The next morning Anne and Sprig finally found their way back to the road they were originally following. They then spent most of the day traveling down said road, while taking the occasional break when needed.

Despite it having already been hours since they started, not much of the scenery had really changed. They were still surrounded by mostly forest and warm hues, and no signs of civilization. But as they walked Anne noticed that some of the trees were beginning to change.

She was starting to notice some evergreens interspersed amongst the warm colored deciduous trees, only they weren't exactly green, rather they had dark blue bark and purple pine needles. She was also beginning to notice the breeze had a slight chill to it.

At first it wasn't that bad, but after a while she found herself rubbing her arms a little in an attempt to warm herself up before deciding to untie the hoodie around her waist and put it on.

She was fine after that, for a while anyway, but it seemed like as they continued to walk the temperature continued to drop. It got to the point where her lightweight California hoodie wasn't cutting it, but as she wrapped her arms around herself she realized that there wasn't much warmth to be found there.

She felt cold, not just on the outside but on the inside too. It was unlike anything she had ever felt before, and as she continued walking she began to feel a little sluggish too, like she didn't have as much energy as before.

Meanwhile the chilly evening air hadn't gone unnoticed to her human friend either. Yet, he was surprised to find that even though the air around him was getting cooler, his body still remained fairly warm. Although that didn't stop him from feeling the chilly breeze nip at the exposed skin on his arms, legs, hands, and feet.

After a while, he found himself involuntarily shaking a little from the cold, and placed the warm palms of his hands on his arms to try to warm them up. This helped a little, but not a lot. He sighed, but was then surprised to see a visible mist leave his mouth, trailing upwards until it disappeared.

He noticed it happening several more times after that, and although he wasn't sure exactly what was causing it, he figured like the shaking that maybe it was just a human thing in response to the cold. Plus he had to admit it was pretty cool, the puffs of mist coming from his mouth almost made it look like he was some kind of fire breathing beast!

Unfortunately for Anne, things weren't exactly looking up. The colder it got the worse she felt, and not only was she feeling more sluggish but her mind was starting to get foggy too.

She looked up at Sprig and noticed that he was shivering a little. It made her wonder why she wasn't shivering despite feeling so cold, until she remembered that he had something she didn't. Body heat. When he noticed her staring at him though, his expression turned to one of concern.

"Hey, you okay?" He asked.

"…Huh, oh, yeah, I'm fine." She replied, realizing that even her tone of voice betrayed that it wasn't true.

The boy gave her a skeptical look. He could tell she wasn't fine, the way she was dragging her feet and hunched over with her arms wrapped tightly around herself made it pretty obvious. But he also realized that If he felt cold out there, then she must be really feeling it.

"Are you sure, because you don't look fine." He said.

"I'm just cold, that's all." She said.

Sprig wasn't buying it. Of course she was cold, even he was cold! But she had been moving slower, and just the way she was acting. She seemed much less alert than she had been earlier, and her gaze seemed a little glossy and distant…..something wasn't right.

He knew the effects that cold temperatures could have on an amphibian, even if it wasn't cold enough to freeze them it could still effect them, and he could tell just by looking at her that it was getting just a little too cold for her.

He thought about what he could do for her given their circumstances before coming up with a solution, a temporary one at least.

"Why don't I carry you, that way you can absorb some of my body heat and rest a while."

Anne didn't really object to the idea, but instead muttered a sluggish 'kay' before hopping up onto his chest and wrapping her arms and legs around his torso, her chin resting on his shoulder while her bushy brown hair pushed up against his cheek and threatened to get in his mouth.

"…So, we're gonna just ignore how awkward this is?" Anne asked.

"Yep." Sprig replied, before continuing walking.

Awkward as it was, she did enjoy the warmth that seeped into her from his precious body heat. And having her clinging to him actually helped him retain some of that heat.

They continued onwards for a while longer, or at least until Sprig had to make a quick pit stop. Not wanting to be present for that, Anne hopped off his chest and gave him some privacy by waiting for him on the side of the road.

It had really only taken him a few minutes, but by the time he got back he was shocked to see his best friend standing on the side of the road, completely frozen!

He knew it was cold but he hadn't realized it was that cold! But as if the weather was trying to prove its point, he watched as a single snowflake came drifting down from the sky and landed on his nose.

"…Well this can't be good."

As soon as he said that a whole heap of snow was suddenly dumped from the sky, turning everything around him into a frozen wasteland.

As he brushed the snow off of himself, he looked around and realized just how bad this was. Anne was frozen, he couldn't even see the road anymore, and they were out in the middle of nowhere where he hadn't even seen a single sign of civilization anywhere!

