She lifted her boots heavily over the calf-deep snow. She lifted a hand covering her eyes as the ferocious wind blows and the sting of snow hits her face. Where is she? Where are the others? Where is Seulgi? She thought to herself, it was her all alone in scenery of never-ending white. She bow her head low, her chin touching her thickly covered chest, as she tries to walk among the blizzard. Crunch Her legs felt so heavy to even lift and what was that – Joohyun wondered if she’s seeing things, for there was a source of light ahead. A bright one; almost blinding her sight. Even though her footsteps were heavy and small, she tried her best to reach her feet towards the light. A shape was starting to form ahead; marble white walls and men in thick woollen clothes waving at her. The closer she gets, she realises those who were waving at her were all recognisable faces; Seulgi, Ser Jongin, Bogum, the knights and – Her dead father. Joohyun stops in her steps. Her father, King Bae Hyunmin, appeared very much alive. In fact, he looks younger with his beard gone and the creases line on his forehead missing. What is this, she muttered to herself, a strange feeling spread within her. Her thoughts were once again distraught when Seulgi kept waving at her, calling her name to come forward. As if she was pushed by some force, her feet moves in sudden accordance; appearing light as it marches forward on its own. “No! No!” Joohyun managed to cry out loud, but her feet would not stop moving on its own and the view ahead is getting closer to her. “Stop – Help!” Joohyun tried to command her abilities to perform some sort of shield but no form of ice burst out from her palms and the next step she took led her plunging deep into an unforeseen hole. She landed on a hollow pit with a thud, unhurt but her eyes almost bulge out of its socket when she turns and see her late mother, her beautiful, fair features now appearing pale and gaunt. Her soft, light brown eyes now ice blue bearing emptiness. Her mother raised a bony finger, pointing at her and mumbled her name with much rasp, “Joo…hyun…” “No – don’t!” Joohyun managed to shout when her mother took a step forward to her, “Go! Go away! Go –!”   “Joohyun!”   “Joohyun!”   Her eyes open in an instance. Seulgi’s worried expression came to view with Ser Jongin peering from behind, appearing concerned. She was lying in the arms of Seulgi beside a crackling fire, her eyes scanning the view, drinking in the feedback of all her senses. They were still deep in Wolfswood, the taunting woods, she claimed, even in her dreams it haunted her. “You were mumbling in your sleep…” Seulgi muttered, before she gently hoists her body up, “…then you were fidgeting and yelling. Was it a nightmare?” Joohyun nodded as she eyes Bogum and Seungwan over at a corner mushing and crushing Gods know what while the rest were not far, casting curious glances at her from time to time. She faces Seulgi once more, the girl was frowning and Joohyun wanted nothing more then to be in her lover’s embrace but she couldn’t. As if Seulgi had read her mind, the girl caressed her shoulder softly, a small pout forming on her lover’s lips. “Your Highness,” Ser Jongin clears his throat, making his presence known, “…these two had decided to prepare a certain brew for you while you were sleeping earlier.” Bogum kneeled before her, followed by Seungwan. Her half-brother held a small cylinder hip-flask containing a greenish looking liquid. “This is a calming draught. I’ve made this couple of times before and I could assure you, Princess, if you drink this, it’ll probably ease your queasiness.” If it were at the royal court, Joohyun would probably have her food tasters to test the liquid to determine whether the liquid contains poison or not but Bogum is her half-brother. And throughout the period of her getting to know him, her brother was nothing more than an obedient and a kind-hearted young man. With that belief in mind, Joohyun took the liquid and drink it all till the last drop. Her insides felt cool – not because of the weather – but something like a small wave of calmness rushing within her veins, settling itself throughout her body. Joohyun was surprised the effect was rather immediate, but she was thankful enough for Bogum to brew this remedy for her. “Do you feel better, Princess?” Bogum inquires, looking at her expectantly.   “Much better.” Joohyun answered.   “It must have been The White Dweller.” Bogum stated, his body trembled a little, “…it gave me quite a scare too the first time I come face with it.”   “So you’ve been drinking this draught a few days back too, have you?” Seulgi asks, “I thought you store ale in those tiny flasks of yours.”   “I’m afraid not, Ser Seulgi.” Bogum shakes his head, “I’m merely a Maester’s squire. I do not have the courage of a knight like yours and the rest.”   “But you were bold enough to protect and defend me from one of those creatures,” Joohyun points out, her mind recalling back to the sudden attack she faced from those shadowy creatures earlier this morning. “…how I wonder if it’s not for your fast reflex, I would be headless by now.”   She heard a small dissatisfied grunt coming from the knight beside her. Seulgi was still appearing rather disappointed in herself for not being able to detect the small ambush earlier. But it was all too sudden. They were crossing a frozen stream when out of nowhere; a group of those hideous creatures surge forward from all points and attacked them. Joohyun was too shocked to even act and seconds later, she almost had an icy sword held at but thanks to Bogum’s quick reflex, he managed to attacked the creature with one swift move of his hand.   “I’m not sleeping tonight.”   Joohyun heard Seulgi declared and her brows furrowed, “Whatever do you mean, Ser Seulgi? Surely you need some rest. You’ve been up all day, I presume.”   “Yes, you should rest Seulgi.” Ser Jongin insisted the same, “I could take charge of patrolling tonight with Sungjae, those two brutes and the rest.”   His eyes trailed to the two grandsons of Lord Sooman, sitting nearby at another fireplace, their face were in awe as they stared at Soojung playing with Ser Jongin’s direwolf, Romulus.   After multiple persuasions, Seulgi huffed and agreed. “Fine, but I’m sleeping with one eye open.” Joohyun smiled at the statement and so does the rest. They soon burned more logs towards the fireplace near Joohyun before they left the two be, to rest. The cold, snowy terrain was her bed as of the moment, as she hunches herself in her thick bundle and lay on the cold ground.   “Seulgi,” She calls out for the girl softly, which the latter answered and moved closer to her. Joohyun looked up and saw her lover staring at her, a sense of shame still evident in her eyes and oh how she wish she could kiss it all away. Instead, Joohyun grasp Seulgi’s cold, un-gloved right hand, caressed it softly before bringing it to her lips, planting a small kiss, “Sleep, my love.”   Seulgi’s lips quiver for a bit, a sigh escapes before the said knight nodded her head, lying down facing her side. They stare and stare at each other, not uttering a single word until Seulgi’s drooping eyes were the last thing Joohyun remembered before she herself falls back to sleep.                                             ***   It was almost exactly like her dream. The snow started to fall ever so heavily the next morning. The wind was howling – almost like it was carrying hurried whispers. The whole group move further north, according to Seulgi, the Blackburn tribes are most probably at the end, but the end seemed endless and there was no sign of any human-being nor The White Dwellers as of today. They were marching in silence when Seulgi suddenly cried out loud, “There! I can see there’s something ahead. It might be the shelter – the Blackburn tribes must be there!” Sure enough Joohyun saw something ahead. A diffuse bluish light was radiating, and her insides immediately feel warm just by looking at it. Maybe it was because of what they had been yearning and seeking is seemingly real. Joohyun knew some of them were not entirely convinced about the presence of the tribe, more so the Blackburn Fire itself to exist at the further end of the North. But like Seulgi, she believed in its existence. There was just one slight nuisance. The snow was getting past their ankles, and they even had to stop a couple of times, clearing the snow to make path. At the first two stops, all the knights, the two Lordlings and even Seungwan and the additional maid had helped clearing the path with their bare hands, but on their third stop, just when they were starting to dig the snow away, a scoff was heard.   J