Lord Aggar smiled that knowing smile. His eyes twinkled, bearing a certain intelligent. He then spoke, “Your father, Lord Jaerim, how is he?”   “He’s the Royal Chancellor for the West now.” Seulgi answered before realisation hits her, “Are you…are you perhaps the man that my father met many years then? The one that gave him this…this sword?”   Seulgi tucked off the sword from her belt, unleashing it upon the table. Lord Aggar cast a look at it, not touching but scanning the sword with his eyes. “That night your father came to this temple – the late King, was with him.”   “My father?” Joohyun asked.   “Yes,” He continued, “There was a dispute far back in the North here. Those days the Northerners were reluctant to bend the knee and a war enraged. Your father and The King fought side to side, they were also separated from the rest, chasing after the Mad Northern Ruler and some of his troops. They ran up till Wolfswood where a small community of us resided along with The Others.”   “The Mad Ruler had managed to slaughter half of our community before the King and Lord Jaerim caught up and slayed him in the end. They left his body and the rest be and decided to stay overnight at this temple.”   “They left the ruler’s body and his troops in this forest?” Seulgi questioned. The dots were connecting.   Lord Aggar nodded. “As a token of gratitude of saving me and the community, I bestow them a gift. Both wanted nothing, though His Late Highness saw the rare blooming of winter roses in one of our gardens, he requested if he could take some. I allowed.”   “And my father?”   “Your father likewise, asked for nothing. I did not gave him a sword, but I gave him the Blackburn fire instead. I told him to use it when its necessary and I assumed he did.” The old man smiled before nodding at her finger. “That small mark at the tip of your finger, dear. That was a burned mark when you touched the fire back then. You might not remember it unless…”   Seulgi stared at the tip of her right index finger. There was barely a noticeable mark. She never really gave much thought about it. Doesn’t think it held any significance until today. “I touched the Blackburn Fire?”   “Your father, a man of tradition, laid out three separate items for you to crawl and touch. The item that you reached out for, usually foreshadows how one will grow up to be. And you dear, chose the fire. While the Princess, chose the rose.”   “I can’t recall my father telling me about such events…” Joohyun spoke, a certain sadness laced in her voice.   “Your father was too caught up with his late Queen’s passing…” A sad smile drawn upon his face, “For a moment, I believe he was rather ill due to it. Maybe he himself had forgotten about it…but as for Lord Jaerim, he used this opportunity to make a sword out of the fire I gave him.”   “The Sword of Asshai….” Seulgi muttered, gripping the sword before tucking it back by her side.   “Yes, and now…I believe you have a request to make?”   Seulgi turned to Joohyun and the latter gestured her to continue, “Yes. The West are attacked with these creatures called The Sith. They are killing off the small, hidden minority of the Ice Paws.”   “But some of the innocents were killed off too.” Joohyun alleged, “And I believe these killings won’t ever stop even if there are no more Ice Paws in this land. They want something more. They want to rule all the kingdoms.”   “And they are using black magic for it…” Seulgi makes known, “The only way for us to kill them all is by this sword. That is why we have to let it multiply. We have brought two full carts of swords to be brandished through the fire. But only with your consent.”   “Magic is a beautiful art if one is bestowed with it…” Lord Aggar suddenly stood up from his seat.   He was taller than her, although his shoulders slightly hunched – caught by age, he still appeared strong enough to dust his cloak before walking to the door that they had entered.   “Magic is never black…only the uses when it is put.” His hand gripped the door knob, “Only a person whose combination of hate and evil in his mind uses such magic. And such person shouldn’t be spread like a disease.”   “Where are you going?” Both she and Joohyun stood from their seat.   “Lead the way to your carts.”                                                       ***   When Seulgi thought there was only three inhabitants in the temple, turns out there were many more at the back, not less than twenty. All of them wearing the midnight blue cloak, fastened on their necks. Among the Blackburn community, Seulgi spotted the youngest – a boy, not older than six, clutching to his mother’s hand as they eyed them curiously. Lord Aggar had instructed four of their men to follow them to the border. They were provided with horses and they quickly galloped back to their remaining troops battling The Others, only to see a number of their banners who was supposed to be securing the borders, already there battling with what was left of The Others. “Seulgi!” She turned in time to see Ser Jongin crushing The White Dweller’s skull beneath his high leather riding boots. The man looked slightly worn out but thankfully unhurt and alive. Lord Aggar and his followers unmounted their horses and with the Eifean language mumbling under their breath, their hands lit a brazen blue fire before they raised their swords and easily destroy the remaining. All of them stood still witnessing how easy these men defeated The White Dwellers. Within a few minutes, all the White Dwellers nearby were crushed and burned while the ones afar scrambled away. Seulgi saw Joohyun sprinting towards Bogum and the rest while Seulgi announced, “This is Lord Aggar, the leader of the Blackburn Community. They shall help us wield our swords with their blaze and we shall march back to Whiteridge…with victory in our hands!” Loud cheers from the banner erupted in the forest of Wolfswood. Seulgi turned to her comrades, the Blackburn community and the banners of Whiteridge, all nodding in approval. Her spirits rise out of her chest and Seulgi was determined to finish this journey and end the Siths for good.   They quickly rode back to the border, Ser Jongin’s stallion riding close to her and the man spoke, “I had to send Romulus – my direwolf, back to our banners. The Princess had ordered us before we entered, to send a message to the ones waiting if one of us were injured and…”   Seulgi clutched the reins of her horse, pulling it to slow down. She glance at the Princess who was riding ahead with her half brother, her maid Seungwan not far behind, Ser Sungjae at the front as always and Soojung behind them. “Who…?”   “The maid…the one Lord Sooman gifted you.”   “Eunae?”   Ser Jongin nodded, his face fell slightly, “She didn’t make it…”   “Her service was short and of barely use.” Seulgi sighed through her nose, “Lord Sooman sent her to her death. A pity…but where is her body?”   “Ser Sungjae had to burn her…” Jongin recalled, “She…She transformed. She became one of them.”   “The White Dweller?”   Judging from Ser Jongin’s frown, the transformation must have been an astonishing sight. Seulgi hope the rest were uninjured. She hadn’t managed to talk to any of them yet as they were hurrying back to the borders before night fell upon them. The night was colder, harsher and other mystical things that Seulgi does not wish to meet mingled around the forest, so they had to quickly reach the gate. A sense of relief rushes through her veins as the enormous gate comes to sight. The last of the sun’s rays cosseted behind the murky grey clouds and they made no stop.  Ser Chanyeol ordered the knights to unload the swords from the carts and pile it on the ground. They all stood still watching the Blackburn Fire, a heated blue, spread out from the tips of Lord Aggar’s and his followers’ fingers. The flames grow big, and eating up the swords. The crackling of the fire was the only sound before Lord Aggar broke the silence. “The Chosen Fire…” He turned to look at her, “Take it.”   “Her hand’s will burn!” Ser Sungjae stood perplexed at the order.   “Her hands were already is.”   The blue fire reflected in her eyes as she approached it. To her, it was a beautiful sight. It shined amongst the melting white ground and the flames were calling, beckoning her to touch. The first tip of her fingers touched the blue flames and surprisingly it was warm – a welcoming warm. Seulgi heard shudders behind her back when she took a step and engulf herself into the fire. She picked a sword and came out – unscathed.                                                      ***   The mare whickered softly as Seulgi tightened the cinch. “Easy boy,” she said in a soft voice, quieting him with a touch. Seulgi looked to her back and saw that all the banners are getting ready to leave the coldness of Windrip and back to Whiteridge. The wind was whispering, a cold dead breath on her face but she paid no mind and marched towards the Princess’s carriage. A gentle knock before she opened the carriage door to see Joohyun, calmly sitting in the dark. Her leather armour ensemble, a fitted dress of leather straps wrapped with a dyed red furry cloak. It was dark outside and the only source of light were the torches lit and carried by their knights but Seulgi could still saw the pale complexion of her lover – hauntingly beautiful though there was sadness in her eyes. Seulgi shut the door before sitting at the opposite of the woman. “Are you alright?”   Joohyun did not answer but she retrieved a folded parchment from her cloak before saying, “A raven had came to me a few hours ago.”   “What does it says?” Judging by the Princess’s expression, Seulgi was dreading on the contents of the letter. Dark wings, dark words.   “They had made their move.” Joohyun muttered, her voice shaking in mixture of anger and sadness. “Ser Minho’s – his family and the Lord of Penrith had betrayed us. They had declared their war and wish to take the throne. They had been campaigning in secret and now a few Houses have betrayed ours and follow their comman