Snow fell, as it tended to always do in these high mountains past the known markers of civilization. A gentle wind would occasionally lift up the drifts that scattered the landscape and create a short dancing silhouette of frosty air before settling back down and disappearing from the naked eye. Most people would have trouble seeing this 'frost dancers' at all as Darataka referred to them. Anyone whos eye sight was not attuned to the endless white of these high frozen mountains would see nothing but blinding white in the middle of the day. The many glaciers that dotted the tundra below the mountains base acted as mirrors for the sunlight, which would explain why so few people ever traveled this far.
The young man sat crouched on the outskirts of his small village, overlooking it without a squint as he had become accustomed to the glare over his life time. The emerald orbs scanned over his village far below, the small wooden huts looking like flakes of bark from so high.
Darataka felt so big up here on the edge of the mountains peak, he felt like he was apart of the sky and could hunt any deer by just leaping from the ledge and swooping down for a fatal lunge with the spear that was currently gripped in his hands. Of course this wasn't the case, he was just scouting the area as was his daily chore for the village....
But that didn't mean his imagination couldn't boost his dreams. One day he would be the Frost King, and rule over all of the northern villages with peaceful reign. He would-
"Day dreaming again?" A soft, but deep voice called from behind him taking the cerulean haired teen off guard causing him to fumble with the wooden weapon in his grip.
"N-No-" Oh who was he kidding? Garud had been teaching Dara personally for almost ten years now and knew the amateur wizard better than even his own parents.
".....Yes." relaxing a bit as the behemoth of a man sat down next to him on the cliff overhand.
Garud was a practiced ice user, but looked more the part of a man who could wrestle a bear with his bare hands and yet had a soft kindness about him that radiated with a calm glow of personality. His mentor stood nearly seven feet tall with long salt and pepper hair that was pulled back, and a matching beard that made him all the more manly. His body was built like a true man of the wilds, covered in furs of beasts he had slain over the many years.
" At least you admit it." The booming voice said with half a laugh, causing a mild fear of avalanche to creep into the younger wizards mind. 'No legacy is so rich, as honesty." he smiled and looked to his student who just became quiet and bowed his head down to stare at the village.
Silence took the air between them for a moment, holding the scene with a pregnant pause.
" Any signs of game traveling nearby?" Darataka asked while raising his chin to peer at the village once more.
His teacher shook his head and continued to grin. "Thats not what I'm up here for. The village has a visitor."
Unlike Garud who had come here twenty years ago, Darataka had never known life outside of this small village. He had known the same hundred mile radius if even that distance, and the same dozen faces for his twenty years of life. So it was no surprise when his expression turned to shock at the sound of this!
"A visitor?! From where?! Why!" The youngster spouted without realizing that he was spitting at the same time from excitement like an idiot. He had only met maybe five new faces in his entire life, and they had all shared such wondrous stories about what the rest of the world was like from outside this small keep at the edge of the known world. Oh man for someone to travel all this way, they must be here for something really important!!!
Garud raised a hand "Woah woah slow down there cowboy." , this phrase causing the younger of the two to gained a puzzled expression.
Cow...boy.... Was his mentor calling him fat!?
Clearly the bear like man cold see the confusion on his pupils face, and shook his head gently once more. "Cowboy means , er, rough rider." and then realizing this term would also confuse him . "So because you live in hard conditions your a cowboy..."
He pretended to understand with a wide eyed nod. He would have to use this new term with the traveler in the village, to show how culturally exposed he was!
" Right Cowman! Let us go-" Again he was cut off, this time by a raised hand to silence him.
" Relax Dara. Hes just here to seek refuge from the upcoming storm. Make one more scouting round, then head down into the village and join us for dinner." Garud said, taking a rise from his seat on the cliffs face.
Green eyes followed with a somber expression... He wanted to meet the traveler now! Life was so boring up here, it was the same thing day in and day out...
He then sprung to his feet, the spear switching from both to just his left hand as he took off in a sprint! He had to make his rounds in order to meet the new face, but that didnt mean he had to take his time doing it!
The moccasins around his shins caused small storms of snow to kick up as he raced, following around the top of the mountains curve until he came down the furthest northern point where the darkness of night was already creeping in, but that did not slow his haste at all. He continued to race, jumping down a small ledge until he reached the most drastic slope and meeting his feet against it in a skid! Spear still in hand he slid down the half mile of mountain face like a trained professional, before leaping at the last second to land with grace at the foot of the mountain!
His job was to scout the tundra at the mountain base for signs of food or danger, and then return to report them to Garud. Easy enough, as it was usually just a way for them to track a roving pack of elk or warn of a nearby bear. If he just skimmed the basics, he could get back in time to eat early and listen to all of the travelers stories. Maybe he could even show the stranger his collection of rabits feet!
