Every dog barked and howled with their hackles raised, snarling at the doors from the grate hall. Each hinge looked ready to snap off the oldened wood that had splintered from the pressure. "Hurry with that cabinet!" The captain, Glacies, ordered to the closest warrior he could see in the darkened hall. Two warriors dragged the cabinet, the scrapes on the stone floor echoed painful throughout the hall. Many kids shrank back to the comfort of their family.
"How long do you think we can last in here?" A warriors worries, drifted in the draft hall. The walls banged and thumped with each wind gusts, like blood starved monsters desperately tried to brake in. "The stom hasn't let out, it's been three days!"
"Hush, son!" The cracked, tired and aged voice commanded. Even in his age, his authority boomed over the hall that even the storm seemed to have hesitated. Chief Nix, their oldest and most wisest chief that the tribe had for well over 60 years now, stood infront of his people.
"Listen!" He called, every elf was huddled in their families, each dog paced desperately wanting to fight off this dread that the storm outside his causing. Even the melting snow that leaked through the doors seemed ready to bite. "This stom is relentless, I know!" Cheif Nix, calmed his voice, trying to relax his tone to comfort his people in need. "But we've survived worse! We can stay here for another week! Please, be patient! Hold together! And the seconed this storm's rage has calmed! Our warriors would hunt the best of feasts for us!"
The elves murmured unsure, yes they could hunt a feats for the whole tribe later but what about now? Each family barly had enough rations to fill their children's stomach's let alone the adults.
Chief Nix, sighed but then spoke again, his voice blanketed his people. "Don't be discouraged! It may not be comfortable but no creature is in a winter this mad! This stom shouldn't last more than another day! Until then, get comfortable! And have faith that mother nature wouldn't punish us! She has no need, this is just a challenge! We can fight through! Together!"
This time the tribe shifted and talked amongst themselves. The tension eased and Cheif Nix sat back with his son, young Lux. "Do you really think a blizzard this angry would ease up in only a day?" Captin Glacies asked, keeping his voice a whisper so both the tribe and the sleeping boy wouldn't hear their conversation.
"No stom has lasted more than five days, none I've seen" Cheif Nix whisper back, though his uncertainties could be seen under that fake smile.
"There's a first for everything, brother" Glacies, sat down with a huff. Everyone was tired, sleeping when the walls sounded ready to swallow the tribe whole wasn't easy.
Cheif Nix only sighed a response. There was a murderously long pause before Cheif Nix spoke up, his voice exhausted as he stared with his kid, curled up in the wolf pelts. "How are the apprentices that were sent out hunting before the storm hit? Have they returned? No elf can last out there long" worry stabbed both the brother's hearts.
There were only four apprentices this year, the tribe had weakened in this winter, even before the blizzard. "They..." Glacies, voice didn't sound comforting. "Gaylord and Toor said they saw hares down the hill, said if they could grab them then it would be worth the tight gap. I told them that it would be stupid to try and find hares when a storm was visibly coming so I told them to find forages as well"
Glacies, sighed this time. "They haven't returned" his head bowed, worry and guilt clouded his stern eyes.
"They're strong" Cheif Nix tried to comfort his younger brother, after all, Gaylord and Toor were Glacies personal appearances. "They're bound to find a cave in time, they're smart", Glacies only nodded.
The hall crackled and roared as the blizzard grew stronger. Children and the new babies of the tribe all cried out in fear as the dogs barked and snarled, desperate to protect their owners, despite their tails shaking and tucked under their legs. Cheif Nix felt his heart pound as the storm suddenly feel quiet, no dog dared to bark, the children instinctively hushed. A tortuous howl sounded from the roof. A Howler dragon, a rare sight and a deadly one. None had been seen for a few years and even less survived an encounter with one.
Cheif Nix could hear his breath quicken, after all he could remember the day he met one like it was yesterday. He carelessly trampled through the snow of a late spring, the snow just about showed the frozen grass underneath. "Come on Nix!" The younger voice of Glacies called, rushed to push him then ran out to the clearing.
