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The great frozen northlands, many think of those icy tundras and sweeping fjords; just as many recall the legendary tales that came out of that place. Through history many of such folklores are passed down in the villages and taverns, all varying in degree and adventure. They speak of dragons and the hunters that pursued them, of colossal beasts that inhabit the endless sea of ice, of awe inspiring and powerful relics that still lay in lost ruins. Such tales always brought in travelers and glory seekers, looking for those very tales and to make their own legends, but those that left the harsh lands always spoke of solem regret instead. This latest caravan group however was much different, not adventures but tradesmen.

Ridley Alistar Von Kromwell, a young human man in his early 20s sat in the back of the bumpy wagon as it forged on the rocky path. A messy, but slicked back head of blonde hair topped him, as his intelligent green eyes evaluated the world and all that he'd come across. A very average build, if not on the skinnier side, he had been characteristically tall for a human; sometimes to the point that people had joked and even rumored about his mother experimenting around with infidelity using an Elven male.

He had come from a lower nobility family within the King's own court and capital, but learned as the years went on more and more that politics were not his calling. Ridley had aspired to see the world, to visit distant lands and meet new people. Signing up instead, much to his parents disapproval, with a trade guild. Life had been different to say the least; difficult sometimes at its best, but rewarding when he was successful. After apprenticing under one of the senior traders for his first two years, Ridley had soaked up the experiences much like a sponge. Traveling the land with nary a concern beyond the trade of goods and furthering profit, it was the the point in his life that the young man had truly felt he'd grown up.

After a rather successful time working on his own for the guild, they had approached him with the offer of a lifetime. For the first time since it's creation, the guild had prospective buyers in the northern country. Happy to trade their sizable export of minerals and metals that the country mined out of the mountains, it seemed like a goldmine pure and simple in terms of business. Though Ridley wasn't so experienced yet as to have apprentices of his own, the guild had assigned two fellow tradesmen under his direct control for the trip; as each sat in their own individual wagon with the very first and hopefully not last in the line of trade goods for the town of Valan.

Since passing the national border about two days prior, a steady snowfall had followed them the entire time. Each night as the caravans settled down around the campfire, the men joking about it being cold enough their dicks would fall off or the piss would freeze instantly as the group erupted into laughter. As the days went on and the cold grew worse though the jokes frequented less and less, until finally reaching this point of silent bitterness and tension. Salvation was just on the horizon however as the caravans peaked a small range of hills and saw a sleepy village tucked away in a valley between the mountains. Smoke billowed from chimneys, lights shone from windows, and even more importantly a small distillery attached to the tavern could be seen. Every man in the group perked right back up with renewed vigor as they pressed onwards, reaching the entrance of the town just after nightfall.

The village of Valan was not so large or grand to have gates, walls, or even a formal guard but instead security relied on a local militia. The two lumberjacks sitting outside on a nearby porch waved as the wagons pulled in. Directing the traders towards the local supplier with a wave and hiccup, Ridley had been certain they were just as drunk as he suspected they'd been if not more. AS the caravans pulled in towards the suppliers store, he ran over the scenario in his head once more. "30 pelts, 20 bags of salt, another 20 of flour, 5 pounds of mixed spices, 10 sacks of potatoes.." He spoke out loud to himself, running the numbers over in his head

Hopping out of the wagon with a groan as his legs stretched for the first time in hours, something caught Ridley's attention off in the distance as it approached towards the tavern in town. Though never having personally seen one until now, he'd still been able to read up enough to recognize the dog driven sled. While that in itself was something of interest, so was the fact that one of the canines was actually a beast-morph; a race of beings almost mixed between humans and animals. Unlike the feral husky in the sledding team, she walked on two legs like a man does, brushing her humanoid arms and fingers through hair as she removed the harness wrapped around her body.

Ridley's attention was snapped away however as the door to the shop opened up and the portly man from within ushered him and his party inside. "Come come! The fire's going, let me treat you boys to some tea and we can get our business moving." The jovial man laughed with a big smile. Ridley and his two aides nod as the caravaneers worked to offload all the goods within the shop. Stepping inside and out of the cold, he could immediately tell the feeling was returning to his fingers and toes, wincing slightly as the sensation hurt as much as it felt good.

The motion hadn't gone unnoticed by the shopkeeper as he escorted the traders into a small sitting area behind the shop area of the building. "That's something to learn about being up here, even when you're as used to it as folks like us that cold can be a silent but swift killer. Particularly with us moving into the colder seasons now you've got to be even more careful." He set out the tray of cups, all poured with a steaming warm tea inside as the group huddled around a fireplace.

