“Hush now, Kayla.” Brand rubbed his gloved hands over her neck. A puff of snow came off her hair. Brand hated to push his best friend like that. A horse was not meant to bear this frosty weather, not this long. But they had to challenge the weather. Ever since he felt the call, they had scoured the lands in search of the Next. The one who would take his name and place in the world, so he could retire. The wind blew in their faces, almost unbearably so. “I’m sorry, old friend. We should have reached Fol’Klor by now!” he yelled. Kayla snorted. He heaved himself straight up and peered around, but noticed nothing but the powdery snow blown by the wind. “We’ll take shelter! Wait these blasted weather out!”

Brand stared into the flames, a habit he took over from his mentor. It calmed his senses and cleared his mind. But the fire had a practical side to it as well. Brand was known for his flaming sword. His mentor was known as the red star. One time he burst into flames, charging the enemy. Brand smiled when thinking about him. He reminisced the old days, caressing Kayla who was From the corner of his eye, he saw something move. Nearing the campfire were three individuals. Two tall men with covered coats and thick boots. Their faces were pale, their eyes dark. In the middle was a female adventurer. She wore a sword on her hip and a leather shield on her back. Their footsteps made no sound.

Immediately Brand’s focus turned outward. How could they have snuck up on him through this storm?

“If you need a place to rest your legs, you can do so at my fire,” Brand said. The three smiled but did not move closer.

“We need not rest,” the woman said. “We are being hunted.”

Brand eyed the emotionless faces of the group. “By whom?”

“Shadowbeasts. They are closing in at us through the storm. Stick with us and we’ll lead you to safety.”

“Shadowbeasts?” Here? Brand never heard of the monsters this far north. Could he leave these pour souls alone? Was this some trick? He sensed this weakness in himself. Everyone feared the Shadowbeasts, it was only natural. Could he give them the benefit of the doubt? Brand got up and Kayla immediately followed. She shook off the snow, and the blanket that he posed on her fell to the ground. “No time to gather your belongings. We need to go. Now!”

Brand took her Kayla by the reigns and followed the group. “I am Brand.” He said. “It is you who should stick with me.”

The two men disappeared in the snowstorm, but the woman stuck close to him. “Brand. I will bring you home,” Said she. “I am Amandine.”

He didn’t hear anything other than the wind, and he doubted Shadowbeasts would be able to find them. “We’re almost there,” she said. Kayla reared of a sudden and ran off. Brand ran after her but she quickly disappeared. “Kayla!” he yelled in the wind. It took his breath so he made a cup with his icy hands. “Kayla!”

Flocks of snow obstructed his view. “Woah!” without knowing he almost fell into a ravine. “Amandine? Hello!”

There lay Kayla. More than sixty feet below him. “Kayla!” The horse lay flat on her side, surrounded by the all-white snow. Her legs convulsed.

Brand ran parallel to the rocks until she was almost straight down. There he let his feet dangle over the edge. There was no time to find the right spot to descend. He wasn’t even sure he could find his way back, or if he would be on time to save her. “If you survived, old friend, I shall do, too.” He climbed down, his feet scrambled to find a grip on the wet rocks. He groped. Missed. And fell tumbling down. “Aah!” he fell on the snow, which absorbed his landing almost completely. He’d been lucky no rocks were hidden under the frosty surface. He struggled back up and ploughed his way to his horse. “Kayla.” He said whilst caressing her long manes. Her quick breath created clouds that were quickly dissipated in the wind. She looked at him with big, white eyes. “Up. Come on, girl. Up.” He continued to talk to her to push her. He pulled at her reigns and finally she got up. He quickly inspected her legs, they seemed fine. Somehow, she didn’t break anything. She was okay. “You’re fine, girl. Just fine. It’s okay.” He reassured her as they continued their way. That’s when he saw the three strangers again. “Here!” Amandine yelled. He squeezed his eyes but they were always just out of sight. They didn’t even leave footprints. “Amandine!” Brand yelled, keeping Kayla close to him.

“Here, Brand!”

Lights, lights in the distance. Bright, inviting lights. Brand pushed aching muscles to their limits. “Come on, Kayla!” In front of him, like the shadow of a mountain, a house loomed. Brand looked around, the others were gone. He knocked. “Anyone?” he yelled.

The door opened. “Quickly!”

“There are shadowbeasts near!” Brand said. “We need to scour the land, three people are still missing in the storm!”

“I see. Don’t worry about them anymore. Come in.”

“I have a horse!” Brand said. “Do you-”

“Behind!” the woman said and she closed the door. Brand quickly went around the building, to find a big stable. Inside, it was warm, and for the first time in a long, he felt some sort of comfort again. Do not worry about them, what was that supposed to mean? The stable was dimly lit and the floor had a layer of dry straw. The wind tore at the roof high above them, but there were no cracks where melted snow came seeping in. He patted Kayla when and when he eyed a bucket with big, purple carrots, he gave her one. Near the light of the fire, he inspected her closely. She truly was fine. “You’re a magnificent friend, Kayla.” He whispered in her ear. Then he noticed the necklace wrapped around her reigns. Little particles of snow were melting on the silver ornament. How did it get there?

