Chapter 7: Figure in the Snow

Sharn continued to trudge through the snow. She growled in frustration. He should have found her by now. What was taking him so long? She had considered doubling back several times, but she couldn't do that with out messing up her tracks. Again the desperate urge to fly spread through her, but she pushed on through the snow.

It was an hour past sundown before Sharn reached the next town. She ordered a room at an inn and settled in for the night, making sure the people had seen her enter her room. She paced about her room impatiently. After a little while she opened a small pack she had carried with her. Inside she pulled out a light blue shirt that shimmered in the candle light. It had two large holes in the back.

Sharn allowed herself a small smile before slipping the shirt on. Looking in the mirror, she moved from side to side examining how it looked on her. It was really quite a pretty shirt. Her smile widened and she spun around giggling like a little girl. That is until she saw her back. Through the holes in the back Sharn could clearly see the two jagged scars cut deeply into her skin.

Sharn stopped, frowning, and then sat down at the edge of her bed. Those scars, they were the reason she needed to find this man. A man who was said to have magical abilities beyond the average wizard. Sharn needed to find him, to get back what she had lost.

"Your still here?" A voice said. Sharn spun around and then sighed.

"Nico, I thought you were going to the meeting point."

"Change in plans," Nico hoped down from his possition on the window seal, his dark eyes betrayed no emotions, "This man, Kaed, he has been captured by another creature."

"But Kaed was said to be unbeatable," Sharn said in alarm.

"I know," Nico frowned slightly, "Which means we should probably figure out what is going on." Sharn nodded. "You should probably cover up those scars," Nico said as he turned back towards the window, "We don't want people around here knowing who you really are." Sharn frowned slightly, but pulled her white cloak over ther shoulders anyways.

Sharn joined Nico at the window and he put his arm around her waist. Sharn braced herself as Nico pushed off into the air, and then they were flying. Sharn want to laugh, to sing to the cold night sky, but this was not the time. She need to stay focused. Kaed was the only good lead they had had in months. She needed him. Sharn glanced at Nico. No, they both needed him.

Nico was first to spot it. "Over there," he said, pointing to a small light in the distance. His dark hair wipped about his face as he squinted to try and see what it was. Sharn could feel the heat, even from this distance.

"It's a fire," she said in surprise, "but who would be out here at this time of night?"

Nico took them in as close as he dared. Then he dropped to the ground. Sharn landed lightly on the snow, leaving no prints, but Nico was not so fortunate. The snow came up to just below his knees. Sharn had to smile at his slightly annoyed expression.

"Man, I hate the snow," he mumbled.

"How ever did you get stuck with me, then?" Sharn smiled. Nico did not find this amusing.

"I do not have your lightfooted abilities in the snow. I'll fly in behind you. You try and get a closer look."

Sharn nodded and turned towards the camp fire in the distance. She started running silently her white cloak streaming behind her. As she drew closer, she could just make one figure wrapped tightly in a blanket. Sharn slowed down and crouched lower to the ground. As she drew closer, she realized that it was a man, and that he was sleeping.

Sharn paced silently into the light of the camp fire. The man was soaked and looked as though he was freezing despite the blanket draped around him. Sharn drew in a breath. She may not feel the cold, but she understood that humans did. If she didn't get this man out of the cold soon, he would freeze to death!

She crouched down beside him, placing her hand on the snow for support. That was when she felt it. Through the snow she could feel vibrations. What she felt made her blood run cold. There was one man her, but she could feel the breathing of two creatures.

Sharn spun around just in time to see two glowing eyes staring at her out of the darkness just before an ice filled wind engolfed her. Sharn was blown over and she scrambled to reach the freezing man. She had to save him.

Through the blowing snow, Sharn could make out the silhoutte of a woman. Sharn would take care of her later. She scrambled forward until she had found the man. The figure in the snow seemed to know where Sharn was and directed sharp shards of ice towards her. Sharn heard a grunt and felt something land in the snow some distance away. Sharn had no doubt it was Nico. He had tried flying in and the wind had thrown him off balance. Sharn growled. She had had quite enough.

Standing up, Sharn raised both of her arms into the air and forced to snow and ice to the ground. She spun in a circle, redirecting the wind currents. Then all was silent. Standing in front of Sharn was a woman with long white hair. It was simular to Sharn's except it lacked the bluish tint that characterized Sharn's people.

The woman stared at Sharn in disbelief, as though she had never met another creature who could willed the elements.

"Who are you?" Sharn asked, braking the awkward silence. The woman tilted her head as though she didn't understand. Sharn hesitated. She hated to use the gift of languages if she didn't have to. Finally she sighed. Sharn let the magic of the cold flow into her. Then she spoke, "What is your name?" The words felt strange on her tongue. She understood them in her own language, but she knew that they were being translated automatically into the language of this woman.

The woman hesitated a moment, and she spoke...