HELENA'S POV
Standing in the pile of knee-deep snow, I opened my eyes and found myself alone. It's bitterly cold, even underneath a thick unfitting fur coat. I looked up and found an enchanting beauty I was only told in brief stories. The sky displayed a mix of purple and blue hues dancing and shimmering in a beautiful chaos. I was splurging in the moment when I heard a faint voice calling my name. I looked around, but no one's there. I followed the voice through the deep snow, but the howls of the wind along with the ice crystals starting to storm in overpowered the woman's voice that's reeling me in. Drawn, I ran towards her in between the fir trees. She seemed in pain and fading. Burning off the energy I have left, I kept running towards the snowcapped mountains, then I lent an ear on its freezing wall. The voice seemed to be coming from inside the mountain walls. I tried to find my way in, but I can't seem to find a door. As I wipe off the snow, I found an engraved hummingbird on the rocks with signs that I'm familiar with. I uttered the written words and suddenly, the ground rumbled as a small door opened towards the rocky mountain wall. Inside, there's a bright light with a silhouette of a woman waiting for me. As I was about to go, I was stopped by a man's voice calling my name tenderly….
I jolted awake gasping for air in the arms of someone warm, caressing me tenderly with his fingers. Even if I do not see his face, his scent tells it all. "I… I.. must have dozed off. I'm sorry", I stammered as I wet my cold lips. He stroke my hair behind my ear lightly, as if I'm fragile before he slowly pulled away.
"Bad dreams come too often?", Stellan who's already in his black brocade doublet sat beside me with his fretful eyes.
I don't really consider it as a nightmare, for it wasn't totally frightening at all. "Good sleep is a luxury these days", I simply answered. I took a quick peek at Andrew, he was still sound asleep. "Was I screaming?", I asked lowly.
"You were calling a name.", Stellan tittered softly.
I remember vividly in my dream that my name was being called, not the other way around. "What's funny? Who was I calling?", I threw a pebble at him for making fun of me.
"Heh. Just sleep more. You're more tired than I am. My turn to stay on watch, you should get some more sleep", Stellan smiled as he add more leaves in the fire, dodging my question. He must be kidding. Obviously, Andrew slept all the way through the night, I bet Stellan has been watching us from the moment we camped.
"I'm alright. YOU should get some sleep", I reiterated but he just gave me a timid smile. Rubbing my hands together, I gazed at the sky who have already been owned by complete darkness. The troubling sounds of the night feeds the flame of my fear and curiosity what's beyond the shadows. But then, Stellan is here. I should have nothing to be afraid of. "Stellan, may I ask something?", I hugged my knees as I watch him warm himself up.
"Hmm?", he looked straight into my eyes with his lifted brows.
"In Beorg Mountains, why did you let me go? You had the chance to take me in, yet you didn't", I asked in a serious tone.
"It felt like it was the right thing to do", he straightforwardly said without batting an eye.
"Don't you believe that I killed… Lord Harlan?", I am perplexed to believe that this paladin trusts me, when everyone sees me as a walking menace.
"You can't even hold a sword against your opponent, might as well kill someone as valuable and skilled as Lord Harlan. Would you?", Stellan explained with absolute assurance that's impossible to hear from the great paladin of the kingdom. He does have a point, though. Lord Harlan is old, but he is not weak. He could easily defeat a skilled warrior, much more a novice knight. I won't stand a chance in that old man. "Well… there's something that I need to tell you…", I thought it's time to confide and let my voice be heard.
"It's just about time", Stellan nodded as if he's been waiting for my truth.
"I didn't kill Lord Harlan… I don't know who did, for I was incarcerated during that time. He's pushy, and stingy. But, never in my thoughts have I ever think of doing such horrible thing", I started to reminisce the times Lord Harlan made me do things I thought I couldn't. He was a great teacher in such little time that we have spent together. "The reason why I can't kill or hurt anyone is that... I am a soul traveler", I avoided his gaze and waited for him to walk out on me.
"A celestial as… what you are specifically called, I suppose?", Stellan calmly asked to my surprise. So, he knew.
"Ye-yess", I sat upright with a slight nod. "I uhh.. I... soul travelled in this body for quite a few dumb but reasonable causes. Unfortunately, due to some unforeseen instance, I couldn't go back. I heard that Brandenburg keeps a delicate information about a traveler's stone so I can go back home..", there's a certain feeling of liberty that loosened the tightness in my chest when I laid bare my identity to Stellan, given that I've shared this story to quite a few people. His eyes focused on me wasn't judging. It was reposed and eager. Thus, my innate sense could be failing me.
"Let me guess, that's when you pretended to be Tobias' family and took the tests?", he asked presumably.
"And luckily, I passed! Sir Tobias and Freya helped me..", I was about to say how they changed me to the man that I pretended to be. Yet, my tongue didn't seemed to catch a phrase. Stellan might lose interest in me if he finds out that I am a woman. I am too afraid to be deprived of the look he's giving me now.
"One of the most memorable admissions I'd say. The stars were with you for being too lucky that the barriers against travelers weren't working that time", he claimed with greater fascination in his smiles rather than being rejective.
"I almost died in one of those tests... Well, I didn't know that there were barriers. I don't know much of this kingdom. I just wanted to get into Brandenburg… locate the traveler's stone on the books and scram", it should be that easy yet things went overly complicated.