The Ice Spirit
The team nodded, a collective shiver running through them, but before they could react further, Boris’s and Sergei’s gazes drifted past Yuriy, their eyes widening in surprise. "Hey, Yuriy..." Boris's voice was a hushed whisper, his usual bravado gone. He lifted a hand, pointing past the redhead’s shoulder. “There is one wolf alright…” Expecting an immediate threat, Yuriy quickly turned around, and his heart skipped a beat as he followed the slate-haired’s gaze.
Standing there, just beyond the van and atop a tall snowdrift, was Wolborg. Her human form was radiant, otherworldly, like a beacon in the frozen wilderness, white gown and long light blue hair flowing gracefully with the howling, freezing winds. Her eyes, the same piercing and glowing spheres that Yuriy knew so well, aimed at the boys with serenity. For a moment, time stood still. Yuriy’s breath caught in his throat as he stared at her, the world around them fading into insignificance. This was his bit-beast, standing peacefully before him of her own volition for the first time since she was dragged away from him. “Wolborg,” the name escaped his lips, his widened eyes captured by hers. “What are you doing here?” She raised a hand and delicate feminine fingers pointed towards the dense forest ahead. It took some time for him and his team to understand that message. Once it happened, a surge of emotions washed Yuriy’s soul. “She wants to guide us, let's go!” He urged and a second later they were already hopping back on the van and preparing to move. The engine roared to life. As they set off, Wolborg vanished and reappeared a moment later, ahead of them, standing on a snow-covered boulder with her arm extended, pointing them towards a narrow, winding path through the trees. “There she is!” Boris pointed at her and the van turned accordingly, following her direction. Minutes later she materialized again, perched on a ridge to their right, her arm outstretched, indicating a sharp turn they needed to make. This pattern continued as they navigated the treacherous terrain under her guidance, her presence both reassuring and haunting. The journey felt endless, the forest closing in around them. Finally, the dense trees began to thin, and the van emerged into a clearing. Sergei’s foot sank in the break; before them, the land dropped away abruptly into a vast expanse of white—an immense cliff overlooking the snow-covered wilderness below. The scene was breathtaking in its stark beauty, the horizon stretching out infinitely under the ending afternoon. Wolborg was right there, at the very edge of the cliff, facing the frozen expanse ahead. The van came to a halt and the boys disembarked. The bit-beast was gazing intently at something far below, something unseen yet deeply significant; the boys approached her and followed her gaze downward. Below, at the base of the cliff, a small human camp was nestled at the entrance of a cave. The two snow-covered tents and scattered equipment were unmistakable signs of life. A makeshift fire pit sent wisps of smoke into the frosty air. Suddenly, a figure in the camp looked up and spotted the boys atop the cliff. Without hesitation, the person began jumping and gesturing frantically, waving their arms and yelling for help.
Boris’s eyes widened excitedly as he recognized the scene below. “Hey! That’s them!” he exclaimed, kneeling down to safely lean over the edge. “We found them!” Sergei joined him. “We need to get down there. They don’t look like they’re in good shape.” Yuriy cast one last glance at Wolborg supposedly at his side, intending to thank her, but the ice maiden had already long vanished into the cold mist. There was no time to linger. “Let’s go, we gotta find a way around this cliff,” Yuriy commanded, his spirit and resolve renewed, and the boys sprinted back to the van.
Excerpt of Trial by Ice, Chapter 8*
