Okay, so last time we saw what was happening, Age, known as Cold at the time, was climbing the side of a mountain with Hayley. KevinBlu and I talked it over, and we reached an agreement, so pardons us for the delay. Chapter written by KevinBlu, edited by me, MyWayWriter.
The Lost Two Weeks
Chapter 4
Say What Now?
"Are you… are you sure about this?" Hayley asked to her friend.
She and Age had been walking through the passage between the icy mountains for a while, and she was beginning to get nervous. Hayley, that at first she thought that it'd be a great idea, now wasn't so sure. She wanted to know what was that thing that Cold called mountain, but at the same time, she wanted to come back to the colony as fast as possible. It's incredible how strong the bonds of the penguins of The Nation at Ross Bay are. They always felt the necessity of being close to each other, even when they are chicks. That instinct had contributed to the long existence of this colony.
"Yeah… don't worry. We will reach the top in no time!" Age replied, but having the same feeling that Hayley had. He wanted to return in that same moment, but he wasn't going to back off now… not in front of Hayley. She was relief that at least she wasn't alone, she had Cold, and that was the best company that she could ever want.
It was about now that Age was beginning to get steamed about the current situation, he was lost. The only problem was, he was refusing to admit it, since he was a chick, he had no idea that one could lose their place and go wayward. He was unsettled, and the fact that he had Hayley with him only made him feel guiltier. Soon, both chicks reached what they thought looked like a border.
In front of them there was nothing; just snow, snow, and more snow. They turned around and found out that the mountain that they were trying to climb was right in front of them. Instead of climbing the mountain, they had chosen a wrong path and they had walked all the way around it and ended in the other side.
"What?" Hayley asked "We should be up there, not down here." Hayley complied scratching her head.
"I knew it! I knew it! I knew it!" Age muttered, slapping his own face with each word "I'm sorry Hayley. I should have listened to you. We should have taken the left path, but no! The stupid Cold wanted to demonstrate that he could found a path THAT HE DIDN'T… EVEN…SEE!" He shouted to himself.
Hayley felt bad for her friend. It was his fault, yes; but he did it with the best intentions. She could have made the same mistake too.
"Stop being so hard on yourself, Cold. We can still try it again" She tried telling him.
"But we can't, Hayley. Look at the sky, it's already getting dark! If we don't go back now, our parents will discover that we escaped off without their permission." Cold replied, while his eyes began to get wet. She took a look at the sun position, or what was left of it. It wasn't very late, but they wouldn't have enough sunlight to climb the mountain and return to the colony before the night falls.
"Well, that's not a big deal. We can try another day. It's not like that mountain is going to fall, right?" She consoled, putting a flipper in Age's shoulder "Right?" He turned around to face Hayley and he simply lost into her gaze. Those green eyes, filled with worry about him, were just… impossible to describe. They were two darts directed to the heart of anyone who dare to stare at them.
"Right…" Age replied, smiling. He couldn't be happier; but at the same time, he didn't know why he was happy. Hayley began to blush, several seconds had past and Age was still staring at her eyes.
"Cold…?" Hayley suddenly asked, taking Age out of his trance. He shook his head quickly before answering.
"Y-yes, Hayley…?" He said shaking a little.
"What did you tried to do yesterday?" She asked. She was just curious, since she had never seen that kind of behavior. However as soon as he started to approach his beak to her face, she felt the need to do the same.
"Y-y-yesterday?" He stuttered.
"Yeah… you know… when you tried to touch my beak with… yours…" She said, blushing more and more with each word.
"I… I… I… I…" Age used all the neurons of his brain to try to reach an answer for that question… but he didn't have any. It was just an impulse that he had had on that moment and he couldn't describe it now. He started to think which lie he could say now… but then, a familiar sound made their blood run cold… wings flapping… followed by a soft stomp behind them, suggesting that something or someone had just landed. They slowly turned around and what they saw was just… unexpected.
It wasn't a skua, or a seagull… or any other flying birds that they had been told about. It was a bird two times taller than a penguin chick, and colored like an adult one: Black feathers in the head, wings and back, and white feathers in the chest, belly and under it. The beak of this creature was not sharp, like the skuas ones, but and it wasn't like a penguin beak. It was rounded and multicolored, with rather big nasal holes.
