Vera's eyes were heavy. She hadn't slept like this in so long. A long deep sleep after having a hearty meal. As she slept, she felt a tinge of fullness. Not the fullness of her stomach, or from resting after a tiring day. But the fullness of her heart. The empty feeling of days fleeting without any purpose stopped just for that single night.
As she turned in her sleep she couldn't help but smile. Where did this feeling come from anyways? Oh right. Those two, Cairo and Naren really hit it off, and they got to eat a full meal together. It was nice to share a meal. She wondered if she could ever have something like that again. But something was off.
A scowl appeared on Vera's face as she turned again. It was uncomfortable. Too uncomfortable, like the ground beneath her was rocking. Breathing even. She turned once more. This time she landed on something cold and hard. It smelled, metallic.
She woke up with a start. Sweat beading down her face. Breathing heavily, she turned to look around. Was it all a dream? Was she still on the ship. She whipped her head around trying to find some semblance of proof that it wasn't so.
"Are you okay, baby?"
Vera traced the voice to the source. A tall woman wearing an boar-like mask sat in front, looking down at her. Startled Vera, crawled back a little. The woman edged closer to her, studying Vera's face. The small tusks of her mask almost pressing up against Vera's face. Vera's gaze faltered.
The woman pulled herself back, as if she struck an idea. The woman reached up slowly, fingers curling around the edge of the mask. And then she lifted it. A woman, maybe in her late thirties. Dark skin, sharp features, tired eyes. A scar ran from her temple down to her jaw, faded but deep. Her hair was tied back in a loose braid, strands falling around her face.
She held a slight motherly smile, caressing Vera's cheeks.
"You're safe now, baby."
Vera's dismay had slightly subsided. She took a second to gaze around. A wooden room. Small, maybe eight feet long, just wide enough for a few people without crowding. The ceiling arched low — comfortable sitting, but you'd have to hunch to stand.
Thick pelts lined the walls. Woven mats covered the floor. Low benches ran along either side with supplies tucked beneath — packs, rope, jars. Lanterns hung from the ceiling, swaying with each step of the beast below.
The masks lined one wall — snow-fox, winter-bear, white-owl, something with antlers — hollow eyes staring at nothing. Or were they staring at her?
Looking down, Vera even noticed a warm blanket that was cast over her.
Through gaps in the wooden slats, Vera could see snow passing slowly outside. Then the room shook slightly. It was moving. Rattling with each step.
"Where am I?"
"We're on top of a Julbock."
Vera continued staring out the little gaps. It hadn't hit her until now. There was just too much going on. But now hearing that familiar name she couldn't help it. A seed of a memory bloomed in her mind: Her father taking her for a ride on a Julbock on her birthday. It was massive — easily the size of a small house, low and broad. Thick, shaggy fur hung from its body in matted curtains, dark gray and frosted white at the tips.
Its head was crowned with curved horns that swept back like gnarled tree trunks, ridged and worn smooth in places. Four pillar-like legs ended in broad, cloven hooves that left deep craters in the snow with each deliberate step.
Steam curled from its nostrils in thick clouds. Its eyes were dark and placid, unbothered by the cold or the weight on its back. It just kept moving — steady, tireless, enduring.
Vera couldn't help but let herself have a moment of happiness thinking about her father. Then she flicked it away. It wasn't something she deserved.
"Where are the other two?"
The woman's eyebrow raised slightly. Her face splashed with a look of anger.
"Don't worry. Those two vermin will be dealt with. Sooner rather than later, I hope."
Her head turned towards the walls of the room. Or wagon. The anger on her face more evident now.
"You really went through a lot. Between those trash and those rogue Frostyrm."
'They think Naren's bad?'
Vera thought about what to do. Something not so obvious, made it's way into her head like the obvious thing to do: Find Naren. She didn't know when it was, but at some point she began to depend on him.
This wasn't good. She shook her head.
'I can't rely on others.'
She opened her mouth, but at that same moment, the Julbock came to a sudden stop. The room shaking a little more than usual.
"We've arrived."
The woman put her mask back on before heading to the only exit in the room, urging Vera to follow.
Stepping out, the cold took her by force. Under than blanket, protected by those wood, albeit full of gaps, was several times better than outside. The woman, offered Vera her hand. Guiding her off the Julbok through the rope ladder tied to it's side.
