The path was long and narrow with plenty of twists and turns and ups and downs it was pitch black and it would've been impossible to see anything had I not had a flashlight. The flashlight gave off a weak circle of light just bright enough to light a few feet in front of us. Me and Seth hadn't spoken since we started to squeeze our way through the tunnel, and I was starting to regret the things I said. If this tunnel really did lead to the other side of the mountain, then it was a much better idea than going back outside in the deadly cold. 

Seth suddenly stopped in his tracks his ears pointed straight up.

"Did you hear that?" He asked sniffing around.

"No what was it?"

Seth didn't answer right away he continued sniffing and turning his ears like little satellites looking around for something. I spun around in a slow circle pointing my flashlight all around but there was nothing to see except cave formations.

"Probably just the wind," Seth muttered.

Whether it was the wind or it wasn't I pulled my pocket knife out and opened it up, just in case. Though I don't know what I was thinking it's not like I could do any real damage with this thing.

The path began to get wider the path grew so wide you could've driven an eighteen-wheeler through here and not scratched either wall. I looked around the cavern in awe the room must've been over a hundred feet tall covered in glittering stalactites and towering stalagmites so huge they touched each other forming one long formation. The stalactites seemed to form pictures on the walls. I saw horses and knights, princesses and dragons, it was like looking at the clouds. The rocks formed an entire city on their own and I noticed that the city was being inhabited by thousands of tiny bats hanging from the ceiling by their feet.

"Look at all those bats!" I said excitedly and Seth shushed me.

"Be careful, bats are light sleepers, and I don't want to get stung."

I knew bats had teeth and claws, but I never heard of a bat with a stinger, so I stayed quiet. We continued walking through the huge cave and stumbled across a small campsite. There were two small tents set up around the ashes of what had once been a little fire. 

"Look campers," Seth said excitedly running to check out the tent.

"Hello!" I called out as loud as I dared to not wanting to wake the bats, then stepped inside the tent.

These people had left a lot of very nice stuff unattended, huge puffy coats, warm sleeping bags, and boxes stuffed with food. I found Seth inside one of the tents eating from a box.

"Seth you can't eat other people's food!" I said angrily putting my head out of the tent to see if they had come back.

"No one's coming back for this!" Seth said pointing his nose to the corner of the tent where a pile of apples was sitting.

The apples were very small and brown sitting in a pile of their own rotten juice they looked months old.

"Maybe they just like rotten apples!" I suggested trying not to breathe in the sick aroma coming from them.

"If someone had been in this tent recently, I would be able to smell it," Seth reminded me pulling out a brown paper bag stuffed with moldy cheese and wolfing it down, he ate so fast it was like he was inhaling it.

"What happened to them?" I asked starting to freak out.

"They probably went home, you can't camp forever," Seth said sticking his face back in the box.

"But they left all their stuff!" I said looking around at the clothes, dishes, sleeping bags, and oil lamps "why would they leave all their stuff behind?"

"They were probably just too lazy to take it back down the mountain and thought what the heck we have more stuff at home."

"I don't know, this is giving me the creeps I think we should leave."

"Alright but put some of this food in your backpack."

I put all the beef jerky, dried fruit, crackers and everything else that wasn't spoiled in my backpack, but I absolutely refused to carry the moldy cheese in there and made Seth take that in his mouth. Before we left, I grabbed a large wool sweater and a pair of gloves from the tent and put them on. I didn't feel comfortable stealing, but I promised myself that if I ran into these people, I would give everything back.

.  .  .

The path started to get narrow again and soon the air was filled with the rotten stench of Seth's cheese, I threw a fit over the smell and threatened to smash it to bits if he didn't eat the stinky garbage. He only rolled his eyes and mumbled something about humans and our weak stomachs then ate the entire thing in two bites. How much moldy cheese did it take to get a dog sick.

I pulled a water bottle out from my backpack and took a small sip I closed my eyes and heard a strange howling sound. I looked to Seth to see if he had made the noise, Seth was standing still with fear, his eyes small and his ears pointed straight up, his mouth was closed and his tail stiff as a board.

"Did you hear that?" he asked me in a low whisper.

"Yeah, was it the wind?"

Seth shook his head slowly and I could hear the terrified thumps of my heart from inside my chest. Beating against the bars of my rib cage. 

"That was a snow wolf, they're just like dogs except they have bigger teeth and thicker coats, with a very keen sense of hearing," Seth whispered so quietly I almost didn't hear him.

"Do you think you can fight it off," I asked, I could feel I was about to start coughing.

"No, I don't, those things are crazy vicious," Seth mumbled and of course I started to have a cough attack.

"Shut up," Seth said knocking me over and pressing my mouth shut with his large, padded paw.

"It's possible it doesn't know we're here, if we walk really slow and stay super quiet, we might be able to escape with our lives, now I'm going to take my foot off and I want you to promise me you won't cough, okay?"

