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Description
Frost Wood

The silent song of the wind. It's a blessing in disguise to those wandering the frozen reaches of Frost Wood Forest. The simple--soothing sound of long lasting peace, blew gently across the glimmering treetops. White owls sang in the symphony of this evening breeze. Mid-night chirps crackling from the trees. All seemed still--snow dancing in the wind's cold embrace. The creatures of this forest Relished in the awing silence of the winter night.

A girl, around the age of 12--tossed and turned faintly in the depths of her sheets and covers. A soft lantern lit light eased through the crack of her door. Though her room stood quiet, the noise from outside kept her mind ablaze, and her rest disturbed. This proven as she pulled her covers over her head, her eyes squinting in frustration. There was a commotion brewing outside in the forest, but for whatever reason, she paid no heed. Again, her chances at sleep were soon dashed, as her door swung open in hushed excitement--light fluttering in at moment's haste. Her father's voice broke the already fragile silence.

"Luhl!" Her father spoke, just over a whisper.

The girl responded by moaning weakly and covering her face. Her father stared for a moment, dark blue eyes sparkling in wonder. Soon he continued, "tell me. Do you still hold fascination with the human world? Are you still blind-sighted to their tyranny on our people?" Quieter this time, he pulled the door shut--making his entry. She moaned slightly louder this time, negligent to answer to her father's mocking tone .

"Luhl!" He whispered again, rocking her weary body back and forth on the bed surface.

Slowly, she pulled the covers from off of her face, turning slightly to address her father with sleepy eyes. Though her mood seemed strict, her eyes gazed softly in an aquatic shade of white and blue. Her features were tender, lightened with a frosty tint of blue sprinkled on her skin. Her ears pointed slightly and small antlers stuck from her hair--the only thing setting her apart from the humans. Her hair sparkled white, much like the snow gleaming from the outside of her round window. A sight to behold she was--appealing even as she pouted to her half-grinning father.

"I do..." She responded after seconds of eye-stabbing her father to death. Though she seemed a young age to any stranger, her voice was slightly matured, and less fragile than one would imagine. Yet nonetheless, her father couldn't help but laugh when her voice cracked at her attempt of sounding mature. She would often blush at this situation--though not this time. Her Father only frowned at the response.

She couldn't help but advert her gaze as he stared accusingly. She lowered her head slightly, though rose it once again when her eyes clipped onto the book her mother had given her. Quickly she grabbed for it from the shelf next to her bed, and began flipping through its pages with eager eyes. Her father sighed as Luhl threw her head back and forth, scanning the contents of her novel. "T-they're not like you say they are." She began. "The humans; t-they live much like us, in peace, and..." Her voice trailed off, too weak to break the ice her father's gaze crystallized before her. Slowly, she closed the book--lowering her eyes once more.

"I assure you. Your mind will change by the end of this night." He said. "There are visitors to our forest. Humans, seeking meat from our creatures..." His voice was demanding, only growing louder as he spoke. Luhl's eyes shifted. A shudder ran down her spine. She shot her head up toward her Father, her chest flailing like a sinking ship--an anchor gone abroad. Her eyes fell once more when her father rose from the bed, making his way out.

"You will come, Luhl." He sighed. "You'll see the dangers of the Human race, and why they shall not be tampered with." Luhl scowled secretly beneath the lack of light circling her rounded room. Slowly, her father continued. "They are ruthless savages, who only wage war and bring destruction. Even against their own kind their tyranny knows no limits." He muttered, his back facing Luhl now--blocking the light of the doorway. She closed her eyes just as the door shunned her light. She would get no sleep on this dreary shell of a night.
                                     *                           *                          *

"Will you--oh come on... Stop moving already, you're hurting my back!" A man, draped in a green long coat hunter jacket lurched forward weakly. A kid, not much older than 11--squirmed tirelessly on his father's back, his legs tucked between his father's arms, and hands thrown around the hunter's neck. The man stopped, nearly falling to his knees in his apparent exhaustion. The child scoffed and threw his head the other way, adverting his father's scowling face. "You didn't have to bring me you know... I could've just stayed home..." The boy pouted, scanning his eyes along the floor of the forest. Owls hooted as they walked, singing as if in an orchestra of wind.

