Frozen Water ~ Dreamnotfound

3

Upon waking up, Dream caught a glimpse of light in the cave. It wasn't a literal light, but rather a light that could only be described as happiness. Tommy and Tubbo sat along the wall, laughing like crazy at something said between the both of them. On the opposite side of the room, Techno and Sapnap were talking while Niki stirred something in a pot over a fire. George was laying down still, his legs underneath a thin felt blanket, snoring softly.

Dream moved over to Niki and looked over her shoulder as she stirred. "What is that?" He asked, and she looked at him with a smile on her face.

"Beetroot stew. It's my own recipe and I think it should turn out alright." She lifted the wooden spoon she was using to stir with out of the pot and cupped a hand underneath it so it wouldn't spill. "Try it. Tell me what you think."

Smiling, Dream took the spoon from her hands and turned, lifting his mask so he could take a sip. The stew coated his throat and as he swallowed, some dribbled down the sides of his cheeks. It tasted amazing. Two months ago Dream would've said it tasted gross or bland, but right then and there, it was the best meal he'd had in a long time.

Niki took the spoon back from him and wiped it off, replacing it with a fresh one. "Good?"

"It's...amazing." Dream answered, truthfully.

"Good." Niki poured in another small spoonful of spice to it, stirring it in an even pace.

"Niki makes the best!" Sapnap cheered from where he sat. Earlier, Dream might have said he was intimidated by Sapnap and his stoic demeanor, but seeing him now, Dream realized how genuine these people were. It was unfortunate that he wouldn't be able to stay with them for long.

When Niki was done, she poured seven bowls of the stew and handed them around. By that time, George had woken up and they all sat around the fire laughing and talking. "Savor it," Niki warned. "These are the last ones we have in this batch. Tomorrow I will send Sapnap, and whoever else would like to go, on a run."

Sapnap let out a groan but Tommy looked eagerly towards him. "Sapnap, can I please go," Tommy asked. "You've never let me go before."

"No," Sapnap said sternly. "You're a kid. If anything happens to you, it would be my fault."

Tommy sighed heavily. "It's okay," Tubbo assured him. "Next time maybe."

Dream finished his bowl of stew and handed Niki his empty bowl. "Thank you," he said. "It really means a lot." Then, he turned to Sapnap who was talking to Techno. "Can I be the one to come with you? I owe my life to you guys, so it's the least I can do."

Sapnap nodded and turned to George. "You coming too?"

"Yeah," George said, nodding sheepishly.

Early the next morning, Sapnap shook George and Dream awake and the three tried their best to pack up and leave without disturbing the others. It was freezing outside, but Sapnap had given the two new arrivals an animal skin coat to wear over their clothes and the snow was much calmer now. Trudging along the mountainside was a rough and strenuous journey, but Dream didn't complain. In fact, it was George who complained the most, talking about his legs hurting and hands being cold.

Sapnap was calm. He knew the path and made sure that George and Dream didn't trail too far behind. Their banter was filled with laughter and the three got along as though they had been friends for years. It took about seven hours of walking to get to more familiar territory for Sapnap and they came across a large, snow covered hill, he beamed. "You guys aren't going to believe this when you see it."

George and Dream looked at each other, but followed Sapnap up to the top of the hill. When Dream saw what lied below, he gasped. His eyes felt wet as he looked down across the landscape.