Spirit Animals Vol. 2

|Chp. 28: Of Lanterns & Snow|

The castle was different as they prepared. A letter had arrived of the other kingdom starting their trek here. And the tension rose along with the fact that Quinn was dead set on fighting and North not marrying one of Orsen's sons.

This fight was put in the form of a festival. That lasted for four days and three nights with the final day being the one of the fight. The rest was spent in a drunken glory of fighting, hunting, and drinking and apparently courting as well. And I had never been so jealous before.

Most saw Quinn to be on his deathbed at this point. Including the female polar bears who had gravitated here for the festival. And all they did was flirt with him. . . while I was standing right next to him. Quinn had no idea what was going on and simply nodded and ignored.

But I did not miss a single thing they said. "Your so brave to do that." One of them flirted one day as Quinn held a lantern as he hung it up. Honey had requested for him to help hang lanterns around to light up the area for the festival.

I looked over at the female bear. She was shorter than North. She had long white hair twisted and tied. A pink silk dress she adorned along with little things with. "I could never fight for my sister." I looked at her and she went still under my gaze. They were so annoying.

Never before had I wanted to take Quinn's offer on beating a polar bear until now, as of right now in the form of this girl. Quinn looked at me and shook his head telling me no as I relaxed back against the cobblestone wall that had been cleared of snow.

This was a bit outside of the castle in an area that was no doubt not for the royalty. There was cabins in the woods and what not as the ice castle loomed in the distance. This was where this cursed festival was going to take place. I sighed.

Quinn grabbed the wooden box of lanterns before we left the girl behind once more. And he hung some more up lighting the fire within them striking the flint stones together creating a spark which caught the wick of the lantern. The festival was approaching faster than anyone wanted it to for Quinn.

Some were excited, food, drinks, alcohol of all kinds. I had seen the great dining hall they had. From the one in the castle to the one out here. Ale' of all kinds was being brewed but the castle dining hall was where it was at for the alcohol.

Lavish wine brewed from the fruit they grow. "You want to hang this one?" Quinn asked handing me the red paper one and I nodded as Quinn helped me up and I smiled at him once more and he returned it as we went through the cobblestones streets our shoes echoing.

"I have to dress up for this damn festival." Quinn said looking around. "The first three days in all the royal clothing, including the stupid white furs. And I think they're taking out the crown." Quinn said with an evident frown on his face. "Crown?" I asked and a dull look was given.

"Yes a crown. We all have crowns, even Blizzard has a crown to fit him. North's is the most regal since she's the crown princess and what not. But I hear they're dusting off those contraptions of metals and gems." Quinn said and I watched him and he raised an eyebrow.

"You really seem to hate being a prince." I told him. "I use to enjoy it once upon a time. Barely having to lift a finger for myself, because the servants came running. And then the stress came and then the fight. I almost wished I had stayed for it." Quinn said.

"I could of taken Wynter any day." Quinn said as I watched him. The selfish side wanted to tell him if he didn't run away he would of never met him. But I kept that side down as Lupa trotted up ahead and jumped on a wall stretching herself out.

And it became obvious how disliked wolves were. Most bears moved from her, some gave her disgusted looks. Not that Lupa cared. She was too busy enjoying herself her tail wagging side to side. Eden watched her slowly following her as she trotted ahead enjoying herself a lot.

"So have you made your weird run path around here yet?" Quinn asked hanging up a few more lanterns. "It's called jogging and exercise to keep Lupa and in shape because round is not in shape. Last time I stopped it she got fat because she eats so much." I said looking at her.

'Who are you calling fat you ungrateful swine?' Lupa asked coming towards me. I ignored her helping Quinn hang a lantern. 'No one ignores me.' And then a pain came through as she bit me right in my butt. "Hey!" I yelled slapping her in the mouth and she pounced down instantly.

'You want to go Silver, huh! I will toss you all around these walls call me fat again you squirrel.' Lupa said looking quite devious at biting me as Quinn turned away to hide his laughs. Eden watched just as amused. "Lupa go." I told her and she barked at me in response.

Before Eden decided to take it into his own hands and roar at her in challenge. And then the two disappeared chasing each other with Lupa taking off at full speed as Eden realized he was now running from a wolf. And then he ran as fast as he could as Lupa began barking at him.

"Ok we have a few more lanterns to hang up and then we can just relax for a bit before my mom comes and finds me to do something else." Quinn said as we hung up a few more lanterns as Thaddeus and Claw came in the distance.

And they were headed straight to us. "Quinn." Thaddeus said appearing right next to him. "Something you need?" Quinn asked setting up another lantern blowing strands of his white hair from his face.  "Yes actually." Thaddeus said as Lupa turned the corner with Eden.

Lupa's tail went high upon seeing Claw before she began stalking over. She was high on power lately. I'm not sure why except maybe for the encounter we had with the wolf pack and the promise of vengeance on the alpha. She was doing her best to appear like an alpha.

A strong dominant female who didn't take anything from anyone. And it was alright. . . at times. Other times it made me shake my head at her as she did her thing. She stalked towards an unaware Claw her tail high in the air in a dominant position.

To my surprise she listened to me shaking my head and came over and sat at my side yet stared down Claw the entire time. "Mom says when your done she wants you back at castle. She needs help." Thaddeus said and Quinn nodded at that. "Any idea on what it is?" Quinn asked.

"Nope, but I'm sure it's nothing bad considering what is going to be happening." Thaddeus said and Quinn nodded at that. "Thaddeus I want to talk to you later. . . in private." Quinn said casting a glance at me and I caught that instantly from the look.

Alone without me. And I didn't even argue as Thaddeus nodded. "Got, see you later tonight. And oh and by the way Silver, North is looking for you." Thaddeus said actually addressing me by my name. North? He smirked a bit before walking away with Claw following as Lupa glared at Claw's retreating form.

'I'm gonna beat that bear up one day, mark my words, it's called payback.' Lupa said. "Good luck with that Lupa, Claw is very unfriendly. He makes Eden look like a bunny. He is worse than Thaddeus in temper. And he really doesn't like wolves." Quinn said looking at Lupa.

Lupa turned to him. 'Was I addressing you. No I was not.' Lupa said before walking away. "Someone is moody." Quinn noted. "She has this idea in her head that she is an alpha. I mean maybe, but alpha of what? It's not like there is a wolf around to challenge her." I said.

"So in order to knock her down a few levels a wolf has to challenge her?" Quinn asked. "Yes. And the only wolves are those psychos ones you banned me from going near. And I am not getting dominated by anyone to make her stop." I told him.

"She'll calm down eventually. She'll get a reality slap eventually." I told him. "Like real soon considering she just tried to slam Eden and now has a big pile of snow about to fall on both of them." I said and Quinn's head snapped just in time as the snow fell on both of them.

And then the multicolored dark wolf and white bear was consumed by the snow. Quinn's mouth dropped. "I shouldn't laugh, Eden is going to kill me if I do." Quinn said, but he did anyway as snow began flying everywhere as Lupa dug her way out.

She looked irritated. And she shook her coat free of fur as Eden got out next giving her a nasty look as the two now wet and snow covered spirit animals drudged their ways back to the castle now that we were done with the lanterns and we smiled as we followed them.

1596. The festival is approaching! I'm so excited. * * *