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Once he made sure she was okay, he inspected the other animals. There were two horses and a donkey. They all seemed in respectable shape. His mentor thought him this, look at how they care for their companions, he always said. Brand smiled and closed the stable doors.

“Is this Fol’Klor?” he asked the woman once she let him in. She smiled. “The Frozen Lantern of Fol’Klor. It’s here. And you are lucky to be here as well. What were you thinking going off in a storm like that?”

Brand thought about everything that happened in the last few hours. “We got lost,” he said.

“We? Am I wrong to assume another friend is coming?”

“She is already here,” Brand smiled.

“I see. Well, take off your boot and coat, and place yourself by the fire.” The maiden seemed a stern one, she was already back at the bar. “My name is Bianca.”

She came back quickly with a large mug of beer. “You deserved that one.” Brand gratefully accepted it. “Can you tell me more about what happened?” he asked. “I thought about your reaction whilst taking care of Kayla. I assume I’m not the first to arrive here, led by three adventurers.

She shook her head. “No, though nowadays, it doesn't happen often. When in a storm nearby the town, there is a chance you will be helped by three ghosts. If you decide to follow them, they take you via a safe route here. Shouting directions and disappearing just before you see the contours of this very building.” She gestured around her. “Don’t you worry about Shadowbeasts.”

“Thank you, Bianca.” Brand thought about the silver necklace, but something inside told him to hold on for now.

“What’s your name anyways, and what brings you here?”

“I am Brand, the Sword of Flame. And I have an important quest to complete.” Bianca’s demeanour instantly changed. “I’m sorry, I didn’t recognise you,” she said.

“That can only be my fault.”

She smiled and disappeared again. Brand stared into the fire and calmed his senses again. He thought about all that happened, Brand never heard of ghosts near Fol’Klor. His train of thought was again disturbed, this time by a female yell. As he turned around, he saw a little woman with a blue dress near him. Her face contorted in anger. Her finger pointing to the ceiling. All in all, she reminded him of his wife.

“You! Stop bullshitting us!” she yelled. “Maybe it works on Bianca, but know this is practically stealing!”

Brand realised his mouth was open. This little woman, barely older than a girl planted her feet firmly and stared him down.

“Excuse me, miss. I am Brand, I-”

“I heard your name!” she interrupted.

“Excuse me for her behaviour,” Bianca said. “Helga doesn't believe in ghosts.” She then turned to the hothead. “But it doesn’t allow her to speak to our guest with such manners!”

“Why do you assume I am lying?” Brand asked.

“Why? Oh because first, it's always the same type of people who happen to see the ghost. And there is never any proof! Maybe it’s a thing your sorts tell each other to have a free drink!”

“You remind me of my daughter.” Brand said with a smile. “She was a hothead too. When the storm dies, we can go looking for my belongings. Or do you believe I travelled miles and miles without anything except what I am wearing now?”

Helga thought for a moment,” maybe you hid them somewhere near.”

Bianca pushed her nervously, as to nudge her back to the Bar. “No!” Helga yelled. “The dead are truly dead, there are no ghosts or whatever you claim you saw! They’re not real!”

Bianca grabbed her by the arm. “That’s enough. You will apologise, girl!”

She struggled and shook her off. Then she ran away, tears streaming down her face.

“You didn’t have to protect me,” Brand said. “Aggression doesn’t work well with the youth.”

“I am protecting my own name as well, when someone like you walks in it means something. But perhaps you’re right, I can barely blame her. It was her sister, after all, that got lost in the storm.”

“Her sister?” Brand said. “Then, let me talk to her again.”

Bianca slightly bowed and disappeared. Brand had a feeling she wouldn’t find her. But he was quite sure he could. He grabbed his still wet boots and his cloak and went outside. This time, there were footsteps.

“So, Bianca told me she was your sister.”

“How did you find me?” she asked.

“Well, I did tell you how I have a daughter with the same temper as you. I could guess.”

Her nose was already all white, she looked vulnerable, like a child’s doll left alone in the cold. Brand walked to her side and stared into the storm. He didn’t say a thing.

“I wanted to be an adventurer. But one day, my sister returned with bruises all on her face. Cuts on her arms and legs. Every time she’d come back, a piece was missing from her. And I cleaned her wounds, refreshed her bed with herbs from the forest. I patched her up until she didn’t come home anymore. I was too scared to ever wish for adventure then.”

Brand placed his arms around her shoulder. Helga turned to him and cried. “I just want to see her again.” She said. “Every day I hope to see her face. Her special way of walking, so full of life and curiosity. Her blonde hair waving in the wind like a sail. Her smile, her stories. I want it all. I want it all back.”

“I think I have something that belongs to you,” Brand said. “Here.”

As soon as she saw the silver necklace, her eyes turned wide. “How did you find it?”

Brand sighed. “Let’s go back inside, so we can talk in comfort.”

She shook her head. “No, now. How did you find it?”

“She gave it to me. Well, to Kayla, actually. About an hour ago.”

“So, it’s true then.” She said with a little voice. Brand hated to bring the bearer of bad news, but such was the way of the hero. His mentor would always say, someone, you can trust to say the bad, you can trust with your life. These little rules helped little now.

“I swear on my life.”