He practiced until sunset using the trees as targets, only stopping to eat meat he had stored. Now he could hit six out of ten shots at fifty meters, certainly not perfectly on center. Although he was satisfied with his own performance.

At the end, he takes advantage of the nearby watercourse to bathe lightly enduring the cold. Approaching the campfire naked to warm himself, Lia averts her eyes a bit uncomfortably as Ezer hurries to put on his clothes, already showing signs of wear, and calm his tremors.

"I didn't want to do it, but I haven't had a bath for many days... Why are you looking away?" Rubbing his hands together, he asks with innocent naivety. To which Lia responds by rolling her eyes for the second time that day.

With the light of the fire, he rereads the book again until sleep consumes him and falls asleep. Lia watches him like every night, but this time something different reflects her eyes.

The next morning spring was beginning to be felt, the sun was slowly melting the snow and the trees were coming back to life after a long winter. When Ezer wakes up he notices something different, only Lia is sitting looking at him solemnly and with a totally different aura than she usually has.

The entire pack was gone, Ezer never deepened his relationship with the other wolves and only Lia approached him. Even so, he was aware of their routine activities and the events of now were strange.

The drowsiness faded completely and Ezer tensed slightly, hesitated for a second, then spoke the words he didn't wanted to say.

“You are going?” Insecurity was noted in his words, he hoped that Lia would deny it and stay with him as always. But the white wolf with blue eyes slowly nods her head, leaving no doubts and with a resolution that leaves no room for anything else.

The pack was headed beyond the border, Ezer knew, but for some reason they waited two months to cross it. Did they wait until the winter passed and the snow melted? Did they regain strength to resume their long journey? Or did they do it for him?

Ezer now understands how much he needs from the pack, how much he needs her. He wanted to follow them as he had no home to return to. But it was impossible, Lia wouldn't allow it... that's what her eyes said.

“Will you come back?” Time stopped for Ezer as he waited for her answer.

After a while, Lia nods her head slightly, though it seems hesitant. As soon as answers, she turns his back on Ezer and walks towards the titanic mountains following the tracks of the ahead pack. The brightness of his eye’s dims, sadness is reflected in them.

From now on, Ezer would be truly alone and on his own, until he meets Lia again in what he hopes will not be too far in the future.

---------------------------

Several days after Ezer escaped from the carriage, the Viscount knocks on the door of his father's study having arrived at his castle. He takes a deep breath and reviews the words he has thought to report his failure. Officially, Boron was the direct descendant of the head of the family and future governor of this lands, but his father continued to take care of the most important matters without giving them to him, but that it would change in a few months when he would inherit his position in full.

He had fury in his heart for this, but deep down he knew that it benefited him, the freedom he had, he used for his experiments increasing his power and experience as a magician, which favored not only himself, but his father as well, who in his old age wished for the prosperity of his family.

He opens the door and walks to the center of the room, takes a deep breath remembering the childhood punishments he suffered from his father. The man who is sitting with his eyes fixed on the words he was writing raises his hand and signals him to stop showing his palm, two minutes later, the old man raises his eyes allowing to distinguish his white hair, clearly due to old age and not because he has Elvish blood, and beard of the same shade.

Both father and son did not look alike at all physically. This demonstrated the great changes that a practitioner of dark magic underwent. The same shadows that he tried to control stain him and modify him inside and out, leaving in this case, a pale and emaciated young man who shows his bones through his cheek, although this did not mean that he was weak. This only served to highlight his mysterious and dark strength that no one but himself knew about.

Despite being 69 years old, Berner's strength emanating from his body made it clear that he still had many years to live. He watches his son for a few seconds and then speaks in a voice that echoes through every corner of the room.

“Ezer Inmerlan, escaped into the woods while you were being held back by a pack of wolves, after an intense search that resulted in two men being wounded, you did not find the child. You made the decision to cancel the quest because of the winter and the beasts, am I wrong?” He said it without any expression on his face as if he were telling a story that happened a long time ago and was of no importance.

Boron frowns upon noticing that his father had an informant among his men whom he considered loyal to him, he had more authority among his subjects than he seems.

"I know what you're thinking. Do you think I don't trust you enough and need someone to watch over you?" He continues speaking in a flat, emotionless tone.

Indeed, that is what Boron thought. Before he could answer, he is interrupted again by his father.

"Information is power, even if it's keeping an eye on your own son. It is something you will understand when you have a true heir and not those bastards derived from lust.” This time his tone changes, showing his disappointment that his family does not have a guaranteed heir. "You'll keep looking until you find it." He lowers his eyes again, closing the subject.

“Father, I understand that this child has elven blood, it would even help me investigate it. But without that, he's nothing more than a crazy kid making up stories about visions to get attention.” His expression clearly shows his distaste for the order.

“There is something you must understand, if we don't lose anything and his visions turn out to be real, we will win. If there are dubious benefits and the risks are not daunting… do not miss the opportunity, it is something I have learned over the years. Now that he has escaped, he has damaged our family's honor, but if we announce that he stole from us and fled betraying our good will, when we catch him, we will not only check his visions, but also send a message to anyone who does not wish to obey us. We have too much profit and only the possibility of losing a few men, a situation that we must not miss.”