Viggo's Terrible, No Good, Very Bad Days

Part 29-Freezing

"Who's idea was this again?"

"Yours."

"... shut up."

A slight smile curled up the corners of Ryker's mouth as he watched his brother stomp through the snow. Viggo's short, stocky build, paired with his irritated expression and multiple layers of winter clothing, made him look almost like a disgruntled bulldog.

"W-we just n-need the ice ferns. Then we c-c-can go home." Ryker nodded in agreement, but his slight smile faded. Viggo had been shivering for hours despite his layers, and his lips were blue. "Are you doing alright? I know you hate the cold, and we've been going for hours."

Viggo glared at him and started stomping slightly faster through the snow. "I'm not a baby, the cold won't kill me." Ryker opened his mouth to argue, then closed it again and followed after his brother.

It was just starting to get dark when the brothers finally had enough of the ice ferns and turned back for their ships. The snow, which had been falling steadily for the last few hours, was now starting to fall in earnest, and it was getting hard to walk to.

Ryker frowned at his compass in his gloved hands and paused mid step; they should be closer to the ship than this, right? Had they traveled farther than he had thought? Or had they been walking in circles ever since the snowfall had gotten stronger?

"Viggo? Don't be mad, but I think we need to stop and check the course readings, I've been going the wrong- Viggo?"

The younger Grimborn was standing completely still in the snow, staring straight ahead with glassy eyes. Ryker struggled back to him, and it wasn't until he shook his brother's shoulder that the younger Grimborn that noticed him and jumped.

"Don't sneak up on me like that! It's too c-cold for your stupid games. Tell me we're almost b-back t-to the sh-sh-ship."

Ryker frowned. "Well, I think we might have to find a cave or something actually. There should be some up ahead, since we're just retracing our earlier steps. I'm sorry, I had messed up the calculations a little bit."

Viggo stared at him for a second with his brow furrowed. "You... okay." He rubbed his eyes like a child and when Ryker started to walk on and he didn't follow, the elder Grimborn took his hand, leading him on until, to his relief, he found the cave systems.

It was still snow, but it was a deep hole that the brothers could huddle together in until the storm passed. Ryker pulled Viggo in and frowned at his blank expression. If he remembered Ola's lessons at all, his brother could be nearing frostbite and hypothermia.

Ryker pulled off his brother's glove to check his blood flow and gasped.

The tips of Viggo's fingers were already turning black.