Snow woke up and sighed. Somehow he felt strangely at peace and deeply contented. He felt warm and cozy, especially taking into account that he was undoubtedly laying on a bed. And he was still extremely sleepy.
Blinking his eyes opened, he saw ZaiWin's sleeping face, since he was lying on his side, facing him. He immediately relaxed. He too, looked uncharacteristically relaxed. It was rare that Snow would actually catch him sleeping. But, every time that happened, he was always taken aback at how young and gentle he looked with his eyes closed, breathing softly through his parted lips, his expression free from the many worries he always silently carried on his shoulders. Above all ZaiWin was still there, so there was nothing to worry about. Closing his eyes, Snow went back to sleep. Or tried.
Frowning, he shifted his body into a more comfortable position. Warm skin brushed against his naked legs and warm hands instinctively pulled him closer.
Snow sighed. He was too tired to wonder about such things. All he knew was that, for once, it felt good to be this close to another person. That and that he needed sleep. But, even though his brain agreed with that, floating dizzily on the edge of consciousness, something terribly annoying kept nagging at him. There was an insisting noise in the back of his head, and Snow frowned, mentally demanding silence. Until the meaning of that insistent buzzing was finally able to filter through his grogginess and his mind was able to process it.
Eyes suddenly wide open, he sat up with a jump.
The warm body sleeping beside him stirred with his sudden movement and also woke up. A large hand covered his hand, soothingly.
"You're safe here," ZaiWin assured him but Snow didn't register a single word he said. He couldn't hear. At least not with enough clarity to understand what was being said. "Snow …?"
Of course he couldn't hear!, Snow suddenly realized. He was on the first floor! And his body was immediately on the move, as he jumped off the bed and bolted out the door.
"Snow!"
Snow sped down the stairs, his bare feet soundless against the cold stone, and practically stumbled out of the narrow corridor and into the small living room. There were other people there, he knew. People that were obviously startled by his sudden appearance. People that, should he hesitate any longer than that, would undoubtedly stop him from doing as he pleased!, he quickly concluded, turning on his heels and rushing out the door.
The cold air outside made him shiver, the cold breeze agitating his hair. It must be very early in the morning, since dawn was yet to brighten the sky. Which was good. It meant that there were very few people wandering around, Snow quickly concluded, looking up and down the street. No one. Bending his knees, he knelt down on the cold, hard ground, and pressed his ear against the rocky surface beneath him.
Seeing him jump out of the bed and run out the door like that, ZaiWin was stunned for a split second, before he too was on the move, chasing after him.
"Snow!"
Where was he going? When Snow had woken up like that, ZaiWin had figured that he'd simply had another a bad dream. Which was more than understandable, taking into account the previous night's … events. He had obviously been wrong, he now knew, his eyes urgently searching for him all over the small living room.
"He went outside," Storm provided, clearly also bewildered by what she had seen, and ZaiWin didn't lose time acknowledging any of the other people present.
"Nox! What happened?" ZenTar asked, following him to the door, and he practically crashed against his back when ZaiWin suddenly stopped.
Relief washed over ZaiWin. Snow was right there, he concluded, his tensed shoulders relaxing. He hadn't run away. He hadn't been trying to escape from him. He was right there.
"What is he doing …?" ZenTar asked, peering outside over his shoulder, and ZaiWin's rational mind was finally able to overpower his overwhelming emotions.
That's right … What was he doing?! Kneeling like that on the ground. The tunic ZaiWin had dressed him with the night before barely covering what needed to be covered! The cold breeze making the hem of said tunic gently flutter against his thighs, threatening to display his bare bottom for everyone to see. ZaiWin really wanted to march straight at him, scoop him up, and carry him back to the bedroom! Those naked legs were something that only he should be allowed to behold! Were something that belonged wrapped around his waist, not pressed against the harsh, cold ground. And yet, Snow's relaxed and yet focused expression managed to somehow allow him to retain some sense.
The sound of movement on his back told him that the others had also come to see what was happening. They had probably been having breakfast when they'd been interrupted by Snow's sudden appearance. And even Grisly had unfortunately been present.
"Hold them back …" he simply told ZenTar, before stepping outside. On the other side of the street, two men had also stopped to look at the strange kid kneeling on the ground.
