To say the wind stole his breath was an understatement. It came, unforgiving, and forced its way deep into Halcyon’s lungs. Once there, it violently ripped out every last gasp of air he had and left him coughing for more. The blinding show blinded him to the point he could barely see Mirage. The girl had been there only a few moments before! Her white fur blended perfectly with the blizzard. But her red markings made it slightly easier to spot her between gusts. The storm had given them fair warning, but they ignored it and now they would suffer the consequences set forth by Fate. "Mirage!" Halcyon called, his voice sounding quiet in the gale. "Mirage! We need… to find… shelter! Follow me!" Turning, he tried to get his bearings but it was no use. The banks of the lake had been right there only a few minutes ago, but they had vanished behind the think wall of snow. Picking a direction at random, the older wolf lead his charge across the ice, occasionally slipping as the wind knocked his legs out from under him. It took all he had not to bolt as fast as he could as pure instinct told him to seek a safe place to wait out the blizzard. But he couldn’t leave the young pup behind. Who knew what would happen to her if she lost her way in the snow. Winter was cruel and there was no way Halcyon was going to let it claim the life of another wolf. Every now and then, he would stop to make sure she was still behind him, often times doing his best to shield her from the wind. His small body was useless at this, but that didn’t stop him from trying. At long last, Halcyon felt his paws touch the rough surface of solid ground! But, the moment of joy was short lived. He had taken them further away from the banks and to the small island in the center of the lake. Not much was here save for tall, dead grass, some thick bushes, and lots of snow. Cursing himself for his stupidity, Halcyon turned to check on Mirage. "How are you holding up?" The journey had been difficult for him and he could only imagine how she felt. Feeling a twinge of sudden anxiety, he hoped the girl’s parents weren’t caught in this mess looking for her. Maybe they would hope she had found some place and would try looking for her again when this had cleared. In the meantime, Haclyon had to keep her safe.There was one place he could see that would help cover her from the wind. It was a small bush stripped bare of its leaves, but its branches might still keep the wind at bay. Moving towards it, he beckoned Mirage to lay at its base. He would then stand next to her, again, using his body as a shield against the mighty force of the storm. "Let’s rest here for a while. Maybe it will lighten up and we can get back to the mainland and find your parents." Until then, Halcyon would stand guard over her, doing everything he could to keep her safe from Winter’s ruthless wrath. |