He pulled his cloak tight around his shoulders as the wind raced down from the northern reaches of Morgath. An uttered curse slipped from his lips as he checked his blade to ensure it did not stick in its sheath, should he need it. His gaze moved along the tree line nearly half a league away. “What creature in its right mind would be out here in weather like this?” he grumbled through chattering teeth.
“There are easier ways to dispatch yourself, my lord prince,” stated a voice behind him. “More pleasant and comfortable as well.”
His blade stopped inches from the big man’s throat. “I could say the same to you,” he shot back.
“Why are we here, my lord prince?” the big man persisted. “You weren’t expected to begin your service for another five years.”
The youth dismissed the comment with a wave of his hand. He returned his sword to its sheath with a heavy sigh. “You know why.”
Thick, wool-covered arms folded over a broad chest. “Remind me.”
He levelled his gaze at the bigger man and then matched his posture. “I couldn’t stay in that castle. There were too many memories. Too much sadness. Too much death.”
“Death is a part of life, my lord prince.”
“Thank you, Sol,” he glowered. “You know, you don’t have to stay with me. I’m perfectly capable of protecting myself.”
A deep, rumbling laughter bubbled up from the man’s chest.
The prince continued to glare.
Sol raised his hands and patted at the air in an attempt to calm the prince. “I’m well aware of your skills as a swordsman, my lord prince. But the Titans’ Guard is hardly the place for someone who has seen too few battles.”
“If I should fall in service to the kingdom, my father still has my sister,” he retorted.
“Harrumph,” the big man trumpeted as his arms crossed his chest once again.
He dismissed the big man with a wave of his hand. “I plan to stay until my commander sends me home, or my father summons me. And we both know which is more likely to occur.”
A low growl of disapproval rumbled behind him.
“You might as well start a sheltered fire. We’re here for the long haul.”
Artwork by Rachelillustrates
The World of Terra 