Bear stomped his paw on the ground, narrowingly avoiding the four pups darting around the puddles as they chased Opal's muddy, once-white tail. The dirty water splashed up Nick's leg. They had been on the road for the better part of the morning, with the occasional shower surprising them but not stopping them. Bad weather didn't exist in Ice, only bad clothes.

Nick had taken the necessary precautions when Prince Shadow had invited him to join his fishing expedition to Flat Hill Lake, where the largest snakedragons in the land gathered to breed each summer. The outer layer of his cloak was damp, and so were his trousers, but despite the chilly wind, he wasn't cold at all. On the contrary, pools of sweat were forming in his boots.

He chuckled inwardly as Bear continued clambering up the hill. A quick dip in the lake, then the silver fish would come crawling out to escape certain death by poisonous feet. The Icians would have another tale to tell during the winter moons.

Before he could turn his head to tell Prince Green about the plan, a grey blot appeared by his side, dashing from rock to rock, going wherever her nose led her, though never far from the pack. He stood up in the saddle as Number One disappeared underneath a low-hanging juniper bush. She came back out on the other side, where she found a patch of permafrost that she barked at. Then, when her prey didn't move, she plunged her nose into the frozen crystals.

"Wro wro, wro wro!" 

The grey smudge scampered back to them, her hind legs out of sync with her front legs.

Opal halted, which caused Bear to stop too. Behind him, Prince Green's brown dog, Root, bumped into Bear. Nick only just held his balance as Number One jumped through the bush and tumbled out, branches snapping and cracking.

Then the pup disappeared between the stones. The whining intensified, but Nick couldn't help but snort as two fluffy sticks—her hind legs—stuck out and wiggled. Prince Burn, Opal's rider, groaned, but the rest of the men laughed too.

"Wrowro, Yick, wrowro. Rawr," came the muffled yelping.

Nick decided to stay put; he tightened his grip around Bear's reins, keeping his friend in place. Number One was already getting too attached to him—Opal had to fetch the young female.

Prince Burn let out a deep sigh as Opal answered the call of her pup. "And that's supposed to be the smart one? These puppies are dumb."

"Because the young ones need to learn, even when they're dim and whine, like you," Prince Green said.

"I was never this dumb!" the boy shouted.

"No, you were infinite times dumber."

Nick chuckled along with the men as Prince Burn grumbled something in reply. While Opal sniffed her pup, the boy slid off her and crouched down by Number One.

"No, you're hurting her. Let me," Burn said to Opal. Even standing in the stirrups, Nick couldn't see what was happening. "I can't free you if you keep squirming."

The red-haired boy held something in his hand; a lengthy object that reflected sunlight. The blade scraped against the stone.

"Be careful," Green warned him.

"I know what I'm doing, Papa!"

As the stone budged, the boy managed to yank Number One free. 

Instantly, she showered her rescuer with licks and friendly yet punchy flicks of her tail. The sheer enthusiasm of the five-week-old pup who couldn't manage her strength forced the young Prince flat on his back.

"You're still stupid," Burn mumbled. After a quick pat, he shoved her off him.

The pup tilted her head, then strutted behind her mother as though nothing had happened. 

When Opal and Burn rejoined the pack, they continued their climb. Number One stayed close to her brothers and sister for a whole ten yards. Then she was off, chasing her nose once more.

The path widened as they approached the summit. Patches of a grass-like plant popped up between the ever-snow. A stark contrast to the seas of purple flowers growing between the ripping creeks in the valley.

"Aren't you glad we rescued you from Curdle's boring books?" Prince Ash asked.

"Books aren't boring, but I doubt I could have read much. It's a blurry day," Nick answered truthfully. He could never tell whether or not the pale, freckled man was jesting; the King's eldest grandson had inherited the man's stoic demeanour.

"That's because you strain your eyes." Prince Ash held his hand in front of his face. "The world blurs when you look only at what's right in front of you. Take a look around—isn't this country beautiful?" He gesticulated.

"Sure, and being in the wild is good for the dogs too," Nick said. "They're Mountain Dogs, not Kennel Dogs."

"And I get to judge the wares I'm gonna sell," Prince Shadow added. "My compliments to the Kennel Master for raising five healthy pups—best batch we've had all year. We'll earn back our losses with the circles we'll make."

"I couldn't have done it without Princess Rain," Nick said.

"Rain didn't sleep with the pups, nor did she try new techniques to aid the new mother. There is a reason our father appointed you Kennel Master, and not her."

Nick smiled. A lump formed in his throat. While he appreciated the compliment, watching the puppies change owner was by no means his favourite part of the job. The separation from this litter would be particularly painful, given the long nights and early mornings he and Bear had spent with them. But even if he had enough circles, he wouldn't buy them. This was the way, and it wouldn't be fair to Bear or any future pups. He just hoped the animals would be sold one by one, instead of having to say goodbye to all five at once.

