The close proximity startled me when I awoke, an unusual comfort that I welcomed whole-heartedly. Despite the fact I had barely uttered a word to him over the past moons along with the only contact we shared being our back sharing warmth night after bitter night, he showed no hesitation to comfort me.

It reminded me of childhood, almost too much.

To make matters even worse, the storm had dumped snow absolutely everywhere overnight, leaving us with heavy, damp fur, and numbingly cold paws. I knew my father wasn't young, and with my head pressed against his chest, I could hear a slight wheeze as his lungs struggled to intake the chill sharpened air.

He didn't bother questioning me this morning, I was sure he already knew my answer after the events of last night. Although I had a gut feeling he wasn't going to bring it up, relief unknotted the tension in my step when he started a very one-sided conversation about the weather.

We set off after a moment of serenity in the arms of the small cave, although I found myself regretting it moments later as snow greeted my underbelly relentlessly freezing, and I'm sure my father met the same fate. It slowed our progress considerably, even with father in front, soldiering on and trailblazing a path with his bulky thick coat. I followed close behind him, stumbling ever so often and coming to the conclusion that it's very hard to walk when you can't feel your paws.

The wind was our ever-present companion, blowing light snow across my world like a gentle blanket and wrapping the world in a hazy white blur.

We had been walking for hours, and I began to drift further and further behind Jupe, stumbling along like a newborn kit, my senses distorted and weak. My fur was frosted over, my whiskers almost frozen solid, and every breath I gasped through my mouth seemed to rake cruel icy blades down the back of my throat.

It's so hard to breathe, I don't want to anymore.

The ground became completely numb to me, and I could sense my paws throbbing from all the little cuts of the sharp terrain, yet I couldn't bring myself to care.

Shivering for so long had completely exhausted me, and with a bout of surprise I found myself stumbling sideways, my usually nimble paws felt like a deadweight, causing me to fall victim to a small rock. The fuzziness in my brain refused to clear, inducing a mislay of balance for a heartbeat leading me to plunge into the snow, stray from father's path.

I lay there for a moment, and the world was peaceful, cold, but peaceful, pressed up against the ground and sheltered by the snow. It was quiet. The billowing wind over me looked so unwelcoming I contemplated whether it was even worth it to get up.

'You will not die here.'

A voice not so different from my father's seemed to spring to life in my head, the soft whisper booming in my brain and with a surge of unfamiliar strength guided me to my paws and I managed to stumble back onto his path. Wincing as the wind's fierce howl echoed in my ears, I realized I could barely see Jupe a few paces ahead, wearing an extremely concerned expression on his face.

Brushing off the voice as nothing more than a ruse of the wind, I fought my way through the snow, exhausted but determined to make my way to him, I was almost close enough to make out the scars on his muzzle when-

"Lloyd, wait!"

My paw fell through the ground and the snow buckled beneath it. I found myself falling forward, desperately trying to regain my balance, but the ground was too icy for grip and the hidden hole gaped wide like a carnivorous maw ready to swallow me whole.

Right before I was past the point of no return a barrelling force slammed into my side, and we both tumbled into the wet cushion beneath us, safe on solid ground, Jupe had made it just in time. Fighting the strain of lifting my head, I managed to steal a glance towards the chasmic hold I'd missed; it was huge, gaping, and black; a chill ran down my spine upon the realization that I wasn't sure how far down it went.

Father helped me up and we stood there panting there for a moment with trembling legs, just staring into the void.

"Thank you," I managed to gasp, meeting his gaze eyes wide with shock as I desperately tried to quiet the thumping in my ears.

He met my gaze, a similar expression, both fear, and relief dancing amongst each other in his pupils. There was a moment of hesitation where we just sat there staring at each other before without warning I found myself being pulled into a tight hug. I startled for a split second, the sudden gesture catching me off guard before I returned it, clinging onto him with mirroring reassurance and relief that I was still safe and in one piece. He didn't let go for a long while, the blizzard forgotten, and the panic that coursed relentlessly through my body slowly dissipating. It seemed to be his way of assuring both of us: It's okay, we're okay, we're safe.

We dragged on for a while longer, bone-tired, barely able to see in front of us as the sky grew darker and gloomier.

I began to steal glances on my sides occasionally, hoping to find somewhere sheltered for us to stay the night, the tundra remained mercilessly bare.

Are we going to die out here?

Until a shadow amongst the white in my peripheral lit a spark of hope in my chest, there was a new trail off to the side, not only that but a path of pawprints leading deeper off to the side down a small pass.

"Jupe," he croaked. "Look at that."

He turned, his ragged face gaining hope as he laid eyes with a newfound light on what I had spotted, the change in his mood noticeable even in the low light.