"Damn Owls. If your mother hadn't requested this, I wouldn't even be out here. I'd be in bed right now. You hear me? In bed!" The boy sighed as his father's rant progressed. The man stomped his way further through the forest, his son barely hanging on in the back.

"Hey! Kyle, Look...!" His father's voice soon eased to a soft whisper. His father was a hunter, obsessed in the ways of finding and tracking animals for pure amusement and sport. It was what kept him partially sane, and what ultimately kept their family together. His father seemed kinder, more gentle when he'd return from a hunt. Now was the first time the boy had ever gone with him. The sudden mood change in his Dad was staggering.

"What is it Dad...!" Kyle expressed excitedly, contempt at his new and improved father. "Get the hell off of me! I gotta get it before it gets away!" His father jerked back at him, now struggling to reach his shotgun.

"W-what?" Kyle stuttered.

"Get off! Now!"

The Deer, standing a few meters away jerked its head up at the range of noise and bickering. It stared in silent caution. The man heaved backwards, tossing his son into the snow like a discarded dish rag. Quickly, he scrambled to load his weapon, clipping shell after shell into the provided slot. Kyle stood up slowly, brushing snow off with a heated scowl toward the man before him.

Not too far away, two figures--concealed behind a snowy bush--peered into the clearing. "There they are." The elder elf spoke toward his daughter. The human hunter, who--in distorted haste--stood straightening his shotgun toward a distant Deer. The girl of elfen descent, Luhl, stared eagerly--clipping her eyes back and forth between the two humans in the opening. Her father seemed confident and brave--eager to approach this hunter with brutal intent. This worried Luhl, for more reasons than one.

"We have men, positioned all around these humans in concealed foliage. Some are Archers. You'll be able to see first hand, what a human tries to do to innocent creatures. What Tyranny they plant." Luhl rolled her eyes at her father's words--quickly turning a worried gaze back to the humans before them, mainly the child.

"Get back dammit! I can't have you scaring the beast away. Get away!" The human roared quietly to his son, kicking snow in the child's direction. Kyle stared for a moment, his expression wavering in the upcoming grief. He wasn't wanted by his father, this much was evident. The spark of sadness caught Luhl's eye. She could feel it too, a father's negligence in an uncaring world. Though even still, she could tell he still loved him, as she still loved her own father. Her head lowered slightly, now more curious about humans more so than before.

The human child; Kyle, hid behind a tree, a collection of large and small evergreen bushes sprouting behind him.

"Father, please..." The elven girl whispered. "Don't do this, just leave them alone..."

"You're right. No archers." The father retorted, in a more confident and direct voice than necessary. "I'll take care of these humans. On my own." The girl jerked her head toward her already transforming father. Fur tore from the pores of his skin, claws bleeding their way out of his fingers. Teeth boar their way from his mouth, his eyes shrinking as he grew. Soon enough, a blue furred grizzly bear--the size of a mammoth--sprung from the bushes, roaring as it charged wildly into the clearing.

"Father, no!" The girl screamed, light years too late. "No no no no no..." She whispered soon after, watching as the man was tackled from the side by this over-sized grizzly bear. The human hunter yelled in sheer panic. The human child--now concealed behind a collection of shrubs--watched in fear, his eyes flickering as his father yelped in the sudden assault. Second by second the bear clawed its way through the man, blood staining the trees of the forest as the hunter cried for mercy. The child watched with widened, teary eyes.

Luhl disappeared into the trees. Her movement was swift, unmarked by the watchers nor the bowmen elves nearby.

