Freezing wind tore through an icy plane as gold-crested carriages passed by; its speed neither too slow nor too fast. The carriages stopped and large built guards jumped out from them to hurriedly change the wheels. Inside the centre carriage, a blond lady in black opened her eyes. She glanced from her maid opposite her to the man on the side. When her indifferent eyes fell on him, the tall man slightly froze, but his face remained without an expression.
"Where are we?" she asked the man and he looked out the window only slightly before looking back at her.
"We have arrived at the west Edge of the Unending Seas, Lady Lusa," he answered respectfully and she looked away and out the slightly cracked window.
"How far from the Ice nomads are we?" she asked.
"At least half a day depending on conditions," the man answered and watched as she rested her head back on closed her eyes again.
The guards moved fast, changing the carriage wheels from nearly smooth-edged to rough and slightly spiked edges and returned to their carriages to continue their journey. The Unending Seas was completely frozen in front of them. The cold winds were currently coming from the east end of Other-side. The perfect time for this side of the Unending seas to freeze on its surface allowing them to ride their carriages on top of it, using this shortcut to reach the ice nomads much quicker than would be.
The Ice nomads to some were a myth. Many had heard of the legends of those who have lived since the creation of Thriergor settled on an ice cap on the Unending Seas and many only scoffed at this. The unending seas were just as called; unending. Ice caps that did not melt during the hottest weeks when the heat came around were unheard of, talk more about those that have lived since the creation of Thriergor.
Lusa too did not pay attention to this myth until the battleground opened and the tall gates she guarded revealed their last words carved into their hard Tunsen frames. The last piece she was looking for was said to be left with those who live on the Unending Seas. Only then did she try to reach them. This was the right time for her to cross the Unending Seas; when it was frozen. It was well known that the sea was too turbulent for any to cross by boat and an odd energy veiled over it, not allowing martial artists to fly over it, not if they wanted to be dragged to the bottom of the sea. But the seas freeze differently every White cold. Sometimes a trail could be formed from its frozen surface allowing on to cross by out or carriage. Lusa had done her research, making sure she understood the possible places that could be cold enough to still remain frozen when the heat came around. This led her to this point. She may be wrong and this man sitting in her carriage had never crossed walked the Unending Seas before or she could be going right towards the ice nomads settlement.
They had been riding for a few hours. By now the sun that had been high in the sky had retreated to the horizon.
"My lady," Lusa heard her maid wake her. She was never good with the cold it made her ultimately sleepy a lot. She woke to see her maid looking out the window. The carriage had stopped. She looked out to find a settlement ahead. But that was not what caused her brows to come together in a frown it was the men covered in heavy pelts blocking their carriages from passing that made her frown.
"It is dangerous to walk the sea, Lady Lusa," Their leader said, and her frown only deepened.
"Who are you?" she opened the window wide and asked them.
"Our chief has been expecting you," the leader said and they gave way for them to pass. Lady Lusa's frown receded as her eyes flashed coldly.
"Continue," she ordered, and the carriage kept moving ahead. They rode all the way to the settlement and entered. She saw that the houses here were made of an odd crystal and covered in hard leather. The ice nomads moved around their large settlement, going about their business. They stopped to stare at the carriages that rolled into their settlement as silence enveloped the area. Their carriage moved till it was now before the largest house and stopped. I they had a chief, he must be living in this place, was what they figured.
Lady Lusa's maid came down first and then helped her lady off the carriage. Lusa came down just in time for an old grey-bearded man to emerge from the house. Only then did she notice that they all had dark skin under their pelted hoods.
"Welcome, Lusa of Valley West Reef," the old man said as he pulled at his full beard. To this, Lusa only let out a cold smile.