Roman sat down inside the little room, his hands chained, all means of escape closed on him, only the cold winds from the window bars and his rat to accompany him in his solitude, he started up at the snow falling from that window, he is no more depressed, nor is he sad, just scared, hands behind his back, cold, deep in thought sinking more and more through that darkness, but no sign of light in its end, just a loop of how and why
In the chief's house aunt Marry stood their pleading for mercy
"I told you to not put him in such a situation, you know well you have weighed him more than he can comprehend" said Marry
"The laws are sacred" replied the chief
"So? What are you going to do to the child" said Marry
"His crime is the biggest of the year" replied her father the chief
"Don't you dare say it" Marry said shaking her head slowly from side to side as she stood straight eyes wide open
"He will go through the white talisman challenge" replied the chief as he looked down on the table
She laughed as she leaned forward into the table between them putting both her hands on the table and squeezing her eyes in disgust as she spoke
"Of course you would, you sent a pregnant woman in the storm just because none did a crime worse than her" said Marry
He looked up at her in anger and said "We will not discuss this any loner, your defence is nothing but empty talk, the judgment will commence"
"You sent her to the bloody storm to die, just to set upon your little fancy chair getting all the praise you like from the common folk, you and your fancy clothes and your, disgusting food" Marry said
He stared at her his anger boiling more and more while she continued
"You sent her to die in the cold snows, carrying false hopes and fallen dreams" she said before yelling "She was your daughter"
"My sister who only wished to kiss her baby before leaving it and marched through the cold winds" said aunt Marry, as the room stared at her in confusion and shock, her father's eyes looked at her in disbelief as she continued
"That night was as stormy as this" with a fake smile and sad eyes "You know how hard it is to give birth in secret, and how harder it is to leave your own child in march with a ripped stomach and bloody clothes through the cold storm"
Her father's eyes widened more and more knowing what is about to be said but refusing to believe it
She continued getting calmer "Aunt Marry, is not just a nickname I told him to give me out of love, he is your grandson"
All the guards in the room, the people sitting awaiting the judgement, whispers danced around his hammer, he raised it slowly, that cursed wooden tool, weapon of death that couldn't harm if not given such high regards amongst the people
When the hammer reached its highest point, his face calm empty of all motion, "His sentenced to roam the white snows" as he stroked it down against the bell
Chaos erupted amongst the room, the attendees yelled and shouted, the guards whispered amongst themselves, but without care the chief continued, staring right into the eyes of Marry, his daughter, who stood broken, not believing what he just said
"He is to do so until he reaches another villages light, there he has the right of trading the talisman to seek shelter under their roof for the rest of his life" he continued saying thus while Marry yelled at him and shouted
"Murder, curse you, Murder!!" guards stopping her from going up to him and hitting him
"Leave me!" she said "There lays the true criminal you should apprehend, You Murder!"
Not making eye contact, the dark swallowed his eyes as he said
"If he happens not to find another's light, he is to find the statue of the storm and put the talisman stopping it all, his crimes will be lifted alongside the storms making the lands green again, and he is to be given the position of the chief who judged him"
Marry yelled in the court room, and shouted at her father cursing him over and over, anger and tears were her only friend,
"He is to roam the snows until he grasps either one of those, or death grasps him" as he hit the bell once more
The room went into chaos even more after that, as the people started throwing at the chief whatever they held in hand
She broke down crying in the loud sounds of screams, her father looked at her and said "If you have nothing else you may leave"
"May I meet him one last time?" said Aunt marry as she stopped crying, not making eye contact
"Take her to him, afterwards she is to be locked in her room until the preparations are complete, for she is not trusted around the streets" replied her father as two guards accompanied her out,
Other guards went stopping the crowd who wished harm on their chief, but they couldn't do anything, for her had the power, even the leader of the expedition team stood there, looking disgusted of his chief from behind
The sound of the door opening woke Roman up, who was sleeping on the cold ground alongside his rat friend, Marry entered the room on him as the door closed behind her, removing what she was wearing to protect her from the cold and putting it on him
"Are you okay Roman? Do you want to eat or drink, are you hurt" she asked him checking his vitals
He sat there, silent before talking "I'm I going to get my head removed like Frayn?" with pure curiosity he asked "It's not going to hurt, is it?" he continued with breaking her even more, but she dared not to cry in front of him, all she could do is pile it up
"No sweetheart, you will not, you will be going on a heroic adventure to stop the storm" she said rubbing her hand against his hair with sorrow eyes
"Will there be monsters" he asked
"No, there will not be any monsters, this is a challenge for the strongest, you win by finding another village, or stopping the storm with the magical weapon you will be handed" she replied
"What is that weapon?" he asked before the guards entered the room and pulled her out alongside Roman
"Time is up, the preparations are complete, he will be sent with the talisman to the storm" said one of the guards
"No pls, delay it until tomorrow, the storm is still long, I beg of you I haven't gotten the chance to say my good byes" she said her voice faded as they threw her in her room, she ran towards the window, looking at them, one guard with his hand behind Roman as the others stopped people from reaching him
"Words spread out that he will be sent" said an old woman standing by the window talking to Marry
Marry fell slowly crying to herself and saying "I'm sorry sister, I am so sorry"
"I'm sorry I can't help with much, if you want me to send anything to him, I will do so" said the woman as Marry looked in confusion
She looked at her with a faint smile and said "Many have already planned how to send their goodbyes"
On the gates they unchained him, from the crowd walked the chief, his men defending him from the people who shouted and yelled
He walked to Roman and unchained him, His eyes black as his heart is, the cold winds hitting from behind, he put a small sack of food in front of him and gave him a talisman
It was made of Whitestone, on it the symbol of the sun was engraved
"You are to search the snow fields, until you reach the light, or put It on the statue," said the chief
"What happens if I do so?" asked Roman
"You come back with green lands, and be assigned the chief" replied the chief
As Roman stood up and wanted to walk out something hit the back of his head, turning back he saw a piece of bread, not many did, but some people started throwing food at him, "take it", they yelled as one blacksmith threw a backpack
He smiled and started picking them up as more was thrown, until it was almost full, as he wanted to close it one last thing was thrown at him, a piece of honey and butter bread
The old women jumping and shouting from the distance said to him "This was sent by Marry, eat it last" he took It and crowned the other food using it on top
Wearing the backpack, he gave the village one last look, as the tried pushing the guards and shouted for him, he walked into the storm, fading little by little