Chapter 1
Alone



It is a cold dark evening. The moon, nothing more than a crescent that glows in the vast emptiness above my head. I sniff the air it is dry and crisp. By now you’re probably wondering who I am. My name is Maldrix and what I am will be revealed in time.

I look in all directions, still no sign of them. My group is gone. I have been left in this barren waste land to rot if I don’t move soon. It is to cold here and I feel winters torture setting in. I am tired and cannot continue without resting, but if I rest, I could die.

I decide to move on and try to keep warm. I take another step and hear my stomach rumble, not right now. It rumbles louder until I drown it out with the sound of snow crunching beneath my feet.

I don’t know how long I’ve been walking. All I know is that the Sun has set and I must find some place dry to sleep.

Everything as far as the eye can see is covered in snow. Then I spot a patch of brown. I spot a cave, hopefully empty, in distance. I jump into a sprint aware of how tight and sore my muscles are. My muscles constrict and I feel a sharp prick of pain. I wince and try to continue on. Nothing can stop me, not now.

I continue walking, the cave in my view. There doesn’t seem to be anyone there. Then I smell it. There has to be a bear. I don’t want to fight but I need shelter.

I approach the cave aware of what lurks within but I am not prepared for the surprise that awaits me. I start walking into the mouth of the cave. The scent of the bear getting stronger. I turn my view and sniff in all directions. The bear is directly to my east. I perk up my ears and listen. There was nothing but a small grumble. The bear was sleeping.

I almost gasped in surprise when I walk past the bear. The bear stirs in its sleep. Unaware that I was standing not even ten inches from it. It rolls over on its side just as I back away. Well it’s sleeping, so I guess it would be safe to stay here. I walked back up towards the mouth of the cave and decided to go to sleep.

I find a small patch of moss to lie on and keep me warm, despite the winter’s harsh cold.

Today had been an eventful day. I layed down on the soft moss and began to close my tired blue eyes and just as I was about to enter my almost endless slumber I caught a glimpse of the aurora borealis or the northern lights. The colors dance playfully on the snow and sing harmoniously in the sky.

Today had been tiring but tomorrow would be better. I yawn. I was sure of it. For the last time I close my sad blue eyes and began to dream. The snow dances endlessly in my dreams and tickles my ears, but the winter wonderland in my dreams can’t even compare to the hectic blizzard that rages just outside the mouth of the cave.

It seemed as though morning would never come and wake me from my endless slumber, but it did and the Sun shown bright. But not bright enough to melt the four and a half feet of snow that rules the ground.

I stand up and stretch from my position on the cave base. The cave’s warmth wraps around me. I suddenly realized that the energy that eluded me yesterday had returned. Blood pulsing through my body. I could feel a tingle all throughout myself. Telling me to get back out there and search for my group and my sister, Maya.

I stretched once more before leaving the cozy little cave. A dose of reality kicks back in when my foot hits the icy snow. It was still very cold outside. The wind picking up and blowing the snow drifts. As if it wasn’t cold enough. Now they add the wind?!

I ignore the dangerously cold wind chills and jump into a dead sprint for the distant mountains. The peaks get closer and closer. Sticking out like pointy icicles.

Before the storm had hit, the first time, when I’d been left alone, my group had been talking about a special passage through the mountains. They had spoken of an icy cavern but, had warned of its danger.

They had said that it was the only way to the village. The only way to help. My mind was made up. I would go to the village and get help. My group couldn’t have gone too far, or so I hoped.

The peaks of the mountains still grow closer as my sprint turns into a slow pace walk. I am tired again. The cold taking so much of my energy, makings me keep myself warm. There was nothing I could do, but keep warm and try to keep walking.

My muscles still ached from walking so far yesterday. I pause and wait for my energy to return before continuing towards the icy cavern that would take me to the village.

But a brief moment soon turns into several minutes and then almost a half an hour. I pause again and considered the fact that I may never make it.

The idea its self seems more and more logical as time passes, but I have to continue. The snow as icy as every clings to my feet and makes me shiver.

As I walked I also considered one other thought. Could this be where I die? Sad and alone? So very far from home?

My vision grows foggy and I try to sit down, but fall over in the snow. I can’t see anything but a distant light and then nothing but darkness.

I swear I could see my life flashing before my eyes. Good memories and bad memories replaying themselves over and over again. I couldn’t feel any part of me. I had gone completely numb. Please give me another chance! Please! Please! My voice fades. Could this really be the end…………?

My head spins and I see the light once more. I reach for it. I couldn’t grab it. It was dimming. I had to jump. It was the only way.

I ready myself to take the jump. I have to concentrate. I take a deep breath and inhale the bitter winter air. The light still dimming. This is my final chance!


I back up about 5 feet. The light still in my view. For Maya! I turn around and bolt into a run. I am ready to jump. I see something. It’s a cliff below the light. It’s clear. I have to jump off the edge to grab the light.

I get closer and start to shy away. No. No. I have to keep going. For Maya! I jump and find that I can make it. I reach and reach. Almost there. No. No. I am falling. No, I lost. I can’t. No. Maya! I slowly recede into the black abyss.
I gave everything I had. Nothing can save me now. I can’t even save me now.

I feel the lack of energy flowing through me. No I scream. Maya!

My eyes fly open. What? I’m just outside the ice cavern?

Now I had heard stories of our passed elders helping us through visions or voices we could hear but I had never heard of anything like this.

My elder must respect my decision to go and reunite myself with Maya. I hold my breath and enter the mouth of the icy cavern. The beautiful icicles dangle above my head. I exhale. Shoot! The icy spines above me shake slightly. I have to be quite.
There are multiple paths I could take, but which one? I feel a draft coming from the south- eastern tunnel. It’s warm. That’s odd. It shouldn’t be warm. I walk toward the warmth and a familiar scent fills the air. I can’t quite put foot on it. It actually smells like running water. I turn around a long fallen icicle. There is a large blurry mass in front of me. As I near the object I can make out a few more details. There is running water? A hot spring to be exact.
I walk over to the spring and lay in the water. My muscles relax, for the first time I feel at ease. The smell of the warm salty water fills my senses and plays with my concentration. I splash a tiny bit in the water and my attentiveness returns to me.
A shadow is staking me. How could I be so stupid? I knew this was too good to be true.
To Be Continued………………