Bolt and Mittens found a spot under a tree within the nick of time. The storm hit mercilessly, but the shelter of that evergreen concealed them quite nicely from the storm that was just outside.
Bolt was astounded. Unlike the rain, the 'snow' seemed to fall silently unless there was a breeze that accompanied it. The fact had immensely stricken him, that such a harmless looking type of weather...could be so frightfully dangerous.
He turned and noticed the sad drooping head of Mittens. She laid flat on her stomach, and didn't attempt to speak. This only made Bolt much more concerned. He stepped to her side, and reclined next to her, placing his paw on top of her small, vulnerable white mitten. He sighed. "Please, don't tell me-"
"He's already gone Bolt." She muttered sadly. "He's gone, and there's no possible way to change that."
He laid his chin on the cold, pine needle covered ground. "We can at least have hope."
Mittens scoffed. "Yeah, if you're seriously drained of all other things." She then looked down at Bolt's paw, and then sighed, "Which...we are."
Bolt knew it wasn't a good time, but he decided to grin, despite what was happening. "It's all we have. Take the risk or leave it."
Mittens shook her head. "Bolt, I-I...you know I can't."
He lifted his head. "Mittens, in that cat I know you are, and after all the things you've done, you have more reason to admit you can."
She swiped her paw out defensively. "You can't! No, you-"
"It's what's in you Mittens. Do you know how far we've gotten across this continent just my sheer luck? We had hope then!"
"We had Rhino then, Bolt. It makes the largest difference now."
Bolt stepped back. "Why? Why can't you just accept it! Why can't you believe."
She clenched her teeth, "Oh, please! Believing is now something that costs too much now. It's over my head!"
"You're being a complete nuisance now, Cat!"
"Oh, you haven't seen anything 'nuisance' like at all yet, dog!"
Bolt tensed, and even began to growl. "What's gotten into you?"
She glowered. "I'm done with this, dog, and if you don't do the same, I'm going to march out of here, and find that stupid highway!"
He stood straight, and paced another step backward. "Fine."
She nodded, still glaring. "Fine." She slowly stepped to her side, turning to look off into the distance. Not looking back she sprung into a full sprint down the snowy drift.
Bolt didn't try to stop her.
Finding himself in a dark enclosed area...around him were the highest walls he's ever seen. He looked around urgently, but with no thought what what it is that he's looking for, but he moved on cautiously. There was a small breeze through the the walls...oddly enough. He was sure of it. He moved on, pressing forward on his plastic containment, which rolled with ease as it moved forward. He found himself now in a hollow. Someplace like a small wood, trees were everywhere, growing next to each other almost lined up, but very close together, almost as if the woods themselves formed a ceiling on purpose.
That's when it came to him. He was looking for shelter, but shelter from what? There was nothing out here that he had to hide from, all that he was sure of was the fact that he had to do it, reason or not. He had to get somewhere and for some other undisclosed reason...it had to be fast. He rolled himself over to a part of the hollow that seemed...empty. The snow that covered less than an inch of the ground was getting higher every five minutes from the storm. Not realizing that he's inside a ball, he was much more confused as to find what he was looking for.
After rolling for about 15 minutes he settled himself under a small ditch or hole in the ground. This one being a sort of hole that only shaded you from the outside world just barely. He shivered in the cold that he'd collected from the snow, some leaked through the cracks on the plastic, and melted into frigid cold water. He moved the ball, so the water could leak out. Thinking about it, the water HAD melted. That meant...there was STILL heat. His body heat couldn't keep him alive forever. But he had an idea, a risky idea.
He pushed the ball hard on the ground, and snow leaked again through the cracks and spaces. Rhino decided that it would only mean that if the snow comes to a point where it doesn't melt, it's too late and he's out of body heat for good. Which is never a good sign. But he had to keep track some way. So he moved the snow aside, and shivered again, tired, but still grasping the fact that this was simply a struggle that Bolt had warned him about.
This couldn't be how things were going to end. A hero on a quest had lost his companion and his prisoner off the side of a rushing train. Being who he was, and forcing himself to move on and try to find them, had taken an entire 18 hours, but just the same, it was his destiny. His allies were in trouble...somewhere they were calling his name...somewhere they had been in search for him, but he was nowhere to be found. Reassuring the thoughts that Bolt had given him on day one.
"The will be rough." He said, smiling. Which now made Rhino wonder, if he was meaning to play along with him, or if he meant it.
"There's no turning back." Rhino had taken the bate. Bolt was absolutely right. Once he was off with them, he had been long gone from his RV home at Camp Revenstour. he shook the thought, but it still penetraited him, what he's gotten himself into.
"...Danger at every turn!" The last line he'd said. Before asking him if he was hungry for a journey to finding his person.
Rhino couldn't do it. He'd never felt himself so out of hope, so drained...then again, he'd NEVER been outside of his home...the RV or the ball. There had been so many brand new situations on this quest, he's had a hard time keeping track of it all. Things happened so fast, so deadly quick, it was like watching a film where the action is only minutes long, instead of how long it would have been if it was real. There was nothing left, nothing to look at, nothing to keep focus on. It was all gone, for the first time in his entire small life, he'd drained of all hope.
"No."
Some part of him muttered. What? Could it be that there was still...a doubt for doubting.
"Yes." He spoke to the no, as if agreeing with it.
"No." The no said, sure he was correct. But then.
"YES." it came like a rush of wind, blowing into his face, nice and refreshing-
"NO!" Just the same, it smacked him like a wave of the ocean crashing onto the shore, above him.
Then he gave out his last bit of energy.
"YEEESSSS!"
It whipped through him like an electric bolt of shock. A wave that flowed through every cell in his body, almost like lighting-
..."ow."
The snow was gone, then. And Rhino had the revelation of a lifetime.
Smocking black, and sizzling like a hot dog, he jumped in the air (his ball was still in tacked, don't ask how, he was just there) screaming pleasurable remarks.
"I'VE DONE IT! I'VE REAAALLLYYY DONE IT!"
He ran like a bullet down the hill, and almost as fast, he made it to a highway, and...um, raced to te other side, without looking both ways (don't try that at home). His life flashed LITERALLY before his eyes. He'd never been happier-
He woke up. Stunned completely, but there was no doubt that he had his answer. He put on a grin, and laughed wickedly. Whatever he was going to do, it was clear to him (like anything is after you wake up from such a dream). He had no speck of doubt left in him, it was simply something he just wouldn't allow. He knew what to do, and almost where to go.
He got out from the hole, noticing that most of the snow had melted away. He is going to survive, he knew it for sure. He was determined to find Bolt and the prisoner, if it took him the rest of his life. He'd made a promise that he was going to keep.
He was STILL "starving" for danger.