"I left him in Valley of Life. It would have taken me over ten days to come here so I chose way of a week and left him where he would live for some time." Squire said.

Smile spread across Ser Angus face. Even Padraig surrendered to the feeling of relief for a while.

"How did Lord Wernh'An get into such vulnerability?" asked Counselor Padraig.

"Lord had said he had sensed Nortze so he disappeared, leaving the army with me. When we came there, Lord Wernh'An had a bag over his head and was not breathing well."

Weapon. Commander Evar recalled what the two killers had been mentioning.

"Where are the soldiers who had come with you?"

"Without warmth, all of them died." Squire showed them an empty bile, "I chose to save myself."

"And you chose to save Lord as well." Angus said.

"Prolonged life, I would say." Godfreed intervened, "Lord Wernh'An would not survive even in the valley for long if we don’t treat him. And we don’t know what the old Calajhan had used on him."

"It was a sack." Squire said, "It had some powder like substance in it."

"Do you know what it might be?" Ser Angus glanced at Godfreed, "We can take the right medicine for it."

Godfreed was clueless.

"Bring those two men inside the castle." Commander Evar said, "They might have something to say about this."

_

Saer and Fierlo were in the middle of snowfall with nothing to keep them warm. The blanket they had been provided were now inside the castle. The cold wind penetrated their ears and breathing Hilcastle air was turning out to be just another method to freeze their lungs.

Hung head of Tadeas moved left and right as the wind hit it. Every time it hit the gate, the sound came as if a rock was colliding against the metal. Snow was in the quest of covering those two men as well.

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Despite of everything, none of them thought it was necessary to speak. They wanted to keep their breath in their bodies and not let it out as words which would go in vain.

Saer tried to stay without shivering. But it made trembling worse.

"Saer!" Fierlo's faint voice reached his ears.

He tried to answer Fierlo but found himself on the snow while attempting to utter something.

Not long later, Fierlo also gave up fight with the mountain.

Both of them lay on snow, waiting for the weather to club them with a final blow. The blow seemed to about hit them but backed itself again just for a moment mocking.

Unconsciousness began taking over them. Things started to blacken in the white atmosphere. And they somehow got sensation of warmth.

Saer's ears rang.

As the things were losing their pigmentation, he heard someone speak near to him, "They are tough beings."

From the gap of closing eyelids, Saer noticed someone with orange hair gazing at them. Commander Evar looked straight in his eyes. Tired, Saer blinked to let him know he was still inches away from being dead.

Evar waved at his soldiers after seeing the blinking. Then he walked somewhere. Saer couldn’t turn his head to see where he had gone but when he came back, he had soldiers with them who came with wooden planks with straps.

Soldiers followed the commander’s order to buckle them on the stretchers. The straps were loose and just prevented them for slipping down as the soldiers started dragging them inside the palce.

Then the soldiers dragged them inside the palace.

Being inside the castle area brought heat back in their dying bodies. It also knocked senses inside Saer. Fierlo also felt like his body was warming. This time, warmth was for real.