The boy's name was Sigrian.

He didn't look like much. Shorter than me, frail, dark hair and smiling eyes. But then again, neither did I.

The vicinity he lived in was incredibly peaceful, just around three dozens of wooden houses hidden in the vast forest. They were built from different material than the ones in my hometown, the wood mostly darker and lacking the aroma of ethereal oils. I quickly understood why. There were much less conifers here than in the north, the trees I came across shorter than our pines and spruces, but much more branchy. It probably meant that the canopy of leaves became beautifully lush above one's head in spring and summer. Right now they were mostly bald, only the occasional, stubborn dead leaf trembling in the bitter cold.

Ioreth - Earlindon's new capital - supposedly lay not far from here. But I wasn't tempted to visit and see what the part of our family that spat in our faces built up over the years since they left us in Hreshia. It probably wasn't a pretty sight right now anyway. The royal lineage died out, the people were surely still mourning, and whoever was closest to the deceased king either tried their best to not allow the land to plunge into chaos, or seize the power for themselves.

I was far more interested in the young man the people thought was the late ruler's son.

At first, the signs I caught were not very clear.

The day I arrived in the vicinity, he was hunting with two adults. It was probably one of his first tries, as there wasn't much confidence in neither is eyes nor his movement. The most intriguing for me was what occurred when they encountered a sizable boar. The moment the boy was supposed to hold steady a spear for the animal to run into, his face grimaced into a pained expression and he let down his guard, almost causing one of the men to have his leg pierced by a tusk. Shortly after, I saw the man I assumed to be his father gently pat him on the back while the boy apologized. Was it coincidence, a cramp caused by muscles that weren't used to this kind of activity, or was it a sign of what was soon to appear on that slender back...?

Unfortunately, my observations were soon interrupted for a few days. The evening after I saw the boy for the first time, furious wind announced the swift arrival of a storm that caught up around midnight. Apparently nature deemed there wasn't enough snow in the world yet. I set up a tent in the forest west from the village, on the side where the boy's home hugged the wall of trees, not bothering to hide it much. Not that anyone would dare to venture out far by such blizzard. I was the only one crazy enough with my weird resistance to cold and suicidal thoughts.

I sighed, cutting some dried meat and listening to the whistling of wind among the thin branches of a nearby birch. I wouldn't even be here if it weren't for Light's brother... If I hadn't learned that Phaladriel and our mother were in potential danger, I would be now sitting at Sitriel's grave, thinking of some painless way to depart from this world. But leaving them at the mercy of an insane mage was out of the question.

Though... if I wasn't able to protect my only friend back then, what made me think I could protect anyone else now? I was weak, stubborn, lacking motivation to do anything since I lost my father and then Sitriel. Was it the hope and trust Light put in me? Or the knowledge that I wouldn't be alone in this fight? I once betrayed someone's hope and trust by refusing to take back what belonged to my family. I also failed the one who was determined to stand by my side, in the worst way possible. But these people didn't know that. I was tempted to tell them how unreliable I really was and let them take care of it all themselves, but I felt like my presence would at least keep the morale up and allow them to achieve what was necessary...

That night, I had that strange dream again... Of that bastard that called himself Canidralth, kneeling over Sitriel's grave and whispering words that sounded like a spell... I awoke with my hand on the hilt of my sword, ready to slice his throat, but of course there was no one to raise my blade against...

I wasn't able to gather much information while the storm lasted, but I saw the boy leave the house a few times to either get firewood or water... It could have been just a display of care for his parents who he was separated from for so long, but could also have meant that he wasn't as bothered by the cold outside as a normal human would be.

And then, a sunny morning arrived.

I... rarely got to see dawns like this one. Back in Hreshia, with the window of my room pointed straight east and east being the only direction not obscured by mountains, the dawn just came. The sun was suddenly there and I never bothered to look for anything special in it, because there was nothing. But here... the sun was already up, and yet only the snow on the top of the tree crowns was turned into hats made of fire-colored diamonds, the forest below still dark and drowning in freezing mist that made my lungs tingle. Hreshia at that time would have already been pretty noisy, some people like the baker getting up long before the sun did. But all I could hear among this forest was silence and the occasional sound of snow falling from above, torn free from the branches by the welcome warmth of the golden rays.