I could feel the coughs fighting at my throat to get out, but I turned my thumbs up to show Seth I wouldn't, he lifted his foot off my mouth. I quickly grabbed my blanket and pressed it to my mouth. I coughed into the wad of blanket harder than ever until I was finally finished then followed Seth through the cave. I walked as slow as I could on the tips of my toes every time my foot touched the ground the sound echoed off the walls and I could swear I heard the wolf.

"Turn the flashlight off if it sees light then it's sure to attack!" Seth ordered.

"But how will I see it coming?"

"I'll be able to smell the wolf way before you could ever see it, now turn it off!" Seth growled.

I turned the flashlight off and put it in my coat pocket, the tunnel was pitch black darker than any darkness I had ever been in before, it was like my eyes were closed I couldn't see my hand in front of my face. I walked super slow and checked to make sure the ground was even before I took a step. I followed Seth listening to the quiet sound of his breathing, his padded footsteps too quiet to actually hear.

"Stop breathing," Seth mumbled and I covered my mouth with my hands.

I strained my ears and heard a low growl from right in front of us. I quickly pulled out my flashlight and turned it on I shined the flashlight in front of us and saw an animal crouching in the distance it's brown hide sticking out from behind a large stalagmite.

"Is that the snow wolf?" I asked my whole body shaking with fear.

"No that's something else, the snow wolf is behind us," Seth whispered "Hurry up and shut off that stupid flashlight!"

"I can't turn off the flashlight there's something right there."

Seth jumped up and grabbed the flashlight out of my hand with his mouth. He held the light end of the flashlight in his mouth shutting his lips and blocking all the light, he turned it off with his tongue and spit it back out on the ground careful not to break it. 

"Bailey, I need you to follow me and be super quiet okay, do what I say and don't make a single sound." 

Seth whispered so quietly I could hardly hear him I nodded my head hoping he would take my silence as an answer. I slowly followed Seth I had to stay right on his tail (literally) so I wouldn't lose him in the darkness. I accidentally ran into the wall of the cave and shouting 'ouch' was my natural reaction. Seth shushed me violently nipping my leg with his teeth and I apologized under my breath. I followed Seth along the wall pressing my hands against the bumpy surface. The ground was hard to walk on because it was covered in strange rock formations as tall as my hips.

"Duck down and stay quiet," Seth mumbled.

I got down onto my hands and knees we were stuck between the wall and several tall stalactites, my heart was thumping inside my head giving me a headache and sweat was pouring down my face. I could feel a cough attack growing in my throat, but I kept the blanket firmly pressed to my mouth refusing to let it out.

Suddenly the cave was filled with a beautiful white light, I peeked through the cracks of the stalactites and saw that an arctic wolf had entered the room through the entrance we had just used. She was the same size as Seth with fur so white it glowed, her eyes were blue grey and huge the size of golf balls. She was absolutely gorgeous the most majestic creature I had ever seen. I looked around and saw Seth crouching in the corner his black coat made him almost invisible hidden in the shadows of the cave wall all I could see was the white around his brown eyes. 

There was a loud growling sound and I watched through the cracks as another creature came out heading towards the wolf. It was a huge weasel the size of a mountain lion with a long brown body so thin you could see all his ribs. He had a long pointy face with huge sharp teeth and massive claws, he was growling loudly and his whole body was vibrating.

The wolf began growling too, she stood with her hind legs pointed up and her muzzle down growling just as loud as the weasel. The growling filled the entire room it was so loud I let myself cough a few times into the blanket and Seth kicked me with his back paw signaling for me to shut up.

I watched as the weasel stood up on his hind legs using his large tail for balance and growled like a lion. The wolf ran for the weasel's exposed belly and sank her teeth into his gut. The weasel let out a weird half scream half growl and tried to bite the wolf's neck, but the wolf was too quick and let go before the weasel could grab her. She ran around the beast in circles as he tried to catch her.

The wolf made the mistake of backing into the corner and the weasel attacked clawing at the wolf and brandishing his razor sharp teeth. The wolf jumped into the air and tried to run past the weasel, but he grabbed her foot knocking her onto the ground. The wolf turned her head behind herself and tried to bite the weasel but couldn't reach. The weasel bite the wolf's neck and her beautiful white fur was quickly stained red with blood. The weasel let go of the wolf and she fell to the ground. 

The weasel began walking towards us his large nose twitching violently his sharp teeth showing, he growled so loud the entire cave began shaking. He had his tiny yellow eyes locked on me and I knew I was doomed there was no way out of the cave I was stuck between some rocks, a hard place, and a giant weasel. My heart flooded with terror. Then like a beautiful flower bursting up from the earth the wolf picked herself off the ground. With the last of her strength she lunged for the weasel. She jumped onto his back and sank her teeth deep into the tender flesh of his long furry neck.

The weasel and the wolf continued to fight the air was filled with loud squeals and growls and violent sounds of breaking bones and tearing flesh. The scene was gory, and the smell of blood made me sick to my stomach, but I couldn't look away from the fight. The weasel fell to the ground from loss of blood and the wolf fell right after, they both laid motionless in a pile of their own blood.

