"The more people you love, the weaker you are."
- Cersei Lannister
King Elrik heaved a bow onto the section of the wagon where a stallion clomped its way towards the edge of the stable, He handled arrows into a quiver modeled near the saddle, nearing closer towards their left hind leg, King Elrik uncovered his sword hidden from within the sword's sheath where it gleamed and brightened within the snow crystals, He examined his sword as he straightens his back shielding and yielding it behind its cover then pressing a fur and wool filled winter mantle onto his shoulders as he clipped it together, then harnessing a belt that withstood his sheath, he plastered gloves onto his hands. He huffed under his breath as his hands caressed his stallion with affection.
"Your majesty." Marcellius uttered as his eyes encounter Elrik's eyes, soon staving his eyes away from the king's eyes where his eyes grew aloof, King Elrik brushed his hands against the fur to set it down as it frizzled from the ice-piercing snow that raged around the plains, "Our men are ready when you are." Marcellius affirmed, his head gawked to shift his gear from his hips, facing the sword covered within his sheath onto the right side of his pelvis. 499Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzFHTNPCW9k
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"And for the presence of my niece, Diana?" King Elrik divulged, setting the saddle and reigns that hung against the stallion's stern and jaw, Marcellius collected a bow, including arrows that were visible within the quiver that glued onto his back, "Her majesty, is set to venture on this journey, are you positive the nation of Nora will have no intention of initiating any force of attack on us whilst within their borders—" Marcellius heard mellow footsteps that had beat against the snow, he shut his mouth immediately, King Elrik gaped towards the figure as Diana stood near the entrance of the stable, leaning against the panes of the door.499Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCm2JmSawuS
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"Uncle." She voiced as Elrik finished saddling up his stallion, "My dear niece, you look beautiful in that fur coat." He steps towards her; swooping away from Marcellius as he went around him, soon reaching Diana, as he plastered his roughened hands against her shoulders as he smiled coyly.
Diana mustered up air within her as she filled her lungs with the cold-piercing air, she fiddled with her fingers, balling her hand into a fist where she gawked down onto the floor, King Elrik felt weary the moment he had seen Diana avert her eyes onto the ground, "what's the matter?" He said, Diana confronted his eyes, with dread. "I need to speak to you, it's about yesterday." She uttered, Marcellius deemed over to King Elrik as they peeked into each other's eyes, Marcellius nodded as he soon excuses himself out the stable's door. 499Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQMo2nWQSFH
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Elrik spectated as he had seen Marcellius walk out of the stable, then peering down towards Diana that had focused upward, where she flopped her head up a bit, then straightening it, "What is erroneously worrying you, my dear." His whispers gently reassure her into reality, "Last night, Grand General Kawan and his men found a peasant searching and stealing from his sources and supplies during the ambush, his men were able to search for the peasant from the eastwards of their quarters." Diana spoke as intensity had reached within King Elrik's throat, lumping his airflow. "you hadn't apprise me last night?" He replied.
Diana opened her mouth, where a breath of visibility soon cowered under the coldness of the winter, the hood of the fur coat cloaked her from the sudden droplets of snow that pressed and caked against her boots, "It wasn't a good time, and the peasant had a symbol on his neck." King Elrik positioned himself on some collected straws and hay, proceeding to peer upward at Diana. "What symbol?" He muttered, Diana hadn't had enough words to describe her resentment, nervousness, fear.
