A week later, Lina was looking at the edge of the great ice cap at the bottom of the world. Never in her life had she ever imagined that anything like this could exist. She jumped everytime an iceberg was cracked off of the ice sheet to fall into the ocean with a hugh splash. The air was cold, bitter even. The wind was strong, and constant. She couldn't imagine what they were thinking. How were they going to cross that? No, how were they even going to get on it?

Argentus had studied the water, or something, and told the captain that a bay was nearby, and given the directions. Lina didn't have a clue how he could know, but suddenly, there it was. And lo and behold, the ice came down to the water, and they could land. Which they did.

Lina began to understand what Argentus meant about the ice being different the first time she slipped. She had fallen on ice before, and it was hard, but this was like steel! And it hurt. But she couldn't tell which hurt worse, the pain of banging into the hardness of the ice or the burn caused by it's coldness. She got up and promptly went down again, screaming as she landed again. Argentus gave a good natured laugh and helped her up. Then bending down he carefully and quickly lashed a strange device onto each of her boots. "Crampons!" he said, then, seeing her puzzled look added "Ice spikes. You should walk better now." She did.

The four of them were standing on the ice now, one loaded sled beside them. The captain was sailing off, he had instructions to wait in the village they had left a week ago, and return at a set time to see if the travelers were back. After that, if they weren't back, it would be up to him to decide how long to wait before returning to report failure. Lina felt fear and loneliness set in and mentally upbraided herself. This was what they had come for, and besides, they had only gotten here. Finally she said "Well, Filia, when you are ready..." The blonde girl nodded, she was just building her courage.

Finally, she went behind a chunk of ice, she was still shy about changing, and in a short time there was an intense glow and a large, and very pretty, golden dragon suddenly rose into existence. "Oh Ceiphied it's cold!" she said in shock.

In short order the three others were on her back and she carefully grabbed the sled. With a deep breath she took off into the air. "Which way?" she asked. Argentus set her on her course.

Lina leaned over and said "Filia, I know I have said that don't want to use magic if I don't have to, but I will gladly cast a recovery spell on you if you need it, as many as you want, just give the word."

Filia replied. "Well, we'll see, Miss Lina. We aren't chasing Darkstar at top speed this time, but it is very cold, I'll do my best."

"Thank you." replied Lina.

Lina watched the ice speed by below them. Argentus was right, "ice" was the only word for it. And what ice! Great jagged cracks passed below them, and hugh mountains of frozen water, steel hard and smoother than glass. And white everywhere. No, some cracks revealed what had to have been one of the loveliest shades of blue Lina had ever seen. "oh, if I ever get the chance, I would love to come back and see some of this better." she said to Argentus. "I never knew the cold could produce such loveliness."

"Who can say? You may get that wish Lina." he replied. "And you are right, this is a beautiful planet. I haven't just lived there at that village, I have seen green jungles, yellow deserts, blue rivers and red sunsets. And I have seen animals and plants that are stunning to behold, and other things that seem as if they were cruel jokes, but if you can put them into the context of their naural settings, they make sense, and thereby have their own loveliness. Everything can be beautiful in its own way, Lina, if it is given a chance. Humans are beautiful too, only they sometimes forget, and marr it with the ugliness of evil. If they would only let go, and let live, they might be surprised what wonders this world could give them."

Lina nodded, a lump in her throat at the thought.

As time went on Lina could feel Filia start to shiver. "She's cold." Lina thought. "Ready for a recovery?" she asked. The dragon shook her head no. Lina sat back, but she was getting concerned, it looked like ice was forming on Filia's wings. She pointed it out to Zel who nodded, looking worried himself. Still, Filia sped on through the sky straight towards their goal, the ultimate south.

"You're taking this calmly I must say." said Zel to their guide. "Have you ever flown before?"

Argentus smiled and replied, "Why, is there something I should be worried about?" Zel shrugged.

Finally, after more time had passed Lina was worried. Filia was still flying, but she was obviously tired. She refused offer after offer, and even got mad at Lina for making them. But her wings were more a shade of blue, not gold, now, and she seemed, well, not herself anymore. Lina looked to Argentus with a worried look.

He looked concerned too. He leaned forward to Filia and said "Miss Filia, It's time to land."

"N-no... not passed noon yet..." shivered a dull sounding Filia.

"I'm so sorry Filia, I didn't tell you. At this time of year, this far south, the sun never sets. It is well passed noon and you are getting very cold. We all need food and warmth, please, it's time to land, trust me. I am your guide, okay?" responded Argentus.

"I- I can make it a bit further..." chattered Filia.

"But we can't." said Argentus. "Please, for our sakes, you must land."

Filia nodded. "Where?" she asked.

She was directed to a flat place, and talked gently through a low and slow pass that let her drop the sled safelyu so it didn't break, and so that she was able to have her feet free to land with. Then she skidded to a stop, rather roughly, and lay there on the ice, exhausted. Argentus was quickly beside her head, stroking her neck and praising her great effort. He then said "Courage, Miss Filia, one more effort. Change back to a human again and we can help you. Only this one last thing okay?"