ZaiWin sighed and simply sat down in front of him, waiting. He should have grabbed his cloak on his way out, he thought, watching how dawn's breeze played with Snow's silver hair, feeling its cold touch seep through his own clothes. He wished he could at least undress his tunic and cover Snow with it. But there was no way he could do that. And even if the idea that Snow must probably be cold occurred to Storm or Rain, with ZenTar firmly planted on the doorway, they would never be able to leave the house.
"What's the brat doing?" he heard Grisly rough voice ask and simply ignored him. "He isn't going to use those markings of his again, is he?" A healthy amount of fear accompanied those words.
"Shut it, Grisly!" ZenTar growled threateningly, and Grisly grunted something unintelligible in reply.
Listening, ZaiWin replied the brutish man's question in his thoughts. Snow was probably listening. Like he'd done back in the cavern. What he was listening to, however, no one could say.
He waited patiently as the sky grew slowly brighter and more people stopped to gaze at that strange picture. And yet, even without anyone saying anything, they all kept their distance. Maybe because their little lord was also there, sitting on the ground like a common beggar. Or maybe it was the sight of that pale child, the way he kept his beautiful face pressed against the black, cold ground.
Snow's fingers stirred and ZaiWin immediately captured that small movement, lightly placing a hand on his head. Snow was freezing cold, his lips purplish. ZaiWin really wanted to grab him and pull him into his arms, but he feared it might be too much of a shock. Somehow, he had the feeling that when Snow listened to whatever the land was telling him, his mind detached itself from his body, leaving his physical body behind. And so he was certain that having someone suddenly carelessly touch him couldn't be a good sensation.
"Snow? Open his eyes," ZaiWin softly commanded, unsure that, with his energy sealed, his voice would be able to reach him. But Snow frowned, his eyelashes fluttering open. He immediately sat back on his heels, looking around with a startled expression on his face, trying to gather his bearings.
"You're in …" ZaiWin started, but the cold hand that urgently grasped his sleeve silenced him immediately.
"They're here!" he declared, the certainty and urgency in his dark eyes devouring the warmth that had filled ZaiWin's chest. "They've crossed into Nox's lands! There!" Snow went on, releasing him so that he could point the rocky face of the mountain to their right. "And they're coming here! They know where we are! There's this … scary fire among them! Dark. Cold. Deadly. Cruel."
Snow shivered, his gaze growing progressively unfocused, as if he could still see whatever was coming their way.
ZaiWin grabbed his arm, his warm hand feeling too hot against his cold skin, making Snow gasp, but his eyes became focused again.
"Please believe me!" he begged.
"Zen?" ZaiWin called out, still staring at those frightened dark eyes.
"I've just sent one of my feathery friends to check things out," ZenTar immediately replied, the tension in his voice more than audible.
"You never need to ask me to believe you," ZaiWin gently told Snow, and Snow's shoulder's visibly relaxed, as if he'd been anxiously fearing his reaction to his words. "Let's go back inside. It's freezing cold out here," he added and Snow nodded, allowing ZaiWin to help him to his feet.
Snow's knees hurt, not only from kneeling on the hard ground for so long but also because of the cold, that had left his entire body feeling uncomfortably stiff. And so he allowed ZaiWin's warm hand to guide him back into Rain's house, the people inside quickly parting ways to allow them in.
"I'm going to make you some warm tea," Rain declared, rushing towards the kitchen.
"Stay here. I'll get Vin. Don't move from here until I get back!" ZenTar reiterated with a grave expression on his face and ZaiWin nodded, watching him rush out the door.
"And what the fuck was that?!" Grisly demanded with an angry scowl on his face. "Who's coming where?!"
ZaiWin ignored him, more worried about getting Snow somewhere warmer. Faced with the importance of what the land had apparently told him, the boy had completely reverted to his old self, ZaiWin knew. The fact that he was completely naked beneath the thin tunic he was wearing didn't even register in his mind. And so ZaiWin couldn't help being caught by surprise when Snow suddenly turned to face the much larger, older man.
"You have to tell everyone to leave. You have to tell them they need to run away," Snow openly declared, fearlessly facing Grisly's angry expression, and Grisly's frown deepened, his eyebrows almost knitting together.
