promise of a new beginning

~part 3~

After nearly half an hour of walking my legs were close to giving way, more importantly however, no sign of Teucer. I looked to the sky above me and shuddered as the first few drops of rain fell, quickly turning into hail form the frost and hitting the ground with a rythmeic insistency. 

With nothing but the heat of my own breath I continued out into the snow. I reflected bitterily that I should have taken a lantern, but it was unlikely mum or dad would have let me. They're rare in this part of the country and dad will need it to help the neighbours bring in the cattle. 

I assumed I was heading north, but as the hail slowly tuned into a blizzard it was becoming hard to see where I was going. I was losing hope of find Teucer. 

I resisted the urge to cry, in wether like this my tears would simply freeze on my face, and let me tell you that is not a pleasent expeirence. Instead I gritted my teeth and pulled my coat more tightly around me, calling out Tuecers name as I went. 

Eventually, after my thraot had gone horse and my breath coming in with ragged pants, I heard a distant voice yell back to me. Tuecer, I relasied belatedly, I found him, I thought, before passing out and falling to the snow. 

I awoke to something warm pressed against my palm. I bleerily regained my awareness of my sourundings, and looked down to see a small Red pendant, glowing brightly. 

"Tonia!" A voice said. And i turned around to see Tuecer smiling up at me. "You're awake!!" He switched his gaze to the pendant in my hand, whats that he said curiously, his arm outstrecthed reading to touch it. "OW!" He yelled, recoiling, "That was hot! Be careful Ton!" 

"You, telling me to be careful?!" I said with good natured incredulity. "You're the one who went running off in a snow storm! You're lucky its over now!" Teucer laughed as I lent forward to embrace him. 

I still wasn't sure what the strange pendant was, but when I went to touch it, the bright glow dimmed a little, and it stopped emmiting as much heat. I looped it through my belt, I could worry about that later, I thought.

"come on Tuec, lets go home."