"The symbol of the serpent with the knife protruding from its spleen, The Augury of Serpent Posse." King Elrik felt his heart stoop so low into the abyss of darkness, his eyes widen; mouth agape, then with his thoughts that flowed from within his mind were regrets. "How? How can those rogues be resurrected from the ground? Hadn't the members of their cult been engulfed with flames?" He questioned his motives, then gawked an eye towards Diana who proceeded to look aloof, and filled with detestation.499Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjMAvvVA6xb
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King Elrik gave a firm semblance, where it was yet to be defined to Diana to envision her uncle incensed, "We must equip our best men, and follow the procedures of our safety to the Arrival of Nora, There are rogues around the boundaries, including the Serpent Posse." He demanded as he snatched onto the reigns of the saddle that rested onto the back of the stallion, "We must inform the Grand General Kawan, for his best men including Marcellius and Aspen—" Diana couldn't breath nor take anymore breaths, every time she had heard his name. That damned name would make her overthink into this terrible mess, That name she couldn't shake out of her mind even if she desired to.499Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHA9wW63j0I
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"Diana." Her uncle stipulated, Diana couldnt avert her eyes upwards to see her uncle, instead they stared and gleamed down onto the floor where she saw her two feet onto the snow plains, "Diana, We must be careful." He tipped her chin to where it could face him, Diana bit her bottom lip as her eyes became weary and fearsome, "Of course, Uncle." She replied, viewing her uncle walk out of the stables with his stallion, then halting from a step closer out of the stable doors, "And get ready for the journey to venture towards the Nation of Nora. We will imply much caution towards our trip there." King Elrik strides out of the stable where he guided his horse out the door, sauntering towards the group of guards and armed men.
for our venture." She hewed onto the reigns and the saddle of her horse before, setting it down onto a stack of straws as she drew back the stable dutch door, opening it up as her horse cantered towards the straw bedding, leaning down to handle a mouthful, thehorse was always surprising Diana with it's beauty, it wasn't like a beat up horse, it was as if it was a sunny-type of horse, it's golden coat fur shone from within the brightness of the snow, as if it were to be dyed with the rays of the sun. 499Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡinRRqaN3gH
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The ankles were as pure white as snow, from first glance, the people would have already knew, it was a palomino horse and she named this horse, Embra. Diana grappled and snatched up the saddle on the back of Embra as she clipped it all together, pulling the sides to tighten it up a bit, "First time for you not to overreact like this, once I put on your saddle, Embra." A huff came from her snout, Diana couldn't hold back a smile that began streaming from her mouth, She then snagged a bow and a quiver filled with arrows as she hid them behind her. She nailed onto the reigns as she guided Embra out of the stables, where instead of meeting up with the guards and the men, she met up with Aspen and his soldiers instead, including the lieutenant, who kept eyes on Aspen and I at all times.499Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaCHjJdvsdC
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Diana heaved herself onto Embra, as she paced herself onto the side of Marcellius, and Aspen. "Please to meet your acquaintance, your majesty." Marcellius replied as his hands gripped tightly onto the reigns, "Pleased to meet yours also." Her softened voice, gave her a sudden forceful smile that widened. From the side eye view to Aspen, she could tell, he was holding back endearingly, with his head averted onto the opposite side, avoiding eye contact every time Diana peeked. "
King Elrik averted his gaze towards the group that had followed with a pace from behind him, he steered his stallion to a jerk as it twirled around facing the group, he squalled as his booming voice rung against his throat, "We will be leaving our town, and our kingdom behind to visit Nora, there will be perilous terrains, including rogues and malefactors that run around and wander about outside of the boundaries." He retorted as he steered his stallion back in place, now facing forwards towards the rest of the group. "We will now be escorting towards the town, follow from behind and verbally express your farewells towards the rest of our people, and the people you've once doted." He also said, before his stallion trotted with a pace nearing the ends of the Kingdom's gates. 499Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC47y3wBz2B
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Embra trotted behind the Stallion, where the rest of the guards formed a large V-formation with their own horses. Diana regarded down from within her people that gathered around onto the sidelines, where she began walking towards the path molded by the people of her nation, coming and going to see her final bid of farewell, her final farewell to end this madness of her people. She skimmed down to see children, including men and women admire her, scourging from above as if she were a goddess that had came down from the heavens, to wish them luck and fortune, it had felt like that to her.
