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“Okay,” Paige said.
She tugged her tote onto one shoulder and Dewey’s carrier onto the other before she flung the door open again. Wind battered her as she stood from the car, her boots slipping on the fresh snow.
She climbed the small hill to the road above, glancing back and forth as the snow smacked into her face, clinging to her eyelashes and eyebrows.
“I haven’t seen a town for a while,” she shouted over the wind. “I’ll keep going forward.”
“Okay,” Dewey called from her hip, muffled by his blanket.
Paige leaned into the wind and began her trek down the road. Snowflakes buffeted her face, sticking to her hair and turning her mane white. Even breathing through her scarf failed to warm the air enough not to make her lungs hurt.
She fought the wind as she continued past the many trees that lined the road in search of help from any source. As the skies darkened from both storm clouds and the sun sliding toward the horizon, the temperature fell even farther.
Paige stopped for a moment, glancing behind her as snow continued to swirl. The road remained deserted. Paige searched the growing darkness for lights from a house, a town, a gas station, or anything that could provide them some shelter or help.
After another mile, Paige began to lose hope of finding anyone to haul their vehicle out of the ditch.
“Paige,” Dewey’s trembling voice called. “Hey, Paige!”
“Yeah?” Paige called as she continued to push through the wintry weather.
“I’m really c-c-cold.”
“Wrap the blanket tighter.”
“I c-c-can’t. I’m getting r-r-really c-c-cold.”
Paige glanced down at the carrier before she stepped off the road and into the trees. Hidden somewhat from the whipping wind and falling snow, she dropped the carrier to the snow-covered ground and unzipped it.
The dragon lay on his side shivering.
“Dewey!” she shouted, placing a hand on his paw. Cold to the touch, it trembled as he struggled to stay warm. “Oh no.”
Paige glanced around for something to help.
Her features pinched with worry as she stared down at her frozen little friend. “Hang on, Dewey. I’m going to get you out of this weather.”
She ripped the scarf out of her coat, unraveling it from around her neck and face. She wrapped it around her tiny travel companion before she bundled him tightly in the blanket again.
She heaved the bag up onto her shoulder, lowered her chin into her coat as far as she could, and hurried forward. Walking got harder as the snow continued to pile up. She tried to snake through the thick trees but found it too difficult to navigate.
Following the edge of the road, now snow-covered, too, she continued until she came to another road branching off.
“Mines,” Paige read from a half-snow-covered sign. “I think these are the mines we’re looking for, Dewey. I’m heading that way. At the very least, we can get out of the weather there.”
“Okay,” a weak voice said.
“How are you doing down there, little buddy?”
“I’m a little better. Thanks for your scarf.”
“You’re welcome. Hang in there, buddy.” Paige patted the carrier as she followed the side road through the trees.
“How are you? You must be freezing.”
“My nose is cold. It’s probably not red, though. Maybe just darker purple. Or blue.”
A weak laugh sounded from within the carrier. “I’m sorry, Paige. I’m just too small to keep my body heat in.”
