"Fallow me then," he said, pushing past Midnight, "The stores are not too far from here. It's still across the village, but it wont take us too long to get there." Holding the door, he closed his eyes to get a sense of his surroundings again.

Goldenscale nodded, frowning as he pushed past Midnight just to get out.  She then put her wing on her briefly before she folding it against her again and followed Alignak.  "Okay." she said.

Fallowing behind Goldenscale, Midnight sighed before looking to Aga briefly. "I'm not sure we should head out there with only one elder to guide us," she said, looking back to Goldenscale and Alignak.

"Fine, I'll accompany you to the entrance," Alignak grunted, flicking Midnight with the end of his tail, "I can only see one of you making it back out."

Goldenscale looked confused.  "You can only see one of us making back out of the Fortress?" she asked in confusion.  I wouldn't allow it.  I wouldn't mind if I didn't mak it, but I would make sure everyone else is safe first... she thought.  She truly didn't care if she died getting the runes or saving her friends and family, but there was no way that only one of them was going to make it back out.

"Ms. Tulip chest here doesn't strike me as strong enough survive the Fortress," Alignak said, running a claw through the snow, "She strikes me as weak, both in mind and body. She does not seem fit to travel, let alone guard you."

"Ms. Tulip chest has a name and it is Midnight.  If she was strong enough to withstand me freeing her soul from an evil beastkeeper as well as getting the tulip planted in her chest, she is welcome to come with me.  Strength is not something you can get at first, you have to build up to it, and I know she will." she said defensively.  "And I do not need a guard.  I may be small, but do not let that fool you.  I am stronger than many of the creatures back home." she said, a bit anoyed with him.  She wondered how the dragons living there endured this day after day.  Maybe she couldn't because she just didn't grow up around creatures like him.

"Size does not matter, I know this. Midnight, as you call her, still seems weak. I do not believe she will make it," he said, rolling his eyes, "You will need strength in both mind and body to survive in the Fortress of Ends. Even if you know the right paths, the challenges that are needed to pass are still difficult."

"We will make it.  I have confidence and I will make sure of it, even if that means I will exhaust my magic and my own strength to do so.  I will not allow a dragon to die now after I haven't let that happen for so long." she said. 

"You can't protect everyone.One day, you will loose someone, and there will be nothing you can do about it," he said, stopping to unlock the store door, "I suggest you realize this now. The sooner you realize this, the less death will hurt you in the future."

She sighed.  "I have seen death far too many times, though that probably would be wise.  I'll probably still try anyways since that is what I do now." she said.  She truly did just save people, though she also gave insight to a great many things that others hadn't realized before.  The second death of Frost's to-be wife was hard on her and she barely knew her, but that was also the first time she had ever failed in heling someone.  It probably was a wise idea to start realizing she couldn't save everyone.

"So long as you realize things can't always go your way.Learn from where you have failed, and use the new knowledge to better improve your subsequent attempts. If you can't learn from your failures, or fix them, you have no right to be going along in the field you are," he said, pulling the lock off the door, "We live here under strict rules. Through these rules, we have survived thousands of years. We can not afford for someone to fail without reason. We must all learn to deal with what is given to us."

"Failure is how I learn and make myself better.  What's the point in trying the same thing if you don't learn from it?" she said.  It was something that she had always known.  It's liek fighting an enemy.  If you know their weaknesses, then you go for those, not use moves that do nothing to harm them.  "I have heard of your rules.  I think that a little trial and error would be good as well because then you would know how to do more than just survive here.  You could learn to actually live.  You do not know how wonderful life is until you begin to take risks, stray from the path that you know." she said.

"Some things are best left unchanged. Our life here depends on us being able to get what we need before the harsh months get here. We have only a few months left before then," he said, leading the two inside, "Get what you need, nothing more."

Goldenscale nodded.  She quickly found the things she needed and she left, the few items clutched in her arms.  "Thank you for the suppiles, Mr. Alignak." she said.  She was certainly trying to be polite to him, but it seemed as though his pride got in the way of a few things.  At least they all had supplies for what they needed.

"Right, let me get the place locked back down, and wee'll go get my brother. He will likely be having some tea, but he's welcoming enough to help others," he said, starting to readjust the lock, "If you want any chance to survive, he will have to fallow you in."