*
We race through the forest with fresh snow obstructing our vision. If my mother has summoned me to her den, it’s urgent. I burst into the snow leopard camp with Iceclaw not too far behind and trot into one of the larger shelters where my mother is waiting.
“Frostfell.” My mother is never one to dawdle and she jumps straight to the point. “We have received a devastating report. I’m sorry, Arctic has been captured and taken into captivity.”
My heart drops to the floor and shatters into a million splintery shards of ice. I stagger backwards, a gaping hole opening inside my chest.
“No, no, he can’t have. I was talking with him this morning!”
I race out of my parents’ den, tear past Iceclaw and into the den I share with Arctic. Without my brother’s high energy and joyful spirit, the den seems cold and desolate, empty. I curl up in my nest of snow and twigs, next to Arctic’s bare one, and close my eyes—but not before a tear slips down my muzzle and splashes on the ground.
*
“Frostfell.” The call is distant at first. Hazy, through all the smoke. “Frostfell.”
Someone is shaking my shoulder now, disturbing my sleep, even though cold winds of grief are still howling through my bones.
“Frostfell!”
I groan, roll over and open one eye a fraction to see Iceclaw standing over me. I can’t read his expression as I stretch and get up from my sleep.
“What?” I cock my head at him and he flinches.
That’s odd, I think. Why would he flinch?
“Um, your parents wish to see you. Like, now.”
I growl low in my throat and stalk out of my den, accidently flicking Iceclaw in the face with my tail.
When I get to my parents’ den, my father is pacing the cave while my mother sits majestically in her nest, her tail twitching slightly every now and then.
“Ah, Frostfell. We have some news.” I narrow my eyes sceptically as my father continues. “As I’m sure you know, your brother was taken into captivity yesterday. We have sent a team of leopards out to the last known location of Arctic and they will expand outwards from there. The important part is this: you are not to leave the camp. You are forbidden to follow the team in any way and we have assigned Iceclaw to keep a close eye on you at all times.”
My jaw hits the floor. “What?!” I shriek loud enough that both my parents flinch really hard and I can hear muffled grumbling outside. “You can’t keep me from finding my brother! It should be mandatory that I follow him!”
My mother shakes her head as if to say, “We knew it would be like this.”
“Well, I’m not having it!” I storm out of their cave without saying another word and nearly run into Iceclaw who is waiting outside.
“Icicles and penguins!” I scream when he makes me jump nearly a metre in the air.
“S-sorry! I didn’t mean to startle you. What did your parents say?”
I growl and he shivers slightly.
“They said I have to stay in camp,” I reply gruffly and carve sad faces in the snow.
“But you’re not going to, are you?”
A wicked smile crosses my face and Iceclaw’s ears flatten to his head. “No way. I’m going to find my brother. Whatever it takes.”
