It had been several days since they began their journey through the Thorofare Trail. The surrounding landscape, which only a few days ago had fascinated them with its sun-drenched austerity, had changed beyond recognition. Autumn in the Rocky Mountains had shown its other face, throwing them a formidable challenge. For over twenty-four hours, a steady, icy drizzle had been seeping from a sky heavy with thick, dark clouds, slowly but meticulously finding its way through every gap in their clothing and equipment.

Even the sturdy trekking boots everyone had acquired before setting out into the mountains were increasingly letting in moisture. Wet socks only worsened the state of the blisters and chafing appearing on their feet, making the trek even more unbearable and exhausting. The entire group walked in silence, conserving energy. Only occasional curses, uttered when one of them slipped on a wet surface or stumbled over a protruding stone, broke the monotonous hum of rain and wind.

Feliks led them forward, his hood pulled low over his forehead. His silence was even heavier than the aura of this gloomy morning. The lack of news from the kingdom regarding a new portal to Sarihmas worried him more and more, as every day in Thorofare brought them closer to a winter that knew no mercy for travelers in this place. The mage knew they were being hunted, and remaining stationary carried a high risk of being tracked down. They could not stay in one place. Despite the unfavorable conditions, even if they spotted a small patch of ground sheltered from the wind and rain, Feliks would not allow for a long rest.

They sat by the fire, which Feliks had conjured so that it was invisible to anyone outside the protective barrier. They were eating dinner—dried meat this time instead of that wretched oatmeal—and Feliks was giving William another lecture on the importance of concentration in magic. He emphasized how vital it was for the boy to remain focused, especially when under the influence of strong emotions.

On one occasion, Feliks decided to use Ryan during a training session with Will and used his power to lift the boy into the air near a tree, which a disoriented Ryan hugged in a fit of panic. He clung to a thick branch, unable to jump down from that height on his own without risking his health. So he hung there for a good while, feeling that if someone didn't help him soon, he would hit the ground with a thud. Naturally, William was supposed to handle it and get his friend down safely. However, he got terribly nervous and couldn't collect his thoughts, and when he finally managed to conjure magic, it pushed him back unexpectedly, causing him to crash into Feliks, thoroughly dazed. A second later, the branch snapped with a crack under Ryan, and the boy plummeted. At the last moment, Sophie managed to catch him thanks to her magic. Will undeniably got nervous in such situations, and Feliks wanted to teach him how to handle stress. He hadn't expected such a strong reaction from the young prince.

"What are you doing, Feliks?!" the boy shouted at him with a grim expression. He furrowed his brows menacingly and shook his head in disbelief. "Don't endanger Ryan like that, I absolutely do not give my consent," he said in a hard, brook-no-argument tone. The wizard raised his eyebrows, genuinely surprised by such a violent reaction; usually, William hid his feelings behind a mask of indifference and coldness.

"Of course, Your Highness. It won't happen again," he said half-jokingly, only to add in a firm tone a moment later: "Pull yourself together, boy. There is no room for weakness here." These words stung William like a blade, but he didn't comment on them. Instead, he turned on his heel and walked over to Ryan to make sure he was okay. He had had quite enough of magic for today.

In the evenings, when they managed to pitch tents and light a fire (with great difficulty), everyone relaxed for a while. Drying clothes over a smoking hearth was a Sisyphusian task, yet it still brought a sense of satisfaction. William stared into the flames, feeling Feliks's watchful gaze upon him. The mage rarely spoke of the potential danger that constantly loomed over them, but in his eyes, the boy could see a growing anxiety that the man was unable to hide completely. They say no news is good news, but apparently not in this case. They knew Thorofare was only a stop on their journey, but with each passing day without a word from the rebels, this wilderness began to feel like a trap with no way out.

Lola and Sophie were also involved in William's training, occasionally proposing interesting tasks for him to perform. The previous day, the sisters had decided to use the difficult weather conditions to give Will a challenge that required a bit more from him. When the rain turned into a thick, gray fog that almost completely obscured the river, the girls told the boy to stand at the very edge of the swollen current.

