Chapter 2 Ice wolves

With the help of Milton, after many failures, Ayla managed to get on the horse. The dress she was wearing was not fitted for horse riding so she had to sidesaddle.

Ayla’s heart was beating so hard like a bird trapped in a cage. She was sure that the horse would start running and throw her off his back. But when the horse didn’t move, she thought that maybe she could get to the castle in one piece. She tried to grip the reins but her fingers were numb with cold.

The journey and the cold have worn Ayla out; she felt so tired. And the endless cold made its home in her bones. She didn’t think she will feel warm again. Ayla shivered so bad that her entire body started hurting.

“ Don’t worry about the reins,” Milton said, from his horse. “I will lead the horse. Just hold on tight.”

Ayla grabbed the saddle as best as she could with her trembling fingers. She wanted to grab her mother’s amulet, but Ayla was afraid she would fall from the horse. So, instead, Ayla sent a silent prayer to Addanos. Her eyes lingered a few moments on the robe of Milton. The robe was black with bright red flames on it – a typical robe of a Fire Mage.

Even if Ayla didn’t worship Inoss, the Fire god, she decided to send a prayer to the creator of the world as well.

“Before we leave, I should make sure you don’t freeze to death. I don’t think Rhobart would be too happy if I brought you back in the form of an ice sculpture,” Milton said.

Ayla would have snorted but her teeth were chattering.

From his left pocket, Milton took out a rune. The fingers from his right-hand danced above the rune while Milton recited a spell. Moments later, warmth spread through Ayla’s body. Her body stopped shivering and for the first time in weeks, Ayla felt her toes. But her body kept hurting and trembling.

“Better?” Milton asked.

Ayla closed her eyes for a few moments, feeling very, very tired.

“A bit. Thank you!” Ayla said when she opened her eyes.

Milton frowned but not seeing anything wrong with Ayla, he focused on the horses. He hated the idea of being so close to the forest during nightfall, but Milton couldn’t set the horses at a faster pace because the princess might fall off the horse. Rhobart might be unhappy with having to interact with Princess Ayla, but the king had been very clear that he didn’t want any harm to come to Ayla the moment he ask Milton to bring her safe to the castle.

For a while, they walked in silence, until the cold made every cell from Ayla’s body hurt. She tried to focus on Milton, for the thousand times, to see if he was using his rune to keep the cold away from him. But her eyes kept closing. Slowly she drifted to sleep.

She was half asleep when Milton’s voice woke her up, “How are holding up?”

“I-I a-a-am c-c-cold,” Ayla said in a stuttering voice because her teeth were chattering very hard.

The horses weren’t walking anymore so Ayla asked, “W-why s-s-stop?”

Milton looked at her with concern, “I was worried about you and I decided to stop for a moment to check on you. You should not be cold. I cast a fire spell that should keep you warm until we get to the castle.”

“H-how c-c-come y-you a-a-are n-not c-c-cold?”

“My robe,” Milton said, his eyes studying her face.

The sun set behind a line of trees leaving Milton and Ayla in darkness. The Fire Mage muttered some curses under his breath and took a rune out, from his right pocked.

While Milton was casting a spell, a wolf howled in the forest. Other wolves followed. Ayla bit her lip to stop her from screaming.

A magic light-globe appeared above Milton illuminating their path.

“W-w-what a-about y-your r-r-robe?” Ayla kept talking, trying to distract herself from the wolves.

“It is made from the hide of a black troll, and magic spells are woven in the fabric.”

“S-so i-it is a-a ma-magic robe?” Ayla asked.

Milton looked at her and frowned, “ Yes, it is a magic robe. You don’t look too well. Apart from being cold, how are you feeling?”

Before Ayla could answer the wolves howled again, this time sounding even closer. Moments later, an ice wolf emerged from the trees. Other three ice wolves appeared from behind the trees. Beast and man stared one at another, for what seemed like an eternity before the pack leader decided to attack. His brothers followed his lead.

When one of the wolves ran towards her horse, a scream escaped Ayla’s lips. The horse moved nervously and almost threw Ayla off his back. She heard ‘telekinesis’ before feeling her body glued to the saddle.

Just before the ice wolves reached them, Milton stretched his right hand.

“Shield!”.

Seconds later the wolves hit an invisible wall. A few yelps sounded into the night, but the ice wolves were not about to give up once the hunt started. They started circling the horses, but every time they tried to reach the prey, the wolves hit an invisible wall.

