author's note
If you notice, Chapter 7 is different. I made a mistake uploading Chapter 9 as Chapter 7, but it's now fixed.
The snow fell in an almost solemn silence, covering the courtyards of Valdrik Hold with a white blanket that crunched with every step. Kevin and Kelvin Blizzard, still reeling from the recent echoes of their victories in the exhibition combat, felt the invisible weight of gazes that dared not look directly at them, but followed them like shadows.
In the war room, beneath the high stone vaults and the deep blue banners of House Valdrik, Lord Varyn listened silently as three of his captains argued heatedly. At the other end of the table, Garron Martrek, the master-at-arms, stood like an immovable rock amid the crashing waves. Kevin and Kelvin remained at attention, though their sky-blue eyes indicated intense attention.
"The patrol to Aseroth's Pass is necessary," Captain Roeth said tersely. The caravans have disappeared, and there are reports of non-human attacks. We need young men, swift... and willing to prove their worth.
"And what about the veterans?" Captain Morn chimed in, glancing sideways at the twins. "Sending the lads away is sending them to their deaths."
Lord Varyn raised a hand, and their voices trailed off. His gaze slowly shifted to Kevin and Kelvin, and in that instant the brothers knew the verdict was in.
"They will go," the lord said calmly. "If they survive, their position in this house will be strengthened. If not... the snow will erase their names."
It wasn't until they left the room that Kelvin murmured, barely audible, "This smacks of a trap."
Kevin nodded, adjusting the leather belt where his sword rested.
"I know. But if they want us dead... they'll have to do it themselves."
Their mission took them north, where the wind turned into an icy whip and daylight seemed to die before noon. With them marched six soldiers from the garrison, hardened men but with furtive glances, as if they knew more than they let on. Aseroth's Pass was no place for beginners: its icy cliffs concealed not only wild beasts, but also rumors of older and worse things.
On the third day, as they entered a gorge, their suspicions were confirmed. The bodies of a previous patrol lay half-buried in the snow, their armor shattered and their faces frozen in grimaces of horror. And, beyond, the mist moved... as if something breathed in it.
A low growl echoed, and tall figures emerged from the fog, gray-skinned and with eyes like extinguished embers. They were not human. They carried black iron axes, and their advance crunched the ice beneath their feet.
"Close formation," Kevin ordered, his voice firmer than he felt.
The fight was brutal and brief. The enemies attacked with superhuman strength, but the twins fought back to back, their mana glowing with every blow. Kelvin, with an upward slash, ripped open the belly of one of the creatures, while Kevin deflected an axe blow and counterattacked with lethal precision.
But in the midst of the fray, two of the soldiers accompanying them fell back... and disappeared into the snow. Abandoned. Or worse, sent to ensure the twins didn't return.
As the last creature fell, Kevin gasped; his sword was tinged a dark red that froze instantly. Kelvin leaned against a rock; his breath formed white clouds in the frigid air.
"It wasn't just a patrol..." Kelvin said, looking in the direction the deserters had fled. It was a death sentence.
Kevin gazed at the gray horizon.
"And next time, they won't expect us to come back."
When they returned, they brought not only the enemy weapons as proof, but also the awkward silence of those in the fortress who hadn't expected to see them cross the gate alive. Lord Varyn showed no surprise, but Garron Martrek watched them with a mixture of pride and warning.
"The snow is treacherous, lads," said the weapons master. "But now you know it's not the only one that wants to swallow you up."
And as rumors of their survival spread, the intrigues within House Valdrik intensified more than any winter storm.