1 Dreams of Something more

It had been another difficult night of waiting.

The blizzard outside the ice hutt continued to rage on. It would be hours before dawn and she returned from using the air currents. Until such a time came. Chieftain Arkanus sat lying awake in his nest bed, dreaming of something more than this life they were given.

The drift wood door swung open again from the strong howling wind. Releasing a flurry of powder and frost to enter and dust the single room house and it's few meager decorations. Arkanus didn't seem to mind at first. That was until the fire suddenly went out. Casting the cramped room in a near instantaneous pitch of cold unforgiving darkness. Arkanus sighed and rose from his bed with some semblance of reluctant haste to restart the fire. Not because he himself was bothered by the cold.

But because another beside him was.

The egg despite being bundled under numerous thick blankets would die if he didn't intervene.. Always attentive. As was his duty. It was never easy. But it had to be done.

He yawned as he he closed and blocked the door with a chair before stumbling over, feeling his way in the dark to at last kneel at the fireplace. He reached up and grabbed a handful of spark powder from above the stone mantle place and tossed it inside. In a flash, a combustion of sparks and loud crackling gave way to faint light and smoke. But it wouldn't be enough. The cold was beginning to smother it.

Arkanus knelt further down and began to fan the faint flames with his wings, the fire licking the sides of the rotten drift wood and crossed rib bone's desperate for air. When that didn't turn out to be enough. He picked a few of his white feathers and tossed them inside it for added kindling. The fire began to glow. It was enough.

He stood away and dusted off the soot and snow before gently pushing the egg in it's wooden cradle closer to the fire for warmth. This was the fourth time during the night he had gotten up to take care of it. But it would all be worth it in the end. She was worth it.

The Albatross stretched and went back to his attempt at sleep. Waiting until it was time to restart the fire as usual. As the hours passed. A sudden shake came at the barred door. At first he thought it was just the wind again, so he ignored it. Then a second time. He ignored it still. Then a knock came at the door. A very angry and hasty knock.

He smiled fondly as he quickly stood and removed the chair blocking the entrance and was greeted with a sight more beautiful than anything in the world.

You locked it? Arissa scowled covered in snow with her wings bundled for warmth as a cloak.

Arkanus shrugged. Had to be done. Door kept blowing open.

Um hum. Arissa rolled her eyes. "Well next time, tell me so I don't have to stand out here waiting for you to take your time.

Arissa slung the unevolved fish she had caught over her shoulder and entered quickly. It wasn't much Arkanus noted but he wouldn't bring it up. A hunt was difficult enough, especially in this storm when she could barely see where she was going. The tired albatross wife dusted off the snow before tossing the caught game aside disinterested on the wooden table before kneeling by the egg beside her husband in front of the glowing orange fireplace. Reaching her hands toward the hearth and then to her new child due to hatch any day now.

Is she kept warm enough? She worried. Leaning over and peeking over the blanket bundling to check for temperature. I keep telling you, she needs to be constantly checked on.

Always. He reassured. Leaning over and bundling the both of them in his massive white wings before kissing his wife on the forehead. There the three sat for a while sharing each other's warmth. They didn't have much. But they did have this. Arissa thought it was enough.

Arkanus didn't.

The following morning. He let her sleep in and prepared the game himself. That was the rule. You catch, the other cooks. So on and so on each day, with the other taking their turn for their share of the burden. He skinned and gutted the fish outside the hutt with the storm thankfully having past on. But it wouldn't be for long. It would be back again just like always.

As Arkanus wiped his hands of the blood with clumps of ice, he couldn't help but look out beyond to see the village only just beginning to wake. His village. If you could call it that.

There were less than ten crude igloos scattered and disorganized into a poor attempt at a circle. His and his wife's house was at the center. The largest in all the village, which wasn't saying much. Beyond the ring of houses, was nothing. Flat empty ice lands, No trees. No rivers. For as far as the eye could see. A frozen desert. The coldest and most barren place in the world where no life should be possibly be found.

And yet. Here they were.