In a parallel hallway, Jeplin sat at a table filled with maps and plans surrounded by several members of his elite army.

A tall woman without any hair spoke.

"How did it go?"

Jeplin, who was the recipient of the question answered,

"It was not unsuccessful, We made it here, but we had no spare time, I arrived there only hours before the attack."

Another man continued the wave of questions,

"What about the troops?"

"They left a bit after I arrived, and had not reached Absconditi when I left with Kari. Robert did catch up with me at the inn in Dreden. He was fine and so was George, but everything was destroyed. Robert said his next mission was to lead the troops that were left, back to the mountain." "What is..um… George doing?"

"Robert wanted him to come with him but he ran off on some private mission."

"Do you know who else survived?"

"No news yet."

"What is our next step, and what are we doing with Kari?"

Another soldier asked.

Jeplin sat still for a moment and then answered:

"For now her father deemed her my responsibility and in general all of ours, so we must protect her."

They nodded in acceptance.

"Unfortunately, our plan of having George or Robert train her completely was not realized."

"Well, at least she is alive."

"True. It will only set us back a bit. Our next step is clear; we will be traveling to Etireniel."

He looked at the map very intently.

Another soldier interrupted his thoughts

"How many of us will join you?"

Jeplin was tired of answering questions, he longed for a bed.

"We will all eventually go but I want to keep a low profile when with Kari. Movement is dangerous at this time, especially since Kari doesn't have any real-life combat experience."

A soldier jumped in,

"We will start getting everything ready for your departure."

"I only need two people with us. I do not want to draw any attention. In fact, one ahead and one behind us, there is no need for traveling in large groups."

A younger man, confused at Jeplin's lack of security spoke.

"Are you sure you will be safe enough?"

They laughed at him.

Jeplin answered with a straight face

"I am capable of keeping one person safe for a few days considering I have led armies for years."

One woman led the younger man out of the room

"I am sorry, no intention of offending you my Lord he does not know who you are."

Jeplin waved off the apology, took a deep breath, and looked back down at the map.

Kari sat naked on her bed looking at the clothing pile on the chair across from her. She lazily walked over to it and put on some bloomers and an undershirt. Her movement reminded her how cold she really was and quickly finished dressing. She put on thick pants and a long-sleeved shirt, then a sweater.

The hallway was busy. It was cluttered mostly with children. They were running around, followed by their parents or siblings who were trying to contain them. She slipped through unnoticed and made her way into the main entryway. She stopped in her tracks, noticing that Marcel was sitting there. He looked up and smiled at her. She smiled back awkwardly and he waved her over to the table. The table was covered in food. He had been sitting with others but they had already left. He was tall and extremely confident, his hair was very short and his jawline very pronounced. He offered her food and they ate and talked. He was a bit smug to anyone who tried to come over and talk to him, but when they were left alone, he was very kind. He spent a lot of time talking about himself. She was very happy to indulge. She knew nothing about Jeplin and was making up for it with others.

His mannerisms while speaking were very meticulous and it seemed that he was uncharacteristically lighthearted.

"I have spent a lot of time training, more than I care to admit. All I can do is fight I really never learned anything else."

"You must be very good,"

she said.

"Yes, honestly I am."

"Hopefully I will learn just as much. It seems like It might be helpful in my situation."

He nodded.

"Do you ever fight with Jeplin?"

"I assume you mean with him as in together in arms."

"Yes, together."

"I fought beside him, but I do not fight under anyone's rule."

She thought that very admirable.

"I guess I really do not know where I am regarding allegiances. I guess I follow Jeplin because that is the only person I have."

She trailed off,

Marcel placed his hand on her arm.

" Even if you need protection, do not think you have to follow someone blindly. You will someday realize all you need is yourself."

Kari smiled

"Until then … You have all of us soldiers, our mission is to keep you safe." He gestured at the random men and women scattered around the room.

She locked eyes with him. They were very distinct and bright green. While he was looking away, she continued to look at his face, studying it. She tried to determine how old he was. He was definitely older than her, though she was not sure by how many years. His eyes did have a few wrinkles, but the rest of his skin was smooth. His eyes spoke volumes. They had many things to say but he did not have the courage to pass the words through his lips. His hidden desires were not aimed at her in particular, but at everyone. They veered off the serious conversation to a frivolous one. They both wanted a break from the weight of their surroundings.

