a full thunderstorm every so often.
Two figures, one man with a golden beard and wild hair that made him seem more like a lion and a young, slender boy with short hair and bright eyes that seemed to miss nothing, walked briskly down the long road.
Jinon glanced down at the youth at his side. They had been traveling hard for ten days, laying down to rest for two hours a night before continuing their relentless pace. Even the most hardened soldiers would have broken down by now.
Cybelline looked up and cracked a smile, "If you're wondering when I'm going to collapse, don't hold your breathe."
Jinon snorted, "That tongue of your is going to get you in trouble someday."
The girl shrugged, "I don't mind a little bit of trouble every now and then."
"GET OUT OF THE WAY!" A voice roared behind them, Jinon turned and cursed. They jumped off the road just in time as three cloaked figures on horses flew past them, the mud from the horse hooves flying everywhere.
A piece of mud flew at Cyebelline's face, without thinking, she deflected it with her cloak and flung it at the back of one of the figures.
The hood flew off and revealed the head of a tall boy. He turned towards the direction of the hit.
Hair like snow framed a face that would have been perfect had it not been the thick, black blindfold that covered his eyes. He opened his mouth but one of the other men jammed the hood back on. They continued their hard ride with another backwards glance.
"Novirians..." Jinon frowned, "Why are they here?"
"Who?" Cybelline asked. Jinon raised his eye, "Largest of the three Kingdoms. Rich in Dwarven Mines, the Border Kingdom of the Darklands."
Jinon shrugged, "Well, not our problem."
Cybelline looked down the road at the three black cloaked figures and followed at a much slower pace.
The two finally arrived at the foot of the tall, grey mountains dusted with snow. Cybelline whistled, she had scaled Everest a few times but these were even taller.
"Afraid?" Jinon asked as stopped.
"Of what? A pile of rocks?" Cybelline wanted to know and pushed up towards the steep path.
Jinon grinned, she reminded him of a few good Lady Generals that he had once fought with.
Three days later, as they began the final descent of the mountains they met the Novirians again. Except this time they were no longer in a hurry.
Jinon had led them to a little path from the main roads. It was the entrance to a short cut, he had told her. They were walking towards it, and Cybelline was busy shaking the ice out of her cloak and hair when Jinon pulled her behind a rock.
She looked up to see him hold a finger to his lips. Quietly, she scanned the land.
A hundred feet away, one of the three riders they had seen a few days ago was on the ground, dead. Not much farther away the other man was arguing hotly with the youth with the blindfold.
"We have to go, lord. We need to get to the capital." They heard the taller, older man say, "You know what will happen if we don't get you the---"
The boy put a hand up, "Captain, this was a suicide mission already. She bought Sheprin's loyalty. Who knows how many more assassins we'll meet. You've been poisoned and injured. If I can't confirm the kind of poison that you have in your body, it'll kill you by nightfall."
His voice was a rich tenor, and even though he sat there, surrounded by nothing but snow and ice, but there was an air of serene majesty about him. It was as if nothing dirty could touch his body.
"I'm not leaving you here!" The captain growled, "My duty and life is to you. Once we get down this mountain, we'll get another horse and ride straight for the capital."
"It takes six days from here." The boy said coolly, "You'll be dead in a few hours."
"And you'll suffer a fate worse than death if we don't get you to the Mages, the magic is running out!" The man growled.
A few paces away Cybelline and Jinon glared at each other, she whispered, "Why are we eavesdropping?"
Jinon peeked out from behind the rock, "They might need help."
"Like you would even consider it?" Cybelline looked surprised, "You?"
"Why not me?" The man growled.
"Because when that bridge gave out two days ago and I was still crossing it, you told me to stop 'hanging around' and catch up."Cybelline said through clenched teeth.
"You were slowing us down." Jinon replied."
"I was literally hanging on to the side of the cliff."
"That's why I told you to stopping hanging around. Besides I threw you a rope."
"It wasn't attached to anything."
"I thought you could manage." Jinon shrugged,.
"Make sure you sleep with one eye open." Cybelline said finally, "Because I will throw you off a cliff the next chance I get."
Jinon rolled his eyes.
The boy turned towards the direction where the two were hiding, "If you're worried that we were going to ask for your help, please don't. Go on your way, travelers. We are fine."
Cybelline and Jinon looked at each other.
Suddenly, Cybelline shoved Jinon out from behind the rocks.
The older man skidded to a halt in front of the boy and his captain. With dry chuckle, he straightened, "Nice day. Good weather."
Cybelline walked calmly down the path, "Let's go Jinon."
The boy turned his head towards the sound of her voice and nodded politely.
The captain studied the man with the lion mane as they passed him. Suddenly he spoke, his voice now trembling with excitement, "By the gods of war!"
He stared at the jeweled knife that hung on Jinon's belt, suddenly he rushed at him and knelt in front of him, "Whoever you are, you hold the Emblem of the Lord Protector, I beg you for help."
Jinon gently tugged out his sleeve and walked past him, "Nope, I don't talk crazy."
The captain turned and reached out again, this time he could not even touch the edge of the other man's boot. The captain fell to the ground and clutched his own chest, thick black veins seemed to creep towards his face. He looked up, "Please!" He staggered to his feet and rushed ahead of Jinon to block his way.
"You swore an oath to protect the royal houses of this land. Noviria's last hope is in danger. If we fall then the Darkness will spread and you will have broken your oath." Black blood seeped out of the corner of his mouth, "This is life and death."
"Captain Pyrion, who is this man?" The boy in with the white hair turned his head towards the two.
"My ancestors once served under a great warrior, one who was like a god among us." Captain Pyrion said, his arms outstretched, his entire body shaking with the effort and excitement, "That warrior protected us when the realm was in chaos. Our people sang songs about his deeds. He was the Lord Protector and the knife that this man had, is the same one. My family has a drawing of it. I'm sure it's the same one!" Captain Pyrion coughed, "My great grandfather said that the knife would be a symbol of the Lord Protector, the man who has done battle with darkness and won. Whoever has the knife is the Lord Protector!"
"No one wins against the darkness." Jinon said, his eyes shaded by his wild hair, his face inscrutable, "There is no oath that can not be broken."
He shrugged, "I am not a Lord whatever. You've got the wrong bloke."
Jinon waved his hand, the man fell back a few paces. Jinon continued, "The boy is right, you're going to die soon. You've been poisoned with the ice flowers of Verana. The only thing that will save you now is an emerald dwarf stone of the highest quality. If, by some miracle you find the rarest and most powerful of the dwarf stones, don't come looking for some silly fairy tale again. Find a way to help your young master."
Captain Pyrion looked stunned and was about to get up and argue again. But Jinon had disappeared down the little road. Cybelline turned to look at the boy who sat on the rock, he seemed to sense that someone was looking at him.
"Need a hand?" Cybelline asked. The boy frowned, "What?"
Cybelline reached out but realized that he couldn't see, she shook her head. She grabbed his hand and pulled him up. The boy froze for a second.
"What, never held hands with someone before?" Cybelline joked. He was a head taller than her.
He frowned, "I..uh.." The majesty and coolness seemed to drain out of him while he searched for words. For a second he looked like a bashful fifteen year old rather than a cold young noble.
Cybelline shook her head, "My friend's leaving. Hope you live!" After that, she turned and left.
The boy stared at his hand, in it he felt a small, hard stone. He probed it with his magic and gasped.
Captain Pyrion got up again and tried to follow a third time. A cold voice stopped him, "Captain."
The boy walked over slowly. Even though he was blind, he seemed to move with ease and confidence, he commanded, "Let them go."
The boy smiled and held out a green stone, "They've just saved your life."