章節 671: One-Bear Open Sleigh
As soon as a harness was made for Isbora to pull the sled, the bears and people were off. The speed at which the bears could move was nothing short of frightening.
Aurora had missed seeing them approach, but now that she was being pulled behind one of the great bears, she clutched at her white flower and the blankets to keep them from flying away.
After the initial shock, the experience was exhilarating. It wasn't exactly like when she rode an eagle, nor was it like being pulled behind a horse or Unicorn. The cadence of the sled reminded her slightly of the beat of a dragon's wings.
It was at this moment Aurora realized just how many creatures she had ridden over the years. 'That cannot be normal… then again nothing about my life has ever been normal.'
From her Royal birth, to her sudden rise to power and adoption of her siblings, to having to repeatedly save the world… normal was not something that would ever be attainable for the fiery-haired Empress.
She would be better off accepting it and enjoying the ride.
The way the supplies had been arranged this time allowed spaces for windows. Aurora was able to see out the side and the front by peeking through the openings. It allowed her to take in the breathtaking views…
…but also made things very cold.
Isbora sensed her shiver.
"You can ride on me if you like, Aurora."
"I might do that after we stop for a break," the Empress answered against the wind. "How long before you need to stop?"
"We can run many hours in the open air or swim half that long in the open water," Isbora shrugged as if that kind of stamina was natural. "Our cubs do not have riders so they should be able to keep up."
"Don't you need to drink or eat?" Aurora looked at the bear's bulky frame. It could not be easy to keep so much fat without constant eating.
But the she-bear contradicted her thinking. "We can go days without food as long as we eat a lot when we can. And we melt the ice in our mouths to drink. How do you humans drink water?"
"Where we live, it does not need to be melted. But here, we have to build a fire and melt ice in a pot to drink it." The woman pantomimed as she held onto her blankets and flower. Isbora glanced back to see her movements.
"Warmth outside the body? How strange! Is that how you…what was the word you used…is that how you croaked the fish?" The bear shook her head.
"I think you mean cooked the fish. And yes, that is how we salted and dried the meat we brought. Raw meat can make humans very sick. We are delicate that way." Aurora felt the brace on her leg. 'Very delicate indeed.'
"You are as the Maker intended," Isbora's correction caused her to growl. "Do not be so hard on your kind!"
"You are right, of course," Aurora dipped her head. "I will strive to be better."
"As should we all." Isbora pushed harder into her run.
The sled jerked. The silken bloom flew from Aurora's hand. "Oh!"
She just barely caught it up against the crate before it found its way through the back window. Bringing the flower to her chest, Aurora inhaled deeply.
"You seem very attached to that little thing," Isbora seemed like she had eyes in the back of her head.
Aurora had been accused of the same thing many times. "The flower was a gift and it helped me when I could have died," the Emrpess explained. "It is as precious to me as anything I own except my wedding ring and the Fate's chain."
"Then perhaps you better stow it away in a safer spot…" the bear suggested. "I will stop so you may store it better. Then come and ride up by me. I do not think human lips are supposed to be that color."
The Empress frowned, though frowning had become quite hard. She had no idea when her lips had grown numb, but they certainly were now. She should not have pulled down her scarf to talk, but it was hard to be understood with it bundled around her mouth.
The mother bear had really been missing someone to mother. The least the Empress could do would be to oblige. All of the requests were in Aurora's best interest anyway. "As you say. I will find a safe place for my flower and come ride with you. You know best."
The sled came to a stop. The other bears, sensing the change, huddled around the Empress and waited.
"Everything alright?" Devrim called from a bear's back.
"Yes," Aurora answered. "I'm just adjusting my position. I will only be a moment."
Tucking the flower inside her bag, the Empress secured everything down including the blankets. She hated to admit just how attached she had grown to the silk bloom.
It was silly, wasn't it?
The moment the blankets were tucked away, Aurora felt the intense chill. It was even worse than she imagined. Her bones almost instantly ached. How was it possible to be so cold?
And if the world was warming as Hanna said, then should it be even colder than it was? The thought was as unbearable as the chill.
With great effort, Aurora slid toward the front of the sled. She grabbed her waterskin along the way. Somehow the cold had brought on a great thirst in her throat. She realized the frigid air was drying out and freezing the moisture in her mouth. It was intensely unpleasant.
Isbora reached back and helped the Empress make the final move onto her back. All at once the world felt warmer.
"Ah!" Aurora gasped. "That is much better."
"I think we will have to keep a hold of your humans until you return to the shore. You are just unable to keep your body heat." Isbora purred. She didn't seem to hate the idea.
"Thank you," Aurora rubbed her head against the soft fur. Her exposed skin instantly filled with comforting warmth. "Your touch is nothing short of magical."
"I know," Isbora answered. "But I am happy you noticed."
Aurora remembered her water bottle. She opened the cap and tried to take a sip. But like everything around them, the water was frozen. "I'm thirsty..."
The she-bear tilted her head to look. "Put the bottle between you and me. It will be melted in no time."
A moment later, the pack was off again. The ride was more pleasant than the Empress thought possible. She was warm and the fur was softer than any bed. Isbora's movements were graceful and smooth. So much so that the Empress fell asleep before waking with a start.
"Don't worry. I won't let you fall," the bear promised. "Snow bears are very protective."
They rode until night fell across the barren wasteland. Then, the bears circled up to make a safe place for the humans to sleep.
The people gathered in small camps to have a meal and set a couple of fires from their supplies for light and warmth. The bears watched with interest. The only lights they ever used at night were the stars overhead.
Reyan removed a blanket from his wings to reveal delicate icicles dangling from the gossamer silk.
"Cannot fly worth anything in this blasted wind," he grumbled. He turned his back to one of the fires and his wings slowly began to drip.
"For what it is worth, we cannot walk either," Devrim responded. "I could barely take two steps away from my bear to relieve myself without freezing to death."
"It was very good that Reyan found the bears for us," Brinn said, surprising the group with her compliment. She looked up and shrugged. "What? We would have been ice sculptures by now without them. Thanks, Fairy."
"I never thought I would see the day..." Alvar said.
"I am just glad we are going to see tomorrow," Aurora said, her gaze far off.
Devrim pulled his wife close. "Me too."
"At the rate we are going, I cannot imagine it will be more than a few days before we reach our goal." Zan mentally calculated how far he thought they had gone.
"That is tomorrow's problem," Isbora said from the wall of the bears. "First you need to rest and enjoy the night sky. It is unique from anywhere else in the world down here. Come, and rest."
Looking up, the group viewed ribbons of green and purple playing with the milky white patterns of the stars. It was like the heavens were dancing.
Isbora was right. Tomorrow would worry about its own things. For now, they would rest and enjoy the solace of the sky.
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