REACHING FOR MISTY PEAKS (2)

Another voice amidst the officials intervened, "Probably just a wild animal. Do not waste any time. We have plenty of locations to comb through."

"I am certain I saw an unusual movement in the grass. It did not seem like something that would have been caused by an animal," another official spoke with suspicion.

"Augh! Then stay behind to check if you must! Unlike you, I plan to return home before sunrise," a gruff voice retorted, stomping away.

"All right, I am going," came the disgruntled response. "Great heavens... No need to shout."

The heavy tread of footsteps retreated. No one came to check the long grass. Left in silence, the two lay dead still for a few moments, listening intently to make sure the officials had left.

A stray gust of wind swept over the tops of the weeds, dusting the pollen from the wildflowers. One of the red asters dipped over Marshall's head, bumping into him with light taps.

A nasal question followed, "Can you let my nose go now?"

"Yes, of course," Wyn removed his hand, sitting up with a flustered "ahem."

Marshall jolted up, coughing out a sneeze. "Hah... Why does this keep happening to me?" he rubbed his nose.

"They are gone. Move fast," Wyn urged, his gaze returning to their surroundings. "We must get away before the officials return."

With a nod, Marshall rose to his feet. 

They threaded through the dense undergrowth, staying low to avoid making any unnecessary noise that could draw attention. Once the grass grew shorter, they fell into a light sprint towards the mountains.

"Where are we going?" Marshall panted, struggling to keep up.

"There is a hidden cave nearby," Wyn revealed, his voice steady as if he were merely strolling through a garden. "It will work as a temporary shelter."

"Alright," Marshall agreed. He was in no condition to argue. His sleeve felt uncomfortably wet with blood, clinging to his skin. 

The claw-pierced shoulder felt numb, giving the impression that his arm might fall off at any moment. Nevertheless, he found some relief in the fact that it wasn't his feet or legs that were injured.

Losing blood somehow made him feel lighter, though paired with a barrage of thoughts weighing down his mind, walking didn't feel any easier.

There were so many questions he hadn't managed to receive answers to, leaving him blindly tapping around in the dark.

Marshall glanced at Wyn from the side. The snow deity seemed to know everything, including the right thing to do in each situation. A sense of frustration and competition gnawed at the disciple.

Yet, there was also a bittersweet sense of gratitude present. Despite Wyn's secrecy, he was thankful for all the help, even if he couldn't deny that it felt like a debt that kept growing.

Marshall looked down at the boots on his feet. Even these were purchased by the snow deity, since the disciple had no money on him. He ran his hand over his face, sighing.

Although people tended to call him childish, this was the first time he genuinely felt childish. And not in a funny way. More like incompetent and helpless.

As they moved through the undergrowth, the mountain trail began to steepen, and the air grew cooler. The dense forest eventually gave way to rocky paths as the distant cries of nocturnal creatures led their way.

The disciple barely managed keep up with Wyn's brisk pace, but the stubbornness kept him going. He wasn't going to slow them down any more than he already had. He would have rather died somewhere on the way than whined about needing a break.

➳ ➳ ➳

Fortunately or unfortunately, the cave nestled on the side of a mountain near the cavern with the demonic rosewood shrine.

The cave was a hidden sanctuary, shielded from the peering eyes by dense greenery and rocky terrain. The entrance was obscured by hanging wines, resembling a leafy curtain.

Inside, there was a chamber with rugged walls, adorned with all types of sparkling minerals and crystals of different shapes and sizes, most of them purposefully hung out like very expensive decorations.

With the moonlight squeezing in through the cracks in the ceiling, the vibrant crystals glimmered, their reflections bouncing across the cave like colorful light bunnies.

In one corner, there was a messy bedding layered with furs and blankets. Around it were more gems along with balled-up sheets of paper, seemingly ripped from the open notebooks lying nearby.

On the other side of the bed, a small fire pit had been carefully arranged inside a stone boundary, under a gap in the ceiling.

Wyn made fire while Marshall stood, leaning against the wall nearby, looking around. The shadows of the fire excitedly dancing across the walls and the disciple's face as Wyn ruffled up the flames.

"How do you know about this place? Who lives here?"

The questions fell on deaf ears as the snow deity didn't even lift his gaze to acknowledge them. 

Marshall's gaze fell upon a collection of crates tucked away in another corner of the cave, and he wandered to peek in. Cautiously lifting the lid of the closes crate, a collection of medical supplies revealed themselves.

Bandages, salves, and bottles of potions gleamed in the dim light. His brow furrowed as he turned to Wyn, a row of questions on his mind.

The fire had steadied, and Wyn patted the rock next to it as if it were a stool. "Sit down, I need to take care of your wounds."

Marshall listened, settling on the flat rock while the snow deity busied himself with gathering the necessary supplies from the same crate the disciple had opened.

"This cave is a secret of Gi family, unknown to the officials aside from General Gi and his kin," Wyn explained, his attention divided between examining the scratches.

"Then how come you know about it?" Marshall inquired, but another question overlapped his first, "Wait, General Gi has other family aside from Master Gi Shan?"

"Were you not aware?" Wyn replied with a raise of his brow, glancing up from his task. "General Gi has two cousins and two adopted children."

"Ouch," Marshall flinched, sharply drawing in a breath between his teeth. "I didn't know he had another cousin."

Wyn paused, withdrawing his hands momentarily, "I know it stings, but bear with it."

The snow deity might not have been particularly friendly with his words, but he had done more for Marshall than anyone else ever had.

And not once was anything asked of the disciple in return. If this continued, the only way to repay such a high debt would be to give up his life. 

"Wyn, why did you leave the Chastity Tower with me?" he asked rather abruptly. "Breaking me out of the cell was plenty. I could have left on my own."

Wyn's brow arched in concentration as he finished dressing the wound on Marshall's shoulder. Their eyes met as he looked up.

"As I said, breaking you out was less personal than it was about disrupting Lord Chioni's thwarted plans."

"Plans that I have no idea about," Marshall pressed. "Won't you tell me what they are?"

A brief moment of silence followed. Wyn gathered the medical supplies, carefully placing them back into the crates before giving a vague response.

"The reason is nothing nice. You are better off not knowing."

Marshall's brows furrowed. "I know I tend to act silly, but you do realize that I'm not a child, right? I can handle it."

A cool gaze swept over him. Wyn sat on the rock next to him with a sigh. "Do you truly wish to know?"