"Uncle Shadow," Burn called for the man's attention, "do you see that spruce at the top?" The boy paused. "Do you want to race me? I wanna practise for the dog races in a few weeks."

Prince Shadow guffawed. "I'm afraid me and poor Vixen are too old for such shenanigans. I'll leave that to the younger men."

"I'll race you, cousin," Prince Ash said quickly. "Nick, what do you say?"

Nick leant back in the saddle. "I don't know. My eyes—"

"Are an excuse," the Prince said. "Didn't you used to tell me that your dog sees for you?"

"Yep!" Bear chirped.

Nick scratched behind the dog's ears. "Yeah, but it's his first time in these parts of the land..."'

"Come on, Nick! It's a straight line to the top!" Burn shouted. "Two people duel. I need three for a race. And it can't be Papa, because it's his turn to look after the puppies."

Before Nick could argue that he was the Kennelmaster, so it was his duty, Bear mimicked Burn's words, "Wro-o Yick."

"Alright, because Bear wants it so badly," Nick agreed. "But, Burn, if you want to give your father a chance to keep the pups together, you better switch dogs, or else the little ones will come darting after their mother."

While Nick tried to get the spruce into vision, the boy and Prince Green exchanged dogs in the background. He focused on the green cone-shaped figure about half a mile from where they were standing.

"Do you see the tree?" he asked Bear.

"Wre Wree."

"Yes, race to the tree."

"Wrear ri."

"You sure you will win?"

"Yep."

He stroked the dog's neck. "And here I thought I raised you as a proper Greenlander dog who honours the Goddess of Humility." 

"Wrear."

"Yeah, you're Bear. You won the summer races for three consecutive years."

Nick patted him. They would have an advantage because Burn didn't ride his own dog—the old black stud suffered from joint infections that left him confined to Queen Feline's quarters for most days. That left Ash and Owl. The patched brown dog was a few summers younger than Bear and had bonded as much with the Prince as Nick had with Bear. He wasn't going to underestimate them.

With a fishing rod, Prince Shadow forced Nick and the two other contenders on a line. Root snorted as Burn chattered to him. The big brown dog would do as he pleased, not listen to the whims of a snooty boy.

"All ready?" Prince Shadow shouted.

Nick looked over his shoulder. Four smaller blots stood close to Opal; she held the fifth one by the scruff of the neck: Number One.

"All good," he said. The two men flanking him confirmed it too.

A whiff of wind whirred into Nick's face as Prince Shadow jerked up the rod. 

Bear pulled so hard at the reins as he thrust forward that Nick had to drop them. The air scratched his eyes. He closed them and lied flat on the dog's back, his arms around his neck as Bear accelerated. Galloping horses ran at a higher speed, but Mountain Dogs were less predictable; staying on the animal was an art in itself. But Nick had complete trust in his friend.

Panting noises came from the left. On the other side, though already falling behind, sounded Root's gait. The puppies yipped and tapped in the distance.

Nick breathed out through his note, mentally shaking his head. He could have guessed the pups would be mesmerised by the race. Whatever the big dogs were doing, the little ones wanted in too.

He didn't have to worry about accidentally trampling them. Their barking quickly got lost in the wind; they had already fallen behind.

Seemingly out of nowhere, Bear took a sharp turn.

"Hey, that's cheating!" Burn yelled.

"We didn't agree on rules," Nick said.

Bear lurched to the other side. He was going to repeat his trick.

"Oh no, not so fast, you," Ash said.

Owl's fur brushed against Nick's leg, felt the dog's breath on him. 

Bear picked up the pace once more. His friend soared as he leapt over some stones and landed without losing momentum.

Nick peered. The cone started to look like a tree. A good hundred yards between them. He didn't have to do much, just rely on Bear, and they would win, the Greenlander beating the Icians in their own game once more. Humility be damned, they were the best.

Suddenly, Bear collapsed.

The dog yelped as Nick got flung into the air and tumbled around. Up or down, the sky or the ground—he couldn't tell which was which until he landed hard on his side, shoulder first. He rolled some more, his arms covering his chest, but that didn't prevent his head from smashing against every pebble and root he bumped into.

A prickly bush stopped him.

"Nick?" Prince Ash asked.

He saw but a flash of brown as the Prince halted Owl and jumped off. His ears rang as Burn and his dog shot past him too. "I won! I won," cheered the boy.

"Bear?" Nick sat up and cupped his sore shoulder in his hand. He was able to move his fingers. "I don't think I broke anything. I don't understand what happened." His friend hadn't answered him yet. "Bear?"

"Yick."