They all went over the supply manifest, discussing payment and trade of goods. The final trade came out to the order 300 gold coins, 75 silver, and 30 copper; all in all not a bad trade deal at all for the journey or considering what the trade goods had even been. Though Ridley had felt a momentary pang of guilt upon secretly cheating the shop keep on an 'international trading tax' but pushed the thought swiftly out of mind as he turned around and used that same money to buy up a healthy stock of copper, iron, and even silver ore. The deal was swung entirely in Ridley's favor to the point where he could see the smile just barely being kept off his associates faces as hands were shook, sealing the deal as they signed off on a page of parchment.

"Moving the ore from storage will take about a day or two unfortunately, the boys gotta haul it up from the repository in the mountains and with the snow coming on it just loves to slow everything down. I'll send someone down to the tavern to inform you once it's all loaded up and good to go for your return trip; so in the meantime you should try to relax and see our humble little town of Valan a bit." Laughing softly as he waved, seeing the tradesmen out of his shop.

Turning to the two aides, Ridley cleared his throat. "Gentlemen.. how about we go drink to success eh? The northern country trade is now officially open to us." The smile crept across his face, as the two stepped up close patting his back and chuckling under their breath.

"Three times the mark up on potato pound? How in the hell did you managed to convince him of that?" One of the aides, a man named Arin asked with an openly amused grin on his face as the trio walked through the snow towards the tavern.

Allowing the grin to spread even more, it was Ridley's turn to laugh. "Back when I was apprenticing I watched my master play the same trick, when I asked him about it he pondered the question for a minute before telling me we'd be practicing a new skill each night after trades were done for the day. Let's just say, the value in being forced to gamble for hours on end did wonders for making me develop a hell of a poker face. Now come on, first rounds on me." The two men gave a slight clear at that as the door to the tavern was pushed open.

The rectangular interior was all centered around a large fire pit which burned bright and warm, pushing out that biting cold as tables were packed with man, elf, or dwarf as they chatted away. The bartender waved them over to the counter as the man reached a hand out. "Welcome, new faces huh? Part of the trading group from down south are ye?"

Ridley nod, exchanged handshakes with the man. Even at his height, he felt like a child in comparison to the barkeeps sheer bulk of size. "Yes sir, do you have lodging that can accommodate us for a night or two? Your town supplier mentioned it might be as long to get our return goods before we can head out." Already fishing out some money to pay for the rooms, the bartender shook his head. Ridley's heart sank in worry when he saw that motion.

"I'm not gonna take your money, because you'll stay for free.. on the house this time since you're a new group to our lands." The barkeep smiled wide, reaching over and pating his hand on Ridley's shoulder. "I know it seems like terrible business practice on my end, particularly to a bunch of traders like yourselves but that's just how folks are around here. So go take a seat, I'll send the wife over to see if there's any drinks or warm food we can get ya; and when you're ready we'll show you the room you all can stay in."

"You're right, that is bad business practice... but thank you." Ridley showed the man a genuine smiled, one reserved for only too few occasions lately as he head off, giving a wave to his two partners as he left them at the bar counter to find a seat. Most of the placed was packed to the brim, miners or loggers mostly from the looks of the group, but there was one booth nearly open near the back corner. It was then that Ridley noticed her once more; that husky-morph, with white and black fur. She sat alone at her table, sipping away some warm soup as the rest of the world conversed on happily around her. It was a strange sort of scene, even with how welcoming and happy the citizens had been for him so far there was such a strong disconnect from the beast female.

Rolling the idea around in his head for a moment, Ridley moved through the crowds as he strode right up to her quiet booth. "Hey, mind if I sit with you? Everywhere else seems a bit filled at the moment."

Her ears perked towards him as he spoke up, giving a silent nod of her head as if the actions of this human hardly seemed to matter to her.

That silent treatment was hardly new to Ridley, particularly from females of any species. Shrugging his shoulders he slid onto the bench seat across from the husky as his fingers idly fiddled with themselves in that awkward silence. "Um.. Ridley.." He said simply, offering her his name.

Her ears were rather expressive, making up for what her general body language had lacked. Back and forth they flicked and perked, turning towards sounds and conversations around the tavern before one turned directly in his direction as Ridley spoke. Putting down the spoon she'd been eating soup with, the canine's eyes seemed to focus on anything but him for a moment before she met his gaze directly. "N-Nini. My name.. is Nini." That voice just barely audible over the rest of the bar.

