One thing Silas Casteron and everyone in the Udriles Kingdom don't know about Naelunds, is that it is not as poor as it may look. Under the soil, there are many pieces of gold that somewhat help the citizens. Of course, they can't flaunt the gold or heavens know what Silas could do to them. They have fire, so they make jewelry. It's the best they can do until they come up with a fool proof plan.

There are times when they try to make Brins and send a few people out to get the seal on it, in order to buy food and clothes but in those instances, no one comes back. It was many years after that there are a few good people who actually reach out and offer to help. The jewelry the Naelundians make, they sell to the ladies in Varusa with the promise to not tell a soul. In exchange for the money they make, they ask said ladies to buy certain things for them. Unfortunately, some were caught and killed but they did however get food and man-made resources.

Delyth smiles sadly as she thinks about the life she used to live. It wasn't all bad and she missed it. It wasn't about what she didn't have, it was about the family and friends that she did have. The Naelundians were like a family. They were all they had anyway, so they had to look out for each other.

"Del, are you okay? Cold?" Soo Min asks, bringing her out of her depressive thoughts. Delyth blinks her eyes rapidly, rolls her shoulders and clears her throat.

"Yeah, I'm just taking it all in," she replies, pulling her coat a little closer to her body.

Othmar rolls his eyes and starts rummaging through his carry-on and hands her a thicker coat. "Here, Tumbleweed." He saw the coat she owned back at the house and knew it wouldn't be enough to bring her warmth anymore. Therefore, he bought one and gifted it to her for Christmas. He saw her leaving it behind when they left the house so he packed it for her.

Del smiles at his gesture and takes the thick wool from his hand and puts it on over her thin coat. She isn't used to having a thick coat, so instincts led her to pack the thin one instead of the one she got. It is nice that he noticed. Soo sends a suggestive look Othmar's way to which he shakes his head and glares at her. He knows Soo Min thinks he likes Del but he truthfully doesn't. He sees her as a small stray kitten who lands on their doorstep in need of guidance and care.

Soo, thinking her friend is in denial, giggles to herself and tries to drag herself up the mountain. The Windless Summit. Delyth thinks how less beautiful it is to walk up the large hill. Thirty minutes in, she suggested to Othmar that they turn back and go home. He was not happy about her suggestion.

"If I have to drag you there myself, we're making it to the top. You were the one who wanted to do it anyway," was his response to her.

To be fair, he did try to warn her before but she was too excited and determined to let anyone change her mind. Not to mention Soo Min who would willingly go on any crazy mission Delyth had in mind, agreed.

Othmar walked in the house with a bag of freshly caught fish and vegetables, confused when he saw Delyth and Soo stuffing things in a bag.

"What are you girls doing?" he asked and they looked in his direction with smiles on their faces that creeped him out.

"We're climbing the Windless Summit and you're coming with." Soo told him. Othmar blinked once then twice before he nodded his head.

"I think I have the wrong house." He backed out of the house and closed the door as well. He closed his eyes, took a breath and counted to ten before he knocked on the door.

"Jud's residence." The girls answered and laughed together while he entered with a blank face. He watched them close the back they were packing and set it beside two other bags.

He let out a heavy breath. "We're really doing this, aren't we?"

"Yes." They beamed up at him.

Here they are, struggling to climb up the mountain. Did they really expect an almost 7000 feet mountain to be easy? In addition to the cold temperature that keeps decreasing the further they went.

Not to exaggerate, but ten years later they are finally at the top, looking over the landmass of Esadom and into the forest. Delyth's eyes scan through the trees to see if she can spot Ravi but as expected, he is perfectly camouflaged somewhere. There is something so beautiful about trees with snow stuck to the leaves.

Sadly, Othmar sprained his ankle. Delyth and Soo Min offered to help but he refused it and grumbled and hopped on one leg the rest of the way up.

"No. Don't come near me. I don't need your help," he snapped at them and they lifted their hands in surrender, backing away from him.

"Didn't even want to do this in the first place. Have me climbing up a damn 50,000 feet mountain for no damn reason. Shivering in the damn cold. Can't even feel my damn toes," he grumbled under his breath, causing Soo Min and Delyth to laugh to themselves with their hands covering their mouths.

As she stands there, the cold winds hitting her in the face, goosebumps rising on her neck, her eyes looking down at the people of Esadom—who look blurry due to the mist—who are walking about doing their daily activities; Delyth feels invincible. She feels she could just about do anything and nothing could stop her.

