Saving Dastan

Noori swiftly tied the branches to a rope and enlisted her horse to pull the weight off the trapped animal. With a coordinated effort, they managed to slide the burden off the horse, freeing it from its entrapment. As soon as the weight lifted, the once-trapped horse leaped to its feet, still startled, and bolted off in a direction.

"If the horse is here, he should be around too," Noori muttered, scanning her surroundings with curiosity. The howling wind brushed past her ears, almost whispering, causing her to flinch and turn towards the sound.

'By the lake...'

"Who is it?!" Noori growled, and instantly turned around, her hand hovering over her sword, ready to draw, but there was nothing around her. "Come out!" she demanded, yet there was no response until once again, something whispered into her ear, the sensation of the air brushing against her skin.

'He is by the lake...'

It wasn't the wind; Noori was certain. It was clearly something else, speaking to her. 'Hurry! He needs help!' The urgency in the voice was palpable now, bold and insistent.

Frowning, Noori followed the direction indicated by the mysterious voice, guided by its urgency. As she ventured forth, the light gradually dimmed, indicating her distance from the burning tree.

"It's getting dark!" she hissed, coming to a stop. After a brief inspection of her surroundings, she flicked her fingers and conjured a small flame between them, illuminating the area with its warm glow. "Where is he?" She asked the voice that had directed her this far, but there was no response now. Frowning, she shook her head. "I must have gotten sick after getting here. I'm even hearing voices," she muttered to herself as she stepped further towards the frozen lake ahead.

As Noori approached the edge of the lake, the glowing flames warmed the snowy scene, and there he was. Dastan stood by the lake, half of his body submerged in the water while the other half clung to a dried log.

"Damn it!" Noori hissed under her breath, and the flame in her fingers instantly jumped off her hand, freeing her grasp, while the flame in the form of a globe followed her closely. She ran towards the cracked ice, seeing Dastan's fingers barely holding onto the branch anymore, slowly letting go and drifting into the water.

"No! Don't let go!" she roared, but it was too late. Her chest tightened deeply as she instantly pulled off her heavy cape and rushed into the cracked ice, breaking it under her steps with the crisp sound of snow ringing out. Noori plunged into the water, her hands quickly moving to reach Dastan's hand. He sank slowly while Noori tried to swim closer, and finally, when her finger touched his, Dastan's lifeless body jolted in the water as if an electric current had been sent through it. A soft crimson hue ran through the entire lake, causing the ice on the top to crack with a powerful blow.

 His eyes instantly opened, and his lips parted, allowing water to rush into his lungs. It was as if Dastan had just realised he was drowning. Noori gripped and locked her fingers around his, pulling him towards herself and struggling to reach the surface.

Noori could feel her lungs churn up, longing for a breath she dared not take. Finally reaching the surface, she gasped for air and pulled Dastan out too, but he remained unresponsive. His body swayed beneath the surface, a weight dragging her spirits down. With an irritated groan, she swam to the shore, dragging Dastan's limp form with her. She threw his heavy body onto the ground and knelt beside him, delivering a sharp slap across his cheek. "Get up! Breathe!" she commanded, but he remained motionless, lost in a deep slumber.

Noori shook her head in frustration. "You are making me do all kinds of things as if I am your maid. I hope you live long enough to pay me off for this," she muttered through gritted teeth. Placing her hand gently on his chest, she pushed down while lifting his chin with her other hand. Leaning in, she pressed her lips to his, closing her eyes as a flicker of light danced between them. The glow from her hand illuminated his chest, and his throat began to glow from within. The golden light pulsed, moving toward his mouth until it met his lips, and Dastan gasped for air.Noori pulled away, and he coughed water out harshly, his chest heaving with each labored breath.

"What did you just do?!" he spoke out, offended, the bottom of his chin shaking with cold yet he had the strength to fight back with her. Noori's eyebrow lifted, and she gave him a confused look. "Is my dear husband that clueless, or does he like to act like that around me?" she said, tilting her head.

Dastan rubbed his lips visibly and glared at her with anger. "I am the prince of Solyria, and you can't just touch me however you like!" he retorted.

"That prince of Solyria is also my husband—" She paused and got back on her knee, closing up to him almost instantly, so quickly that Dastan felt a wisp of wind blow across him as she came close. "I can touch you however I like. Like this!" She placed her hand directly on his neck, her thumb flirtatiously rubbing against his chin. Her face turned into an enticing little smile.

"Get off!" He slapped her hand off his skin, making Noori stand up once again, as if no more interested in messing with him. "It seems that it is going to be a storm tonight. Get up! If you don't want to die under the snow. Especially after I sacrificed my lips to save you," she glanced at him from the corner of her eye, purposefully saying that to provoke him.

Dastan, who was half-frozen, turned his head around, his wet clothes now turned a crisp biscuit. He barely felt his skin anymore, neither his legs nor his body. The only organ seemingly working properly was his heart, beating in a normal, rhythmic sound. His gaze wandered around and finally stopped on Noori, who, despite being in the water, had dry clothes, making him frown.

"My dear husband, would you get up? I already said the storm is upon us. We need to return you to the palace," she said stiffly.

Dastan's breaths had turned harsh, his chest rising and falling, his chattering teeth audible. "I can't," he said in a mumble, almost impossible to hear, his big ego seemingly preventing him from speaking clearly.

"What?" Noori leaned over, asking again.

"I can't get up!" Dastan snapped, his frustration evident. "I am frozen! More than this lake! I can't move!"

"Achoo!" He even sneezed in the end, making Noori instantly realise that he was all wet. "Darn it!" She hissed, her eyebrows creased. She rushed over to her cloak, which she had tossed beside the lake a while ago, She quickly threw it around Dastan, tightly placing it around his neck and brushing her fingers across his icy cold skin. The warmth of her touch elicited a reluctant sigh of relief from Dastan's lips.

"Wrap it around yourself for a while," she said, sitting by him as she tucked the cloak around him. Then, she placed her hand on his cheek once more, sending a warm wave rushing across his body, making his frozen limbs feel vital again.

"Can't you just dry my clothes off?" He said, sounding like a spoiled child, making Noori give out a dry chuckle. "Unless you want to be dried out along with them, then yes, I can do that. But if not, then we will have to find a place to take shelter in," she paused, then placed her hand flirtatiously on his back, pulling him closer. "And get you undressed," her gaze filled with amusement at seeing Dastan's contempt for her as she spoke like that.