"Before I started my journey here, my town was getting ready to celebrate the end of winter, we have a large festival and It is one of my favorite times of the year."

"You must live in a really secluded city."

She looked at him a bit confused

"Why do you say that?"

"With the war raging off and on not many cities have celebrations anymore."

She looked up at the ceiling thinking about what he said.

"I learned a lot about a war from a tutor but I was never told where the war was taking place."

"That might have been for your benefit."

Realizing she was thinking about her home in a sad plight, he jumped back into the positive aspect of the conversation.

"So, tell me about the celebration, what did you do?"

She smiled.

He returned her stories with ones of his childhood from before he was sent to fight. He remembered a few celebrations though he had no memory of what they were for.

Deep into their conversation she looked over to the door and saw Jeplin. She suddenly remembered the reason she left her room. She enjoyed Marcel's company, but she felt truly comfortable with Jeplin, despite his limited words. He sat down at the table with them. Marcel adjusted his posture almost as if he was trying to show Jeplin that he was much taller than him. Jeplin, either did not care or did not recognize what he was doing,

"Have you heard any news while traveling?"

The conversation led to a place Kari had no interest in. She occupied herself by watching people going about their business in the hall. Jeplin and Kari departed from the table when Marcel had to leave. "Where is the room?" Jeplin inquired. She assumed he meant the one she slept in. She showed him. They entered and he set his bags down on the floor. Through this gesture, she realized they were sharing a room. She opened her mouth but before she could say anything he interjected. "Do not worry, I am sleeping on the floor, you can take the bed," Kari responded. "You do much more than I do, please take it, or at the very least share with me." Jeplin looked uneasy about sharing a bed with her, but she insisted. They lied on opposite sides of the bed both straight like wood. Kari was comforted by his presence knowing no matter what happened, he was there to protect her.

When the sun rose, Jeplin awoke. He didn't need to see the sky to know the time. He began to gather their possessions. After eating breakfast and lunch they both left the caverns. They left without saying a word to anyone. She was disappointed they did not run into Marcel or Charole on their way out. She felt bad not being able to say goodbye.

Once they were back on Jeplin's horse she felt sick. She remembered all the time she had already spent on the horse and how it began to hurt. Almost as though Jeplin could sense how she felt, he didn't push the horse very hard.

The sky was bright, and the sun was somewhat warm. It had clearly snowed since they were underground. Kari was very grateful she missed it.

Hours passed, and she lost track of what direction they were going. Jeplin whipped in and out, dodging a large abundance of trees. She closed her eyes and focused on the breeze caressing her face. She started to see more sunlight and as the trees thinned out and they began to tackle a rockier terrain.

They eventually met up with the mountains that had been looming over them. The horse, not reluctant in the slightest under Jeplin's hands, began to tackle the climb. The sun was hidden by various rocks jetting out in every direction. It seemed that Jeplin was intentionally trying to stay in the shadows. They slipped into tunnels whenever they could, to hide from the open sky and any prying eyes. She felt like they were canvassing the entire mountain. They slowly ascended up in a winding circular fashion.

Kari had never seen any sort of mountains in person, at least that she could remember. Seeing a mountain in person for the first time was very awesome.

The peaks were massive and ominous, they towered above them, casting dark shadows. She could also see further than she had ever imagined possible. She loved the view and danger.

As the days passed, they saw rare birds and seemingly the inside of every crevice the mountain had to offer. Kari preferred trekking through the tunnels and caves; it meant they were cutting off terrain, and she would not have to balance precariously on the edge of a tiny path inches away from falling to a gruesome death.

The snow, perched on various pinnacles, sparkled in the sunlight like beacons guarding the mountain itself.

One evening, right before dusk and after dinner, they were riding slowly on a larger pathway. Kari was very alert and was looking off in front of the horse.

She suddenly saw something dark. It was moving in the shadows.

"Look." She said quietly while pointing at the movement. Jeplin had already noticed it. To her relief, it was only a horse. Jeplin recognized it at once. It belonged to Harry. The soldier that he sent ahead of them. Jeplin sat up, drawing his focus and pulled out his sword. They moved very slowly along the pathway. Either the man was careless or dead, Jeplin assumed dead, since he liked to think his guards and soldiers were not careless.

