Snowflakes of Airyglyph

AN: OMG I AM SOOOOO SORRY I HAVE BEEN SO BUSY! (Not to mention the distraction of Kingdom Hearts II on top of a full time job! Neva ends I tell you!) N e ways here it is! Again a thousand apologies! (Please don't kill me! Ahhh!)

Chapter 4 – Conjured!?

Night had fallen quickly and the two remained trapped inside of the small cave. The small fire that had kept them warm was beginning to die out and they had been running short on pine needles for the past few hours. She shifted closer to the dwindling flame in a vain attempt to get warm.

'Stop squirming fool. Your body can't handle getting hot and cold like that all the time.' He snapped at her.

She shot a furious look back at him. 'I wouldn't have to if I still had my cloak, would I?!' She answered drawing her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them.

'Where is it then wench?' He retorted that smug expression starting to form on his face again.

'On the back of the Lum YOU sent back to Kirlsa!'

'Bah!' He answered, his expression fading back to his usual scowl. 'Pretty stupid of you then isn't it? Pretty stupid of me too I suppose.' He frowned as he noticed that her teeth had begun to chatter. It was as much his fault as her own as to why she didn't have the means to stay warm, and he was sure that the King and Woltar would frown upon him if his charge were to die on him sometime during the night. It's not that he cared what they would have to say about it, but the lectures were becoming quite tiresome. 'Come here.' He commanded her.

'What?' She asked blinking at him.

'I do not like to repeat myself Zelpher. I can't have you freezing to death; Woltar would never let me forget it.'

She studied him for a moment, making sure that this wasn't one of his games. Satisfied that he wasn't going to try anything she scooted closer to him, careful to stay on the side of his good arm. The last thing she would want to do was get stuck to his gauntlet. She sat next to him and in one swift movement he wrapped the cloak around her.

'…Don't you dare tell any one of this.' He growled low enough for her to hear.

'As if I would Nox. Both of our reputations would be worthless and that is something that I can not afford.' She answered.

'Hmph.' was his only response.

The two Lums meandered their way to the gates, alerting the guards instantly that something was wrong. Both of the Lums had been saddled and some ones belongings were still in the saddlebags of one. Woltar was strolling through the encampment that sided onto his manor. One of the Lums legs was injured and would require immediate attention.

'MY LORD!' One of his younger soldiers that manned the gate cried out as he finished inspecting them. 'Are they not Lord Albel's and Lady Nel's Lums?'

His face seemed to drain of colour for a moment as he glanced up towards the Traum Mountains. Up until a few hours before hand he and his retinue were to leave for Airyglyph castle, but a blizzard had come suddenly and prevented that from happening. Albel and Lady Nel had set out a few hours before that. The Lums would not have returned here with out the order to do so, so that means that Albel had sent them back.

'My lord!' Another of the soldiers started. 'Lady Nel's belongings are still in their saddlebag! And her cloak is here too! Something must have happened to them.'

'For Airyglyph's sake they had better be all right…' He whispered as he said a silent prayer for them.

'Stay awake Zelpher!' He cautioned her as her head began to droop and lean on his shoulder. 'If you fall asleep here you won't wake up again. Once the cold has you, you're finished.'

'…I'm awake…' She answered groggily. The truth was that she could barely keep her eyes open. The cold was making her so sleepy and her eyelids seemed to weigh a ton. 'I just… can't seem… to stay…alert.' She answered. Her head once again dropped back onto his shoulder causing him to shift uncomfortably.

'…Zelpher?' He started.

'…What…?' She groaned forcing her eyes open again.

'I'm not a cushion.' He answered noticing that her head had managed to find its way to rest on his chest.

She grumbled something under her breath that he couldn't quite make out, but he was pretty sure it was some obscene comment. It was bad enough that he was sharing his cloak with his former enemy, and that her head was now resting on his chest.

'…Albel?' Nel asked trying to get closer to his warm skin.

'Hn?'

'I've been thinking…'

'A dangerous thing indeed.' He scoffed.

'Why… did you invite me to the ball?' She wondered aloud, choosing to ignore his previous comment.

He paused trying to think on how to answer it. '… I have something that belongs to you.'

'To…me?' She wondered.

Dawn had come, as it always did. The world seemed to grow quiet for a moment and she suddenly noticed that the howling wind had stopped.

'What?' He asked her noticing her body go rigid.

She could feel the hairs on the back of her neck standing up. 'Something's wrong.' Before he could stop her she had broken free of the cloak and raced outside. The air was clear; it was as if the blizzard had never happened.

'What the..?' He started as he came out behind her. 'What happened to the blizzard?'

She didn't answer instead she closed her eyes. The air was full of runological energy. 'It was a spell!?' She answered. 'But who would have the power to conjure up a storm of the caliber?'

'You're joking!' He answered staring up at the sky. She was right though, that was the only possible conclusion. The clouds, the freezing cold, the extra snow that should have fallen… It was gone, as though it never existed. 'What on Elicoor?!'

'Albel! Lady Nel!' A familiar voice called out from behind. 'Thank the gods you're alive!'

YAY! I have finally updated! I am sooooo sorry! Please review! Tee hee!