They had only spoken a few words in the days since the stupid little lamb chat. The atmosphere between them, having become a bit more awkward. This was mostly Wren’s doing as he wasn’t really sure what to say or do around Quizi anymore.
The weather, like the tension between them, had become chillier too, in recent days, and they both wore their bear mittens and leggings, as well as their bear tops and capes to stay warm. And they were still both cold.
Snow was falling lightly from the sky and about a hand’s width had settled on the ground, making the going tough. The mountain peaks were all around but the falling snow meant they couldn’t really see them and visibility was limited to about fifty paces at best.
They had already wandered off the path twice and had spent a lot of unnecessary time retracing their steps.
The path was also very high and exposed and the cold wind made the two of them shiver as they trudged slowly through the snow. Currently, the right side of the path was hard against the side of the mountain so following it was not too difficult but when it went out in the open, spotting the track from the rest of the ground was very difficult. Everything was just cold and white.
Wren shivered again. It was mid-afternoon he guessed but he couldn't really tell, the view hadn’t changed all day. But tonight was not something he was looking forward to. This was the highest they had climbed so far and they would need to find some shelter or there was a good chance they wouldn’t survive the night.
Wren periodically channelled a little energy into his fingers and toes. It didn’t warm them but did repair the damage the cold was causing. He had offered the same to Quizi but she just waved him away and carried on walking. A fire was clearly out of the question, so shelter was the priority.
As they walked Wren noticed Quizi’s head starting to bow and her steps slow. She was exhausted as well as cold. He caught up to her and told her to stop. She didn’t argue and just slumped down in the snow.
They were against the side of the mountain now. The path fell away on the other side, not too steeply but steeply enough to deter them from going that way. So Wren told her to wait and scouted a little up ahead. He didn’t find much but there was a slight snow drift further up the path that could be used to start a shelter.
So without any better ideas, he returned to Quizi. She was worse now for having stopped. She looked very cold, her pale skin almost as white as the snow and her lips a bluish colour. He helped her up towards the snow drift and lowered her slowly onto the snow there. Wren then set about making a hole in the drift for two people to sit. He reinforced the snow on either side and thickened it in places so that when he was done, it looked like a little ice den. The small opening opposite the wind, so the shelter gave them the best protection.
He sat Quizi down on one side before sitting next to her. She did whatever he asked without complaining. Once they were settled into the makeshift cave, Wren had started to warm a little, the extra body heat from the person next to him was helping, despite the fact she felt really cold.
Wren then took off his mittens and helped Quizi off with hers. Her hands were freezing. She could hardly bend her fingers at all and their color was more blue than white.
Holding her hands gently Wren channelled a little healing energy into her fingers. He could see their colour visibly change in front of him, as a pinkishness returned to them. He also rubbed them vigorously too to increase their circulation. Wren repeated the process with her feet, healing away any damage. After this, they both sat quietly and ate.
The food had an immediate warming effect on Wren as he felt his bodilly eagerily devouring the new source of energy. He noticed Quizi eating too, a good sign.
When they had finished it was evening and starting to get dark, so he maneuvered his cape under the both of them and encouraged Quizi to lie down, facing the mountain. Wren then wrapped himself around her as best he could before pulling the remaining part of the cape over himself and closing his eyes.
He had thought she might baulk at this level of intimacy but she clearly understood the need for warmth and just relaxed.
Quizi’s breathing gradually slowed as she drifted off to sleep. Wren just lay there with his face pressed up against her hair, holding her tightly, trying not to disturb her sleep. He also smiled slightly, as he noticed she felt a little warmer.
Eventually, Wren drifted off to sleep himself.
It was dark when he awoke. He checked on Quizi and found she was a good deal warmer than before which pleased him. With nature calling and not wanting to disturb Quizi, he left his cape behind and went out into the night.
He was surprised at what he saw. It was cold but the wind had died down and it was a beautifully serene scene. The stars and silvery moon were lighting up the mountains around, in an eerily enchanting way. His nightvision showed there wasn’t another living thing, other than the two of them, anywhere in sight. And despite the cold, Wren couldn’t help but be awed by the scenery. He just sat there admiring nature and all its beauty.
After doing what he had come out to do, he didn’t return immediately to the shelter. He merely sat in the snow, staring out into the night, wondering at the strange circumstances that had brought him to this place.
After sitting there for a little while, a quiet shape moved next to him and placed its cape around his shoulders. The shape then nestled its head on his shoulder, pulling the cape tight around the both of them.
Wren smiled. He couldn’t remember a time in his life when he had felt quite so happy, sitting there next to Quizi, in the moonlight.
She looked around at the sky and quietly whispered, “This is why I cannot live in a cave.”
Wren nodded. They sat in silence just enjoying the night and being together.
Eventually Wren said, “We can see better now than at any time yesterday. We should get going while the conditions are good.”
“Agreed,” Quizi said.
As Wren tried to get up, she held his hand and pulled him back down. “Thank you for keeping me warm last night.”
Wren smiled. “The pleasure was all mine,” he said, meaning every word of it.
YOU ARE READING
Chasing Sparks
Fantasy[Completed] [The Affinity Series: Book 1] The affinities are echoes of magic from a time long past, giving enhanced powers to those that have them. And for any affines that bond with a spark, their powers are increased. One such sparked affine is Ti...
