"Wait," Maria called out, a bit breathless. "You didn't think I'd let you go alone, did you?"

Jamie halted mid-stride. Snowflakes clung to his coppery hair, and his breath formed misty puffs in the frigid air. He turned to face her, frustration etched into his features. "You don't need to follow me. You know that?" he replied.

"So what?" Maria retorted, squaring her shoulders. "If you die out there, my chance at freedom dies with you. I need you alive for my plan."

He sighed, glancing away toward the northern gates. Time felt like slipping through his fingers. "Fine," he conceded. "Then let's go." He didn't want to waste another moment; his sister's fate hung in the balance.

"Wait," she insisted, placing a firm hand on his arm to halt him. "At least wait until dawn. We need supplies and someone who knows how to navigate the forest." Her tone softened. "Charging out into the night unprepared won't help anyone."

"Every secon—" Jamie began, but Maria raised both hands in a placating gesture.

"I understand," she interjected with a kind tone. "I don't blame you for wanting to leave immediately. But if we die before we even reach her, it will be even worse." She met his gaze. "You need rest. My soldiers will prepare supplies and find a tracker. Tomorrow, as soon as the sun rises, we'll set out."

Jamie paced a few steps. The thought of waiting even a moment longer was agonizing. But he knew she was right. His rashness could jeopardize everything. Finally, he exhaled and nodded. "Alright," he agreed, although reluctant.

A faint smile touched Maria's lips. "Good. Come with me. I have to show you a tavern. They have an exceptional bard. You might learn a thing or two." There was a teasing tone to her voice, an attempt to lighten the mood.

He managed a faint chuckle. "No shot," he muttered, but allowed her to lead the way.

--

Despite his exhaustion, sleep eluded Jamie for much of the night. His thoughts and worries kept him awake. Yet, at some point, weariness overcame him. His body, taxed by the long journey, demanded rest.

When dawn's first light pierced through the windowpane, Jamie stirred awake. A lingering fatigue clung to his body, but he couldn't keep himself in bed for a moment longer.

Descending the stairs to the tavern's common room, he stepped outside into the morning air. The street before him had transformed overnight. What had been a quiet road was now bustling with activity akin to a war camp.

Tents and makeshift pavilions dotted the snow-dusted ground. Soldiers moved, checking their weapons, adjusting their armor, and speaking in low tones.

Jamie surveyed the scene, his gaze settling on Maria. She stood amidst a group of soldiers, her posture commanding respect as she spoke with Lord Varric and several Frosthell guards.

"I'm bringing all of my soldiers. Twenty of us," Maria was explaining.

"Very well," Lord Varric agreed, stroking his beard. "From our side, we'll send ten soldiers, along with Serana and Andrik." He gestured toward his children, who stood nearby. Serana's eyes were cool and assessing, while Andrik adjusted the heavy sword on his belt.

"Andrik is one of our best trackers," Varric continued. "If she's out there, he'll find her trail."

Jamie approached the group, his jaw tightening. While extra support was great, he couldn't shake the anger over their delayed action. 'They waited too long,' he thought with bitter anger.

Moreover, until yesterday, the trio seemed quite pleased with screwing Hafenstadt. Jamie's instincts told him something was amiss.

'This doesn't smell right,' Jay meowed, weaving between Jamie's legs.

'I must agree with you on that,' Jamie thought, casting a wary gaze over their surroundings.

"It must be the sewage," Jay pondered aloud. "With everything frozen over, there's nowhere for it to drain."

Jamie turned to see Jay staring at the entrance to the sewers that lay beneath the walls of Frosthell. The faint odor of trash and something more mingled with the scent of snow and pine.

'I don't know why I still listen to him,' Jamie questioned himself.

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"Hey! I can hear your thoughts, you know," Jay protested, flicking his tail against Jamie's legs.

Jamie considered his options, weighing the risks. 'If I expend too much mana... I won't have enough for the expedition,' he calculated silently. 'Yet, if Varric and his children were plotting sabotage, ignoring the signs could be just as bad.'

Decided, Jamie activated.

[Legends of the Future]

He felt the familiar surge of energy as the ability took hold. Focusing his gaze on Andrik, Jamie sought glimpses of possible futures. A song that would reveal their true intentions.

'I'll test the children first,' Jamie thought. 'If they're scheming against us, their futures will be intertwined with betrayal.'

Seconds passed, but no melody materialized near Andrik. No verses, no rhymes. Nothing to indicate any foresight into his actions. Jamie blinked in confusion. For a moment, he questioned whether he had forgotten to activate the blessing.