Again, he began sprinting but it wasn't even thirty seconds before he felt the ground beneath his feet shake, causing him to stab the spear into the snow in order to help stabalize him. There was an eruption in the distance, like an explosion that radiated from the other side of the mountain...
He raised a brow and squinted in thought....
It came from his village.[/color]
The young man sat crouched on the outskirts of his small village, overlooking it without a squint as he had become accustomed to the glare over his life time. The emerald orbs scanned over his village far below, the small wooden huts looking like flakes of bark from so high.
Darataka felt so big up here on the edge of the mountains peak, he felt like he was apart of the sky and could hunt any deer by just leaping from the ledge and swooping down for a fatal lunge with the spear that was currently gripped in his hands. Of course this wasn't the case, he was just scouting the area as was his daily chore for the village....
But that didn't mean his imagination couldn't boost his dreams. One day he would be the Frost King, and rule over all of the northern villages with peaceful reign. He would-
"Day dreaming again?" A soft, but deep voice called from behind him taking the cerulean haired teen off guard causing him to fumble with the wooden weapon in his grip.
"N-No-" Oh who was he kidding? Garud had been teaching Dara personally for almost ten years now and knew the amateur wizard better than even his own parents.
".....Yes." relaxing a bit as the behemoth of a man sat down next to him on the cliff overhand.
Garud was a practiced ice user, but looked more the part of a man who could wrestle a bear with his bare hands and yet had a soft kindness about him that radiated with a calm glow of personality. His mentor stood nearly seven feet tall with long salt and pepper hair that was pulled back, and a matching beard that made him all the more manly. His body was built like a true man of the wilds, covered in furs of beasts he had slain over the many years.
" At least you admit it." The booming voice said with half a laugh, causing a mild fear of avalanche to creep into the younger wizards mind. 'No legacy is so rich, as honesty." he smiled and looked to his student who just became quiet and bowed his head down to stare at the village.
Silence took the air between them for a moment, holding the scene with a pregnant pause.
" Any signs of game traveling nearby?" Darataka asked while raising his chin to peer at the village once more.
His teacher shook his head and continued to grin. "Thats not what I'm up here for. The village has a visitor."
Unlike Garud who had come here twenty years ago, Darataka had never known life outside of this small village. He had known the same hundred mile radius if even that distance, and the same dozen faces for his twenty years of life. So it was no surprise when his expression turned to shock at the sound of this!
"A visitor?! From where?! Why!" The youngster spouted without realizing that he was spitting at the same time from excitement like an idiot. He had only met maybe five new faces in his entire life, and they had all shared such wondrous stories about what the rest of the world was like from outside this small keep at the edge of the known world. Oh man for someone to travel all this way, they must be here for something really important!!!
Garud raised a hand "Woah woah slow down there cowboy." , this phrase causing the younger of the two to gained a puzzled expression.
Cow...boy.... Was his mentor calling him fat!?
Clearly the bear like man cold see the confusion on his pupils face, and shook his head gently once more. "Cowboy means , er, rough rider." and then realizing this term would also confuse him . "So because you live in hard conditions your a cowboy..."
He pretended to understand with a wide eyed nod. He would have to use this new term with the traveler in the village, to show how culturally exposed he was!
" Right Cowman! Let us go-" Again he was cut off, this time by a raised hand to silence him.
" Relax Dara. Hes just here to seek refuge from the upcoming storm. Make one more scouting round, then head down into the village and join us for dinner." Garud said, taking a rise from his seat on the cliffs face.
Green eyes followed with a somber expression... He wanted to meet the traveler now! Life was so boring up here, it was the same thing day in and day out...
He then sprung to his feet, the spear switching from both to just his left hand as he took off in a sprint! He had to make his rounds in order to meet the new face, but that didnt mean he had to take his time doing it!
The moccasins around his shins caused small storms of snow to kick up as he raced, following around the top of the mountains curve until he came down the furthest northern point where the darkness of night was already creeping in, but that did not slow his haste at all. He continued to race, jumping down a small ledge until he reached the most drastic slope and meeting his feet against it in a skid! Spear still in hand he slid down the half mile of mountain face like a trained professional, before leaping at the last second to land with grace at the foot of the mountain!
His job was to scout the tundra at the mountain base for signs of food or danger, and then return to report them to Garud. Easy enough, as it was usually just a way for them to track a roving pack of elk or warn of a nearby bear. If he just skimmed the basics, he could get back in time to eat early and listen to all of the travelers stories. Maybe he could even show the stranger his collection of rabits feet!
Again, he began sprinting but it wasn't even thirty seconds before he felt the ground beneath his feet shake, causing him to stab the spear into the snow in order to help stabalize him. There was an eruption in the distance, like an explosion that radiated from the other side of the mountain...
He raised a brow and squinted in thought....
It came from his village.[/color]