"Are we there now dad?"
"He told you five minutes ago Denmark- we'll get there when we get there."
"That was five minutes ago!"
"Will you be quiet? You'll wake up Iceland!"
"It's not my fault he's too small to walk by himself!"
Iceland blearily opened his eyes at the voices, and found himself looking at the snowy ground below his dangling paws. He felt his father's strong jaws clutching his scruff securely, and resisted the urge to be lulled back to sleep as he swayed to and fro.
"Oh great- you've woken him up now." Norway grunted, and Iceland raised his head to see his white-pelted brother trudging along at Scandinavia's side.
"Well we're practically already here so it doesn't matter." Sweden grunted, and Iceland turned his head to see his eldest brother's smoky grey fur at the front of the group.
Finland and Denmark were trotting along just behind him.
"Here?" Iceland yawned, "Where's 'here'?"
"Germania's place you feather-brain." Denmark snorted, shaking out his caramel and white coat.
"Give him a break, he was sleeping." Finland said softly, glancing back to smile supportively at Iceland.
Scandinavia lowered him down, and Iceland winced with a shudder at the touch of the snow.
He raised his small muzzle, sniffing at the cool air- it wasn't as cold as it was in his home. An odd, foreign scent hit his nose, causing him to narrow his violet eyes.
"I can smell other wolves...but that scent's not from any of our countries are they?"
Scandanavia smiled down at him fondly, "This isn't any of our countries Iceland. These are Germania's wolves."
"They all have different scents?"
"Of course."
"Duh!" Denmark stuck his tongue out with a sly grin- Scandinavia cuffing his ear and silencing him.
As the family kept going, curiosity continued to probe at his mind.
"Dad, is Germania...nice?"
There was a silence as all five pups swivelled their heads to look their father, who flattened his ears carefully, "Well..." he grunted, "He's...strict."
"Is he scary?" Finland asked. Iceland kept his eyes on his father's huge, well muscled figure. It was difficult to imagine anything frightening Scandinavia.
Before the adult could answer, Denmark scoffed, "Of course not! Nothing's scary to Dad!"
Sweden rolled his eyes, "Everybody's scared of something. It's instinct- father's told you that over and over."
Denmark glared at him, and Iceland grinned as his oldest brothers began to shove at eachover, disappearing over the slope as they squabbled.
But something was still gnawing at him, "Dad, is that true? That everybody's afraid of something?" he asked as they walked, jumping through the snow.
Scandinavia lashed his long tail, "I think so. Fear is a drive- it's a form of survival." he rumbled.
Iceland tilted his head, "So is Germania your fear?"
Scandinavia chuckled, shaking his head, "No, not Germania- though he thinks he is."
"Then what are you scared of?" Finland piped up, large amethyst eyes wide.
"Only of losing my sons. And I'm not going to let that happen." their father assured.
Iceland beamed in reassurance, Finland and Norway exchanging satisfied glances.
"Dad! We're here-Ow! I gave up already Sweden, cut it out!"
Denmark's voice rang from up ahead, and Iceland took a deep breath, wondering what Germania was going to be like.