Ridley hadn't even been certain he'd heard her speak but he gave the she-husky a smile all the same. "I haven't seen many beastfolk around, much less gotten to speak with one." Leaving out the part of the rampant slavery that ruled the capital from where he'd grown up. "Forgive me if this seems rather forward but.. would you tell me a bit about yourself?"

The more and more he spoke to her, the less she seemed to be able to sit still. The man even considered it cute in a way as the canine squirmed a bit seeming to search for the right answer before simply sighing. "Um.. well I was found in the woods as a pup, don't know my birth parents but my father raised me. A human... he's a logger.." Even just that flustered the husky as she picked back up the spoon to finish her soup as her eyes glanced up at Ridley's own.

In between mouthfuls Nini seemed to build the courage or find the right words as she paused in the meal. "Hm, I like racing and sledding. I'm too.. small to do what my poppa does so I found something I'm really good at instead. There's a grand race that happens futher up north, all the best racers train and train all year and- Oh.. um.. never mind. I'm sorry." Nini seemed to catch herself getting excited as she spoke on it, silencing herself instead as her gaze dropped back down to her soup.

That pure passion in her voice as she spoke hadn't gone unnoticed however as Ridley watched her with renewed interest. Taking his first real good look at the canine, taking in more than just the fact of what she was; and more rather who she was. What little he could see under the heavy, warm coat and clothes, Nini's white furred arms ended in each finger being capped in black fur instead. Otherwise the only other black beside highlights and accents in her hair was right under the canine's eyes. Nini caught onto his inquisitive glance however as ears perked towards him. "Y-yes?"

Shaking his head slightly as Ridley realized he had been staring, and rather rudely, the human cleared his throat. "Ah, my apologies. I was just curious about your fur pattern, it's a subject of unfamiliarity for humans." He chuckled softly, holding up his arm to show off the smooth skin with one toned tanned color.

"O-oh! Um.." Nini slowly shrugged off her coat, pulling back the sleeve of her shirt to show off the black markings just under her shoulder. "It's down my back too, also down here too." Reaching under the table as her leg lift up a bit, the she husky began pulling up her pant leg as she showed off black along her legs almost like a sock that reached up to her knees if not a bit beyond it.

Ridley blinked a bit in amusement, speechless for the moment as a smile tugged on the corners of his lips. "It's very pretty, I like the balance between the two."

Even through her furred face, the human was certain he could see a blush across her cheeks. Combined with the fact that Nini seemed to realize she was practically about to show off her thighs to a man she'd just met in the middle of a crowded tavern. Slowly pulling the pant leg back down, her ears were almost flattened against her head as she hastily finished her dinner. "It w-was nice meeting you Ridley.. I need to go now, um.. g-good bye." Nini slid out of her side of the booth, brushing off her lap and shirt before bowing respectfully to him.

He watched the canine girl leave as she pushed through the crowds, mumbling just loudly enough to herself that he had been able to catch a few words. "..Called me pretty.." Ridley smiled as she shut the door behind her, the innkeepers wife finally finding his table as she took his drink and food order for the night.

-

The following day had been something of a shocking start, as wind whipped against the window shutters and between the cracks in the foundations. Ridley snapped awake, shivering as the room was far colder than he had expected it to be. The faint puffs of his breath could be seen in the air as he pulled on his travel cloak over the clothes he'd been sleeping in. A covering of snow had settled in over the windows as he tried to look out them. "Traveling home will be arduous.." Ridley said with grim realization, hoping this was just a simple snow fall.

Breakfast had been uneventful, the tavern considerably emptied from the previous night with only a few here and there taking meals and talking amongst themselves. One part of the idle conversation however did grab Ridley's attention however, listening as one of the off duty miners spoke about the snowstorm. That simple detail was a bit alarming, if a full blown storm was moving in there would be no avoiding it at this rate. One thing was for certain though, if they were going to be stuck here for a few days more Ridley was gonna need a warmer coat.

After a short trip to the very same supplier he'd seen the day before, Ridley was dressed in a thick fur overcoat that reached down to his knees. He had to admit, as silly as the thing had looked at first it was rather warm. The trip back to the inn had been rough, as he tromped through the snow; slipping on a patch of ice. Feet slid clean out from under him as the world spun in his view as the man met the ground roughly. "Ow.. shit.." Ridley looked up at the blackened snowy sky as a familiar face poked in over his vision.