"Your dog tripped," Ash said. "One moment you were a few yards from me, then took a nose-dive, out of nowhere."

"This means I won!" cheered Burn.

High-pitched barking closed in on them. The puppies were jumping around Bear and licking him, giving his furry companion no room to get up.

"Bear, is everything alright? Are you hurt?" Nick asked.

The dog whined, "Row-ree."

"You don't need to apologise—the best of us stumble over our own paws. It was just a race for fun. Are you okay?"

"Wreah," he grunted.

"To finish first, you first have to finish," Burn said. "I finished the race, so I won."

"No, you didn't," Prince Green said, dismayed yet breathing audibly. "Shadow and I saw what happened—you should be ashamed of yourself, Burn. Bending the wind to win a game."

"Nick said there were no rules," the boy protested.

"That gives you no reason to abuse your powers."

"What do you know? You have no magic!"

Nick turned towards Burn. Though he couldn't see properly, he made sure to open his eyes as wide as he could. "You used magic on me. I could have broken something, or worse, died."

"I tried to cushion your landing—that's why you spun so much," Burn mumbled.

"You hurt me, and you hurt Bear." He paused before saying, "Your shenanigans are the reason Greenlanders hate magicians."

"We're in Ice. I'm free to use magic here."

"You're free to do it, but not free from the consequences," Prince Ash said. "Uncle Shadow, Uncle Green, shall we send him back to Bigtown to let Grandpapa deal with his malpractice, or shall we teach him a lesson here?"

Prince Shadow was the first to speak. "He'll be of more use here. Let him use his magic for good—he can fetch ice to bound around Nick's shoulder to minimise the bruising. After that, he'll take the first watch with the snakedragons while the rest of have a nice and quiet lunch."

"You heard your uncle, boy." Prince Green threw the boy a cloth. "Scram.'

"Yes, Papa."

As the boy's footsteps crunched through the moor, Prince Shadow aided Nick up. His gloved fingers touched Nick's cheeks and tilted his head in every possible direction.

"Does this hurt?"

"It's a little sore. My shoulder took the biggest hit."

"Nauseous?"

"Nah, I could eat."

"Then it's nothing some ice and Earth Beer won't cure," he said. "See my sister tonight if the pain persists."

"And Bear?"

The big cloud of fur alternated his limp as he stumbled towards Nick, panting more heavily than he should. Nick already knew the answer. As Number Five slipped between Bear's paws, his friend snorted. Bear's tolerance levels had been reached. For the rest of the day, he wanted to be pitied.

"A bruised ego," Shadow said.

"You would have won, Bear," Prince Ash said.

The dog grunted as he ducked beneath the Prince's touch, "Wrear ri."

Nick took the oversized pup into his care.

Behind the spruce laid a deep blue oasis amid an otherwise flat murky brown meadow: Flat Hill Lake. The ground beneath his feet could either be frozen dirt or a special type of moss. Yips and yaps were all around him as the pups sprinted into the lake and realised just how wet water was.

They settled down on the southern shore where they untied the fishing gear and other belongings they had carried with them. 

Freed from the weight, the dogs joined the pups and showed them how to swim. Bear didn't join them. He grunted and moped as he helped Nick build a fire with the wood they had brought from Bigtown to warm the Earth Beer.

Already forgotten her previous ordeal, Number One ventured deeper into the lake. She splashed and barked as she observed Prince Ash and Prince Shadow setting up the fishnets to block the snakedragons' entrance to the river. The dogs would do the rest to chase the big silver fish towards the rods. Despite having a pompous name, snakedragons were simple-minded creatures. In the south, people called them salmon. A treat for humans and dogs alike.

Nick lit the tinderbox, then backed off as Bear sniffed the kindling to further ignite the flame. He didn't fear fire, but he avoided it if he could. Prolonged exposure to smoke made his eyes burn and further blurred his vision.

A heavy metal object clunked down. Burn's silhouette appeared next to him. "I found fleawort—should ease the pain too."

"Thanks."

The boy sprinkled yellow petals onto a cloth, then wrapped chunks of ice into it. Nick lowered his cloak so Burn could attach the poultice. He shivered—that was cold.

"I'm sorry about tripping you. I forgot you were a Greenlander," Burn said.

Nick raised his eyebrow. "This isn't about me being a Greenlander. You intentionally manipulated your element to bring me harm—that's why your uncles and cousin are upset. You should try to use your powers for something good."

"I can't." The boy sounded crestfallen.

Bear padded away from Nick. He grabbed a branch between his teeth and added it to the growing fire. As the smoke rose, Nick turned away from the flames.

"Did nobody teach you?" he asked.

