Dragon Prince: Warrior (Re-Write)

Chapter Thirteen: A Rough Trail

After an hour or so of walking, the princes, the girl, the elf, and the glow toad emerged from the forest into a valley. Despite the cold weather of the mountains, it's uniquely beautiful around them in Sierra's eyes. In the gathering dawn, the icicles glowed like firelight marble, covering most of the snowy forest and the valley. Snow dusted around them and the ground all around them; more crystalline flakes were falling more quickly from the sky. Soon, an incredible mountain range appeared before her after they continued walking through the mountain pass, rivaling the Mountains of Katolis in height and breadth. Its surfaces were frosted with bright snow from the peaks to the bottoms. Steep, snowy mountains loomed on either side of them, but straight ahead there was a smooth, trodden trail. Sierra observed the well-worn walkway, relieved that someone else had followed this path.
"Wait. This path is too easy." Rayla put up a hand to stop them from walking farther.
"No, it's not," said Callum. "It's exactly the right amount of easy."
"Listen to me," Rayla said. "The trail is well-worn, it's flat and soft. Sooner or later we're going to run into somebody." She turned and pointed straight up the mountainside. "We need to go that way. Together terrain is safer for us. The tougher the better."
"That sounds terrible," said Callum bluntly.
"Exactly!" Rayla replied. "Terrible is perfect."
Sierra eyed Rayla weirdly. "Since when is a terrible trail perfect?"
"Since we have to make sure nobody's following us," retorted Rayla sharply.
Rayla looked at the trio of siblings, who seemed to be communicating silently with each other and came to a silent agreement. Callum sighed and nodded to Rayla. The three of them started following Rayla off of the trail.

As the group climbed higher into the mountains, the wind whipped harshly around them. The snowdrifts had deepened, and the ice had became slick the farther they got to the mountain.
Rayla paused and looked back at all the ground they'd covered. "All right, let's stop and eat. I'm starving."
"Finally." Ezran collapsed onto the snowy ground.
"Hey!" Sierra poked her hand into her bag, rummaging through it and found nothing, but crumbs in her bag. "Who ate all of my trail mix?"
"Who ate all of my pieces of fruit?" All Callum had found were crumbs from the mentioned food in his bag.
Rayla sighed and also went through her bag too. "I suppose I's be willing to share my moonberry juice with you. You know, it's packed with super nutrients, and I still have plenty." She dug into her bag and pulled out the glass bottle... only to find it empty too! "All right, which one of you stole it?" She held up her bottle. "I knew I shouldn't trust humans."
The three humans looked at her blankly.
"Come on, out with it," demanded Rayla. "Which one of you went through my stuff?"
"I didn't touch your things," Callum said.
"Wasn't me," said Sierra and continued looking through her bag.
"Don't look at me," Ezran said with palms facing up.
Rayla gazed at them with a frown. "Well, I didn't drink it. If one of you didn't sneak it, then—"
"HIC."
"What's that?" Rayla asked.
The four of them turned to the source of the juiciest they'd ever heard. Bait was glowing a deep shade of purplish red and brown, and was licking his lips. He hiccuped again.
"Wait," Rayla said. "Did that little frog monster—"
"Bait wouldn't do that," said Ezran. "You have no reason to think—"
"HIC." Bait bellowed again, earning a glare from Sierra.
"Don't accuse him." Ezran was intent on defending his pet, but he was feeling less sure of Bait's innocence.
"Look at how he's glowing," said Rayla.
"Well, Bait glows different ways depending on how he's feeling," Ezran said. "Like, he has one color if he's lonely. Or he glows another way if he's hungry." Ezran suddenly regretted saying that from his older sister's driving hunger and annoyed anger when he spotted her glare.
"So, what does this particular shade signify?" asked Rayla.
"Hmm." Ezran gazed at Bait curiously. "Actually, I've never seen him glow that color before. Kind of a reddish purple... berry color... and a brownish tan... fruit and trail mix color."
"UUURRRPPP." Bait let out a belch right in Ezran's face.
"Yeah, he drank it and ate it." Ezran looked sheepish and ashamed of his lack attention on Bait.
Rayla shook her head, put the bottle away, and continued walking.
Everyone moved on in silence.