Aspen deemed down to his mother and his younger brother, Arvid. Including his other younger brothers that had seen him bid his farewell, His mother pressed a hand towards her heart, she opened her mouth, lip-syncing words and phrases she had wanted to say to her son, 'Come back to me without any wounds, my son. I love you. ' Aspen had seen his mother react like that before, when his father died within the war. He gave a smile, behind his smiles were words he gave as a reply, 'I love you also, mother.' within those lettered words, came tears of his mother as they departed. Arvid stood there within the silence and cheers of their people, as his chin quivered and quaked, his lips curved to pout, and his eyes were filled with tears. 499Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc9lKFAJBUF
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Aspen laughed lightly at the sight of his youngest brother, tearing and crying, Marcellius ogled at Aspen, where Aspen averted his gaze and eyed towards the sun that met within the horizon, agape with the silhouettes of trees, Diana viewed the daylight where within her sight, was a new day, a new adventure to be set within the lengths of her peace, small steps to the succession. 499Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOL9xAbVloJ
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King Elrik, waved his right hand up as his eyes grew weary including his smile he had held, he was departing from the people of his nation, his heart steeped so low, he clasped onto the reigns of his horse as they proceeded to trot in a leisurely pace.
Upon hours of the rise of the sun, the forest was so snow-white. It has a pristine aura that begs of the soul to stop for a moment and let the sight enter within their souls, Diana scourged her eyes around the plain, their was no heat, no signal of living within the outside boundaries, not a single soul to be seen. They continue to venture from within the forest as they scavenged deep within the forest, Upon the forest floor lie trees of yesteryear, fallen in storms long forgotten. The seasons have been harsh, stripping away the bark and outer layers, yet rendering them all the more beautiful. 499Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK3E1XPrFQI
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They have the appearance of driftwood, twisting in patterns that remind Sarah of seaside waves; even the color of the floor was sugar-like. They are soft, damp, yet her fingers come away dry. Diana tilts her head upward, feeling her silver hair tumble further down her back; the pines are several houses tall, reaching toward the gloomy winter. The wind comes in lulls and bursts, the silence and the singing working together as well as any improvised melody. A new smile paints itself upon her pale face, rose-pink lips semi-illuminated by the dappled light, a Snap of twig broke the silence between the group, where King Elrik halted as the front line of the stallion had halted. Multiple snapping sounds were from twigs, "The twigs are either snapped from the wolves or deer." 499Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFQOJRwJlws
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Diana scourged around her, the views of each angle she could get, but as she watches from her right, she viewed an enormous wild wolf, black fur coated, as their tongue etched out of their mouth, licking their snout. She shockingly held a gasp within her throat, as more and more approached them from the sideline, guarding and surrounding them with each of their wild black and gray hues of their fur.
Their horses jumbled up as the wolves slowly guard every angle, Diana looked around her keenly as each were to claw there way into pouncing at Embra, Embra was surprised, she stood on her hind legs causing Diana to lose her balance as she hit the ground filled with snow, neighing vigorouslyEmbraclattered and ran in a fluid movement out of the wolves way, as Diana winced, "Diana!" scowled King Elrik, as a wolf pounced onto her, before even clawing his way down onto Diana, Aspen gripped onto his bow, and arrow, pulling his arrow back as he let go of it, sinking the arrow into its grungy darkened fur, Marcellius grabbed onto a spear, heaving into the next wolf that charged up where Aspen ran past Marcellius, lending a hand towards Diana, as he bent down to plaster his hand onto hers, pulling her up onto his horse. 499Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ59owvLz33W
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Another wolf charged, but an arrow sunk into its chest, where King Elrik had let go of it, he gawked back as he continue shooting arrows from their bodies, until each one of them fell. Aspen ducked, with minimum arrows left, he grappled onto his sword, jerking and yanking it with fiery, as he slices the one of the wolf's head. Marcellius steered his horse onto the side to retrieve some arrows off of the wolves bodies, revealing his dagger as he steered close to one ready to pounce. He pierced it into the wild Canine's neck.499Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4E9sPRRB3I
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As the wolves had fallen, and there was no more sound coming from within the forest, but whistles of the wolf whimpering, King Elrik leaped off of his stallion, revealing a makeshift bayonet dagger, "You poor thing." He said as he knelt down, the wolf huffed and wheezed, he viewed the arrow struck onto it's side, blood gurgling out of it. "You have done well, trying to survive." he pressed his bayonet dagger against the wolf's neck as the wolf winced, crying hard. "May god, be with you." he exclaimed, before snapping and slicing its neck.
