Cold was the only way to describe it, but the fact that it was always cold made that description rather vague and unneeded. But how would this day, or rather, morning, be different?

The sun was yet to rise, but this assumption was made due without much evidence, as the blizzard was so thick, everything was white as day. He'd only walk during a blizzard, as his tracks covered up quickly, despite the fact that he made light tracks anyway, as the tennis shoes ducktaped to his boots prevented him from sinking too deep into the snow. They didn't actually work as well as real snowshoes, but the snow was often heavily packed due to years of snowfall, so they worked well enough.

Also, the combination of snow and wind made his scent nearly untraceable, and even if it was picked up, it'd just be nonsensical. Also, theoretically, most animals wouldn't dare be roaming around in a blizzard, except maybe Polar Bears and Penguins, and while the latter had no reason to be anywhere ear him, the former was extinct as far as anyone knew. John had never seen a Polar Bear before, but he remembered hearing about them appearing now and then around the Hudson Bay, and how they were big and ferocious predators, but they lost their habitat due to global warming.

If there's global warming, why isn't it warm? John thought to himself. Warm, he remembered the feeling, just barely. Every time he'd light a fire, or when he felt the Sun's rays, he'd remember the long hot summers he took for granted. Sometimes, he felt he was in it. He could hear the cicadas buzzing, feel sweat drops on his forehead, feel fresh air on his arms and legs, and there would be birds, nice ones, squirrels too. Sometimes he would simply forget all of the lonely blizzard and just be in his fantasies. These fantasies, or as John called them, dreams-while-awake, were the only things with him in his lonely, icy world. But he often mistook them for reality, and sometimes, he couldn't get out of a dream, until something real found him. Still, even a bad dream was better than a cold nothingness.

But at that moment, he heard something. Barking, howling, snarling. Wolves, two hundreds of them, millions, billions, gazillions, all around the place. They were loud, as if inside his head. John spun around frantically, looking for them. Clueless, he ran in the direction he hoped he was going in. A strong gust of wind blew him down though, causing him to fall on his side. The howls were gone. Everything was quiet, except for the wind. But as he heard more clearly, it was more like thumping, pounding, and... a trumpet? John sat up to see a dark figure in front of him. It kept coming closer in closer. John tried crawling away, but his makeshift snowshoes made the task difficult. He got up, but was then knocked down by another gust of wind, but this one was not wind, it was hard.John coughed, being winded, not literally this time, by the blow. But when he looked up again, he saw quite the spectacle.

It was a giant, brown figure, like a huge turd, but it had giant horns pointing downward, and a long straw-like nose. An elephant? The last few elephants were kept preserved in secret locations in Africa, as they were being hunted to extinction for their ivory. What John didn't know about, however, was the war that took place because of it. It was a bit elephant shaped, this creature, but it didn't have big ears, but it had a huge nose, and it's horns were so much larger than the puny horns elephants had (though, John was constantly corrected that they were 'trunks'). Although, this creature was also scarier, as it glare and bowed it's head, like a bull. John wanted to run, but he couldn't. He was sinking into the snow, but it burned his skin. Lava, it had to be lava. John was about to cry for help, when the creature started running, right overtop of him. John was going to turn his head to get a good glance at the creature, when he was stepped on, by another! And another! A whole heard of these hairy creatures, no, an army! They all kept running, with no regard for the human dot under them, who continued to help in his pool of lava. All he could do is squirm about as he faced his torture.

((Sorry. I saw you posted but my computers being retarded. I gave up now, but I'm on mobile so I cant enter return or tag.)) Choette perches attop the head of a mammoth. Her crew, in a way. Well, not exactly. She had just come across them while in flight, if one could call being tossed around by a blizzard flying, and the one, recognizing her as a Hunter, offered her a ride. They had taken her for miles, and it tugged at her heart that she was using these beautiful creatures for her own benefit, like a human. Fluttering down to the mammoth's ear, Choette speaks to him. "It's alright. I can go from here." An eye locks on her. "Surely not, Owl." "I'll be fine," she persisted. "And you'd just alert the human that we're nearby. The beast let out what sounded remotely like an exasperated sigh. "If you insist." Choette fluttered down, turning to human form and lying down in the snow. As an Owl, she would've been blown away if she attempted this. Even so, she was in danger. But she had to rest before she searched further. So she lay there, listening to the fading footsteps of her pachyderm pals.

(It's alright, I use a mobile all the time, imagine what I go through.)

John lay there in the snow, shaking, partially from shivering, partially from panic in his nightmare-while-awake. His eyes were open, but he was not seeing what he should have been seeing. However, something had awoken him. It made the hairy elephants and lava all disappear. It made everything disappear. Everything was gray and white again. He was lying down. Realizing that, he stood up and brushed the snow off himself. Getting up was difficult, as the bag on John's back weighed him down quite a bit, but John and been hauling it around ever since his Father was captured.

John was about to try and get his bearings, or rather, guess which direction was south, when something barely caught his eye. Now, everything was white in this winter wonderland, but there were very, very, few differences in the flat, snowy landscape. So even a human figure lying in the snow that was almost completely white, was still very noticeable. Well, John was initially scared out of his mind, but still stood his ground. Curiously, he shuffled his way to the figure. It moved, which frightened John once again, causing his already shaky figure to jerk back.