"I'm gonna be the forst one at the lake! Hurry up you snail!" Glacies laughed, Nix chuckled at his younger brothers antiques. Nix rushed after him, engaging in this game. Feeling the fresh beams of sunlight hit his skin, hearing his armour clunk with each step, being slowed as his brother basically skipped down the small hill. Glacies ran through the icy blades of grass and soon thumped himself at the bay of the melting lake, "haha! Now you owe me a catch!". The innocent, cheesy grin always broke Nix, he rolled his eyes and put his sack down, pulling out his old rod.
"Alright, wanna learn to catch your own?" Nix looked down at his brother who was panting and beads of sweat dripped down his forehead.
"Why? You can just do it? Right brother?" Glacies pointed to different clouds, almost in a trance whilst cloud gazing. Nix huffed but set up his line and waited patiently for a bite.
"So you can feed yourself? Don't you want to be captain one day?" Nix pointed out, looking at his brother who pouted back.
"Ugh! When does a captain need to feed himself? He has the whole tribe feeding him!" Glacies whined and Nix couldn't stop a chuckle bubble from his throat.
"They only listen for the good for the whole tribe" Nix started but his attention snapped to the sudden and tough tug from his rod. A smirk formed as he started the underrated battle with the fish. The fish flailed and struggled against the line, being dragged towards shore. Slowly, though the water stirred and rippled that the fish looked like it would like to bend the water to attack. Nix struggled for a while, all whilst his bother cheered excitedly, pleased with the size of the cod. Soon the fish exhausted and accepted it's fate. Nix pulled the fish to his arms, pulling out his hunting knife and stabbed it's skull to put it out quickly.
"Get the fire ready-" Nix looked over to his brother proudly, seeing that a small camp fire was already set. "Good job" Nix nodded and sat next to his brother.
"Come on! I wanna eat it!" Glacies fidgeted in his spot, watching anxiously as Nix began to cook the cod with a stake. Nix giggled, the cod cooked quickly, split in two for the brother's to share. The small meal was enough for the brother's to prance around and play fight in the snow like there was no tomorrow. "Aww, can't get up?" Nix teased as Glacies was stuck under his brother.
"Get off! You big oath!" Glacies struggled and wiggled to no avail, Nix just laughed before immediately hushing. His heart began to pound moments before hearing a demented howl.
"What... what was that?" Glacies whispered and shook behind his older brother. Nix unsheived his sword and glared at the direction the howl came from. The forest infront of them thumped, powerful paws ravaged through the under forage, excited grunts and panting could soon be heard. Something deep in the elves instincts told them to run but at the same time knew they couldn't outrun this beast. "Brother, run home!" Nix demanded in a panic, he had heard stories of this beast but never thought he would see one.
A Howler dragon crashed through the trees, the rumled and saddend cry the tree made before crashing into the ice of the lake. The large beast roared hungrily at the two elves, Glacies stood frozen, stuck behind his brother; Nix shakily rose his sword, shaking as the beast angrily snarled at him.
A crown of the toughest furs, flared on this things head, tusk like fangs oozed the drool from its bottom jaw. It's Hazel eyes full of hatred and anger as it stared down the elves. It's wings fluttered, stirring the snow and it's bear like body shuddered, ready to feats on these snacks infront of it. The large claws were larger than Nix's sword, they scared the earth below it, digging up the ground in fury.
The beats road, the icy wind of its breath caused Nix to loose grip of his sword. "Shit!" Nix scrambled for his weapon but the beast was faster, firing a blistering liquid at the sword that soon crystallised to ice over the sword. Nix slowly backed away, this beast was furious and had been known to feed on the elves who share this artic plane.
The beast reared and slashed it's powerful claws at Nix, who rose his arms to cover his head and neck, he dropped to a knees and covered his stomach. Glacies dashed, running up the hill and thankfully the beast focused to pounce on Nix. Nix cried out and tried his best to keep his stomach away from the best, feeling his armour being torn to shreds, his back turning to a scratching bored. Nix sobbed, praying his last goodbyes before hearing a crash.