Nini's ears were perked forward as she looked down at his face. "Hello Ridley. Is that.. comfortable?" Even before he answered she was reaching a hand down to offer him help up.

Perhaps it had been the light in the tavern, or even that particular angle as Ridley took her hand and she pulled him up; the human noticed her mismatched eyes looking at his. Like a glittering blue and green gem, they completed the image as the husky had a slight smile on her face. "It could have been better.. Thank you Nini, no sledding today?" Ridley groaned slightly, rubbing a hand on his shoulder and neck feeling them tightening and a bit sore.

The tip of her tail swished back and forth in an excited little wagging. "Ah.. no. There's a snowstorm moving in, making sure everyone is safe." She glanced around, finding very few if anyone out for the day. "You're safe now, yes?" The smile on the canine's face widened a bit more, slowly walking Ridley back towards the tavern.

Nodding his head, Ridley cleared his throat as he strolled through the snow with her. "For the moment anyway, so there really is a storm coming in?" His breath frosted the air in front of his face. "Our return trip will be a dangerous one, maybe we should put off returning for a few days.."

Much to both their surprises though, Nini's hand reached out as she grabbed his coat sleeve. "No.. I mean.. That IS dangerous. You shouldn't leave." Her fingers slowly released him after a moment as they reached the inn door. Nini stood there, eyes glancing around idly, only settling on Ridley for a moment.

"I'll consider that then.. but thank you again Nini. Drinks tonight? How about it, let me buy you a round. Maybe something to eat?" His hand rest on the door handle, lingering there as he gave the husky a soft smile.

Just like the first night they spoke, Nini's ears were more expressive than she might have shown openly. As they perked towards him, tail wagging once more, those mismatched eyes once more glanced right into his. "With m-me? Well.. alright." The husky shyly smiled.

Ridley's own smile spread a little further. "Looking forward to it then." They parted with a wave to one another as the human stepped back into the warmth. The fire pit in the center of the tavern floor was roaring once more, as more than a few sat around it. As the biting cold was slowly warming away, he had a renewed spring in his step. Meeting the husky out on the street and getting to see her again later; for some reason it managed to brighten even that dark cloud that the snowstorm was bringing on. "I wonder if I should wear something nice.."

-

By the time nightfall had come, the tavern was once more filled. Wind and snow whipped in through the front door whenever it was opened. Ridley had taken his booth in the corner, the same one the man had shared with Nini the previous night. Ordering something light while he waited, patron after patron entered the tavern but no sign of the husky yet. Through his second mug Ridley was becoming disheartened when the door opened once more.

The black and white furred canine strolled in, shaking off the snow and moisture at the door once it was closed once more. Ridley perked back up immediately when he noticed her enter, and her eyes met with his own as tail tip wagged slightly. She picked her way through the crowds before sliding neatly into the booth seat across from Ridley. "I'm sorry.. for the delay that is. I believe something to eat and drink was in order?" She giggled softly, meeting his bright smile with a softer one of her own.

"Of course my dear, tonight's on me. So please enjoy yourself." Ever the gentlemen in business or interaction, Ridley chuckled as he waved for the barmaids attention as she took down their drink and food orders. After she parted, leaving Ridley and Nini to themselves once more, the man turned attention back to his companion.

Seeming to be a bit shy about whatever had been on her mind in that moment, her voice finally spoke up. "Y-you asked about me.. may I.. I mean.. ask about you?" Nini stumbled through her words to the point where Ridley could practically feel the glowing blush beneath her fur.

Ridley nod his head at that. "Happily my dear, hmm where to begin but the start I suppose?" He asked, to which the husky lightly nodded her head. "It's hardly that interesting but if you wish to know, then of course." Ridley cleared his throat for a moment, compiling his thoughts. "My family and hometown resides to the far south of here in the Kingdom of Avalia, the capital specifically. Both of my parents actually got their start and rise into lower nobility by studying and practicing medicine; a skill they passed onto me in my education early on. However as the years went by they became less into practicing medicine and more into the stock holdings of distributing it. Politics plain and simple."