It was alive, but did it notice him? John then realized what it was, a person! A girl, maybe. John froze, not knowing what to do. He'd not met a real person, nor a new one, for longer than he can remember. For all he knows, he thinks he's still eight years old. Well, the most sensible thing seemed to be to say hello, if he remembered how to speak. Opening his mouth, he tried to recall how the words worked.

"Nnn, ahh! Ah!" Good start. His teeth chattered together, making it a bit more difficult. "H-H-Haaaaiiii!" He stretched the word out, his lips remembering the phrases they once used. "Ah, Awr-r-r, Are y-you ok-kayyyy~?!" He shuffled a bit closer to the person. "Y-you're a g-g-girl?" His teeth chattered uncontrollably, as cold air entered his mouth, as if blowing away the verbal cobwebs. He shuffled right next to her and crouched, and looked right into her green eyes. He'd almost forgotten what people looked like, but here was one right here. Somehow, John couldn't help but have a huge grin.

Choette heard shifting near her, and sat up. A form started appraching. Her eyes widened. The human was coming to her. That had never happened before. Most humans were frightened of everything jumping up to flee. The form came closer to her, and she realized it was a teenager. But when it opened its mouth, it uttered the stuttering phrases of a toddler. Even she had better English than that. Choette forced herself to smile. "I'm alright. And I am a girl, yes. Who are you?"

A response! It was so good for John to hear a new voice. He'd heard voices before, many times actually, but this was totally new. And she asked a question back! John, upon realizing he was asked a question, he started grinding up those old cognitive conversation abilities and functions he dropped in the snow so long ago.

"M-My name iz-z-z-z..." he let his frozen brain process, "John-na-nath- Agh!" His chattering teeth bit his tongue. "J-John," he told her. John realized that this girl was older than he thought himself was "Are you c-cold?" he asked her, "B-because it's a snowstorm out!"

(What exactly would Choette be wearing anyway?)

((A thick white dress, coat, and tall white boots. Her eyes are pretty much the only colored part of her.)) Coette gave a sympathetic smile at the boy's frustration. It was kind of sweet, the way he was. She sorta wished that she could keep him as her own servant once she brought him in. But that wasn't up to her. It was, ultimately, Queen Una's decision. But there was hope. "I'm a little cold," she admitted. "But you look much worse. I'm Coette." She smiled at the boy, attempting to earn his trust. She didn't want to have to bbring him in by force. He was just too helpless, what with his chattering teeth and toddler talk. But she might have to.

John nodded, "Y-yeah, but-t I got a coat onnn~" Then, ever so suddenly, his head darted off to the side, like a dog upon hearing a possible squirrel. He wordlessly gazed off into the snowstorm, as if trying to find an unknown threat. However, upon remembering he wasn't alone, he turned his attention back to the girl.

"D-Do you have any parents?" John asked her. He was curious of so many different things about her, and he just didn't know which questions to ask first.

(U, I'm a little curious as to where we are going to move on from this point, because I don't think I should have John playing 20 questions with Choette.)

((LOL. Funny, his previous questions allows a golden oppurtunity for her.)) Studying John closely, Choette suddenly realized he was on his own. No adults, no friend, no one. That made him gullible, playable. Perfect for her. "I have parents," she said slowly, thinking through every word. "But you don't." It was a statement, not a question. She hoped he'd be able to tell. "You should come with me," she smiled. "My parents would be happy to help you out, if you'd like. So, will you come?"

She had parents? The 's' implied it was plural, so that means it was plural, which meant she must of had both, which was amazing. John ignored the statement about himself, not because he dropped his theory of mind in the snow as well, but simply because he didn't pay attention. Somehow, he was a little distracted by something, but he didn't have the straightest mind either.

And then she offered to have her parents help him out. Initially, John was going to cry out Yes! but something told him Bad!. Likely some sort of paranoia. However, there was another reason.

"B-But, I gotta k-keep going~, I think." That was right, there was a reason he was still walking. South. Sometimes, he'd forget why, but keep going just because he had nothing better to do. At a point, he even stopped believing there was a south to go to, but he kept on going. South Wales where it was warm. South was where his parents might be.

"But, if your parents have a car, then maybe it could help."

"A car?" Choette's brow furrowed before she could stop it. Then she remembered. Damn it! She had practically given herself away. Hoping he wouldn't notice her hesitation, she attempted a swift cover up. "No, a car wouldn't work in this snow. I'm sorry, but that's all there is to it. However," she smiled gently, praying it would work. "We have a small plane. There'd surely be room for you, if you'll come. We'll take you wherever you need to go."

"A p-plane?" He'd only been on a plane once, to visit his Puerto Rican grandparents, on his mother's side, but the trip back would have technically been twice. However he didn't take into account that it likely wouldn't be like one of those.

"Ok-kay, I-I wanna go on th-the plane!" Standing up, he held the straps of his bag, waiting for the girl to get up. "W-We gotta walk through the snow f-first!" He did have doubts, but John got over them quickly. If he'd kept to his doubts, however, he would have never ended up in the situation he was about to.