"The fuck I have!" he growled in response. But not only Snow didn't feel intimidated by the man's rude ways, he actually dared step closer to him.
"You have to! Or you will all die," he simply stated, his voice no more than a whisper, and, for an instant, Grisly was actually silenced, staring straight into those cold, dark eyes.
"Do as he says," ZaiWin commanded and angry defiance crept back onto Grisly's face.
"The fuck I will! As if I'll be ordered around by a bunch of sniveling brats! You listen to me, young man!" he went on, turning to look at Snow. "We've been living here way before you were even born! We've survived famine, disease, and countless wars. And no one. No one! Has ever even found their way up here! Much less tried to attack our village!"
"They already know where we are," Snow countered, sounding creepily calm, as if he couldn't care less about the repercussions of the older man's stubbornness. "He knows we're here. And he will kill everyone."
He, ZaiWin noticed Snow's phrasing. He!
Frowning in frustration, ZaiWin turned to Grisly.
"Enough! Do as he says and do it fast! And shut your trap before I have to shut it for you!" he added the moment Grisly opened his mouth to contest again. "Take only what's indispensable. Look for shelter in Dryriver, you'll probably be safe there. Do not return here until an entire month has passed."
"The fuck …"
"Just do it, Grisly! Do not force my hand in this!" ZaiWin growled dangerously. "If I have to kill you to make sure everyone else lives, I will not hesitate. I will bury you right here, where you stand!"
Storm, who had been silently watching from the sideways, hurriedly rushed to Grisly's side.
"Don't be stubborn, old man! Better be safe than sorry! So what if you're right and they're unable to find this place? We'll just take this opportunity to try and establish better trading routes with other villages! And then we'll all be able to come back, safe and sound, and go on with our lives," she urgently argued, pulling his strong arm towards the door. "Come already! We have much to do! You don't want some stranger finding our precious cavern and ruining our source of freshwater, now do you?"
Grisly grumbled and scowled, and sent a threatening glare Snow's way, but ended up being successfully dragged all the way outside.
"Will he really tell the others to leave?" Snow asked, turning to ZaiWin, and ZaiWin couldn't help wondering if he was truly worried about those people or not. Somehow, his dark eyes always looked more distant and detached than his normally icy pale gaze.
"He better. Or I'll skin him alive the next time I see him."
"Grisly can be an old, stubborn fool, but he would never fail to uphold the command of the one he recognized as his Governor," Rain offered, smiling warmly as she handed Snow a cup of fuming tea. "Drink up. It will warm you up."
Snow nodded and took a small sip. It tasted pleasantly sweet.
"I'll get you some clean clothes for you to change into," Rain offered and silently rushed back to the kitchen.
The large hand that landed on Snow's head startled him a bit.
"How are you feeling?"
Snow slightly lowered his head and blushed. So he was still aware that what had happened between them was something special, something that could not be brushed aside like any other event.
"I'm okay …" he whispered even lower than usual and ZaiWin stepped closer to him, placing a soft kiss on the top of his head, before he took a deep breath.
"Before VinWei comes, there's something you should know," he told him. And Snow couldn't help look up at him at the sound of that grave tone. "If it is as I think, we will probably have to leave them behind," ZaiWin said, his warm fingers softly caressing his cheek. "They can track me."
Snow blinked in confusion.
"What?"
"They can track me. It's a … fail-safe that they placed in me when I left the Palace. They need to be at a certain minimum distance from me for it to work. And … there's a high price to pay. But if the conditions are met, they can easily track me down. I don't know how they knew where to look for me. But, once they became certain of my location, since the Palace has emitted a decree demanding my arrest, they can rightfully cross the border into our lands. Not even RimMyu can stop them, even if he wants to."
Snow lowered his gaze, trying to make sense of what he had been told through the land's whispers.
"They … were killing people … The land … was drenched in blood …" he muttered before he looked up at ZaiWin again. "Is that the high price you were talking about?"
ZaiWin gently caressed his hair and gave him a sad, bitter smile.
"Finish your tea. And then get dressed. Pack a small bag, but make sure you take your warmest clothes. It will probably be cold where we're going."
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Back into the turmoil we go ... 😔