In between those little sounds though, I heard one human-made despite the early time.

I slowly followed the footsteps forcing their way through the fresh snow in hope I would see the boy, but instead spotted a girl his age. The color of her hair made me think the sun has managed to find some gap and reach the bottom of the forest, but then I realized it was less like fire and more like the brightest gold in the royal treasury. She wandered off towards north and I quickly forgot about that morning specter. It wasn't her I came here for after all.

It was later that I realized I should have paid more attention.

The boy went after her just a few hours later, worry on his face and haste in his movements. The girl leaving on her own must have been something that didn't normally happen. And... from what I understood, she was his friend. I figured I could reveal myself and at least point him in the right direction, even if it ended up raising some suspicions, but surprisingly, the boy chose the right compass point straight away and disappeared between the trees in the north. On his own. Giving me a brilliant opportunity for further observations.

Following him would have been fairly easy if it wasn't for the scrunching white layer underneath my feet. I think he even heard me once when I didn't manage to time my step with his properly, because he stopped and looked around for a while, probably searching for the source of the additional echo accompanying his own footsteps. It became even harder once we reached a vast plain, a stainless expanse of blinding white. In the not too far distance I spotted... mountains? I wasn't sure. They were so tiny in comparison to those surrounding my hometown that I would have rather called them hills. But I made sure to study maps before coming here, and the placement in relation to other landmarks didn't leave much space for error. This must have been Yrvanyss' lair...

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I had to choose a path around the plain separating the boy from what seemed to be his goal, but that at least meant I could be as loud as I needed to be. The fact that he could go in a straight line didn't exactly provide him much of an advantage either, because the snow in the open was deeper and more difficult to get through than in the forest paths partially shielded by trees.

But even though I managed to walk quicker, my thoughts still caught up to me.

Despite my observations being my top priority, I was determined to help the boy if needed. After all... not so long ago, I would have done the same thing. If Sitriel one day wandered off on his own somewhere, I would have given chase without a second thought. Be it in the darkest of nights, the most scorching mid-summer sun or the heaviest and coldest...

... a shadow suddenly fell upon the forest, a blast of biting east wind hitting me in the face. I glanced in that direction...

... snowstorm...

I almost mentally kicked myself. Drowned in my own depression for the hundredth time, I didn't even notice the heavy clouds approaching from my right. If I were alone, that would have been one thing, but there were two young people in the vicinity, far from shelter and from people who could help.

... two friends who I suddenly felt responsible for...

I shook my head. Why would I feel responsible? I didn't even know them, and they ended up in this situation on their own accord. I really didn't need another reason to feel guilty in my life.

Even so, I picked up the pace. I wanted to look for the girl in case Sigrian would miss her among the forest.

The rest of the day and the following night felt... blurry to me somehow. Maybe it was the fatigue caused by running after those two clueless teenagers, but maybe it was too many thoughts yet again, the sudden urge to protect the kids a mystery to me.

"Why did you lie to me...?"

That was all that was needed to shake me awake.

Sigrian's angered stare was fixed on the man in front of him, but I saw his hand reaching to his chest, where the crystal was concealed underneath his clothing. The fact that he remembered it in a situation where his focus should have been somewhere else entirely could only mean one thing.

The sirath reacted for him.

I loosened the grip on the hilt of my sword, getting my mind sorted before I would step out into the light and take control of the situation.

I didn't know that I would be stepping into the light in a completely different sense as well...

Because since then, he put all he had into not even letting me look back at the darkness.

~

"I had no idea you were watching me for such a long time..." I muttered when Siaril finished his little story, one of many we were telling this evening. The only, mute listener was the moon.

"I take that as a compliment."

I smiled, looking out at the trees, their crowns barely distinguishable from the night sky by now. Since my once neat bed still resembled a battlefield just without corpses, and we felt too lazy to take care of the shambles, we chose to chat on the balcony of Siaril's room. It felt like there was so much to catch up on, even though we were barely away from each other since his return in the beginning of spring. I guess the real Siaril needed to see it all from a new perspective, and I needed to see the real him on the background of past events. We were kind of getting to know each other all over again.

