Ice Wolf

Chapter 1

Pulsar date 1967.6/98
Date on Harlief last day of summer year 1009 ASC

Mevienna panted as she trudged up the side of Durbin, a mountain outside the small mining town of Whitemines. Durbin was one volcano in a pair of volcanic mountain chains. Durbin was an ice volcano that would erupt an odd slushy ice that froze all in it's path. A rumbling came from Durbin's brother a fire volcano by the name of Turind. Mevienna stopped and looked over at where the mines clustered at the base of Turind. Lines of lights still walked into the mines even as a red glow began to grow at the crater of the volcano. The rumbling continued for a moment then subsided.

Mevienna looked back toward the mining town of Whitemines. The multicolored Daystones glowed atop posts around the small town. People rushed to get indoors as the last light of the summer sun dipped below the horizon. Mevienna growled as the light hit her eyes. She huffed and turned back to her climb. The ice cave was barely visible above her when the moon began to rise, reflecting what little sunlight graced this half of the world. She walked into the large blue ice cave with a sigh. The eyes of the people of Whitemines always seemed to follow her even when she was leaving for a long hunt.

The people of Whitemines or any of the small outposts near the Tundra looked at her as a freak. She saw them as weak, they all hid during the many dark days of deep winter. Only parties of miners would dare to step out of the towns and only if they were all carrying Daystones. She only had respect for a few of the hunters that would brave the Tundra during the light winter summers to hunt. She was the only one that would hunt the Sunless Tundra and only because she needed to.

Mevienna pulled off her hood, freeing her long blue black hair. She spotted her companion napping in a corner. Akita opened one of her glowing blue eyes and huffed. "Here I was having a good dream. Did you get everything?"

Mevienna nodded and walked over to the Ice Shadow. Akita had joined Mevienna when their pack had been destroyed in an accident. It had been from a hunter that Mevienna had learned what Akita was and how other humans viewed her. Ice Shadows were wolf like creatures that had deer like antlers and odd spikes on their backs. They had white, grey, or even light blue coats and markings. Akita was unique in that her coat was black with dark blue markings.

Mevienna sighed again and leaned against Akita's side. "These supplies will help us during deep winter. We just have to get to the hunting grounds before the packs do. As soon as the packs arrive we will be forced to leave."

Akita huffed again, then stood up and shook out her fur. "Then we should let the moon shine on our tracks."

Mevienna smiled and finished the Ice Shadow proverb. "And howl to the sky ribbons when the moon sets."

Mevienna gathered the supplies and transferred them to the sled opposite where Akita had been laying. She belted the harness onto Akita and they stepped out of the cave. She took one last look at Whitemines lit by the moon before turning away toward the white expanse of the Tundra. They did not see the small group that was headed for Whitemines as the wind began to pick up and blow snow across the hills.

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The group of five entered Whitemines and walked along under the Daystones toward a large building with music floating through the walls of ice. They entered and headed for a shadowed corner. They kept their gear on even though a large fire burned in the hearth. Suddenly an older man called out to the group. "Yer not from these parts are ya?"