"Your children are not your children. They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself."

― Kahlil G.

U'tu marveled at the wooden stall that served as a contraption to lever them upwards to higher ground. It made it easier for them to rise without having to climb back up on their hands and feet like how they usually do.

The sun tribe were hardcore traditionalist. They prefer working and living close to nature. They had rejected manipulating iron and steel in their way of life simply because it made them feel further distant in connection to the Great World itself. But there were some exceptions, and it didn't sit well with some of the sun tribespeople.

At the wooden stall, River and him stood next to each other, waiting for it to fully rise above ground. They were hoisted up as blocks of cement began dropping from above.

"Couldn't we have used this yesterday?" she said.

"Not really. Sun tribe elders forbid the use of iron and steel. It seems to affect the tribe in disconnecting them with the Great World. There are special exceptions, of course."

She stretched her shoulders, "Well, I'm just glad I don't have to exert much of myself anymore. I don't think I've fully recovered from my rainforest adventure."

"I didn't see you put on the healer's ointment."

"I did back when I changed my clothes. Do you need some?"

He shook his head. "I heal exceptionally well, it's part of my charm. Also, I'm used to these kind of things."

She breathed another sigh, "Color me a newbie, then."

U'tu peered up at her, discerning "Don't be acting like that is a word everyone knows."

"Newbie is a word we use to describe ignorant fools who don't know any better."

"It is better suited to you, then." said U'tu, giggling.

She chucked his shoulder half-heartedly, "Aren't you nervous at all? We're going to sneak our way up to the stronghold, lie our way through it, and become poisoned just by breathing the air. We could turn back if you want to. I won't hold you accountable. There is no shame in turning back."

"Absolutely no chance of that. This is the great big adventure I've been waiting for. It will be the stuff for my victory quilt that Lei'la will get to weave for me. Besides, I've always wanted to be a hero like La'lolan, Champion of the Ages. Don't worry so much about it, River. And there is no reason to be nervous. Lying is just like telling a story. It's easy. I'm sure you can do it."

The wooden stall was slow to rise up and it took several moments before River started to fret, "How about those colored eyedrops they gave you? Do you have it on you?"

"Yes, yes. I got it. It will be fine. Just fine."

He could see she wasn't convinced, worrying about what could go wrong. She had that in common with Lei'la.

She pulled out a mini-journal given to her by Na'reem and began picking at the details over and over again. When they emerged out of the hole from the ground, the cold biting air flew past them. Snow was everywhere.

"Do you need another layer?" she asked him, pulling his woolen jacket to close in the snuggest fit possible.

He covered her gloved hands with his. "We're going to be fine, River. Stop worrying."

"I"ll stop worrying when we're out of danger. Thank you very much." she huffed, and stomped across the snowy clearing. "This way!" she called to him.

U'tu took his time in observing where he was. The heavy snow was really bad but he wanted to memorize every detail so he could tell Lei'la all about it. He had never seen so much dead trees before. And the sky looked tired and depressed with its gray color.

Not far ahead was the snow tribe village. At its center was another building structure as tall as their piercing museum library. It was the infamous tower stronghold and if he were honest, it was way taller than the one they've got back at sun tribe. Its hazy shadows towered in the gray sky, making his heart stop for a beat. How can a tall skinny building like that stand on its own? he thought. It looked like it was about ready to fall.

A long line of defensive walls and fortresses wounded around the snow tribe village but it seemed neglected. Thick vines crept up on its dilapidated walls with blue roses blooming wildly on top. He stopped and checked where the sun was positioned, "It's about time. The eyedrops should be taking effect right now."

"Unreal." she said in awe, watching his eyes change from the color green to deep vibrant blue.

One of the adverse effects of the snow mountain's poisoned water was a deepening color of their eyes, imitating the depths of a stormy ocean. It's the reason why snow tribespeople can never leave the mountains. Their bodies grew dependent on its mountain water and without it they would die in a matter of days.

U'tu reached up to her, and raised her grey hood lined with fur wool. On the sides of the hood hung two thick laces that fell over her chest, each of it ended on a large puffy ball of wool on the base. He pulled both of the laces down, so that her jacket hood tightened to shadow her face. She has got the richest chestnut brown eyes but under her hood, it turned darker to the shade of ebony, then, like an exploding star it bloomed to a snow tribe's blue shade.

"You seem nervous. I'm telling you that you shouldn't be. This is our destiny, we're important. Nothing bad can really happen to us, not truly. Besides, if my sun prince says we're safe, then we're safe. I trust him, and you should too."

