Frosted Dreams (NaNoWriMo2020)

'Umi kūmāiwa

Hika frowns. "How did you know that?"

Jaak frowns. "I didn't, actually. I guessed. Perhaps something in your face told me."

Hika's frown deepens. She's not so sure that's the truth. "Maybe. I'm not sure it will work here, showing you."

"You'll have to try in order to find out."

Taking a deep breath, inhaling through her nose, Hika grabs her bag from the table and steps outside into the cold. The snow crunches beneath her moccasins but doesn't penetrate into her feet. She lets out a breath of relief, grateful once again for the shoes and winter clothes given to her by the North American deities. She touches the outside of her bag, feeling for the shape of the fire stick. She freezes in alarm and raises her eyes to the confused ones of Jaak.

"It's not here."

"What's not?"

"My pa'oa, my fire stick. It should be in my bag, but it's not. It must have been left where you found me, I was trying to bring fire up from the ground to warm myself with it."

Jaak stares at her in disbelief. "You were trying to bring up lava in Russia?"

"No, liquid fire." He raises an eyebrow at her. "It's a different thing, I'm not sure how to explain. I'd show you, but . . . my fire stick is lost."

Jaak laughs. "If it is where I found you, it shouldn't be hard to find."

"The forest looks the same everywhere, how could you?"

"Just because you can't navigate through this forest doesn't mean I can't. I've been living here for decades. I know every meter, every tree in this forest."

"Meter?"

Jaak laughs. "The United States is the only country that doesn't use meters. You must forgive me for not changing the words I use."

"Of course, it's fine." Hika frowns. "How exactly do we get back to where you found me?"

Jaak grins. "We walk. Unless you're scared?"

Hika glares at him. "I almost froze to death. Is it so hard to believe that I don't want to go out into the cold just yet?" She sighs. "I loved the snow, but I can't-"

"There's nothing wrong with being scared, Hi'ilani. Just don't let that fear control you."

Hika nods shakily. "I think that's easier said than done."

"Look. As long as you stay close to me, you won't freeze. I can promise you that."

Hika swallows against the lump in her throat and lets a curl of her flame heat her palms. "Lead the way."

Jaak moves towards the trees ringing the small clearing, stepping through them into the dark woods with ease. His movements are fluid as he weaves his way over the small snowbanks and around the skinny trees. Hika feels awkward in comparison, like a bird just learning to fly watching one that has been flying for years.

She follows Jaak, her feet crunching loudly on the snow. Her gaze flickers towards Jaak's feet, silent on the snow. How does he do that, move in the snow without sound? Jaak looks back at her, a curious expression on his face.

"You said you used to like snow. Where would you find snow in Hawaii?"

"Both Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea have snow. My 'Anakē Poli'ahu is the Hawaiian goddess of snow. We would go sledding together. In her yard, where she lived by my house, she had a tunnel for sledding in. So we would sled all year long, whenever we wanted."

"You connected snow with her, didn't you."

"Yes, I did."

He gives her a small, cautious smile. "On a brighter note, we're here."

Hika looks up. The forest looks the same as it did before, snowdrifts and trees. Pine and spruce, fir and birch. How can he possibly know this is the same place? Jaak points at the snow, where a little indent lies. The falling snow must have been blocked by the overhanging trees, or perhaps compressed by her own body.

"That was where you were lying, tucked beneath that tree there and the snowbank."

"If my pa'oa is there, I'm never going to be able to find it. It's buried."

Jaak grins and wiggles his fingers. "You're forgetting something."

The snow begins to rise, swirling up and forming a cloud. Hika watches it settle to the side, collecting on the massive snowbank. The space where the snow had been is now bare, dark earth damp with it. A stick is lying on the earth and Jaak bends to scoop it up. It shimmers in his hands, the middle of the wood frosting over.

"Is this it?"

Hika can feel her head moving up and down like a bobblehead toy, her hands shaking. "That's the pa'oa, yes."

Jaak hands it to her and she caresses the wood, feeling the lingering chill where the wood had frosted. Golden tendrils spread over those of frost, gilding the stick with a web of shimmering color. She frowns at it in confusion, not sure what it means. She knows the stick isn't supposed to do this, so what could these silver and gold tendrils mean?

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'Umi kūmāiwa = nineteen, when counting

'Anakē = aunt

What do you think the tendril mean? How will Jaak react to the liquid fire? What's going to happen next? Tell me your thoughts!

Happy reading and I'll see you next chapter!

~ Goddess of Fate, signing out