11-26-2018, 09:22 PM
Ice like fire pelted them from every direction. Santana's eyes were slit against the stark whiteness and the blistering wind as they plodded on their steady way. His narrow shoulders brushed those of the pied mare beside him as they walked. Was this storm going to last forever? Would they stumble on the slick ground and find themselves unable to rise again? Exhaustion leeched the borrowed warmth from his bones unforgivingly. All the world was white and cold, and they would soon be embossed in it.
At first he thought his eyes were deceived, when the pervasive whiteness seemed to grey ahead. An ache rose in his skull as he tried to see through the whirling flakes. As they paced forward it became clear; the way forward grew darker, and at last the storm broke around them. Out they fell into a clear space, with slate grey skies overhead and cold hard earth at their feet. Blinking into the overcast light, Tana grinned tiredly in Valdis direction, dropping his grip on her mane. A quick glance around erased the rising hope in his chest, however. This was no lake, nor did he see anything relevant nearby. Instead, the events of the day seemed to have caught up with him. Every blink seemed to drag his eyelids lower, until it was more trouble than it seemed worth to keep them open. His breath slowed and deepened. In the space between one heart beat and the next, the gold and white boy passed from waking to deepest sleep.
When his eyes fluttered open again it was on an unfamiliar scene. Unfamiliar and yet recognized by description. The snow was crisp and clean, unmarred in any way. It reached to the very edge of the black waters, no rhime of ice encircling the banks. It was, in fact, a perfect heart shape. Behind them stood a great, bushy cedar and around them stood some of those who'd stood with them on the mountain. A sound like subtle chimes caught his attention, drawing his sight upward to the spreading branches. A light breeze had wound its way through the greenery, shaking the spears of crystal ice that dripped from above so that they tapped against each other musically.
Long and short, thick and thin, the frozen spikes glittered ominously overhead. Each held a lethal point at its end, and Tana realized how little it would take to bring a shattering cascade down on all their heads. An anxious exhale hissed from between his lips as he noted the others who'd recovered their wits most rapidly. Different techniques were utilized, of varying complexities. Some saw fit to advise the rest while others struck out on their own tenacities. His gaze cut to the golden haired girl beside him, brows raised doubtfully.
"Here we are, I guess." His voice was kept carefully low, eyes unable to keep away from the threatening icicles long. His tail twisted around his hind legs pensively. "Kay, watch out for a minute. I'm about to do something stupid." It was a fair warning, he felt, before shifting his weight onto his haunches. In one smooth motion, he tipped backward and stretched upward until the tip of his muzzle grazed a cold point. He was tall enough to reach the spear, but only just. Not tall enough to exert the pressure needed to break it from the branch it clung to. Losing his balance, his feet thudded back to the packed ground. Apparently, that impact was what it took to shake a few of the crystal stems from their perches.
The one he'd been aiming for shook free from its green needled stick. It cut through the air and embedded itself in the snow mere inches from his flank. Sparkling fragments rained down and bounced off his back and shoulders, catching in his mane. He sniffed briskly, a tickle at the back of his throat. "So that worked, sort of." The icicle stuck straight up from the ground, glinting in the dull light. He gripped it in his teeth, yanking upward to free it from the snow. About two feet long, it was clear through, with patches of snow clinging to its surface. It lay between them, taunting in its delicacy.
Tana walked to the base of the tree and grabbed a twiggy looking stick from the trunk in his jaw. He pulled and twisted as delicately as he could while still breaking it away from its home. A sleigh, of sorts, to ferry their treasure home. When he returned, Valdis had turned the icicle into a snowy sausage. It was cloaked in a thick shield of ice crystals, fluffy weather packed closely about the frozen staff. "That's great!" He laughed softly, nosing it onto the wide surface of his branch. The needles dug into the snow, making it more secure than he'd hoped. Together they turned to leave the island.
Making it to the edge was much faster than the inbound journey had been, and crossing the water was treacherous but possible with the branch floating between them. The snow grew saturated but remained as cold as ever, a coating of fresh ice raising where it surfaced in the frigid air. It was as cold as before, but now his purpose felt clear. The cold was bearable now that the end was in sight. On the opposite bank his skin frosted over with ice crystals until they began moving again, hauling their prize. The landscape shook and scraped the branch, knocked chunks of snow from its fragile burden. He carried it, then took a turn walking behind the sledge until the mountain grew in their sight. Every so often he nudged the icicle back into the center of the branch. All thought of rest and exhaustion evaporated as the foot of the mountain encompassed them. Day and night ceased to matter. Up and away the path rose underfoot, like it had decended them so recently. It was deja vu as anticipation filled his breast. They were close, so close to their goals.