"Back then, I wouldn't have dared to even imagine everything that's happened since..." Siaril muttered absently. "I was just so fixated on doing whatever I was chosen for and disappear into the void as fast as possible..."

The implication behind those words still gave me chills, even if the danger of it happening became nonexistent... "I wanted to ask you... was it me saying that we might all die...?"

A sad smile curved his pale lips. "It was like the voice of reason I long forgot I had..."

"I was just kind of searching for a way to heal you... And since being all nice didn't seem to help, I jumped to shock therapy without really intending to... sorry."

"It's alright," he placed his hand on the top of my head. "You were way too patient with me anyway. I... don't want to be responsible for that expression on your face ever again..."

"I've never been so proud of being stubborn."

"Never stop being stubborn..."

For a moment, I just stared at the forest below with a small smile. There were still so many things I wanted to talk about. How he felt before, how much of it was still left, how I was supposed to act from now on now that things have changed... But... I figured that would be something to find out as we go. "You know, my mum once told me something..." I chose to say instead. "Do you know why sadness manifests in form of tears?"

"I... don't think so? Why?"

"When you've cried enough of them, they form a puddle at your feet. Then, even if you're still not strong enough to lift your head, you can see the reflection of the sky above you and the hope for tomorrow that's shining there."

At first, he looked mildly surprised, but then smiled softly. "Your mother is a wise woman..."

"She is... Her and dad taught me that it's not the actual obstacles that I need to be focusing on in life. It's achieving what lies beyond those obstacles. Thinking about where I'll stand when I look back at those hard times."

"Oh I already know my answer to that."

"Eh? You do?"

"Of course. I'll be at your side."

I had to laugh a little. It really was simple and obvious now. Our goal seemed a lot simpler all of a sudden too, like there were brighter skies ahead. Everything took on a different shape when there was someone I could be absolutely confident in right behind me...

There was just one more thing I wanted to get off my chest. "You know though... it's not like I want you to forget Sitriel and always force a smile or something now that you've changed course... It's fine to remember him, feel down sometimes and all..."

The sadness returned to Siaril's eyes for a moment at the mention of his friend's name, but it was different this time. It seemed calm... peaceful even...

After a moment of silence, he gently shook his head. "I don't want to keep being sad. It would mean that I didn't learn anything... I won't mourn his death anymore," he lifted his head to look at the stars. "From now on, I will celebrate his life..."

~

I opened my eyes to see a lush wall of trees beneath Earlindon's tranquil sky. I recognized it... it was the Silivren Forest. I recognized the strange feeling too. The feeling of watching something that I wasn't supposed to see, being aware of my body but unable to control it. It was like that dream I had after returning home...

My head turned slightly left, where the last bushes of the forest gave space to the silky grass of the Serelath Valley. Some boulders lay here and there, disrupting the landscape in a strange way. I couldn't tell what exactly was strange about it though. But I could tell that the silhouette that I noticed standing by an exceptionally huge one didn't belong there for sure.

It was a man, judging by the broad shoulders, though I couldn't see the face due to the darkness. He was wearing something that looked like a robe, the navy blue almost melting with the night. But it wouldn't melt with the forest, and for sure wouldn't be a comfortable attire to wander through it... it couldn't be someone who lived there... And the hair, as black as Siaril's but longer and left loose, would have been even more of a disturbance in a life in the wild. He looked more like someone ready for a diplomatic meeting than anything else...

The man watched the forest for quite a while, unmoving, silent like a statue carved out of one of those boulders and left behind by the artist. And then, the soft breeze carried his quiet voice to me as he muttered to himself: "So that's what you did... Did I scare you that much? Or was it the realization of what you're truly capable of...?"

A pale ray of moonlight allowed me to see a small smile that formed on the man's thin lips before he turned away from the forest. His gaze suddenly fell on me and I froze, but his eyes soon moved further, as if he didn't really see that I was there or like I was just some uninteresting object among the landscape. After taking a few steps into the valley, he lifted his head to the stars and a moment after... vanished.

Despite the felling of unrealism, I knew that it wasn't just something created by my mind. I've seen people do this before. Not in normal dreams, nor in these weird ones that felt so real. I've seen it while wide awake, in the light of approaching sunrise that dispelled the night fantasies.

It was a mage, one that didn't bother hiding his face underneath a hood.