Sled
Agnar pushed the heavy gate door open, struggling with its weight and the snow that obstructed its path. Slowly, golden threads from the dawn sun flowed through the growing cracks in the doorway. Soon the little Yak could make out the dazzling field of sunlit snow stretched out before his home. He grinned at the rare, fair skies that let abundant sunlight through. Surely this would be a great day!
It was early. Too early, truth be told. Agnar had left his family's abode nearly as soon as he had awoken, not so much as eating any breakfast. He had just gotten a new sled, and could not wait another breath to ride it. Donned with his helmet and trusty wooden sword, and a bottle of heated milk in his belt, he had set out with his sled in tow. He would deal with any scolding from his parents later.
The heavy hold door finally yielded enough for Agnar to squeeze himself and his sled through. Once outside the safety of the walls, a strong
wind bit into his muzzle, cold but not particularly unpleasant. He was a Yak, after all, and it takes more than a little wind to hinder such a
mighty species, young and old. He turned his attention to the door and pushed it closed with his rear leg, it being more compliant than before. Then without any further ado, Agnar set his sleigh onto the fresh snow and pushed it along.
Once he reached the slightest of inclines, Agnar hopped onto his sled. He adjust his blue woolen coat and settled into a comfortable position. Unsatisfied with the sluggish speed he was currently traveling, he took his play sword and gave a few nudges into the passing snow. Once he started to pick up speed he held the sword aloft akin to a warrior preparing to charge into battle. Reaching the first real dip in the country side, Agnar gave a gleeful cry as his sled careened down the hillside.
Speeding down the snowy slope, Agnar felt the wind in his face and the whistling in his ears. He shifted his weight to the side abruptly,
causing the sled to skirt across the side of the hill. While this served to prolong his decent, Agnar eventually reached the base of the hill.
While the little Yak had enjoyed the ride, he felt somewhat unsatisfied. This wasn't any different from the normal romp outside. He really
wanted to put his new sled through its paces. Glancing up, he could make out the hill opposite of him and the open skies further in the horizon.
The adults always warned him and the other calves not to go beyond the site of Yakyakistan's walls. There were many dangers lurking out in the frozen plains that could befall any little Yak that ventured out alone. Agnar paid no heed to these warnings, however. After all, he was older and larger than all the other calves he knew. What's more, he had his sword; surely he would be in no danger!
And so Agnar trudged up the snowy bank, the sun well up in the sky when he reached the top. Scanning the plains stretched before him, he
decided on a direction to head. He uncorked his bottle of heated milk and drunk a large gulp. He wiped his mouth and re-corked the bottled, returning it to his belt pouch. Pushing his sled along, he set forth to adventure.
~
Agnar pushed his sled along for some time before finding an incline that suit him. He giddily positioned the sled before climbing on and
nudging it over the steep hill. Down he went, faster then ever before. The little Yak laughed as he raced across the snow, lumps in his path
causing his sled to hop here and there. As the sled continued to speed up the incline started to level off. Agnar braced for the ensuing bump
from the drastic shift in direction. Reaching the bottom, his whole body shook briefly before his sled shot along the flat surface. The
momentum carried him along for nearly a minute before gradually sliding to a halt.
His sled now motionless, Agnar hopped off. That hill was worth a second trip. As he started to push his sled, though, a sound reached his ears just above the wind's whisper. The calf paused. He listened to the noise more closely. It sounded like large amounts of snow being crushed, but as a more high pitched whining. Before he could ponder it any further, there was a sharp snap. Agnar suddenly felt the ground give way beneath him, and he plummeted down a cavern hole.
Down, down he tumble against ancient, frozen stone. The little Yak was bounced back and forth by the walls of the tunnel until he finally made a hard landing against a smooth stone floor. Groaning, he struggled to stand. He observed his new surroundings in a daze, checking himself for injuries. His helmet had a noticeable dent and his coat was torn in a few places, but otherwise he was unharmed. His mother would have his hide when he returned home, though.
He looked up at where he had fallen from, and quickly deduced that he would have to find a different way out from this place. He was cold and scared, but he didn't cry, because he was a big calf and big calves didn't cry. He fished out his bottle of milk, only to find that the bottom
of the ceramic container had cracked and was leaking out its contents. Agnar quickly drank all that remained so as not to let it go to waste.
Warmed and emboldened, Agnar began searching for a way back to the surface. After using the little Yak's room, that is.
Although the cavern twisted and turned, there was only one way to go for most of Agnar's search. Occasionally he stumbled onto openings to tunnels further down. These were quickly disregarded, as the little Yak had no interest in getting further away from the surface. He was
growing tired, but did not rest. There was no wind down here to chill him, but there was no sun to warm him, either. He had been taught the importance of keeping ones body moving in this sort of situation. So he pressed on, determined to get back to his sled, or at the very least, his home.
The little Yak could not be sure how much time passed, only that the sun was still up. Agnar knew this thanks to the dim light that filled the
tunnel, allowing him to see in this subterranean passage, if only a little. Nothing should be underground that gave off light, so there must be an opening that was letting some in. Agnar trudged along, his energy and motivation starting to dwindle. When he had nearly given up hope, he noticed that passage was getting brighter. He galloped ahead with renewed enthusiasm.
Sure enough as he rounded a bend, a bonafide exit came into view. He slid to a stop to gaze upon his salvation. Just as he thought, the sun was still visible in the sky, though now it seemed to be dipping into the horizon. It would be night in a few hours. The passage had become
rougher, so Agnar had to take some care to climb and step over a number of rocks. Soon enough, however, he reached level ground once more. The little Yak was about to charge strait for the exit, when he stepped on something pliable. He looked down at the object curiously.
It was a bone...