Permafrost

12: Cinders

⭐️Chapter 12: Cinders

Ryn was now alert, and up. What was that? It could have been an animal, but it also could've been a person. She scanned the area, looking for the source of the sound. Currently, she saw nothing. She slowly stood up. Dare she walk towards the outer woods and risk getting caught or something possibly worse? Half of her said yes, half of her said no.

She didn't want to call out to anyone, in case her voice gave her away. She stood there, still as can be, wondering every second of the moment whether or not she should move or not. Ryn heard the rustling again and turned towards the direction of the sound. She wasn't fast enough to see anything, unfortunately. She resumed waiting where she was. If she had to remain still to see who or what this was, she would remain still.

She watched as the snow from trees fell around her. No sign of the person or whatever it was yet, but she was willing to be patient. She also realized she would need a bit of a plan. If it was a frost soldier or anything of the sort, she would have to flee and hope they didn't attack the house. It was true that she didn't want Talon and Stag to be captured or harmed because of her. However, if it was her friends, she would have to inspect them to make sure it wasn't a trick.

Yes, there were mimic octopuses in the Frost Army. She had seen them before, when they had attacked. They worked as spies, and she used to hate them because of how flawless their mimicry was. She personally thought it was unfair to have that sort of power, so she would be especially mad if one or more of her friends turned out to be one. She resumed scanning the area while still remaining still, hoping that this...thing would show up sooner or later. Even with her coat and boots on, she was staring to get a little cold.

Suddenly, Ryn heard...whistling? coming from the woods. It was a strange tune, but something about it seemed familiar. She waited, and the whistling stopped. She thought she remembered the tune, but...from where? She didn't want to speak again, but it turned out she didn't need to. The thing whistling the tune whistled it again.

She then realized, she knew this tune! It was a song she had sung in her childhood days! One she remembered being sung to her! (She had forgotten who by, however) She remembered the song entirely, of course. But...the only ones who she remembered telling it to were...

"G...Guys? Is that you?" Ryn called out to the trees.

A rustling was heard again, and she watched as a very small octoling came out of the bushes. He looked up at her with big eyes, as if studying her for a moment.

"Ryn?" he whispered as quietly as possible.

Since there was no other noise out in the forest at the moment, Ryn heard him perfectly fine.

"C...Cosmo?"

The little octoling's face lit up as she said it.

"Is...is it really you, Ryn?!" he exclaimed.

"Only if you're really Cosmo!" Ryn replied happily.

Cosmo ran to hug Ryn, and the two embraced. Ryn felt herself about to cry happy tears from finally getting back her teammate. But wait.

Cosmo couldn't whistle.

Which meant...Her other teammates must also be here too. Cosmo let go of the hug first, and told her to wait there. She did, and watched as Cosmo ran back into the forest parts. A few seconds later, Silvia and Jack came out from the forest with him, still in the same winter clothing they had been in when they fled from the town. Their eyes widened when they saw Ryn and they immediately ran over to her. Ryn stood up and hugged them both, this time actually crying happy tears.

They separated after a few seconds, and Ryn took in some breaths. Her heart was beating so quickly now that her friends were here. She scanned them up and down, looking for any damage on them, or any signs that they weren't themselves. Her excitement might have caused her to see nothing wrong, but that didn't matter to her. She was no longer alone, and she was reunited, even if she hadn't seen them for a single day. She cared about them, a lot.

"Guys! I thought I had lost you!" She cried, still trying to control her quickened breaths.

"We did too! They almost caught us!" Silvia exclaimed.

"But...but how did you escape?" Ryn asked, amazed.

"Ah, well. After we tackled that guard down, we ran out of the house to try and chase after you, but the guards were already on us!" Jack explained.

"But then somebody distracted them by saying they were needed over in one area that still had a group of people the other guards were struggling with!" Cosmo added.

"They only left two guards with us, and so we were easily able to beat them with our weapons!" Silvia finished.

"We got your weapon too, Ryn!" Cosmo said, handing it over to her.

Ryn smiled as she took it, proud of her friends.

"Thank you ALL! You have no idea how happy I am that you guys did this!"

"It was no problem!"

The group walked over, closer to the house now that Ryn knew it was them.

"So uh. Have you come up with a plan since we've been gone?" Jack asked.

Ryn paused for a moment.

"Actually, I have."

"Ooh! What is it? Are we chasing after the guards?" Cosmo asked, eyes wide.

Ryn shook her head."Nope."

"Are we going to a secret hideaway to find powerful tools?" Silvia asked, mystified and interested.

"No..."

"Well, what's your plan then?" Jack grumbled, ready to learn what the plan was.

Ryn took a deep breath in.

"We're going to stop them entirely. We're going to go to the ice kingdom and end this mess once and for all."