Bellowing winds rushed through the pine trees, each branch swung in violent bursts. Blizzards weren’t uncommon during snow days, but none as fierce as this in a century. Ash clutched along the base of her hood, pulling both flaps close as the frozen air nipped at her nose.

Visibility was low but Flake had an innate sense of direction. All those years spent running through the forest during family outings were paying their dividends. She woofed once before swerving out of the way of a large tree that appeared through the haze. The sled scraped against its bark.

A gasp caught in Ash’s throat from the sudden swerve. She held onto the reins tight, keeping steady as Flake settled back onto the path with a quick headshake.

Bernard squeaked in her ear, tucking close to the crook of her neck.

“Hold on!”

Left turn. Right turn. Straight into the storm again and again.

There seemed to be no end to the road ahead. They covered a mile or two of distance from the castle, but every bump and swerve, each passing moment was an endless maze of forest. If they were still on course, it was difficult to tell— they had to be going the right way. Ash hoped so anyway.

She pulled out the map.

They were currently riding along the border of the Forbidden Wood. Half a day’s travel would get them to the other side, if they were lucky. As for what lay within the Wood itself, no one knew. Travelers that ventured through were never seen or heard from again; those that did lost their minds trying to comprehend the things they encountered.

The perfect place to hide.

However, there was still one problem. Even if she managed to get through unscathed, the barrier was going to be a challenge to get through.

Long ago, in legends told from the mouths of many, her father included, the Great Seasonal Fairies isolated themselves from the rest of Elodie. A great barrier formed around their domain, protecting the land now known today as the Valley of Seasons.

To this day, no one knew what exactly they were trying to protect themselves from. In hindsight, it mattered very little. All anyone knew about the barrier was that permission from a Great Seasonal Fairy was required to depart through it. For her, she’d need to get in counsel with the Great Winter Fairy.

An impossible task.

A hard jostle brought Ash out of her musing. She gasped but didn’t let her grip on the map slip. Keeping her grip on the reins, she put the map away to focus.

It was around the third hour that Flake began to slow down. Ash gave the reins a few gentle tugs until the sled slowed to a stop. She got off, adjusting the cloak before checking on Flake.

The large husky panted, whimpering while gnawing on her harness.

“Oh Flake,” said Ash as she loosened the strap a smidge. “I’m so sorry.”

Poor Flake was used to leading with the rest of her pack. The strain of being a solo sled dog proved too much even with the stamina and enlargement charms attached to her collar. If Ash hadn’t been forced to give up most of her father’s dogs, she wouldn’t have had to resort to this.

She gave Flake’s fur a gentle scritch, stroking along the back until the whimper died down.

“Take it easy, girl,” she said. “We’ll start again once the storm dies down…”

If it ever did. The storm had come out of nowhere.

As if by magic.

She paused, shaking her head at the thought. If magic were truly the cause, it would’ve been more of a help than a hindrance. All that time and preparation only to be done in by the weather…

“What do I do now?”

Bernard gave a weak squeak. His small body shivered as he nuzzled beneath her hair.

Ash reached up and pet his head for comfort, curling up the softest smile she could muster.

Priorities needed to take precedence. They needed shelter; the only question was where. Nothing about this part of the forest was recognizable.

Gnarled tree branches coiled in tangled webs, taller than the eye could see. Frost covered the bark in a thin layer as if it were part of the tree itself. Glancing up, nothing could be made out in the darkened sky; the rough wind made it worse. Even without the rough snow filled wind, not a star could be seen past the cloud cover to act as a guide.

White clouds formed from her breath, warming her freezing fingers. The gloves did little to stave off the cold.

“We don’t have many options,” she said.

Ash went up to a large snow pile settled by what she presumed was the largest tree. She dug into the surface, digits sinking into it. It wasn’t much, but it was better than nothing.

“Flake,” She turned to the husky. “Help me dig.”

Flake nodded. With a bound, her paws dove into the powder, tossing it up behind her.

Together, they made quick work. A decent sized cavern was formed, large enough for Ash and Flake to fit with some room between them. The tree had fresh bark ready to shed off its trunk— perfect fit for the entrance. With a few tugs, a good chunk ripped loose.

“This should keep the cold out.”

Flake entered first, curling up against the wall one paw over the other as she settled down. Ash came in, pulling the makeshift door over the opening, shuffling it until she was sure it would remain in place. With a sigh, she sat down around the patch, resting her head against the warmth of the husky’s fur.

Sleep didn’t come easy. Sharing warmth with Flake alleviated the discomfort, yet despite covering all possible variables, the fear of freezing to death lingered. There was so much she wanted to do with her life, this was just a bump in the road.

A dangerous bump, but Ash made it this far. It was impossible to get through.

With all these thoughts weighing on her mind, it didn’t take long for exhaustion to win over. Heavy eyes drifted closed as she drifted off to slumber.