Vera's boots sank into the snow. It was softer here, a bit of her socks even getting stuffed with it. However, that discomfort didn't even phase her for a second. Instead she was held in awe.
A massive ravine split the earth. The ice canyon carved deep into the surface, its walls plunging down hundreds of meters. The edges were jagged, uneven, like something had torn the ground open and left it exposed.
Inside, the walls glowed faintly. Translucent ice, crystalline and ancient, refracting the dull sunlight that filtered through the fog. Shifting colors danced across the frozen surface, blues, purples, faint golds, like the chasm itself was alive.
But it wasn't empty. That was the part that completely captured her gaze. Homes, shelters, storage chambers hollowed out and reinforced carved directly into the walls. The openings were small, circular, framed with darker stone or some strange white material. Cloth hung over some doorways, swaying gently.
Rope bridges stretched across the ravine at multiple levels, crisscrossing in a web of pathways. They swayed with movement — people crossing, supplies being carried. Each bridge had quick-release mechanisms at both ends, coiled rope ready to be pulled.
Lanterns hung everywhere, strung along bridges, mounted outside doorways, dangling from iron hooks. Their warm light cut through the thick fog drifting through the ravine, reflecting off the translucent ice walls and making the entire canyon shimmer faintly.
Narrow, winding staircases spiraled down the walls carved into the ice. People moved along them easily, carrying bundles and tools.
At the bottom, deeper in the fog, more lanterns glowed faintly. The main village. The safest level.
Her eyes traced the ravine completely before emerging from it, fixing on the structure that fell before. The miraculous white wall that stretched over the horizon. It filled up view like it was the sky itself. Too big to truly be hidden by the fog like the rest of the area was.
"Pretty isn't it."
Another unfamiliar voice sounded from behind Vera. This one more high pitched and childish. Behind her, a girl stood, her mask held to the side of her head, revealing her face. She was maybe sixteen. Blonde hair hung loose around her face, tangled and uneven, like it had been cut with a blade and never touched again. Her skin was pale, almost translucent in the dim lantern light she was holding. Faint freckles scattered across her nose and cheeks.
She held a warm, inviting smile, with friendly eyes. her hand swayed outstretched, a bit red from the cold.
"I'm Solveig, but you can call me Sol."
Vera stood there not returning the gesture. For some reason, something about the girl made Vera angry.
"I heard about where they found you from Aunty Freya."
She gave Vera a look of genuine pity. What could these people possibly think she went through. Why did they think they could belittle her?
"It's okay now though. You can call this place your home now. Rifthaven."
Her gaze scanned the ravine once more. She couldn't help but admit it was beautiful. Though, that thought was surprisingly overshadowed by another. Vera couldn't help but wonder what happened to Naren and Cairo.
————————
Deep inside the ravine. In the deepest layer, there was a gate embedded into the wall. A gate made out of a tough white material. It was guarded by at least four women at all times.
Inside, a long dark hallway arched on. The tunnel was so big, that some may even mistake it for a passage made by three of those worms, Frostryms. On each side of the hall were several small rooms, each covered by bars of the same tough white material.
"Rock, paper, scissors, go!"
"Come up dawg. Again?!"
"Yeah I told you rock beats paper. Think about it."
Two figures sat in one of the cells with bound hands. One had a crimson scarf wrapped around his neck, shivering in the cold. The other had bandages plastering his right eyes, indifferent to the weather. The one with bandages had a sour look on his eyes as he put his open palm down. Pushing over the plate of food in front of him.
"Fine. You win this one."
"I knew I could trust you. You're like a brother to me."
The one in a crimson scarf scarfed down two plates of mush. Talking while stuffing his face. He could he several others breathing, especially one that was breathing extra loud.
"Ish sho dark'n here. An wha am eahin ih ghoss."
"Wish we had a light."
Naren swallowed. He looked over at Cairo. Then at Cairo's hands. Then back at Cairo.
"Cairo, I'll hold your hand when I tell you—"
"Dawg move ya feet."
"My feet? It's all the way over here."
"Hold on."
A small glow emanated from Cairo's fingers as a low flame burned.
The orange glow illuminated the face of a pale girl laying right between them. Her hair was dark blue — almost black in the dim light — spread out across the stone floor like spilled ink, covering her won face. A single deep purple flower was tucked behind her ear, pristine despite the dirt and cold around them. A full white coat covered her like an apparition.
"Are the two of you idiots?"