Kari held onto him from behind and leaned down a bit. Jeplin suddenly stopped and jumped off the horse. Kari fell with her face onto the horse's back and decided that was a safe position and stayed there, holding on tightly.

Jeplin ran over to the edge of a crevice in the wall. He stopped, there was another black mass. He creeped slowly and carefully. It was a body. Kari peered to the side to see where Jeplin was. He kneeled next to the body. The body was lying at the mouth of a cave entrance and was wearing all black. He looked around and wondered whether there was someone still around. He took the dagger and the clasp off the man's cloak and slowly walked back to the horse. If he had been alone, he would have investigated further.

They continued along the same path, similar to before but Jeplin remained more erect and alert. Kari looked over the edge, wondering how many people had fallen to their death. "It looks like there is not anyone else around here." He partially said to himself.

His words jerked her out of her thoughts. She was shocked by the broken silence. Jeplin continued to look around at every turn. He was only being cautious because he was responsible for protecting Kari.

Acknowledging that there was not enough time or space to properly hinder any enemies, they began to delve into the center of the monstrous pointy beast that towered across hundreds of miles. Within the depths of the looming nightmare, there was a beautiful flawless lake. A poetic contrast. They stood still for a moment looking down at it. It reflected the glistening snow and captured silhouettes of the daunting vertical cliffs making the scene even more dramatic.

Their journey changed from that point; that's when they began their descent. The snow and wind stopped mercilessly harassing them. The night passed and led into a beautiful red morning. The icy colors were muted by a crimson hue tricking the eyes into a false sense of warmth. They began to slow their pace.

"We are going to take a break and start again when darkness falls."

He led them into a dark tunnel. Standing at the mouth Jeplin pulled flint and a torch out of his pack. The torch, lit up the devious tunnel, casting daunting shadows.

"Stay here for a moment, I'm going to check to make sure we are safe."

She stood alone, shivering as his figure disappeared into the darkness. She pulled a blanket out of one of the bags hanging off the horse and wrapped it around herself then sat down against a dark rock. Jeplin returned seconds later declaring the area safe. They occupied their first moments there stoking the fire and heating food. After they ate Kari lied down and wrapped herself very tightly in her cloak and a blanket. She was hypnotized by the flames; they danced like blades of grass swaying in the wind. Their shadows flickered across the stone walls, gray and soulless.

The daylight flooded the entrance reflecting off the icicles that lined the mouth. The sunlight contributed considerably to a number of shadows shifting among them. The vision before her began to slowly fade as she drifted off to sleep. Jeplin sat leaning against the icy wall in silence. He took out a pipe and began to pack it with tobacco. The pipe was white birch with intricate details of ships and waves. As he released it from his lips, the smoke spun slowly upwards joining the fire in a tribal dance throughout the cave. After a few hours of silence and his mind racing, he too fell asleep.

Kari woke up and ate. The fire had died so she knelt close to it and regenerated it. As she sat back, reveling in her victory, she looked at Jeplin. He was asleep and looked deathly pale. She panicked when she realized he might have died. She leaned next to him and placed her hand on his cheek.

"Jeplin"

she whispered.

He did not move. She grabbed his arm so she could pull him closer to the fire and that gesture caused him to open his eyes.

"Is something wrong?"

"Oh Good, you are alive."

She said, feeling slightly foolish.

"You were extremely cold."

He smiled

"I'm fine."

They both moved closer to the fire and snacked on the leftover meat. Jeplin looked to the entrance, all he could see was white. Jeplin stood up and walked over to look out of the cave's mouth. Moving from the protection of the rocky roof he stood out in the fresh air. He was doused with a layer of snow. Kari sat there with her mouth agape as he brushed it off.

"I thought it was going to get warmer."

Jeplin sat back down,

"Well, you can never tell, especially being here in the mountains."

They were stuck there for another day before the storm died down enough for them to continue.

Jeplin pulled both Kari and the horse reluctantly out into the open air. The snow that had already landed was dancing with the wind like graceful birds tossed into the sky.

It did not take long for them to reach the lake from where they were. Its surface was glistening with dark wet ice. The horse began to back away from the water. She looked down and realized Jeplin was causing the movement. Jeplin turned to speak to her. "Hold on to me and do not let go." He said. She realized what he was going to attempt zand before she could protest, the horse began to move. She wrapped her arms around his torso and pulled herself so she was flat on his back. She held her breath as the hooves hit the ice. Kari did not let go once they reached stable land, she was still in shock.

