Fall fall! Don't fall into the ice!
Several days ago, Aethelwigend Regnwald and his men mustered their way onto the North, where cold smeared the lands, and the winds blew like a frostbite. The ride went slow, calm, but wary as hawk's eyes. And the days to come they already settled, with everything on set but water was low... And so they tried to claim it.
Eohilda nodded again to confrim his order, she drifted once more to pick a grateful two buckets which were empty, then to took the hilts to be carried. Her shield beforehand, was placed on her back, with the aid of her scarf to tug on. Meanwhile, Lhiam listened. He still looked miserable from being cold. Regnwald turned as his eyes caught the glimpse of Velithryth who had also been tasked with hunting for the patrol.
''Velithryth! You have the next watch, up the cliff!''
He ordered before he turned to take one of the empty buckets, holding it at his side, traveling his eyes between the pair to check if they're ready. Velithryth raised her eyebrows as it took her a moment to process the order. The cold was taking some of her focus away.
"Aye."
Is all she said before taking her spot up the cliff. Eohilda held the buckets more firmly, then straightened herself to gesture the Aethelwigend that she was prepared. Lhiam offered to take one of the buckets from Eohilda, Eohilda didn't notice Lhiam's bow, she kept her attention forward and firm, tho her eyes were completely looked restless. Regnwald took what was necessary for him to take, unsheathing his sword and adjusting his belt as he held the bucket in his fist. ''No questions I assume?'' he'd raise a quick brow.
"Nay, capt'ain. Ev'rythin ar'in set."
Eohilda replied the captain with a confriming tone, adjusting her statue onto a warrior like. Regnwald gave a firm nod,
''Alright then, let us go.''
And he turned around, his cloak waved behind him with his golden hair which seemed damp and a few snowdrops were resting upon his shoulders. The Captain strode onward with heavy steps as he greeted the men taking watch near the entrance. As the maiden stepped onward, her waryness would have blurred, she began to walk restlessly, with a stumble though the soggy soil, she took a slip by the roads, making the buckets to fall beforehand, and her head smashing one of the bucket. Regnwald turned his gaze quickly with a high-arched brow as he heard the sound of rolling buckets behind him.
''What now?''
He heaved his shoulders with a sigh and spared a look to Lhiam,
''Help her,''
He said quietly. Lhiam startled where he stood. He reached for his weapon, feeling like they were being attacked. His hand pulled it before it fell out of its sheath. He then bowed his head, feeling a bit stupid. He then walked over, putting his sword away. He knelt down to look her over. Regnwald would have bursted into a light chuckle after Lhiam's fearful move, but he turned his gaze away, bowing his head and schooling it back to its firm expression.
''We shall not tarry, come on!''
He called after them. Eohilda was shooking her head,she gazed upward as the man trying to help him, but simply she refused in manner.
"Ay' ay, am fine... Ground's slipp'ry, nothin' mor'."
She held her two arms upon the ground, pushing her posture upward, but she offered the bucket beforehand.
"Ere', you tak' tha' bucket, I be fi'ne."
Lhiam took the buckets, having to readjust his over sized helm as he stood.
"aigh', thank ye'..!"
She took the bucket back from him, passing Lhiam's shoulder afterwards. Regnwald turned around to peer into distance before them, straightening and laying a hand on his sword's hilt. He'd press on with confident steps, as his eyes wandered the surrounding area.
''Stay vigil,''
He merely said. Regnwald brought his pace to a halt as they reached the frozen lake which seemed more of frozen solid.
''I can hardly say we can break this, but we'll take our chance.''
He instructed before he unsheathed his sword, walking over towards the middle of the lake, his eyes brimming with wariness. Lhiam glanced down at the ice. He tested its strength before stepping on it to follow the Captain. Eohilda stood silently as she watched Regnwald briefly going to the middle. She didn't take the risk, presuming she stepped, circling from the lake. Regnwald stood next to middle of the lake, he was cautious, he placed his boot on the edge, such a tall man wearing many layers of heavy armors and leathers would be chancing a fall into deathly waters. Still, he was sure the ice would hold, he raised his hand and looked back. Eohilda stepped warily around the lake, she didn't take the risk of breaking the ice, thus only seeing the Aethelwigend and his men from afar. The buckets that she held began to stumble as her arms shivered in worried. Regnwald slowly put his weight onto the surface beyond him, testing the ground, as it was. He extended his other boot on the slick white. The he stepped again and waited. No moans made a warning, nor did any cracks begin to splinter. The ice held. Eohilda watched as the aethelwigend took burden of the ice, she tilted her head and raising a brow. But her legs would have still put by the bay of the lake.
