Between Waves and Clouds

PART 3 - FROM A WORLD TO ANOTHER

Chapter 15 - Coming back home

Frost had just left that Nuffink was already freaking out. Obviously, the merman was planing something but, even though the viking didn't know what it was, he had a bad feeling about it. Frost had told him to meet at the Great Glacier, but how was the viking supposed to know which glacier it was ? There was litteraly nothing but glaciers and icebergs in the frozen lands of the north, save from the toundra, of course.

On the freezing sea stood countless ice structures. There was this forest-like among of thin and sharp icebergs, what looked like mountains of ice, several ice blocs that formed a kind of lagoon, a giant flat floe and a gigantic iceberg that stood like a war tower.

Nuffink wondered if this 'tower' was the glacier Frost had told about. He could only hope so. Not wasting time, he quickly went to the hold were he retreived the pieces of his scaled armor. They were still cold and a bit wet, still he put them back over his warm clothes and added at least three furs around his shoulders and back.

When he got back to the bridge, he placed a fourth one on his dragon's back before mounting him, the dragon was still confused and worried, whining. Nuffink patted his nape.

''I know, pal. I'm worried too, let's find him.''

Pouncer shook his head and opened his wings, but Nuffink stopped him as he saw Dart and Ruffrunner were ready to follow.

''No guys, stay here. Guard the drakkar. We'll be back soon... probably.''

Dart tilted her head while Ruffrunner huffed and grumbled. Nuffink ignored them and patted Pouncer, asking him to take off. For a second, he thought Ruffrunner would follow them, thought he heard Dart growl at him.

By watching the white landscape, Nuffink was starting to think he got blind and couldn't see anything. How was he supposed to find the glacier, even more so now it had started to snow ? There was so much mist and wind he could barely make the difference between water and ice.

Moreover, Frost was very pale, his scales and hair were the same color as the snow, and Baby Tooth was just as white, they would blend in their surroundings !

Despite of that, the stubborn viking ketp on searching. He mostly relied on his best friend's instinct and sense of direction. It was thanks to the dragon they managed to reach the location Nuffink thougt was the great Glacier. They reached it after what felt like forever of struggling against the harsh wind.

The giant ice pillar was impressive, surrounded by countless debrits and floes, and Nuffink didn't dare imagine how deep it was going under the water. They were lucky as the snow fall stopped. The haze was still thick and the wind blowing rabidly, but at least they could see better. They soared froward, aiming for the gigantic ice structure.

Okay, so they had arrived to the supposed place, now how were they supposed to find Frost ? This place was huge !

Pouncer stopped and stood by as his ears were twitching. Nuffink was about to ask him what was wrong when he noticed the movement of the white ears with black tips. The dragon had heard something and was searching for where it came from. Nuffink look downward and spotted a small silhouette moving rapidly, seemingly in distress.

He recognized the beluga almost at the same time his best friend did, Pouncer dove quickly, almost dropping himself, then opened his wings to slow down. The floe next to the beluga was too small for him to land, and Nuffink saw something on it, something that made him freeze. On the floe was laying a motionless silhouette. Human silhouette...

The viking pulled himself together and jumped from his dragon's back, rushing to the form. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. How was it possible ? In front of him, Frost was no longer a merman. He didn't have scales nor fins anymore, but a perfectly smooth skin and two legs. In front of him was a perfectly human young man, even though the snow-white hair was still the same.