Our Hunt

Chapter 14 - Tanner's P.O.V

Esme slept in my arms through the evening, as Sam and I headed in, what we assumed, was the direction of the river. She was so exhausted. We all were. But getting to a water supply was vital so there was no time for rest. As I was carrying her, i thought back to the time we first met. She was so naive and clueless about this whole Hunt. I couldn't believe her family sent her out here alone with no idea what she was actually in for. Especially when her mum was such an iconic participant 15 years ago. I don't know why I kissed her. Obviously, I feel something towards her. But how do I know if she feels the same? How did she feel about the kiss? A loud rustling came from behind me. I whipped around scanning the thick, green foliage that surrounded me. Sam was still ahead, leading the way, but he had appeared at my side upon hearing the sound. Sam got out an army knife from his backpack and held it out in caution. I opened my mouth to say something but he simply put a finger to his lips, silencing me. Suddenly 2 dozen birds emerged from the bush, squawking and flapping frantically. Their calls were defening, so much my hands intinctively flew to my head to cover my ears. Esme awoke with a start, and practically jumped out of my arms, eyes alert. We watched as the birds surrounded us, circling us and almost taunting us with their screams. We batted at them like flies but none the less they kept attacking. They were pecking at our bodies, forcing us back the way we came. A few sparrow like, small birds dived at me causing me to fall off balance and collide against the rocky terrain. The birds were satisified with my tumble and swerved away from me. I panicked and searched for Esme. I noticed her a couple of meters away, smothered by 7 birds, but was crouched on the ground covering her face from the piercing pecks of their beaks. I ran to help her, but my path was blocked by several beating wings. Sam dived at them, knife flying. I felt a few pecks at my torso, pain shooting through me, and resulted to crouching, following Esme's lead. I shivered, goosebumps appearing on my skin. I felt cold. Sam cried out in pain somewhere behind me.

"Sam get to the floor!!" I screamed, although I didn't dare look up.

His yelling stopped and gradually the penetrating squawks died down and the slap of the birds wings became distant. Attentively, I lifted my head to scan for my allies, who were already on their feet, confused and tense looks on their faces."Can you feel that?" I asked, a concerned tone to my voice.

"Yeah" Esme says slowly, "Im suddenly cold...Really cold" We huddled together instinctively because the temperature had dropped in an instant. Our breath could be seen as mist emerging from our mouths. "W-what's h-happening?" Esme whispered, her eyes wild. Her body quaked with shivers and her lips were already blue. 

"Uh guys.." Sam pointed above us and my eyes followed his gesture to the trees. Frost had covered the surface of the leaves and icicles were forming, the size of stalactites, off of the branches. Snow flakes swirled and danced before us, each and every one swooping in different directions and eventually drifting softly to the floor.

I remembered the blanket I kept in my backpack and got it out to cover our frozen bodies. We sat, shoulder to shoulder, on a rock unable to move. Sam's golden hair had a coating of frost making him look a thousand years old, and his face was ash white. "H-hey S-Sam, your going a bit g-rey." I joked, although it didn't lift anyone's spirits. It was too cold to feel any emotion. Just cold. That was it. A loud crack made me jump and a low hissing sound followed. I looked up from my blue hands and noticed a sheet of ice, crawling and carving it's way through the frozen trees . It smothered everything in it's path, engulfing it in ice, freezing it in place. "Oh my-" it was racing towards us, hissing and cracking. "Cover yourselves with the blanket!" Sam ordered. "Get your feet under!" He yelled at me, and I pulled my feet into my chest allowing the blanket to completely submerge us. The ice had reached the rock and was climbing closer. The ice wave traveled up and as I held up our shelter I could feel sharp, jagged splints finding it's was over the blanket concealing us in an ice cave. When I was sure the wave had passed I let go. We had been trapped in an igloo.