Page 18 of Polar Destiny
We’re sitting at the mouth of the cave, watching the sun slowly appearing behind the trees. Its light is painting the world a beautiful orange, driving away the memories of a night of pain and fear. It’s cold, but I’m not. I’m warmed by my four shifters. Yes,myshifters. My four bears. I invaded their island, and they invaded my heart. It’s almost time to leave. I’m excited and a little scared at the same time. But I know we will succeed, because… come on…bears.
Six
"Isee land!"
Ràn rips me from the doze I was in. I haven't slept properly for two days, and neither have the bears. We've been racing across the frozen sea, acutely aware that the ice might start to thaw at any moment. It was a dangerous decision to leave the island like this, a foolhardy one. But one we all agreed to. I wouldn't have been able to swim like the bears, so this is the only option for me to come with them. And so far, the ice has stayed thick enough to carry our weight, although each creak still makes my heart drop a little. We haven't talked about what would happen if the ice broke while we were still in the middle of the ocean. Swim, I guess, me on one of the bears until hypothermia made it impossible to hold on. That's why we don't talk about it. We all know it would end indisaster.
I prop myself up, adjusting my grip on Finn's fur. He's been carrying me for several hours now, through most of the night. He must be exhausted, but just like the others, he continues to run across theice.
Ràn is riding on his brother, quite a strange sight, one large man on an equally large bear. They're each taking turns in shifting to human form. Staying as bears is too risky, Torben explained, they might lose themselves if they don't think like a human for at least an hour or two each day. I have to say, it's good to have some company. The bears can talk amongst each other in at least a rudimentary form, but I'm the odd one out. And even riding on a bear gets boring after a while, especially in this freezingcold.
I peer into the distance, trying to see the land Ràn announced. Nothing. But I already know that they have much better eyesight thanme.
"How far?" I ask, stifling a yawn. Did I mention I haven't slept in a very longtime?
"Maybe twenty minutes, not much longer." He gives his brother a playful kick in the side. "Fifteen if they hurryup."
Húnn growls in response but does increase his pace. We are all desperate to feel solid ground beneath our feet. And beds. I hope there are beds. Maybe food. A fire. That's all Ineed.
I grimace. Twenty years ago, that might have been easy to get. Now, most of the islands are no longer inhabited, or fenced off. We might not be able to get onto this one. I shake off that depressing thought. No, let's stick with the image of a cosy fireplace. Some hot chocolate?Definitely.
"Do you think that's Inchbrach?" I ask Ràn, but he onlyshrugs.
"No idea. But it's land and right now, that's all I careabout."
He looks tired and exhausted. I mustn't forget that he was badly injured just a few days ago. The shift healed most of it, but he's still weaker than he'd usuallybe.
I watch as the thin strip of land comes closer. It's hard to see properly because the ground is covered in snow just like the ice we're on. There are no trees, just a few low hills. Nothing to give shelter from the icy wind. Maybe we'll be able to find another cave further inland. Not that I really want to spend time in a dark hole again. But better than camping out in thesnow.
I cuddle against Finn's warm fur and enjoy the movement of his muscles beneath me. It took me a while to get used to the movement of the bear, but now I'm in sync with him, so much so that I'm almost able to sleep while riding him. Almost. Sleep... Oh well,soon.
As soon as we reach solid ground, I slip off Finn and dramatically kiss the ground. When I get up again, four men are looking at me, three of them naked. They could have warned me that they were going to shift... I sigh and hand out their clothes that I've got stashed in my backpack. Ràn puts on his trademark t-shirt and I shiver at the sight. He should be the polar bear, notTorben.
"Let's see what kind of place we've landed on," the alpha announces and walks towards the closest low hill. Damn, he's going to want to go up there to have a better view. I'm exhausted. Climbing hills was not on my agenda for today. Sleeping was. Resigned, I climb on Húnn's back. My ankle is a lot less painful, but I don't think traipsing through snow is going to do it muchgood.
Luckily, we never get to the top of thehill.
"Look, there's smoke!" Finn shouts after we've only just started walking up the snowy slope. We all turn in the direction he's pointing at - in a mixture of happiness and apprehension. This could be friends or foes. If the people on this island are anything like my uncle, they won't be verywelcoming.
"You stay here, don't go to the top, they might see you. I'll check it out," Torben says and runs off without even giving us a chance to respond. I wiggle until Húnn lets me down so I can stand on my own two feet. I regret itimmediately.
"Hero syndrome," Finn mutters and sits down in the snow, patting his thigs. "Isla, you look like you're going to fall over any second. Sit on my lap, I'mwarm."
How could I resist that invitation? I snuggle into his arms and enjoy the closeness he's offering me. Yes, I've kissed Torben, but that doesn't mean that I can't appreciate the kindness (and hotness) of the other three. I have ovaries, sueme.
For once, I am glad that I'm quite small. I fit perfectly into the space between his legs. Which reminds me... I can feel something poking against my backside. No, ignore that, Isla. Better not to think about him likethat.
"What are we going to do if the people living here are hostile?" Ràn asks into the silence. "We need to rest, we can't run for another day, let aloneseveral."
"Maybe there's a cave," Ràn sighs, repeating my earlier thoughts. "Or at least a hollow where we canhide."
"How about we put our hopes up? A hut? A cottage?" I asked, dreaming of a cosy living room with a heater and books. A girl candream.
"Are you doing the opposite of what most normal people would do?" Húnn chuckled, ruffling myhair.
"Well, I'm not normal. Normal people don't hang out withbears."
"That's true. Still, I like you as you are," Finn whispers and pulls me closer. I breathe in his scent and smile. He is socomfy...
