Chapter 4

"Princess, listen carefully. I will have to bring the shield down. Once I do that, I will attack the ice wolves with fireballs. We might have to run because I am low on mana. If that happens, hold on to that saddle as if your life depends on it. I will send a message to the castle to let Rhobart know we are in trouble. Nod if you understand."

Ayla nodded. She was not ready to die. Not today and certainly not like this.

Milton fisted his left hand and waited for the wolves to move into a better position. He knew he had seconds to send the firebird after he dropped the shield and the moment he would attack the wolves. He inhaled and prepared himself.

The Fire Mage counted to ten and dropped the shield. A firebird flew from his left hand.

"Fly home!" Milton instructed the firebird before casting an attack spell, "Fireball!"

The fireball erupted from his hands and hit three ice wolves in the chest. Two of the beasts fell to the ground, and sounds of pain came from them. The third one didn't get wounded badly, but it was enough to slow him down.

The fourth ice wolf jumped towards the Fire Mage, but a fire arrow hit the beast in the face killing him.

Milton expected to see the wounded ice wolves rise from the ground and attack again. He only had mana left for another fire arrow. But when the yelps stopped, Milton knew that the beasts had died.

The remaining ice wolf tried one more attack, but Milton hit it in the head with his magic staff. Knowing that the fight was lost, the beast retreated into the forest.

Not wanting to wait for more beasts to appear from the forest, Milton said to Ayla, "Hold on, my lady! I am afraid I don't have any more mana for another telekinesis spell. If you fall from that horse, Rhobart will add my head to his collection."

'Head collection? Surely the King doesn't have one,' Ayla thought before the horses started moving fast.

Ayla was still shocked from seeing the ice wolves so close. She had never seen a wolf before. But she read about them. Back in Myrthana, she had a big library – the only luxury she had ever been permitted. So Ayla read and learned. In "Beasts from the Uzhor Continent," she learned about ice wolves – The ice wolf is bigger than any other type of wolf. Only the warg is bigger and more vicious than the ice wolf. Equipped with a strong jaw, an ice wolf can kill an ice bison in less than a minute.

The horses were galloping, bringing Milton and Ayla closer to the castle.

"There!" Milton shouted and pointed with his finger until Ayla looked at what he showed her.

Less than five minutes away, tall walls made from stone promised safety.

The last part of the journey felt the longest. Ayla was praying that nothing bad would happen.

Five minutes or five lives later, they finally reached the gates.

"We are home!" Milton said.

The adrenaline that fueled Ayla from the moment the ice wolves appeared up to the moment they reached safety disappeared, leaving her weaker than ever. Her vision blackened, and she fell from the horse.

"Princess!" she heard Milton yell.

A second, minute, hour, a lifetime later – Ayla wasn't sure how much time passed – strong arms lifted her from the frozen snow. She never knew that Milton was so strong. He was shorter than King Rhobart, but not by much, maybe an inch or two, but his robe hid that the Fire Mage was as strong as the King.

"I have you, Princess. You are safe now," Milton said.

Ayla opened her eyes and looked at Milton, "P-p-promise?"

Milton frowned at her. Still looking at her, he asked someone Ayla couldn't see, "What's wrong with her?"

A voice she thought she recognized said, "I think she is sick."

Milton muttered something about gods under his breath.

"I promise you, Ayla. You are safe. I will take care of you."

Ayla nodded, closed her eyes, and rested her cheek against his chest. Milton talked more, but she was too weak to understand his words.

She buried her nose in his robe and inhaled Milton's scent – he smelled like the snow.

While Milton walked with her in his arms, taking Ayla to her new prison, she was drifting between awake and sleep.

When Milton put Ayla on a bed and whispered 'sleep' to her, Ayla clung to his robe like a child clinging to his mother.

"D-d-don't l-l-leave! I-I d-don't wa-want to b-be a-alone."

So Milton stayed, gathering Ayla into his arms, and she slept, knowing that Milton would keep her safe.

When she started burning up with fever, Milton took care of her. When nightmares of another place, another time, another life made Ayla scream in her delirium, Milton was there helping her calm down. Milton was there when she needed anything during her sickness, never leaving her. And when she slept, Milton's snow scent soothed her.