Closing his eyes, he concentrated harder, channeling more mana into it. When he reopened, he noticed something peculiar. The translucent panel that usually appeared when he used the blessing was there. It was hovering near Andrik, but it was empty. There were no lyrics, no rhymes, not even a single verse.

'Does he have some kind of resistance?' Jamie wondered, unease gnawing at him. In all his experiences, his blessing had never failed. 'Damn it! I've wasted a third of my mana for nothing.'

A faint heat began to burn in his eyes, a side effect of the continual mana expenditure. Time was slipping away, and he couldn't afford to waste more energy. Swiftly, he shifted his focus to Lord Varric, hoping to glean something from the patriarch.

'Better to go straight to the source,' Jamie thought, turning his gaze to Varric. The lord stood amidst his advisors, his bald head reflecting the glow of the sunrise. His stern visage and calculating eyes turned to Jamie from time to time.

Jamie held his breath, waiting for the familiar signs of his blessing to manifest. But again, after several moments, there was nothing. No whispers of song, no glimpses into possible futures.

'This is impossible,' Jamie thought, a knot of apprehension twisting in his gut.

"This has never happened before," Jay commented, leaping onto a nearby ledge. "You've tested this ability on almost everyone from Hafenstadt. Why haven't we seen anything like this?"

Jamie felt the relentless weight of fatigue pressing upon him. His mana reserves were too low and becoming risky to continue. Serana had been his last hope for getting some information, but he could no longer afford to press further.

With a heavy sigh, he deactivated the [Legends of the Future].

'Damn it,' he thought, a flicker of frustration crossing his face. 'I can't trust them.'

He cast a cautious glance around the encampment before striding to join Maria.

"Prepare yourselves!" Maria's voice rang out with authority, cutting through the murmur of the gathered soldiers. Her gaze swept over them. "We depart at any moment. We're waiting for the Frosthell soldiers to arrive."

There was an unmistakable tension in the air, along with a divide between the soldiers of Hafenstadt and Frosthell. It was evident in the way they stood, gathered in separate groups, eyes wary and hands never getting too far from their weapons. Trust was a scarce commodity, but necessity bound them together.

"We are ready," Andrik announced as he approached with his contingent.

Jamie observed them. They appeared young but battle-hardened, their faces set with grim determination. Their attire was crafted for the harsh northern climate. They wore layered furs and supple leather armor that allowed for ease of movement without sacrificing warmth. Their boots were reinforced yet flexible, designed to tread silently over ice and snow. Unlike the heavier armor from other parts of the empire, theirs was meant for stealth and speed.

"Let's move out!" Maria commanded, her voice carrying over the gathered troops.

The entire company, over thirty soldiers, began their march toward the northern drawbridge. The massive structure loomed ahead, its iron chains creaking in the cold wind. Beyond it stretched the vast expanse of the Frozen Forest, a wilderness as beautiful as it was dangerous.

Jamie fell in step near the Hafenstadt soldiers, his senses alert. His eyes frequently drifted to Andrik, who led at the forefront with an air of confidence. There was something about the way Andrik moved, the subtle glances he exchanged with his sister Serana, that kept Jamie on edge.

As they crossed the drawbridge, the colossal gates of Frosthell groaned shut behind them, sealing off their only way back. The landscape before them was mainly composed of icy blues and whites. Towering evergreens, their branches filled with heavy snow, stood on either side of their path.

In the far distance, the jagged peaks of the Frostfang Mountains clawed at the sky. There were whispers of settlements beyond. Kingdoms of dwarves and gnomes dwelled beneath the earth, mining the riches hidden deep within the frozen ground. But human habitation was scarce here; the north was a realm that belonged more to myth than to men.

The group advanced steadily, each step a herculean effort as their boots sank into the snow. Unlike their arrival, there were no carriages to ease their journey. The dense forest pressed close, branches entwining overhead. The path narrowed, forcing them into a single file at times.

Time seemed to stretch with no end. Despite their relentless pace, Jamie knew they had covered only a fraction of the distance they might have under better conditions.

Conversation was minimal, reduced to whispers and hand signals. The need for silence was crucial. The soft crunch of snow underfoot and the occasional clink of armor were the only sounds with them. To keep them hidden was a near-impossible feat for such a large, armored group, but they made every effort to mask their presence.

Without warning, Andrik halted and raised his hand, fingers splayed in a signal to stop. The effect was instantaneous. The entire company froze in place.

Jamie's hands instinctively went to the hilts of his daggers, his gaze sharpening as he scanned the surrounding trees.

Andrik turned, his voice barely above a whisper. "Orcs."

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