Snow

Snow fell down near nightfall. Winter was the last awake, she had to fight Shadow away from her dreams...again. Winter woke, sleepy eyed, hair messed up, tangled almost to the point of no return. She stood a picked up the bone everyone used to comb their hair. She yawned large when her work was down and walked out of the tunnels, falling the smell of breakfast. Winter sat down next to May, smiling at her.

"So, it's your turn to cook?" Winter said, laughing, "When is Jake's?"

"Soon," May turned to laugh at Jake, "and we better all run when that's so!" May and Winter both laughed as the tired Jake grunted and waved his hands, annoyed.

Winter turned to the food, "What are you cooking?"

"Galena brought the largest fish I've ever seen! And some wondering livestock. ."

Galena smiled slyly, "What? They weren't with their herders any more. The wolves would've gotten them if I didn't."

Winter rolled her eyes, "Sure, we all believe you," she elbowed May, "right?"

"Oh yes, undoubtedly trust!"

All three laughed; Galena's laughter shook the cave. Andrew walked out of one of the tunnels, rubbing his eyes, "Is there an earthquake?"

Everyone laughed, "No," Galena rumbled, "it was just me."

Andrew smiled big, "Well then that is an earthquake!"

Everyone laughed again at a lame joke, Andrew smiling proudly. He made everyone laugh! Winter stretched out, "What are we doing today?"

"Well," Galena answered, "I was thinking of teaching you an old trick to harness lighting."

"Wow, really? Will May join us?"

"Of course," May shouted, "it isn't a party without me!" Everyone seemed in high spirits, Winter could get used to this.

"When do we start?"

Galena looked at the sky which was littered with clouds. "Now." he jumped out of the cave and flew up into the sky.

"What about breakfast?" Winter shouted.

"Later, when we are done."

May and Winter exchanged glances, "Do you think you could cook them any quicker?" May smiled mischievously, and then blew fire onto the cooking foods. Parts where burned but neither of them cared, both just changed and took the food, scarfing it down as quickly as possible.

"Pretty good," Winter said, swallowing her mouthful, "even if it is burnt!"

May rammed her, pushing Winter aside, "Hey, at least it's better than nothing!"

Winter rammed May back playfully, and snorted, "Last one up cooks lunch!" May jumped ahead, diving down to the ground before shooting up into the air.

"Cheater!" Winter cried before shooting up into the sky. Winter was upon May quickly, and bit her tail playfully. May turned to yell at Winter when Winter shot by,

"See ya!" May yelled something then attempted to catch up with her. It was no use; Winter was the ruler of the sky. Winter hovered in mid-air before Galena, waiting for May.

May reached them, gasping, "No fair! You're faster!"

Winter shrugged, "That's what cheaters get. You're cooking lunch!"

May pushed Winter away, smiling, "Last one to master lighting is cooking dinner!" Winter smiled, "Okay, you're cooking two more meals then!"

"Yeah right!"

Galena rumbled laughter, "Then let's get this going. Now the trick to harnessing lighting is to feel power surge through your body. It is most powerful when there is a storm, but it works fine without one. Now, let me demonstrate, you have to focus on your enemy, feel anger surge through your body, the power, uncontrolled power. Take a deep breath and let it out."

"It isn't that easy," Winter said.

Galena smiled, "No, there is more. . ."

****************************

"I can't believe I have to cook lunch and dinner now!" May cried, "How'd you do it?"

Winter smiled and shrugged, "Well let me answer that with another question: how can you hunt so well and I can't? How can you seem to find the best food in a matter of minutes? How can you-"

"Okay, I get it!" May roared, turning human again. She sighed, "Well, at least I'm a good cook." Jake chuckled. "What? I don't see you cooking! Your cooking is revolting!"

Jake grinned and winked at Winter, "I think we all know that."

May looked at Winter, "Yeah, and I don't think we need to try it ever again!"

Winter nodded, "I agree with you." Jake shrugged and continued staring at nothing in particular.

"I thought so," May grumbled.

"May, your birthday's coming up too, isn't it?"

"Aye."

"What do you want?"

May looked up in thought, "Nothing."

"That's no true."

"Fine, then what do you want?"

"A cross necklace," Winter said, fingering her neck. "Shadow took mine that my parents got me."

May nodded, "Well, I would like a bracelet with a cross. Isn't that funny? We both want crosses."

Winter smiled, "Aye, funny indeed."

