Frosted Ranger: Time's Illusion

Chapter 2: Resting In Rovmar

After a full day's travel of Melina telling the story of meeting her father instead of Kyladir had to be the highlight of her day. The lowlight being that she still has to kill her mother, but she can't help but think of somehow returning her home to the snow and saving her instead.

Night wonders on as they ride into a village half awake and the stars overhead. Not many villagers still awake, but these two didn't need directions.

"My grandpa should be awake still." Melina yawns and stretches her arms outwards. Looking around to see few homes with their candles lit inside, no one walking about at this time. They pass on through the relaxing village into a back corner to find the home of Leith Seipora, Melina's grandpa.

As they approach, Melina dismounts from the horse while Dayton goes around to the stable area to tie up and feed the horse. Melina coming to the door slowly, but before a knock could be made, the wooden door swings open to an old man wearing a serious face. Melina replicates the look for a few seconds before they lose it and go to their smiles and hugs.

"It's been too long, Little Frost." He says while pulling her inside. She rolls her eyes at the name, but she knows enjoy being called that every now and then. "How's the Frostguard? Meet a boyfriend? Girlfriend? Kill anything exciting?"

Melina raises an eyebrow of confusion and holds her hands up. "Slow down, gramps. Frostguard is great. I defend the walls. One promotion away and I could be scout leader like Carsin."

Hearing the name Carsin sends a sad look onto Leith. Constantly thinking back on it, Leith knows he was too hard on Carsin, but Carsin did help save the world in stopping Saren. He had to believe all the toughness he gave paid off somewhere.

"That's great." Leith answers through his small pit of sadness. "I know he would be extremely proud of you if he knew...I just wish he came home afterwards."

Melina sits down at the wooden table intrigued. The fireplace ablaze just behind her. Finally a Carsin story she hasn't heard yet. "What happened?" She asks.

"Carsin didn't survive the fight. That much you know." Leith goes to a counter to pull out some mugs and fills them with tea he had brewing on by the fireplace. "It was hard on me and grandma when Melissa had to bring us the news that he could not be saved."

Leith hands out a mug of steaming tea and Melina takes the mug of tea from Leith and sips into it. Slightly burning her tongue, but she hides that bit. Leith sits down and sips his own tea before continuing. Talking about his dead son could not have been easy. "We made him promise to come home for dinner afterwards and we never saw him again."

His face fills with regret and tears build up in his eyes. Melina reaches a hand over to hold her grandpa's. "He made many sacrifices for us all. You'll see him again one day. Grandma Seraphina too."

As Melina finishes talking there is a knock at the door. They both turn their heads quickly to the noise. "Whose that?" He says on high alert, gripping the mug like a throwable object. A mug filled with hot tea would make a fine improvised weapon.

"The boyfriend you asked about earlier." Melina gets up and answers the door. Leith keeping a watchful eye in case it isn't. Dayton steps in with Melina's bow and quiver in hand, his sword on his back.

"Grandpa Leith, meet Dayton." She takes her weapons from Dayton and closes the door. Dayton strolls over to Leith for a handshake. Leith gives the serious look to Dayton like he did earlier with Melina.

"Nice to meet you, sir." Dayton still holding out his hand and a smile. Leith reaches out his hand and shakes it after a long pause. Dayton wasn't going to be left hanging, but the awkward silence in between felt like an eternity.

"I'm not the father, but if Carsin can like you, then i'll like you." Leith takes his hand back and returns to sipping tea.

The night carries on with them sharing their plan of staying for the night before they continue on in the morning to reach Yggdrasil Stronghold.

Leith heads to sleep while Dayton does the same not long after. Laying in bed next to Dayton, Melina finds herself struggling to sleep. Her mind failing to stray from a vivid imagination of her stabbing her mother through the back.

She sits up from bed and heads over to her personal bag. Runs her hands through it to find a brown leather journal. She pulls out an ink and quill set. Looking out the window across the room to see the sun rising slowly with its orange light stretching across the land. She thinks for a moment and begins to write into the journal.

Today marks the early mornings of Tavriel 1st. My mother's birthday. Still the mission continues. I have to kill my mother and I can't help but wonder if there is a way to bring her mind back to light so to say. I'm already without a father and a grandmother. I can't kill my own mother. How could anyone kill their own mother?

Setting battles and tension aside. Happy Birthday Mom. Hope you are fighting with all that you can to no longer be evil. But I have to ponder the scenario myself to understand.

Without feeling that level of love I don't think I can understand. If I lost Dayton, I would be sad, yes. But to slowly go insane over time without his presence? I also have to realize that Melissa and Carsin fought to be together, got engaged during a war that I was born into and they never got their wedding. Not everyone gets their happy ending... I just hope that I do.

Melina puts the quill down and looks back outside to see the sun fully arisen over the horizon.