Mistakes were made...

Night fell too quickly.

Stars that should have been bright against a blackened sky were hidden behind a thick and foreboding blanket of grey. Snow began to gently float down, adding to the already significant winter accumulation. Cuween provided the path for Aurelius, lighting the way with a lamp and the harpia followed diligently. The earth around them was that peculiar kind of quiet that came from creatures hunkered in dens and curled in tight balls against the winter and the muffling effect of fresh fat flakes of snow falling. Even the bells on the harpia’s harness seemed to be afraid to jangle out. The only sounds were the crunch of snow under their feet, a faint rhythmic tinkling sound from the collar and the shiiiish of the skis of the sled that Aurelius pulled. The sled was heavy, though the harpia pulled it easily. Medical supplies, food and other goods were tightly packed and tied down against the weather. Today, Cuween and Aurelius were more privateer than pirate and were pulling freight in repayment of a favor.

The toothy stryx was the first to realize the shift in the weather. The snowfall increased. At first Cuween seemed to not notice how there just was so much MORE snow as they walked. The boar was concentrating on keeping her footing and keeping the path on the trail that was already broken in. The horned feathers on Aurelius’ head seemed to move on their own, and the gently falling flakes began to swirl ever so slightly. The harpia clacked her beak and bent her head to the task at hand. The quicker they finished this mission, that much sooner could they seek shelter and batten down like the rest of the living world was doing.

“I think we’re going to be in for a bit of trouble, Aur-re.” The words were nonsense- but the tone of voice was easy to pick out for the stryx. Not good.

The temperatures began to steadily drop with each step they forged ahead.

“Come on, we’ve gotta get under cover, just to that tree line there.” Cuween gestured to a strand of trees barely visible in the thickening snow. “Seek.”

The stryx pulled against her harness, bells on the collar shifting and the harpia arrowed to where the redcoat had gestured. At first, the sled doggedly chased behind the two partners.  Skis running smoothly against the snow and as the stryx veered from the path into fresh powder the sled became more cumbersome. It wasn’t quite fast enough. Snow was picked up suddenly as there was a drastic change in the weather. Aurelius heard the roar before feeling the effects and braced herself. They were blinded.

The wind howled and whipped snow and ice-crystals into the air, sharp as knives, as the temperatures continued to decline. Aurelius could no longer open her eyes but for a slit to orientate on the light that Cuween held. A light that had fast became the only differentiating thing in an undulating sea of white and cold. The Harpia could not put her back to the wind, so she pressed on, while Cuween walked backward toward what she believed to be the treeline.

Aurelius was sure that her rider was speaking, she kept gesturing and there would be a rise in volume but she could not hear the words or see what was beyond what the lamp’s light touched.

The bird could not panic, that took too much energy and she was quickly being sapped by the cold. Panic now would be a death sentence. Finally Cuween could go no farther into the swirling vortex of snow and wind, she had gotten disorientated. Aurelius felt a hoofed hand reaching for the harness on her chest, and a desperate tug downward.

Aurelius was released from the sled. Cuween lead the stryx to the back of the sled, where there was a little shelter against the howling blizzard. The sled was becoming quickly overwhelmed by the snow, and the harpia curled next to it with her rider nestled into her chest feathers like a strangely shaped chick that could not stop shivering. The harpia fluffed herself as much as she could in the leeward side of the sled, the pocket of stillness providing the much needed respite from the wild winds.

Gradually the snow covered their forms. Burying them.

The shivering ceased…

Aurelius felt warmth begin to suffuse her limbs again and she curled tighter around the pirate. The boar had kept hold of the lamp and the little source of light and heat cast a spell of sleep. Sleep was the only recourse, they could not possibly hope to find their way while the blizzard raged.  Only when the blizzard ended would they know if they survived or not.

The stryx shut her eyes….