"The task with the stone was easier because you had it right in front of you," Lola began, brushing wet strands of hair from her face. "But what if your target is completely out of sight?"

Sophie pulled two coins from her pocket and threw them straight into the water. The current swept them away immediately.

"Find them and give them back to me," Sophie said with a mischievous smile. "But you’re not allowed to enter the water or use your hands. You must create something from magic like a net, or threads, to fish them out." William nodded, though his confidence wavered at the sight of the murky depths. Sophie’s four cents were lost in the river's flow.

"Focus on their foreign energy," Lola added. "They are not part of the river. Find that difference and pull it toward you."

The boy closed his eyes, ignoring the cold gusts of wind and the freezing drizzle that continuously settled on the skin of his face and bare hands. He stretched out his arms and began to search. Above all, he felt the chaotic, powerful energy of the water, which almost completely drowned out everything else. Suddenly, somewhere beneath that chaos, he found a consistent, steady rhythm. The only thing breaking it was the coins bouncing along the riverbed, tossed by the current. Mine, he thought, determined to bring them to the surface.

However, instead of striking out with power—which would likely only result in the water splashing everywhere—he tried to do what Lola had suggested: let his magic flow. He imagined invisible, glowing ribbons shooting from his fingers, entangling the small coins like fishing nets. Will did not open his eyes. His face was tense with effort; he slightly knit his brows and forehead. He felt the river resisting, as if it didn't want to give up its prize. He strained his mind even harder, concentrating on the energy inherent to the coins, until suddenly, from beneath the surface of the river, there shot up... a rubber boot. Lola burst out laughing and said:

"Well, Will, I must admit you have incredible intuition—there are no better shoes for this weather. Go on, look for the other one to make a pair!" Feliks, who was watching from the side, smirked, slightly amused, though his gaze soon drifted toward the darkening horizon. William's half-success was heartening, but the silence from Sarihmas grew more unsettling by the hour.

"You owe me four cents," Sophie added, pointing her finger at him. Will smiled at his friends, a bit embarrassed by his failure. He hadn't expected there to be other unusual objects in the river besides Sophie's few cents. Well, it was certainly another valuable lesson. Ryan patted him on the back for comfort and walked over to the discarded boot on the riverbank.

"Missed it. Something ate part of the sole!" he called out to the others, not taking his eyes off the ruined shoe. Then Lola shouted:

"Well, then I have another task for you, Will. Find the rubber-eating beast!" The boy rolled his eyes but didn't stop smiling to himself. Lola’s sense of humor was truly exquisite.

"I think that’s enough exercises for William for now," Feliks remarked, looking at them with a faint smile on his lips. "Let’s get moving before it gets dark," he added more seriously, heading forward up the river.

***

The next day, they decided to set up camp for a bit longer. In the evening, though the drizzle persisted, they managed to find shelter under a rocky overhang that protected them from the rain and wind. They lit a small campfire, this time assisting themselves with magic. The conditions were definitely not conducive to keeping a fire going without significant trouble. Ryan became very involved in guarding the campfire to ensure it didn't go out. In the process, he basked in the warmth of the crackling flames.

The following morning, some time after breakfast, Feliks informed William that it was time for another round of training, but this time in swordsmanship. The boy was clearly surprised; he hadn't thought he would be practicing... a traditional way of fighting as well. The wizard simply explained briefly that it was unthinkable for a prince of Sarihmas not to know how to fight with a sword. Will didn't intend to argue at first, but when he took the weapon in his hand, even greater doubts hit him. After all, he had always been a total klutz.

"Feliks, I don't know if this is a good idea. I have no talent for such things," he said openly. The wizard smiled at him with a touch of pity and replied only:

"You don't need talent. There are plenty who will stand in your defense. However, it would be proper for you to know at least the basics. Such is the lot of all princes." William only sighed, seeing that he wouldn't win this point. He turned the sword in his hand cautiously, gripping the slender hilt firmly. It was quite heavy. Feliks walked up to him and began correcting his posture without even asking for permission. This made William a bit self-conscious, causing him to blush slightly and lower his gaze. Feliks took his chin gently and lifted his head so the boy would look him in the eyes.