"Are you alright?"

He asked, noticing her tense grip.

"Oh," she said, releasing him,

"I'm sorry. Yes, I'm fine."

Jeplin leaped off the horse and put out his hand for Kari to do the same. "We are going to walk from here. It is not much further".

His intention was successful, and she felt relieved. They unloaded the bags and freed the horse again. Kari understood freeing it when they were in a warmer place, and near a forest or field, but letting the horse loose in a frozen mountain ice trap was confusing to her.

They walked for a bit then ate then walked a bit more. After riding for days on end, walking was surprisingly refreshing. The soft snow caressed her legs. She looked down at it, admiring the cold white flawless crystals. She was able to keep herself entertained with nature easily. Jeplin suddenly stopped and she looked up to see why. They reached a towering archway wedged between two stone walls on either side of a crevasse within the mountain.

The archway looked like a remnant of an ancient civilization. It was covered in years of erosion and dirt with the faint etchings of an old symbolic script. It towered over the gap, hundreds of feet between the tops of the rocks.

The only noise was coming from their boots clapping against the stone ground. The empty sound echoed in circles around them. At the end of the path, there was an enormous stone gate. It was about half the height of the archway, and there were several more intricate carvings on the face of the door. Each word was unreadable, except the one significant word in the center, "Etireniel." Jeplin moved in closer and reached out his pale hand to grasp the handle. He yanked it very aggressively. He was successful, and the door began to move slowly. It was very large and cumbersome; it could've easily crushed someone in seconds if they stood in the wrong spot. The vibrations from the movement caused small rocks to tumble down the walls. Kari jerked around; she gasped and drew Jeplin's attention to a shadow that passed oddly above them. It was the size and shape of a human body. She was on alert. Jeplin mentioned the possibility of people hunting or following them, which she thought was unnerving. Jeplin had been to that door before and knew it was just one of the men on watch duty. Behind the doors, there was a massive entryway carved into the mountain. The ceiling seemed to sit miles above, supported by large pillars made of rare stone. They looked as though they were holding the mountain itself in place.

There were waves and waves of people as far as she could see. They were all people that had to flee their homes or those without them. As they began to descend the pathway, she could see they crafted their own city within the confines of the mountain. There were tents, gardens, and stands selling food plants and handcrafted toys. There were various temporary shelters; there were many types, from canvas to wood. It looked like a celebration with all the people circling about, living their lives.

A stone pathway led them to a massive metal gate. Jeplin looked at the guards, and without question, they bowed and opened the gate. They entered a castle that lived within the rocks. Kari expected to see more people living in the same manner as on the outside, but the castle was only occupied by soldiers, from what she could tell. The entry atrium had marble floors and other gorgeous forms of stone for the walls. There were hundreds of torches mounted on either side of the room. Everything was glowing. Hundreds of tables sat about the room. There were also several fire pits near the front door. The cold-looking stone walls were partially draped in thick fabrics, and each of them had a colorful story woven into them. The doors slowly made it back to their closed positions with a powerfully loud clang. The noise drew the attention of several soldiers, who after turning, realized who they were and ran to greet them. Kari enjoyed the positive attention, even though she wasn't quite sure why she drew their interest.

"We are so relieved that you survived."

One person said. J

eplin ignored them and spoke.

"What have you heard?"

"The only news was that the man sent ahead of you, Cathyrs, never showed up and the man we sent to tail you arrived here yesterday. We thought something horrible happened to you."

Jeplin reached into his pocket and pulled out the pin he took from the body on the mountain.

"I found Cathyrs."

He placed the pin in one of the soldier's hands.

They all became very solemn.

"How?"

One asked, Knowing he would have checked the body.

"Stabbed to death."

He said factually.

"Probably someone from Calcaria, given the location."

