He looked up at the sky, cold, lifeless, like everything around him. No wind, snow, or rain fell from it. With heavu, muisty peaks, the silhouettes of the mountains strained to reach the ancient lover who had once encircled them in a tender embrace. Back when the Great Powers still ruled the world. But that had been a long time ago; so long that perhaps no creature on earth could remember it. And yet, I remember, he thought with his eye lost in the infinite, eagerly searching, hoping, though without illusion, that just for once, for just a moment —as short as a sigh—, his mother might open her white eyes. So much time had passed in that inexorable darkness, though no one could say exactly how long.

Little by little, without meaning to, he lowered his gaze till he saw to his left the white plain that stretched to the far mountains and the quiet lake, whose current had long since ceased to flow ; and to his right, the immense forest, which seemed to encompass the rest of the world. 

His hesitant  steps led him to unmade his father's path, hoping he would finally come back home. His bare feet burned form the frozen soil, and with the weariness of having walked since the last lights disappeared from the sky. He felt as if he had walked for days, months, or maybe years; but not even the second quarter of the night had passed. He would walk till sunrise to see if by chance his mother would remember her lost son. At least the sky sleeps, he thought as consolation. Of course, it has —ever since the King was King.

He remembered war. A war that could have been prevented; yet no one had wanted to. His brothers had readied their weapons before the declaration, and his sisters —having immolated the sacrifices and peace offerings, without even stopping to think about the mortals who would see their faith betrayed—, they formed ranks. And he hadn't stopped them. Why should I had have to stop them? I longed for war as much as Radelaan or Suravien. But I knew what would happened. Oh, he had known too well what would be unleashed with this war! Even the betrayal! But he had chosen to escort the King to battle and to his impending defeat; and he had allowed the betrayal of Diuren Garan.

Only then did he noticed the tears that slid down his cheeks and froze even before touching the ground. . Do you weep for yourself? How pathetic! He deserved exile and everything that would come to him on earth, for he had allowed it all to happened. So he would journey to the ends of the world in search for forgiveness that, no matter what he did, would never come. 

The Exiled One went into the forest and the shadows devoured him.