The Frigid Truth

Chapter 4

Seal stood at the edge of the outpost, his breath curling into the freezing air as his eyes scanned the endless white horizon. The cold had always been a constant companion here, a biting reminder of where he belonged—but today, it felt different. The cold was sharper, as if the wind carried whispers of something wrong. It had been days since anyone had seen Isabelline, and while most of the dragons tried to keep busy, there was no denying the tension that rippled through the ranks.

The outpost had never felt so quiet.

Seal's claws clenched against the frozen ground as he tried to focus on his duties, but the weight of uncertainty gnawed at him. Where could she be? IceWings didn't just disappear.

Not like this.

He could feel his wings tense in anxiety, his mind delving into her disappearance. Recently Harp had been writing many, many letters in concern of Isabelline's disappearance, hoping that she could be searched out for, or confirmed to be elsewhere. Although writing to the general they worked for was pointless, as his neglect stubbornly rejected their need for help. 

Why was it they hadn't care so much for missing icewings? Not just Krill, but the higher circles? What had the outpost done wrong for them to be ignored?As much as Seal wished and hoped the new general could possibly listen, he doubted it would be different. Hearing from other Artic outpost crews was the same story over and over. 

 They would likely get a replacement scientist in her place, which made Seal feel sick. The idea that outpost crew members would be as easily replaces was saddening.Eventually, he had to force himself out of his snowstorm of thoughts. He couldn't stare the morning staring into nothing for the entire day.

Seal shifted his focus back to the task at hand, shaking off the uneasy thoughts. The scent of pine and frost filled his nose as he trekked toward the forested outskirts of the kingdom, where icy trees towered over the snow-covered ground. Today, he was tasked with gathering medicinal plants from the frozen foliage—a routine he had grown accustomed to, though his mind was rarely still during the process.

Carefully, he plucked frostwort from the ground, its blue petals shimmering under the pale morning light. This herb was especially effective for curing headaches, and in the harsh, cold conditions of the outpost, they were constantly in need of remedies for various ailments. He tucked the frostwort into a satchel slung over his side, his talons moving swiftly but delicately, as though every plant he harvested had a story of its own.

As Seal worked, the weight of Isabelline's absence tugged at his mind again. He couldn't stop thinking about the scientist—how she had been such a vital part of their work, and now, her unexplained disappearance left a gaping hole in their daily routines. He wondered if she had simply wandered off too far during one of her studies or if something more sinister had happened. The idea of never knowing gnawed at him.

Once the satchel was full, Seal made his way back to the outpost, his wings twitching with the cold and nerves. The sound of crunching snow beneath his talons was the only noise in the stillness, but it did nothing to calm his troubled mind. Back inside the outpost's small infirmary, Seal began mixing the herbs into a paste, carefully grinding them with his claws. He'd make enough for a few doses, enough to help anyone suffering from the usual headaches caused by the biting cold and low air pressure.

As the mixture came together, his thoughts drifted again, and he found himself wondering: What if the new general was different? What if they actually cared?

But then, that familiar sinking feeling returned. What if they don't?

It seemed like Annapurna and Husky did not take notice of Seal's presence in the outpost, as they had been talking quite boastingly next to the door frame outside.