Calcaria, the word repeated in Kari's head. Remembering her past lessons, her eyes widened. Calcaria was known as the evilest of places according to her tutor. Corrupt and dark. She strained to remember the finite details. Helam, she remembered the name, he was a powerful soldier and usurped Calcaria. He started out as a very reasonable ruler, a bit power-hungry but not bloodthirsty. Her tutor, Fawna, was very dramatic and descriptive, as though she had seen every event with her own eyes. After a few years of creating trust and allies, then Helam betrayed everyone. He seized power and took over one town after another. He used his vast army to bully villagers and take whatever he wanted. Fawna spoke of the events in a horribly disgusted tone. Kari could not believe that the historical lessons were not just memories or stories of days long gone. The things she learned involved the present and land around her. She racked her brain trying to remember everything but she was quickly drawn back to the conversation between Jeplin and the soldiers.

"The word circling about is that you are dead."

Said, one woman.

"Good."

Jeplin replied,

"That's the best news I have heard recently."

Kari looked at him a bit confused.

"Why is that good?"

One of the men began to answer,

"He is a ..."

Jeplin cut him off.

"It's because I am a target and they are tired of me helping the defense against them, rescuing you for example."

Kari nodded thinking that she knew what he meant.

"We are obviously at the beginning of the resurrection of a war. I created this place for people who want protection. "

Kari shivered. She was still cold and wet from the walk.

"Go sit over by one of the fires."

He said.

She gladly left them and wandered over to a table near a fire pit.

"Good choice."

said a voice.

She looked over to see a boy covered in snow sitting down across from her.

She smiled,

"You must be freezing, I have been traveling for days in the snow, and even, I did not get that acquainted with it."

He laughed,

"No it's okay, I was not traveling, I was doing training drills outside, that's why I am wearing the armor."

He wiped off the snow revealing it.

"So, what is your name?"

the boy very curiously asked

"Kari,"

she said,

"You?"

He shook all of the snow off of himself and pulled off his armor.

"Therrin. Will you be staying here for a while?"

Kari looked over at Jeplin.

"Honestly I do not know."

The boy followed her gaze.

"Oh, amazing! You got to travel with Jeplin!"

She smiled

"Yeah, he's in charge of protecting me I guess. You know him?"

The boy laughed

"Of course, everyone does."

Feeling confused and a bit foolish she laughed.

Her conversation was interrupted by Jeplin, he excused himself and Kari. The boy looked at Jeplin like he was a legend. Kari thought it was odd but was distracted by Jeplin pulling her to another table. There immediately ran to a group of boys and whispered to them what Kari had said. "Hope to see you again!" He shouted happily at her. She waved back.

Jeplin led her to a table where they both sat down and ate. While they were seated, they were continuously approached by various people. Jeplin held a long conversation with a large man with an enormous beard. Despite her interest in the new people she was meeting, the exhaustion was too overwhelming. She stood up to try to wake herself up.

"Hold on,"

Jeplin said, half occupied.

She stopped

"Getaf would you please show Kari to her room?"

"Which one sir?" J

eplin paused for a moment.

"Never mind I'll take her, wait here." Relieved that he was taking her, Kari picked up her bags and followed him.

Exiting the main hall was disappointing, the hallway was icy cold and dreary. The walls and floors were gray and the air seemed vacuous. There were not any windows, just door after door. They eventually made their way to their destination, room number twenty-five. She mulled the number around her tongue mindlessly. At first, she did not see the numbers on the doors, and she wondered how the rooms were determined since all the doors looked the same. She realized that the numbers were etched very lightly into the wall beside each door. Jeplin pulled out the key and opened the door. Kari was glad there was a key, she felt weird about having a door that didn't lock.

The room was smaller than the one she lived in at home but bigger than the last one she stayed in and much nicer. The most noticeable difference was that the floor was made of wood and not dirt. On the wall across from the door, there was a fireplace, and opposing it was an enormous bed and several thick blankets. Jeplin walked in and started a fire for her.

"You should get some sleep."

"I would gladly sleep anywhere as long as it does not involve being covered in snow again."

"You are safe here for now. If someone knocks on the door only answer if it is that of five."

She looked at him a bit confused.

"The person must knock five times in a row. It's to let you know the person is safe and I sent them your way."

"That makes sense."

She responded.

"I have some people I need to talk to. I will come see you later. Lock the door after me."

She followed him to the door and closed it behind him, locking herself inside. She grabbed several of the blankets and placed them next to the fire. Like an animal, she wiggled her body, cementing an imprint for her to melt into. She lied quietly. Her eyes closed partially, allowing hints of flickering orange and yellow to dance through. The tribal dance soothed her.