"I can't believe our luck! Come on Bailey," Seth said happily getting up from the corner and sneaking through the stalactites towards the exit happy as a kid at Christmas.

I climbed out from behind the rocks and out into the open where the weasel and wolf were laying, the weasel had stopped breathing, but the wolf was still moving. Her chest raising up and down ever so slightly, there was still a flicker of light in her eyes and her brilliant fur was still shining like the silver moon.

"Bailey let's go!" Seth shouted from the exit.

I pulled off my backpack and took out a roll of bandages, I began wrapping the bandages around the wolf's wounded neck and stomach hoping to stop the streams of vital blood from leaving her body.

"What are you doing, do you want to stay here and wait for more to show up?" Seth asked avoiding the puddle of blood.

"She saved my life I can't just leave her here," I said tapping up her wounded foot, admiring the beautiful black paws hidden underneath the shimmering white snow.

"She didn't save your life! If it wasn't for that weasel, she would have killed us instead!"

I ignored him and finished what I was doing I wanted to take the wolf with us, but she was much too heavy for me to carry. I petted the top of her head between her two snowy white ears and listened to her slow breathing. I got up and left the wolf there hoping the bandages helped with something and followed Seth out of the cave.

.  .  .

Seth was right! the tunnel lead right out of the mountain and we made it to the other side hours before the sun set.

"See what did I tell you!" Seth said proudly stepping out of the cave and into the fresh fallen snow.

We were standing atop of a very tall mountain and in front of us was a huge valley and off in the distance was yet another mountain range. The sun shone across the land of snow illuminating the entire valley. Though the sight was gorgeous the light was nowhere near as pure or radiant as that of the angelic snow wolf.

"Looks like all we have to do is cross this valley and go over those mountains then we'll be home free," Seth said proudly.

The valley was long, and the mountains were tall, but we had gotten this far so there was no sense in turning back now. "Should we camp out here for the night?" I asked looking over the miles of forest we would have to cross tomorrow.

"Hey look a village!" Seth shouted pointing his nose towards a small circle of tents and a large fire no more than a mile from the base of the mountain "I told you people lived around here!"

"It's going to take a long time to walk all the way down the mountain," I complained I was exhausted and it was really cold out here.

We were at least a two hundred feet up and there was no trail leading straight down, we would have to take the path to our right leading across the mountains, the trail was long, and I couldn't see the end of it. I assumed it went across the mountain tops and slowly led us down to the valley.

"Look you can take that super long trail if you want to, but I'm taking the fast way," then without warning Seth bolted down the side of the mountain bursting through the snow quickly weaving in and out of the tall green pine trees. He moved as if he were on a pair of skis

"Wait!" I shouted slowly following him.

I went slowly clinging to the trees as I walked the snow was up to my knees and my feet were numb from the cold. I tripped several times and one time I started sliding down the mountain on my butt. I went gliding for a few yards then crashed into a tree with my back leaving a spot that would grow into a huge bruise by morning. I felt like a toddler learning to walk for the first time. After a half an hour of part-hiking part-falling down the side of a mountain, I made it to the bottom and found Seth waiting for me curled up near a tree. I was so happy to be on flat ground I wasn't watching where I was going. I tripped on a stick and fell flat on my face.

"Come on already," Seth whined impatiently pulling me out of the snow. "I can smell roast rabbit and grilled fish," he shouted licking his lips and panting.

I followed him slowly the snow down here went past my knees, so thick I had to crawl through it. The half a mile to the village seemed like ten in such thick snow. All the muscles in my body burned and my lungs felt like they were being stepped on. I couldn't stop coughing and my entire body was burning from the snow, it was starting to feel like I was crawling through fire. I must have looked really pathetic.

I made it to the village where the snow had been cleared and there was a patch of brown dirt full of warm tents and a roaring fire. There were dozens of people dressed in thick warm clothes, with large silver and white snow wolves walking around some on leashes some eating out of dog bowls. I collapsed onto the ground and Seth came running up to me followed by a young girl with long brown hair and a thick fur coat.

"Are you alright?" She asked lifting me off of the ground and dragging me to the fire. 

She sat me down next to it and gave me a thick blanket to keep warm. She sat down on the log next to me and pushed the hood of her coat back revealing a very pretty face and two pointy ears like an elf. 

"Use this," a young boy with pointy elf ears said offering me a bowl of warm water to put my fingers in.

"What are you doing this far north?" The girl asked taking my hand in hers and feeling my fingertips to make sure they weren't frozen.

"We're on our way to the queen's palace," Seth said, the elves had dressed Seth in a wool vest with a hat, scarf, and mittens on his four feet.

"Wait what direction are you heading in?" The girl asked confused.

"North of course," Seth said proudly and she started giggling.

"You've been heading the wrong way, the queen's castle is that way," she said pointing back to the mountain we just went over.