Why does the ice melt?  You look down at the etching table on the desk before you.  You legs don't quite reach the floor.  The polar bear cub sitting next to you seems bored, but to you, learning your runes is fascinating.  Each rune, like a tiny snowflake is carved in the hand of a little girl.  Pleased, that last one gave you trouble at first.  You've seen Damursa and Surursa writing, their hands almost flying across the thin sheets of ice.  You don't think you'll ever be able to write that fast.  Each snowflake takes time to etch, but its worth it.  Its almost like artwork.

"Cryo balta sen flae," The instructor calls.  The ice does not melt.  You began etching again.  Lost in the intracite writing.  The polar bear seems like he'd rather be anywhere but there.
Noontime and class is dismissed.  You run out of the classroom and across the city street.  Frost.  You know the streets well, even though still young.  THe other cities, Snow, Ice, and even Blizzard can never hope to match the beauty of Frost.  Sure they were sculpted with every ounce of talent the Cryonesti possess, but they were still sculpted.  Frost was created over thousands of years, the work of true masters.  Guiding the flows of the glacier as it inched over centuries, guiding the ice storm and blizzards of snow over and over again.  Frost was grown from the frozen platuae.  Each rise of the city like a single snowflake.  Seeming impossibly delicate, yet as strong as the thickest ice shelves.

You head quickly from the western gates, out to the frozen platue.  Greeted by one of the grown Cryosen Ursa, he tells you to wait.  The language of the bears is still hard for you to follow, but a simple word like wait is easy enough.  THe bear guides the cub off.  You wait, idely toying with one of the pigtails Damursa likes to put your hair in.  Soon the cub returns, looking chastised.  You wonder why, but it must be bear business.  Soon the elder bear begans teaching the cub about tracking Ice Fin, the elusive fish that swim through snow as easily as water.  You are soon lost and find the bears staring at what look to you like piles of snow to be boring.  Your mind wanders drifting idly until sometime later, the sun sinks low over the horizen.  The bear finishes his lesson and you began to walk back towards the city, only to be greated by your father.  He asks about your studies and waht you have larned.  You excitedly began telling him about the runes and the writing excersizes.  Surursa cuts you short and asks about how to track ice fin.  You stand, dumbfounded for a bit before stammering.

Sitting back in your room, the ice still glistening on your cheeks.  The spanking stung, but it was his disappointment.  Surursa is one of the Frost City Guards.  The best soilders ever.  His disappointment hurt you worse then a coal of hot fire ever could.


"Why does the ice melt?"  THe question comes from one of the young boys in the class.  Luven is such an idiot, you think to yourself.  And not even cute either.  His ears stick out way to far, looking huge on his small head.  The teacher patiently answers, "First you must learn to sculpt, young elf.  Once you master this craft, then you will learn the control it takes to keep the ice in its form forever."  The room isn't exactly hot, though it might as well be for your tastes.  Fifty degrees seems stiffling.  But the tempurature was set by magic for this lesson.  You look at the tiny sculpture in your own hand.  A homm-eng bird the teacher calls it.  It looks ridiculous, like no bird you've ever seen.  Icicle watches intently as you continue the lesson.  The polar bear has grown some, a little bigger then a cub now.  This homm-eng bird would freeze to death on the glacier.  You head out from the lesson, bounding to the western gate.  There you are greated by one of the great bears again and wait patiently untill the bears return.  Again, Icicle resume his lessons in stalking and catching ice fin.  This time, you began to see the differences in the snow drifts, the slight swirls and eddies.  You watch with excitement as Icicle pounces and almost makes a catch, the silvery blue fish squirming away from the cubs unskilled paws.  Even as dejected as Icicle seems, his instructor is pleased, commending the cubs efforts.  Surursa meets you again as you head back into the city.  This time you cover you lessons within the city quickly, giving a quick synoopsis.  The homm-eng bird was just too absurd.  You loose yourself in discribing Icicles hunting efforts.  When words seem to fail to discribe, you even start re-enacting the hunt.  You realize what you're doing and start to blush a dark blue when you realize Surursa is laughing softly and smiling broadly.  Beaming with your father's pride, you head back to the house for the day.