Outside the snow swirled gently through the air. The sun glared down on the peaks trying to make headway against the ice unsuccessfully. There were always people navigating the mountain somewhere. The range canvased more land than anyone could truly fathom. There were many tunnels and passageways for refugees and soldiers to sneak through to the safe haven there. There were thousands of people there living while they prepared for the flames of war.

A banging noise woke Kari up from a warm cocoon of sleep. Someone was repeatedly tapping their knuckles on the outside of her door. Not aware of how long she had been unconscious, she looked for a window subconsciously forgetting where she was. She was still floating in a post-slumber fog when she heard the knock again. She opened her eyes up completely and walked to the door. A boy stood on the other side. He was of average height and size. His dress was a dark brown, draped in a vest made of leather. He greeted Kari by bowing to her and then held out a stack of clothing. Kari accepted. He began to speak quietly.

"I was told to give these to you ...they ..."

He trailed off looking at the ground shyly.

Kari stood there silently not knowing what to say.

"Were there any instructions with them?"

She inquired deducing from his previous sentence. The boy looked up and nodded. There are some more elaborate clothing items there, for the special events held here. "Special events?" "Yes, um, there are balls and fancy celebrations here." Kari looked surprised. The boy stuttered a bit,

"No, no, it's not what you think ... it's to keep up morale for the people hiding here, it can get depressing."

Kari smiled and thanked the boy again then returned to the room.

Jeplin knocked on the door only a few moments later. He entered and walked straight to the bed without a word and collapsed face down on top of it. She stood silently from the other side of the bed watching him. She felt he was being uncharacteristically human.

"There are so many people who want to talk to me. I miss when no one knew me."

He said.

Kari was a bit shocked and amused by his first real mention of anything personal.

"If I had to talk to everyone after a long journey I do not think I would make it without passing out. "

She said, validating his frustration.

"Did you get any sleep?" He asked, still lying on the bed as still as the bed itself.

"Yes, and a boy brought me some fancier clothes."

"Oh good, you will need a dress for the dance."

"Does everyone partake?" She asked.

Jeplin slowly pulled his body into a sitting position.

"If they are invited they attend."

"Does that mean I was invited?"

Jeplin laughed

"Of course." S

he was confused. Before she could say anything else Jeplin continued

"Because of the enormous amount of people there are different events with different groups at different times. Sometimes there are common events that anyone can attend and some are only elite, royals, or those staying in the castle. It varies.

"You are obviously invited and since you are in charge of me, So I must be invited by association."

Jeplin was amused by her assumption,

"No, you are invited because ..."

He trailed off then continued, almost silently.

"... because you're, you"

He stood up.

"I am sorry, I am very tired. I am going to go to my room. It is right across here."

Pointing in the direction of the door.

"Why do you have to talk to all of those people?"

She asked.

"It's my duty."

She looked at him,

"Your duty?" J

eplin reluctantly answered her while opening the door.

"I'm their leader."

Kari was surprised,

"You are the leader of all of these people?"

"I don't like people who are outside of this territory to know that... you happened to be near me while exhausted and honestly I cannot help myself from speaking when that is the case."

He paused regaining his grasp in a sobering tone.

"This war is tricky. It's hard to find people to trust since anyone can betray anyone at any time."

She couldn't believe it. He seemed very casual, as though he never abided by rules or hierarchy.

Jeplin left and entered the room across the hall. She stood in her doorway and watched him disappear then closed her door and locked it again.

She ate the tray of food that was sitting on a trunk at the foot of the bed. She was not as exhausted as she was before and decided to explore the area. She opened the door quietly, then turned and locked it behind her.

Carefully, so no one would hear her, she slipped further into the shadow of the hallway and walked further and further away. She reached the staircase that led back to the main hall.

She took each step very slowly admiring every aspect of the enormous architecture, from the floor to the ceiling. With each step, her boots clomped on the stone stairs. A satisfying sound that she was eager to repeat.

There were several woven tapestries covering the floor. She looked down to admire them and while doing so she almost ran into several people. There were many people walking through the halls going about their business, which allowed Kari to wander unnoticed. She reached a hallway and to her surprise, there were enormous windows that lined the wall. Bright shining, glistening windows truly confused her because she was literally inside the confines of a mountain.