"Hello!" The birds greeted. Judging by his voice, the chick realized that it was a male and that he sounded quite friendly, "How are going the chicks?" He asked jolly-like,
"What?" Both chicks asked at the same time.
"Stupid Sven! I'm sorry for my bad Penguinish, I am still getting used to the local language…" He said to the chicks, and started to think in loud voice "Låt oss se: 'are' gå före personen… och "Chicks 'är plural, så ersätts av... Redan!" He exclaimed, confusing Age and Hayley even more "The right question it's: 'How are you going?' Right?" He asked. The chicks finally understood the question of this character.
"Erhm, we are…" Age began.
"Just fine… mister?" Hayley continued. Due to their last experience with flying creatures, Hayley wasn't very comfortable around this new guy.
"Oh, what manners of mine!... And in front of a lady! Well, let's introduced me: I am…"
"MIGHTY SVEN!" A shout echoed in the air. They all looked and saw a pudgy little thing coming near.
"Yes, I am the Mighty Sven, and I am from… what!" Everyone directed their gaze to the horizon and noticed (forcing their eyes a bit) a spot approaching to the territory. After some seconds, this spot became a rather fat Rockhopper penguin.
Age and Hayley were amazed for this new creature as well as with this 'Sven'. They had never saw any of these species of penguin before... well, since they were just two days old, they had never saw any other species except for Emperor penguins that lived in the territory.
"Ufff… I finally catch you, oh Mighty Sven!" The Rockhopper said, as he did a reverence to Sven.
"Lovelace, what are you doing?" Sven asked, puzzled.
"I'm honoring you, Great Sven, the master of the skies" Lovelace praised up.
"Well, Sven is flattered… and confused at the same time" He replied in an estranged tone.
"You're flying greatness! Who knows how many powers you have! We are not deserving of your presence!" The Rockhopper said, full of excitement. Hayley and Age look at each other.
"Ok, Lovelace. Now you are been ridiculous. I'm a lunnefågel, not a…" Sven tried to say, but was interrupted but two little squirts.
"A penguin who can fly?" Both of them asked at the same time.
"Yeah, but…" Sven tried to speak, but was cut.
"Awesome!" Both chicks shouted.
"How did you learn?" Hayley asked.
"It was hard?" Age added.
"I don't know… I was knowing, but kids, I'm not a…" But Sven was cut off again by Age.
"Could we learn too?" The young male asked the 'flying penguin'.
"I don't know, I…" But Sven was cut off by a sudden downed tone from Age.
"How come?" Age spoke again.
"If you learnt, why could we?" Hayley added.
"Yeah! Oh, and you parents could fly too?" Age jumped as he shrieked his question.
"And your friends?" Hayley threw in.
"Why don't you ask him if all of his colony could fly, and that's it?" Hayley asked to Age playfully.
"Ok, all your colony could fly too?" Age asked to Sven.
"Kids, kids! Please, stop! So many questions! You're making your tiny selves look like fools compared to the greatness…that is The Mighty Sven!" Lovelace said. So much attention was starting to give him headaches.
"Yes, kids. The Mighty Sven has to keep his energy, if he is to…" But Sven was stopped yet again but Lovelace.
"Share his mighty wisdom of the great blue yonder above…with the other of our great land!" Lovelace kept preaching to the darkish sky above their heads.
"Pardon me Lovelace, but could we at least see the ones back to their home first, I'd feel bad if something happened to my… 'adoring fans'." Sven was being sarcastic, but the two chicks and Lovelace cheered it on as if he was right. "Oh whatever…" Sven sighed aggravated and grabbed the two small chicks in his feet and flew off leaving the omen saying Lovelace on the ground.
So yeah, Age actually met Sven a long time ago, Sven just didn't know that it was him, but Age remembered meeting him. In the end, I guess Age and Hayley are just going to meet a lot of penguins and other Antarctic creatures they meet in the future, or will they? I guess since it's my turn to write a chapter, you'll fine out!