"The ice melts!" The blade master calls, flowing like liquid ice into the attack form.  You're older now, your hair in a single pleated braid hanging down your back.  The only possible defense against this attack is Icicle rises.  You flow into the form as quickly as possible to defend against the lightning reflexes of the instructor.  His blade comes less then an inch from your cheek, barely deflected.  Yet, after he signals the end of the personal lesson, he gives you that grin of his when he is impressed by a students progress.  "Now," the master orders, "everyone pair up and run through the basic forms.  You find yourself with Luven.  He's still cocky and arrogant, but you must admit he has grown into his ears very nicely.  You open with the stance "Skating on Thin Ice" an excellent opening when being cautious of your enemy's prowress.  Luven steps into, "Polar bear stalks the ice fin, a very cocky posture since he's facing the best student in the class.  You both flow into the begenning forms. You countering easily and just waiting for the opening when you can land your blows withot leaving yourself open.  Luven flows into "Blizzard"  He's cheating!  That attack isn't near beggening.  Your cold rises at his arrogance and you abaddon "Skating on THin Ice" and flow into "MOther Bear Defends her Cubs."  You'll teach him a lesson.  You counter with Avalance, a very advanced form, combining constant defense with constant attack.  Luven is driven back harshly.  You almost unleash, "Ice Cave In" when the Blade Master bellows, "ENOUGH!"  You bloth stop, but only Luven is breathing hard.  The instructors face is inraged.  "You two think you are ready to master the advanced techniques!!!  Luven!  To the corner, practice your balance!"  Luven stalks off with his eyes lowered and takes the position, balanced like for push ups with his fingers gripping the tops of stalagmites.  You hated that training.  "Lumi!" You almost jump when the instructor turns his attantion to you.  "You WILL go through each and everyone one of the begenning forms in order untill I tell you you're done!"  Your heart races.  Thats hardly punishment when you were supposed to do that already.  You flow into the forms, starting with the simplest, "Cub cuddles mother bear".  As you dance across the floor, pondering how much respect the master might have for you, Luven whispers when you draw near, "You are very powerful already, Lumi, maybe you and I should go on a date sometime."  Your response slips out almost without thinking, not a whisper at all, but never missing a step in the forms. "Ya, and maybe if a penguin could fly, he wouldn't scrape his ass on the ice!"  Luven blushes a deep blue.




"Ice melt!  On Rye."  The waitress dilivers your sandwich, one of your favorites along with a side of fried ice tubers.  Luven sits across from you starting to eat his snow burger.  His face is like a sheet of ice, unreadable by most, but you've learned to tell his moods as you have been dating for some time now.  Almost in your adulthood, his stark, composed face is beautiful and more handsome then almost any other man.  You greedily start eating fries to hide the blue rising to your cheeks.  Icicle even seems to acept the company of Snow Wind, Luven's bear, though you doubt the two will engage in a relationship.  Today you decided to wear the snowflake earrings Luven brought for you after your second date...to tell the truth they quickly became your favorite jewlery, along with the hair tie thats like a stretch loop of snow.  It allows you to keep your hair back without the mess of braiding.  "Tomorrow, if you're not too busy, I'd love to walk the Ice Caves with you, Lumi."  Luven's sudden suggesion almost startles you, but it does sound nice.  Your studies are now nowere near as time consuming as the ones from your youth, but even a few minutes with the masters leaves you feeling like you've ran none stop for days on end.  "Okay, I'll think about it."  YOu answer, though you and Luven both know that means an almost definate.  Your voice has changed, like most young women, but instead of the usual slightly raised silken voice, yours seems a piping squeak, most of the time.  Luven finds it all the more charming.




"THe ice melts, and the bride!....."  The gentle prompt pulls you out of your relvery.  The enspelled lattice of ice before you does indeed melt.  You begen the slow, cerimonial walk into the cathedral.  So many have come today.  All of your family, with Damursa and Surursa sitting in the front sits of honor.  Icicle walks in pace besides you.  He's full grown now and even walking his head is almost level with yours.  He's wearing his dress armor today, highly polished and regal.  He's more then an companion, more then a friend and closer then even your own parents.  The cathedral is so beautiful.  Shaped of the most beautiful and elogant ice, the entire front behind the alter is open, but the massive Glacier dragon finishes it for the cerimony.  Her wings, like the spiderwebs of frost over glass let plenty of light in.  You take your place before the high priest and turn, Icicle at your side sits on his back haunches.  Luven enters next in stride with Snow Wind.  His face carved from the Great Ice Shelf itself.  His dress cloths fit him so well.  Your belly feels filled with snow flurries!  He takes his place by your side and the priest begans, though you can hardly hear his words.  Looking into Luven's dark blue eyes makes all else vanish.  Even the feeling of a sheen of ice forming on your cheeks.  You become aware of the cerimony when Luven gently takes your hand.  "Do you Illuvatar, Under the ice and dragon, swear apon Eternal Winter to Love and Cherish Illuminata, to be Igloo that shelters her?  To become the Icicle that stabs her enemies?  To melt your own heart so her's may stay frozen?  The ice builds on your cheeks when Luven answers with a strong, "I do!"  "And do you, Illiluminata, under the ice and dragon, swear apon Eternal Winter to love and Cherish Illuvatar?  To be the Ice shelf he is built apon?  To be the slowly melting snow, quenching his thirst in dry times?  To embrace fire so he may freeze solid?"  Your squeaky voice almost fails you, but you find a strength of conviction and your pip almost fills the CAthedral.  Illuvatar's smile makes your blood run cold.  The High Priest places his hands over both of yours and entones more of the rites, but you can't seem to hear him now.  You feel the spells of ice freeze your and Luven's hands together as the marriage is completed.  The Glacier dragon flairs its wings and raises its head, ushering a powerful breath to the sky.  Snow flurries ran gently down over you, Luven and the alter.  Tears of ice flow freely from your ices ans Luven embraces you know as husband.


