Chapter 37

Ayla looked for Nixx for the next half an hour or so until the King stopped her.

"We have to stop, t'xoria. There is a blizzard approaching, and I want us to be in a shelter when that happens."

"But Nixx," Ayla protested.

"Is not here. We looked everywhere."

"We have to find him. He couldn't have just disappeared into thin air."

"What I know, t'xoria is that the blizzard will be here soon. And I want us to be in a safe place when that happens."

Ayla looked around one more time before saying, "I am not giving up on Nixx. I will keep looking after the blizzard passes."

The King nodded, then said, "There's a camp about 5 miles far away from here. We should wait there until the blizzard passes. And on the way to the camp, you can tell me what happened from the moment you got lost in the blizzard."

As they walked to the camp, Ayla told the King about the shadowbeast and Star, how Scar found her, and how he planned to sell her to a brothel. And then she told the King all about Nixx.

The King listened patiently while Ayla told him everything.

It was only when they reached the camp that the King talked, "Now I am sorry that that bastard died so fast. I will find a way to bring him back, only to send him back to Beliar with my own hands. Again and again. About the snowcat that attacked that shadowbeast, I think it was Kerra. She killed a shadowbeast that night, but she got hurt during the fight, and I had to wait a day for her to heal until I started looking for you again. We never found Star, and I don't know what happened to her."

Ayla hoped that Star got away from the shadowbeast and found a new home.

She looked at Kerra. The snowcat seemed fine, but Ayla couldn't be sure.

"She is fine. Magical snowcats heal much faster than normal snowcats," the King said as if he guessed what Ayla was thinking.

When Ayla and the King got off the horses, she looked around. The camp was the biggest she had seen so far. Three little cabins stood next to a little stable.

Around a fire camp, a group of five hunters stood. The King went to talk to them and returned to Ayla a few minutes later.

"Get inside," he said, pointing to one of the cabins. "The blizzard will start at any minute."

"I should help you with Spirit and Runner. And with–"

"You are in no condition to help right now, t'xoria," the King said and looked at her right shoulder. "Get inside, and I will bring everything we need."

Ayla felt like all she did was create more problems and work for the King.

"I am sorry I can't help. You took me in as a slave, and up to now, I have not – "

"I have never seen you as a slave, Ayla."

She looked at him with confused eyes, "Then why did you accept my bro – Galian's offer?"

"Because you are my – because you seem like someone who needed help. Know that you are under my protection, Ayla. Always." The King rubbed the back of his neck, "And I wanted nothing bad to happen to you." He let out a bitter laugh, "I haven't done a very good job up in keeping you safe so far."

Ayla shook her head, "You saved me. And I didn't even thank you!" She gave him a bow, "Thank you for everything you did for me!"

He looked at her with eyes full of emotions while the blizzard finally reached them. They didn't even realize that while they talked, the hunters had already retreated into their cabins.

"Get inside," the King finally said, and Ayla did as he asked.

The King hurried to take care of the horses. At the same time, Ayla and Kerra inspected the cabin – a small bed covered with furs sat in a corner, a fireplace, a small cabinet that was used to store the cooking utensils, and a table with three chairs sat in the other corner.

Ayla went to the fireplace, wanting to light a fire, but she didn't have any fire-stones. And then she was staring at the logs, and big tears started falling down her face. Until then, she had been too numb to realize how close she had been to dying—and then losing Nixx like that. Kerra approached her, and Ayla buried her nose in the snowcat's soft fur.

She allowed herself to cry until the King entered the cabin with some supplies to prepare food.

"Are you alright?" he asked her.