Legendaries

1

"Cold! Cold, cold, cold, cold!" Steph cried sprinting across the packed, icy snow. Her stockinged feet slapped soundlessly on the ground but it wasn't "cold" per say. Her words were more out of instinct, and she was so set on what little survival instincts she had. Those instincts screamed "Cold."

A slick patch of ice caught her off gaurd, and she began to slide. Startled, she threw her arms out to catch herself, and keep her from tumbling face first into the ice a frigid breeze swept up under her as she braced herself for the impact that didn't come, and she tumbled backwards into the air. She screamed, bewildered in her sudden change in direction, but also because she still expected the ground to come up and crush her, but miraculously. . . She hovered.

Panting, she looked down at her surroundings. The rolling hills of white sparkled beautifully in every direction she looked except up. Above her the deep, midnight blue sky was peppered with luminous stars that shown like Christmas lights embedded deep in an evergreen, and all around them were the vibrant shades and swirls of greens and pinks or the northern lights.

"The Northern lights?" She thought, beaming up at the luminous sky. "It's rare that you ever see Northern Lights in ..." And then she realized all at once that she wasn't any where near her home. It was only November, there was barely and ice on the roads early in the mornings, she shouldn't be able to sink to her ankles in snow. Where was she, and what had happened? Her sister Hadelyn must be so scared. They gone for a walk when. . . Well what had happened. All she remembered was walking down the crusty sidewalk and sliding along on the first real ice they had had of the season, and then nothing more. Hadelyn had released her hand for a moment and slid away giggling and then. . . Nothing. She was only concerned for a moment though before she was swept up in the brilliance of the lights again.

"I. . . Fine?" She asked more than said remembering her spectacular fall, oblivious to how many feet separated her and the frozen ground (about 4 at that moment.)then she laughed. "I'm fine! I lived!" She tilted her head to the heavens and laughed triumphantly as if she'd actually out smarted Death himself. "I. . . I. . ." She slowed her laugh and caught her breath. Furrowing her brow she looked at her white almost grey hands, and then she realized she couldn't see her breath. It was awfully cold. It wasn't unpleasant, but she figured her hands should be at least a little red, and her breath be fogging.

"Hello?"

Steph screamed, reeling at the sudden voice from directly behind her. She tried to whirl around and face the owner of the voice, still oblivious to the act that she was hovering, but the wind stopped abruptly and she tumbled forward, screaming into a snow bank.

A pair of gentle hands grabbed her wrists and layer her gently on her back. Steph was only half aware of this though.

"Are you alright?" A dreamy melodious voice seemed to materialize from the deepest depths of her dreams to form in her ears. It was only when she realized that she was ever so slightly smiling when she stirred. "Are you alright?" The deep voice asked again. Gingerly Steph opened her eyes, and starred up into the most brilliant crystal blue eyes she'd ever seen before.

"Uh. . ." She stammered lamely, mesmerized by the beautiful boy in front of her. A smirking half smile quirked on his pale lips as he gazed down at her. Sporadic white hair toddled itself effortlessly atop his head, and framed his chiseled face.

"Is 'Uh,' a new state of being? A new synonym for 'fine' or 'breathing' or 'this is a shorter way of saying that this is my last word'?" He asked dramatically. She could only blink.

"Jack." He said holding out his hand to her. She starred at it for a moment and then took it.

"Steph." She said as he pulled her gracefully to her stockinged feet.

"That was since trick you did back there Steph. Where did you learn it?"

"What trick?" She asked confused. "I didn't do anything." She frowned remembering her original concerns. "I don't even know how I got here. One minute I'm taking a walk with my sister, and the next thing I know I'm running around here like a chicken with its head cut off."

"Jack looked puzzled for a moment, but then laughed. "That's a strange saying you mortals use." He chuckled. "Come on, I'll take you back to the pole with me. You can warm up there."

"Mortals?" Steph asked quietly. "When I woke up the moon said something about mortals. . ."

"The moon?" Jack asked suddenly looking intensely serious.

" Yeah, I know it sounds crazy-"

"No." He frowned. "But It doesn't make a lot of sense." He grabbed Steph's hand. They were tearing through through the air before she even realized what was off the ground.

"What's going on?" She cried over the fierce wind.

"We are going to talk to North. He'll know what's going on. Don't worry, Manny doesn't talk to me much either."

"Manny?" She asked.

"Don't worry Steph. I think you and I are going to get a long just fine." He beamed, and then turned sharply wit the wind.