Finding Cora

Ice. That was all Cora could see for miles. She had heard many stories about snow and the frozen time called winter, but she had never truly known cold.

Cora glanced over at the meager pile of roots and berries she had gathered the night before. She would never be able to gather more in this weather. All food would be buried much too deep to dig out. Cora had stepped out into the snow earlier that morning, and sank in up to her knees.

The sky was gray, promising more snow later. Cora shivered. It was so cold outside. It hadn't been this bad yesterday, but how the weather could go from chilly to over a foot of snow, Cora didn't know.

She had been traveling for almost a month now. Her journal entries had become no more than “Today I kept climbing the mountain. Weather is getting colder.”

She missed her tropical world. She missed Lea, running to hug her when she returned from studying.  She missed Arren and Palm, her twin nephews. And now, stuck in a cave with no warmth and nothing to eat, her doubts about this mission were real.

Warm tears began to leak from Cora's eyes. She wiped them away quickly so their trails wouldn't chill her further.

For the first time speaking aloud in many days, Cora said softly to herself “One night.” Cora's voice echoed throughout the cave. “Just tonight. Tomorrow I turn back. For good. Forever.”

As she settled under her blanket, she whispered to the invisible stars above her “I'll come back for you Lea. I promise.” The zebra closed her eyes and let herself slip into dreams.

When Cora woke the next morning, she packed what little she had quickly. Using some vine, she tied the blanket around her middle to keep in her body heat. With a brave face and a weary heart, she stepped out into the storm.

She soon grew used to the wind fighting her every step, and snow so thick she could hardly see. Her nose was numb, her hooves no better. She had forgotten what her tail and ears felt like hours ago. Hoofprint after hoofprint laid in the snow behind her. Her mane and blanket were covered in frost so deep that Cora doubted if it was doing any good.

She had been walking for hours, maybe days, even. She should have been at the base of the mountain, at least. The storm must let up somewhere. Anywhere.

As she trudged wearily further, a tiny lace of doubt began to creep across Cora's mind. Within seconds, she had become certain it was true. Entirely certain.

“I-” Cora stammered against the wind. “I've gone the wrong way. I'll never see Lea again!”

Her tears froze as they left her eyes, doing nothing but worse for her vision. She couldn't see anything. There was no light. Only snow.

But then- there was.

The sun! thought Cora, It had to be!

It was true, there was something. On the very edge of the dawning horizon sat two golden-lit windows with silhouettes of small creatures dancing in them.(*)

As she grew closer, it became part of a small hut, snow covered and as welcoming as home. She was almost there. Just a little closer.

“Farther. Just a little farther to go,” Cora panted, the wind almost taking her voice with it.  Taking a determined step, her hoof slipped. Exhausted, she fell into a snowdrift against a tree, dropping into empty blackness.

“My- My goodness!” A light, frightened voice floated through Cora's empty dream. “You'll need more than blankets! You need a doctor!”

Wrapping Cora gently in the several thick quilts the pony had brought with it, the pony marked the spot with a flag and ran back towards her home.