ᶜʰᵃᵒˢ

˖°🌊𓇼⋆

[ the snow owl ]

𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐜𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐮𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐆𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬.

You hadn't thought that the Gates would spread as far as they did, but even you knew that something was amiss when the ruins were suddenly plagued by a harsh winter, ice spreading atop the water as snow peltered down from the sky.

"For crying out loud, what next?" Sinbad questioned, before turning around. His eyes widened as he was met with Kale's chest, groaning as he stepped back. "Oh, get a shirt on before you poke someone's eye out." The man rolled his eyes as Sinbad walked across the floor, leaning down to the main deck where the crew was. "Okay, guys, get down there and break it up! We've got to keep moving!"

It had been about an hour since Sinbad had sent the crew to work on the ice, and you were watching with concern as they hammered away. Sinbad had scraped around his room for a coat, quickly finding a thick, fur-lined brown one for you, leaving his room and searching the ship, where he found you nursing your fingers over one of the lit candles. He had wordlessly placed it over your shoulders, offering you a curt nod before walking away, leaving you a smiling mess as you put the coat on. 

As Sinbad wandered away, the sudden barking of Spike had him furrowing his eyebrows in confusion, following his dog's gaze. 

You perked up at the sound of distant whooshing, as Sinbad and the men came to a pause. Spike continued to bark from beside you as you made your way to the edge of the ship, moving your gaze towards the far-off snowcapped rocks. 

Your eyes widened at the sight of something flying past the juncture, with large white and blue wings before disappearing. Spike whimpered, running away, and you turned to watch him go in slight fear. You always trusted these animals, for they seemed to see things that you couldn't.

Suddenly, there was a loud crashing and you spun around, gasping at the sight of a magnificent icy blue bird. It smashed through the stone and snow, before tucking its wings in and zipping past the ship.

"Everyone, back on the ship!" Sinbad commanded, as the crew ran towards the boat in fear of being swooped up by the huge bird.

"Come on! Come on! Move faster!"

"Hurry! Here, take my hand!" you shouted to Luca, offering your arm to his. He took it with a grunt, and you groaned, pulling him onto the ship as the pair of you landed on the deck. 

"Thank you, my princess."

"Don't worry about it," you brushed away, quickly standing up and rushing over to railing when you saw the bird flying after Jed. The man had leaped into the frigid water, and you called for his name. After a moment, he emerged from the water, struggling to keep himself on one of the caps of ice. You were quick to grab one of the heaps of rope, running atop the jibboom and tossing it into the water with an order, "Grab the rope!"

Sinbad, who was helping Kale retrieve some other crewmates watched as the bird took on a new kill: you. "Y/N!" he shouted, causing you to turn around in confusion. You gasped at the feeling of hard claws wrapping around your body, and you reached for Sinbad. You shrieked as he took your hand, grunting as he was pushed against the railing. "Don't let go, princess!"

"Sinbad!" you screamed when your glove slipped from your fingers, your cries fading with each passing second as the snowbird flew up to the tip of the Granite Gates. 

You exclaimed as the bird dropped you to the snow, labored breaths escaping your chest as it landed beside you. You stood up, and made your escape, but the bird slammed his talons down on your body. He thankfully didn't pierce you, but your coat was caught in the bright blue claw. 

You crawled out of the grip, leaving the coat behind as you took off. The bird mistook the jacket for you, ripping it violently, but not tasting any meaty tastiness. He threw it away, and began digging at the snow, wishing to find his meal that had escaped. 

Meanwhile, you were rushing off in the opposite direction, breathing out in relief at the sight of an icicle arrangement that curved overtop like a roof.

It felt as if nearly an hour had passed by the time the bird moved closer. You were running out of time, you knew that. But there was no other place to hide. 

As you glanced out the side of the makeshift tunnel, your gasp was muffled as it left your body at the feeling of a gloved hand covering your mouth and pulling you close. You mindlessly whacked the person's body, and at the sound of their grunt, you turned around with wide eyes at the sight of the familiar pirate. 

"Shh, shh, shh," he hushed your muffled shouts.

You ripped his hand away, but a smile graced your cheeks as you beamed, "You're rescuing me!"

"Yes, if that's what you want to call it, princess," he shrugged, although a part of him was happy with the way you were staring at him, almost as if he were your savior. You smirked knowingly, tilting your head before he raised his finger. "But this is going to cost you another diamond. Rescues aren't part of the usual tourist package."

You grabbed his hand, pulling him into a run as you both ran into another tunnel. "So, how are we going to get down?" you asked in a whisper.

"I... I don't know."

"What?" you hissed.

"I don't know yet," Sinbad corrected. "I'm thinking about it, alright?"

"You scaled a thousand-foot tower or ice, and you don't know how to get down?" you questioned with wide eyes.

"Of all the ungrateful-."

"I am not ungrateful!" 

He grunted in annoyance, leaning his head close to yours as he spoke, "Look, if you'd rather take your chances on your own, that can be arranged."

"Okay, shh-shh-shh," you interrupted, your fingers going to his mouth as to muffle his words. "Alright. So, what do we have to work with? Um... ropes?"