"We passed a cave 500 feet down, I marked it. We can rest there and start back down tomorrow," Othmar informed them. Delyth's eyes look over in the direction Naelund is. She can hardly see anything but blackness. The aftermath of what Silas did to her home.

They didn't deserve it but they live in a cruel world where everyone is a chess piece on a board, set aside when seen as less than.

"Are you coming or are you going to stand there until you become an icicle?" Soo Min asks, laughing at her own joke. Delyth laughs along at her friend's silliness and treads behind them.

"I don't want your help, Soo! I'm fine." She hears Othmar shout at Soo in frustration while she tries to offer some assistance. Othmar is never keen on asking anyone for help ever, even when it is painfully obvious that he could use it. One would guess, it came with the fact that all his life, he had to do things himself. With a father that died in the forest and a mom that fell in depression after and got ill. He had to become the man of the house at a young age.

They gather around the fire, blowing on their hands, tightly tucked in their coats. Their necks low to the shoulders and their legs folded to their chests.

"Del, where did you get those beads you always wear in your hair?" Soo Min asks, pointing to the beads Delyth currently has in her hair as accessories. She has always liked how they are always well adorned in her hair to accommodate the different hairstyles she wore.

"Um, I bought them." Soo nods her head at Delyth's fib.

"And the earrings too?" Othmar asks.

"Yeah." She answers and rubs her hands together. It was a moment after until she realized she was missing a set of earrings. It was a pair she liked too; they clasp around the lobe of her ears. "Did you take a pair of my earrings?"

The two culprits look at each other then back at her. They didn't expect her to notice or connect the dots so quickly. The funny thing about it is they look guilty and ashamed for people who steal for a living.

"They were really pretty and sold for a good amount of Brins. Sorry," Soo Min admits and looks back into the fire. She can't look her in the eye, knowing what she did to her friend. Even though she wasn't her friend at the time she stole them.

"I stole your thigh bracelet or whatever it's called. You wear pants now, so I didn't think you needed them. They're working well in the favor of the women who wear dresses. So, they have you to thank," Othmar smiles and runs a hand over his curls. He didn't feel bad about it before but now he does and wishes he never had stolen it.

They do everything to try and not look her in the eyes. Delyth stares at the duo and shakes her head, wondering how she got stuck with two of the most cunning yet hilarious pair. She can't even find it in her to get upset because the situation is just really funny. She is grateful though because they make her life more bearable.

They lay there, Othmar's back against the wall of the cave, Soo's head resting on one of his thighs and Delyth's head on the other. It isn't the most comfortable but it is enough for them to be able to sleep without complaining, especially with the low burning fire and the cold winds brushing against their cheeks.

Othmar groans in a low and tired sound and twitches his hand to the next side. Ten seconds go by and he twitches again. Soo Min moans, lightly slaps his thigh for him to stop moving and says something incoherently. Already he falls back to sleep until he feels it again. He drowsily lifts his hand to his collarbone to remove whatever it is until he feels the thing.

He jumps to his feet, the girls falling from his thigh and awakens to his frantic state. He is spinning around in circles, screaming for someone to 'get it off' and brushing his body like a crazy person.

"Othmar, what is it?" Soo asks, her voice hoarse from sleep and rubbing her eyes.

"I don't know," he sputters. "It has too many legs." The two girls look at each other in confusion then back at the curly hair boy who is still jigging his body as if doing a dance.

"I don't see anything, Othmar. It's probably gone," Delyth tells him but he still has that feeling like something is crawling all over his body.

Soo Min lets out a heavy sigh and marches over to her manic friend. She stands in front of him, grips his shoulders and shakes him firmly. It stops his paranoia and gets him to look at her with fear in his eyes.

"I'm tired. Delyth is tired. I'm sure you're tired. Whatever it is, is gone. Now let us go back to sleep, we have this mountain to trek down in the morning." Othmar scans his body once more just to make sure that the insect is actually gone. He looks at Soo and glances at Delyth who looks right about to sleep while standing up. He nods and goes back in position, lays them back on his thigh with both his hands rubbing their backs.

His eyes scan the dark and cold cave for anything like a snake or a bat that could be flying or crawling around. He leers down at the girls who are sleeping soundlessly, without a care in the world. He wonders how they can sleep so easy in a cave like this and not wonder what kind of creatures are amongst them. In the midst of him freaking out, Othmar falls asleep without even realizing it.

22/02/22

Au revoir...

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