Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Legacy of the Winds ❯ book 1 chapter 3 ( Chapter 4 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Chapter 3
 
Like stars shining in the distant black sky, the green eyes stared back at him. His eyes stared into its eyes. Its eyes stared into his. It was like a melding of the minds, he saw into the other's mind while the other saw into his, except no thoughts or memories were shared. After another moment the wolf broke contact, and sat down. Now Cody got a good look at it. It was the largest wolf he'd ever seen in his life. His head probably barely reached the shoulder. The fur was purest white, save for a scar that ran down one rear hip. It was sitting on a large piece of ice floating a few feet from the edge of the shelf. The wolf closed its mouth and examined him, just as he was examining it. Then it got up, jumped to the shelf, and dashed off over the ice.
 
Cody shook his head. That would be a story to tell when he got back. He looked around. It was starting to get dark. Not far to finish. He wiped the sweat from his brow and started to move again. Then he stopped. Sweat from his brow? How was he sweating in these cold temperatures? It shouldn't be happening. The outfit he had on would only keep him just warm enough if he kept moving. He shouldn't be warm enough to sweat. This wasn't making any sense. None of it was.
 
He sighed in frustration. He continued on, making his way carefully across the ice fields. He'd started out in first. It had been an unspoken agreement from everyone that he lead the way. He was the best tracker and scout out of the group, and one of the fastest. The main problem was that they only had the dirks. Weapons they were not accustomed to use. The items were more ceremonial than anything, since metal weapons had to be bought from traders, and except for special occasion, they always used bone knives. The resources to forge metal weapons out here were lacking in existence. Not to mention metal working wasn't a typical skill of a tribe member. They only had these dirks until the end of the race, then they would be back to using their bone knives, and other bone tools.
 
 
He'd been moving for another hour, and darkness was settling in, when he heard a roar and a scream. The roar belonged to one of the Ice raptors, warm blooded reptiles that had both fur and scales. They ate live prey. The scream came from the prey, and it was human. One of the other boys must have been caught. Cody rushed forward. He didn't notice a shadow detach itself from the ice and follow him from atop the glacial wall.
 
He came upon the scene in progress. The raptor was stalking Chase from atop a glacial wall, with Chase running beneath, trying to get to a small cave where he could properly defend himself. His arm was ripped and bleeding. Unfortunately, it wasn't too surprising, as Chase wasn't one of the more skilled 17 year olds.
 
Cody, not stopping to think, threw his dagger, but it missed, and hit the glacial wall. The ice raptor, hearing the dirk, saw Cody. Sensing new prey, it changed targets and came after him. In the mean time Chase made it to a cave, and threw his own dirk, scoring a hit. The raptor's right arm now hung limply by its side as it changed targets. Cody dashed forward and dodged behind a piece of ice sticking out, when the raptor changed targets again. The Raptor was getting mad.
 
He dashed for Chase, and the ice Raptor came after him. He wasn't going to make it. Then he slipped on an especially slick patch of ice, and hit the ground. The raptor roared in victory, and charged forward with renewed vigor.
 
“Cody! No!” Screamed Chase, and started to jump forward to help.
 
“AAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” The howl issued from atop the glacial wall the raptor had vacated. With the howl a gust of icy wind blew past, thick and opaque, separating Cody from the raptor. Chase helped him up and they ran for the cave, which was more like a low and deep crack in the wall.
 
They turned around when they reached it. A low wall of ice had appeared where the wind had gone past. And beyond that was the wolf Cody had met earlier. It was growling as it and the raptor circled each other.
 
“Cody, what's going on here? Where did that wolf come from?” Chase shivered, and looked at his arm. He tried to move it and cringed.
 
“Here, let me have a look.” Cody examined the arm. It was ripped to the bone, but it was mend able. If they got it to the healers soon, Chase wouldn't lose the use of his arm. The problem was it was starting to get frostbit, and so was the rest of Chase. “This is bad. If we can get it to the healers, we can save your arm, but I'm not sure we can even get there soon enough to save you, much less it.” Cody tore of a few strips of his coat, and started binding the wounds. “As for what's happening, either that wolf just likes raptor, or it followed me and is protecting us. Don't ask which I think it is, cause neither makes any sense.” Chase didn't ask about the weird wind either, which Cody was thankful for, because he had no answer.
 
Cody looked back at the battle between the two creatures. They were still circling, though the wolf seemed to be at a disadvantage. It was trying to keep its back to the cave, holding the raptor off. This was difficult to say the least. Then the raptor charged forward, sinking teeth into the wolf's shoulder, and tearing with its left claw. The wolf retaliated by throwing the raptor off, which left tears in the shoulder, then striking back with its own teeth. They sank into the shoulder, but only for a moment. The raptor threw the wolf off, and then swung with its tail. It connected, and threw the wolf into the glacier. Both Chase and Cody could hear the ice crack, and rushed out of the cave as it collapsed.
 
A whistling sounded in Cody's ear, and then something imbedded itself in the ice. It was some sort of staff, no a spear. The end was pointed. It was steel, or something similar, and was covered in intricate designs. A hand grip was visible. Cody grasped it and pulled the item out. It was about as tall as he was, pointed at both ends. The hand grip was about a foot long, and whatever material it was made of conformed to the hand. It felt right in Cody's hands. He turned to face the Ice raptor, which had already started moving toward them.
 
“Cody, what are you . . ?”
 
Cody ignored him and charged, wielding the weapon as though he had used it everyday of his life. It felt just right to his hands, and the metal was surprisingly, very surprisingly, warm. The raptor paused for a moment at the unexpected charge. That was all it took. An end of the lance was protruding through its neck. It died without a sound.
 
By this time the wolf was up, and walked over. Chase backed off, preparing to run, but Cody just stood and looked at the wolf, then at the lance in his hands. Then an image of an iceberg appeared in his mind. “Is that your name? Iceberg?” The wolf didn't move, didn't make a sound, but in his mind, Cody distinctly heard the word yes. He walked forward. Chase gasped. Cody put his hand on Iceberg's head, and turned to Chase. “It's okay. He won't hurt us. Trust me.” Then he looked at the sky. The stars were in the sky, and only the western horizon glowed with sunlight. “Come on, it's still another hour to the end. We'll probably be the last ones back.” Then he turns his head to the wolf. “Coming?” Iceberg grins. Yes.
 
Chase bent over the raptor, and took out his dirk. Then he cut off the front claws, and tossed one to Cody. They would make fine trophies and useful tools. A pity they couldn't take the rest of it with them. “I still can't believe you killed it so easily. And where did that lance come from?”
 
Cody looked up at the glacier. There was his dirk, stuck in the ice, and a large crack had formed beneath it. “ I think it was stuck in the glacier, and when my dirk hit, it cracked the ice containing it. When Iceberg hit the wall, it finished the job.”
 
“Iceberg? You mean the wolf? Why do you call him that?”
 
“Because that's what he said his name was.”
 
“He told you that?”
 
“yes. Now quit worrying about it and get moving. If we don't get back soon, you're going to lose that arm.” He put his arm on Chase's shoulder, and, with Iceberg following, they turned to the sunset and started off, heading home after completing the ordeal that made them men.