Nix took a minute to register that his back felt a breeze, he painfully looked up and saw two beats fighting now, they fought like bears, tearing into each other and their royal blood stained the snow and ice. Nix dashed, biting his lip through the pain and ducked under a bolder. The beats fought and howled, the larger had howled to the sky. Nix trembled in horror as he watched this thing summon a snow cloud, that cloud grew to a mini blizzard that caused the smaller beast whine and whimper as ice formed in its wounds. It fled and the larger huffed. Nix didn't hesitate, he ran until his lungs froze, crawling his way back to the tribe.
That same howl, that same screeching roar, it shook the grate hall. Cheif Nix trembled and collapsed, staring at the ceiling in horror. Captin Glacies shook his brothers shoulder but Cheif Nix couldn't hear what he was saying. He was lost in his horror, reliving the mauling, the pain. His back stung. His lungs hurt, his breath so light that he blacked out.
Cheif Nix jumped awake, his breath shaky but somewhat stable, he blinked as he saw his brother stare at him with worry but there was a calmness now. His child cuddled to his chest, Cheif Nix straightened his breathing, patting his sons head. "Hey, it's ok, Lux" he cooed into his sons ear.
"That was scary!' Lux cried and cuddled his father close. "That creature was scary and you fell over!".
"Shhhh" Cheif Nix rubbed his sons back, "I'm ok, we're all ok"
"It's gone" Captin Glacies, spoke up. "It left and took the storm with it".
"See, we're safe now" Cheif Nix cooed to his son again, patting his back as he relaxed and looked up at his father.
"Promise?" Lux looked up with watered eyes.
"Promise" Cheif Nix nodded. He then looked at his brother.
"Report?" Cheif Nix sat up, now more worried about the tribe.
"The storm destroyed half the wall and four houses collapsed. They're all being repaired now and our warriors are focusing on keeping eye out for that thing. The storm moved north, probably with the beast" Captin Glacies informed, his tone more relaxed now and even glad.
"The apprentices? Any search parties?" Cheif Nix stood up, setting his son back in the covers.
"Yeah" Captin Glacies, expression darkened, grief and fury in his eyes, he moved them away from the kid to talk. "They were found in a cave, familiar slashes along their backs and stomach's, it didn't even eat em. It killed for sport!"
"I'm sorry" Cheif Nix patted his brothers shoulder, "they were like sons to you, they will be missed".
Cheif Nix left his brother to dig up their graves and morn their loss. Cheif Nix had to blink and shield his eyes as the sunlight finally hit his skin, his people already at work. They dug up the snow, brought in wood to fix the wall and broken houses, the warriors working on ensuring the tribes safety.
A smile formed on his face, the people seemed happier now they were no longer cooped up. The sweet breath of fresh air filled his lungs then his eyes fell on the remaining apprentices. Cheif Nix approached the twins, they were young but he had seen them train hard in the arena, he knew they could handle a bigger task then guarding.
"Tahliz, Qahnaar" Cheif Nix greeted. The twins stood up straight and looked up at their cheif with full attention.
"Need anything, Cheif?" Qahnaar asked. Cheif Nix had seen that, Qahnaar had more grit and eagerness to help, perfect qualities for a warrior. Tahliz, however, was too curious for his own good, often ending up in the healing hut with a new injury since he tried to find another new short cut. He means well though.
"You two, head out, follow the river up and you should find the bison heard. We don't need a bull, settle on a smaller one if you must" Cheif Nix could see their excitement, bison are hard to take down but also necessary for living this far north. "The children must be hungry, your first catch would be their feast" he finished his order, the apprentices nodded and gathered their bows and hunting gears. Qahnaar unchained her hunting hound, the rainy grey hound seemed just as excited as his owners.
They'll make grate warriors.