Walking forward, you glance around you, at your surroundings. The mountains rise tall out of the snow covered ground, the icy peeks towering over you. The wind blows down from there in a frozen torment, a freezing shiver of air. It whistles around you, circling you, tugging at your coat, and you shiver and wrap the warm shawl that was handed to you before you came. It doesn’t block the freezing chill of the air, and the cold pricks at your eyes, causing them to water, icy tears, into the wind; but it does stop some of the force of the driving, harsh winter breeze It begins to snow. Not small flakes, soft and welcoming, but the harsh dry snow, packing together, driving you back. The wind seems to aim directly at you as you struggle on, but you resolutly place one foot in front of the other, struggling to move on. You collapse into a snowbank, the harsh wind giving way, and you are suddenly chilled. The snow forms around your tired body, melting into your clothes. It seeps down the back of your coat, soaking you, and drives itself into your face. You feet, numb with the cold, barely register your attempts to move them, and you lean back into the snowbank, giving up to the icy mountains, cold peaks, and swirling snow. As you do so, the hardpacked snow gives way, and you fall downward through an icy tunnel, the weak spots of snow collapsing around you, speeding your descent. You hit the bottom with a frozen thud, your head cracking against the ground, and everything goes black around you....

You wake, groggily looking around. You are no longer in the icy wind, and frozen snow, but a cave. Glancing up, you see the tunnel from which you fell, snow already packed hard over the opening. You won’t get out that way. Then how? A quick glance around you shows nothing but an underground river, ice floating along the surface. It looks inviting, but another glance shows the icy river splashing up. Drops of the water fall on your numb hands, and you can feel the faint sting of it. You wince, rubbing the back of your head regretfully, the beginning of a headache showing, and stand up slowly. The cave is black, the only light source coming from layers and layers of packed snow, and even that is dim. You unsteadily make your way towards a small group of rocks. When you reach it, you lean heavily against it, catching your breath. When you do, you take another look around, assessing your situation. Nothing helps, and you sigh, seeing that the only way out would be through the river, or up through the snow again. The snow proves impossible to reach, and you sigh, turning back towards the river. Suddenly you slip on a wet spot on the floor, and skid dangerously towards the water. Not able to catch your balance again, you skid a few more feet, then take a deep breath, and jump. You land on top of a piece of ice, floating on top of the wtaer. It dips in, then out again, and you drop to your knees, trying to hold on. The edges are slippery, and you can’t get a grip on the ice. You crouch, shivering, on the ice, then quickly look around. The river flows past you, smaller chunks of ice hitting against your perch, breaking off the edges. A tunnel rears up in the cave wall, all water seeping through, and you let a small moan escape. The river swirls faster, and you duck down, hoping you’ll make it through the small tunnel.

Blackness elopes you, and you feel blind. All that is heard is the lapping of the river against the edges of the tunnel. Still crouching, you become accostumed to the noise, able to tell when a turn is by the sounds. Off to your left and ahead, the water suddenly becomes hollower, the sound echoing against the walls deeper. You hesitate, then start paddling slowly, edging the ice over to the side. A bumb against the wall lets you know you’ve reached it, and you begin to slowly pull yourself along the wall of the tunnel. Slowly, the wall veers off to the side, and the flash of light blinds you for a second. When you can see again, you gape. You’ve reached the outside! You wait until theres room to stand along the edge, then spring from the ice. Slipping slightly on the wet shores, you grab hold of the rocks, and pull yourself up.

Glancing around, you see that the snow has stopped, the wind dieing partially. You are able to see without having to blink back tears. Above you reer the tall mountains, cliffs jutting out from the sides, the peaks still covered in snow. The sky seems wider, open, the spaces between mountains large. The air is chilled, still, but not freezing, and you refresh in it. A quiet hoot of an owl, still sleepy, comes to your ears, and you begin to see life in the frozen place. A herd of reindeer lift their heads as one, then turn and sprint off, a stag leading them. Rabbits peek out of dens, and the white foxes of the arctic raise there heads, ears perked, as they see you. Birds fly, contrasting against the white of snow, flocks calling to one another. A small stream, livelier than the one you left, bubbles, fish jumping out, splashing the snow of the banks.

Slowly you turn, and jump back. A large wolf makes its way towards you, eyes quiet.

She steps closer to you, her white coat shadowed blue. Pausing, she watches you, purple eyes filled with something kin to grief. One wing flutters slightly in the wind, and she turns to face it. As she does, you see that her right wing is missing, guaze carefully wrapped her side. Finally she speaks, her voice quiet. "Hello, traveller... I am OneWingedAngel, a Bryar Wolf, from The Bryar's Canyon." She quiets, then goes on. "Elae gave me a home after the DarkWars, where I was a healer." She motions back, but does not turn. "Many lost lives then..." Her eyes are shadowed, pained. "I wish I had been one of them. The war took much from me...." Her tone and stance show that she means much more than her wing, and physical details... Her eyes fix on your own, watching you, silent. She blends in with the ice and snow around you. Her rugged coat is a pure white, her wing tinted blue. The winds pick up again, and her fur is tugged back, though she doesn't seem to notice the cold.