Filia nodded then looked around, struggling to get back on her feet.

Argentus spoke again. "Don't worry Filia we will turn our backs." They did just that, and Filia changed again.

Lina ran up to her and threw a cloak around her. "Keep her moving while Zel and I set up the tent." instructed Argentus.

The men ran to the sled and pulled the cover off. They grabbed the tent and quickly set up the framework. Then the outer canvas was put over the frame and secured to the ice. Finally the inner canvas was set up, making a double walled tent, much warmer. Zelgadiss then set the floor in place as Argentus dug out the alcohol stove and the fire proof block it sat upon. Soon it was burning in the middle of the tent and warming the water for tea. The sleeping bags were haulled inside and Filia was brought in and bundled into one. The others climbed in as well. Argentus brought the food in and closed the flaps. Soon they were sipping down warm tea and there was a meal of sorts cooking away.

"What were you thinking of?" Lina asked of Filia who was sitting there, almost too tired to shiver.

"It's who..." Filia managed to say finally, looking very unhappy. "I want us to succeed Mis Lina. I want all you humans safe from your own folly. But I also, maybe even more so, want little Valgaav safe. I'm sorry Miss Lina, I've never been a mother before, and I have no one to ask. If I go to the humans they don't know about being a dragon. If I go to the dragons, they don't want him to be. The elves either won't care, or they will side with the dragons. And what's the point of even trying the Mazoku?"

"I also didn't want to ask for help, I didn't want to have you use magic, and I guess I even had some pride that suggested I could be the hero, to be honest. Please, forgive me?" she concluded.

Argentus handed her the first food that was ready. This time, even Lina didn't object. He said "You did wonderfully well by any standards Miss Filia. We have covered in one flight what would have easily taken three weeks on foot to cross. I can appreciate the determination that drove you on too, you have acted out of love. But I must point out that Lina is right, you were acting emotional and not thinking. We only have one dragon to ride, better to take shorter hops and arrive a day later all well and ready for action, that to make one effort and fall just short of the goal. If you are racing against death, better not to meet him on the way, I think."

Filia nodded and said "Let me rest and I promise to let myself be guided better. I have never felt such cold, not even when we went to the temple of the ancient dragons, Lina."

Lina nodded and said "I know, I remember, I was freezing to death then, or so I thought, but now that seems like a balmy spring day compared to this. Mind you, I felt something like this cold when I ventured into the north to fight Dynast, but I was younger then, I had my goal, and my youthful exuberance to keep me warm, and Gourry too..." She sighed.

Argentus dug out a flask and gave it to Filia. "One swallow only. The herbs in this tincture will help you recover, but the alcohol base will make you think you are warm, and that is not true. The old saying abut alcohol warming you is a lie. Alcohol merely makes the warmth in your body's core come to the surface and you feel warm, but in the end it makes you colder as you lose that heat. No more flying until you've had a good sleep, Lady Dragon!"

Filia nodded and took her sip. Her eyes bugged out, and it was obvious from her choking that there would be no worries about her breaking the one sip rule. Lina asked for the flask and took a sniff. "Professional curiosity." she said. It was foul, but she could detect underneath the obvious bitterness that there was some sort of healing virtue. "Where'd this come from?" she asked.

"It's made in that village, after generations of fighting the cold and even of tramping about on the ice, they've learned a trick or two." replied Argentus. "We aren't going anywhere for awhile, try a sip if you are curious. it is terrible, but it's virtue isn't it's tase, it is in the healing. We won't go anywhere till Miss Filia is ready, so a sip won't hurt you or Mr. Zelgadiss here, if you are interested in this."

Lina nodded, and took a sip. Her reaction left no doubt that the stuff was strictly medicinal. Zel too had a sip, and the sight of a full grown Chimera gagging like a youngster being given his first shot of hard liquor made Lina chuckle. "Heady little number isn't it?" she giggled. "Right up there with the better lables in paint thinner." Zel gasped back.

Argentus smiled. "Well, I said I'd supply what was needed for crossing the ice didn't I? If you wanted luxury that was extra, and required advanced booking."

Now Filia was nodding off and after she was settled the other three looked around. "Now what?" asked Lina.

"Now comes the times that make these sorts of adventures fun." said Argentus. "Let's tell stories. Who wants to start?"

"Host first." said Lina. Zel nodded.

Argentus smiled. With that he began to tell stories of his travels and the things he had seen. He told of grand vistas, rare beauties, and even hidden mysteries. He was a good speaker when he got started. He had funny tales, serious tales, tales that made you long to go and see, and some that made you glad to be safe at home again. He had snatches of poetry, and snippits of song. Soon Lina and Zel were sitting there as if enchanted, and Lina felt something she hadn't felt in her heart since the beginning of all this. Peace, real peace. Finally, the day's events caught up with her, maybe the drink helped too, but she was yawning and couldn't stay awake anymore. The day had worn her out, and she drifted off to one of the best sleeps she'd had in her entire life.