"I know I should." she sighed, "This isn't really normal for me. Fairytales don't usually come with limb mutilation or poisonous ventilation, I'm not sure what to make of this. I never thought I'd actually say it out loud, but I kind of miss my therapist. I miss talking to Dr. Malia."

U'tu offered an arm to her, "You can talk to me, if you like."

"That's really sweet of you to offer, thanks. Now, let's go before I actually freeze my limbs off."

They marched up to the front entrance. It was a brick stone archway with guards on either side of it. When they both got stopped, River passed the guard a mock envelope from the tribal king "One of his sons" she nodded to her.

The guard was wearing a heavyset coat lined with fur, brown boots and a hat that fell over her ears on both sides. She grunted and said nothing, stepping back to pave their way.

On their way around the tribal village, River studied her mini-journal as they passed notable cottage houses mentioned in Na'reem's writing.

"We're lost." he said, stopping in the middle of an empty street. He pulled his backpack to the side and grabbed inside it a brown package specially packed by Lei'la. Dried Kiyerlia fruits, his favorite.

But before he could open it, a guard stopped in his tracks, shouting at U'tu with a righteous brand of authority "I assume that is the delivery that was supposed to come in a few weeks ago?"

"Uh, yes." U'tu gave a toothy grin, lying through his very teeth.

The guard pointed down the direction they were going "The north route is congested due to festivities. You should take the south route and head your way around to tower stronghold."

U'tu chuckled, shaking his head, "It's been a while since we have taken that route."

The guard sighed, "It's that way to the left. Then take a right on the third crossing. The stronghold is right at the end of that avenue."

"Thanks. I appreciate it." the kid said, waving them goodbye.

River was following right along on his heels.

"I can't believe you just did that." she whispered, "You didn't miss a beat, or even stopped to think what you were going to say. You're used to this, aren't you?"

He stared at her, looking skeptic "That surprises you? What kind of trouble did you get into as a kid?"

"Fistfights, skipping class, daring feats of strength and courage. I've broken about a hundred bones in my body."

He chuckled "Alu'tu Vahmo. We're not so different, you and I."

Multi-level buildings covered with snow were lined next to each other down the boulevard. Its red brickstone walls were worn-out, rusty with blackened mold and winter vines crawling on its walls. Dead trees on the pavement were decorated in festive strings of color in spite of the state of neglect to the roads, and houses. There were no lamp posts or street lights except for what they have seen back on the guarded bulwark that served as a boundary wall to the outside. The walls, posts, and other civic properties were mossy if not chafed and weathered down by the harshest winds.

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The gray sky was overcast in a gloom, and the air felt humid and salty like it was about to rain. The sun on the sky was veiled hidden by clouds and he knew that about this time, the villagers were congregated to the festival halls and should nowhere be in sight when they break out a criminal behagthi from a tower stronghold where it is known to be where the strongest spirits die. Whatever that meant, he thought. The snow tribe didn't bear much in his studies, and he didn't care for it. Back then he knew there wasn't any chance coming up to see the real snow tribe so he didn't bother much about it.

A bronze portcullis served as an entryway to the heart of snow tribe, its stronghold fenced heavily in iron. The gatekeeper brothers were right, they didn't venerate their gods here.

"State your purpose." A guard said, crossing his arms. It ought to have been an imposing threat but it had the opposite effect. A guard's snow uniform has got the thickest blanket embracing around him with beige fur lining on the sides, it looked uncomfortable to move around with it.

"The tribal king," said River, "..sends his son for rehabilitation. I am to deliver him personally to his supervisor. I have express instruct— "

The portcullis groaned as it began to raise slowly. The sharp teeth on the base of it made him shudder. It was bigger than those of the giant sky birds guarding over sun tribe. His eyes never left it even as he entered through the threshold. He feared the worst when he was directly under it, although he would never admit it to anyone.

On second thought, he might tell Lei'la about a fiercesome iron beast with teeth the size of a mother sky bird.

"This way." the guard said and they followed him into the stronghold.

It was built like a grand cathedral. The stately walls in the hallways had Greek-like columns lining up on each side. Once inside the it, both River and U'tu slowed, peering side to side. It seemed the snow tribe valued art and culture in a way that it domineered every nook and cranny. Paintings lined up evenly on each side with black marble statues littered across the expanse of marbled floors.

The guard led them inside a main atrium. It had a wide space interior with a high ceiling that had a domed arch. Even up on the ceiling, it boasted an artful recreation of creeping winter flowers and hazy clouds that hid luminous stars behind it.

