“He sacrificed his life to save mine, after all I did,” I whimpered over the flickering fire. Jakes face lit up. I pulled his coat tighter around myself as I let my eyes droop.

“It was worth it,” he says as his hand reaches over the fire but I pull away. I drop his coat on the floor and step away from the light of the fire before collapsing to the floor and falling asleep.

Through the night my head doesn’t rest. Thoughts crowed out every last sound. Even the prince and his speech is covered by the whispers.

“Mourning, love,” Jake shackles me awake.

“You tell me to rest and now you tell me to get up?” I asked. Rising up and looking at the already packed up camp and the misty mourning.

“Relaxe, you can sleep on the horse, you just have to get there first.

I said nothing and walked up to the brown horse he had settled up for me. Once on its back I straightened my back and the prince began to talk.

“So, I’m sort about last night,” he said.

“Could you have said it any worse. It’s no big deal. Forget about it. Let me ride in peace,” I yelled.

“Fine,” he pulled away and rode ahead on his horse. It’s white fur glowed in the mourning moonlight. I sighed and looked at the dusty path below. I should be dead, I thought. Why am I not dead. Am I dead? Is this all a dream?

——-

“Mourning love,” Jake said. It was the fifth day in a row of travel he had said those exact words. This time I elbowed him and rode far ahead of him. Then I saw it emerge from the list. The castle in the mountain. I had only ever heard it as a legend. Then I saw the fire. So much fire.

“Jake, it’s burning!” I screamed. Then I saw the eyes. An elemental. The course I rode bucked me off and ran. I just sat there staring right into the eyes of the beast.

After a minuet, I picked my self up, felt the ice blade in my boot and leaped onto Jake’s hourse.

“You coming?” I yelled over the scene.

“Your crazy, you know that right?” He asked as he hopped onto the hourse behind me.

“And?” I asked.