Dragonchild

The Mountain Pass

My morning consisted mostly of flashes of consciousness, with blackness filling the holes in between...

I remember waking in a room next to Leslie, we shared a bed for the night. Her back was turned to me as she pulled her black robes over her head, covering up the tattoos on her body.

As she turned to me and saw that my eyes were open, she snapped to my attention.
"Tiber!"

But it went black again, forwarding me to breakfast, my hand was helping a spoonful of mush to my mouth, but my eyes were unfocused. I could see the shape of Leslie sitting next to me, keeping close attention while she ate her breakfast, her voice sounded muffled but was directed towards me. But my vision was overtaken by blackness again.

I felt a cold brush of wind against my skin, my eyes focused, Leslie was holding my hand, as she led me through the streets. We entered a shop, and of all things the smell stood out most to me, it was the same shop as yesterday where Skye had bought me a cloak to keep me warm.

"Sorry Tiber... I really need it..." It was the voice of Leslie, she was holding my bag, digging out the few coins I had with me and exchanging them for a pelt and a pair of gloves to keep herself warm.

Before I could feel betrayal of any kind my mind started to slip and I faded away again, to be awoken once more by the voice of Ulric who yelled out to us.

"HEY TIBER! WHERE DID YOU GO!?" Leslie led me towards the cart, where Ulric, Jack, and Skye were waiting for us, my mind rushed for the oncoming verbal confrontation, but Skye turned to Ulric.

"See I told you, Tiber spent the night with his little girlfriend." Skye crossed her arms in our direction. "You know what Tiber, we have given you our hospitality and all you did was neglect it. From now on out you are on your own again."

I was still being led by Leslie's hand holding mine, my feet walked but were not in my control.

"Tiber isn't well..." Leslie's voice echoed through my head, beating like a drum inside my skull before I faded again.

Ulric's voice echoed through my head, "It is freezing out here..." I felt the control of my body return, I had been sleeping on Ulric's shoulder and as I raised my head, his voice drummed through my head again, "Good morning sleepyhead!"

"Is he awake? Actually awake?" Jack had his head turned towards the back of the cart.

"I am..." I held my hand to my head and groaned as still a sharp pain hung. "...Just a moment please."

I was met with a concerned look from Leslie who sat across from me, yet Skye, who sat next to her looked uninterested.

"Are you okay?" Leslie inspected my face all over. "You were freezing cold this morning."

"So you did share a bed with Tiber!" Ulric yelled out, pushing himself away from me. "What did you do with him?"

Leslie gave an annoyed groan, "Nothing..."

But Jack quickly chimed in, "Look, the kid just woke up, let him come to his senses will you?"

I took a deep breath of cold air, with the cold air in, the headache went out, and I got the chance to take a look at our surroundings, we had long left Enerfall, We were riding in a valley, with a mountain to our left and a snow-covered riverbed on our right, there hung a mist in the air, we could not see in front or behind us.

As a gust of cold wind blew in, all five of us shrunk in an effort to keep ourselves warm.

"I...I...Its f-f-freezing." Ulric teeth clattered