“I left him in Valley of Life. It would have taken me over ten days to come here so I chose way of a week and left him where he would live for some time.”
Smile spread across Ser Akimitsu face. Even Padoreigu surrendered to the feeling of relief for a while.
“How did Lord Wernh’An get into such vulnerability?” asked Counselor Padoreigu.
“Lord had said he had sensed Nobukazu so he disappeared, leaving the army with me. When we came there, Lord Wernh’An had a bag over his head and was not breathing well.”
Weapon. Commander Eiga recalled what the two killers had been mentioning.
“Where are the soldiers who had come with you?”
“Without warmth, all of them died.” Squire showed them an empty bile, “I chose to save myself.”
“And you chose to save Lord as well.” Akimitsu said.
“Prolonged life, I would say.” Genzou intervened, “Lord Wernh’An would not survive even in the valley for long if we don’t treat him. And we don’t know what the old Chosokabe had used on him.”
“It was a sack.” Squire said, “It had some powder like substance in it.”
“Do you know what it might be?” Ser Akimitsu glanced at Genzou, “We can take the right medicine for it.”
Genzou was clueless.
“Bring those two men inside the castle.” Commander Eiga said, “They might have something to say about this.”
_
Shinji and Fujimoto were in the middle of snowfall with nothing to keep them warm. The blanket they had been provided were now inside the castle. The cold wind penetrated their ears and breathing Hilcastle air was turning out to be just another method to freeze their lungs.
Hung head of Tetsu moved left and right as the wind hit it. Every time it hit the gate, the sound came as if a rock was colliding against the metal. Snow was in the quest of covering those two men as well.
Despite of everything, none of them thought it was necessary to speak. They wanted to keep their breath in their bodies and not let it out as words which would go in vain.
Shinji tried to stay without shivering. But it made trembling worse.
“Shinji!” Fujimoto’s faint voice reached his ears.
He tried to answer Fujimoto but found himself on the snow while attempting to utter something.
Not long later, Fujimoto also gave up fight with the mountain.
Both of them lay on snow, waiting for the weather to club them with a final blow. The blow seemed to about hit them but backed itself again just for a moment mocking.
Unconsciousness began taking over them. Things started to blacken in the white atmosphere. And they somehow got sensation of warmth.
Shinji’s ears rang.
As the things were losing their pigmentation, he heard someone speak near to him, “They are tough beings.”
From the gap of closing eyelids, Shinji noticed someone with orange hair gazing at them. Commander Eiga looked straight in his eyes. Tired, Shinji blinked to let him know he was still inches away from being dead.
Eiga waved at his soldiers after seeing the blinking. Then he walked somewhere. Shinji couldn’t turn his head to see where he had gone but when he came back, he had soldiers with them who came with wooden planks with straps.
Soldiers followed the commander’s order to buckle them on the stretchers. The straps were loose and just prevented them for slipping down as the soldiers started dragging them inside the palce.
Then the soldiers dragged them inside the palace.
Being inside the castle area brought heat back in their dying bodies. It also knocked senses inside Shinji. Fujimoto also felt like his body was warming. This time, warmth was for real.