And then it opened up, like a grasping palm. Little snow held on to their stem now, but it had served its purpose. The icicle was only slightly diminished after their long journey. For better or worse, things were at an end.
At first he thought his eyes were deceived, when the pervasive whiteness seemed to grey ahead. An ache rose in his skull as he tried to see through the whirling flakes. As they paced forward it became clear; the way forward grew darker, and at last the storm broke around them. Out they fell into a clear space, with slate grey skies overhead and cold hard earth at their feet. Blinking into the overcast light, Tana grinned tiredly in Valdis direction, dropping his grip on her mane. A quick glance around erased the rising hope in his chest, however. This was no lake, nor did he see anything relevant nearby. Instead, the events of the day seemed to have caught up with him. Every blink seemed to drag his eyelids lower, until it was more trouble than it seemed worth to keep them open. His breath slowed and deepened. In the space between one heart beat and the next, the gold and white boy passed from waking to deepest sleep.
When his eyes fluttered open again it was on an unfamiliar scene. Unfamiliar and yet recognized by description. The snow was crisp and clean, unmarred in any way. It reached to the very edge of the black waters, no rhime of ice encircling the banks. It was, in fact, a perfect heart shape. Behind them stood a great, bushy cedar and around them stood some of those who'd stood with them on the mountain. A sound like subtle chimes caught his attention, drawing his sight upward to the spreading branches. A light breeze had wound its way through the greenery, shaking the spears of crystal ice that dripped from above so that they tapped against each other musically.
Long and short, thick and thin, the frozen spikes glittered ominously overhead. Each held a lethal point at its end, and Tana realized how little it would take to bring a shattering cascade down on all their heads. An anxious exhale hissed from between his lips as he noted the others who'd recovered their wits most rapidly. Different techniques were utilized, of varying complexities. Some saw fit to advise the rest while others struck out on their own tenacities. His gaze cut to the golden haired girl beside him, brows raised doubtfully.
"Here we are, I guess." His voice was kept carefully low, eyes unable to keep away from the threatening icicles long. His tail twisted around his hind legs pensively. "Kay, watch out for a minute. I'm about to do something stupid." It was a fair warning, he felt, before shifting his weight onto his haunches. In one smooth motion, he tipped backward and stretched upward until the tip of his muzzle grazed a cold point. He was tall enough to reach the spear, but only just. Not tall enough to exert the pressure needed to break it from the branch it clung to. Losing his balance, his feet thudded back to the packed ground. Apparently, that impact was what it took to shake a few of the crystal stems from their perches.
The one he'd been aiming for shook free from its green needled stick. It cut through the air and embedded itself in the snow mere inches from his flank. Sparkling fragments rained down and bounced off his back and shoulders, catching in his mane. He sniffed briskly, a tickle at the back of his throat. "So that worked, sort of." The icicle stuck straight up from the ground, glinting in the dull light. He gripped it in his teeth, yanking upward to free it from the snow. About two feet long, it was clear through, with patches of snow clinging to its surface. It lay between them, taunting in its delicacy.
Tana walked to the base of the tree and grabbed a twiggy looking stick from the trunk in his jaw. He pulled and twisted as delicately as he could while still breaking it away from its home. A sleigh, of sorts, to ferry their treasure home. When he returned, Valdis had turned the icicle into a snowy sausage. It was cloaked in a thick shield of ice crystals, fluffy weather packed closely about the frozen staff. "That's great!" He laughed softly, nosing it onto the wide surface of his branch. The needles dug into the snow, making it more secure than he'd hoped. Together they turned to leave the island.
Making it to the edge was much faster than the inbound journey had been, and crossing the water was treacherous but possible with the branch floating between them. The snow grew saturated but remained as cold as ever, a coating of fresh ice raising where it surfaced in the frigid air. It was as cold as before, but now his purpose felt clear. The cold was bearable now that the end was in sight. On the opposite bank his skin frosted over with ice crystals until they began moving again, hauling their prize. The landscape shook and scraped the branch, knocked chunks of snow from its fragile burden. He carried it, then took a turn walking behind the sledge until the mountain grew in their sight. Every so often he nudged the icicle back into the center of the branch. All thought of rest and exhaustion evaporated as the foot of the mountain encompassed them. Day and night ceased to matter. Up and away the path rose underfoot, like it had decended them so recently. It was deja vu as anticipation filled his breast. They were close, so close to their goals.
And then it opened up, like a grasping palm. Little snow held on to their stem now, but it had served its purpose. The icicle was only slightly diminished after their long journey. For better or worse, things were at an end.