Chapter eight! We left off with Raine telling Farina and Kent that they'd be working together—and Farina wasn't too happy. Also, they had their first job: to get everyone in the caves. Simple, right? Anyway…it's not that simple and Farina has some troubles. Okay, a LOT of trouble. Meanwhile, Kent is trapped in a cave with the crazy sister (Fiora) and the timid sister (Florina). What could happen? Read and enjoy! (And guess what those-who-thought-last-chapter-was-too-short; this one is MUCH longer, so there! Hee…)

Previous Chapter:

"I hope you two enjoy working together because you'll be doing a lot more of it soon!" Kent smiled and turned to Farina who wasn't visibly sulking, but still sulking. She crossed her arms over her chest defiantly.

I take back what I said about tolerating him, Farina thought sourly.

Ice Queen

"Kid, you have to go. Like, now. I don't know if you've noticed it yet, but there's a huge storm that's not going to wait for you. Okay? As much as it wouldn't matter if you were here or there, you kind of have to go there. Where everyone else is going," Farina explained exasperatedly. Sheesh, I wish I had such a loyal sibling! The kid won't leave until he finds his sister, Ninny, or something! Everyone else listened to me, why won't he? Stupid kid. He's going to turn into an icicle or something if he doesn't listen! What's worse is I'll turn into one with him!

"I have to find my sister first! She needs me!" he wailed. Farina's eye twitched from suppressed irritation. Doesn't seem like Farina's too great with kids… Or baby dragons. Or both in this case.

"I'm sure she's with the others, Nick."

"Nils!"

"Yeah, yeah, that's what I meant. Anyway, I'm sure she's fine and inside the caves instead of out here like us. As a matter of fact, we're the only ones who are out here!"

This was very true. No one, besides Farina and Nils (or Nick), was left out in the open area. Everyone had enough sense to go when told to, or maybe people just listen to Kent more.

Either way, snow was falling and wind was picking up speed. Plus, there was a good stretch of land (and snow and ice and more ice) that separated them from the rest of civilization. And guess who was giggling madly to herself in the safety of her own warm cave?

Heh, I wonder?

"Fiora…is that, is that Farina who's out there?" Florina asked frantically, hoping she wasn't right. She knew that the storm was a bad one and if it was her sister out there, it could be very dangerous.

"Yep."

Fiora's answer startled her a little, but Florina chirped distraughtly into her sister's ear nonetheless. I mean, her sister was out in a snow storm quite a few meters from safety and um, life. That's enough to make anyone a worried wreck—but oh, wait.

Fiora seems fine, better than fine actually. Is that a smile, I see?

"So it is Farina? We…we have t-to go there! W-We have to s-save her! She could get stuck in the storm!"

Ah, good ol' sisterly devotion! What a caring sister!

"Yep."

Um…that's not a very sisterly devoted answer, Fiora.

Sadly, Fiora knew very well that Farina could get stuck out there. In fact, she was waiting for it. What she didn't really take into consideration was that her sister could die out there, not just get stuck, but I guess that little detail wasn't on the top of her priorities list. I could name what is on the top of her priorities list, but just take my word for it when I say her sister's well-being is not in the top ten. Or twenty, for that matter.

I can also name what is in the top ten—but you can figure that out quite easily.

"Is that 'yep, we're going to save her' or 'yep, she's going to get stuck'?" Florina pondered out loud.

I'd put my money on the second choice; since it is Fiora we're discussing, but do you really think she'd say that out loud? I mean, she'll sound so uncaring, so cold, and so heartless…

"That's a 'yep, she's going to get stuck'. I mean, only she would get herself into this position. Seriously, why is she out there in the first place? Everyone's here and she's there. Hasn't she seen snow before? She was born in Ilia after all! There's snow there all the time. I remember wishing that it wouldn't snow! But oh, how could I forget, Farina left Ilia because she wanted to make money. Dirty, corrupting, greedy—"

Okay, so I'm wrong. I guess she would say that out loud. I suppose seeming caring is not on her priorities list either.

"Sir Kent, have you seen my brother Nils? He's not here!" A teal haired dancer bit her lip, pulling her see-through shawl closer. (As if that tissue is going to keep you warm.)

Kent looked around, not seeing the bard. He also didn't see Farina, which worried him.

"He could be with the others; there are two caves that we had to separate ourselves into, milady. I am sure he is fine," Kent coaxed. He's probably there with Farina, they're both fine.

Ninian seemed to relax until Fiora opened her big, gaping, blabber-mouth.