The blue skinned elves hidden away in the trees watched in silent contempt. The brutality, the sheer slaughter of the hunter was breathtaking to most. They watched solemnly, knowing it had to be done. Knowing their forest had to be protected, their creatures kept safe.

The beast roared over the bloody mess of a man in the snow; its claws drenched in  blood and clothing as the man twitched, struggling to drag himself to safety. By now, an arm was missing, discarded along the forest floor. Half of his leg was torn off, bloodied in the grizzly bears grasp. The human child watched with teary eyes, the image burned--seared into his mind forever more. His father, being torn to pieces before him. Being ripped limb from limb.

"Psst...!"

Kyle jumped with a loud yelp, throwing himself around to face the bearer of the sound. Staring him back was a soft blue tinted faced girl, with very small twig-like antlers protruding from her snowy white hair. She tilted her head slightly, staring into the boy's eyes with curious wonder. Kyle blinked, tears still streaming from his eyes.

"L-listen." The girl began, her nervously scanning the floor of the forest. "I'm sorry... about your father... but we have to get out of here. The bear, he's my father! He'll be coming for you next...!" She whispered, tilting his lowering face up by his chin--softly with a finger every second or so as she spoke. They sat, practically on their knees in a small ever green shrub. The roars Luhl's father bore made haste to shake the ground of Frost Wood forest. Luhl leaned in closer to the human, her eyes pleading with his shocked, dead expression.

Soon, the boy's eyes met with hers. He spoke, his voice crackling under the pressure of his own sorrow. "...Your, father...?" The small whisper squeezed from the void in the boy's throat. Quickly, Luhl gazed back into the clearing, watching as her father ripped a loose arm about frantically in the night air. "Yes...!" Luhl retorted. "And if we don't get you out of here..."

Slowly, the boy looked down from Luhl, his tears drying across his face in the melody of the frosty wind. She met with his gaze for a moment, understanding his pain, feeling his torment. "Please... You have to be strong." She muttered weakly. "There's no time. We can't stay here..." With that she rose, pulling the boy up with her through an assortment of snowy covered shrubs. They ran quickly, fleeing the area as the giant bear began sniffing for the human boy that disappeared with Luhl.

By then, Luhl and Kyle had escaped, shifting through the forest as the beast roared in the background.

                                    *                         *                         *

The crackling of a fire echoed throughout the far reaches of a small inland cave. A blizzard could be heard brewing outside in the night, snow piling near the entrance. Luhl sat near the fire, still throwing small pieces of wood and rock into the hungry light--occasionally sneaking peaks at the human boy huddled in a corner.

He sat hugging his legs to his chest, his hands locked around them and his face buried behind his knees. The light of the fire danced about his area, lighting up whatever darkness that gave way. The boy whimpered from time to time, traumatized by the brutal death of his father.

"...So..." The girl soon spoke, her voice cracking under the weight of tension in the air. "I-I live in a tree. Out here in the forest. W-we like to call it Frost Wood..." She trailed off, poking the glimmering fire with a stick.

Luhl's gaze fell at the empty response. Silence fell over the cave yet again.

"Listen..." She soon spoke, crawling her way over to the kid. She crept close, sitting next to him similar to the his own position--knees tucked in and head thrown down. She gave a weak smile toward the boy and leaned in softly. He turned away as his response. Luhl sighed weakly, disappointed. "...I'm... tremendously sorry, for what happened..." She whispered, staring at the cave floor shyly. The boy merely buried his face further, mumbling self-censored words of sulking sorrow.

"Is there... Anything I can do?" She said, slightly more shyer than before from his reaction. She leaned in closer, tempted to rest her head on his shoulder. He rose his face from its abyss of grief slightly, staring down into nothing, as he had before.

"I... hate you..." He slithered.

Luhl froze, her eyes locked on this human child before her.

"I hate your guts...! Everything about you! Your kind. Your stupid father!" He continued, his voice growing louder as he spoke. Luhl lowered her head, slightly concerned for her own safety. Her people, the snow elves, never displayed emotions such as this. Such rage, such sorrow. Luhl tried to stammer a response.

