We had to get inside the keep. How? I had no idea but I needed to figure it out fast. I had to stop Frost from stripping three times already while I tried to brainstorm ways to contact our co-guards inside.

"Coooold," he moaned from behind me, shivering in the makeshift straight jacket I had fashioned from his gambeson.

Sighing, I tore off another strip of his former pants and wrapped it around his head. I covered his mouth but left him enough space to breathe. He mumbled something at me, the gag muffling his words.

"Shut up and let me think," I snapped.

Frost fell quiet, content to rock back and forth against the gate. I watched him shove his shoulder into the metal bars, grunt, and fall back into the snow.

Idiot, I thought, bending down to set him straight. A slight movement caught my eye and I shot a cursory glance at the gate.

It...was open?

One part had shifted a few inches in the snow. Odd. They'd been perfectly straight and closed just a moment ago...

Shrugging, I moved to close it before I realized the gate was open.

"Holy mother of maggots," I breathed. "Frost! Frost, are you-Oh, great."

My co-guard lay still in the snow, staring blankly into space. I take my eyes off of him for one second and he's already dead.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

I watched his body disappear into faint motes of light, shaking my head. How was it that I managed to survive the cold for so many lives and yet he dies a mere twenty minutes after respawning?

It makes no sense, I thought, pushing the gate open further. The metal creaked and groaned, fighting to remain closed but my 23 Strength overpowered it. The gate slid forward 3 feet further; enough to squeeze through with just a little bit of effort. I pushed a little harder and managed another two feet before Frost respawned.

I stepped back from the gate and admired my handiwork. It was good enough.

Spinning on my heel, I retrieved my spear and stun sticks, having put them down when I tied Frost up. Speaking of my co-{Guard}...

"Frost!" I yelled, startling the shivering man. He had respawned yet again with another bow and quiver. "Get your stuff-yes, all of your stuff. I got the gate open!"

With chattering teeth, he asked, "A-are you sure w-we're all-allowed inside?"

"Why wouldn't we be?"

"I...I don't know?"

After a brief, uncomfortable moment of silence, I told him to pack up his bows and stepped past the gate.

Why wouldn't we be allowed in? We belong here just as much as any other {Guard} here.

Doubt rose up inside my chest. Were we going to be allowed in?

No, none of that. If we weren't, the gate wouldn't have opened!

I glanced over my shoulder, checking for Frost. He hobbled behind me, struggling to carry all of his weapons. I paused, letting him catch up with me. Taking one of his quivers, I shouldered it and a bow.

"Thanks," he said.

I grunted in response, too lost in my own thoughts. Surely Crystal wasn't right. My employers, the...the...Who...Who did I work for? Who were the people I was putting my life on the line for?

"Frost," I called.

"Yeah?"

"What are the names of the Lord and Lady of this keep?"

"Uh...I don't...Um...I don't know?"

"Neither do I."

"Is...is that a bad thing?"

"Probably."

"So...what do we do?"

"Nothing! Let's go inside now."