It was slow, but the pair managed to get to the center of the lake. Mirage followed his directions and tucked herself into the brambles. The wind pushed and pulled in a violent swirl around them, forcing Halcyon to dip his head low so it wouldn’t sting his eyes or tear off his ears. In all his years, he had never experienced a storm like this one before. They couldn’t stay out here! Though they were standing next to each other, they had to yell above the wind just to communicate.

He heard the blood touched wolf pup scream about the Crags and he gaze around, in the vain attempt to get his bearings. When they reached the lake, they had been walking along the northern banks. Somehow they ended up in the center of the mass of ice, so if they continued heading south, then they would certainly end up at the Crags or, perhaps, the Grotto. Either way, it was better than being out in the open.

Turning, he stared down at Mirage, and saw the fear in her eyes. He thought it was the fear of the storm, but he had no idea the inner turmoil that the poor child was having deep within her subconscious. "Wait here! I need-" he tried to speak, but the wind stole the words from his mouth as they sapped the air from his lungs. After a moment, he tried again. "I need to see where the Crags are!"

With that, he trotted off, hoping she would not freeze to death as he left her to face the wind. Moving along the banks of the island, Halcyon’s bright brown eyes gazed around to see if he could get any sign that would lead him in the right direction. Smell would be useless and he could barely ear anything above the constant howl of the wind. Sight was all he had now, and even that was lacking. Still, he would do what he could.

Finally, a break in the wind allowed him to view the southern portion of the frozen lake. There! The Crags! Turning, he galloped through the thick snow until he located the reeds he had left the pup. "Come on! We have to hurry before the sun goes down! Follow me!" Each syllable was like inhaling daggers into his lungs. The wind changed direction and began to push them towards the final destination, causing paws to slide unwillingly across the slick ice. But, it was a welcome relief from the blasts of cold air directly to his face. Once again, the going was slow, but each step carried them closer to safety. Winter would claim many lives tonight, but Halcyon was certain he and the child, Mirage, would not be one of them.