The only thing visible from the window was rock that formed an air pocket about a foot away from the glass. She stood with her head close to it in order to see the tiny sliver of sky. She couldn't figure out how they allowed in so much light for being almost completely encased by the mountain. She stood facing the window for a moment. The next thing of interest that she found was a large expanse of hall, with several doors that were much different looking than the ones she had already seen there.

They were lighter wood and were hinged and supported by copper rather than iron. There were little wooden plaques labeling the rooms. The first one she read was "Indoor Garden." She was immediately intrigued and opened the door. Bright light flooded her sight. Another odd marvel within the castle. She stepped through the threshold. There were masses of green and brown foliage intertwining and engulfing the room, a surprising sight. Several trees arched above her with delicate dark leaves fluttering while clinging to the sturdy limbs. She walked further into the jungle.

The greenery was so dense that nothing could be seen past what was immediately around her. She reached a large clump of moss hanging like a partition blocking the rest of the path she parted it delicately with the backs of her hands and revealed an opening. She reached the middle and could see the stone walls of the castle jet up on all the sides of the microcosm. She could see that the trees and plants were only dense around the perimeter and thinned out in the center.

She looked down and saw that past a few trees to the left was a large pond. She ran over and knelt down at the edge.The water was dark It mystically fluttered, reacting to the silverfish below the surface. They glistened, reflecting bits of light. She smiled at the whimsical combination and gently dipped her hand in, allowing the cool water to dance across her skin. After exploring she returned to her room.

Despite her courage to wander out alone, she was still cautious and felt guilty for sneaking out against Jeplin's instructions.

Her room was losing its warmth. She walked to the hearth and stoked the fire, bringing it back to life. Its enticing warm glow pulled her in, she lovingly obeyed by grabbing blankets and curling up next to the hearth. Her mind wandered to the indoor garden. Her thoughts were filled with fresh bright green imagery. She suddenly remembered the other doors in the hall, having forgotten that they existed while swept up in the curiosity of the garden. She did not bother to look at what the signs said by the other doors. She was tempted to return to the corridor, but she resisted. She felt odd spending time without any real job or plan. She considered unpacking her items and organizing them but her suspicion that they would not be there that long stopped her. The sound of someone knocking on her door interrupted her thoughts. She waited to hear the five knocks.

She opened the door quickly and without hesitation knowing it was safe. She was much more confident than she should have been, which reflected her age. Jeplin stood at the door with food. She invited him in and they ate together in front of the fire.

Kari was wrapped up in a blanket and her long brown hair cascaded down her shoulders, though unkempt, it was still remarkably beautiful. Jeplin sat in a contrasting manner, his legs were crossed and he was sitting with his torso completely erect. His billowy shirt exposed large chunks of pale sickly skin. His hair was much different looking from when she first met him. It was very short then but now it was longer and dangled past his eyes.

"Are we going to be moving on soon?"

She said, breaking the silence.

Jeplin looked up.

"What do you mean?"

He asked while several translations swirled in his head.

"I mean, are we going to be staying here long or going off to travel more."

She gestured towards the door unnecessarily.

"Ah." He nodded. "No, we are going to be staying for a while ... Unless something comes up, I plan for us to be here for several months."

Kari's face displayed surprise. She had not expected him to answer that way. Her excitement was visible. There were tons of places and things she wanted to explore, and she was very glad at the prospect of her adventures becoming reality. Though glad, she was curious about the decision.

"Why are we staying that long, wait!"

She exclaimed.

"Was this our destination all along?"

"Simply put yes,"

Jeplin answered.

She smiled.

Jeplin stood up and brushed the debris off his legs. She looked up at him. She desperately wanted to know what he was thinking.

As Jeplin made his way to the door he turned to her,

"I will be back in a bit, do not leave the room."

She looked at him almost pleading with her eyes to let her go out. He turned around.

"Kari,"

he said, taking her hands in his.

"I know this is difficult, I know you feel like I'm keeping you as a prisoner, but there are very dangerous people out there. I have not been to this location for quite a while and I must make sure everything is secure before I can feel safe about you walking around. Your father gave me one job, you, I must keep you safe."

She put her head down.

He squeezed her hands, letting her know he was there for her.

"When I am finished, I will take you on a tour of everything, and we can look at whatever you want."

She looked up and smiled.

"That sounds lovely,"

she said. He smiled at her acceptance and understanding. He turned around and left.