Chapter one: With the falling snow
The helicopters blades thudded above. Sivve, a tall 18 year old, wiped her watery eyes and looked back to the other people crammed into the helicopter. Five other snowboarding students where looking out the sides at the newly fallen snow on the high peaked mountain. They all had long clothing on and the same blue and yellow parker or jumper. Sivve had chosen the jumper; it was lighter, and cheaper. She looked at the others pale, excited, yet nervous faces, they all had proper skiing pants on, she on the other hand had second hand cargo pants. Her family wasn't the richest in the world, but they had been able to send Sivve on a snowboarding challenge so they were doing pretty well. They just had to cut back on luxuries.
"Alright!" called the instructor, he was quite handsome with the most captivating blue eyes. He seemed to be the only one who wasn't scared half to death. "Do you all remember what to do?" he yelled over the blades roaring above them. The group nodded remembering the lesson they had had down in the snowfields. "Okay," his voice was almost drowned by the noise of the blades, "if any of you really don't want to go, you can stay on the helicopter and meet us at the bottom, anyone staying?" A girl next to Sivve raised her hand. Her pale face looked sickly and her brown eye's where huge with fright. The instructor nodded. "Everyone else just watch me, remember to keep your head low." He gripped the sides of the helicopter and jumped out gracefully through the air and landed lightly. He looked up and gave the group thumbs up.
John, a blonde haired 22 year old was next, he placed his hands on the sides and pushed off, he fell fairly well but landed harshly and tumbled off a bit. John got up again as the instructor checked him over. He signalled for the next person to go. Sivve grabbed the sides, taking long deep breaths as she pushed off, she felt great! Like she was really flying, and then, landed with a thud. She fell through the cool white snow till it almost covered her. She poked her head out.
"You okay?" asked John helping her up, she nodded rubbing her head.
"Okay you two can go," the instructor motioned for the next student to come down as he spoke to John and Sivve.
John pushed off followed by Sivve, it didn't take long for John to lose Sivve in the fresh cool white snow. Sivve swerved slowly down the slope, stopping to look around. The sun reflected the snow making it even harder to see. Let's see, snow, more snow, bit more snow, and is that? Yes that's snow. Sivve cursed under her breath for being so slow, looking around for John she felt sick already of the whiteness. Unlike most people it reminded her of death. It was odd, but always brought up the subject. The white made her think of clouds, which automatically went to heaven and death. Sivve didn't fear death, as far as she was concerned it happened to everyone and there was no way to get out of it, just another step in the big game of life. She felt the wind behind her pick up. She turned to see if the instructor had caught up yet. The wind hissed at her blowing her beanie off her head. Sivve scrunched her nose up. The weather was supposed to be calm today. She pushed off to pick it up and pulled it over her ears again. It was one of those ones that said, "Has anyone seen my potential?" Her brother thought it was a blast and stole it every now and again. The reason someone would be so low self esteemed to wear it she would never know.
Flecks of snow flew up and hit Sivve on the back of her neck like little needles. The wind had changed unnaturally quickly. She looked around for shelter and groaned. Snow, snow, more goddamn snow. She clenched her teeth together. There was a small rock was poking out of the snow about 20 meters away. It would do for shelter, of course if you called shelter a floor and a wall. Sivve pushed off and stopped at the rock and huddled up against it holding her board close.
The wind picked up again. Snow whipped her face painfully. It was worse, like hot needles attacking her. Sivve opened her mouth to breath but caught a mouthful of snow. Coughing she reached for her water bottle. Dizziness was slowly over coming her. Black specks clouded her vision. She held the bottle up to her lips but didn't drink any. Cold rushed over her body making her shake uncontrollably. Her body felt weak and as if her stomach was doing summersaults. She dropped the water bottle and launched forward as if she was about to through up. One hand holding her mouth she slowly lent back against the rock still managing a head rush. Her head spinning, stomach feeling as if it could cave in and the piercing cold biting her constantly, she gripped the rock weakly. She felt the sharp scratches of the rock cutting deep into her skin on the left side of her face. She opened her eye's wide trying to catch the slightest light in her shady vision. Giving up she closed them holding onto the rock. Her fingers felt weak as a babies, as the rest of her body was slowly sliding down the rock the sick weak feeling flooding her. Exhaustion from her shaking body quickened her breathing as the numbness of the cold spread from her feet to her arms. Stay awake! STAY AWAKE! Her mind screamed at her constantly. She opened her mouth again more snow filled it. The sweeping weak feeling reached her fingers. Her mind became silenced. And her conciseness, died.
~*~*~
The two men of the south walked up the mountain, Ukrilla. It had been given that name in honour of their commander and king, Ukalli. Therefore any man, if not from the South, travelling on it would face the penalties of the south. The south, being one of the most brutal breeds of men, would show no mercy to any trespassers. There had always been stories of people going there and never returning. Both men where cloaked heavily for the winter months. Clad in red and black with a black scarf covering each of their faces like a robbers, their deep dark cruel brown eyes were the only things reviled by the scarfs. There language was of new and their voices harsh. They laughed together as they patrolled the snowy mountain. One of the pair stopped, the other turned to look at his work mate.
"Eppe'?" ~what?~ He asked following his gaze to a sharp rock pointing out of the thick snow.
"Eppe' tie cur?" ~what is that?~ He stalked over to the child-girl laying unconscious next to it. A few meters away from her a long, smooth, coloured board. As he stepped closer he noticed the blood staining the snow around her head. He drew his sword and held it to her throat. The girl didn't react. He cautiously turned her head to reveal the deep cuts, with flecks of snow in the rich dark blood. Her dark features flinched. The other man walked over and bent down. They glanced at each other before the first one picked her up and through her over his shoulder. And headed back down to the towns of South.
