“I heard that when your stranded in snow you should build a cave in the snow, since its warmer than the outside air. If we did that it’d also keep us from being seen.”
“That is the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard. Who told you that?” Altair sent him a look.
“I read about it in a book,” Malik glared at him. “I don’t hear any ideas coming from you either Mr. Al-Mualim’s-Favorite,” he sneered and Altair returned the glare from under his hood.
“Fine, we’ll build a snow fort,” Altair huffed.
Luckily though they didn’t have too, since that would have taken a lot of time and wasted more energy than they could afford to burn. Instead they found a large bolder that had created a natural sort of snow cave that they just made sure was deep enough to be useful as well as had thick enough walls to keep them better insulated. Once they’d done that they split up to see if they could find any dry wood. After more than an hour Altair returned empty handed and paced just outside the snow cave trying to take in as much of the weak sun as he could to keep warm. He’d worn a path in the snow before Malik returned, also sans any wood but with several large pine cones he’d wrapped up in his cloak to carry. Dinner.
They took turns keeping watch around their little cave, one so not to be snuck up on by an instructor (which could very well happen) and two to not get snuck up on by another pair and maybe have to fight over the shelter since it wasn’t big enough for four. While the other kept watch the one who wasn’t busily tore apart the pine cones Malik had found using teeth, knives, rocks and anything else they could think of to part the pine nuts from their tough casings.
The day stretched long but at least the sun was out to help warm them so long as they kept moving. But then the sun began to sink towards the horizon gently kissing the lip of the world. They both knew it would be a dumb idea to keep watch at night since the no one would realistically be looking for them in this sort of weather, especially since the snow had picked up since this morning and made the visibility even worse. Malik said to wall up the entrance of the cave so their bodies could provide the proper body heat, it would also make it harder for the instructors or anyone else to find them. So they did that, leaving only a small hole at the top for air to get into as well as the remaining of the weak sun’s afterglow.
Inside the little cave it was cold but Altair was surprised when it actually grew a few degrees warmer than the outside. Malik had been incredibly smug about that too when he mentioned it. They shared the tough pine nuts in silence, it being the only thing in their bellies since breakfast before deciding there wasn’t much to do but sleep. They wrapped their pale cloaks about them and slept back to back to try and maintain some more bit of warmth.
Altair only knew it was morning because he had a much better internal clock than Malik. Malik of course was shaking him awake speaking urgently. Altair yawned in his face.
“What is it Malik?” he squinted at his friend as best he could in the darkness. Wait… darkness. Where was the light from the hole they’d made?
“It’s a snow storm,” Malik said seriously and Altair knew he was sitting just in front of him because of his voice.
Altair blinked hard, “That sucks.”
“We’ve been snowed in.”
“That really sucks.”
“Thank you for clarifying,” Malik snapped irritably.
“We need to dig ourselves out,” Altair said sounding reasonable.
“I already dug out some,” Malik pointed and Altair could make out his outline, a paler darkness thanks to his cloak than the darkness surrounding him. Altair followed the line of his point and saw another hole in the wall. It let in only weak, watery light and when Altair crouched to move around in the cramped space he saw that indeed it wasn’t nice outside. The snow fell heavily and even if they did get outside they’d probably get lost in the snow storm and more than likely freeze to death. Why had he thought snow was better than rain again? He couldn’t remember.
Re: Warmth (1/?)
“That is the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard. Who told you that?” Altair sent him a look.
“I read about it in a book,” Malik glared at him. “I don’t hear any ideas coming from you either Mr. Al-Mualim’s-Favorite,” he sneered and Altair returned the glare from under his hood.
“Fine, we’ll build a snow fort,” Altair huffed.
Luckily though they didn’t have too, since that would have taken a lot of time and wasted more energy than they could afford to burn. Instead they found a large bolder that had created a natural sort of snow cave that they just made sure was deep enough to be useful as well as had thick enough walls to keep them better insulated. Once they’d done that they split up to see if they could find any dry wood. After more than an hour Altair returned empty handed and paced just outside the snow cave trying to take in as much of the weak sun as he could to keep warm. He’d worn a path in the snow before Malik returned, also sans any wood but with several large pine cones he’d wrapped up in his cloak to carry. Dinner.
They took turns keeping watch around their little cave, one so not to be snuck up on by an instructor (which could very well happen) and two to not get snuck up on by another pair and maybe have to fight over the shelter since it wasn’t big enough for four. While the other kept watch the one who wasn’t busily tore apart the pine cones Malik had found using teeth, knives, rocks and anything else they could think of to part the pine nuts from their tough casings.
The day stretched long but at least the sun was out to help warm them so long as they kept moving. But then the sun began to sink towards the horizon gently kissing the lip of the world. They both knew it would be a dumb idea to keep watch at night since the no one would realistically be looking for them in this sort of weather, especially since the snow had picked up since this morning and made the visibility even worse. Malik said to wall up the entrance of the cave so their bodies could provide the proper body heat, it would also make it harder for the instructors or anyone else to find them. So they did that, leaving only a small hole at the top for air to get into as well as the remaining of the weak sun’s afterglow.
Inside the little cave it was cold but Altair was surprised when it actually grew a few degrees warmer than the outside. Malik had been incredibly smug about that too when he mentioned it. They shared the tough pine nuts in silence, it being the only thing in their bellies since breakfast before deciding there wasn’t much to do but sleep. They wrapped their pale cloaks about them and slept back to back to try and maintain some more bit of warmth.
Altair only knew it was morning because he had a much better internal clock than Malik. Malik of course was shaking him awake speaking urgently. Altair yawned in his face.
“What is it Malik?” he squinted at his friend as best he could in the darkness. Wait… darkness. Where was the light from the hole they’d made?
“It’s a snow storm,” Malik said seriously and Altair knew he was sitting just in front of him because of his voice.
Altair blinked hard, “That sucks.”
“We’ve been snowed in.”
“That really sucks.”
“Thank you for clarifying,” Malik snapped irritably.
“We need to dig ourselves out,” Altair said sounding reasonable.
“I already dug out some,” Malik pointed and Altair could make out his outline, a paler darkness thanks to his cloak than the darkness surrounding him. Altair followed the line of his point and saw another hole in the wall. It let in only weak, watery light and when Altair crouched to move around in the cramped space he saw that indeed it wasn’t nice outside. The snow fell heavily and even if they did get outside they’d probably get lost in the snow storm and more than likely freeze to death. Why had he thought snow was better than rain again? He couldn’t remember.
“So we aren’t going anywhere,” Altair said.