Warm sunlight streamed across Ardent’s face, rousing her from her sleep. Sitting up, she rubbed her eyes and blinked a few times to realize that the snow inside her shield had melted, giving off a spring like atmosphere inside the barrier.

“Impressive.” Askerian's voice broke her daze. She snapped her head in his direction.

“You should have woken me.” She said getting to her feet.

“Sleep provides the body with renewed strength, and we don’t know what we might encounter today, it’s best you get enough rest where we find safety.” He chided.

She gave him an irritated look and then raised her hand to the sky, the barrier around them disappearing. “Right.”

Askerian marched over to the campfire and examined it, the flame had long gone out but a few small embers still burned.

“Here.” Ardent said, dropping a few handfuls of snow onto the charred wood. A sizzling sound confirmed that the embers were out. “We should get going. We have a stairwell to find.”

After several hours of trekking through snow and avoiding icicles that dangled off the evergreens of the Glistening Woods, they found themselves at the edge of the forest where the stone face of the mountain met the tree line.

"According to Lady Seraphina, there is a passage somewhere nearby ." Àskérian explained, Ardent following behind him as they rounded the smooth surface, avoiding fallen boulders and crevices. Small caves jutted inward here and there and Ardent pricked her feline ears to listen for signs of life within the murky depths.

An idea came to mind. "Wait, allow me." She stopped abruptly. He gave her a confused look as he watched her walk passed him. Once she took the lead, she closed her auburn eyes and sunk into a trance, one that he had seen before, though he couldn't remember exactly where.

A warm golden light emanated from her body while the moments passed until finally she opened her eyes. "Its this way." She said taking the lead.

Àskérian stopped her by grabbing her arm. "Wait."

She turned to him with a puzzled expression. "Why?... oh." He pointed to her head. Her ears twitching in response.

"You agreed to wear it." He reminded her firmly.

She smiled at him. "That I did." She said, spinning around, her arms extended. "It completely covers my white raiment. How do I look Lorn?"

"Cute." He muttered.

Placing her hands on her hips, she mocked his arrogant tone from the night before

by the fire. "You know I am." She winked.

"Not that it matters. It serves it's purpose and that’s all that is what’s important. Now remember, don't use your angelic powers. Lead the way." He said flippantly, shooing her forward.

She scoffed, taking the lead, following the layout in her mind. Being able to become one with the earth made things a lot less complicated and she was glad she had taught Rain this ability.

She weaved through the foliage around the moutain's base, and paused, Àskériàn nearly bumping into her. "Yo, what gives?"

She knelt down and brushed the clump of snow away to find a very large amethyst encrusted in the earth. "Wards." She decided.

"It looks inactive." Àskériàn observed.

Getting to her feet, she gave him a puzzled look. "That can't be good. Something must have triggered it."

"Perhaps we are already late." He said solemnly.

Scanning the area for more clumps of grass that were most likely hiding spots for more wards, she said. "Let's keep going."

She followed the clumps that housed the wards, occasionally moving the snow aside to make sure they were indeed following a warded path, until she came upon a group of large stones. Some were covered in ice, others frost and icicles hung between them.

"Its here." She announced approaching the group of stones that towered over even Àskériàn in height. Once she got closer, she noticed an entrance between the stones. Two of the stones stood on either side, while a smaller stone sat atop.

Àskérian picked up a stick from off the ground and took a deep breathe and breathed fire onto the stick, creating a torch. He held the torch inside the opening as she knocked the icicles off the stones. The light revealed a staircase. "It leads all the way up." She confirmed.

"I'll go first." He said, stepping into the entrance. She gave the forest one last glance and then hurried along behind him.

“Watch your head. There are probably more icicles.”