"Is Nils the one with the flute? And the shorts and the same exact teal hair as her?" Fiora asked. Kent, finally noticing Fiora, nodded. Good, Fiora can tell Ninian that Nils is safe in another cave. That might calm her down, Kent thought approvingly.

"Yes, that is him. Have you seen him?" Ninian asked hopefully.

"Yep, he's out there with the blue haired dim—I mean, mercenary. He's out there with her." Fiora couldn't help but scowl at the end. "I think they're waving to us too," she added.

You would think that a girl who is so smitten with a guy would try to act somewhat intelligent in front of him, right? Right?!

Kent had the whole twitchy-eye-thing going on and simultaneously rubbed his throbbing temples. Of all the things to say, she says that. Perfect. Just what Ninian needed to hear, Kent thought, clearly irritated. Well, let's make that 'clearly irritated to everyone with half a brain at the moment'.

That excludes one person.

"Fiora… Is that Farina who's out there too?" Kent asked quickly. Fiora nodded a little too enthusiastically. Oh my, he finally knows my name! Dear Elimine, he said my name! Maybe he likes me after all! Is my skirt wrinkled? Is my hair disheveled? Smile, for Elimine's sake. Smile! Guys like smiles, right? Oh, I'm such a mess!

Yes, yes you are.

Fiora widened her smile, showing off her pearly whites, her eyes bright and sparkling.

"Then for Elimine's sake, why aren't you out there trying to help her?" Kent yelled. "She's your sister! She could die! And midst all that could happen, you're standing here grinning like it's not a big deal!" Why does she look so happy? If I found out that my sister was in danger of freezing to death, I'd do anything to save her! Is there something in her eye? She keeps on blinking rapidly. I don't know why she's looking at me if she has something in her eye. What am I going to do about it? Kent thought confusedly.

Geez, Kent. She doesn't have anything in her eye. Ask Sain, he'll tell you what she's really doing. As a matter of fact, ask anyone and they'll tell you what she's doing. Or attempting to do at least…

Raine, hearing all the yelling (and also noticing it was coming from Kent and Fiora), rushed over. What is it this time? I'm going to have to make sure to separate those two during battle. It could be disastrous if I leave them at near posts, Raine thought.

Disastrous if left together? Could be dangerous if you leave them apart as well…or pair Kent with someone else…

The winds were gradually picking up, snow falling more heavily and obscuring.

"What's going on here?" Raine shouted. Her voice immediately brought everyone's attention to the petite sized girl. She had that effect on you. Kent spoke first, brisk and stern.

"Farina and Nils are trapped in the storm. They never made it inside," Kent explained. How in the world is Fiora acting so calm? Her sister is out there! Doesn't she care? What human being wouldn't? Isn't it obvious why she doesn't care? Geez, Kent. First the whole batting-of-the-eye-lashes misperception and now this…

You would think all that time spent with Sain would rub off, right?

"What do you mean they never made it…? They're…out there?" Raine asked incredulously. How in the world did she manage not to make it back? Is she hurt? Is that why? And dear Elimine, we need Nils here! Raine worried.

"Yep," Fiora answered. "And Kent, Farina can't die." Fiora said it with such blasé that people could only stare. She waved her hands as if to say, 'no big deal'.

If a 'big ice storm' and 'no way out' doesn't lead to an untimely demise, then I don't know what does.

"You're only kidding, right, Fiora?" Raine asked tentatively. "She's trapped in an ice storm. Her chances of dying are pretty high. You do realize that, don't you?" Everyone in the cave was waiting for an answer. The only sounds were the howling of the winds outside and the drip of water into a puddle. It was all quiet—

Until a noise as loud as Fiora's slap whistled through (yes, it was that loud).

Murphy struggled against his tethers and tried breaking through, his eyes wild. He whinnied, rearing on his back legs.

"Keep him down! Don't let him out! He'll get lost—"

"No!" Everyone turned to face Florina who had just shouted out, quite uncharacteristically of her.

"Let him go, Farina's calling him," Florina begged. Raine stared at her quizzically. How does she know? If we let Murphy go, he could get lost in the storm just as quickly. We can't take that chance, Raine thought.

"Florina, are you sure? We could lose Murphy as well." Florina's head bobbed wildly. Farina's only chance is if Murphy gets out there, Florina thought sadly. Raine turned to Fiora and continued, "Is that really Farina calling him?" Fiora is by far the WORST person to be asking right now. Ask her about anything else but this. Because you know her answer will be…

"No, nope, not her," Fiora answered simply. Florina gasped. Why is sister…lying? Fiora is so honest. She would never tell a lie on purpose! Could she not know? But Fiora knows everything!

