"Well, it’s nice to meet you, Mirage!" Halcyon said with a smile. And with that, it was settled. With a happy bark, the boy turned and led the way for the child to follow him towards the frozen lake. Caught up in the moment of meeting a new friend and the excitement of a fun afternoon, he didn’t catch the gentle breeze turning into a gust. Nor did he notice the dark, looming clouds coming from the ocean. If he had, he would have still thought they would have had time for ice running before anything bad happened. For now, the pair made their way across the field until the banks of the lake were underpaw.

The ice was thick and covered in a thin, slippery layer of snow. It was a clear, light blue color too, which meant that the ice would not break under their claws. Perfect. With a cunning grin, he gazed at Mirage. "Alright, let me explain how to play. First, you have to back up a little to get a good running start. Then, when you feel the ice under your paws, you stop running and let them slide across the ice. Whoever slides the farthest wins! You get extra points if you can slide all the way to that little island in the middle. What do you think? Sound easy enough? Here, I’ll show you."

Backing up slowly, Halcyon gaged how much speed he would need to push himself across the frozen water. The first snow flake fell on his nose, making him sneeze in response. Shaking his head, he cast the annoying thing away and returned his attention back to the game. Barking to make sure Mirage was watching, he dug his nails into the cold ground and took off. He ran as fast as he could before he felt the ice. Then, he crouched down low and skated down the sleet. It wasn’t long before he stopped, right in the middle of the lake. Panting, he looked back at the pup and called out, "See, it’s pretty easy! See if you can get past me!"

The snow started falling in fat lumps as the clouds began to reach their way across the fields. The temperature dropped several degrees as the Earth prepared for the oncoming storm. But still, the wolves played. Only time would tell if they would be able to escape the chilly blizzard or find shelter and wait it out.