"Never take your eyes off your opponent," he said. He stepped back and assumed the correct stance himself. Will only nodded, wishing to regain some spirit as quickly as possible. Being put to the test and potential criticism always stressed him out terribly. And on top of that, Feliks was incredibly experienced, which made Will even more ashamed to make a fool of himself. Ryan watched this in silence, though jealousy mixed within him with pure anger. The old geezer is taking too many liberties, he thought. Will swallowed hard and moved his shoulders to warm up. Before anything could happen, however, Ryan decided to intervene:

"I’ve done fencing, and I think I'll be an ideal sparring partner for William to start with. Let him try his strength against someone at a similar level." Feliks nodded as a sign that he didn't mind and handed the sword to the boy. As Ryan took the blade from him, he shot him a cold look. He didn't like Feliks's attitude toward William. The man acted disinterested, but through it all, Ryan clearly saw small gestures, looks, or even comments whose undertone certainly deviated from completely neutral intentions. It pissed him off immensely!

"Lower your stance, Will," he told him, assuming the position himself. "Don't look at your sword, look at me," he added immediately after. William listened to him submissively, glad that it would be with Ryan that he would take his first steps in swordsmanship.

The clank of metal on metal mingled with the sounds of the wind, rain, and the crackling fire nearby. Feliks sat closer to the flames with the girls and decided to watch what Ryan had to present in the warmth of the fire. They were doing quite well, not counting Will's minor stumbles, as he clearly surrendered to instinct and pure intuition while blocking and delivering subsequent attacks. All this lasted until Ryan carelessly made a large lunge forward, wanting to impress William. He slipped and went down hard, taking William with him. They fell into the mud with a loud splash. Both burst out laughing, as did Lola and Sophie. Feliks only shook his head with amusement.

"An interesting strategy, Ryan," Feliks remarked. Ryan got up from the ground and offered his hand to William. In the meantime, he replied:

"Right, Feliks? I know exactly how to bring a prince to his knees." It was impossible to miss his triumphant expression. Seeing a smudge of mud on Will’s cheek, he wiped the spot where the boy was dirty with his thumb. William immediately pulled away as if burned. He still didn't know how to handle himself in situations where he was exposed to third parties during such intimate moments. Then Ryan's confidence flickered slightly, but in the end, he didn't let on that anything was wrong. He smiled at his friend and picked up his sword from the ground, all covered in mud. Once Will accepted the weapon from him, they continued the training.

Two days later, they set off again. Today they planned to cover a dozen or so kilometers to be more certain they were out of reach of the demons tracking them. Ryan and Feliks took the lead, moving ahead of the rest of the group. Will could hear them talking about something, but the specific words didn't reach him. He only exchanged a glance with the girls, curious about what it could be.

"Don't think I haven't noticed." Feliks, somewhat caught off guard, waited for the rest of Ryan's statement, but when it didn't come, he asked:

"What do you mean?" The boy looked at the wizard, and a mocking smile appeared on his face.

"Don't you think you're too old for him?" he asked bluntly. For a moment, Feliks thought he could pretend he had no idea what Ryan was talking about, but he considered that pointless and also gave a half-smile, looking at the boy defiantly.

"Perhaps. But I'm certainly not too ordinary for him, unlike you," he simply replied. Ryan lost some of his spirit, but after a moment he hissed, seething with rage.

"You know nothing about him!" Agitated, he overtook the wizard and marched on ahead.

"I would be very happy to find out everything!" Feliks shouted after him. Ryan was sure those words reached Will's ears, though without full context, he likely had no idea what they meant. He ignored the wizard, but a moment later he leveled his pace with him again. Then Ryan added:

"He didn't deserve it. Any of it." Feliks adopted his usual expression. He looked at the cloudy sky and answered briefly:

"Few have." Ryan glanced at him more gently now. "Don't worry. I won't let him be hurt," Feliks added at the end and overtook the boy. Ryan ground his teeth but said nothing more. Let him go! To the devil, preferably!