No one, including Ezer believing he understood the real reason behind the trial, expected such a severe punishment. Ezer believed that Lyaria would receive house arrest or something even lighter, but exile...

Ezer can only watch Lyaria and try to guess what thoughts were going through her head. What would she do from now on?

The same room, the same things inside her, the same man lying in the same place, the only thing that changed was that his stomach was more swollen than before with the skin reddened and tight. Ezer was beginning to wonder why it had to be in this room whenever he wanted to talk to the old man.

"Again with questions?" This time Ezer has all the old man's attention on himself, apparently he was ready to talk.

“I don't see riots, nor extreme discontent among people. So why use Lyaria to make those who want to do something think twice? It just didn't make sense, an equal effect would be achieved by punishing transgressors or even hanging them." Ezer witnessed this in his childhood seeing people's terrified faces in response, of course he also had the same face as people, but he didn't know it at the time.

“It is true that the situation seems not to be so bad and that is the worst, years and years of enduring the pressure of death, the possibility of a family member dying, having to start from scratch with your home or crops. We are at the limit... you can feel it, besides it's not that Lyaria is completely innocent, we use that to our advantage.”

"Ten years for something like that!" Ezer begins to vent his anger on the old man.

"Do you really think I'd want to push her away for a stupid thing like this?" The old man doesn't show it, but his anger was also beginning to build.

Ezer doesn't ask about the other reasons, he understands that if the old man didn't mention it, it was certain that he wouldn't answer, even if asked.

"You should walk around town once, so at least you don't just have bad memories when you leave."

"Lyaria?"

“She's getting ready, after all there are only twenty days left until the full moon. When you leave, a person will be waiting for you, you are free to do what you want as long as he does not say otherwise.” With those words the old man dismisses Ezer who leaves the room and soon finds himself with the man stationed next to the door.

"You can go anywhere you want unless I tell you not to. Follow this simple rule and the ride won't turn into something else.” Ezer watches his face and remembers him as one of the guards he saw at the main gate that night, nodding at the man's words after noticing the sword hanging from his belt.

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This time the cold does not surprise Ezer, after so long it was already something familiar to him, and he even thinks that sometimes it can even be comforting. The snow accumulated on the roofs of the houses and the roads, nobody bothered to remove them since they were very busy fixing the damage that was still noticeable in the town.

People didn't usually go out in times like these as they were almost always locked in their houses feeding the fire in their fireplaces fighting not to get sick, knowing that it could be deadly. The winter was harsh and it hadn't even started yet, the sky was still cloudy, although at least there was no snow or wind.

Ezer sighs remembering that this town lived through winters that were too harsh, even the autumns seemed like winters. But he still manages to see children playing with smiles on their faces in the midst of exhausted adults.

After so much walking, Ezer reaches the wooden wall and decides to climb it using the ladder near him without being stopped by the man who was following him all the time. After removing the hair that covered his eyes by the sudden blow of the wind, realizing that it was time to cut it, Ezer is surprised to see the magnitude of the bodies that surround the town. Hundreds or thousands lay frozen as people tried to move them and put them on carts to safely dispose of them elsewhere.

“There were so many and so big that they even destroyed all the seeds that were under the ground, after winter there will be no sprouts... let's hope that the other towns have not suffered the same and we can alleviate our crisis.” Reports his escort.

"Is it the same every year?" Ezer begins to understand the severity of their problem.

“It's the first time since I can remember that it happens on such a large scale, before only part of the crops were destroyed and they couldn't even get through the walls.”

"Why don't they use the meat of the beasts for food?"

“We do, but you can't feed thousands on meat for three or four months. Children especially, they should eat more than just that.”

“Makes sense...”

“I heard the same from other people, only now I have more details. Although suffer this year after year? People cannot live in fear, sooner or later they will break. Now I understand why the old man said that the situation is more precarious than it seems.” Ezer thinks to himself.

“Did you try to reduce their number?”

“Expeditions have been made in the past, though the beasts are scattered throughout the mountains and it would take decades to kill a significant number. The weather and lack of supply is always a problem, it was tried without good results and many times these were disastrous.”

“I see...” Ezer completely pities Utrecht who carries such a weight, he couldn't imagine himself leading a people with so many problems.

"I have to buy some things before I leave. Would you mind showing me some places?" With a sigh, Ezer turns his attention away from what was once a field.

“Sure.” With a short answer the guard guides him through the shops that were open in the city.

This time Ezer wanted to be well prepared to cross the mountains and not do it in a hurry like the first time he was forced. With a simple movement of his head, he can see the peaks of the mountains knowing that soon he would enter them again, only this time it would be the middle of winter.