"I hate this forest, and everything in it! I wish it would all... burn down!" He cried, slamming his fists into the rubble.

The fire flickered out--the only light to aid them being the reflection of the snow gleaming in the entrance of the cave.

Luhl hugged herself tighter, staring at the fizzled fire before them. Slowly, her head fell. "...The fire's out." She said, just above the tone of a whisper.

"I don't care." The human muttered.

Luhl buried her face further. Slowly, her anger began to boil. How could this kid speak to her like this right after she saved his life? There was no gratitude, no affection like she had imagined. Her eyes scrunched in slight aggression.

"Well, fine!" She nearly yelled. "Who said we wanted you humans in our forest anyway? Maybe you weren't welcomed, and that's why your father died." She threw herself to her feet, still hugging her own chest as she paced the floor. "Maybe we just didn't want you here." She urged, turning her back to the human kid. "Maybe you should just--go away!"

Crossing her arms, she kept her back to the boy. Though the kid made no reaction; no angry response towards Luhl's sudden outburst. No. He simply stood, with the weakest sigh ever given. His head hung low, his hands pocketed firmly; he began walking out of the cave.

"W-where are you going...?" Luhl spoke weakly, curiously; neglecting to turn around to face this human child. The human kid stopped for a moment, clipping his arms around himself to try and keep warm. His response was short, lost in the howling wind of the forest blizzard.

"Home." He said; his voice colder than the rigid air surrounding them.

With that, the child disappeared into the roaring blizzard of Frost Wood. Luhl turned toward him slowly, a mournful expression washing over her blue tinted face. Regret poured over her, regret to her own words, to the things she had said without sudden recognition. "Wait...!" She yelled, already cutting through the snow in the cave entrance after the human. It was evident, in such a blizzard he would never make it back home. And her father lurking the forests didn't make it any better. No, no matter what the human said to her, she couldn't stop caring.

                                               *                     *                  *

"Stupid elves... Stupid forest..." The boy mumbled feverishly, cradled in a small assortment of blankets and scarves. He trekked slowly through Frost Wood, snowing piling over him in his distant trails. Lost in a maze of trees, a tundra of snow and foliage. He whimpered slightly in his freezing disposition. His snow tracks went on for miles now, digging deep into layer after layer of piling frozen powder. He couldn't help but tremble--longing for whatever distant warmth he could come in contact with.

Luhl ran after the kid, following his tracks at what seemed to be a mile or two behind the human. She yelled desperately for the lost human--her voice helplessly carried off by the roaring wind. Blinding snow pelted the ground with harsh intention, though Luhl wore next to nothing to keep warm even in this frost. She--unlike humans, held a slight immunity to sheer cold. This allowed her to travel more freely through such a blizzard, though she lost track of the child countless times in its smokescreen of snow.

The boy had grown desperate. His movement had slowed--his own snot beginning to crystallize beneath the redness of his nose. He began yelling for help, eager to even meet with the elven girl who had saved his life before. The frosty nature of his own sorrow stood no chance against the fierceness of the storm. He cried for someone, anyone, to lead him back to safety.

Slowly, the human fell to his knees. An icy chill sparked up his legs as they met the moist collection of frozen snow. Shivering, he huddled himself into a ball. Tears ran down his cheeks, freezing almost as instantly as they had appeared. His hair was frozen white and blue, eyebrows cracking under the frosty wind.

"Anybody..." He muttered weakly. His eyes became heavy. Warmth shot through his body as his skin froze over. It was evident by now, the last thing he wanted to do amidst a fierce storm such as this; he was falling to sleep.

Slowly, his eyes clipped open to a small rustle in the bushes. His head lifted weakly, half of his imagination expecting his father to be there, the other expecting the elven girl to appear, as she did before. Slowly, his hope began to rise as something crawled out of the bushes. He would be saved, just before the icy brink of death.

