The snowstorm had caught the three travellers high in the mountains with little shelter available. The trees at this height were spindly caricatures of those in the lowland forests and while there were plenty of them, they gave little protection from the storm. The storm also dulled their hopes that the pass would be open but turning back wasn't an easy option.
"We have lost the path in this whiteout. Shall we try and create a shelter or go on a little longer?" asked Bron.
"Nothing here," said Aeronwyn, her teeth chattering in the cold. "Keep moving for now!"
Keri had brought fire up into her hands and was using it to try and stay warm. It wasn't working as the fire she created seemed not to affect her at all. She quit trying and concentrated on holding the blanket she had draped over herself closed. They were all walking the horses and she was almost head to tail with Aeronwyn's horse as they struggled through the ever increasing snowfall.
"There is a rock face. Damn. We are completely off the main path. Best we try and shelter!" Bron shouted back. "Wait! A cave. Not much but it might do."
It wasn't much of a cave, more of a deep overhang of rock but it was large enough to bring the horses into. With the animals at the front, Bron, Aeronwyn and Keri were able to feel some relief from the storm's fury. There was room enough to lay out their bedrolls, so they brushed as much snow as possible away so their bedrolls could lay on the soil beneath.
"Keri, I have an idea," Aeronwyn rubbed her hands to try and bring some warmth into them. "See this large rock here? I want you to try using your kind of flowing fire on it. See if you can get it really hot."
Aeronwyn had placed the rock more or less at the center of where their bedrolls were. Keri's hands were shaking from the cold and she had trouble concentrating. She knelt down by the rock and called up the fire. She placed her hands over the rock and imaging the fire flowing out of the down, onto the rock below. Closing her eyes to concentrate, she visualized the fire not just hitting the rock but entering it, making it alive with flame.
"Keri! That's it!" Aeronwyn said excitedly.
Keri opened her eyes. The large rock was so hot that it almost seemed to be losing its shape. Keri looked at Aeronwyn, her mouth open in surprise, as she realized that the heat from the rock was almost too much. The snow that the rock had been put on had disappeared with a sizzling sound and the snow around the rock was melting under the intense heat.
"How long do you think it will last?" Keri asked.
"I don't know. I suppose it depends on what your magic has done to it." Aeronwyn replied. "For now, we have shelter and heat. We just have to wait out the storm."
Bron went to his horse and pulled out some travel bread. Looking at the rock thoughtfully, he cut a piece off with his knife and carefully placed it on the rock. Within seconds it was browning. Pulling it off, he handed it to Keri then did one for Aeronwyn and lastly, himself. With hot bread in the stomach, the three wrapped themselves into their bedrolls.
Keri blinked open her eyes. It was quiet. She realized that the sun was up and the storm had stopped. Aeronwyn was brushing down the horses but she couldn't see Bron. Rubbing her eyes to clear the sleep from them she yawned, then climbed out of the bedroll. She needed to pee, desperately. Aeronwyn, noticing she was awake, smiled and pointed at the far end of the overhang. When Keri was done, she rolled up her bedroll and began packing up the horses.
