Quest - Rare Snow Elk

When the hunter that Yukisa had come across while travelling through the forest said he should dress a little warmer because it was “going to get colder”, he expected that at worst it would be a little snowy. But it seemed that what that hunter really meant to say was that there was going to be a heavy blizzard and the silver-haired male should likely find some shelter before he becomes a Yukicicle.

Fortunately for him, by following the trail of said hunter, he came across a lone hunting lodge standing between the trees right around when the blizzard began. The brightness of the flames filtering through the windows was a welcome sight, and surprisingly he was comforted by the loud singing and laughing that came from within.

He spent a good few hours in there, waiting for the storm to pass as he thawed his bones in front of the cozy fire. Compared to the rest of the people in there, he was somewhat of an odd one out. Everyone was wearing fur… well, fur everything. From their coats to their boots, they wore heavy, warm attire. On top of that, they dawned so much equipment, one would think they’re compensating for something.

And in stark contrast to them, Yukisa wore clothes so thin (and even somewhat revealing) that it looked like he was on his way to a relaxing day on the beach. All that served to cover his body were a set of blue, black and white robes, and though they reached down to ankles’ length, they were thin and not very wide. His feet were concealed by what appeared to be tall black socks and a pair of sandals. Surprisingly, he actually managed to pull of the “sandals with socks” look. Maybe it was just his overall cute physique that allowed him to make it look appealing.

Either way, it was pretty obvious why he had almost caught hypothermia whilst outside. He wasn’t even prepared for a normal winter day, let alone a snowstorm. So now he had no choice but to get as close to the fireplace as possible, wrapping himself with a fur blanket someone was kind enough to lend him and nibbling on medicinal herbs that would hopefully prevent him from catching a cold.

Since it would be a long time before he’d be able to proceed outside, the boy decided this would be the perfect time to spend drawing. The question was… what would he draw? There were many options, of course, however it took inspiration to illustrate something that came from the heart.

As he began to think of the possibilities, his thoughts were invaded by the sound of conversation coming from a table to his left.

Ya shoulda seen the size o’ that thing! It was at least 8 feet tall, swear on me mother’s grave. And it’s fur was as white as the snow, never seen somethin’ like it in me life.

One of the hunters, a burly ginger with a coat so large it could blanket three people, exclaimed enthusiastically whilst making dramatic hand gestures, causing him to nearly spill the mug of ale he held countless times.

Beside him sat a more serious-looking white-haired male who was about ¾’s his companion’s size, his arms folded over his chest. There was a slight smirk on his face. Clearly he was somewhat amused by the overdramatic storytelling.

Is that so? Sounds like its pelt would sell for a lot, yet I don’t see an 8 foot long pelt with you... Don’t tell me the mighty Ingvar Stormbringer himself didn’t try to bring the beast down?

The massive man who was behaving boisterously until now seemed to simmer down slightly, a nervous laugh coming from his throat.

Ah, well, ya see… even a beast that size woulda been no match fer me, but that thing was aggressive, I tell ya. Left one of me mates with 13 broken bones. It may o’ looked like an elk, but it definitely fought like a bear! But don' worry. Once this blizzard lets up, I'll get me revenge! Gahahaha!

Though Yukisa didn’t like eavesdropping on others’ conversations, he was so intrigued that he couldn’t help it. While he listened to their words, his hand started moving on its own, sketching out what he imagined that beast that had been described would look like.

When he finished the drawing and finally lifted his head from his sketchpad, he noticed that someone, whom he would likely later find out is none other than @Flowing Willowwhistle, had sat down beside him to enjoy the warmth of the fire.

‘Ah… she looks cold,’ he thought, and without stopping to ask, he took the sizable fur blanket that covered him and threw the right edge of it over her shoulders so that they could both enjoy its warmth.

Before she could wonder what the heck he was doing, he quickly stated, “I thought you might be chilly,” and gave her a kind smile.

“Hey, did you hear those guys talking earlier?” he added after a few seconds ticked by. “About the elk. Look, I tried drawing it…” he told her, tilting the sketchbook in her direction so she could see.

Hidden: The Sketch

​

“Wouldn’t it be neat if we could see it?”​

 

Flowing, or Haley in the real world, never knew the cold of snow and ice. Living in a tropical climate meant a lot of her time was either spent in the hot sun, in a lukewarm room cooled by an electronic fan, or in the shelter away from the mighty gales of yearly rain. All trees were evergreen and full of life. December was celebrated with sales and food, not with the fun in the snow. The closest thing Flowing ever got to cold was being shut in a lecture hall cooled by an air conditioner, and Flowing spent a lot of the time in there wiping her nose.

