Fire and Ice

Father's Warmth

~Nashi's POV~

"And what?" Storm chirped.

We were now back at the gallows.
Dozens of Knights were scattered around performing many tasks but that all changed the when the three of us came into view.

Soldiers from my Kingdom came up to me when I was spotted and began to express their concerns for me.
But who I was looking for was Storm.

The soldiers were blocking my view but they weren't going to stop me from getting my answer.
Those were my true feelings I shared with my brother and if the man I loved knew my feelings...I wanted to know his.

"Storm!" I call out to him, hoping for an answer.
"You didn't answer my question!"

But I guess he couldn't hear me....or that's what I thought at first.
He passed through his crowd of soldiers in silence but when I did call from him.... he reacted.
Once he heard his name he stop....only for a second...but he didn't look at me.
Storm continued to walk way and was once again out of my view.

Was he ok?
Did I do something wrong?

My attention was then brought to my Brother a few feet way from me.
He wasn't under Storm's watch anymore but was now under my Father's.

Jude had already been ceased by some of the knights from our and the other kingdom.
The ones from the Fire Realm were truly shock that they were once again looking at the boy they thought had been dead for years.

I couldn't see or hear if my Father had told Jude anything after he approached him, but I did see the knights around him beginning told to bring him to the carriage.
My Fathers carriage.

When Jude was out of my sight I weirdly felt a pain in my right leg.
I looked down to see that my leg had a small cut on it, just a little below my dirty mint green dress.

"Ouch." I whispered to myself.

I must have snagged it on something back in the woods.
But then again, this scratch wasn't the worst of it. I was bruised, dirty, tear stained, winded, and heart broken.

"Nashi." A low comforting voice said from in front of me.

I didn't realize it before but all the soldiers had gone back to the carriages and all that was left was me....and my Father.

"Nashi are you alright?" He asked me in the silent morning snow.

I didn't answer him. Tears of joy began to wash over my face as I leaped into my Father's arms.

He laughed and hugged my tighter.
It was nice to see his smiling face again, just be in his warm embrace.

"It looks like you had quiet an adventure, Nashi." He told me.

"Yeah. I guess you can call it that." I replied with a half laugh.

I remained in his arms for a few more minutes but I wanted to stay here forever. To stay safe in my Fathers embrace — away from the troubles of the world.

"Nashi." My Father says again, getting my attention.

"Yeah?" I said with a sniffle.

"We should go now. I think your mother would like to see you too."

I nodded and slowly left his arms.
We walked toward the carriages in the new crisp snow.
My Father took of his coat and drenched it over me.

"Thank you." I hummed, smiling for his kindness.

                           ~Storm's POV~

I knocked on my Father's carriage door before entering.

"Name." My Father barked.

"Storm." I sighed.

"Enter."

I opened the carriage door and sat down on the opposite bench of my Father's.

My father and I didn't say anything beyond that. I didn't have anything to tell him.
I think we were just both shocked and empty from the things we saw this morning.

I looked out the small carriage window to see Nashi in the arms of her father. She seemed happy and relieved to see him again.

I'm glad she was happy.

When she left the arms of her father, this was about the time my father knocked on the wall behind him, the one behind the drivers as well, to signal him to start the carriage.

Right when the message was received a whip was cracked and horses cried out.

Our journey home began.