Once again he had found himself alone and stranded, trying to figure out what his next step should be. Alright, think Sprig! Think! But it was hard to think when he was so cold and shaking like a rumble bug!

Not really knowing what else to do he picked up Anne and kept on walking, hoping to maybe come across a place where he could at least take shelter from the cold. As he marched on, the wind picked up and more snowflakes fell from the sky.

He knew he wasn't going to freeze like Anne, but after a while he began to wonder just how well his human body would cope with such freezing temperatures. As it was, the warmth within him wasn't enough to keep him from feeling like he could freeze up at any second.

His hands and feet especially were starting to feel like ice. His fingers and toes were so cold that they were actually starting to hurt, and it didn't help that he was carrying a literal frogcicle in his hands either.

After a while his hands and feet started to feel numb, and when he looked at them they looked paler than they were before. He even felt a slight tingling sensation in his fingers and toes, almost like they were being poked by pins and needles.

He wasn't sure exactly what was going on, but he had a feeling it probably wasn't a good sign. Still, he chose to ignore it and instead kept trudging through the snow. But as the wind and snow intensified his body's shaking only got more violent, and the visibility of his surroundings only got worse.

It got to a point where he could barely see five feet in front of him through the snow and haze, yet despite his better judgment, he pushed himself to keep going. He needed to find someplace warm….somewhere they could take shelter…

But as the relentless snow pelted him in the face, making his skin feel cold and numb, he could feel himself getting weaker, more tired….It made him wonder if maybe he was starting to freeze. After all, it was pretty clear at this point that his human body was not immune to the cold, and as his breathing and heart rate quickened, he began to wonder just how long he could survive out there.

It wasn't long before he collapsed to the ground, exhausted, shaking, and panting. He wasn't sure how much more of this he could take….until suddenly, he felt a pair of large warm hands wrap around him and lift him up.

If he wasn't so dazed and tired at the moment, he probably would've panicked….but whatever had just grabbed him…it was so soft and warm….

When he awoke, the first thing Sprig noticed was that he was in some sort of cave and wrapped up in a bunch of blankets. His hands and feet were also in buckets of warm water and there was a fire nearby, lighting up the place.

He had no idea what happened or how he got there….the last thing he remembered he was trudging through the snow while carrying….wait, where's Anne?!

His eyes searched around the cavern frantically until they landed on the frozen blue frog several feet away from him….and what could only be described as some sort of large furry white behemoth standing next to her.

Sprig tensed up, unsure of what this creature was or whether or not it was friend or foe. At the moment though it didn't seem to be paying much attention to him or Anne, rather it walked over to the pot that was hanging over the fire and proceeded to check on it.

Watching it carry the pot over to what appeared to be some kind of primitive kitchen area and start messing with it, he could assume that whatever this creature was, it was sapient. And given the fact that he was currently wrapped in warm blankets and his fingers and toes no longer felt numb, he came to the conclusion that it had been genuinely trying to help him.

Just as he came to that conclusion, said creature walked over to him with a mug in its hand and held it out to him.

"Oh, uhh, thanks?" Sprig said as he gently took the mug in his hands.

The furry white creature made a reply, but the language it spoke in was completely incomprehensible. Its voice was very deep and masculine though, which led Sprig to believe that it might be a he.

He looked down at the swirling contents of the drink he'd just been handed. It was warm, colorful with swirls of blue and purple, and as he held it up to his nose to sniff it, it smelled sweet. He had no idea what it was or if drinking it was such a good idea, but he didn't want to be rude, and it wasn't like he could just ask the guy what it was given the fact that he couldn't understand a word he said.

So, silently hoping he wouldn't end up having some kind of crazy reaction to it, he took a small sip. To his surprise, it tasted really good. It was sweet and warm almost like hot chocolate, but the flavor reminded him more of the cotton candy he had tried once on Earth.

Regardless of what the concoction was, he drank the rest of it immediately, savoring its sweet sugary flavor. The creature smiled, seemingly pleased that he had enjoyed it so much, then offered him another mug.

Sprig took it without complaint but this time just set it down on the table next to his chair, intending to wait a little while before he drank some more. In the meantime the creature grabbed some cloths and removed the buckets of water from the boy's hands and feet.

He then proceeded to dry them off for him, before going and fetching a pair of gloves and fur boots. As they were handed to him, Sprig's mouth actually hung open. To the boy's complete and utter astonishment, the gloves and boots seemed to be the exact right size and shape for his hands and feet, right down to the five fingers! It was almost as if they had been tailor made for him!

