When morning came Brimstone awoke with his face covered in frost and as he tried to get up he recoiled in pain and collapsed on his back as pain coursed through his legs. He looked down to see thick scarlet lines that had ran all the way down his legs from all the cuts and lacerations he hadn’t noticed he had accumulated the day before. The hardened blood cracked splintered as he tried to get up one again letting loose small trickles of blood that dripped from his matted coat onto the hardened icy floor. It took him the better part of half an hour but he managed to get himself up and cleaned off all his matted fur with a little bit of initial shock as he heated the water up too much. Brimstone managed to wrap his wounds with only a little difficulty and he felt like he could finally relax. He decided to take it easy for now and stretch out his wings for a bit taking his practice maneuvers slow and easy. Midway through his exercises Crimson returned from somewhere and began packing up everything starting with the interior stuff and by the time Brimstone finished his exercises Crimson was starting to dismantle the tent.
“Are we moving to another pass?”
“Nope! We are heading home, well you are. I have places to go, people who need my attention, and a princess who would very much like to know where I am…probably. Although we aren’t going to part ways just yet, I wouldn’t be a very good partner if I just left you out in the frozen wastes without a map or a guide. Now get that pack on and let’s move out, we still have a 5 day trek back home and it isn’t going to get any shorter by standing around so let’s get a move one.”
“But what about the mountain pass? If they could get that far with that mechanical monster, imagine what else they could pull through that pass.”
“Don’t worry Brim, I made sure nothing was going to get through that pass for a long time. We have at least 4 months to prepare a defense, who knows maybe you’ll be picked to take charge of the initial defenses and maybe if that goes well perhaps the whole campaign.” Crimson gave Brimstone a little sneer.
Brimstone shot him back an amused look “If you say so.”
The trip back through the foothills and ice fields was calm and relaxing the skies were clear every day and they managed to catch a few animals here and there to fortify their dinners. Crimson would tell of war stories usually both recent ones and the ones from ages pass although he didn’t tell more stories of Sombra but Brimstone didn’t mind much. It was high noon when they arrived back to the snowy knoll Brimstone barely recognized it but the sound of the land and the smell of the air tipped him off. Brimstone and Crimson set to work to remove the winterization they had put up almost two weeks ago and even with their weary limbs they managed to get the job done and with time to enjoy a nice home cooked dinner. Brimstone tried once again to get Crimson to join him for sleep but Crimson just smiled and said he had to go. As Brimstone threw down his pack and removed his wing blades he thought back on the last two weeks and although they had brought him a fair share in the pain department he knew it was worth it. That night was some of the most comfortable and relaxing sleep Brimstone had ever gotten. Brimstone woke up in his bed which felt weird after all this time, but he fell right back to his routine of grooming and dressing up in his work clothes. He was fixing up his breakfast when a knock came at the door. Hoping it was Crimson Brimstone rushed to open it only to find a long rectangular box he looked around and couldn’t see a soul so he took inside and started opening it. The first thing Brimstone pulled out was a long rifle much like the one the pegasus captain he fought had but when he inspected it he saw on its silver plates a story had been inscribed. It took him a while but he finally figured out the story, it was of his father a long time ago way back from the time of the Smiths. Brimstone was on the edges of tears as he pulled out the other package. It was two black leather bound books with silver clasps. Brimstone opened them to find a note, it was from Crimson.
“Brimstone I’m sorry I couldn’t find more, but here you go. Sombra’s personal journals from that time long ago. It’s my gift to you; we will meet again someday soon…stay sane I don’t want to lose someone like you. Until then.” -Crimson
Brimstone was overcome. He sat in that kitchen the rest of the day wiping around his tears of joy as he dived into the journals. All the while Crimson’s promise was sitting in the back of his head. He was finally able to close the chapter of his life where his past and the mystery of his father had kept him, at least a little. When Brimstone was finished he looked outside to see the night greet him with its lights that danced in the sky. Brimstone thought they looked even more beautiful than ever. He was content.