So to see white blankets of snow on the branches of trees, endless spreads of snow instead of grass and dirt and to experience the cold that most people from her country would not, it was very tempting to enter the forest. However, she was unprepared for it, nor the blizzard that would begin to blow soon as the breeze lightly shook the leaves. Flowing felt the cold, it was not unbearable, maybe it is cause of her clothes being more airy and thick, trapping heat from her body. The hilt of her rapier however was cold, and Flowing had to ease into it to hold it as she slices through some thicket. As branches fell, some snow hit her hat and tilts it over her eyes. Surprised by the sudden blind, she trips on a root and begins to stumble down a slope, before face planting behind a wooden cabin.

A mighty gale blew, attempting to seize Flowing's hat. The girl was cold, she felt wet too. Perhaps the snow had melted and soaked her clothes, or the sweat from her body feeling that she could have lost her life. However all was fine and Flowing let out a sigh of relief, and watched her breath freeze into mist before her eyes. A small smile to see such a rarity and with her own eyes, not just a video game character in the cold breathing. It was fascinating. She breathed out again, like a curious child tries to touch it, and it flows over her fingers and disappears. Another gust of wind, this time it was biting. Flowing heard the loud sounds of the cabin, and the sound of some people entering it through the door. Quickly she went to the front and followed after them, unsure of whether she made the right choice.

Another sigh of relief, though no misty breath as the warm fire heated the cabin. The person beside her held a sketchpad, her curious eyes wanting to sneak a peek at what the man is drawing, however the loud noises attracted her more, and the warmth of the flame and the dancing licks of fire. Flowing was however shivering, clearly a virgin to the cold. Tightly she kept her body curled up, attempting to remain warm as she heard clinks and taps overhead and from the windows. Hail, she thought. The man beside her disappeared, instead a warm blanket came over her, and she blushed when she realized who was responsible. What a nice smile. However her attention quickly shifted over to the sketchbook. It was incredibly well done, and she felt a bit jealous about it. The idea however, clicked something in her.

"Why not? There isn't anything really stopping us other than the chance of death," Flowing smiled, inching closer so they could whisper more discreetly to each other. "But um... do you having anything warmer than a blanket? I'm not too use to the cold really..."

 

Perhaps it was a little odd to approach a stranger so nonchalantly, but for Yukisa, being kind even to someone whom you just met is important, especially if they seem to be in trouble. It was relieving to see that after sharing his blanket with her, despite the fact that he had invaded her personal bubble without shame, she seemed to stop shivering and even returned his smile.

When she agreed to his proposal, he beamed even more. People who shared his enthusiasm were the kind he got attached to the fastest - which could be both fortunate and unfortunate for @Flowing Willowwhistle - and she had just confirmed that she is willing to share this adventure with him. Though, unlike him, she appeared to have a slight hesitancy about their odds of coming out of the trip alive, something that had not crossed his mind at all.

“I’m sure we’ll be fine!” he said, keeping his positivity levels high. “If it seems dangerous, we’ll just stay back and watch from afar, no worries! We’re just going to look, right?” his question was rhetorical, however it would likely surprise any of the hunters around them, had they been listening. Any of them would be glad to get their greedy hands on such lovely prey, and they definitely would not waste their time on going wildlife viewing.

As the female scooted closer, Yuki leaned in to hear what she had to say. A nervous chuckle escaped his throat upon hearing her request. “Um… no, sadly,” he muttered, trying to think if he somehow happened to forget about a coat he had brought with him. “But I’m sure we can ask someone around here if they have something extra,” he added in a whisper, glancing around to see who to approach first. All of them appeared equally intimidating, but the innocent-minded male cared little about their appearances.

And of course, his eyes happened to lock on the biggest, baddest looking group of hunters in the entire lodge.

“I’ll be right back,” he told Flowing, standing up whilst ensuring the blanket did not slip off of the female’s shoulders. With a slight skip in his step, he approached the four hunters who were still talking, laughing and drinking. They went silent as they noticed him nearing, giving him a look that just riddled danger.

Perhaps it would be best to cover one’s eyes to avoid whatever beating was about to go down.

The storm passes…

Somehow, Yukisa had returned from his excruciatingly lengthy conversation with a pair of old coats rather than bruises. A smile was still plastered to his face as he carried the heavy fur clothes, and once he was beside Flowing he handed one to her. “Looks like the blizzard let up,” he told her, slipping the slightly oversized coat over himself. “And I think we’re-”

Ready to go!

Before he could finish speaking, he was cut off by the ginger hunter they had been listening to beforehand.

Snow’s gone, and so am I! That beastie is gettin’ it!

Oh, I’m sure… or perhaps you will have another 18 bones broken?

Gah! Nonsense. This time I won’t let it go surprising me!

The white-haired hunter seemed unconvinced as his companion marched out of the tavern, but he reluctantly followed nonetheless.

“Uh oh…” Yukisa mumbled, staring out of the frost-coated window to see two blurry figures marching off into the distance. “They’re going to kill it! We gotta stop them!” he added, distress clear in his voice. With all the excitement that built up inside of him, the last thing he wanted was to arrive at the elk’s location and find a corpse. He was so distraught, in fact, that his eyes glistened slightly with tears, and they looked at Flowing hopefully.