Frozen Flame

Chapter 4: A Horrid Sight

Ice Kingdom

Time ticked, slowly drawing out as Jared sat, contemplative and bored. Ever since Thorn's disappearance, the looming threat of boredom had taken over his mind and Fire hadn't moved an inch. Not one inch. 

He sat in his simple throne, tapping his fingers and silently awaiting news of something... anything. Since that last deathly letter there had had only been silence from Fire, from Eliza - she had left to her home and hadn't sent any messages since. And well... Jared wasn't the biggest fan of silence. That's why he kept Bob around, after all. 

Thoughts twisted in spirals as again and again, he pondered that last devastating sentence: 'We are coming for your children'. We are coming... We are coming... How can they come? They can't get into Ice, they can't even access the gate without freezing and dying, so how...?  Your children... Your children... Is it just referring to Eliza's kids or the kids all through Ice or a select few or what... Jared frowned. The Fire Lord was usually very specific... This was very different from usual... So, it was probably beneficial for the Fire Lord to place Ice at a disadvantage by taking children... of some sort... maybe...? Therefore making them unprepared for what would come.

As such, Jared had gotten some of his soldiers to watch Fire's movements carefully, to see if they made any move to steal children, enter Ice... even though it was impossible for them to do so... He felt he had to prepare for all circumstances... no matter how impossible...

Scratch that, Bob felt. Jared had nodded agreement and set the soldiers about to follow the orders. 

And like he was summoned, Bob came running.

Sprinting down steps and across the room, he stopped in front of Jared, breathing hard. "Where did you put the collector documents? The Collector's Clearing gathering is in a few days and we need to get them the record documents!"

Jared frowned. "Why are you doing that? Shouldn't that be a soldier's job?"

Bob sighed. "Yes, I know, but three group leaders are here and I have to go over a few newer details with them... because, you know, you changed them recently..."

"I did? Oh, that's right, I did." Jared shrugged. "Fair enough."

A pause, then a hurried gesture. "So...? Where are the documents? You moved them when you made the adjustments."

"Oh, right." A wince, "Sorry, they're in my fourth office, behind the record books, under the registration papers."

Bob smiled, jogging away whilst calling over his shoulder, "Thanks! Also, you need to help with some of the papers and stop sitting around bored, awaiting movements from Fire. We have more important things to worry about right now."

Jared leaned over the side of his chair and called after his friend, "More important than a massive nation potentially waging war on you? More important than the children of your kingdom potentially being taken away? More important than... Gah!"

 But Bob was out of ear range, and so once again, Jared felt like an idiot. 

It was often difficult for Bob to show much sadness or concern over a person, but he knew Bob was worried about Eliza and Thorn. Moreso Thorn. He had managed to gain a good friendship with Thorn, a close friendship only topped by his friendship with Jared. 

Hmm. Bob was different from everyone else in Ice - that was for sure - and in more ways than one. Whilst everyone in Ice had abilities to do with Ice, Bob seemingly had no abilities. However, he was smart, very smart, very intelligent and he seemed to understand things the instant he looked at them. The instant he was interested in a certain bit of knowledge, he just acquired it; without study, without memorisation, without any references, he just knew the information. Of course, this didn't apply to people or things he shouldn't be able to get information on - otherwise they would have already beaten Fire easily - but without the amount of knowledge he knew, having him was a small advantage against Fire.