-Not finished-

Description
Frost Wood

The silent song of the wind. It's a blessing in disguise to those wandering the frozen reaches of Frost Wood Forest. The simple--soothing sound of long lasting peace, blew gently across the glimmering treetops. White owls sang in the symphony of this evening breeze. Mid-night chirps crackling from the trees. All seemed still--snow dancing in the wind's cold embrace. The creatures of this forest Relished in the awing silence of the winter night.

A girl, around the age of 12--tossed and turned faintly in the depths of her sheets and covers. A soft lantern lit light eased through the crack of her door. Though her room stood quiet, the noise from outside kept her mind ablaze, and her rest disturbed. This proven as she pulled her covers over her head, her eyes squinting in frustration. There was a commotion brewing outside in the forest, but for whatever reason, she paid no heed. Again, her chances at sleep were soon dashed, as her door swung open in hushed excitement--light fluttering in at moment's haste. Her father's voice broke the already fragile silence.

"Luhl!" Her father spoke, just over a whisper.

The girl responded by moaning weakly and covering her face. Her father stared for a moment, dark blue eyes sparkling in wonder. Soon he continued, "tell me. Do you still hold fascination with the human world? Are you still blind-sighted to their tyranny on our people?" Quieter this time, he pulled the door shut--making his entry. She moaned slightly louder this time, negligent to answer to her father's mocking tone .

"Luhl!" He whispered again, rocking her weary body back and forth on the bed surface.

Slowly, she pulled the covers from off of her face, turning slightly to address her father with sleepy eyes. Though her mood seemed strict, her eyes gazed softly in an aquatic shade of white and blue. Her features were tender, lightened with a frosty tint of blue sprinkled on her skin. Her ears pointed slightly and small antlers stuck from her hair--the only thing setting her apart from the humans. Her hair sparkled white, much like the snow gleaming from the outside of her round window. A sight to behold she was--appealing even as she pouted to her half-grinning father.

"I do..." She responded after seconds of eye-stabbing her father to death. Though she seemed a young age to any stranger, her voice was slightly matured, and less fragile than one would imagine. Yet nonetheless, her father couldn't help but laugh when her voice cracked at her attempt of sounding mature. She would often blush at this situation--though not this time. Her Father only frowned at the response.

She couldn't help but advert her gaze as he stared accusingly. She lowered her head slightly, though rose it once again when her eyes clipped onto the book her mother had given her. Quickly she grabbed for it from the shelf next to her bed, and began flipping through its pages with eager eyes. Her father sighed as Luhl threw her head back and forth, scanning the contents of her novel. "T-they're not like you say they are." She began. "The humans; t-they live much like us, in peace, and..." Her voice trailed off, too weak to break the ice her father's gaze crystallized before her. Slowly, she closed the book--lowering her eyes once more.

"I assure you. Your mind will change by the end of this night." He said. "There are visitors to our forest. Humans, seeking meat from our creatures..." His voice was demanding, only growing louder as he spoke. Luhl's eyes shifted. A shudder ran down her spine. She shot her head up toward her Father, her chest flailing like a sinking ship--an anchor gone abroad. Her eyes fell once more when her father rose from the bed, making his way out.

"You will come, Luhl." He sighed. "You'll see the dangers of the Human race, and why they shall not be tampered with." Luhl scowled secretly beneath the lack of light circling her rounded room. Slowly, her father continued. "They are ruthless savages, who only wage war and bring destruction. Even against their own kind their tyranny knows no limits." He muttered, his back facing Luhl now--blocking the light of the doorway. She closed her eyes just as the door shunned her light. She would get no sleep on this dreary shell of a night.
                                     *                           *                          *

"Will you--oh come on... Stop moving already, you're hurting my back!" A man, draped in a green long coat hunter jacket lurched forward weakly. A kid, not much older than 11--squirmed tirelessly on his father's back, his legs tucked between his father's arms, and hands thrown around the hunter's neck. The man stopped, nearly falling to his knees in his apparent exhaustion. The child scoffed and threw his head the other way, adverting his father's scowling face. "You didn't have to bring me you know... I could've just stayed home..." The boy pouted, scanning his eyes along the floor of the forest. Owls hooted as they walked, singing as if in an orchestra of wind.

