Chapter 9 

  It was skating lesson time once more. Denaé and I were so bored, that we were running around the ice rink throwing snowballs at each other. 

 “HA!” I bellowed ferociously. “Take THAT!” Denaé stood up giggling, shaking the snow off her head. “Oh yeah?” She called, scooping a bunch of snow up with her tail “Take THAT!” She whipped a ball of snow at my face. I yelped and turned to run, but was too late. The snowball hit me directly in the back of the head and I stumbled forward screaming.

 “OH! Are you okay?!” Denaé called, her paws flew to her mouth and her copper eyes were wide. I stood up giggling. “Yes, I am alright!” I turned back around with a grin. “You can show no sympathy in battle!” I told her. She smiled back. “But I feel bad!” She called. I shook my head, still laughing. 

 We continued our silly antics up and down across the school’s field when we saw a large, fancy car pull into the school’s driveway.

 I froze to see who it was. “HA-.” I was hit in the head with a snowball. Denaé bounded beside me. “I really got you that time! Oh, what are you looking at?” She peered ahead at the car rolling in. 

 “Let’s go see who it is!” She called excitedly. With that, the two of us raced ahead, cat versus dog. Denaé bounded through the white powder, her big and powerful paws ripping the snow from her path. But I was nimble and used to the frosty flakes since I was from Mt. Shiveer. 

 The car stopped before we arrived at it, and a tall black and white arctic wolf stepped out of the back. He looked over at us and his face suddenly lit up. With astounding speed, the wolf raced towards us, bounding across the field. I gasped. “ASTRON!” I screamed. We collided, in each other’s arms and hugging tightly. 

 “Oh my goodness how are you?” I panted. He smiled and squeezed me. “I am great, Isis! Just great.” He puffed back. He put his paws on my shoulders and leaned back, his eyes flitting over my face as he studied me. A beam melted onto his snout. “Beautiful.” He whispered. 

 A fancy-looking tiger stepped from the blue limo. He went around back and took a bunch of suitcases from the trunk, carrying them around again and down to the school.

 “I will leave these in your room, sir.” He informed Astron. The black arctic wolf nodded. “Thanks, man.” 

 I stepped back from Astron, still smiling. He was a dark grey arctic wolf. He had a white face and white legs. He wore black elf bracelets, a black spiked collar, and a ragged black blanket on his back and a matching elf tail. 

 “Hello.” Denaé finally said, smiling sweetly. “Hey, Denaé,” Astron replied, grinning back. They awkwardly hugged. There was a pause as we sat in the snow with stupid grins on our faces, staring at each other. 

 “So.” Astron finally said. “What’s up?” He tilted his head. I turned around and pointed to the ice rink. “Amy is practising her routine over there,” I informed him. He nodded. “She has been having a lot of trouble lately.” His smile fell and his brow furrowed. “Ah more?” He asked with concern.

 I told him everything as the three of us walked slowly back in our pawsteps to the meeting place. He listened well, his facial expression making me aware he was in sleuthing mode.

 “I hope nothing like any of that happens during the competition.” He said once we reached the bonfire. 

  We sat and chatted, catching up on one another’s lives. Astron told us a little more about his studies in England. He had gone there to help his family and went to school there for the time they were there. 

 “Oh.” Astron began, choking on his hot chocolate. He set the cup down and coughed. “Frostine told me to tell you that she would be returning to Silver Moon Academy next year.” He looked up at me, his smile showed he liked my reaction. “What?!” I gasped. “Frostine said that?” I asked. He nodded. “We went to the same school! But of course, she was not in my class.” 

Frostine. A name I had not heard for quite a few years. Frostine was my sister. She was quite a bit older than I was and had moved out while I was still quite young.

We got along quite well and did all dorts of thigs together, but even though I was little I could sense that there was some strange tension between her and our parents. That might have been a slight bit of the reason for why she left for schooling in London.

Frostine was an exquisite student and the learning in England and Jamaa are quite similar. She had gone to Mira’s Academy while Silver Moon was still under construction. Teaching at Mira’s was not very quality and she could not learn in the environment there so she left to attend a strict and more academic school in London. Our parents let her go without much hesitation which I didn’t really understand because I was always adored and always had an eye kept close on me. I never fully understood why Frostine and my parents had a strained relationship.

“Oh, that is WONDERFUL!” I cried, lifting a paw to my forehead with a dazed expression.

The practice soon ended and the Coach returned to the bonfire, the girls following her. 

 “Alright, I have exciting news!” Bridget bubbled, sitting down. “The Festival is THIS Sunday!” She smiled with glee. “You are all doing SO well and I am very proud of you all.” She gazed with motherly care down at the competitors. “We will be having a meeting in the Hot Cocoa Hut the day before the festival, so on Friday.” She informed us. “Alright! I wish you all luck! DISMISSED!” She sang. Everyone packed up their things, tired and excited. 

 Denaé, Amy, Astron and I all walked back to the large learning centre. Amy and Astron chatted noisily the whole way, filling each other in on everything the three of us talked about before, and talking about the crazy nonsense friends talk about. 

 There was a breeze that evening. It was already pretty dark since the clocks had been changed back (daylight savings) and it was December. The wind carried a fresh icy smell. It was a frosty breeze that bit slowly at us as we dawdled in the cold. But there was also something about the wind I could not describe. It was not an unbearably cold wind, but it made you want to snuggle up in blankets without actually making you chilly. Perhaps I overthink things like that. 

 “I am going to go to the office and find out where my dorm is,” Astron said once we arrived back at the school. I nodded shortly. “Alright! See you at dinnertime!” He dipped his head. “See ya!” 

 The ladies and I walked to our room. I fell backwards onto my bed, letting out a long breath. 

 “You okay?” Denaé asked, furrowing her brow. I smiled. “Yes. Very okay.” I replied. We hung around our room for a little bit before it was suppertime.

 On our way to the cafeteria, we met with Astron and walked the rest of the way there together. 

 Only a few more days until freedom. I thought. But also only a few more days until the competition.  I recalled. Then I realized I had fallen back behind the others. Running ahead to catch up, I thought I really hope everything goes well… 

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 Ahh! Only a few more days until the competition already! Hopefully, Isis knows what she’s doing or something serious could go wrong at the competition. Also, Astron has finally returned! The four are finally reunited. <3

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