"Come on," he urged, "there might be someone down there who can help us."

We turned slowly, following the footprints like blind fools on an errand. The trail that led them down the pass was more sheltered at least, keeping the worst of the winds at bay. It got slimmer and slimmer, and through the snow, I spotted a dead end up ahead. Hope barrel towards my paws like a stone.

"Look!" Jupe cried out, and suddenly bounded across the snow like a rejuvenated fawn. I swiveled my head in the direction of his voice and spotted a faint orange-gold light through the snow to where I assumed father had disappeared around a rocky corner. Desperation-driven strength urged me forward, and I flew after him in the same direction, already tasting the warmth of shelter.

I rounded the corner, at the same time discovering the light was coming from a crack in the rocky cliff just a few metres ahead, barely big enough to fit a cat; without hesitation, I bounded forwards and launched myself through the small opening.

The moment I slipped through that crack the wind immediately cut off, and I was greeted with the wonderful warmth that I had craved for so long.

Looking up from where my body had crumpled onto the floor, I noted there was a small campfire where Jupe had already taken up refuge next too.

With what felt like every ounce of effort and shred of will I had left, I managed to heave myself to shaky paws and half dragged, half limped my way over to his side, collapsing as soon as I felt the solace of steady flame. With a sigh of relief, I felt my stiffened fur thaw out, heat enclosing me in a soothing embrace. Even if it wasn't extremely warm in the small cave, absence of the snow and the ferocious wind sure made it feel warmer than a summer afternoon.

I heard my father's stomach groan, at the same time noticing the gnawing in my own stomach. I half-heartedly flicked my gaze around the cave and with a trill of delight, noticed a small berry bush taking refuge in a crack between the ground and a sturdy rock. I squinted, refusing to believe it, but sure enough, it was the very same bush that grew under the canopies of the forests at our old home.

"Look!" I cried, stumbling over to the bush and scavenging a dozen or so decently sized berries, "it's food, father!"

"Are you sure they're edible?" He questioned, eyeing the dark purple pile I carried back to him.

"Yes, these are the ones that grew in the old forest, remember?"

I plonked myself down at his side again and offered him a few more than me, I was never really too hungry these days.

He examined them with a wrinkled snout before deciding he was too hungry to even care, and guzzled them down in a heartbeat.

"See? They're good too."

He just hummed in agreement, his eyes drooping and his body suddenly looking much more tired and worn.

"I wonder who lives here," he pondered, glancing at the pawprints near the entry, "those paw prints are too small to be mine and slightly bigger than yours, so I'm guessing it has to be some sort of feline."

I shrugged, "I'm just glad we found this place."

He nodded in agreement, looking deep in thought for a second before huffing, and shuffling on the spot in an attempt to get comfortable.

"Whoever it is, they're crazy for wanting to live up here in this stupid blizzard raging desert."

The corner of my mouth turned slightly, even after all of this, he's still got his sense of humour.

But my smile slowly faded into a troubled frown, and, gathering up the courage to ask a question that had been burning at my belly for moons, I glanced at my father, who was lazily focused on the slowly distinguishing flame with barely open eyes.

"Where are we going?"

He stiffened slightly.

"Away, far far away, to the town where I grew up. It's small and peaceful, just right for us."

I thought about that for a second, lowering my head to rest on my paws.

"Will... we ever see Mother again?"

"I don't know." He responded shortly, his voice brittle.

"I don't know everything, Lloyd."

There were a few strained minutes of silence between us as the wind howled outside the cave and the fire crackled cheerfully, almost as if it were trying to lighten the dull mood. Gathering that he was done talking for the night, I allowed my eyes to rest, and let the dull warmth sing me a gentle lullaby.

"You're still wearing the bowtie?" Jupe noticed.

I cracked open my eye to meet his lazy gaze, I hadn't even thought about taking it off, part of me just felt like it belonged there.

"It reminds me of when things were normal, I guess," I replied softly, glancing at the blue and white plaid that patterned my neck.

He nodded understandingly, seemingly satisfied with that answer he closed his eyes, face finally looking peaceful after an eventful day.

"Goodnight, my son."

I closed my eyes and curled in on myself to conserve warmth, this fire wouldn't burn all night, but if we were lucky the small cave would manage to insulate us enough for the night so we wouldn't wake up shivering.

"Goodnight, Jupe."

There was a moments silence, and as the wave of exhaustion coaxed me to slumber there was a small noise, only barely noticeable, only barely more than a breath, so faint perhaps you would have missed it if the fire was anything more than angry cinders:

"I'm sorry."

A/N

Thanks again to @Mylkzi for helping out with this chapter!!

whos that mystery voice

i dont know

you dont know

no one knows

:D