The helicopters blades thudded above. Sivve, a tall 18 year old, wiped her watery eyes and looked back to the other people crammed into the helicopter. Five other snowboarding students where looking out the sides at the newly fallen snow on the high peaked mountain. They all had long clothing on and the same blue and yellow parker or jumper. Sivve had chosen the jumper; it was lighter, and cheaper. She looked at the others pale, excited, yet nervous faces, they all had proper skiing pants on, she on the other hand had second hand cargo pants. Her family wasn't the richest in the world, but they had been able to send Sivve on a snowboarding challenge so they were doing pretty well. They just had to cut back on luxuries.
"Alright!" called the instructor, he was quite handsome with the most captivating blue eyes. He seemed to be the only one who wasn't scared half to death. "Do you all remember what to do?" he yelled over the blades roaring above them. The group nodded remembering the lesson they had had down in the snowfields. "Okay," his voice was almost drowned by the noise of the blades, "if any of you really don't want to go, you can stay on the helicopter and meet us at the bottom, anyone staying?" A girl next to Sivve raised her hand. Her pale face looked sickly and her brown eye's where huge with fright. The instructor nodded. "Everyone else just watch me, remember to keep your head low." He gripped the sides of the helicopter and jumped out gracefully through the air and landed lightly. He looked up and gave the group thumbs up.
John, a blonde haired 22 year old was next, he placed his hands on the sides and pushed off, he fell fairly well but landed harshly and tumbled off a bit. John got up again as the instructor checked him over. He signalled for the next person to go. Sivve grabbed the sides, taking long deep breaths as she pushed off, she felt great! Like she was really flying, and then, landed with a thud. She fell through the cool white snow till it almost covered her. She poked her head out.
"You okay?" asked John helping her up, she nodded rubbing her head.
"Okay you two can go," the instructor motioned for the next student to come down as he spoke to John and Sivve.
John pushed off followed by Sivve, it didn't take long for John to lose Sivve in the fresh cool white snow. Sivve swerved slowly down the slope, stopping to look around. The sun reflected the snow making it even harder to see. Let's see, snow, more snow, bit more snow, and is that? Yes that's snow. Sivve cursed under her breath for being so slow, looking around for John she felt sick already of the whiteness. Unlike most people it reminded her of death. It was odd, but always brought up the subject. The white made her think of clouds, which automatically went to heaven and death. Sivve didn't fear death, as far as she was concerned it happened to everyone and there was no way to get out of it, just another step in the big game of life. She felt the wind behind her pick up. She turned to see if the instructor had caught up yet. The wind hissed at her blowing her beanie off her head. Sivve scrunched her nose up. The weather was supposed to be calm today. She pushed off to pick it up and pulled it over her ears again. It was one of those ones that said, "Has anyone seen my potential?" Her brother thought it was a blast and stole it every now and again. The reason someone would be so low self esteemed to wear it she would never know.
Flecks of snow flew up and hit Sivve on the back of her neck like little needles. The wind had changed unnaturally quickly. She looked around for shelter and groaned. Snow, snow, more goddamn snow. She clenched her teeth together. There was a small rock was poking out of the snow about 20 meters away. It would do for shelter, of course if you called shelter a floor and a wall. Sivve pushed off and stopped at the rock and huddled up against it holding her board close.
The wind picked up again. Snow whipped her face painfully. It was worse, like hot needles attacking her. Sivve opened her mouth to breath but caught a mouthful of snow. Coughing she reached for her water bottle. Dizziness was slowly over coming her. Black specks clouded her vision. She held the bottle up to her lips but didn't drink any. Cold rushed over her body making her shake uncontrollably. Her body felt weak and as if her stomach was doing summersaults. She dropped the water bottle and launched forward as if she was about to through up. One hand holding her mouth she slowly lent back against the rock still managing a head rush. Her head spinning, stomach feeling as if it could cave in and the piercing cold biting her constantly, she gripped the rock weakly. She felt the sharp scratches of the rock cutting deep into her skin on the left side of her face. She opened her eye's wide trying to catch the slightest light in her shady vision. Giving up she closed them holding onto the rock. Her fingers felt weak as a babies, as the rest of her body was slowly sliding down the rock the sick weak feeling flooding her. Exhaustion from her shaking body quickened her breathing as the numbness of the cold spread from her feet to her arms. Stay awake! STAY AWAKE! Her mind screamed at her constantly. She opened her mouth again more snow filled it. The sweeping weak feeling reached her fingers. Her mind became silenced. And her conciseness, died.
~*~*~
The two men of the south walked up the mountain, Ukrilla. It had been given that name in honour of their commander and king, Ukalli. Therefore any man, if not from the South, travelling on it would face the penalties of the south. The south, being one of the most brutal breeds of men, would show no mercy to any trespassers. There had always been stories of people going there and never returning. Both men where cloaked heavily for the winter months. Clad in red and black with a black scarf covering each of their faces like a robbers, their deep dark cruel brown eyes were the only things reviled by the scarfs. There language was of new and their voices harsh. They laughed together as they patrolled the snowy mountain. One of the pair stopped, the other turned to look at his work mate.
"Eppe'?" ~what?~ He asked following his gaze to a sharp rock pointing out of the thick snow.
"Eppe' tie cur?" ~what is that?~ He stalked over to the child-girl laying unconscious next to it. A few meters away from her a long, smooth, coloured board. As he stepped closer he noticed the blood staining the snow around her head. He drew his sword and held it to her throat. The girl didn't react. He cautiously turned her head to reveal the deep cuts, with flecks of snow in the rich dark blood. Her dark features flinched. The other man walked over and bent down. They glanced at each other before the first one picked her up and through her over his shoulder. And headed back down to the towns of South.
