The Curse

Chapter 44 Frost Bite

*I had lost feeling in both my heads and feet about three miles into the climb. Yeah these mountains were pretty high up and we were still climbing. My hands were encased in ice about five inches thick and feet ten. My hand found a smooth flat surface and I pulled myself up feeling something warm on my hand. As I pulled myself farther up I fell into some boiling water. I jumped out of it in shock. Anubis and Raja were laughing at my sudden shock of the natural hot spring. Drake came up after me and he peeked over the side before jumping over and away from the water.*

"Why are you wet?"

"I jumped into that water."

*I was knocking the ice off of my hands and feet. My appendages were frozen and blue not to mention I couldn't feel them. I gently rubbed them trying to get some feeling back, but was unsuccessful.*

"Your hands and feet don't look good at all."

"No shit Sherlock!"

*I tried breathing on my hands to get them warmed, but nothing. I even went so far as to stick them down into my pants I was wearing just not in my underwear to warm them up, but that did little to no good either my hands were turning a darker and darker blue. I was going to have to find shelter and fast an get a fire built if I wanted to keep all of my fingers and toes.I felt my body getting picked up by Drake and Rae was wrapping my hands and feet up into some rabbit skin.*

"Thanks, I can still walk you know."

"You aren't walking anywhere. Your going to damage the tissues if you put any weight on it."

*As Drake walked Anubis went ahead along with Raja to find shelter while Rae stayed with us to find certain herbs by which would shelter and make my hands and feet warmer. The movement from Drake carrying me and my expense of manna prior had me slowly zoning out from reality and surcame to the sweet relief that the darkness called sleep evoked. I could feel my body getting colder and colder as I slept and I could almost see my dream selfs breath. I felt shaking on my body, no...rubbing...it started to feel warmer I could feel a soft presence on my body and something warm,soft, and hard all at the same time. I began to regain my senses and feeling my digits were still numb, but they now had a prickling stinging feeling to it.*

"I had no idea you were this cold while climbing."

*I snuggled closer to the warmth in desperation to heat my body up now that I had been given a taste of heat I craved it once again.*

"You've regained consiousness, that's a big relief you wouldn't wake up when you were getting shaken earlier."

*I turned around feeling bare skin pressed against bare skin and came face to face with Drake snuggling with me in a blanket, both of us naked, to what extent I wasn't sure. It seemed like there were six or so deer and sheep skin pelts wrapped around Drake, plus Drake under here with me by the fire which I had just noticed ablaze next to us should have had me warmer, but I wasn't I was still extremely cold.*

"W..where are w..we?"

"Anubis and Raja found somebody which when heard what had happened to you, he offered us a place to stay until you manage to get warmed up as well as the blizzard passes."

*I saw somebody walk in, he had snow white hair and his eyes were a silver color. His skin was extremely fair and if I didn't know any better I would say he was almost a male version of my self aside from our eye color our hair was even cropped the same! Although he walked with a brown staff and his eyes always remained fixated forward.*

"So, by the way your breathing is as well as the sound of your voice I take it you are finally awake."

"Y..yeah."

"Did you do what I told you to do prior to getting her in?"

"Of course."

"W..what d..d..did he t...t..tell you t..too do?"

"You have at least some feeling right?"

*I could hear the worry in Drakes voice and nodded.*

"The best way to get warm is to strip down naked and use ones body heat to warm the other up."

*I nodded in acknowledgment.*

"I..I was wondering .w..hy w..we were n..naked n..not like we h..haven't b..been like this b..before..though."

"Your voice has gotten less shaky, that is good it means you are finally getting warmer."

"If she had been left out in the cold any longer she wouldn't have her hands or feet, she isn't put out of the clearing yet though, she most likely will be getting a fever soon due to that shock to her system from the sudden change in temperature she experience when she fell into the hot spring."

"I watched as the form of my male doppelgänger took a seat and grabbed a few herbs I recognized, but was having trouble remembering the names of these herbs were only found in the mountains in extreme cold and were extremely hard to reach. Their properties went along the lines of helping to bring a temperature up as well as to bring fevers down by the way he was combining the herbs. He dumped the herbs into a scorching hot drink and the mint aroma had me getting lulled to sleep again.*