*****************

That week went by too fast. There wasn't much they all did. Katrina was always helping with the cooking, May and Winter was always switching off flying exercises, and both always together when training otherwise. Jake and Winter continued their relationship, sometimes hiding away to talk in Winter's secret cave. It was becoming harder to go outside other then training with Galena for the snow storm kept falling, packing down layers of snow. Winter liked it, however. She loved the snow. She built snowmen with Andrew, raced with Galena when the storm was at its strongest, and fought May in the snow when there was nothing else to do. May began to teach Winter her trick to hunting, and Winter likewise with her flying. Soon they would be equal, and the sky racing would be a lot more fun. When she was human, she would have snowball fights with everyone, even Galena. She was pretty good aim and almost never got hit by the hard packed 'ball of frozen doom' as Andrew called them. Winter was having the time of her life, and best of all, she hadn't heard from Shadow for the longest time. In fact, she forgot about him entirely. A clean slate, unhurt, and with a family.

*********

The day of the Dragonaide was nearly upon them, a week left. Winter was able to get Galena to distract May long enough to bring Jake with her to find May her gift. Winter had to be more careful now, so she put on her darkest cloak, which was her only cloak, then put her hair up behind her after splashing it with mud. This way no one could clearly see her face, and her hair was now a dirty brown with light, muddied streaks of red. Winter and Jake took the road, wanting to look normal.

"I bet we'll find the best gift for May," Winter said, breaking the silence, "what, with all this money Galena gave us from his stash."

Jake nodded, "No doubt."

"Did she say what kind of bracelet? Gold, silver?"

"Silver is what she said."

Winter nodded, "Any jewels?"

Jake looked at her, "Winter! Why wouldn't she? The more jewels the better!" They laughed Winter holding Jake's hand.

"How long now?"

Jake looked up at the sky, smoke wasn't that far ahead, "A matter of minutes."

"Good, I too excited to find her something!" Jake was right, they were in the village surrounded by carts and people.

"Where to?" Winter whispered.

"There," Jake pointed, "she has the best jewelry." Winter nodded and followed Jake who was leading them into a quiet corner. There was surprisingly a large amount of people under the tarp, but all were quiet.

"She loves it quiet, she can't think otherwise." Winter nodded and started looking for the most beautiful cross bracelet. She found one right away and picked it up. She put it on; it fit her perfectly, so it would fit May as well.

"James, come over here," Winter said silently. Jake came by her side; they had come up with fake names.

"Beautiful," Jake said. The bracelet was silver, the cross on it crafted wonderfully. The cross had red and green jewels on the outside, while blue filled it in.

"How much?" Winter asked the older lady.

The lady eyed their clothing, and then responded, "Too much for a poor family."

"I'm sorry; I didn't hear you right, how much?" Winter asked more firmly, giving the lady a deathly glance.

"Two hundred."

Winter smiled and put the coins on the table, "Thanks," Winter said, walking away with the woman in awe.

"Now all we have to do is hide it."

"No problem," Winter said, "Galena with those tunnels, you know."

"Aye, only he knows all those secret hiding places."

Winter nodded, "We have to get in without May noticing."

Jake looked up into the sky while they walked down the road, then they took a way off, into the forest without anyone noticing. Finally Jake spoke, "What if we signal Galena to take May away for a few moments?"

Winter nodded, "Unless she's already gone."

Jake smiled, "Aye."

Winter and Jake stood below the cliff, and Winter changed to carry both of them up there. Winter took a hold of Jake and slowly flew, eyeing the sky for May. When she was just below the cave, she looked over and didn't see May. She handed Jake the bracelet and pushed him up.

"Where are you going?"

"I just thought you wouldn't want to hear me roaring in your ear."

"Oh, well. Good idea."

Winter smiled, "I know, I think of those a lot." Winter hovered there momentarily, staring into Jake's eyes. He stood there to, staring into her large, slitted blue eyes. Winter broke the gaze, smiling, and flew up farther into the air. When she had reached the highest point she could go to sustain a loud enough roar she stopped. She heaved in all the air she could then let it out in an earthshaking roar. Galena's answered, telling her he was coming back with May. She smiled and roared again, telling him that he was needed. There was a moment's pause then he answered, telling her he would fly ahead, May was too tired to keep up with him. Winter flew down into the cave and turned human again. Jake was lowering his hands from his ears. "Not far enough away?" Winter asked.

"No, not quite." Galena arrived and hid the gift away secretly. May arrived, gasping, many minutes later.

"What did you two do?" Winter asked.

"I was tracking a wolf pack. ALL day." she gasped.

Winter chuckled, "Why?"

"Because Galena said it was good exercise," May grunted. Winter laughed.

"What did you do all day?" May growled.

"Walked."

"Where?"

"Around the forest. Finding any spots that it would be good for cover if for some reason we snowball fight." Winter smiled.

May grinned back, "I think I have some good places to hide as well."

"Really? Well let's see about that," Winter leaped on May, pushing them both tumbling down to the snow cover ground. The snow had already covered Winter and Jake's tracks. It was coming down hard again. Winter and May fought on.