An Icy Prison

Chapter 11

"The clouds are getting thicker." I commented, shaking my light blue wings as a light snow descended from the sky, I had never seen snow, I hadn't expected it to glitter like sand. In front of us stood a large icy landscape, as barren as the Sandkingdom, just much much colder.

Tundra gave a swift nod, staring in not exactly wonder, Tundra didn't seem to display that emotion much, if at all. The last time I had ever seen that expression on her face it was when a porcupine had somehow fallen into their cave, over a porcupine. Tundra was something else.

We were getting deeper and deeper, and the snowstorm we were in seemed to keep getting bigger. Tundra's wide wings mostly shielded her from the worst of the downpour, meanwhile I felt a slice of hail hit me in the head every so often.

"Should we stop?" I suggested nervously, Tundra seemed to be in a mood, to my shock she just nodded her head, maybe she was more tired than what she was letting on.

Tundra dived down to the icy land below, landing on a frozen solid lake with me behind her. I raised an eyebrow, "It's cold. Do we have to stand on top of this? What about a cave?"

Tundra shook her head, "Something could already be living there. We are taking a break because most of the most dangerous animals don't like being out in the open."

"There is a reason for that." I muttered, if she heard she gave no indication. Everything was chilled and silent though, so there was no reason she wouldn't hear me.

I stamped around trying to feel a bit warmer.

Tundra regarded me carefully, I could never read her, it wasn't a cold look by a longshot but it wasn't exactly warm either. Maybe a more of a distant look, not attached to the worldly desires of everyone else and instead sharply looking somewhere else in the horizon.

"Come on." muttered Tundra, taking to the air, and glancing down towards me, waiting.

For a second I stared back, I didn't want to move, my wings ached from the long trip here and the drastic change in the weather conditions. Still I raised them high to the sky and followed Tundra, we were almost home, then I could stop and catch my breath.

Tundra swerved between the tree lines, I was too tired to question it, eventually she stopped in front of a tiny cave mostly submerged in snow but big enough for us to squeeze in there, you could see the outline of the back wall.

I blinked, "A cave?" I was secretly thrilled that she had taken what I said seriously.

Tundra gave a small sigh of exasperation, as if I was being stupid for asking that question, "Yes, now get some sleep, or don't just don't stray from here. I'm going hunting. I won't be far if something comes... Try to handle it yourself this time, I don't need to be called for another raccoon attack."

That was one time.

ONE TIME.

Without another word she turned tail and darted off in the woods.

I was left alone staring out into the soon becoming blizzard. I never would understand Tundra, I decided glancing at the cave she had left me in.

Hours later

I had been looking for Tundra in a panic all morning, she was nowhere to be found. I may have even gotten a bit lost, I was too worried to care. I slid down another snow hill, ungracefully getting swept up in the snow and landing in a heap. If anyone saw that I was done for-

I looked up and saw a familiar glare wash over me. If Tundra was a fire breathing dragon smoke would have come out of her nostrils. "Aureus, what are you doing?"

I gave a lopsided grin back, ignoring her eyes boring into me, "What am I doing? Where have you been?"

"Where have I been?" growled Tundra with a snort, "I told you to stay in the cave! Then you weren't there, and look how much trouble this has caused."

"I was worried about you too." I said simply, and was rewarded with a roll of eyes by my friend.

Suddenly a slick gray dragonet with piercing blue eyes and shiny whitish gray scales came swopping in, curiosity sparking in his eyes, "Is that Aureus? They are so pretty!"

Tundra frowned, shifting the snow with her long lithe tail, "Yes this is my numbskull companion. Aureus meet Seal. I met them last night, their family was hospitabible and they believe they can help us join the tribe officially. Seal this is my... sister."

My head shot up in confusion, we weren't sisters. What was Tundra talking about?

And the plot thickens