"T'is tha' ice thic'?!?!"
She replied in a fearful tone, yet keen. Regnwald nodded some firmly as he stood cautious but confidant, watching his steps meanwhile. Then he turned around, waving a hand to Eohilda who had been waiting away from the lake.
''You may come, It's thick enough.''
He said lowly, though his voice not less firm. Lhiam glanced at his shield. He decided to use it like a hammer, trying to break the ice with it. Regnwald waved a hand towards the maiden once again as he left the empty bucket on the surface, to his side. The Captain would draw his sword quietly, before he waved and threw his cloak to his other side, taking a few steps backward. With her legs shivering, the maiden seemed fearful and worried as she never felt a frozen lake before. She tapped twice the lake to offer if the ice has thickened, but the floor was slippery, and almost unstable to take a single footing to balance, at a second she quickly glide around the ice, ending with another fall onto her. Eohilda found herself falling again, this time the spine was hitting the cold roughly, she moaned for a bit with low tone, then gathering to stand by herself. Lhiam stopped bashing his shield. He tried to walk over to help her up again, slipping some as well. Regnwald advanced a few cautious steps and nodded to himself as he caught a not so thick looking spot in the surface. He ignored the happenings around and held his sword with both hands, vertical to the ground, once he slightly tested then eyed the other pair with hazel green eyes.
"Think've broken a spine..."
She muttered idly and whimpered lowly, as Lhiam came to approach, her arm this time lifted, accepting the help offered by the man.
"Aye... T'hanks.."
She spoke in different tone, a bit embarassed with the situation bestowed. Lhiam smiled with a short chuckle. He kept his footing, though moving from her weight as he helped her up,
"You're welcome."
He replied.
"Try it in other spots, if we do that in the same spot, we'd fall into deathly waters without having a chance to understand what's going on."
Regnwald ordered the men, and so the men spreaded under his order. Eohilda glanced quickly to Regnwald, if he had noticed a thing. Yet another wave of order was given, she strictly nodded firm.
"As I be goin' now, capt'ain..."
Her tone wasn't sure like her usual, she took a careful footing, sometimes it slipped and made her legs sometimes to dance due to her unstableness. Lhiam merely nodded. He began to search for another spot to break the ice. As she approached her destination, she slowly put down the bucket with her ankles being bended a bit. She examined the thick ice, giving a sharp gaze yet restless. She unsheathed her steel, swinging it with a single hand before taking a cautious blow to the ice.
"Ti's sur'safe capt'ain...?"
Her words trembling, but It was loud to be heard. Lhiam spotted a large rock. He decided to try breaking the ice around it with his shield again. Regnwald made a crooked smile at the maiden's question, without turning he'd reply in a deep yet strong voice
''I can say, Wyrd bið ful aræd maiden. -- Fate is inexorable.''
He added and turned his gaze, gathering his attention before he did the move. Regnwald straightened and held his blade in a vertical way to the icy surface as he drew in a deep breath, he would thrust his blade to the surface. Regnwald frowned deeply and his attention rose as the sword was planted on the ice as he hoped. The captain turned and stepped around the point to make a hole around the ice with his sword, glancing at others as he did so.
''As we hoped!''
He exclaimed and continued. Eohilda slowly pierced the tip of her blade to the ground two-handed, she did it once more as for last, she drew a deep breath, taking her strength to pierce the the ice. The ice seemed to crack as Eohilda did so, her expression went glad but before long It soured in frown, she watched carefuly around herself, seeing if a possible crack would have appeared. Lhiam heard his shield snap some but continued to create cracks in the ice.
"It didn' as we hoped... If tha' ices too thin, we ma'y fall'part."
She spoke in a pessimistic tone. Regnwald crouched down over the icy surface as he made the hole eventually. He reached out for the empty bucket and dipped it into the cold water and he waited until the bucket was filled.
''Let us hope it doesn't happen today!''
