Darkest Roads

[Desaecula]

Far over the misty mountains cold,
To dungeons deep and caverns old.
The Pines Were Roaring In The Night,
The Wind Was Mourning In The Night.
The fire was Red In Flaming Spread,
The Tree's Like Torches Blazed With Light.<o:p></o:p>-J.R.R. Tolkien<o:p></o:p>​

It seemed so long ago now that the beginning of this strange odyssey brought together the souls of such an estranged lot of unfortunates. But as time wears on and nerves wear out, Destiny is less an active force than human determination and stubborn will. <o:p></o:p>
The mountain was cold and unforgiving the night Darken spurned the stone golem horses began trudging up the only mountain within the sundering woods. And though the spirits of evil did not follow them… the gloom of that threat was ever-present in all their minds.<o:p></o:p>
The clunky Glorified skiff Darken and Darkling had put together clattered in a predictable annoying drone of wooden creaks and metallic hits. The snow was flying rather fiercely farther up the path, And as Night became darkened by the flurry of white the Warlock was forced to light a mystic fire to float in front of them and light the way( though the Horses seemed more steady of foot and direction than even the warlock)
"Gods, Darken, The Weather wasn't this bad when we FOUND the bloody place!" He boomed as the wind shifted around them. Soon another swath of trees came into light, and Darkling, without incentive from his master, flung out his hand as an ethereal eruption of wind forced the snow from the path ahead. Staying Silent, Darken Kept his eyes on their surroundings as strange shifts in the snow here and there kept him ever vigilant. The chill of the night was kept off of The two burdened ladies by a single, though spacious Furry blanket, forcing them to huddle together in front of a warm mage-fire lantern Darken supplied earlier. Though it was not enough to stave away ALL the pangs of chill from the night, It was far better than just the blanket alone could do.<o:p></o:p>

 

[Razor]

Cassia's lips seems to clatter together. If she didn't know any better, she would have suspected that Darken, and his ever trusted demon were leading her and the poor Mage, Niharie, up to their all to soon death. As the horses made of pure stone pulled the skiff carrying the two pregnant woman up the mountain, the air seemed to grow even thinner, and harder to breath, making both Cassia and Nihaire cover their moths and noses with the blankets.

The blind Mage had her face buried against Cassia's shoulder, while the Gypsy had her arms wrapped around the stubborn woman's shoulders. Niahire had insisted for the first hour of the long trek up the mountain that she would be fine, and even tried to shift to the back of the small skiff, but Cassia had finally convinced her when the temperature seemed to drop below zero, and now you could barely tell one form from another. Cassia pulled the fur blanket more tightly around the two, her shoulders shivering and shaking, as her green eyes, which seemed duller from the cold, stared up at the small lit lamp held above her head.

As miserable as she felt going up the mountain, she couldn't deny that the view was the most spectacular thing she had ever seen in her entire life. You could see the entire valley. There were little fires alight here and there, and could even just make out the highest guard tower in the Southern Kingdom.

Cassia occupied herself by describing everything she was seeing to Nihaire, who had to lean in close to her Cassia over the thick howl of the wind. As Cassia talked, and Niharie payed as close attention as she could, the spawn within the two seemed to move slow, but precise, hitting each woman in places that caused enough pain to make them hiss or whimper. Cassia winced, but shook her head and continued one with her very detailed descriptions.

She finally turned around on one knee and tried to call out to Darkling. "How much longer....I-I doubt we can t-t-take much more!?" She stammered through clattering teeth.

 

[Desaecula]

The breeze took most of her words out intot he thin air of the mountain away from Darken. But enough got throught o him that he turned and patted her ont he shoulder.

" We're going to have to bed down int eh tree's until the blizzard passes!" Darkling yelled, looking round. " I think we've lost the Path, Darken!" He bellowed.

Darken shook his head. " Let not the snow decieve you... I know we are close!"


The swish and hiss of wind and snow pelting against the wood almsot hard enough to wrap it away like sandpaper pulled around them for another few moments. and then, int eh cover of tree's, there was a moment of reprieve, as Darken adn darkling pulled the billows of snow up around them as a barricae againstt eh cold.

Darken leaped into the back of the skiv and put his hands around the little lamp, slowly molding it into a tray, the fire burnign brighter and hotter than before. his gloved fingers were icy, but not yet damaged by frost.


The warmth of the magefire grew slowly until it filled the snowy walls with relieveing heat.

" I can only give us about fifteen minutes of heat like this before we move on. Best we make use of it. " he nodded.


Even darklign huddled closer to the flame. what a miserable situation this was. still. warmth was warmth. even if only for a littel while, it was relief.

 

[Razor]

The spawn, which had been roiling around in both women for nearly an hour, finally seemed to calm not, if not only slightly, making Cassia and Niharie sigh in unison. Niharie leaned her head against Cassia's shoulder, closing her eyes, not that they were much use to her open at the moment to begin with, but her deft hands rested inches above the flames, as did Cassia's, who's teeth were still chattering together silently.

"I belong in the warm valley, dancing around a bonfire!" She complained under her breath, shaking her head, and pushing the blankets up higher around her shoulders. She reached forward and pulled Darken around the flame, and down next to her, shifting the large blankets, so they fell around him as well, than she did the same to Darkling, making sure to share the natural body heat of the human body as productively as she could.

The wind seemed to whistle eerily, and Cassia couldn't quite decide what she would rather prefer. Cold wind, snow, and limbs that were turning blue, or a forest of demons and monsters threatening her life every second of every day.

(Short I know..... D=)

 

[Desaecula]

"I heard that.. And I'd much rather be there aswell." Darken said, his gloved fingers were icy, but the infernal flame inside him did nothing to ease the pains of cold on his extremities.

"We aren't far from the caverns now... gods this snow was NEVER this bad before." He mumbled, trying his damnest to keep the warm magefire going bright as he could. a spark lept from teh fire at Darkling and landed on his nose. he snorted and the glowy ember fell aside harmlessly.

" I never signed up for this..." Niharie woudl hear him grumble.


Soon enough the magefire would begin to flicker, darkens power over it reaching a limit. they'd be without its light and warmpth for the rest of the journey if they stayed more than another five minutes with it blazeing.

The snowy roof held fast, but the wind and spray outside wailed beyond it in a forebodeing muffled tone.