The Lost One

The air was getting thinner the longer that Brice climbed the Broken Peaks, Twin spires of rock and snow that stretched high above the clouds. Bird’s occasionally squawked or the rock would slip beneath his feet but that was the only noise aside from the wind that greeted his ears.

“Blasted rock, There’s supposed to be a cave for shelter around here somewhere.” If he had spoken it aloud the winds could have carried it to Valhalla if it so chose, however his voice stayed in his mind as his rough leather boots found purchase on a ledge and he shook the snow from his cloak and shoulders alongside a sigh as he lifted his gaze to the opening at the summit of the spire.

“Aha! Success indeed, Now for fire.” He spoke loudly, his voice echoing and bouncing off the slick rock walls of the cave. Tumbling rocks freeing themselves from the ceiling was his only greeting in return as he walked forward and snapped his fingers. A small bead of fire appeared at the tip of his index finger, and with a simple flourish shot to the middle of the entrance before erupting into a bonfire of magical energy that illuminated the cave in a soft yellow glow.

With a stretch and the popping of cartilage he sighed softly, running a hand through his long dirty blonde hair slowly. Bits of snow was knocked free from the act, Landing on the shoulders of his brown cloak before he brushed them off as well. The wolf pelt that his mother had left him most certainly helped with the cold, And the long sword on his hip had seen its fair share of bloodshed throughout the years. His thumb absentmindedly played with the pommel of the long sword as he thought for a moment, His blue eyes searching the cave for possible threats before he shrugged and stepped forward.

Brice quickly discarded his pack and sat infront of the magical flame, shuffling through the bag until he removed a biscuit and some small circled pieces of meat. “Ah! Rest and warmth with some food to boot, Rations may not be the best thing in the world but they serve a purpose just like most overlooked things in the world.” He took a bite happily, a small smile creeping onto his face as he chewed.

His eyes shifted towards the entrance, one brow raising in curiosity as he heard footsteps and crumbling rock, His hand removing the cork in his water skin as he took a chug and chuckled, wiping the wetness from his lips with the back of his hand before turning his attention to the fire with a chuckle, “If you’ve come to kill me, I certainly hope there’s more than just you old friend..”