Did this abominable creature actually make these for him? And if so, how did he do it so fast!?

Regardless, being that his fingers and toes were already starting to feel cold again, he quickly put them on, and sure enough, they fit perfectly.

After a while, he drank some more of the sweet beverage and took a little nap. He was still pretty tired from all the traveling they had done earlier.

He wasn't sure how long he'd been asleep once he awoke, but when he did wake up, his eyes focused on the friendly white creature who had been taking such good care of him. Said creature was currently standing by the fire, hunched over a certain frozen frog as he seemed to be trying desperately to melt the ice that encased her.

….Oh no.

Memories flooded back from the time that Anne had thawed him out on hiberday, or at least what he could remember. The whole thing was kinda a blur, but the one thing he definitely remembered was feeling miserable and being really out of it.

The last thing he wanted was for her to have to go through that as well. It was a lesson they had both learned the hard way, never thaw out a frog while the surrounding temperatures are still cold.

"No, wait! Stop!" He shouted as he shot up from his chair and rushed over, but it was too late. The ice surrounding his cold blooded friend cracked, before breaking off completely. He watched as Anne shook her head and swayed on her feet.

"Wha…whatzz happening…..where am I?" She spoke with a slur, as if she were drunk.

"Anne, are you okay?" Sprig asked tentatively, but he knew he had the answer as soon she turned to look at him. Her unfocused gaze and droopy eyelids said it all. She blinked one eye at a time before replying.

"Why you ask…I'm fiiiine." She stumbled forward as she said that, nearly slipping on the wet floor underneath her. Sprig caught her before she could fall and knelt down in front of her, giving her a concerned look.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that. Why don't you come over here with me?"

"Mmkay." She replied before he picked her up and brought her over to the chair he'd been sitting in. After all, it was big enough that they could both sit in it together.

Their host didn't really seem to understand what was going on or why Sprig didn't want him to thaw the girl out of her icy prison, but he nonetheless tried to make up for it by presenting her with another warm mug of colorful liquid.

Her response to this was a bit slow but she eventually took the mug in her hands and began to drink the contents. Regardless of how out of it she was, she still seemed to like it and even asked for more.

"Thankzz mister…..snowman dude." She said as he handed her another.

The boy supposed drinking the warm beverage might be good for her, at the very least it would give her body a little extra warmth boost. He knew there was nothing to worry about, really. Once she was back in a warmer climate she would be fine. But that didn't stop him from being concerned about his best friend's well being while she was in this state.

As it was, he looked down to see her staring at her hand intently. Just as he was about to ask her why, she gave an impromptu answer.

"Wooaah…..Hey, hey Sprig! Look at my hand, it'z BLUE!" She yelled, shoving her hand into his face.

Yep, this was going to be a long night.

"So trippppyyyy." She said as she looked at her hand again, but it was then that she noticed something else. "Wait….why'z my finger missing?" She then gasped as she looked at her other hand. "This one'z missing a finger too?!"

"That's because you're a frog." Sprig replied.

"WAIT, HOLD, HOLD UP, WAIT…I'm a frog?! She exclaimed before her voice dropped to almost a whisper. "Ha, that's wild."

Not long after that, their host offered them a couple of cots to sleep on and a few extra blankets. Honestly, it was the nicest accommodations they had received so far in this world. After thanking the man for his generosity, both the human and frog curled up in their respective beds and tried to go to sleep.

At one point, Sprig woke up in the middle of the night and felt something pressed up against his chest. He peeked underneath his blankets to find that his best friend had left her own cot and was now curled up next to him, no doubt trying to find some extra warmth.

He gave her a soft smile before wrapping his arm around her and pulling her closer. With that he closed his eyes and slowly drifted back to sleep, with the blue frog tucked underneath his arm and her back pressed against his chest.

Morning came and the duo was awoken to the smell of something cooking over the fire. The 'Snowman' as Anne had taken to calling him in her delirious state, had fixed them a nice breakfast while they were still sleeping.

Sprig could never really figure out what the food was even after tasting it, his only conclusion being that it was some type of meat. Whatever it was, it wasn't exactly the most appetizing thing he'd ever eaten, but again he didn't want to be rude so he ate it anyway.

Anne on the other hand wasn't really hungry, so she just drank some more of the sweet concoction from the night before.

After that the two of them were ready to head out, hopefully in search of a warmer climate. The Snowman was kind enough to provide Sprig with a heavy coat to wear over his short sleeved jacket and a pair of long pants too. He also presented Anne with a knit hat and scarf as well.

