Ten Years Earlier...

Jale looked over his shoulder and shielded his eyes with his hand to ward off the sun's rays. The snow-covered peaks of the Arina Mountain Range towered high into the sky behind him. Formidable in size, the entrance of the Arina Pass was about a two-hour ride from where they sat on their horses.

Above those peaks, grey heavy clouds were closing in, threatening the sun's presence with rain and possible snow; a snow that would send this wet, green forest into a white desolate landscape. A cold swirl of air left Jale's mouth as he breathed. Yes, it was certainly cold enough for snow.

His horse shifted its weight underneath him, and Jale reached down to its neck, soothing and urging patience. They had been waiting for half an hour, but not much longer now. After three weeks at their post, Emperor Leath's son, Prince Rathner from the Talbecan Empire, would also arrive.

Jale sighed. In desperate times, his father had argued, desperate actions were needed.

The Keglar Kingdom and the Talbecan Empire were barely friends, and the thought of the Prince of Talbec joining forces with Jale and his men was not something Jale was looking forward to. Especially when Jale's second in command, a horrible man called Ulreon, had already expressed his disgust at having to work with the Talbecans since arriving at Arina Pass. Fortunately, Jale had found the man another task to complete this afternoon, and he had brought his best friend, Trent, instead.

To make matters more interesting, it wasn't just the Talbecan Empire that would be at Arina Pass. Beside Jale, not only did he have Brelen, his commander in chief, but on the other, he also had the son of the Dratlin Mountain Clan leader.

Menelt looked just as rough and wild as the horse he was sitting on. He was taller and wider than Jale, with a large bladed axe sticking out from over the back of his shoulders. He was dressed in a mirage of greens and browns, colors that if he was standing off the path and in amongst the trees, he would be hard to see, if at all. High up on his right arm, a black band could be seen. Only the leader, his father, would have two bands.

The sole purpose of this collaboration, their orders, was to protect their borders to stop the infected citizens of the Brandeen Kingdom from making their way into their territories. Usually in summer, Arina Pass was notorious for shady deals, illegal trading, random prisoner escapes and even the odd kidnapping here and there. Since the outbreak of the plague in the Brandeen Kingdom, the pass had been closed. There were to be no arguments. Anyone who attempted to travel through the pass was to be turned away, and if anyone dared to argue, they would be killed.

The three parties would be protecting Arina Pass during winter which was somewhat of a lark for when the snows came, the pass would close anyway. It was the reason why, Jale believed, the Prince had been sent their way instead of the easier border passes. The Prince of Talbec, the heir to the throne, of course Emperor Leath would send him to a remote station where there would be little chance of him coming into direct contact with the plague.

Better than Jale's family, the royal family of Keglar. The King and Queen and their immediate family were all hiding away in a castle, safe and sound, no care for the rest of their people. Jale, on the other hand, as cousin, was not high ranking enough in the scheme of things to warrant such protection. He had his father to thank for this post. Despite their continual habit to clash and disagree, his father had shown that he still wanted to protect Jale at all costs. Or maybe it was down to his mother.

An icy blast of air swirled around the small group of men, sending the trees bending and swaying where they stood. Jale shuddered and drew his thick fur coat higher up his shoulders and towards his neck.

The physical aspects of this post were not going to be easy. Far from it. This post was going to be long, hard, and cold, very cold. Care would have to be taken to ensure their health, for frost bite and the deadly illnesses that could inflict the chest would mean everyone would have to take heed and be vigilant.

A call came from the trees and Jale snapped out of his thoughts. The sound of alert came from one of Menelt's mountain men hiding in the undergrowth of dark green vegetation.

Before Jale could ask, Menelt spoke. "The Prince of Talbec has arrived."

"Good," Jale simply responded. Here's hoping that the Prince of Talbec was not as spoilt, lazy and rude as Jale's cousins.

Down the mountain trail and rounding a corner, the colors of the Talbecan Empire appeared. Prince's Rathner's men stopped about fifty meters away at seeing Jale and Menelt.

"Stay alert," Jale said to Brelen. They hadn't come expecting a battle, far from it, but one could never be too careful.

Poised and alert, Jale's friend didn't utter a word, only nodded in response. Menelt stared before him and scratched the skin on the back of his neck as if he was bored.

They waited cautiously until two horses of the Prince's procession came from the back and began to approach. Jale nodded towards Menelt, and the pair nudged their horses into a walk with a soft squeeze of their knees.

Jale identified the Prince immediately by his elaborately ordained armor and a bronze broach that indicated his rank as Prince Rathner of the Talbecan Empire. They came to a stop, abreast and took a moment to take each other in. The Prince was accompanied by a soldier of obvious high ranking shown by a large bronze silk sash that covered his metal plate.

A horrible sinking feeling filled Jale's stomach. Prince Rathner was tall, naturally tanned and strong. A man of such striking stature would have to come with a flaw and that would most likely be his personality. Disappointing, but at least he was favorable to the eye, and Jale wouldn't complain about that.

The Prince spoke first, interrupting Jale's analysis.

"I was not expecting a welcome party," he said with a surprising warm smile. "Thank you."

Jale didn't respond, suddenly confused. The Prince had spoken in perfect formal Keglan. He coughed, quickly recovering and decided then and there to use his own native tongue until he developed a better impression of the Prince.

