Commander Evar had never felt the relief like this while sitting in a warm room and listening to the castle beings. Even though the conversation was not what they used to have, the feeling of warmth made him endure everything else going on around him.

Ser Angus had been on speaking without any interruption ever since the council had sat on the table. Counselor Padraig never left a chance to take a jab at Ser Angus. Sorcerers were excluded from joining discussion and were sent to take care of the soldiers who had developed frost bites.

As usual, Godfreed's alchemy skill didn’t serve him a lot while continuing on the discussion.

All the while, the empty chair stood with nobody on it.

"You." Ser Angus remembered Evar's deed, "How did you even think of bringing those outsiders here?"

"They still are outsiders, knight." Evar said, "You never let them in. They will remain outsiders. Even their frozen bodies."

"I don’t know how much wit you have lost in your journey."

"I wonder how much paranoia you have gained meanwhile."

"Is a moment of peace possible to exist in this moment of bickering?" Godfreed stopped them.

"Yes it is." Ser Angus looked at the doctor, "When we have a solution, there will be…."

"Come on knight, do you expect him to end this with stir on pot?" asked Padraig.

"I don’t expect the solution to come through your lips either."

"You want an expedition, isn’t it?" sighed Commander Evar.

"Is there any other way?"

"Doctor Godfreed, can you prepare warmth potion by the morning?"

"I won't be able to meet your expectations, ser." was Godfreed's answer.

"See, Ser Angus, this is the trouble. We may lose half of our army before reaching Hilcastle base. Our Lord left ill prepared because he could. But we don’t share same fortune. Whatever doesn’t even hurt Wernh'An can kill us."

"Aren't you ready to die?"

"Yes I am. I am sworn to it. But we are sworn to protect Lord Wernh'An as well. Dying doesn’t complete our duty. It instead leaves things unfinished."

"SER ANGUS!" a guard ran inside the room with someone.

It took Commander Evar to realize who the guard had come with.

He was Wernh'An's squire who had gone to Pryeg with him.

The squire had reached Hilcastle in the most miserable way possible. Even with the blanket around him, he was shaking. Underneath the blanket, his purple toes peeked at the council table.

Purple lips and near frozen tongue was making him unable to speak.

"Where is Lord Wernh'An?" Ser Angus didn’t let a second go in vain.

The squire was still shaking.

"Godfreed, bring him some medicines!" Commander Evar bellowed.

Godfreed lifted his cloak's end and ran towards the potion chamber.

"Where is he?" Ser Angus asked again.

Squire still was in no condition to speak.

"Let me ask him." Padraig put his hand on Angus's shoulder, "Let me talk to him."

Ser Angus stayed still with open mouth as Padraig spoke to the squire in low voice, "Is Lord Wernh'An alive?"

The squire nod.

Counselor Padraig squinted towards Angus.

"Medicine!" Godfreed came with a tiny bottle and fed it to the squire by himself.

A minute later, the squire's skin began to redden. So did his lips and tongues. But the fingers struck with frost bite burst like bubbles and leaked blood.

"Tell us more, squire." Padraig caressed his head.

"I couldn’t bring him here." Squire explained, "Because he was near to death."

"Where did you leave him then?"