21st Zi’Da 716
It was hard for an army to move through snow. Even a small army. The cold was relentless and the wind, especially in the air was frozen. Elyna was sure that there were icicles on her eyelashes, the only part of her body not covered in wool. A hat pulled low over her brow and scarf up past her nose. Even with the gloves Faith had given her, her hands were numb beneath the leather and wool. No matter how many layers she’d pulled on beneath her jerkin, it was cold after a long day spent flying over the frigid landscape. The Skyrider’s didn’t have the same problems as the army on foot or horse, lifting over the treeline. Her muscles ached all the same however, just in different places. Elyna knew that the army would be setting up camp in Oakleigh and the thought of a warm fire, was almost enough to send her turning back before sunset, almost. The skyriders had been making the most of their range however and spreading in circles over the terrain. Flying high was colder, but meant there was less chance of being spotted as they wheeled over the land. It was mostly a dense forest. The trees making it hard to spot movement below. She’d sent the majority of her team back with Emily two breaks before, but remained sky bound with Rafa. She was so cold it was hard to concentrate and hard to stay away. Hunkered down over the back of the Volareon, she knew that if they had to perform any tight turns or sudden manoeuvres, her body would be too slow to relax. Her mind and body craved sleep or the blaze of a warm fire. She glanced across at Rafa, he seemed equally miserable, and yet still excited. It was after all, a beautiful thing to see the world stretching out below and something she’d never grow tired of.
The woman pulled down the scarf that covered her nose and mouth. The blast of icy air was like a slap to the senses and she sat a little straighter. She wondered if Emily and the others had made it back safely and found the camp. She wondered most of all about Malcolm, and if he was safe and if he’d received any further threats from Yoreth.
In a blaze of golden pink, the suns started to set beyond the mountain peaks. Elyna and Rafa sank with the clouds so that they could keep an eye on the tree’s. Beneath the weather the world turned through slow washes of grey. The young woman about to give up their search and return back towards the mainland when she spotted it. Night fell thick and fast and she urged her mount lower, still far above the tree-line but she smelt the fire before she could see it. Damp wood throwing up smoke that lined the back of her throat with the scent of ash. She glanced across at Rafa and signalled the young man to rise. He obeyed without question, his mount climbing fast into the clouds and vanishing above. A lone volareon wasn’t an unusual sight, but two?
Keeping her distance, Elyna turned her mount side on the camp, speeding on a horizontal line to it. As night thickened the glow from beneath the tree’s grey clearer. Rebels? It was hard to be certain, but this was the first sign of life that they’d been able to see all day. The skyrider counted perhaps twenty shapes moving in the shadows. Under cover of darkness the Volareon was a shadow atop the trees. All the birds falling silent as it flew over the canopy. With the best estimation she could make, Elyna nudged the mount to the side and they circled upwards. Ghosting through the clouds she emerged to find Rafa hovering. She waved to the young man before directing him back Oakleigh. It didn’t matter that her whole body and hands and feet were now totally numb. At least there was now a direction for the scouts to travel in.
***
The pair returned long after the dark had fallen and the clouds had moved on. It was a clear and frozen night and her breath turned to mist as it left her lips. The Volareon landed, clumsy in the snow and she pitied the creature. Luckily though the skyriders that had returned earlier had seen to their own mounts and could help her down. “What did you see?” Emily pushed a steaming mug of tea into her hands.
Even through her gloves the sudden shock of heat was enough to feel like burning and the woman fumbled, passing the mug onto Kit who almost dropped it.
“F-fire,” Elyna hadn’t realised just how cold she’d gotten, the words caught in her throat.
“We’ll take care of Blue,” Emily assured, “make sure he’s warmed up.”
“R-rafa?” Elyna peered around the animal to see Rafa being helped by Rosa, another skyrider tending to the mount.
“We’ve got this Captain,” her friend ushered her towards the fire, “go defrost, before you turn blue.”
“I hear it’s a g-good look,” she returned with a smile, “maybe it can be next seasons f-fashion?”
Defrosting was one word for it. Kit pressed the mug back into her hands, and it no longer burnt to hold. Slowly, the sense of movement returned to her hands. Stood beside the fire, she felt as though the ice was melting from her bones. It was quieter where the skyriders camped, they tended to keep to the outskirts of the main army. Not all horses were tolerant of Volareon, which was understandable given the ability of the flying mounts to kill a horse on the run. The volareon could also be finicky, as a polite explanation and intolerant to large crowds of people.
Most of the ‘Riders themselves took it in turns to visit the main camp for food, taking it in turns to socliase and catch up with the day’s gossip. There was usually a few regular Knights who found themselves drifting over the skyrider encampment, fascinated with the creatures. The fire was quiet though, two riders sat on logs as they warmed themselves legs and feet stretched towards the flame. Tents in a circled and interspaced with volareon perches. “Have you given your report captain?” one of her crew called across the fire.
“Just as soon as I can feel my toes, or at least my legs, I’ll be going,” Elyna agreed. Malcolm would need to hear what she’d discovered. She hated to delay, but feared the journey through the camp would see her falling over if she didn’t warm up first.