"Damn Owls. If your mother hadn't requested this, I wouldn't even be out here. I'd be in bed right now. You hear me? In bed!" The boy sighed as his father's rant progressed. The man stomped his way further through the forest, his son barely hanging on in the back.

"Hey! Kyle, Look...!" His father's voice soon eased to a soft whisper. His father was a hunter, obsessed in the ways of finding and tracking animals for pure amusement and sport. It was what kept him partially sane, and what ultimately kept their family together. His father seemed kinder, more gentle when he'd return from a hunt. Now was the first time the boy had ever gone with him. The sudden mood change in his Dad was staggering.

"What is it Dad...!" Kyle expressed excitedly, contempt at his new and improved father. "Get the hell off of me! I gotta get it before it gets away!" His father jerked back at him, now struggling to reach his shotgun.

"W-what?" Kyle stuttered.

"Get off! Now!"

The Deer, standing a few meters away jerked its head up at the range of noise and bickering. It stared in silent caution. The man heaved backwards, tossing his son into the snow like a discarded dish rag. Quickly, he scrambled to load his weapon, clipping shell after shell into the provided slot. Kyle stood up slowly, brushing snow off with a heated scowl toward the man before him.

Not too far away, two figures--concealed behind a snowy bush--peered into the clearing. "There they are." The elder elf spoke toward his daughter. The human hunter, who--in distorted haste--stood straightening his shotgun toward a distant Deer. The girl of elfen descent, Luhl, stared eagerly--clipping her eyes back and forth between the two humans in the opening. Her father seemed confident and brave--eager to approach this hunter with brutal intent. This worried Luhl, for more reasons than one.

"We have men, positioned all around these humans in concealed foliage. Some are Archers. You'll be able to see first hand, what a human tries to do to innocent creatures. What Tyranny they plant." Luhl rolled her eyes at her father's words--quickly turning a worried gaze back to the humans before them, mainly the child.

"Get back dammit! I can't have you scaring the beast away. Get away!" The human roared quietly to his son, kicking snow in the child's direction. Kyle stared for a moment, his expression wavering in the upcoming grief. He wasn't wanted by his father, this much was evident. The spark of sadness caught Luhl's eye. She could feel it too, a father's negligence in an uncaring world. Though even still, she could tell he still loved him, as she still loved her own father. Her head lowered slightly, now more curious about humans more so than before.

The human child; Kyle, hid behind a tree, a collection of large and small evergreen bushes sprouting behind him.

"Father, please..." The elven girl whispered. "Don't do this, just leave them alone..."

"You're right. No archers." The father retorted, in a more confident and direct voice than necessary. "I'll take care of these humans. On my own." The girl jerked her head toward her already transforming father. Fur tore from the pores of his skin, claws bleeding their way out of his fingers. Teeth boar their way from his mouth, his eyes shrinking as he grew. Soon enough, a blue furred grizzly bear--the size of a mammoth--sprung from the bushes, roaring as it charged wildly into the clearing.

"Father, no!" The girl screamed, light years too late. "No no no no no..." She whispered soon after, watching as the man was tackled from the side by this over-sized grizzly bear. The human hunter yelled in sheer panic. The human child--now concealed behind a collection of shrubs--watched in fear, his eyes flickering as his father yelped in the sudden assault. Second by second the bear clawed its way through the man, blood staining the trees of the forest as the hunter cried for mercy. The child watched with widened, teary eyes.

Luhl disappeared into the trees. Her movement was swift, unmarked by the watchers nor the bowmen elves nearby.

