After seven days of arduous sailing north on the White River, on the morning of the eighth day, Maurice and his party arrived at a temporary port at least two days' voyage from Stasinki, which did not exist when they headed south to Canrito, apparently only recently established.

Morris looked at the soldiers on the shore and the busy crew in bewilderment, but he was not at all worried about the accident, because the soldiers were Doyle.

The captain steered the ship slowly into the dock, and a soldier in charge of monitoring the dock recognized Maurice standing at the bow, and the soldier saluted respectfully to the captain of the knights.

Morris nodded in return and went ashore. "When was this place built, and who ordered you to build a port in the Borderlands?"

The soldiers were obviously not happy to be sent so far to guard the place. "Sir, do you know that the weather is getting colder and colder, colder than a month ago, even the White River is frozen, and it won't take long to drive from here in the direction of Stockinki, and the river has already formed thin ice, and if you rush into it, you won't be able to get out. ”

"How so?" said Morris to himself.

"Who knows, sir, when I was in Stockinki, I heard rumors that a soldier standing guard in the middle of the night saw a hooded figure going south around the village, do you think it would be...... Is that a thing?" the soldier looked at Morris suspiciously.

Maurice punched the soldier. "Boy, what are you thinking, as a Doyle, you are still so suspicious, stand at your post!"

"Yes!" the soldier cheered up and returned to his post.

Stan led the horse and just got off the boat, looking at Morris with admiration. "If only I had half the charm of him, every soldier held him so respectful. ”

Nerfi led his mount past the knight and paused slightly, as if to say something, but only a second later, the mage stepped forward.

The whole temporary harbor was small, with only a few ventilated houses, if any, made of wooden piles and rags that had been brought from nowhere. Moreover, all kinds of supplies were piled up everywhere, and it could be seen that the guards did not intend to stay here for long, and according to the current weather conditions, it may not be long before this temporary port will continue to move dozens of miles to the south. Almost all travelers arrive here and take a short rest and immediately continue their journey north, no one wants to stay here longer, and the endless desert and the cold winds that constantly blow from the north are frustrating.

The group finished their lunch in their temporary harbor house, and the soldiers complained that they would have to walk for many days to reach Stockinki, and that it would be at least ten days before they reached the town of Ferrer. Morris was chatting with the captain of the guard of the harbor, and he could tell that the captain of the guard was about to get tired of the harsh conditions here, and from time to time a few expletives burst out of his mouth. Nerfi saw that the captain of the guard had at least two cracks in his lips, and the girl subconsciously licked her lips.

"Don't lick, the more you lick, the drier it gets, you can cover your mouth with a scarf, it will feel better. Stan is surprised to find that his eyes fall on the mage for most of the time.

Although Nerfi didn't answer the knight or even look at him, her tongue immediately retracted into her mouth.

"When you get to Doyle, I can help you find some herbs to grind and put in a scarf and wrap them around your mouth, it will be much better, but here, there is nothing. Stan deliberately looked away from the mage and looked at the captain of the guard.

Nerfi pursed her lips, the dryness of her lips driving her mad, almost twenty years had passed since she left Doyle as a child, and she had become completely unaccustomed to the cold and dry environment. Her beautiful face was red from the cold, her ears were even a little frostbite, and her pale flaxen hair was tangled together from not being washed for days, but the mage remained solemn and reserved.

At noon, the group continued to march north along the banks of the White River, and the farther north they went, the colder it became, and by the time it was almost dark, the White River on their side was completely frozen. According to the previous captain of the guard, there is a overnight stop for travelers every day from the port to Stockinki, and although the facilities are more rudimentary than the port, at least there is no need to sleep in the wilderness.

Almost in the middle of the night, the group found a place to stay, and by this time it was so crowded that the soldiers had to huddle into a rag room with more than twenty people. Even if the house leaks from all sides, it still can't get rid of all the bad smells that are intertwined throughout the house. Nerfi had just stepped into the room, her brow furrowed, her nose furrowed, and she turned around and went out, with the laughter of good deeds and a few dirty jokes behind her.