Pausing for a moment as their drinks came first, the two of them each taking a cup and tapping the rims together in cheer. "So by the time I was even into early teens I had been studying both medicine and politics, being set up to just be another face in the court essentially. And I hated it.." Ridley took a sip from the alcohol, feeling it burn a trail down his throat into his belly. "I skipped out on my studies one afternoon and bumbled across a loading dock for a trading guild. They were going to shoo me away for the dockmaster for the shop had me stay. Said if I wanted to though I had to work for it and set me up on an assembly line of loading wagons." He chuckled softly recalling the event. "My hands had never been more sore in my life before that point, but by the end of the day the man had given me two silver coins for hard work and told me if I wanted to help out again to show up more often."

Watching as Nini listened intently the entire time, ears perked forward towards the human across the booth as she sipped at her own drink and making a face at the taste. "So I decided one day I'd had enough of learning courtly graces and structure. The man in the rank above us, and the one above them bored me so I simply.. left." Ridley continued, swirling the liquid in his cup. "My parents were upset of course, but I stormed out the door after a particularly heated argument and right down to that loading dock I'd work for the last few weeks on and off. I bowed with my head to the floor before the dockmaster as I begged for a chance, a real chance at working with them." Ridley took a deep breath, slowly sighing it back out after a moment. "And by the man's good graces he picked me up out of the dirt, brushed me off, and showed me to an in house bunk. I was gonna learn mercantile and travel from that point on." He recalled the tale with a smile. "The rest they say, is history."

The husky had gotten her food, a warm beef stew, and ate quietly as Ridley told her about himself. "Have you not seen your parents at all since then? I'm sure they must be worried about you leaving like that.." Her ears sagged slightly as she glanced away.

Shaking his head as she returned her attention to him, Ridley tossed back the rest of his drink. "I told them exactly where I was going, and they knew exactly why I left that day.. Never once did they themselves even check up on me or even bother to send a messenger. Having a child like me, so unruly by court standards only looked bad on them so I'm sure it was a blessing in disguise that I left."

A silence built between them for a moment, neither Ridley or Nini seemed to know how to break it. "Ridley. Come with me." The she-canine looked at him with a suddenly serious expression. "Just trust me, and put on your coat." She stood up and even reached her hand out for his to take.

Stunned for a moment, the human blinked at her in slight confusion as he slipped arms through the coat layign on the seat beside him. "Nini.. what is this about? You didn't even finish your stew yet.." He gave a lopsided grin, taking her hand as she pulled him through the noisy tavern towards the door to leave. The biting cold returned the moment they left the warmth inside as Nini pulled him through the falling snow towards a hill on the outskirts of town. "C-cold.." Ridley shivered beneath his coat, though his hand was nice and warm in the husky's grasp.

"Almost there, you'll see." Nini promised him with a smile as breath frosted before their faces as they walked. Climbing the incline in the snow together, sighing sofly as she looked at him with a pleased expression. "Here we are."

Looking around Ridley didn't see much other than a slight elevated view of the town, but something about the lights shining through all of the windows and the warm smoke pouring from chimneys was a sight to see in the gently falling snow. "It's nice Nini." She swallowed, fighting the urge for his teeth to chatter in the cold.

Slipping in close to the human, the black and white husky pressed against his chest with her side and wrapped a hand around his back with one arm as the other pressed against his collarbone. She giggled softly as ears twitched, feeling his arms encirling her back. "Not down there.. up."

Directing his gaze up at her insistence, Ridley's heart skipped a beat and eyes widened. The sky overhead was covered in dancing lights as they dipped in and out of the thick cloud coverage. Though the human couldn't see the stars with the storm blowing in, this strange occurrence was almost like being under a starry night sky. "What... what are they?" He'd never even heard, much less seen something like this back home.

"Papa always called them lightning bats, apparently they absorb moisture from the clouds. All I've ever been able to think was how hardy they must be to be able to live like that!" Nini's usual quiet and reserved attitude dropped for a moment as she gazed at the strange flying creatures with a sense of wonderment.

Taking a deep breath, the human's lips came together to let out a soft whistle. "Amazing.. I can see why you like coming here."

Her arm squeezed slightly around Ridley's back as she hugged him closer for a moment. "My favorite spot in the whole town, but.. let's get you back inside. Wouldn't want anything to fall off." She joked with a smile, already tugging him back towards the tavern and the warmth of a fire when she realized what she'd just said. "O-oh! I'm sorry.. I didn't mean.. Was that too much?" Like a switch being flipped that shy attitude had returned as she bit her lower lip slightly.

