Risk and Reward

Chapter Twenty-Four~The Climb

When I wake up the next morning, I'm lying on my stomach surrounded by hounds on all sides. I'm warmer than I've been in days and even with the pain in my leg and wings, I feel good. I pull in a long breath before I feel something tugging on my braid and look over to find the mischievous pup nibbling on the end. "Thanks for the wake-up call, little one. I need to go." I entice it to let go with a berry, then stand with a wince.

His tail wags and I spare another moment to rub behind his ears, then carefully step over the mounds of fur to get to the wall. A soft ruff has me turning to face the mother. My head inclines to her with respect. "Thank you," I murmur and stiffen when she presses her snout to my stomach. She huffs and looks up at me, then presses her nose there again. Something in her eyes screams 'be careful.'

My brows furrow, but I nod. "I'll be careful. If you're ever in the eastern part of Illyria, stop by a cabin deep in the woods. A male named Cassian lives there and I stop there every once and a while. Uh, don't eat him though." I instruct and she grumbles what I suppose is begrudging acceptance. With no more time to waste, I begin my climb and think all the while about what she could have meant.

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It doesn't take long for the cold to reach me.

Ice and snow cover the mountain and the higher I get, the worse it is. The wind whips around me, trying to tear me from the path I'm huddled over on as I shuffle forward bit by bit. My eyes sting and my tears freeze on my eyelashes until I transfer my arrows into my food bag to regain use of my hood again. I free my hair from its braid to try and generate more warmth, but there's only so much I can do. It doesn't take long for memories to come knocking on the door to my mind.

Snow up to mid-shin is pushed out as we trudge along, my father pushing us, "Come on, just a little further. We'll be warm soon. Only a little longer now." Only for us all to be cut down on the edge of the warmth he promised us. Except me.

"Just stay huddled together. Don't let go of one another for a second." My mother's voice whispers softly and I know the tears on my face aren't only from the wind.

"Please." Mirabella forces out of chattering teeth, "Can't we just stop to make a fire?" Gods, yes. A fire. I wonder what would have happened if we listened to her advice. Would we have been found all the same? Would we have laughed with one another around the crackling warmth only to freeze to death in the middle of the night when hunger made us too weak to get more firewood?

Night falls, but just like back then I know I can't stop. To stop in the snow means death and I'm not going to die here. Just as I didn't die there. I pull out my waterskin and take a few freezing gulps, then rip apart a piece of meat with my teeth. "Just a little further." My father's voice comes again and I push harder, wiggling my toes inside my boots even though I can barely feel them. My hands are shaking from more than the chill and I shove them under my armpits to try to keep my fingers warm.

"Why don't you stop and rest?" A soft, soothing female voice comes to me on the breeze. "You've worked hard. You're injured. Take a rest for a few minutes." It entices and my steps begin to slow. "I can see into your dreams, all you've suffered. Wouldn't you like a moment or two to sleep and see your family?" I don't realize I've come to a stop until I feel a chill shiver down my back in the opposite direction of the wind. I spin with bow in hand, arrow nocked, but only see a flash of soft white light before whatever it is blends into the snow around me.

"Show yourself!" I command.

A silvery chuckle fills the air. "Sleep, Kaira, and you'll see me. Aren't you tired?" It tempts and I carefully move onward even in the darkness, staying close against the mountainside so I can at least feel where I'm going.