At the center atrium, it boasted masterful crafts of wooden benches lined up in rows, facing towards a silver-decorated altar and behind it was a circular glass window stained with muted blue-grey colors. A chandelier hung low in the middle of the grand room yet it had gathered chunks of melted waxes that it's basically useless. Only the muted grey daylight from the stained glass window served as a light source and it barely reached the far corners of the room where it lay dark.

Several kids were seated on the benches with their backs straight in attention. They were wearing thicker sweaters in the color of a clear brilliant ocean. "I've seen that color in scrolls before" he said, "it's the wildest thing. The scrolls didn't even come close to describing its radiating blue gleam."

"Bioluminescence" said River.

He sent her a wild irritated look, "That's not a word anybody has ever heard."

A small smile crept up on her face before she turned forward, "Teal. That's we what we call that kind of blue they're wearing on their sweaters."

Teal, he thought, wondering why they all had to wear the same kind of collared sweaters with pink bows tied around their necks.

A man behind the altar held a bronze staff on his hand that went up from his foot to his forehead. On the top of his staff was a bronze statue of a naked man with a loincloth around his hips. It was a statue of a man tied up on an upright pole but his chest was bleeding because of a revealing incisive wound that went up from belly to his collarbone. U'tu thought it was a gruesome symbol to be parading in front of impressionable kids but there it was. He looked to River and she saw her frowning at the man behind the altar.

"Took you longer than I had hoped." the man with the bronze staff said, "I am Ensign Rolland. I trust you are here with my package?"

"I'm sorry to say that I'm here for another purpose. The tribal king sends his son."

He walked to stand across them, peering down at U'tu beneath his nose, "Not another one." he sighed, "He can have a seat there."

"The tribal king sends express instructions about his son's residence here. If I may speak to the Head Officer?"

"He won't be coming up here until after the festivities are done."

"How long will that take?"

He frowned at her question. "All night, obviously."

"Right. I just would have thought that he would be eager to go back to his duties."

"Of course." he said in a rush, peering at the children. "I understand you cannot leave your ward until you have handed him over to our Head Officer. You and your ward are welcome to stay the night."

"That would be most kind of you. We accept."

"Very well. We will have your quarters arranged. The son will be sleeping with the rest of the lot." he said, gesturing to the guard who bowed and took off. "Have a seat, please. I'm sorry I don't believe I've asked for your name."

"It's River. Ensign River from the base mountains down south."

"Ah, yes. The tribal king has sired many sons down there." he said sneering, "Ruins and winter ashes is what's left of it. I've no idea what would inspire him to go there."

River remained silent.

"Well, then. Ensign River we were just about to introduce the seventh seal of corporal punishment, if you would do the honors?"

Her voice turned hard, a mask of ice falling like a shadow over her face "If you don't mind, Ensign Rolland, it's been a long journey for me and my ward." she said, taking a seat on the front row.

"Very well. You will see how we do things around here in the Inland Mountains." he said magnanimously.

A child obediently stood from his bench and walked down the aisle with his chin held high. He turned around facing the other children, his eyes looking unfocused and grim.

"Do you know why you stand here, child of the Great World?" said Ensign Rolland, gripping the child's shoulder.

"I broke a rule, Great Ensign."

"And what rule would that be?"

"The seventh rule, Great Ensign."

"You there," he called pointing to a girl sitting on the back row, "What is the seventh rule?"

Her voice was surprisingly big and booming, its echoes reverberating around the wide space interior. "Great Ensign, it is to never show emotions other than remorse and disdain. Thank you, Great Ensign." she said, sitting back down.

He preened, glancing down at River. "That is to be expected." Turning to U'tu, he continued, "In time, you will learn your rules and discipline, young child. But since you haven't been officially established in this great institution, I will allow you to see what awaits you if you ever break the rules." he said, his voice growing stern. "This is what we call discipline."

Pulling up his staff in the sky, he swung it down with such force, crashing down towards the back of the child. The impact made an ominous crack that filled the hallways with a resounding echo.

River sat straighter, edging on her seat as if she was about to jump up.

U'tu quickly scooched over to her side, thankful his outer robes hid his hand when it reached for River's. He held her hand tightly, stopping her. The hard beatings was a lonesome sound, taking up the cavernous space around the halls. No one even made a move and with the growing tension, it felt like no one had even dared to breathe. The beaten kid didn't make a sound and hadn't even given a wince to indicate his pain.

What he looked like was lost. Abandoned. Forsaken.

