Spring, 1424

Soon enough, the Land of White Death began living up to its name.

The Arcadians had only marched a third of the distance up to the pass when the temperature began dropping and snow began to descend. Soon a harsh wind had picked up, and eight miles in a blinding blizzard hit the army. Within minutes the path became slush then covered completely in a foot of snow, causing individuals and horses to slip and wagons begin to lurch. In the face of such conditions the soldiers lowered their hoods, clung tightly to their cloaks, and continued forward. Mera had no such protection. Facing the buffeting sleet of white, the dragon could only keep his head down and bear it.

Exposed by the bad weather Jayna had dismounted and marched beside the others.

“We should make camp.” She told Chagraff.

The Rutherian shook his head. “There are crude rock shelters and caves all along this route, but the supply wagons and horses have to reach the Bow Valley to be able to stable the horses and park the wagons.”

“We are still ten miles from the Royal Pass!” Murray exclaimed. “Our forces will be scattered if we make camp now! It’ll take us three days that we can’t afford to regroup and recover. Our forces would be caught on the slopes and destroyed if we don’t take Fort Shields as soon as possible!”

“Our forces will die on the slopes if we don’t shelter as soon as possible!”

Murray hmphed.

“My soldiers can handle this terrain and weather.”

“Then have them take the lead. Cutler’s forces are exhausted, and I’ll have them encamp in this area. I’ll have each succeeding unit that begins faltering to halt and seek shelter. The Walkerites are to make for Bow Valley at all haste with the wagons.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Murray gave a curt salute and then moved on ahead.

Cutler's brigade was soon dismissed and formally ordered to seek refuge, which was professionally followed. However soon after that Hassan’s troops gave out as well. Though the engineers managed to set up camp with some difficulty, Jayna and Chagraff exchanged glances. The army was straining from exhaustion.

Clutching her cloak tightly under the steady torrent of snowflakes by Mera’s flank, the Arcadian commander turned back to face the column with her sword raised.

“Keep moving! There is not enough space here for everyone to stop!”

She was not sure if most of the army had heard her, but hoped those that did were able to relay the message.

Amidst the storm the army continued its arduous trek. Wagons began getting stuck, and some were abandoned, livestock cut loose, the most important items salvaged, and the remainder left to the snows.

Then the horses and cattle began dropping, and finally soldiers soon began straggling and falling.

“Anyone out of energy seeks shelter! If there is no space, congregate under any cover! Burn whatever is needed to keep warm! Everyone else keeps moving! Four miles to safety!”

Step by painful step the Arcadians trod onwards, bleeding individuals every minute, stringing out for miles as the exhausted lagged behind. Every minute felt like an eternity.

Murray had stayed behind the vanguard and waited at a rock for the rest of the army to approach. He did not seem happy to see the status of the force when Jayna, Mera and Chagraff appeared an hour later.

With a snort the Walkerite stormed over and began hitting faltering soldiers with the flat of his claymore to drive them further. “Move or die!” He roared, “Keep moving or you’ll join the snows!”

By this point most of the drivers had fallen out. Chagraff took the initiative, riding back and rounding up those that appeared to have the greatest amount of energy and attention. “Unhitch the livestock! We will leave the wagons and recover them after the storm. I need volunteers to ride the horses ahead to Bow Valley. Other volunteers will be needed to drive the cattle!”

Soldiers clamored to be given the opportunity to ride on to shelter, and Chagraff selected those most dutiful and loyal. Far fewer were interested in the cattle, and the Rutherian appointed those with the most experience and energy.

The army was barely holding itself together, like sugar soaked in water but still retaining its form. Jayna and the other Arcadian officers cursed, cajoled, threatened and beat the soldiers onwards as they trudged the last few miles up, lead in front of the main column by Mera, following the rapidly disappearing tracks of the Walkerite vanguard. Buffeted by the flurries, Mera gritted his teeth and plowed ahead, breaking up the compacting snows and providing a small windshadow behind him. The dragon was numb, the cold cutting down to the bone, but there was nothing else to do but lead the way.

Still the Arcadians kept hemorrhaging troops. By the time the storm abruptly broke two hours later, revealing snow-capped peaks towering above the small line of soldiers and the dragon exhaustingly trudging up the path like ants, there were only about 1500 troops remaining, mostly Walkerites, Terror Birds, and volunteers still driving the cattle.

Jayna paused to look up at the clouds dramatically sundering apart like ocean waves, creating small gaps of evening moonlight reflecting off the black precipices covered in snow. King and Queen Mountain loomed on either side, and a towering castle perched above a saddle between them. Just ahead, the slope of the mountain began to level out before it would finally reach the pass.

“Almost there!” The Arcadian leader called out in joy. “We're only a mile or so away!”

“Jayna, look at Mera!” Chagraff suddenly exclaimed.

The Arcadian leader turned to look at her companion beside her. The dragon was shivering, moving slowly, and it seemed, painfully.

“Mera! Are you alright?”

The dragon looked weak and tired.

“My bones ache badly. I am sorry, but I need some rest.”

“We can’t stop yet! This storm could come back and bury us alive!”

Chargraff leaned in and whispered into Jayna’s ear, “I think Mera has rheumatism.”

Jayna looked at the inflamed joints clearly visible among the dragon’s limbs and realized what her companion had gone through.

“Thanks Chagraff. I’ll have him rest. Go ahead and lead the troops to regroup in the valley. We’ll catch up later.”

“Will do. Our forces will all need to rest and regroup.”

She gave the dragon a quick pat to the side. “I’m sorry Mera. Let’s find you a shelter.”

---

Three Kingdoms Total War Soundtack-Memories of the Past

From  Chickenzaur!

Original: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/55531091/