'Twas a long and dark December

[bolder]

It's unusual, how icy this peak was.

Snow in the mountains of Hyaline wasn't uncommon, even in the warmer months. Bolder had spent enough time prowling them as everything from a snow leopard to a bear in an attempt to combat the cold when he made the journey through the purple peaks. But this one, the striped grizzly thought, this one was far too cold for summer.

(It felt like the Isle. Not that Bolder had ever been, but the way that the breeze bites his face and his lungs burn makes it easy for the young shifter to imagine this is what it must feel like on that arctic tundra. He growls against the cold, and continues to barrel on.)

A wiser creature might have sensed that what was nearby was powerful magic. An older horse might have known to leave whatever was nearby alone. But Bolder is still young, and the adolescent pegasus is certainly not wise. He continues to climb for several hours, challenging the winter snow and the frigid chill by taking different shapes and doing whatever he has to complete his treacherous climb.

The young shifter approaches the cave as himself, with frost edging his auburn wings and his halo barely glinting in the dull light. He enters the cave, and narrows his eyes, inwardly cursing himself for not choosing a shape with better vision. But the creature in the dark is horned and tattooed, is wrapped in the embrace of the cold in a way that is familiar to Bolder. His grandfather hadn't come to Taiga as a dragon often, but even without sophisticated sight in the dark, Bolder can make out Leilan.

"Grumpy?" he calls out, "What are you doing here?"