Milton took out a blue flask from his pocket. His mana was getting low and soon he would have to stop feeding the shield with his magic power. The mana potion replenished some of the mana he used during the day.

“Princess, listen carefully. I will have to bring the shield down. Once I do that, I will attack the ice wolves with fireballs. We might have to run because I am low on mana. If that happens hold on to that saddle as if your life depends on it. I will send a message to the castle to let Rhobart know we are in trouble. Nod if you understand.”

Ayla nodded. She was not ready to die. Not today and certainly not like this.

Milton fisted his left palm, waited for the wolves to move in a better position. He knew he had seconds to send the firebird after he would drop the shield and the moment he would attack the wolves. He inhaled and prepared himself.

The Fire Mage counted to ten and dropped the shield. A firebird flew from his left hand.

“Fly home!” Milton instructed the firebird, before casting an attack spell, “Fireball!”

The fireball erupted from his hands and hit three ice wolves in the chest. Two of the beasts fell to the ground and sounds of pain came from them. The third one didn’t get wounded badly, but it was enough to slow him down.

The fourth ice wolf jumped towards the Fire Mage, but a fire arrow hit the beast in the face killing him.

Milton expected to see the wounded ice wolves rise from the ground, and attack once again. He only had mana left for another fire arrow. But when the yelps stopped, Milton knew that the beasts died.

The remaining ice wolf tried one more attack but Milton hit it in the head with his magic staff. Knowing that the fight was lost, the beast retreated into the forest.

Not wanting to wait for more beasts to appear from the forest, Milton said to Ayla, “Hold on, my lady! I am afraid I don’t have any more mana for another telekinesis spell. If you fall from that horse, Rhobart will add my head to his collection.”

‘Head collection? Surely the King doesn’t have one,’ Ayla thought before the horses started moving fast.

Ayla was still shocked from seeing the ice wolves so close. She had never seen a wolf before. But she read about them. Back in Myrthana, she had a big library – the only luxury she had ever been permitted. So Ayla read and learned. In “Beasts from the Uzhor Continent” she learned about ice wolves – The ice wolf is bigger than any other type of wolf. Only the warg is bigger and more vicious than the ice wolf. Equipped with a strong jaw, an ice wolf is capable of killing an ice bison in less than a minute.

The horses were galloping, bringing Milton and Ayla closer to the castle.

“There!” Milton shouted and pointed with his finger until Ayla looked at what he was showing her.

Less than five minutes away, tall walls made from stone promised safety.

The last part of the journey felt the longest. Ayla was praying that nothing bad would happen.

Five minutes or five lives later, they finally reached the gates.

“We are home!” Milton said.

The adrenaline that fueled Ayla from the moment the ice wolves appeared up to the moment they reached safety disappeared, leaving her weaker than ever. Her vision blackened and she fell from the horse.

“Princess!” she heard Milton yell.

A second, minute, hour, a lifetime later – Ayla wasn’t sure how much time passed – strong arms lifted her from the frozen snow. She never knew that Milton was so strong. He was shorter than King Rhobart, but not by much, maybe an inch or two, but his robe hid that the Fire Mage was as strong as the King.

“I have you, Princess. You are safe now,” Milton said.

Ayla opened her eyes, and looked at Milton, “P-p-promise?”

Milton frowned at her. Still looking at her, he asked someone Ayla couldn’t see, “What’s wrong with her?”

A voice she thought she recognized said, “I think she is sick.”

Milton muttered something about gods under his breath.

“I promise you, Ayla. You are safe. I will take care of you.”

Ayla nodded, closed her eyes, and rested her cheek against his chest. Milton talked some more, but she was too weak to understand his words.

She buried her nose in his robe and inhaled Milton’s scent – he smelled like the snow.

While Milton walked with her in his arms, taking Ayla to her new prison, she was drifting between awake and sleep.

When Milton put Ayla on a bed and whispered ‘sleep’ to her, Ayla clung to his robe, like a child clinging to his mother.

“D-d-don’t l-l-leave! I-I d-don’t wa-want to b-be a-alone.”

So Milton stayed, gathering Ayla into his arms, and she slept knowing that Milton will keep her safe.

When she started burning up with fever, Milton took care of her. When nightmares of another place, another time, another life made Ayla scream in her delirium, Milton was there helping her calm down. When she needed anything during her sickness, Milton was there, never leaving her. And when she slept, Milton’s snow scent soothed her.