"Great Uncle Storm promised he would, but then he went south to train some prince more important than me. Then Aunt Pearl said she would, but she's always too busy. I only know what I taught myself, which isn't much. In autumn, Grandpapa sends me to the School of Four Other Senses, but they won't teach me magic either. I'll have to befriend another magician."

"Isn't there anyone else in the family?"

He scoffed. "Curse of the weak line. Magic tends to skip a few generations, or pops up with one sibling out of five when two weak lines meet. Papa's grandfather was a magician, though he never developed his skills, and Grandmama on my mother's side was one too. She was good, but she died a year before I cast the first gust of wind from my fingertips. I want to leave Bigtown, like Uncle Storm, and get better, or I don't want to be a magician at all."

Prince Green sat down. "What are you saying—you don't want to be a magician?"

"If I can't become good at it, I'll stop being one and become a builder," Burn said.

"That's fair. Being a builder is a noble job, son. Loads of work in Bigtown—the city's expanding every year," Prince Green said. "But for now, your duty is to watch the rods."

Burn groaned and stomped his feet loudly. Had he been a Greenlander Cadet in the Academy, the officers would have sent him to the kitchens to peel potatoes for the rest of the year. No, they would have beheaded him for being a magician. Nick placed the bottles of Earth Beer in the flames. Deep down, the boy had a gentle heart; he would deserve the kitchen duty, not the beheading. Another reason, he preferred the Ician way of life.

While Burn ran around the lake, being the eldest pup among the puppies, Nick and the men ate pickled flathead and soon managed to enjoy the warm, flavourful malt. Bear laid curled around Nick, his head on Nick's lap. He was sleeping.

Burn picked up Number Three and pointed at something in the water.

"What's that?"

"The snakedragons have gathered in the middle," Prince Ash said.

"That'll take a while," said Prince Green.

Prince Shadow stretched his legs. "I'm in no hurry."

"Yeah, but I think Nick is," Prince Green jested. "Who doesn't wanna rush home when your girl is waiting for you?"

"She's not my girl," Nick said. "You know how it goes—she comes to me, and I don't necessarily kick her out of bed. It's nice, but it won't last forever. She'll soon tire of me."

"I don't think she will." Prince Shadow added another log to the fire; the wood was dwindling rapidly. "But, Nick, man to man, be honest. You've slept more with Fiddler than with any other woman in Bighall. You two would make a fine pair."

Nick turned the cloth—the ice was melting. "She's a princess, I'm a nobody."

"That hasn't stopped you before. And Fiddler isn't as important to our kingdom as Alana is to The Greenlands."

Nick squinted. Water splashed up around Opal and the pups, wilder than play but they appeared not in distress. Root jumped into the lake and swam towards them, so he too was tugging at the giant fish. Onshore, Burn waved his arms like a madman.

"They caught something," Nick said.

Prince Ash and Prince Green got up as Opal and Root dragged something silver to the shore. The wind carried Burn's voice. "They got one! It's a big one."

Bear stirred but remained on Nick's lap.

"Nick," Prince Shadow said. "If Fiddler agreed to this arrangement you have, we wouldn't have this conversation. My daughter thinks she'll marry you. If you do not have this intention, I urge you to break up with her."

"You're not the first to tell me that."

"Then what are you waiting for?"

Icy water dripped down his shirt. He removed the poultice, then wiggled his fingers. He was still sore, but he would be alright. "I've had so much bad luck throughout the years that I've learned to appreciate the good things in life. Whatever happens tomorrow happens tomorrow—I won't let it influence today."

"Does she know that's how you think?"

Nick sighed. "Fine, I'll talk to her."

"Much appreciated."

A gurgling croak echoed against the mountain top. Bear barked as Prince Shadow raised his head. There was a black speck in the sky, circling around the lake.

"Wraevae," Bear said.

The speck turned into a blot as the creature descended, cawing as though calling them. With a whoosh and flapping wings, the raven landed in front of them.

"It's one of mine," Prince Shadow said. He presented his arm, an invitation which the animal took. "There's a note."

Nick threw a piece of flathead to the raven to distract the creature as the Prince removed the scroll. They would be back in Bigtown in a couple of hours. What was so urgent that someone sent a raven?

Prince Shadow chuckled in disbelief. "Holly Summer Dragon, Fiddler, you should have told the man to wait. Southerners and their impatience—no wonder you have a God that tempers you. This merchant—Phoenix—arrived in Bigtown, looking for the Kennelmaster. He wants to buy the pups—the whole batch."

"A Silvermarker—What would he want with Mountain Dogs?"

"I guess he works for Uncle Storm."

A shiver ran down Nick's back. He pictured the pups he raised as armoured steads charging into battle. As Icians, they had to be neutral, but he didn't want his dogs to die in the war against The Greenlands.

"We won't sell them to him, will we?" Nick asked.

"I will, if they pay good money."