"Oh, Khelek!  Why does my ice melt now!!!"  The thought strikes you with almost panic.  So much to do today!  The baby picked the worse time to quicken.  Its a few moments before it dawns on you that Luven is guiding you gently, but quickly to the midwife.  Now you know the thought was spoken outloud.  The midwife was hand chosen by you and Luven both, trusted, compasionate and very skilled, still, your mood has suffered greatly, more so as the pregnancy drew close.  You arrive at her house and she immidiately begans preparations.  You soon find yourself laid on a very comfortable, deliciously cold bed with your legs propped up.  At least her ice cold hands are comforting against your thighs.  Luven takes your irrational abuse like a trooper.  The minutes of contractions pass like slow, warm summer hours.  With no idea of how much time has passed, a gleam of icey sweat covering your body, you hear the first cry of your baby.  Releif and frozen tears of joy flow down your face.  The tiny, wrinkled babe is swaddled and placed gently in your arms.  She's so beautiful you think.  She has your face, mostly, Luven's ears and nose though.  Luven bends in close, his hand closing over yours.  His unreadable frozen face too you shows the same overwhelming love and joy you feel.  He plants a tiny kiss on the baby's forhead and whispers, "Illuminai" the name you both picked if it was a girl.  You are undisturbed for almost an hour while the sheer magnatude of this tiny elf floods through you, like a glacier cuting a new valley.  "This is my baby," you think in wonder, "My daughter....my Lumi."  Too soon to your eyes, the midwife gently takes the baby from you.  The babe is passed to a Mother Bear.  Its been the tradition of the Glacier for thousands of years, that the babes will be cared for by the bears while the elf mother recovers.  You watch Snow Wind very gently take little Lumi away and suddenly, it feels as though you've been stabed in the heart with a coal of burning fire.  Fire Binder has begun his campaign against the Glacier.  You and Luven fought, discussed and cried in each other's arms before committing to this dicisioun.  Once a bear swers a promise, they will never break it.  No one else will never know that little Lumi....your Lumi, will be secreted away and hid, protected against the horrible, unavoidable future.  Luven's face, stoic as always, warms your heart more with the pain laid clear to you.  You cry freely.  Most mother's suffer the post birth warmths.  Irrational, yes, let them think it that.  Yet your mind blubbers the thought over and over again.  "Forgive me, my Lumi.  OH, KHELEK!  Please forgive me."