And he kept his stance still as the bucket was filled. Eohilda downed her throat, she continued as the blade was half-stucked upon the ice, she began to made a shaping so a hole could be made and the bucket may dip in. Lhiam bended down, filling his bucket. Satisfied, he stood, looping his shield around his shoulder. With a firm grip on the bucket, he began to slowly make his way towards the rest of them. As a hole was made, she picked the bucket that she brought, dipping it with a cold water untill It filled with a hearthy content of cold liquid. Then as the time passed, she took the other bucket, dipping it also inside the whole. Though her sapphire eyes gazed uneasily, as she was nervous to see cracks upon the lake. Regnwald smiled, seeing the other two had managed to fill their buckets, he straightened and rose tall as the bucket was fully filled.
''As I hoped, good job...'
He eventually said, as he cautious, but he was confidently making his way out. Régnwald turned suddenly as he heard the feared sound of cracking ice.
''No!''
Was the only sound he could make before he dropped the bucket and ran towards the pair, his brows were widened then ceased deeply with the unexpected event, stopping fastly near the recruit who was more close to him, he ran his arm toward her, gripping her arm, he pulled her up with a heavy breath. Eohilda was light in nature, but herself was clad in steel and chainmails would have made it pounds heavier than as before, She accepted the Aethelwigend's quickly, the seconds passed after her figure would have dragged off from the lake, she was utterly shivering in cold, as she looked Regnwald with blurred thought and blank. Regnwald suddenly paced towards Lhiam, having saved the maiden first, he brought his quick pace to a halt as he reached his stop, glancing around the spot with a pair of high-arched brows, he'd extend his arm over towards him before he gripped him tightly from the arm and pulled back with heavy effort. Lhiam came up and out of the water without his shield or bucket. He shivered, trying to move but only went limp in Regn's grip. Cynebur ran toward the men, with two felawigends on her sides, bearing bolt of rope over her shoulder while others carried warm cloaks and fur.
"Dont go on the ice ladds, spring ice is always braking under men."
Regnwald turned to Eohilda as he made sure Lhiam was alright, he crouched down over the icy surface suddenly and held her from the arms,
''She isn't alright,''
He exclaimed, shaking his head and attempted to raise her up with him, embracing her from the arms. Cynebur stood on the side of the lake, trying to determing if ice can bear her
"Avoid transparent ice."
Cynebur stepped around ice, her reinforced boots slighlty scraping the ice as she walked insecurely, while doing that she took off her cloak.
"The ice is thicker in the right side!"
Regnwald screamed, he motioned his head towards the way and attempted to carry the maiden with him. The maiden was beared by the Aethelwigend, her stare went blurred as her eyes froze like death. But the body shivered still. Cynebur tossed cloak toward Lhiam
"Warm up lad and crawl to the outer bounds."
Regnwald also unclasped and removed his cloak, wrapping the maiden with it to ease her cold, then he moved towards the thicker side, halfly watching his steps. Cynebur beckoned Lhiam
"Get up, soldier and follow me."
Cynebur with few quick steps she was on safe and firm ground, over the shallow water. Ice cracked but her boot didnt go deep, perhaps just till her calf. Regnwald straightened and stood tall next to her as he left her, flashing a quick glance at the other pair,
''Is he alright!?''
He asked in a quick, sharp tone. One of men ran to meet Regnwald while other offered another cloak over Lhiam
"He is, we need to get you to camp."
Cynebur said, moving herself under his arm if needed support, while her eyes were set over to Aethelwigend and shieldmaiden.
"Bema, save them."
Lhiam leaned against Cynebur. His eyes closed as his shivering slows. He was as pale as the snow itself. Cynebur sighed with relif as they reached safe ground also, and motioned Lhiam so they may go.
"Well why in the name of Bema were you making holes in middle of the lake?"
Regnwald nodded sternly,
''Aye, quickly!''
He ordered to men who arrived and walked with them towards the camp, his steps long and frequent.
"Look at me, can you walk by yourself?"
Regnwald's eyes were taunted in worry, Cynebur face unravelled utter worry for the young woman, while walking with Lhiam. Eohilda's neck was drooped' weak, her feet wasn't able to withstand her body, she tightened the cape given to Regnwald as her lips muttered and shivered. As the tone called her, she raised upward her gaze. She merely stayed quiet, before nodding.
"Y-Y-Ye' capt-capt'ain.. S-Still firm as b'f-f-fore..."
Regnwald advanced a step to help her without hesitate, assiting her with his arm, embraching her from the waist as they walked. Eohilda accepted the lend, she held it quiet tight as he led. Cynebur rushed with Lhiam toward fires.
And so the moments have come to an end. As they approached back to the camp, all things might go back on what It seems, but. Will it?
