nowbound

Part One - Lost In The Snow

In the cold, thin air, whipped by a lazy wind Trimus stamped his feet and looked around. Staying where he was could not be an option, it was not snowing but the air tasted of an impending storm. Shelter had to be found, and soon, he was not dressed for a long stay in the mountains. He thought back to the land that had rushed under the sky platform as it sped towards it's doom. Somewhere south, amongst the rocky outcrops was Jodotha, to the north amongst almost identical scenery was Ako, Cain and Darkhawk. Assuming that they managed to get off before the platform crashed to earth. Trimus shivered, not just from the code. Perhaps he was alone out here with nothing but his wits to protect him.

Which way should he head? North, towards where the others were or south where Darkhawk had deposited Jodotha? As he scanned the horizon he spotted movement amongst the rocks of the nearest outcrop to the north.
"At least the rocks may offer some form of shelter from the wind." He said aloud and started to march towards the rocks, his eyes scanning the rocks to see if friend or foe caused the movement.
He paused some hundred feet from the outcrop when a pair of large shaggy white furred creatures rose from the rocks brandishing something in their paws. Reaching back into his pack Trimus drew his wand of cold and waited till the shaggy creatures were within range.
"Come on." He muttered through teeth that were chattering with cold and fear. "Come closer." As the ape like creatures approached he could see that they held a large bone in their hands as a weapon and that their jaws and chests were stained with fresh blood. "I just hope they hate the cold as much as me." He muttered and then fired the wand. A sparkling cone of icy cold air struck the apes. They threw up their arms in pain and fell to the ground, dead.

Trimus searched the bodies, and for a time considered skinning the beasts but decided instead to continue towards the rocky outcrop. His fingers numb from the cold barely felt the scrapes and bruises as he scrambled up the loose boulders onto the crest of the low ridge. His heart sank as he looked out across the snowy col. All around the landscaped looked the same. Virgin snow with small outcrops of rock much like the one he stood on now. He looked around for signs of his comrades but saw nothing. He sunk down onto a boulder and shook his head sadly. Then just below him on the northern side of the outcrop he noticed the remains of a elk like creature, no doubt what the snow apes had been feeding on, the amount that had been devoured suggested that there were more than two of them. Then suddenly he caught a bright flash of fire out of the corner of his eye to the south. He swung round and scanned the horizon but saw nothing else. Just a shooting star or the sun glinting off of the snow he decided. He was about to continue down to the south when he saw more of the snow apes climbing up the rocks towards him.
"What now." He hissed to himself. "Risk using my wand once more, if only I knew how many charges it holds. When we get back to Lakeside House. When! If more like! And what if whoever set the sky platform on us has already taken it. Damn them to the Outer Planes!"
He spotted a small hollow in the lee of a boulder and squeezed himself into it. Draping a wolf skin blanket from his pack over his shoulders he crouched against the boulders and waited for the apes to climb the rocks. He didn't have long to wait. A large white furred ape soon appeared on the ridge above him and to his right, Trimus waited, his wand in his hand, for the right moment to act, not knowing if the wand had enough power or if there were other ape kin behind or below him. The ape started to bellow in its animal tongue and was answered by another voice.
"So there are two of them up there." Trimus muttered under his breath. "Damn!"

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