THe ice melts now.  YOu stare, transfixed by the tiny figure in your gauntleted hand that quickly disolves into a puddle.  THe message is clear as a bonfire.  THe battle lines have fallen.  For one instant you feel like your whole body was thrown head first into a smith's forge.  Not the ice forges either.  Luven was the commander of the FIrst Battalion.  Luven, your husband, ice of your heart is dead now.  You steel yourself.  You force your blood to turn to ice.  Its not the refreshing cold most Cryonesti enjoy...its the frozen grip the City Guard, the elite warriors are trained in.  Your grip tightens on Icicle's saddle horn.  He stands errect almost before you can hear the approaching druns of war.  The petite Cryonesti woman perched on the back of a standing bear that towors close to 25 feet tall seems rediculous to the non soldiers.  They think it must be awkard.  To you, you could never even dream of being anywhere else or with anyone else.  Icicle is almost you, in bear form.  He's closer then a brother and worth more then a city filled with pure white ley crystals.  Icicle drops only when the enemy legions began their charge.  He begans the powerful race forward, along side of the rest of the Frost City Guard.  Ice, Snowflake and even Ice Shelf have fallen.  Frost is the heart of the Cryonesti and only the best of the elite could ever hope the honor of serving as guards here.  You lower the ice lance and brace.  The clash of battle is intense but you bearly notice.  The mounted forms come solely on instinct as your true fight is against the burning pain of Luven's death.  "My love, soon we shall rejoin in the Eternal Winter" You think as you mow through wave after wave of enemy.  You loose track of time.  You fight for hours or days without being fully aware.  You could not recall the exact moment that you dismounted and began fighting side by side with Icicle.  The choice of stance was no choice at all.  Cryonesti.  Master of the Ice is the only form a true Master warrior dances.  Your last instructor once told you that to become invinicble, you must turn your heart to solid ice.  You've done it before in battle, but right now its as easy as you catching an ice fin by yourself bear handed.  Still, your forms are as powerful as the Glacier itself and executed flawlessly.  "THe Glacier carves a new valley," flows effortlessly into, "Ice cave in", shifting to, "Boar bear fights for dominance", and into "Avalance"  A sheen of ice forms over your skin as your mind sinks deeper and deeper into the forms, the battle and the ice.  Finally, its as though your heart stops....frozen.  The ice over your skin thinks to almost an inch think, though it hinders you not at all.  You enter the final form.  "Cryo'lis"  "The Demon Storm of Ice".  You are lost to the ice.  Lumi is no more for now.  You fight solely as a force of nature.  A powerful distructive force that totally distroys all Not of the Ice.  A force that those Of the Ice flee and take shelter from.  As wave after wave of enemies are distroyed by you and the other guards, their weapons barely scratching your iced over body, hope for Frost may still exisit.  You can not think of hope right now.  You can not think at all.  You've surrendered to the ice.


BOOM!!!!


Whiteness.  No sound.  You hear nothing.  No smell, no touch, no awereness of distance or time.  Only whiteness that envelopes all  Minutes might pass, or eons.  The first awareness that comes slowly, every so slowly back to you, is of Icicle's massive head laying on your chest.  You need no other awereness to know your bear, your other half in battle sleeps the Final Hibernation.  Warmth of loose touches your heart painfully.  "The Ice has melted." The voice seems to whisper.  YOu need no face to go with the voice, you've never seen his face before.  No bother that you've never heard his voice before either.  You know this enemy sure as you know your own defeat.  Slowly, painfully, you force your eyes open.  Ice Breaker to the bears, FIre Binder to you, CAttavio lords over you.  No weapon in  his hand save a metal rod, the tip glowing red hot.  His voice snarls and growls like a blazing fire.  "The ice has melted, She Elf.  We know you tried in vain to hid a child.  If you save me a meager amount of time, even the triffling time it will surely take me to find her, I will grant you the small satisfaction of a quick death."  Your heart pounds a river of ice water through your veins.  Only by the hardest discipline, do you master your face and conceal.  THe thoughts seem like screams in your head.  "He doesn't know!  He can't find her!  My daughter...My LUMI is safe!"  He brings the rod about a foot away from your cheek.  You can feel the painful, angry burn.  Blisters form and burst.  "I know your mate, She Elf.  Illuvatar, was he?  Does it comfort you to know he died begging me for his life?  DOes it warm you to know he offered me your life for his?"  You know the lie for what it is.  If you can find any control over your emotions now, then Luven was the Glacier itself, not even showing fear or pain even if Cattivo lit his whole body on fire.  A very childish taunt, you spit.  The shard of ice you spit leaves a razor thin red line on Cattivo's cheek.  He rages beyound measure.  YOu no longer hear, your pounding heart fills your ears.  You no longer see, you close your eyes fearful of crying and revealing what little you do know.  "My Lumi is safe!  Forgive me, my precious Lumi....my tiny iceburg."  You force every memory of centuries of life back to clear visions.  An Ancient and powerful magic.  The memories gather and form into a single crystal tear.  The only gift this mother can ever leave her daughter.  Her Lumi.  That and a prayer to Khelek that it may someday reach her.  You pick the very last thought of your life and add it with one of the strongest emotions you have ever felt.  "I love you more then anything, my Lumi.  I will always love you, daughter.  Please forgive me."  Cattivo booms, "THE ICE HAS MELTED!" and drives the firery brand home.  Every fiber of your being ignites in molten pain.



"The ice has melted!"