Diana cringed, she couldn't envision the pain those wolves had received, yet with no shelter nor food within the coldest winters, those high canines would feast on whatever they could scavenge for, Diana gawked away as her uncle forced the knife into the wolf's neck, where it was no longer wincing, the deadbodies laid within the rest of the stained maroon snow, that smelt like iron. "Hold onto me closely, your highness." With instinct Diana held onto Aspen tightly, never letting him go until she had found her horse Embra. King Elrik, peeked back to see if everyone was in the stable condition, "Everyone, swell?" he sauntered towards his stallion, pulling him back up onto the reigns and saddle of his horse. "Yes, your majesty." said General Kawan, as he hid wiped his sword with his glove, slashing it into his sheath once more. 499Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6ZZNr5ksFI
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Aspen retorted his gaze towards Marcellius, to which he envisioned him quite calm and collected was yet to be anguished with fiery, Diana rested her head against Aspen's muscular back, wrapping her arms around his hips as the horse's bursts into a flight of sprinting, darting and leaping from the barks of fallen trees.
Aspen bent his back to avoid the twigs that slap against his face, but as he continues jolting up and down, they burst from the outline of the skirts, where they had finally found a creek of water, cold yet nearly frozen water, they walked along the treacherous pathing to which the terrain began blowing crazily, Diana uttered to Aspen, "Will we find Embra?" Aspen continued jolting up and down as he steered the horse keeping up pace with the rest of the men, "We will find Embra, she will probably find someone down off of the terrain." He responded, shielding his eyes away from the snow that was kicking and steering around him like a blizzard, Diana hid within her hood.499Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgT8FOdrBYm
Diana buried her face onto the back of Aspen, to resonate warmth from both bodies, as they journey through the treacherous snowy plain to the nation of Nora, she awaits for the day.499Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2JKiDL2Jbc
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Flakes pelt against frozen cheeks, cling to eyelashes and hair. Numbs exposed skin, pain in fingertips and toes, creates an exhausting chore to break a trail through accumulative snow drifts. Breath warms face briefly before sucked away by the cold. Dry, aching throat from thirst and cold. Wind will cut through clothing, chaps lips, forces eyes into a squint, watery eyes. Discomfort arises from snow drifting down collar of coat, into shoes and boots, and between mittens and cuffs. "Stay close men!" King Elrik roared as the wind cowered against his breath, The gale whips each flake, so pretty on its own, into a projectile that hurts unguarded skin. The sky above has none of the light that noon-time should have, so thick are the black clouds. And the sound, dear God, the sound, like one wind-chime taking the force these almost hurricane force winds. "Blizzard" hardly seems an adequate enough word for what the world outside has become into Diana's mind.499Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKLWdmfBmGf
In the blizzard there was no way to know which direction to go, the usual landmarks were hidden behind the white that swirled so densely. Even the figure of her uncle, Elrik infront of her was little more than a crude outline of a human mostly erased by the storm. The soft crystals she would have found so bewitching from the other side of a pane glass, found their way into their fur coats in every possible way. The packed down her neck and between the fabric that flapped at the front. She could feel her blood cool and her skin become icy. They shouldn't have come, not in this weather. Disorientation was a given; and the cold was a killer. She cried out for Amber to turn but the wind carried her voice faster than she could speak. The world was being erased around her, and she'd be with it if they didn't find shelter, "We must find shelter before we will freeze within the wind!" shouted out Marcellius as Grand General Kawan had agreed.499Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhEyCGkw6qG
She couldn't endure the snow, nor the blizzard that was ringing around her, at this point, she continued to persevere at any given moment, she clung onto her life, even if every limb she has was numb, it would never stop her, into bringing peace back within her nation of Tyra.
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