- 4th day of Hanotë

Part 1 - Lost Bet

The day dawned clear, the weather becoming warmer as Spring advanced, but even so the Knights packed their warmest blankets and cloaks, since their final destination was the Ice Mountains where the snow never melted.

As usual Denar was responsible for gathering the required supplies, while Elian made sure everything would run smoothly in his absence. Before they could depart there were still matters he had to attend to, although, in his absence, the leadership and command of the many sectors of the Orders had already been appointed. That being said he’d much rather spend as much time as possible outside the palace, so that rumors of his departure could be contained, at least until after they’d left. Sure Endio had granted him his permission, but Elian knew that the same could be as easily revoked if too many opposing voices begun to rise.

Elipson had been deemed responsible for checking their horses’ condition, her shoulder slowly getting better, although Solara had advised her to restrain from moving it too much or carrying heavy weights. However, by the time she finally reached the stables, another Knight was already on the task.

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“Good morning, Mahel,” she greeted him and the young man raised his head to smile at her.

“Good morning. I thought I might come and give you a help …” he told her and she looked at him sideways.

“I see … What has your brother done this time?” she asked and Mahel scratched his light brown hair, smiling embarrassedly.

“He lost a bet with Lamar …” he confessed and Elipson laughed.

“And as usual you’re the one paying for it. You can leave now. I’ll do the rest.”

“It’s okay. I’ve already gathered all the things I need for the road.”

“If that’s so we should leave as soon as Elian finishes all the matters related to the new defense plan.”

Mahel nodded and released a deep sigh.

“Elipson … have you ever been outside like this … I mean, for this long and so far west?”

Elipson smiled as she faced his clear gaze and couldn’t help think about how young he still was.

“No, I haven’t. I don’t think any of us have, except for Denar of course. But we’ll be fine, you’ll see. As long as we stick together and keep our objective in mind … which will probably be difficult to accomplish, with Arkel trailing along,” she added with a pained expression that made Mahel laugh as he returned to his task.

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