To the rescue.

11Noori lay on her floor bedding in the tent of her barracks, her hand over her forehead as she stared into the colorful clothes adorning the ceiling. One of her men spoke from outside the door of her tent. "General! I have news," he announced, making Noori turn her head slightly towards the door before responding. "Come in," her voice was almost a hum. The man appeared from behind the heavy cloth door, snow caked upon his hair and shoulders, indicating the heavy snowfall outside. "Does it ever stop snowing here?" She muttered to herself as she watched the white melt away upon entering the tent, drenching the man's hair.

"What is the news?" She asked lazily.

"General, the news is from the palace. The prince is missing," he slowly uttered. Noori, still uninterested, pulled her head back to her previous position. "Do they suspect that I killed him?" She asked.

"No, General. But isn't it concerning to you?" He bit his tongue when he spoke, making Noori look at him with a weird look in her eyes before responding. "And why do you think like that?"

"I mean – you are married to the prince and, also – the emperor's orders were to protect the prince, so…" He stammered, feeling Noori's pinning gaze on himself, causing him to stutter in his own words.

"Leave! The palace guards should be enough for him. There is no need for me to get involved," she stiffly spoke, waving her hand at him dismissively. "Don't disturb me while I rest."

"Yes, General!" The man placed his hand on his chest and bowed slightly before leaving the tent. Noori's forehead was left with a crease. "The prince went missing…" She mouthed it sarcastically before closing her eyes angrily. "Why are you telling that to me? Am I his nanny?" She blew out her breath before turning to the side and closing her eyes, preparing to sleep in her tent in the cold, freezing, snowy night.

The guards of the palace were sent out in search of the Prince, but the hills leading to the Oseria Palace were heavily covered with snow, making it impossible to find anything – neither the path nor the trace of footsteps that could give any leads. The men in the barracks could hear the distant howls of the wind, the sound echoing eerily in the distance. Around the campfire, they sat, their faces illuminated by the flickering flames, while the snow descended with the heavy blowing of the wind.

"Who wants to bet on the prince?" Fire, who had been the victim of the prince's fury earlier, spoke out with a menacing smile on his face.

"I bet they won't find him, and we will hear the sounds of mourning from the main palace," said another guard.

"ARE YOU CURSING YOUR GENERAL TO BECOME A WIDOW ON HER FIRST DAY OF HER MARRIAGE?!!" Bishop's sudden appearance caused all the men to rise in fear. "No, commander!" They said in unison, their voices trembling with fear and respect.

"Then what am I hearing? Why has none of you tried to look for the prince?" Bishop's voice thundered, his facial muscles tensing up.

"Commander! I know we shouldn't be saying this, but the General seems least concerned about the prince's disappearance, so it's entirely unrelated to us to go against the General's will!" Fire spoke out, meeting Bishop's gaze with determination.

"Are you saying that because your ego was trampled by the Prince today?" Bishop pointed out, causing Fire to briefly glance up at him before lowering his head. "No, Commander," he replied.

While Bishop was busy addressing the guards, a newcomer saluted him and joined the group. "I'm going to visit the General now and ask for our next move. Until then, I don't want anyone spouting nonsense about the Prince, especially since he's married to the General!" Bishop commanded sternly.

"Yes, Commander!" the guards responded unanimously. Just then, the new guard who had joined them spoke up. "But the General has already left. She's not in her tent."

"What? Where is she?" Bishop asked, a frown forming between his brows.

"I don't know, but she left around an hour ago," the guard replied.

Bishop's hand instantly reached for his sword, his teeth clenched in anger. "You're telling me that now?" he hissed, then turned to leave. "I'm going to find the General! And I hope none of you are praying for her demise," he said, emphasizing his words as he quickened his pace towards the stables.

The cold wind cut through her skin as her horse rode across the hill, the heavy snow pouring down, blinding her to everything except the illuminated snow on the ground, the only visible color in the night besides the dark.

"Where is he?" she hissed, frustration evident in her voice. Her brows twisted into an annoyed furrow as she finally lost the prints in the snow that she had been following this far. They were barely visible to begin with, and the heavy snowfall had obscured them completely, leaving her lost.

Suddenly, a sound pierced the silence: the distant neighing of a horse. Noori's senses sharpened, and she urged her own mount forward with a determined cry of "Heyah!"

The horse tore through the woods, the brittle branches snapping beneath its hooves, the crisp snow ringing out in the background. Noori's grip on the reins tightened as she rode, the troubled sounds of the distant horse growing louder, as if it were in desperate need of assistance.

"Faster, buddy! Faster!" she urged, her voice filled with urgency. She urged her horse onward until, at last, she spotted a blurry figure through the falling snow: a horse trapped beneath a pile of branches, now buried under a thick layer of snow.Noori swiftly dismounted her horse and cautiously approached the trapped horse, taking slow, calculated steps to ensure she wasn't mistaken by what she saw. She removed her glove, lazily stroking her fingers across a nearby tree. To her command, a line of fire ignited wherever her fingers touched, casting a gentle glow in the otherwise dim night. As the flames danced along the wood, Noori whispered something under her breath, her lips aglow with an otherworldly light. With a flick of her fingers, she directed the fire, guiding it with a practiced ease.

"It's the same horse," she murmured, addressing her own steed. With determination, she approached the distressed animal and placed a comforting hand on its head, offering a gentle rub. Turning to her own horse, she spoke softly, "I'll need a little help here." In response, her faithful mount rushed to her side, ready to assist.