The Five [EDITING]

Chapter Four: Cold

ALIENA

There was a storm coming.

Though it was barely autumn, my brother always said there were only two seasons in the north: summer and winter. The only thing separating the two seasons were storms marking time. In 'summer' we would get heavy buckets of snow dumped onto us by the clouds. In 'winter' we received terrible winds and snowfalls hard enough to call ice.

These storms could kill you. Growing up in as blanket of white, it was ingrained in me to respect the dangers this simple and beautiful white could be hiding underneath. Even in the road, a familiar and well trodden path, the dangers lurked right there at the edges, ready to crush you under unimaginable weight, or to wallow you up in a terrible gulp. One wrong step and you could find yourself sliding down a deep slope you hadn't even known was there.

The storms were twice as deadly.

Along with the freezing temperatures that soaked through every fur you could wear, visability was almost none and wind could turn you around and change the landscape so quickly you'd find yourself lost without even moving your feet. Without shelter, fires were impossible to keep going for long, even with a stack of coal at hand. Even if you could keep it going, the wind would steal pieces of your fire only to fling them outward with no direction at all, setting you at risk of becoming aflame.

I had shelter, but I did not trust it not to be buried in the morn along with the dogs and the sleigh. In three weeks since I have stepped onto Ice Road, I have been through four storms just fine, but I could tell by the absolute stillness in the air and the discomfort of the wolves that this coming storm would be the worst yet. If I did not find a better shelter, I wasn't sure I could survive it.

With the wolves remaining in good health, we had made excellent time along the road and were nearing the tree line that would allow me to survive out here, at least I hoped. But still, we had to make it through the narrow mountains which were spotted with caves and crevasses. I left the dogs with the sleigh, took my crossbow in hand, and headed toward the cliffs with my snowshoes strapped to my feet.

I had to be careful. Not only was I in unfamiliar territory but this was a perfect home for wolves and snowbears. With the storm coming, others would be seeking shelter as well. Also, I needed a cave that was high enough I didn't need to fear being buried inside, and wide enough to get the sleigh in. More, I did not dare stay under a overhead covered in snow that could collapse on me at any moment.

So with my crossbow loaded, I carefully walked along the cliff, keeping my eyes on both cliff and the snow at my feet. I was just about to give up and head back when I caught a promising sight.

There was a overhang, but it was so far out that it could fall and still not bury the cave. Thousands of icicles a hundred hands high fell from it, creating a white and blue curtain. The cave was narrow, but not too narrow. I only had to keep an eye out for animals and see how deep the inside of it was, but I felt confidant that it would be perfect seeing as I hadn't seen a fresh print for a while.

I approached the cave cautiously and when I saw no fresh prints or scat in the snow at the mouth, I stepped inside quietly and faced the darkness.

I was snow-blind, so the darkness was absolute for a good while before I began to see through the dimness. I took careful steps deeper, just a few hands, then stopped again.

No prints. No fresh boulders that would hint the cave was unstable.

I took a few more steps inside and stopped again, just as my brother had once taught me. Widened walls, slated ceiling, no fresh boulders or rocks on the---