Emma pulled herself onto my back. She adjusted her long wool skirt as she settled between my wings, and I took off. It was difficult at first, pulling myself out of those snowdrifts, but once my paws left the ground I found that I could lift us into the skies easily. I flew around twenty feet above ground, staying close to the earth so I could land quickly if needed.
“Your white fur blends in with our surroundings, and the snowstorm is so heavy that it’ll be difficult for anyone, monster or faekin, to see us coming,” Emma said.
“That goes both ways,” I pointed out. “We don’t know what’s waiting for us out here, if anything.”
“What kind of creatures could live in a land where it’s always winter?” Emma asked.
“The dark kind that need neither warmth nor food to stay alive.” This was a harsh land. If there was any sort of life out here— and I was certain there was— it would not hesitate to attack for survival.
As the mountains grew closer, the snowfall eventually ceased. There was nothing but a blanket of white beneath us, until it changed into a pearly lake beneath my wings.
The frozen lake was breathtaking. It was an array of different colors, light blue and shimmering amethyst, and went on for miles in every direction, stopped only by the mountains which circled it. For some reason, the snow hadn’t fallen here, leaving the surface as crystal clear and perfect as the lake had every right to be. The clouds had parted so the sky could match the lake, blending in an array of purple and clear sapphire. I believe it had to be one of the most glorious sights of my existence.
“Imagine having our skates!” I said excitedly as I looked down. I could not hold a human form here— at least, not without certain pleasurable activities with my dear mate— but I would try, in order to be able to skate upon that glorious lake under the looming mountains.
“It would be fantastic!” Emma called out with glee. “Oh, I miss the ice.”
“Ido, too.” My shadow skimmed over the ice from above, and a terrible thought crossed my mind. “Oh my gods.”
“What?”
“I haven't shot a puck in over a year now.”
I felt Emma’s fingers tighten on my scruff as she said, “Come to think of it… I haven’t skated in the same amount of time.”
It was a hollow feeling, when she said that. I didn’t think I’d stepped on the ice since Emma and I had gotten engaged. Gods, that was a year ago. I couldn’t believe something that had been my life for years on end had faded into the background so quickly. Hockey had meant everything to me, at one point, as I knew skating had meant everything to Emma. How could something that was so dear to us be forgotten about so quickly? It was like abandoning a part of yourself that you believed was everything for more important matters. But what could be more important than being ourselves?
“When we return home, we’ll find a rink and go skating again,” I promised.
“Yes,” Emma agreed. “First chance we get.”
We had to stop twice, once to eat and another to rest. I’d been flying for hours, and I was tired. The day had been very long, and there were only a few more hours left until nightfall. I very much wanted to arrive in Eiragrad before it got dark, but at this rate, we’d probably have to stop for the night. I had no desire to face something in the dark, and it would be a better idea to hold off on the traveling until both of us could witness what was coming. With my wolf eyes, I could see in the dark. Emma could not.
Eventually, the crystal lake ended at the edge of a white birch forest, and I could fly no longer. I landed at the edge of the forest, and Emma poured out the canteen for me. I lapped at the stream, and still felt unsatisfied.
“Can you keep going?” Emma asked, and she brushed back my ears. “You seem so worn out.”
“I will carry on.” I took a few weary breaths. “But I cannot go on forever. Soon, I must rest.”
“My poor wolf.” She kissed the bridge of my nose, and said, “We’ll walk until we find the gate, then we’ll decide if we should make camp. It’s not much further.”
Gods, I hoped not. My wings were aching. I folded them against my sides as Emma led the way into the woods.
The trees were thick and tall here. I didn’t see any signs of wildlife, no footprints in the snow, so I figured we had to be the only ones out here. I kept my senses ready for any signs of the strange smell I’d encountered in the cave, but all my nose caught was the brisk winter wind.
We hardly walked for half a mile before the trees broke and made way for a large clearing. I craned my neck back as a large gate loomed before us. The gate was a hundred feet tall, and constructed completely out of amethyst crystal. Unseelie runes spelling out the name of the city were carved into the archway of the gate. On either side of the gate was a crystal wall, spanning in both directions. It looked like the gate was the only way in.
The gate was even grander than what Emma had described in her visions. I couldn’t believe we were here.
“We’ve found the gate,” I said. “Now, how do we open it?”
Emma summoned her wings. She flew up to the top of the wall, then reached her hand out. It seemed to hit an invisible barrier. “I can’t fly over the wall, or see what’s beyond it! There’s some sort of ward around the city!”
“Which means we have to get through that gate,” I mused. Emma landed beside me again, and I stomped a paw in frustration. “But how?”
Any time we had to discuss theories of how to open the gate were swept away as that bitter scent hit my nose again. My body froze, and I growled, “Emma, get behind me.”
She scampered to my side without any question, putting her hand on the hilt of her blade. From the trees, six black figures emerged. They were massive wolvens, all black in color with clear white eyes that held no pupils. Some of them were larger than I, and drool dripped from their fangs upon the snow. Their snarls filled the area as they set their sights on me.
