Usuls Don't Snowboard II: The Ridge of the Vanishing Usuls - Part Four
shelleylow
A Rescue Party
After the feast as everyone was dispersing
for home, there was still an air of gloom about the company. Angel and Tokum
came up to me.
"All right, Holly, out with it," Angel demanded.
"Out with what?"
"I could tell you weren't telling the whole
truth to Leader Sleet and Leader Snowpaw. Now spill the beans." She glared at
me, her paws crossed. I knew when she was like this there'd be no deterring
her, and I told both of them about the strange creatures I had seen at the bottom
of the Ridge. When I had finished, Angel's eyes were wide.
"Fyora," she whispered. "Do you know what those
things were?"
I shook my head. "Haven't a clue in Neopia."
Angel groaned. "What are we going to do? Those snow-monsters or whatever they
are must have Frostys."
"I'm going to get her back," I declared. Angel
and Tokum looked at me incredulously.
"What?" they said together.
"You heard me. I'm getting that Frostys back,"
I repeated. "I don't want to, but unless I do that Jhudoran Leader Sleet won't
leave my father alone."
"Your father would never agree," said Tokum.
"Which is why I'm going tonight," I said. They
looked at me with even more shock. Angel shook her head with the wearied expression
she always had whenever she thought my idea was crazy.
"Holly, you can't-"
"Snowboard?" I asked. "That's what you said
last year. And look at me now. Frostys got herself into this mess, but I'm jolly
well going to get her out of it."
"I'm coming with you," Angel said decidedly.
"I'm not letting you go against those snow-things by yourself. You might do
something stupid."
"Count me in too," said Tokum.
"Fine," I said. "I'll meet you tonight outside
my house."
Later that night I sneaked quietly out of my
room. I could hear Mother and Father's soft breathing emanating from their room.
There was no noise from Snowbelle and Icechip's room. Good. Everyone was sleeping
soundly. Tucking my beloved snowboard under an arm, I made my way out the door
and stopped short. Angel and Tokum were standing there with their skis, and
with them were four smaller figures. In the moonlight, I saw they were Snowbelle,
Icechip, Ridgerunner and Mistletoe Sleet.
"What's happening?" I demanded in a whisper.
Angel shrugged nonchalantly. "They said they wanted to come."
I marched up to my brother and sister. "What are you doing out here?" Snowbelle
stuck out her lip. "We're comin' with you. We want to rescue Missy's sister."
"And we want to fight the snow-monsters!" Icechip
added. "When we get down I'm gonna walk right up to that snow-monster, and-"
He broke off and demonstrated a series of made-up Neo-Fu moves whilst making
punching and kicking noises.
"Shut up, Chip," I hissed. "You'll wake the
whole village."
"We do want to help out, you know," said Ridgerunner.
I turned wearily to Mistletoe. "And why do you want to come along?"
Mistletoe looked me in the eyes. "I want to rescue
my sister," she said quietly. I was surprised. Gone was the dopeyness and vacant
look in those eyes. Instead they were filled with a steely determination.
"Well," I said resignedly. "I guess you're all
coming."
"Yay," whispered Icechip gladly.
"Let's go," Angel called softly, and we made
our way to the ski lift and out of the comforting security of Glissade Haven
into the unfamiliar mountains.
"Are you nervous?" Tokum asked as the seven
of us Usuls stood on the edge of the Ridge of the Vanishing Usuls. There was
a full moon in the star-jeweled sky, and practically no clouds. Not that there
would have been a problem if there was no light; as I said we Usuls can store
light in our eyes and reflect it to see in the dark. Still, the slope's side
was swathed in mist that one could barely see through. I shook my head in response
to Tokum's query and turned to the younger Usuls. "You all aren't scared are
you?"
"N-no," said Snowbelle quietly, but I detected
the tremor in her voice and the half-excited, half-fearful way she kept glancing
at the misty sea below her. So did Icechip.
"There's a full moon," he said in a low, creepy
voice.
"There might be Werelupes on the prowl
tonight, Snowbelle. Graaaaarrrrh!" he snarled, showing his teeth and making
a clawing motion with his paws at his twin.
"Stop it!" Snowbelle hid her face in my ruff.
"Quit being such a fuzzlebrain, Chip," I snapped
at my brother, who was dissolving in laughter. "Now let's go!"
"We should hold onto each other so we don't
lose each other in the mist," Angel pointed out. She was right. Ridgerunner
held onto Angel's tail and Mistletoe held Tokum's. The twins arranged themselves
behind me, holding my own tail. Me, Angel and Tokum then held paws. "Ready?"
called Angel. "Right. Follow us. Left, right, left, right…"
We followed her instructions and proceeded slowly
down the slope, though in the mist we couldn't see each other. Also, my snowboarding
motions were in a different rhythm from everyone else's skis. As a result it
was hard to keep hold of Tokum's paw, and I could feel Icechip's paws struggling
to keep hold of my tail.
Suddenly, I went over a bump in the snow, and
as the jarring motion shook my frame I felt my paw leave Tokum's. I yelled in
dismay, but at the same time I lost my balance and fell. I heard cries from
Snowbelle and Icechip on the snow behind me and knew they must have fallen too.
But I couldn't go back and help them. I had fallen hard on my back and was sliding
downhill. I tried to get a pawhold on the snow but to no avail. Suddenly I heard
a thump at the back of my head and felt a sudden throbbing pain in my skull,
and then I knew no more.
To be continued... | 