"Uh... no," he smiled sheepishly.

"Uh, grappling hooks?"

"Yeah... no."

"Your swords?" you desperately tried.

He glanced around for a moment, before his eyes widened as he fished out something from his pocket. "Hey, I've got this."

At the sight of a dagger, your face dropped, "Oh, great. He can pick his teeth when he's done with us."

"Yeah, okay," Sinbad grumbled. "See, in the hands of an expert, a good knife has a 1001 uses." As he twirled the dagger in his hand, it suddenly pierced the ice above us, clattering to the ground as he grimaced.

The ice suddenly cracked, falling to pieces around you as the bird perked up. Your glare was colder then the frosty wind as you turned your gaze to Sinbad. He chuckled nervously, before his smile dropped. "Run!" he yelled when the bird squawked at you both. Sinbad grabbed your hand, and you gasped at the sound of its claws digging into the ground behind you as you and the pirate ran to the edge of the tower. "Come on, faster!"

"W-wait, wait! What?" you cried.

"Let's go!"

You and Sinbad leaped off the edge of the tower, and your screams echoed through the air as he took ahold of your body, carrying you in his arms as he handled the shield tied to his back, moving it so that it came to rest beneath his butt. 

You both shared a worried glance, before letting out grunts as the shield landed on the snow, bouncing over the small ridges as it zipped down the side of the mountain. "Ow!"

"Oh! Ah! Damn it!" As you swiveled around in a circle, Sinbad spoke up, "I think we lost him!"

"I don't think so!" you denied when the bird appeared in front of you, kicking at one of the monuments in his way. 

"Heads down!" Sinbad suddenly wrenched the shield from underneath you, and the snow was nipping at your back as he held the guard above you both. The bird banged his beak against the shield but received nothing except for a loud bang as the pair of you slid underneath him. As he went to readjust it, snow piled into his clothes, making him shout, "Wh-wh-wh- whoa!"

You couldn't help but share a smile with the man as you rode down the icy road, maneuvering to escape the falling columns all around you. But it soon dropped as the smallest of rocks landed in your path. "Oh, no!"

The shield flew up into the air due to the stone but was high enough that the bird just barely scraped underneath you before you landed again. He vaulted forward, landing in the direction you were heading, and as you squeezed your eyes shut, Sinbad made the split-second decision to turn the shield. "Lean right!" he ordered, and you did so with a scream, changing the direction. 

Sinbad grabbed your hand to hold you upright as you made your way into the hallowed halls of the Granite Gates. The shield came to a stop at the edge of one the frozen waterfalls, and you shared a breathy smile with the man.

Suddenly, the bird coursed through the entrance, and Sinbad ran his foot against the ice to make the shield move again, rushing down the frozen water. You leaped over a canopy, landing with a grunt before making your way through the lower levels of the tower. The bird chased after you and the captain, and as you glanced to the right, you saw the clear sky ahead. "Sinbad, that way!"

"Hang on!" he nodded, grabbing the knife and leaning down to the ice. He stabbed it into the ground, causing the shield to suddenly veer to the side. 

You pulled Sinbad upwards and into your chest, looking away as the bird was crushed underneath all the debris, before you breathed in the frosty air of the outside planes. The both of you yelled as you fell out of the tower, the ship a few hundred feet below you. 

"Yep, there they are," Kale smiled, shaking his head. Jin grinned widely, cupping his hands as Li rolled his eyes, flipping a golden coin into his brother's hand. 

As you fell, Sinbad moved your body so that you were below him to cushion your fall against the sails. Your landing was relatively soft as Sinbad fell against you. He panted, fixing his hat as you leaned up on your elbows, watching as he smiled, "There... Just as I-... planned."

He came to a stop, eyes widening at the close proximity of your faces. He took notice of your soft, S/C skin that shone due to the dark, orange atmosphere created by the sails caging you in, and the way your eyes searched his face. Sinbad felt your hand graze up his arm, before he felt the recognizable feeling of your fingers gracing over his cheek. Your laughter was soft as you stared at him, before you both were suddenly back in the light of the frosty day. 

You looked up at the crew around you, smiles immediately pulling at their lips as they exclaimed, "It's Y/N!" They spoke excitedly as they helped you stand, gushing over you and asking if you had any injuries. 

"We thought you were gone forever!" Rat sobbed, wrapping his lanky arms around your waist as he knelt on his knees. 

A clearing of the throat had you all looking to Sinbad who grumbled sarcastically, "Oh, I'm fine! Really." He cracked his back as he smiled dryly. "But I'm touched by your concern."

As his bones cracked, they melted into the loud roaring coming from behind him. Sinbad slowly turned around, watching as the debris from the tower tumbled to the ground, smashing the frozen water. The ice cracked, and soon he felt the ship shake as it was released from the glaciers. 

You and the crew let out cheers, jumping excitedly as the twins embraced you in joy. Sinbad watched with a smile as you flourished with pride, before turning your gaze to him. Your soft grin was a much more thrilling prize.