Lord Victor's Stronghold

---Katherine---

The snowstorm lasted for another three days. When it finally stopped, the snow piled up was nearly as tall as a person. With much difficulty, we located the rope-line. Aaron led Lionel to the spot where Indigo disappeared, which was marked with Aaron's scarf on the rope-line, and they dug through the snow. They managed to find Indigo's sword buried under four feet of snow, but there was no other indication of where she might've gone.

The armies of both caves reconvened with much difficulty through all the snow. Lionel had a team of sixteen soldiers shoveling snow in the front, and every twenty minutes a fresh batch of soldiers would take their place. The army trudged through the mountain pass at a pace much slower than before.

With each day that passed, Lionel seemed more agitated. He paced back and forth when we stopped to eat or rest, and stayed up alone late into the night. Even though he constantly motivated the troops with an optimistic outlook, I knew he was anxious and worried about Indigo deep inside. Although neither Lionel nor Aaron apologized outright to each other, I caught them sitting silently next to each other sometimes, seemingly in solidarity. I guess that meant they had forgiven each other.

It wasn't just Lionel who was worried about Indigo. We all were. I, who had been captured by Lord Victor before, had a very good idea of what she might be going through this very minute. If Lord Victor could get into my mind, could he get into Indigo's too? Our army was approaching the stronghold; would that push Lord Victor to more extreme measures and more severe torturing of Indigo? Indigo was smart and the mastermind of our group, but was she capable of outwitting Lord Victor?

Nearly two weeks later, our scouts returned to tell us that Lord Victor's stronghold could be seen just around the mountain we were on. Aaron, Lionel, and I went ahead to take a look. On the next mountain, a formidable castle stood against the wind and snow at the top. Black flags fluttered at the tip of every tower. The castle could be mistaken as a part of the mountain, if not for its dark color against the white snow. It rose from the surrounding landscape, unapologetic and bold, banning entrance from all who dared to approach. Even from this distance, I could see the huge iron gates, looming battlements, and sturdy ramparts. This was an impenetrable fortress, and we had to find a way in.

The three of us were silent for a while, each thinking our own thoughts while we took in the sight of Lord Victor's stronghold. Aaron was the first to speak. "So, we have to invade that place." He pointed his chin at the castle.

"Mhm. I knew it wasn't going to be easy, but…" Lionel's voice trailed off as he studied the landscape surrounding the stronghold. "This is basically impossible. They have all the advantages. First of all, we have to first cross over to that mountain, and there seems to only be one treacherous path from this side." He pointed to a narrow path connecting the two mountains. "Not to mention, the castle is at the top of the mountain; it's so easy to guard and extremely difficult to invade."

I nodded in agreement. "It is a very strategic location for a stronghold. We'll have to do our best given the circumstances. Let's revise our attack plan tonight and figure out how we're going to get to the stronghold without being noticed."

After a few more moments of studying the landscape, Aaron and I turned to leave. Lionel remained standing at the edge of the path, gazing towards the castle.

"What's wrong, Lionel?" I paused to ask. Lionel shook his head.

"Nothing." He sighed, but didn't take his eyes off the castle. "It's just that Indigo is in there somewhere with Lord Victor prowling around. I try not to think about it too much, but I can't help but think of the worst sometimes. I'm afraid of what I'll see when I finally reach her."

"Indigo is okay. I know she is." Aaron turned back to face Lionel. There was a fierce look of determination on his face. He put a hand on Lionel's shoulder. "We're going to bust in there and find her. Don't worry, Lionel."

The two boys looked at each other, and something unspoken passed between their gazes. Lionel placed his hand on Aaron's and nodded firmly. We returned to the rest of the troops, more determined than ever to invade Lord Victor's stronghold.

We rested for three days, perfecting the attack plan and making last-minute preparations. This was it. This was the final battle, and we had to be victorious. We had one chance, and only one chance, to get inside. Otherwise, we lose the element of surprise and risk losing a large portion of our army as well.

Under the cover of night, we followed the path and crossed over to the peak where Lord Victor's stronghold sat. The moon was only a sliver in the sky, and the stars shone dimly as we made our way across. The winter winds pushed clouds across the sky, often blocking the little moonlight we had. We couldn't use torches or lanterns, which would give away our location and alert the enemy. It was difficult to navigate the unfamiliar terrain, but at least there was only one path to follow.

Lionel was at the very front, followed by Aaron and me. Lucian and Rachel were right behind us. Then it was a squad of Lionel's personal soldiers and the rest of the troops. Because the path was narrow, only two people could fit side-by-side if riding on a horse, and no more than four could walk in a rank. The army was stretched thin, and progress was slow. Everyone understood that if Lord Victor sent troops to cut us off right now, we would suffer great casualties due to not having space to retreat or fight. Great efforts were made to keep quiet and avoid being detected.

The path would take us halfway up the peak. From there, half of the army will take more direct, but difficult, routes up to the stronghold while the other half will follow the winding path. If met with resistance, everyone else should engage in combat and aim to strike down as many enemy soldiers and monsters as possible. Lionel and the Rosewood Four, accompanied by Lionel's best guards, needed to get to the stronghold as quickly as possible and figure out a way to get in, mostly likely by blasting a hole through the gates.

Lord Victor's stronghold loomed in the distance. No light shone from the castle, which made it all the more formidable. Amidst the sounds of wind were the clip-clops of hooves and thudding of footsteps. The sounds were deafening to me, yet no movements were spotted from the castle. Were there no guards? Were we walking into a trap? With each step towards our destination, my heart became more and more anxious. I couldn't help but scan our surroundings again and again, with one hand on the hilt of my sword, expecting an ambush.

"Kath." Aaron's soft voice carried over on the wind. "You alright?"

"Yeah. I'm fine." My gaze swept over the mountainside once more.

"You look worried." Aaron nudged his horse closer to mine. He studied my expression with a look of concern on his face. "It's okay. Everything is going according to plan. They haven't spotted us."

"We have to get off this path as soon as possible. This landscape is a huge disadvantage for us. If there was an ambush, we'd be sitting ducks." I urged my horse to go faster. Lionel looked back over his shoulder.

"I want to reach the other side quickly too, but we can only go so fast without making too much noise." He turned back to look up at the silent fortress. "The closer we get, the easier it is to be detected."

"I'm casting a fog spell to help us hide," Rachel piped up from behind me. "It won't cover all of us, but it's better than nothing."

Lucian patted her hand encouragingly. If Ashley was still here, the two of them could easily cast a spell to hide the entire army, but alone, Rachel wasn't powerful enough. Soon, a fog rolled in, obscuring the fortress from our view. Aaron used his wind powers to help mold the fog into a blanket that covered us. Ahead, Lionel rode on silently.