Silver Lake — Snow Day [p]

Eon rolled over, feeling the cold air lapping at the entrance of his cave. It bit at his nose and made him shiver. He huffed, uncertain if he really wanted to leave his den, but he knew he needed to at some point. He couldn’t spend the whole winter sleeping; he wasn’t a bear, or any of those creatures that hibernated during the cold months, as nice as that sounded. Letting out a yawn, he stretched his front paws out in front of him. Why was he so tired all the time? Was it just a part of growing older?

Standing to his feet, the small wolf faced the entrance of his den, gazing out at the snowy landscape. The white snow blanketed everything, even the trees, sparkling in the sunlight with a golden sheen and casting wavering shadows on the dappled ground below. It felt as if the atmosphere were trying to lure him in with some sort of enchantment. He huffed again. Maybe he’d enjoy the snow if it weren’t so cold… Maybe he should just go back to sleep. It was warm and cozy in the corner of his den with his fluffy tail wrapped around him.

Still, he eyed the shimmering snow. He used to shimmer like that too. He supposed he still did, but not in the same way. He used to shimmer from the inside.  Once upon a time, he would have happily plunged into the snow, even if it was cold. Now, just the thought of it made him shiver.

He shook his head and spread his wings, hoping they wouldn’t get frostbitten if he went for a fly. The snow was falling in gentle flurries, and the wind was cold but gentle. He flew above the landscape, watching as the rocky mountains turned to flat ground as he neared the lake. He landed beside it, noticing it was completely frozen solid. Gently, he stepped onto the snowy ground and approached the frozen water. Peering down, he saw his reflection staring back at him like it was a frozen mirror.

Perhaps all the stress lately had really gotten to him after all. He couldn’t deny there was still a spark deep inside him that wanted so badly to bubble to the surface, yet he suppressed it. What would others think of him if he started jumping through the snow, singing carols like some puppy? He was a noble now; he had duties and an image to uphold.

The snow began to clump up in his fur and he eventually had to shake it off. He didn’t realize how slippery the ground was beneath him, and soon found himself skidding across the ice, face-planting onto the frozen lake. Well, if anyone had been around, he certainly looked foolish now. Still, what escaped him wasn’t annoyance or embarrassment, but rather laughter as he struggled to get back to his paws. It took a bit of effort, but he eventually found his footing and slid himself back toward the snowbank—only to crash into it, unable to stop in time.

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Normally, winter brought peace along with it for the Viper. Snow had long settled across the northern expanse of their territory, the mountains thick with layers left behind by storms. Even the southern most regions had been coated, the large lake in the kingdom frozen over. Despite the season shifting to her favorite, she found it hard to find awe in the landscape and see joy in it. Her responsibilities weighed heavy on her and worry kept her awake at night. When around others, she did her best to hide her exhaustion, instead replacing it by forcing energy into each step and action. When she was alone, each step was slow and deliberate. 

The threat from Verdantis still lingered in the back of her mind, especially now more than ever with the thing roaming the lands, wherever it may be. She felt like she'd hit a dead end and frustration swelled inside her for it. Each day that passed by, each day that Her followers showed up empty pawed, it made her feel like a failure. She wondered about Verdantis day and night, fretting over whether or not they were closer to the creature than her. Hell, it was possible that Ohr already had it and the mission had already failed. 

"No" she muttered to herself through gritted teeth as she worked her jaw on a large root at the base of a tall oak tree. The root held firm in its spot, despite Enya tugging and yanking, her paws splayed and dug down into the mucky soil. "I. Refuse. To Believe it." Each part of the sentence broken up by another tug. "Fucking root" she cursed as she let go of it and glared at the growth. All she wanted to do was something nice. She knew Caedwyn was absolutely miserable in the cold so she wanted to surprise him with a den in the southern region of their kingdom. It was still cold down here, but it was considerably warmer than their home near the base of the mountains. "I wish I could just burn you". Behind and around the root was the beginning of a den's entrance. The angle  of the entrance was perfect. It had a nice view of the clearing which ended with the lake. Forests lined the clearing. Unfortunately for her, the root went right across the middle of the entrance. "I just might freeze you instead" she threatened before turning away with a huff. She'd worked up a thirst and wanted to get the taste of wood out of her mouth. 

She worked her way down the clearing and to the edge, picking her steps carefully as she traversed the snow and ice. She had planned to work a hole into the ice to drink from, but her plan changed when movement caught her eye. Enya looked up to see Eon sliding across the ice before slipping and falling onto his face. Enya watched and winced, but remained still, not yet revealing herself to her Noble, curious what he was doing out there. She heard laughter coming from him and felt a smile come to her. He got back to his paws after some effort and once more took to sliding across the ice, only to crash into the bank of snow. 

As he recovered from his tumble, Enya approached with a casual walk, a swaying tail, and a smile on her face. "Hey Eon" she called out, trying to add energy and a pep to each action to hide her own worry and fatigue. "Whatchya doin on the ice?" 

Eon quickly dug himself out of the snowbank and shook the snow from his fur. Unfortunately, it didn’t help much, as another flurry swept by and covered him in snow once more. A familiar voice caught his attention, and he opened his eyes to see Enya approaching.

“I was just—um,” he paused, trying to come up with an explanation for his clumsiness and a reason for being here in the first place. He didn’t want to lie; that wouldn't end well. Enya could read minds, anyway, so lying would be pointless, and he wasn't sure he wanted to know what the consequences for lying to a Monarch would be.

“I’ve been cooped up in the den for a while and felt the need to stretch my wings,” he finally admitted. “Though part of me wishes I hadn’t; it’s so cold! Winter is really not my season. My wings and paws are numb.” He stretched out his wingspan, checking to see if he could still move them. Luckily, they fluttered up and down without any trouble. Perhaps he was making a bigger deal out of the weather than necessary.

“But since I’m out here, did you need help with anything?” he asked. He felt increasingly guilty for neglecting his duties as the weather grew colder, and he wanted to prove that he was still worthy of his noble title.

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