The blue skinned elves hidden away in the trees watched in silent contempt. The brutality, the sheer slaughter of the hunter was breathtaking to most. They watched solemnly, knowing it had to be done. Knowing their forest had to be protected, their creatures kept safe.

The beast roared over the bloody mess of a man in the snow; its claws drenched in  blood and clothing as the man twitched, struggling to drag himself to safety. By now, an arm was missing, discarded along the forest floor. Half of his leg was torn off, bloodied in the grizzly bears grasp. The human child watched with teary eyes, the image burned--seared into his mind forever more. His father, being torn to pieces before him. Being ripped limb from limb.

"Psst...!"

Kyle jumped with a loud yelp, throwing himself around to face the bearer of the sound. Staring him back was a soft blue tinted faced girl, with very small twig-like antlers protruding from her snowy white hair. She tilted her head slightly, staring into the boy's eyes with curious wonder. Kyle blinked, tears still streaming from his eyes.

"L-listen." The girl began, her nervously scanning the floor of the forest. "I'm sorry... about your father... but we have to get out of here. The bear, he's my father! He'll be coming for you next...!" She whispered, tilting his lowering face up by his chin--softly with a finger every second or so as she spoke. They sat, practically on their knees in a small ever green shrub. The roars Luhl's father bore made haste to shake the ground of Frost Wood forest. Luhl leaned in closer to the human, her eyes pleading with his shocked, dead expression.

Soon, the boy's eyes met with hers. He spoke, his voice crackling under the pressure of his own sorrow. "...Your, father...?" The small whisper squeezed from the void in the boy's throat. Quickly, Luhl gazed back into the clearing, watching as her father ripped a loose arm about frantically in the night air. "Yes...!" Luhl retorted. "And if we don't get you out of here..."

Slowly, the boy looked down from Luhl, his tears drying across his face in the melody of the frosty wind. She met with his gaze for a moment, understanding his pain, feeling his torment. "Please... You have to be strong." She muttered weakly. "There's no time. We can't stay here..." With that she rose, pulling the boy up with her through an assortment of snowy covered shrubs. They ran quickly, fleeing the area as the giant bear began sniffing for the human boy that disappeared with Luhl.

By then, Luhl and Kyle had escaped, shifting through the forest as the beast roared in the background.

                                    *                         *                         *

The crackling of a fire echoed throughout the far reaches of a small inland cave. A blizzard could be heard brewing outside in the night, snow piling near the entrance. Luhl sat near the fire, still throwing small pieces of wood and rock into the hungry light--occasionally sneaking peaks at the human boy huddled in a corner.

He sat hugging his legs to his chest, his hands locked around them and his face buried behind his knees. The light of the fire danced about his area, lighting up whatever darkness that gave way. The boy whimpered from time to time, traumatized by the brutal death of his father.

"...So..." The girl soon spoke, her voice cracking under the weight of tension in the air. "I-I live in a tree. Out here in the forest. W-we like to call it Frost Wood..." She trailed off, poking the glimmering fire with a stick.

Luhl's gaze fell at the empty response. Silence fell over the cave yet again.

"Listen..." She soon spoke, crawling her way over to the kid. She crept close, sitting next to him similar to the his own position--knees tucked in and head thrown down. She gave a weak smile toward the boy and leaned in softly. He turned away as his response. Luhl sighed weakly, disappointed. "...I'm... tremendously sorry, for what happened..." She whispered, staring at the cave floor shyly. The boy merely buried his face further, mumbling self-censored words of sulking sorrow.

"Is there... Anything I can do?" She said, slightly more shyer than before from his reaction. She leaned in closer, tempted to rest her head on his shoulder. He rose his face from its abyss of grief slightly, staring down into nothing, as he had before.

"I... hate you..." He slithered.

Luhl froze, her eyes locked on this human child before her.

"I hate your guts...! Everything about you! Your kind. Your stupid father!" He continued, his voice growing louder as he spoke. Luhl lowered her head, slightly concerned for her own safety. Her people, the snow elves, never displayed emotions such as this. Such rage, such sorrow. Luhl tried to stammer a response.