"Prince Rathner of the Talbecan Empire, it is with great honor that I make your acquaintance. I know your journey was a long one compared to the journey my men had to endure." Jale signaled with his head. "There is still some distance to travel. I've had my men erect a temporary tent for you to rest in while your men set up your camp. I have also arranged for you and your men to dine with me tonight."

Delight flickered over the Prince's face. "Absolutely unnecessary but perfectly acceptable. An agreeable way to warm my men over," the Prince laughed.

Jale nodded. "Please, let's ride. It will take us an hour until we reach the camp, and I fear the weather."

"Certainly," the Prince responded, raising his eyes to the thick clouds gathering momentum over the pass.

Their horses fell into step beside each other.

"Menelt?" Prince Rathner asked, following Jale's gaze.

"Yes," Jale responded quickly, almost embarrassed by the mountain man's rudeness. Jale had every intention to introduce Menelt but by the time they had set off down the path, Menelt had moved up leading the way.

“Joining forces with the clansmen does not guarantee a complete alliance,” Jale quickly explained. “They are notoriously cautious of outsiders and in the past, they have been known to act unpredictably and violently to visitors.”

“I have heard that not much is known in regards to their inner culture and customs,” Prince Rathner stated, “but that they are a vicious and intensely private and protective group of individuals.”

"He is..." Jale struggled to find an appropriate cover for the man's behavior.

"A man of small words," the Prince supplied for him.

Jale gave a short, sharp nod in agreement. "Very much so, but a man very well suited for the mountains. I have found him to have vital knowledge of the surrounding area. His men are capable hunters as well. We do not need to fear a lack of food."

Another icy gust of wind swept through the trees, and Jale saw the Prince visibly grimace against it. It was not a surprise. The Talbecan warmer climate would not prepare a person for such conditions. "Did you and your men travel well?" Jale asked.

"Yes, thank you," the Prince answered through clenched teeth. "It was long, however the sights on the way were eye opening. I believe I have been cooped up in Dalenia for too long. My father's empire has many wonderful sights. Has there been much travel on the pass?" he asked.

Jale kept his gaze in front of him, his face clear of expression. "No. Not in the past week. Trade from and to the Brandeen Kingdom has come to a complete halt. There has been only one person. My men killed him for trying to get past."

"He refused to turn back,” the Prince said. It wasn't a question but a grim statement.

It was then that the sun disappeared behind the clouds and with it, the temperature dropped further. The Prince appeared to shrink in stature, drawing himself in. His clothes, of course, were completely inadequate for this kind of terrain. Jale turned and motioned to Trent who quickly nudged his horse to catch up with Jale's. Jale spoke hastily and when he finished, Trent broke away from the entourage and carried up the path in a canter.

"Let's not talk about slaughtering the innocent at the present," Jale said, turning his attention back to the Prince. "It's such an unpleasant aspect of our circumstances. I have no hesitation to kill a man who deserves it but killing a man who only fleas to save himself or his family..." Jale paused, clearly unhappy with what had occurred. This was a mission that questioned his inner morality. "It leaves me...angry."

"It makes my heart feel heavy as well," Prince Rather spoke kindly.

The skies opened and rain began to fall. Cold rain, not far off from snow. The polite small talk between them stopped and they dropped their heads, bracing themselves against the cold and misery the wet weather brought.

The rest of the journey continued in silence until the path widened and to the right, Jale's camp could be seen through the trees. To the left, a large open space had been left in preparation for Prince Rathner's men.

As they approached, soldiers from Jale's camp paused in their work to watch Prince Rathner and his party. Many in the Keglar Kingdom had never had the opportunity to see Talbecan soldiers this close, and most took it as an opportunity to garner some insight into the Talbecans.

A small contingency of four men, Jale noted, crossed their arms and stared, unblinking and with a sense of animosity. Jale frowned, one of them was Uleron. If Prince Rathner had seen the four men though, he didn't show any hint of acknowledgement.

"I hope you find this space more than adequate," Jale said. He waved to Trent who was now waiting with another solider, a large trunk on the ground beside their feet. Trent leaned down and opened its lid. "I was going to present you with these as official gifts at dinner, but you look utterly miserable," Jale informed the Prince. Trent pulled out a heavy, dark fur cloak and held it up for the Prince to see. "I had arranged proper coats for you and your leading men upon your arrival," Jale continued. "You need to stay warm in these mountains. We can have more sent up from the local town as I did not know how many men would join you."

The Prince's face brightened at the sight of the cloak. "This is very kind," Prince Rathner said. "I was not expecting such generous hospitality from the Keglar Kingdom." The Prince dismounted his horse and took the cloak from Trent's outstretched hands. He swung it over his shoulders and pulled it close. "It is most suitable," the Prince said, running his hand over the fur. "Very warm indeed."

"There are five coats in the chest. Is there anything else we can assist you with while you get comfortable?" Jale asked.

The Prince shook his head. "I will be more than willing to join you later to discuss logistics, but first I will help my men prepare camp. I don't expect my men to do anything that I am not prepared to do myself."

Jale nodded. "Of course. I will send twenty men over to assist. Please use them as you see fit."

Without any further words, Jale turned his horse and started towards his own camp. He had to admit, he was also looking forward to reaching his warm tent.