House of Winter

Chapter 32, Part 1

SANNA

The suns were setting, and broad orange strokes of sunlight were reflected on the snow before them. Sanna and Ari watched the clouds turn pink and gold, while Sigrún, Warrah and Jinni played joyfully in the thick snow. The small brown wolf, the dragon, and the three-legged tiger had got to know each other over the many days of travelling, and now they were comfortable enough to tumble and play.

"Vulfholm's just over that mountain range," Sanna said quietly.

Ari didn't respond.

She'd been giving Sanna the silent treatment since Sanna had saved Tai's life after the volcano erupted. Sanna tried not to point out that she had also saved Ari's life, and that it was quite rude to ignore someone who had saved one's life.

Looking up at the mountains, the tips of which were lit up in dusty gold from the sunset, Sanna realised she almost didn't want to cross the mountains to Norrlund. If Jinni was leading them to Norrlund, it meant that Lumi was travelling to Vulfholm. And once they arrived in Vulfholm, everything would change.

Sanna and Ari had been travelling together for days, and she'd become used to it.

Sanna needed more time. She needed more time travelling alone with Ari, so that Ari could forgive her for saving Tai. Then they could go back to the calm days of living off the land, with simple needs like where to find fresh water and food, and where to camp at night. She had found she was happiest with just the smallest pleasures, like teaching Ari magic, and when Ari spoke to her in verses from the poetry book Sanna had once given her.

Sanna had never been a romantic. When she'd pursued Raphael it had never been because she imagined herself falling in love with him. It had always been because she had wanted what he could offer her: safety and protection. It was the same with Tai. She had never felt romantically inclined towards the prince. She never daydreamed about his eyes.

But Sanna found herself daydreaming about silly things as they travelled. Like the idea of building a house in the woods, somewhere in Norrlund, where they could be alone and spend their lives reading books and baking bread and discussing poetry and literature and philosophy. It would be a simple life but it would be happy.

Once the suns had set, they packed and set off into the sky. They had a few more hours to fly tonight before they would make camp again and sleep. Ari rode on Warrah, Sanna rode on Sigrún, and Jinni flew in front of them, his huge black wings beating in the air as they took off.

They flew for an hour, until the sky was alive with stars and the world below them was still and dark. They were keeping watch for somewhere to sleep, whether it was a small village where they could ask for shelter, or some protected side of a hill where they could camp out of the wind.

But they wouldn't stop yet, they still had time. And it would still take them a day or two to cross the mountains, or maybe more. Sanna wasn't sure how fast the kinnlings could fly at that altitude. It might take them days to cross the peaks. It would be the harshest part of their journey. But Sanna knew that in that time, she would be able to make Ari forgive her. They could be friends again.

"Warrah, no!"

Sanna glanced back, to see that Ari seemed to be struggling on the dragon. And then in a moment the dragon was nosediving down towards the forest below them.

With a jolt, Sanna realised that Warrah was diving to the forest as if he meant to crash to the ground. Sanna spurred Sigrún to follow. She saw Jinni up ahead make a dive to follow the dragon.

"Ari!" Sanna called out.

Sanna could do nothing but watch as Ari clutched onto the dragon.

Warrah shot forth a sudden burst of water at the trees, and then crashed down through the top layer.

"Go, go," Sanna urged Sigrún, and pushed her wolf to follow the dragon into the shadows of the trees. Too late, Sanna realised just how thick the branches were. She screamed out as branches tore across her face, as Sigrún crashed through the foliage and down to the forest floor.

Sanna fell from Sigrún's back, and gasped out in pain as the air was stamped from her lungs by the fall. She stared up at the canopy above her, desperately trying to regain her breath, until she noticed there were shouts.

Sanna sucked in a lungful of air and pulled herself onto her knees, then looked at Sigrún to check the wolf was alright. Seeing that Sigrún was fine, she turned to see what was happening.

There were others in the clearing. There was a tent, a piece of canvas strung between trees. There were shouts and a scream. Sanna rushed forward, half blind in the darkness, trying in vain to see what was happening.

"Warrah, NO!"

"Sigrún," Sanna said, and she climbed onto her wolf's back for safety. She realised that Warrah was attacking the people in the clearing. Whoever had been camping here, Warrah had decided he wanted to attack them. And Ari was clutching desperately onto the dragon's back.

"Stop him!" Sanna said. Sigrún charged forward and hit at the dragon from the side. As she did, a blast of ice and snow magic hit Warrah square in the chest. The dragon fell a few steps backward from both hits. Sanna realised the people in the clearing must be winter starrlings.

Then she saw the huge black wolf charge at them. Sanna screamed.

to be continued...

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