Wintery Trail (All Audiences)
Foreword
Well, this is my submission for the winter time story contest. As always, I'd appreciate if you left a comment telling me what you liked, what you didn't, or any other things you'd like to say. I'm always looking to improve my writing, and you people are the ones who can help me do that. Just be aware, I will remove comments that are unnecessarily hateful, spiteful, or that are obvious trolling attempts and that do not provide adaquate reasoning for being that way. With that out of the way, please, read on.
Wintery Trail
A Story By: G'lek
Edward sighed as he watched the trees pass to either side of him. If not for the urgency of his task, he would never have left his home in such weather. Snow was falling steadily, and were it not for the trees, the wind would have sliced through him, chilling him further. His father had been arrested a few days ago on the crime of murder, and Edward had been called to testify in court by the defense. He didn't believe his father could have murdered someone, it just wasn't in the old man's nature. He was firm, yes, and he didn't tolerate a poor work ethic, but he was also kind and understanding. That's why his ship yard had done so well. The ships they made were of the highest quality and everyone knew it.
Edward sighed, reaching down to pat the flank of his traveling companion, a beautiful Draka named Aurell. Draka were cousins of the mighty Dragons, though smaller and without the wings or the ability to breath fire. Still, they were strong and made good steeds. They could cover vast distances in a fraction of the time of a horse. They could go days without eating, though doing that would drain their strength and they would need to rest for a day or two to recover. The real down side to having a Draka was the metal they had to consume regularly to keep their scales healthy. Owning a Draka was not for the poor, or even the middle class.
Aurell's dark purple scales glittered in the evening sun, a sign of a healthy Draka, well feed with both food and metal. Her muscles rippled under her scales as she trotted along the trail, making good time even with the two feet of snow on the ground. She seemed happy to be out on a longer trip, able to pace herself the way she wanted to. Edward tried to keep her moving at a decent pace, though, as he was needed in the main city to testify.
Edward brushed his brown hair from his eyes. He scanned the sides of the trail with those ice blue orbs, looking for signs of an inn or hostel he could spend the night at. There was supposed to be one along this trail, somewhere, but he'd seen no sign of it. He sighed again. Night was falling, and he didn't want to travel in the dark where he might not notice the trail markers.
Patting Aurell's flanks again, he leaned forward to speak to her. "Better find us a place to stay, Aurell. We're going to have to camp overnight." She angled her long neck to look at him, giving a short nod. She scanned the trail ahead until she spotted an area that had less snow on it then everywhere else. She trotted over there, just off the trail, making sure to note where the trail was for in the morning.
Edward dismounted and she set about clearing the area of snow. Each swipe of her tail sent a wave of snow flying to one side. A few swipes and all that remained was a layer of ice. She slammed her tail onto the ground and dragged it across, her scales breaking up the ice and leaving the ground relatively clean. She settled down onto her belly, alert as she watched Edward start searching for wood to make a fire with.
It took a while, but before too long, a small camp fire was going and both Edward and Aurell were enjoying the pleasant warmth coming off it. Edward settled himself against Aurell's side, sharing in her body heat. She gently curled around him. She nudged his shoulder, concerned. He was stressed, she could tell. It was that rare bond that existed between a rider and his steed when both had ridden with each other many times. It wasn't telepathy, but it was very near so. Edward looked over, and he could see the question in her eyes.
"It's my father," He told her. "He's been accused of murder. They've asked me to testify in his defense. I'm worried about him. Why would he even be accused to begin with? His ship yard has the best reputation up and down the coast. Everyone knows he's both honorable and honest. So why?"
Aurell nuzzled his shoulder, curling tigher around Edward. She had met his father a few times. She had judged him to be honest and good of heart. It was almost an instinct that told her that. It had never failed her. It was that same instinct that had convinced her to allow Edward to ride her, to "tame" her. Draka were not bought and sold. A rider had to "tame" his Draka, earn its trust before it would allow them to ride it. It was a tradition that went back to the days when Draka had lived in the wilds man was just beginning to ride them.