U'tu has seen that lost look in the scrolls before. He knew that somewhere in his own mind, he went retreating to avoid what was happening to him.

Back at the museum library tent, the elders had talked about this fascinating mechanism of the mind. Given to extreme stress, Elder Jar'go had lectured, the mind will retreat to the waters of its own created imaginings.

What do you mean to the waters, Elder Jar'go? he had asked.

When you retreat into your own mind, it is like retreating into water. It's refreshing, comforting— no one else disturbs your peace. But take great care to not stay in there for too long. Still waters become stagnant like poison, if you don't come out anytime soon it will only be worse for you.

He looked to see River's nose scrunched up in anger. She turned to face him when he pinched her hand. "Na'reem." he mouthed to her.

Her jaw tightened, and he knew she was battling for some semblance of control. Na'reem had told us how the snow tribe had to have the strictest grip on its residents. Especially, on children. The winter wilds is harsh on everyone. One trip to fetch firewood could put someone into their deathbed. To preserve themselves and their offspring, they had to develop an iron grip for survival.

Once Ensign Rolland has finished, the children stood from their seats in unison and bowed as they pronounced their gratitude. Then they left. The last child to go was the one who was battered on the silver altar. He walked down the aisle with gentle steps and River knew what that meant. The little kid was not trying to agitate his injured muscles by avoiding impact from his moving footsteps.

"Hurry, boy. Fetch your supper. You don't want them to wait for too long, do you?" The Ensign shouted, making the boy's walk go faster but at every step his shoulder drooped down pulling downwards. He looked like a wounded animal with a broken leg. At the pitiful sight, the Ensign chuckled, "They have so much left to learn."

River's smile turned to steel, "I couldn't agree more."

A guard's arrival made them turn to the entrance archway. He was escorting an old nursing maid, wearing a long apron over her dark blue dress that went down to the floor and white cuffs over her wrists. "Great Ensign," the guard said, announcing their arrival.

"Ah. Just in time. Lady Inez, meet U'tu, one of the tribal king's many children. And this is Ensign River, U'tu's warden, she will be resting here for a night to meet the Head Officer bright early in the morning for the boy's enrollment."

Lady Inez acknowledged them with a deep a bow and motioned for them to follow.

"That's your cue." the Ensign said, "I"ll be seeing both of you tomorrow."

They both bowed as Na'reem had instructed them to do then turned to follow Lady Inez. She guided them through hallways with black marbled floors lined with grouts made of gold. At the top of a long winding staircase, there was only one arching double door for the entire floor. Pushing it open, they discovered it had rows of beds lining the walls with kids standing on attention between each bed.

Lady Inez marched in the middle of the room, surveying each child. They had to be about 15 of them in the room. "I trust you have all had your supper?"

"Yes, Great Lady." they said in unison, sounding firm with conviction.

"Very well. You may have your rest now, children." she said then grabbed a girl's shoulder to her side. "Not you."

The girl turned up her head, but not meeting Lady Inez's eyes. Her shoulders began to square up and her face a bland mask of indifference. "I am at your service, Great Lady." she said.

U'tu noted the blonde girl couldn't be older than Lei'la's age. Yet she displayed the kind of control only the most seasoned warriors carried back in the Sun Tribe.

"Young one, you get to make sure this new boy knows how to get ready for sleep. He may take the empty bed over there."

The girl bowed, "I am honored to do this for you, Great Lady."

The lady's frown deepened, "What are you waiting for? Get to it."

U'tu was at the girl's side in an instant, not wanting to cause any more trouble. He noted how her wiry frame twitched ever so slightly as he appeared next to her. Pale violet eyes and braided hair twisted into double buns. There was a vibrating tension under the surface as she held herself at a steel-like posture.

River stepped forward and grasped him by the hand with a threatening sneer on her face "Do as they say, or I'll make it worse for you." Then she withdraw, moving back to Lady Inez's side.

In his hand, there was a small glass bottle pushed to him upon their clandestine contact, his palms curving over it as soon as she dropped it. He knew the shape and feel of this bottle. His sun prince had sent him numerous times to the healer's tent for errands to claim this particular bottle; it was a special kind of potion made with some of the rarest ingredients across all lands, and by far, known to be a most effective accelerant of tribespeople's healing ability.

River stopped at the doorway, turning back to U'tu. She held a helpless air about her, then she glanced to the kid who was beaten earlier, and looked back to U'tu with a silent plea.

Tipping his chin up at a slight tilt, he watched River leave through the doors and for the first time ever, a sliver of hesitation pooled in his stomach.

Maybe this was more than he expected it to be.