ADAM

It was a cold morning, there were no birds to chirp, no strong smell of coffee to be smelt, no greetings from maids and men. It is the young lord's typical morning in Ravenhal. He is still wearing his clothes from last night's supper, he can't barely remember what he did, what he ate, what he drank, what he saw, and what he felt. Adam knew that he was not drunk- it happened again, he thought. The sightings, the sleepwalks, or the daydream he always experience since his sister disappeared.

Adam shook his head, shut his eyes and sighed. He slowly opened his eyes again, just to stare blankly into the open window, where he can see a tree, not a normal tree it is, a tree where he and his sister spent summers playing with their childhood friend, Gared. The leaves from it might be gone, the branches of it were thick and still strong, and they believed that it was much older than Ravenhal itself, and their memories will stay with it forever until the end of times.

He stood up from his bed, back slightly aching, he stretched out his arms and yawned. He walked down the stairs of the Lord's house, the halls were empty and silent. Now, he wonders if it's too early for him to be awake. The guards were still asleep when he exits the house, the streets were quiet.

A man approached him, a hint of worry drawn into the man's face. It was Gared, his old friend, now a sworn brother into the White Riders of the North, faithful to his house. "Morning, m'lord." The man bowed, giving courtesy to his kingship.

"Good morning, Gared. An early problem for a cold morning, I suppose?" Adam cocked his eyebrow, waiting for Gared to speak. "I haven't took my breakfast yet, but here you are, about to tell me a problem? Go on then, these are the unfortunate moons so, be it."

"I apologize, m'lord" Gared bowed once again, snow sticked to his hazel brown hair, melting into the warmth of his body. "Two of our riders were found dead, both young."

"Again?" Adam felt heaviness on his chest.

"Yes, but this time, the bodies were found outside the Gravewoods." The reports gave shivers to his spine. Outside of the Gravewoods were just three to four small villages away from their stronghold.

Adam was silent for a moment. "Oh, I remember now. You just came home from a ride." The young lord nodded, keeping his calm even thought he always fear those kind of unfortunate events.

"Yes. But I am afraid that there is more than that..." Those words made Adam give more attention on whatever Gared might say, "One of the riders that went riding three days ago, the one with the dead ones we found, was... bewitched." Gared lowered his voice, lean slightly to whisper into his king's ear. "I did what you have said, m'lord. The boy was in our infirmary, sick in bed."

That made the young lord frown. What now? The witches left their victims, let them survive and tell their lords some unspeakable things? Do they think it will send fear into the lords of this realm, he thought.

Once, when King Charles II was still alive, he used to tell stories to Adam about noble men, kings and warriors. He used to say that, every king who wears a crown, every knight who wears an armor and wields a sword, every priest who holds a cross, were once a man. There is a lot of things happened to them, terrible ones, he says. But because of those, what they felt through their dark days, made them who they are now. You will not be a king because you just wear a crown, you cannot be a knight if you just wear an armor and swing a sword, you cannot be a priest if you just pray for yourself- you must be hurt and wounded at first, you must be mocked, pained, and you must be challenged. Everyone could be a king, a knight, or a priest if they want to, they just need to embrace their responsibilities that they took, granted or not. A man's will cannot be shaken, and those words from his father was always with Adam's mind for he is not just a man who wears a crown, and that's what he believes.

"Is that so? Where he is? How's he doing then?" The young lord asked. He never saw a bewitched man before, and he knew that is very terrible for a man to witness such thing, how come to be put on the boy's current situation. He crossed his arms to his chest, trying hard to endure the cold embrace of dawn.

"You'll see him after you took a break fast, m'lord. I think the sick could wait." Gared announced.

"Sick? So he is sick- bewitched, if you insist. I will meet him, and that is now. The bitches whispers could kill him right now if they want to. Now, take me to him." For Adam, he always feel awkward when giving orders to Gared, but what's important is, they know that he, Adam, must give orders as their king.

The two lads walked into the corners of Ravenhal, huts were still closed, still quiet in the streets, and the torches in the walls were still lit, yet slowly fading. While walking, Adam noticed that the sky were covered by an unusual clouds, thick ones, thicker than the normal thickness of Ravenhal's clouds. Even the ravens were no where to be seen, which he found peculiar than a normal day in the north.

"By the gods! It's getting colder and colder everyday here in the north." Gared started, shivering as he spoke. They finally reached the infirmary where they saw a familiar face. Adam knew he'd be here.

"Good morning, my lord! I see, that the kingdom is still asleep yet here you are, standing in front of a drunk man." Yakken, one of the Ravenhal guards, who's once a great warrior, fought alongside Adam's father for five victorious wars, but when he lost his left eye, broke his left arm, he never touched a sword again, refuse to ride a horse and contradict the purpose of the Cold Riders. A calling horn and a bottle of wine is the thing his right arm always carry.

"What are you doing he-" Gared spoke, shooked and embarrassed in front of his lord for the old man's lack of courtesy but, he was interrupted by his young lord himself.

"You're drunk again. Aren't you supposed to be in the walls, keeping an eye to the mists?" The young lord asked, a small smile was printed on his face.

"Aye, my lord! But, I guess what will happen if you enter this now forsaken building will be something interesting than touching a whore's tits again, eh?" The drunkard laughed, phlegm cracks into his throat. He coughed, "Nah, I'm just kidding young man..." The old man became serious now, "I'm just here to warn you," Yakken straightened his posture from his seat, "These fucking riders should have not bring a curse to your kingdom. That son of a bitch is cursed, Adam. You, Gared" He turned his attention to Gared who was startled, "You should have gave orders to end that bastard's life when you have found him; you should've cut his throat, burn his body, yet still, you chose to bring him back? How foolish is that?"

"Calm down, Old Yakken, calm down. Gared here is just doing his job." Adam spoke, still keeping his calm. "Everything's going to be fine."

"Fuck me! Of course you'll say that! You haven't seen a bewitched man at all, you spoke ignorantly in front of a man who have seen it all." Old Yakken sneered like everything he have said was a curse.

"Where are your manners, Old man? This your Lordship here!" Gared announced, keeping his warrior's posture.

"Manners will not be worth it if we're all gonna die. We don't need it in our graves, young man! Aren't you a warrior? You look like one, but too fool to bring back a cursed body. This lads here, they won't let me in-" Yakken protests and made Adam sighed. He's just drunk, he thought.

"Because, you are going to kill him!" Gared is getting tired of this conversation. "Come now, m'lord." Gared is truly embarrassed from the bot of them, his lord and from one of his hero who is now a helpless drunkard.

"I call it mercy, and being wise." Yakken muttered.

"Enough! Old Yakken, you are not allowed to enter the infirmary. Go back to your place in the walls, and guard my kingdom." A king has spoken, his voice was not so loud nor not so soft.

"Apologies, my lord. I shall go to my post in the wall immediately." The old man stood up from the old barrel near the entrance where he sits. He walked away without turning his head and spoke no more words.

"You left your drink, sir!" Gared called.

"I shall not drink this time," Yakken spoke while still walking. Adam's eyes lingers to the old man's back as it continue to walk, waiting for another word for the old man always have, "I shall start praying."

On that moment, Adam's skin underneath his clothes shivered from an unknown reason. He knows that the old man is right, they should've killed the boy. But, deep inside, he knew that he must know about what that victim have witnessed- he might also have an information about Vecypia for that matter, his sister, it's always been about her, always.