Siljas was now really freezing, not even his warm clothes warmed him enough when he now was high up in the mountains, they hadn't been a problem to his young self who would climb mountains, edges, sit on Trico's back and jump from rock to rock, but the years had gotten to him and he found it harder as he climbed and almost slipped many times with his foot or loosed balance.
I really am an old man now…
He glanced up to look at the view from up here, the valleys down there were beautiful and he could only imagine how it would look in the summer. The trees stood tall and close, snow covered the branches, what looked like a lake was visible from between some of them, covered in ice, untouched. The snow glittered from the winter sun that peaked from behind the clouds. Was so big but from up here it seemed much smaller, the wind up here was hard and cold and almost made Silja's eyes watery with tears. But there wasn't that far left before he was in the forest again and wouldn't have to climb the mountains anymore. One of the edges were thing so he had to press his chest against the rock wall and hold into it with shaky hands while he made his feet slide his body forward. His breath was strained from the cold and the sudden fear that gripped him, at the same time as adrenaline spread thru his veins. He had to stoop moving for a couple of seconds before he continued, he would be jut fine, he had done this many times before. Small rocks fell from the edge and a bird was flying by and chirped loudly. He was so close to his coal now and his breath started to calm down slightly. But then suddenly, he slipped, and fell down down… he tried to grab into the stone wall and edge to stop his falling but failed, only scratched his hand on the sharp stones in the process.
Thousands of thoughts filled his brain on the first few seconds while he was falling. He was gonna die, he just knew it. He would never meet his friend or his family again. His dear family, his beautiful Mira, his dear son Brono that wanted to be a protector of the village when he became adult, his adventures daughter Maya who always wanted to go on adventures like Siljas and would sometimes carve tree animals and figures with her trustworthy knife she got from him. He would never be able to learn them now, they wouldn't know what ever happened to him for a long time, would never find him when they would become worried and search for him, his body would hit the ground down there, he would be everywhere and the birds would eat his meat, blood would cover their beaks, if they didn't, something else would. He closed his eyes and tears started to well up and fall down his face. His gut turned in panic and nausea, but instead of continue falling or hit the ground, it stopped. Just like that, he was still in the air, he knew it by the wind and that he didn't feel ground below him. What was happening? Was he flying, was he dead? He didn't dare to open his eyes for long seconds and heard nothing except the wind, but he soon heard something else, like something was breathing and warm air touched him from above his head, brushing against his dark hair. Warm breath. Was it?
He opened his eyes and saw clearly that he was still in the air but now he was moving and he felt the breath brush even harder and he looked up, his vision blurry from the tears in his eyes but he saw a figure, something grey. He swallowed, his throat hurt slightly, and blinked. A giant body covered in feathers…
As he looked up he saw the big muzzle that had carrying him, a small sound escaped it, like a dogs whine and then he saw a glimpse of and eye before he was put down in a safer place on the rocks and he fell down to his button. The giant creature gripped into the rocks, had been hovering over the edge. But was now looking at him with big eyes.
-T-Trico?" he said softly. The giant head before him tilted slightly and the ears lifted slightly in curiosity at the sound of his voice, a small whine like rumbling noise from its throat again. The muzzle moved then closer and sniffed him, the dark, kind eyes looked at him, in recognition. Siljas lifted his hand, which was shaking from the cold and shock. When it touched the creature's soft fur, the man let his tears fall again and he hugged the giant muzzle, as much of it as he could anyway, and buried his face against it.
-Trico… Trico." he mumbled.
Trico's heart felt like it would burst from all the happiness and excitement, he had been right, this was his boy. He was much older and had different clothes and the hair on his head was longer, hair was even on his chin, but it was him. He could smell it, a smell that he ever would forget, and a voice that still held that of the small human child he had become friends with behind the gruffer, mature one, his body still had those tattoos as well. He let out a happy, low sound and leaned into the man's hug. It had been so close that his friend would have left him again, only seconds from it, Trico knew that humans would never had survived that fall. It had felt like the boy had been calling after him, he even noticed that he still had that shield with him. It must have been that he had felt. After long minutes of the man hugging him, he let go and looked into his eyes again.
-I thought I would never see you again." he said weakly, it had barely reached Trico's big ears. He tilted his head again slightly.
-I wanted to see you." he patted his muzzle again. "Have you had it good?" Trico grunted softly as answer and the man understood.
-That's good to hear." he said and glanced at Trico's wing that were fully healed and full grown, cowered in beautiful feathers, his horns were fully grown as well. He looked even bigger than last time the man had seen him, but it had been long time since last time so it wasn't so weird. Trico lifted him up by his winter jacket and sat him on his back like he had done when he was small and the full grown man even felt like a little kid again as he held into the feathers. Trico was so exited to show his friend his home and jumped over the edge to then spread out his wings and fly hich up into the air, letting the cold breeze brush against his fur. At first, Siljas became a little nervous but it quickly changed to happiness and his body relaxed, he smiled as he looked down at the world bellow them. He felt so free...