Blinking blankly at her for a moment, Ridley grinned like an idiot and laughed like he hadn't in sometime. "Ah haha, no no! That was perfect in fact!" Wearing that smile widely as they reached the tavern, he noticed the husky hadn't released her hold on him just yet. His expression softened as he reached out for the handle and pulled it open for them both. "I think we both could use something else warm to eat, and I won't take no for an answer." Much to amusement, the canine girl nod her head as she slowly released her grasp on him.

Fortunately their booth had remained vacant, though the bowls and cups had been cleared away. The two took their seats one after warming hands and faces by the central fire place. With warm food on the way and drinks in their bellies as the pair made idle chatter with one another, a figured stepped down from the stairs leading to the rented rooms. Stepping up to Ridley and Nini's table he got the man's attention with a brief wave of his hand. "Ser Kromwell? I need to speak with you for a moment."

As Ridley got a look at the man, he recognized the caravan leader that ferried their goods into Valan. The gruff looking man past his prime, with a greying beard and hairline stood beside the table wearing a troubling expression on his face. "While you were out a messenger came in and informed me and your other traders that the wagons are all loaded. I'm using my authority to say we leave at once before this storm gets any worse. I won't be caught in this frozen wasteland all season or however long this storm takes. So pack your things and meet us at the trading post within 20 or we leave without ya."

Before even Ridley could utter a word of confusion or argue, Nini was the first one to blurt out her astonishment. "Y-you can't!" Her eyes were wide with fear. "The storm, it's bad.. you could get hurt real bad.." Her eyes looked over to Ridley's own, meeting his gaze. "You just can't, it's dangerous, please don't.." She swallowed hard, adrenaline pumping through her merely thinking about something happening to him now.

"Ser Kromwell! We'll be waiting." The caravan master said with finality, leaving before the younger man could even have a word in edge wise on this decision.

Ridley slumped against the booth seat with his eyes slightly distance after breaking contact with the husky's. "I'm sorry Nini, but it looks like our time is up. A little sooner than I would have liked but.. It's time for me to go home." The look on her face threatened to break his heart, giving a lopsided smile that was devoid of any cheer in it. "I'm sorry, but I have to.." He answered both her words, as well as the silent plea in her expression. "It's been a pleasure my dear, the next time I return I hope to hear more about this great sledding race." Ridley sighed softly through his nose as he slid from the booth, noting as her hand reached out for him but was just shy of grabbing on. She practically jumped form the seat and latched onto him instead, giving a warm hug as the motion drew more than some attention to them. "Goodbye Nini." The man said simply to his new friend, pulling away after a moment more.

Nini's arms reluctantly released him as Ridley turned to collect his things and leave. As much as he didn't want to admit even to himself, seeing her expression so full of fear and sadness; for him no less, it almost broke his heart.

---

Climbing into the back of that icy wagon, jacket pulled tightly around him as breath frost in front of his face, Ridley truly felt sick to his stomach. The more he considered this plan of action the less he seemed confident in it's success, much less their survival. Traveling by night was already tricky business, add in a snowstorm and it was just dangerous. Despite this the caravan forged on, with lanterns swaying at the front of each wagon down the bumpy path. The horses neighed and argued in their own way as the pushed on through the thickening snowfall on the ground.

Trying to put the journey out of mind however, Ridley's mind returned to the she-husky. Nini had managed to turn an otherwise boring and routine job into a pleasant and memorable experience instead. The seemingly shy canine actually had a deep passion, he only considered it a shame that fact had been discovered too late. "Seems I'll have to personally volunteer for the next shipment we send up this way.." Ridley mumbled to himself, pulling the hood on his jacket up and letting his eyes slip closed to catch some rest."

His rest was rough and uneven, every bump keeping him awake or jolting the man from the little sleep he did manage; however after awhile the path was smooth enough for his eyes to drift close once more. His thoughts were a whirlwind of ideas back and forth, some of home, others of friends, even Nini once more. It all meld together into a slush of unconsciousness as he napped in the back of the wagon. A rumbling woke him up once more however, accompanied by a shouting voice of the caravan master. "Look out!"

His nerves were instantly running high as eyes bolt open to catch sight of the oncoming avalanche of snow sliding down the mountain towards them. He only had a moment to brace as horses whinnied and men screamed. The unrushing snow collided into the side of the wagon, throwing it aside with the moving snow like nothing more than a toy. Thrown from the side as the whole thing tumbled with the avalanche, his vision blackened as snow surrounded his eyes and the heavy weight of the wagon rolled over the top of him...