Maybe Murphy hates Fiora just as much as Farina does or maybe the guys holding him down are just really weak because at that moment, Murphy broke free and sailed outwards into the snow, wind, and ice. After that moment however, Fiora clenched her fists and yelled into the air.

"FARINA!" And it wasn't a concerned shout either, no.

Farina heard something ringing in her ears as she huddled next to Nils, much to her distaste. They were crouched in a very small alcove. I stress 'very small'. Boy does that voice sound a lot like Fiora's… Great, now I've got her in my head! Just when you think things can't get possibly worse, you start hearing voices and they sound like her of all people, Farina thought miserably.

"Hey, Farina," Nils murmured. Truth be told, he was scared, cold, and didn't like Farina that much. Okay, so he was afraid of her—same thing.

"Yeah?" Nils had been asking questions for as long as they were stuck there: a grand total of ten minutes. But he'd been asking about five questions per minute…

Which was why Farina was at wit's end.

"I think I hear Murphy." At the sound of her steed's name, she immediately perked up and strained her ears. He was right; she could tell the flap of his wings any day.

Farina whistled, hard and long. I wonder why he didn't come sooner, Farina wondered. Yeah well…you really don't want to know why he didn't come sooner. You wouldn't like the answer. Murphy, hearing his call, found his rider immediately. Farina nearly jumped her tiring pegasus upon his arrival.

"Oh thank Elimine, Murphy, you're here!" Farina kissed his nose and hugged his neck.

"C'mon Nils! We're getting out of here!" Farina hopped onto Murphy with natural grace. Nils looked hesitant.

"What's wrong now? We can go!" Farina shouted. She knew that they had to go—now—before the weather got any worse. Murphy could only survive so much of the element with one rider, let alone two.

"I sat on Lord H-Hector's shoulders one time…and n-nearly fell twice! Murphy doesn't seem any s-safer than his shoulders! And I was much c-closer to the g-ground that time!" Nils stammered.

"Nils, all you have to do is hold on! Don't worry! Here, sit in my lap then, you can even hold the reins as well, okay? I promise that you'll be alright," Farina coaxed. Wow, he reminds me of Florina when she was first learning to fly. She was so scared! And now she's so confident in the skies…hopefully, Nils will turn out the same way. Murphy won't be able to handle a new flier in this condition, Farina thought anxiously.

"You promise?" Farina nodded fervently. We need to go!

"I promise—now let's go! Take my hand!" Nils mounted the pegasus with an iron grip and tightened eyes. This kid is terrified; better take it slow—at first, Farina thought. Murphy, Farina, and Nils took to the worsening skies at a moderate pace.

"H-Hey, this is pretty cool!" Nils yelled. Farina smirked. Guess it's time to go faster, she thought devilishly. And they went much faster.

"Florina, are you sure he'll be okay?" Raine asked quickly. Florina nodded.

"We're from Ilia, it snows all year round. Pegasus are trained to fly in storms like this," Florina explained. Just not in storms as bad as this one, she couldn't help but think.

"So they'll be alright then? All three?" Raine questioned.

As she asked, Murphy descended into the cave, whinnying as he went.

"You guys miss us or what?" Farina asked. A huge smile decorated face. Hah, I bet Fiora wouldn't be able to get out of this kind of trouble! Farina thought smugly.

"Nils!" Ninian cried. While everyone was admiring the sibling moment, Kent sidled up to Farina who was just happy to be not frozen.

"We thought we lost you two out there," Kent started. "How did you know that your pegasus would come when you whistled?" Farina gratefully took the blanket he was holding.

"Thanks. Well, Murphy and I trained for so long that we have our own communication system. That whistle meant that I was in trouble and needed help. And besides, it'll take a lot more than a little snow to get rid of me!" Kent laughed. She has a nice sense of humor, he noticed. I like that.

"I do have one question though… Why is it that Murphy didn't come sooner? I had to whistle twice—that's never happened before," Farina asked. Kent looked at a loss for words. What am I supposed to say? One sister tried saving your life while the other had not one care? He thought. The two knights noticed that all attention was on their conversation.

All the happiness that filled the cave earlier seemed to dissipate, changing to awkwardness. Everyone had heard Farina's question.

And all heads turned to Fiora. Farina rolled her eyes.

Of course.

Ooh, ouch. That hurts. Although, the army could have been nicer and not point out Fiora so quickly… But it seems like Farina and Kent are getting along nicer (told you)! Next chapter: Kent is now trapped in a small cave with all THREE sisters (that can't be good) and his best buddy, Sain (now it really can't be good). They're cold, hungry, and the snow still hasn't let up yet. Also, Fiora's still not too happy her sister isn't an ice pop… Reviews are much appreciated!