The vantha boy moved at a snail's pace through the shin-deep snow, barely wanting to walk. Barely even thinking he deserved to walk. The blood on his side had long ceased its tingling warmth and now only sent a bitter sting through him even though he had salvaged his father's sleeve to cover the wound and exposed flesh. He was sure of frostbite there, but nowhere in his mind made note of it. He felt nothing except the emptiness within his chest and stomach as if the organs were not even there. He was lucky that his father's footprints were easier to track than his own in the glowing moonlight. But he was only following the tracks on pure instinct and will. Nothing but a flicker of light in the vast darkness existed within his mind which only served the purpose of getting him home. The emptiness vanished when his eyes reported the sight of the Icewall Gates and the abrupt thought entering his otherwise blank mind made him stumble. He unfortunately stumbled just before a soft dimple in the frozen earth and he fell into the snow face first. And there he lay with the snow surrounding his body. He almost wished that Morwen herself would come to take his damning soul, using the snow and ice to devour his body and leaving nothing behind to indicate that the boy had ever existed. A father and son disappearing without a trace in the Reaches was the best scenario that came across his thoughts and with that he decided to stay face down in the snow. The thought of his father appeared though and it gave him the will to get up. He knew his father did not wish to see him so soon by his side after his death. He couldn't die here and not because of this. And with that he pushed himself up, but not bothering to shake the snow off for it did not bother him. He continued on towards the gate, only taking a moment to glance at the snowflake etched into the back of his hand. What did Morwen think of this deed he had done tonight? Would she condemn him for taking one of her children? He had never heard of a negative mark from Morwen, but he wasn't going to rule that possibility out. And what of Vannis? He lost one of his best hunters tonight. Actually, he had mixed thoughts about his hold leader and what he would do or say. He looked warily to the guards at the gate once he reached it, knowing everything was bound to happen very quickly now. |