Stan drops his bags and follows out, and the mage sits on an outcropping rock, facing south, letting the cold wind blow her long hair and cloak.

"It's going to be colder at night, and I know it's going to be too hard for you, but you don't have a choice. Stan walked over to the mage, keeping his distance.

Nerfi didn't answer, and the knight heard the mage sniffing, and looked cautiously from the side, surprised to see tears on the girl's face. "What's up, Nerfi, oh, I mean, Ms. Nerfi. ”

"I'm not going in, even if I'm going to freeze here today, I'm not going in. Nellfi finally spoke, the first thing she had said in a few days, and Stan was sure that if she hadn't taken it anymore, he would have remained silent.

"If possible, I wish it wasn't you who came with us, but the two border people. Stan tries to comfort the mage, but says the opposite.

"That's right, I've become a burden to you, I don't need your care, you can leave me here and go to sleep by yourself. Nerfi's tone was stiff, tilting her head to the side.

Stan clutches at his hair in frustration. "I didn't mean that, you know, I'm not very good at talking, I meant that if you didn't follow us, you wouldn't have to suffer this way, and if anything offended you, I apologize to you. ”

"Why don't you go in yet, do you want to freeze here with me?" Nerfi didn't accept the knight's apology, but wanted to chase him away.

"If you don't go in, I won't go in either, and I can't let a lady be left indifferent at the risk of freezing to death here. Stan tightened his cloak and put on his hood.

"So what do you want? knock me out and carry me in? Do you think you can hurt me?" Nerfi's palms glowed with gold.

"As a knight, even if you die, you will not do anything to a kind lady, and unless you agree or are forced to do so, I will stand here until you change your mind. The knight stood firmly, like a statue.

"I'm not going to change my mind. Nerfi finally tightened her cloak and put her hood on while holding back the cold.

"You may not know, but I warn you that after midnight the temperature will plummet and we will freeze to death. Stan's tone is calm, as if what he is saying has nothing to do with them.

"Why should I trust you?" the mage clenched his hands, his whole body wrapped tightly in the cloak, and his slender figure was unobstructed.

"You're going to believe me, right now, you know, I'm not going to lie. Stan moves a few steps and stands upwind of the mage.

Nerfi felt the wind blowing on her body suddenly lighten, glanced at the knight faintly, and did not speak again.

The evening breeze grew stronger, the sky was cloudy, and the bare ground had dissipated the last bit of heat, and the whole earth was like an ice cellar, constantly sucking away what little heat was left from people. Everyone else had fallen asleep in the rag room, and it was quiet all around, and in the moor, even animals were extremely scarce, and there was no sound except the crackling of the wind through the cloaks of the two.

Nerfi was shaking for a while, but she didn't speak, and she started crying again, albeit softly, but Stan heard it. "Just say a word from you, and we'll be able to go into the house in no time, and I'm not going to tell anyone about what happened, I'll just say that you need to meditate, and I'm your bodyguard. ”

"Escort ......" Nerfi's heart stirred up a wave, and then calmed down again. "Why, this hellish place is so cold, why doesn't there even have a decent room, why doesn't there even a place to shower, why those people smell so strong, why those soldiers are so rude, why am I stupid enough to suffer with you!"

"Because you are Nerfi, the venerable mage of light, and you can help us defeat the Dark Tide, we need you, much of us. Stan looked at the mage's shaky shoulders and said slowly.

"I can't take it anymore, I want to run away so badly, go now, go back to the south, but I can't, I have to do something for Maurice. Nerfi began to weep, wiping away tears.

"I can understand it...... Your mood. Stan approached the mage. "But we have to find a way now, a way so we don't freeze here. ”

"I said I wouldn't go in!" Nerfi lowered her head and sniffed.

Stan sighs and looks around. "Go there, I have an idea, it's still going to be cold, but at least you don't have to freeze to death. The knight pointed to a weathered rock not far away, long without edges. "And you have to listen to me. ”

"What's the instruction? As long as it doesn't let me sleep there, I can try. Nerfi looked up at the knight with hope in his eyes.

Remember that. Stan turns and walks towards his luggage.