He took steps like he did not want to walk. Either it was disbelief or somewhat horror, he could not keep himself away from thinking about the same incident over and over again. He had already thought of it several times, but the feeling remained the same.

Moreover, it put him in a quicksand of thoughts.

He was right about the loose snow. Ser Angus labored his way on the melting snow while returning to the castle. He paused to sip water from the leather sack and after a few sips.

I was planning to go there. Padraig could have let me walk to my own grave. Ser Angus winded the cap tight, But why didn’t he?

Horses neighed somewhere. Human shrieks followed.

A short time later, he could tell which the direction of the sound. He took his eyes off the horizon to tie the water bottle to his waist. And when he looked straight, he discovered six horsemen coming in his direction.

The red phoenix feathers moved like dots over the snowy landscape.

Ser Angus waited for them to arrive.

A man said before his horse could stop, “Good to see you safe, ser.”

“Avalanche happened over there. Not in this forest. Of course, I will be safe.” Ser Angus walked, looking at all six of them and their horses.

“You will have to return on foot.” Ser Angus tapped on a guard’s armor.

As soon as he dismounted, the knight pulled himself on the horseback.

“With me.” Ser Angus kicked the saddle.

Following a short ride, the giant gate got visibility. With the sight, came a question to him from a guard.

“Do you think Fierlo will survive such weather?”

He was the man on foot.

Angus couldn’t hold his giggle, “What a world are we in….Guards fuck up and hope for weather to compensate their stupidity.”

“I wouldn’t blame the guards.”

“They must have been good friends of yours.”

“Ser, it isn’t so-”

“Then stop defending them!”

Horses sniffed while their hooves squished the snow.

The man was too scared to apologize, but Angus forgave him, anyway. All it took for his pardon was silence till they reached the gate.

Ser Angus saw a new guard at there. He gazed at him from his horse. Shortly after, everyone realized the guard was just someone whom Ser Angus happened to be looking at while thinking.

“Release them.” Ser Angus exhaled.

“Pardon?” a guard came bowing.

“I revoke the death sentences of those three guards.”

“We’ve already boiled them alive.”