Sprig once again thanked the man for his kindness and help before he and his froggy bestie left the sanctuary of the cave and entered into a glittery land of ice and snow.

The sun was shining now, but the ground was still covered in thick snow and icicles hung from the trees. It was so bright that when they left the cave Sprig had to shield his eyes from it for a moment before he could see.

Despite the bright sunlight he could immediately tell that it was still very cold out, and it made him all the more thankful that he now had some proper winter attire.

As they traveled through the vast frozen wasteland, for the most part Anne would burrow under his coat and cling to his chest for the extra warmth, but occasionally she would sit up on his shoulder or even walk around a bit.

Personally Sprig didn't really mind her clinging to him or riding on his shoulder. Heck, he used to do the same thing to her all the time! If anything, it was the sweet taste of irony mixed with a bout of nostalgia.

He just wished he knew where he was going. So far, all he could see was nothing but snow, trees, ice, and more snow. And since they didn't have a map or even a road to follow, he couldn't help but feel…lost.

He sighed. "Sure would be nice if we could ask someone for directions."

"Mmmmaybe we can ask that nice couple over there?" Anne suggested, pointing to a couple of rocks.

"Anne, those are just rocks." He replied, looking at the blue frog sitting on his shoulder.

Anne put her finger up to his mouth and proceeded to shush him. "Ssssshhhhh, they'll hear you." She whispered.

Regardless, he kept on going straight forward until he felt like he needed a break. He sat down on a flat rock and scanned their surroundings, trying to see if there was anything at all that might help him figure out where to go from here.

He didn't see anything particularly useful though, just snow, ice, trees, rocks, a pair of glowing blue eyes, more snow-!

Wait, a pair of glowing blue what!?

Sprig's attention immediately snapped back to the aforementioned sight and he tensed up when he saw exactly what he thought he saw, a pair of glowing blue eyes staring at him through the frostbitten haze.

As he immediately scrambled back to his feet, the creature emerged. It looked like one of those big cats he'd heard about on earth, although he doubted the ones on earth looked quite like this one. Its fur was white as snow, and it had a mane made entirely of ice accumulating from its head and shoulders that went all the way down its spine, ending at its short tail. Its upper canine teeth were exceptionally long, so long that they didn't even fit inside the creature's mouth.

It stalked forward, its gaze shifting between the human and frog, as if trying to decide which would be the easier prey. Heart pounding in his chest, Sprig slowly, consciously moved in between the predator and his best friend. He knew that in her current state she wouldn't stand a chance against the beast, it would be up to him to defend her.

As the creature moved ever closer Sprig hastily grabbed his slingshot out of his pocket. Anne peered out from behind him, only just noticing the approaching feline for the first time, and needless to say had a much different reaction than Sprig.

"Aw, look at the cute kitty!"

"What!?" Sprig exclaimed, looking down at her as if she'd lost her mind, oh wait…

"Anne, that's not a fluffy pet, it's a monster that wants to eat us!" He tried to explain, hoping she would understand, but then realized to his absolute horror that she was no longer standing behind him. His heart nearly stopped when he saw her approach the monstrous cat, seemingly unafraid.

"Hey there cutie, it'z okay, I'm not gonna hurt ya." She said softly, as if approaching a frightened kitten. "I'z just wanna pet ya."

The saber toothed cat in question looked utterly confused and even a little put off by the frog's usual behavior, for a moment. But hey, if dinner was going to walk right up to it on unsteady legs and volunteer to be eaten, then why even bother questioning it.

The creature raised its paw, ready to swipe it down on the delusional blue frog, but before it could a glob of snow hit it in the face. Sprig then quickly grabbed Anne and ran, hoping to gain a bit of headway before the beast started chasing them.

Running in snow, however, proved to be more difficult than he expected and it was slowing his pace. Regardless, he kept running, his arms wrapped tightly around Anne as he held her close to his chest. She didn't struggle, or even complain at being abruptly grabbed and carried away from the "kitty" she was trying to befriend, but instead seemed relatively unfazed by the situation.

Suddenly the big cat jumped out in front of them, causing Sprig to skid to a halt, then run in the other direction. As he ran, puffs of misty breath exited his mouth in short bursts. He glanced behind him and saw that the monstrous feline was quickly gaining on him.

He pushed himself to run faster, but had a dreadful feeling he wouldn't be able to outrun a predator that was clearly built for hunting prey in the snow. Then suddenly, the ground underneath his feet turned hard and slick, and the moment he turned his gaze back to what was in front of him he found himself slipping and sliding on a sheet of ice.