It went back to the days when Draka had their own form of magic, or at least when that magic had been far more potent. In the current day, the knowledge of that magic was lost, both to humans and to Draka. Aurell sighed. She wished she knew more of her people's past, but as they had become more and more domesticated, the knowledge had been passed on less and less.
Edward looked over, reaching up to drape an arm of her neck. "Alright, what's eating you? You never sigh, especially like that." He knew he wouldn't get a response. Draka couldn't speak the common tongue. Their mouths and throats were the wrong shape to produce words. He knew they had their own language, a mix of animalistic noises, body language, and scents. No human had ever learned it since most people couldn't hear all the little nuances in those vocalizations.
Aurell nudged his shoulder again, her way of saying it was okay. Edward nodded. "Alright, I get it. Better get some sleep, then. We need to be up early tomorrow." He picked his blanket out of his travel pack and draped it over himself. Under the clear skys, they both fell asleep. The night was silent, too cold for animals to be out and about, even the wolves. The cold air made the stars sparkle with unnatural clarity and the moon cast a dim glow over all. The snow glittered under the moon, giving the land an eerie glow.
Morning came and Aurell was already awake. She loved watching the sun rise, especially in the winter. Her head and neck had raised out of the snow, though the snow that had fallen overnight still coated her back and sides. She turned her head in the direction of the strengthening glow on the horizon. The sky turned red at the edge of the world, the snow reflecting the red light. It was like the land was awash with blood. A sliver of the sun rose above the horizon, turning the sky firey orange, giving the snow the appearance of molten iron in the forge. The sun continued to rise, the sky shifting to a bright yellow, slowly turning blue. The snow seemed like mountains of gold, glittering like a precious metal.
Finally, the sun rose enough to light the world, and the snow became white once more. Aurell gave a happy murr. Sunrise was never this spectacular in the summer. The snow added a dimension to the experience that could not be recreated. She curled her head down to nudge at the snow pile that was lying against her side. It stirred, groaning. She left Edward to wake up at his own pace. He could be grumpy in the morning, especially if roused too quickly.
Eventually, he threw his blanket over, sending snow in all directions. Aurell was watching the sun continue to rise. She looked over at him and smiled. He rubbed his eyes and looked up at her. With a grunt, he got up and mumbled, "You're always far too happy in the mornings..." With Edward no longer lying against her, Aurell got up and stretched like a cat. Edward also stretched, joints popping. He wandered off into the trees to relieve himself as she crunched on some snow to wet her mouth. She knew Edward hated when she did it, it always made her thirsty later, but she didn't feel like waiting for him so she could soothe her dry throat. The cold air always irritated her throat.
Edward returned and spotted her swallowing the last of her snow. "I've told you not to do that..." He sighed. "You don't know who might have been here last, and whether or not they might have answered nature's call there." She rolled her eyes at him. "Yeah, yeah, Draka don't get sick, they're strong and all that. How long did you spend in bed last winter when you caught that cold?" Aurell reared her head back in offense. Edward chuckled. "Don't say I didn't warn you."
Together, they packed up their meager camp and Edward gave Aurell some dried meat to chew on until they reached somewhere where he could get her a proper meal. They returned to the trail, and were on their way, Aurell leaving large prints in the snow as she headed down the trail.
I've only covered a few things that I personally love about winter time. The sun rise and the way it reflects off the snow. The nights, so clear and crisp, and the way the moon makes everything glow. Shovel snow... Which I hate, but Aurell doesn't seem to mind. Eating snow, which is a terrible thing to do because in this day and age, it's filled with god knows what from the smoke stacks and such in the cities. Getting buried in the snow, which I used to like before I realized how cold it is. Hopefully you enjoyed this little tale. I enjoyed writing it.
Happy winter, everyone!