Wing of Fire - The Iceborn (Fanfiction)

Chapter 17

Blizzard could just see the tips of the mountains the made up the eastern side of the Ice Kingdom, the same mountains that held the Diamond Caves. The three stopped right before they crossed the ocean to get something to eat.

Sandstorm and Cloud had worked together to catch a large moose for them to share. Sandstorm was all too happy to noticed how Blizzard looked when she remember she would have to eat frostbitten food again. Blizzard thought he was too willing to talon feed her so that Blizzard could eat non-frostbitten food.

Blizzard ate her fill and was waiting for Sandstorm and Cloud to finish theirs. The outline of the Ice Kingdom seemed a bit welcoming, given her current situation. According to Sandstorm, who had visited Pyrrhia not to long before all this went down to find out Blizzard's status.

She was still wanted, but many seemed to have forgotten about her in a few years she was gone. So she was a little bit safe.

"Blizzard?" Cloud grabbed Blizzard's arm again and hung on. "I'm so sorry all this is happening. I wish I could reset time so that it wouldn't happen,"

"Thank you, Cloud," Blizzard said, giving the SkyWing a small smile.

"Time is something we cannot control," Sandstorm stated. "But we can control our fate. To some extent,"

"That was very inspirational until the end," Blizzard commented, causing the three to chuckle in amusement.

"I try," Sandstorm said. "Shall we head off? It might be dusk, but maybe the cover of darkness will aid us,"

"Let's go," Blizzard said. The three spread their wings and started towards the Ice Kingdom. It wasn't a very long flight, but the sun had disappeared quickly by the time the three reached the other coast.

"Stay low," Blizzard said, flying close to the ground. Sandstorm and Cloud followed suit, flying as quietly as they could behind Blizzard and the IceWing led them through the mountains.

The nipping winds felt like nothing compared to the Ice Territory, Blizzard thought. All too soon for Blizzard's comfort, the Ice Palace began to loom into view in the darkness of the night. Memories flooded back to Blizzard like a hurricane. Training for battles that would most likely never happen, clearing hallways the moment she entered them, having Permafrost read scrolls to her, since she would freeze the scrolls at a touch.

The IceWing shook her head to clear her thoughts. She needed to focus. Diamond Caves. She's looking for the Diamond Caves. Blizzard landed behind a mountain and searched for a familiar outcropping that would be the telltale entrance of the Diamond Caves. "Look for a cave opening," Blizzard whispered.

"Roger," Sandstorm and Cloud chorused. The three spread out over the mountains in search. Blizzard had trouble trying to remember the layout, the job harder in the darkness of the night.

"Here!" came Sandstorm's whispered shout. Blizzard and Cloud pivoted and flew towards the SandWing's voice. Pass a pine and spruce forest was the yawning cave opening that glimmered with ice.

"This is it. Let's go," Blizzard said, landing. She led Sandstorm and Cloud in the cave, but hardly got a few tail-lengths in before she stopped.

"Hey, can either of you-" Blizzard was answered with Sandstorm shaking his wings. The veins within his wing membranes began to glow, bright enough to where it lit up the cave ahead of them.

"Never mind. Thank you," Blizzard said. Deep into the caves, twisting and turning, choosing between forks and intersections. Blizzard was glad she remembered the way into the Trial cave, a way she remembered fully without doubt.