In Huck's Hands

BONUS Aiko CHAPTER 3 or 5: For Those Who Stay...

The freezing winds howled across the expansive Svetlan tundra, carrying with them tiny crystals of snow that stung Aiko's bits of exposed skin. She huddled closer to her companions, grateful for the shared body heat as they trudged through the endless white expanse.

It had been barely six hours since they'd been dropped off, and already the harsh reality of their situation was setting in. The group now marched much slower than when they first began traveling together once finding one another.

Lina's cheerfulness had dimmed, her pristine face etched with worry. Zara took the lead, her muscular frame cutting a path through the snow. Mei brought up the rear, her quiet demeanor even more pronounced in the face of their daunting task.

The boys - Finn, Sven, Ravi, and Nikolai - had joined their group, operating under the assumption that strength in numbers would increase their chances of survival.

As they crested yet another snow-covered hill, Finn let out a frustrated groan. "We've been walking for hours, and everything still looks the same! How are we supposed to find our way back if we can't even tell where we are?" A recent snowstorm had blanketed any signs or trails that would have normally been used for safe passage; Aiko was sure that this was by design and not bad fortune on their part as she agreed with Finn's sentiments.

Nikolai frowned, pulling out a crude map they'd sketched based on their limited supplies from his pack. "If my calculations are correct, we should be heading in the general direction of the academy. But without proper navigational tools, it's impossible to be certain." He glared at the irate boy who had called him a friend so shortly before.

"Your calculations?" Sven scoffed, his burly frame shaking with a humorless laugh. "We're relying on guesswork and hoping we don't freeze to death. Some plan this is...You guys would be dead already if there were any Frostbear active."

Tension, which had been simmering beneath the surface since they set out, began to boil over. Aiko could sense the fragile bonds of their alliance starting to fray as they continued to dwindle on stamina from the harsh elements.

"At least Nikolai is trying to help," Zara snapped, coming to the blue-eyed boy's defense. "What have you contributed besides complaints, Sven? You backwoods farmhand..."

The Svetlan boy's face darkened with anger as he raised his voice louder than Aiko thought possible. "I'm the only FUCKING one here who's actually lived in this kind of shit. If you'd all just listen to me--"

"Oi, here we go again," Finn rolled his eyes. "Just because you're from here doesn't make you the survival expert! If we hadn't taken that ridge back there I wouldn't have lost my pack!"

As the argument escalated, Aiko exchanged worried glances with Mei. The quiet girl's eyes reflected the same concern Aiko felt; this infighting would only weaken them, making their already slim chances of survival even slimmer. A gift from the Headmaster to work together...Or perhaps a curse.

"Please," Mei's soft voice somehow cut through the heated debate. "We shouldn't fight. We need to work together." Her pleading eyes shined like stars among the blinding white of the snow.

For a moment, it seemed her words had an effect. The group fell silent, the only sound the whistling of the wind. When Ravi spoke up, his easy-going demeanor was replaced by a hard edge. "Work together? Wake up, Mei. There's not enough resources for all of us to make it. Sooner or later, we're going to have to look out for ourselves."

His words hung in the air, giving voice to the unspoken fear they'd all been harboring. Aiko felt a chill that had nothing to do with the cold. She thought of her father's lessons on strategy and survival; "A chain is only as strong as its weakest links". Had they been naive to think they could all make it through this together?