"I hate this forest, and everything in it! I wish it would all... burn down!" He cried, slamming his fists into the rubble.

The fire flickered out--the only light to aid them being the reflection of the snow gleaming in the entrance of the cave.

Luhl hugged herself tighter, staring at the fizzled fire before them. Slowly, her head fell. "...The fire's out." She said, just above the tone of a whisper.

"I don't care." The human muttered.

Luhl buried her face further. Slowly, her anger began to boil. How could this kid speak to her like this right after she saved his life? There was no gratitude, no affection like she had imagined. Her eyes scrunched in slight aggression.

"Well, fine!" She nearly yelled. "Who said we wanted you humans in our forest anyway? Maybe you weren't welcomed, and that's why your father died." She threw herself to her feet, still hugging her own chest as she paced the floor. "Maybe we just didn't want you here." She urged, turning her back to the human kid. "Maybe you should just--go away!"

Crossing her arms, she kept her back to the boy. Though the kid made no reaction; no angry response towards Luhl's sudden outburst. No. He simply stood, with the weakest sigh ever given. His head hung low, his hands pocketed firmly; he began walking out of the cave.

"W-where are you going...?" Luhl spoke weakly, curiously; neglecting to turn around to face this human child. The human kid stopped for a moment, clipping his arms around himself to try and keep warm. His response was short, lost in the howling wind of the forest blizzard.

"Home." He said; his voice colder than the rigid air surrounding them.

With that, the child disappeared into the roaring blizzard of Frost Wood. Luhl turned toward him slowly, a mournful expression washing over her blue tinted face. Regret poured over her, regret to her own words, to the things she had said without sudden recognition. "Wait...!" She yelled, already cutting through the snow in the cave entrance after the human. It was evident, in such a blizzard he would never make it back home. And her father lurking the forests didn't make it any better. No, no matter what the human said to her, she couldn't stop caring.

                                               *                     *                  *

"Stupid elves... Stupid forest..." The boy mumbled feverishly, cradled in a small assortment of blankets and scarves. He trekked slowly through Frost Wood, snowing piling over him in his distant trails. Lost in a maze of trees, a tundra of snow and foliage. He whimpered slightly in his freezing disposition. His snow tracks went on for miles now, digging deep into layer after layer of piling frozen powder. He couldn't help but tremble--longing for whatever distant warmth he could come in contact with.

Luhl ran after the kid, following his tracks at what seemed to be a mile or two behind the human. She yelled desperately for the lost human--her voice helplessly carried off by the roaring wind. Blinding snow pelted the ground with harsh intention, though Luhl wore next to nothing to keep warm even in this frost. She--unlike humans, held a slight immunity to sheer cold. This allowed her to travel more freely through such a blizzard, though she lost track of the child countless times in its smokescreen of snow.

The boy had grown desperate. His movement had slowed--his own snot beginning to crystallize beneath the redness of his nose. He began yelling for help, eager to even meet with the elven girl who had saved his life before. The frosty nature of his own sorrow stood no chance against the fierceness of the storm. He cried for someone, anyone, to lead him back to safety.

Slowly, the human fell to his knees. An icy chill sparked up his legs as they met the moist collection of frozen snow. Shivering, he huddled himself into a ball. Tears ran down his cheeks, freezing almost as instantly as they had appeared. His hair was frozen white and blue, eyebrows cracking under the frosty wind.

"Anybody..." He muttered weakly. His eyes became heavy. Warmth shot through his body as his skin froze over. It was evident by now, the last thing he wanted to do amidst a fierce storm such as this; he was falling to sleep.

Slowly, his eyes clipped open to a small rustle in the bushes. His head lifted weakly, half of his imagination expecting his father to be there, the other expecting the elven girl to appear, as she did before. Slowly, his hope began to rise as something crawled out of the bushes. He would be saved, just before the icy brink of death.

-Not finished-