He eventually fell on his backside and slid a little ways before coming to a stop. He groaned and sat up, rubbing his head for a moment before realizing that he was now sitting in the middle of a frozen lake.

Maybe this is a good thing, maybe the cat won't follow me out here. He thought.

Seconds later the beast came barreling down onto the ice. It slipped and slid a little, but thanks to its claws had much better traction on the frozen surface than the inexperienced human boy wearing boots.

You've got to be kidding me.

The big cat dashed towards him, only slowing to a stop once it was a mere few feet away. Sprig tried desperately to get back to his feet, but only ended up slipping and falling yet again. As the hungry feline closed in on him, licking its frosty chops, all he could do was try to scramble backwards on the slippery ice.

Was this it? Were he and Anne about to be mauled out here on this frozen lake by a giant saber toothed cat? The possibility of being eaten by a predator had always been a constant in his life, but still, he never expected it to end quite like this! Would anyone even know what had happened to them? Would their families and friends forever wonder why they disappeared and never came back?

The cat took another step forward and swiped at his feet as he continued to scoot back. Thankfully it missed, but something told Sprig the next time it wouldn't. It was just toying with him, after all. As soon as it was done playing with its food it would feast.

The creature raised its paw to swipe at him again. He braced himself, then…

Crack!

The sound cut through the air, causing both the feline and human to freeze in their spots. Slowly, all eyes turned down to look at the source of the noise, and saw the large cracks forming in the ice, right underneath where the big cat stood.

The creature barely had any time to react before the ground shattered beneath it, dumping it into the freezing water below.

Sprig watched as the cat panicked and struggled, clawing at the surrounding ice, trying desperately to get out of the water. What are you waiting for, now's your chance to escape! His mind barked at him. So with that he slowly, carefully managed to stand back up without slipping or falling.

Meanwhile the big cat was finally able to pull itself out of the water. It chanced a glance back at the boy and the frog, but as soon as it did more cracks started forming underneath its feet. Deciding to cut its losses the monster ran towards shore, the ice breaking apart and shattering in its wake.

Sprig took a moment to breathe a sigh of relief, but he wasn't out of the woods yet. He was still quite literally on thin ice and whatever his next move was he would have to be very careful. The ice around him was currently unstable and could crack or break at any time. On top of that, he was not at all used to walking on such a slick surface...in boots….in a human body.

Well, this should be fun.

One carful, methodic step at a time, trying very hard not to slip or put too much pressure on the ice beneath him, he slowly made his way over to the shore. As his feet touched the snow he was immensely relieved that he had made it, and with that he and Anne continued on their way. They still had no idea where they were going but at least they knew they were headed away from the frozen lake.

After a while, Sprig was getting tired of walking again and felt like he needed another break. He sat down on a fallen log, once again rubbing his arms as he felt the cold breeze blow in his face. Even with the protective gear it still felt cold to him out there. Maybe a quick fire would help to warm him up a bit more?

He noticed quite a few sticks laying nearby and given that Anne was up and a bit more active at the moment, he decided it wouldn't hurt to ask for her help.

"Hey Anne, think you could help me g-gather up some of th-th-those sticks?" He asked, shaking slightly again as he did.

"Yoouu got it, human Sprigman!" She said somewhat enthusiastically.

Given her tone of voice he almost half expected her to hop right to it, but instead she just stood there…. staring off into space.

"…Wait, what'd you want me to do?" She finally asked after about a minute.

"…Gather up the sticks." Sprig replied patiently.

"Right." She simply replied before they both got to work. For Anne it was a slow process, but the former frog knew her brain and body weren't functioning at full capacity at the moment, so he was willing to be patient with her. By the time they had finished they had gathered up a sizable pile of sticks, at least enough to build a fire with.

After he got the fire going, Sprig leaned in close to feel the warmth radiating from the flames. Meanwhile Anne crawled up into his coat and cozied up inside of it with her head sticking out of the top. As the two of them sat there, watching the flames flicker, something above them caught Sprig's eye.

He looked up to see a dazzling display of color streaking across the sky. Rainbow streaks of light danced around an icy blue sky like shooting stars, but upon closer inspection he realized that these were no stars.

Whatever they were, they were living creatures swimming through the atmosphere, leaving wispy trails of their bioluminescent colors for all to see. For a moment, the human-frog duo stared in awe at the other worldly spectacle they were witnessing.

"Pretty." Anne mumbled.

Sprig had to agree, it was certainly a sight to see, but as the frog turned human watched them he realized something, they were all heading in a particular direction, like they were migrating. And usually animals in this cold of weather only have one reason to migrate…

Looks like he just found a navigation system.