Ascending Pride

Marquis Silas

During the evening Hogarth didn't say anything as he sidled up to Ashton who was lying face up on his horse and had tucked himself into three extra layers. While Ashton horse was following the group without direction, Hogarth didn't want to leave anything to change.

Ashton pulled his hood down enough to look at Hogarth, when Hogarth didn't meet his gaze he just snuggled back in for the long night.

Hogarth was tempted to offer another cloak that would protect Ashton from any melting snow but... couldn't bring himself to speak. He just followed along stating he would sleep after they stopped for the morning.

Ashton eyed the clearly haggard Hogarth; he looked half frozen... and was stumbling around to eat something warmed by Devlin. A single night had passed... were the guards of the Empire so frail? Ashton ate his cheese and chilled bread which had once again been kept close to his chest so they wouldn't freeze solid.

Devlin watched Ashton, even if Ashton had been wearing layers, there's no reason a seasoned guard would be worse off after a single night of riding. He tried feeling for any enchanted items but... nothing. No fluctuations, no resonance, no enchantments, no leaking telltale power that he might be a mage. Devlin walked over to Lucian and Aaron and explained his observations.

Lucian glanced at Ashton who was by a small fire warming his hands and baking a wrapped potato. Everyone else was wearing items to dispel the cold but even they were chilled... Ashton was in nothing but home sewn clothes and acted like it was early spring.

"If he's using anything it's enchanted by a real master... I'd have to be in direct contact to see what it is and what it does." Devlin explained while they waited for their soup to warm.

Lucian glanced around, "Only if he doesn't suspect anything."

Hogarth hadn't been close enough to hear the conversation, but he saw the shady looks... and apparently so had Ashton since he had sharply glanced up as soon as Devlin had turned his back. Hogarth half crawled into the magically warmed carriage, under a blanket and passed out.

Ashton didn't let his internal sneer out, even if Devlin was making skin to skin contact, he wasn't incompetent enough to let any excess power out. Besides he was used to the cold, he'd trained in both lives to endure far more than this petty chill.

Devlin tried for the next week to get closer to Ashton, but he was quickly deflected or left behind. They had also been watching Hogarth have a very tentative cooperation with Shawn, but nothing as close as the first day. Though Hogarth wasn't any closer to Ashton despite his subtle attempts.

Hogarth was impressed with Ashton's perseverance refusing the carriages and toughing it out in the cold. He had to say if he'd been in the same situation... he would have probably caved. While his majesty hadn't made any obvious moves other than to occasionally offer the use of their supplies and carriage, Ashton always declined politely, but firmly.

Devlin was ready to just tie the boy up and search him... but he was as slippery as an eel. Devlin stared gloomily at Ashton while they set up came for the night. It was snowing and the ground was too wet to safely continue in the dark, and they were still about three hours from the closest town.

Ashton set up his own tent and proceeded to gather some wood for a fire, he inconspicuously dried it as he walked around. He then started his fire with a flint under his tent canopy to keep the snow from snuffing out the small light. He felt Devlin's gaze as he continued about his ministrations.

Devlin wanted to put Ashton's tiny fire out, so he'd have an excuse to help him start a new fire... but their fire kept going out... were they really not as well prepared as a farm boy for snowy weather? He once again used a small flame to keep the fire from dying out.