Jack felt the sharp bite of an icy wind. He lookedout the window with the others. "Oh, man," hewhispered.
The tree house was not in a tree--for there were notrees anywhere to be seen. Instead, it was sitting highon top of a steep snowdrift. Other drifts rose and fellacross a vast snowy plain. Beyond the plain were hillsand mountains.
"The books were right," said Teddy, his teethchattering. "'Tis bleak here indeed."24"No, 'tis lovely," said Kathleen. "'Tis the land wherethe northern seal people live." "Cool," said Annie.
Jack dug his hands into his pockets. He agreed withTeddy. The land did seem bleak-- and freezing! "Iwonder where Merlin's Staff of Strength is," he said,shivering.
"Let us begin our search!" said Kathleen. "Themessage tells us we must travel toward the settingsun."Kathleen climbed out of the tree house window.
She gathered her cloak around her and sat down ontop of the snowdrift. Then she pushed off and sliddown the steep slope.
"Oh, wow. Wait for me!" called Annie. She climbedout the window and followed Kathleen. Whooping,she slid to the bottom of the snowdrift. "Come on,you guys! It's fun!" she shouted.
Jack and Teddy looked at each other. "Shall we?"said Teddy. Jack nodded. He pulled his25scarf tighter around his neck and followed Teddyout of the window.
Jack and Teddy sat down side by side. They pushedoff and slid down the icy snowdrift. Jack couldn't helpwhooping, too. It was fun.
At the bottom of the drift, Jack and Teddyscrambled to their feet. Jack brushed the snow off hisclothes. He could see his breath in the frigid air.
"It's j-just a little chilly," said Annie, huggingherself.
Only Kathleen seemed not to mind the cold. Shewas smiling as she lay on the ground, gazing up atthe sky. Her seal nature probably keeps her warm,Jack thought with envy.
Teddy peered across the snowy plain. "I believe notone living creature is here but us," he said.
"Not true at all," said Kathleen. She pointedupward. "I see snow geese and whistling swans."26"I can almost see them, too," said Annie.
Kathleen stood up. She shielded her eyes and gazedacross the plain. The cold sun was low in the sky. Itcast long blue shadows beneath the snowdrifts. Shepointed into the distance. "And see? A white hare isleaping home before dark," she said.
Jack looked where Kathleen pointed, but he couldn'tsee anything moving at all.
"I see a snowy owl, too," said Kathleen, "and--oh,no!""What?" said Annie.
"Wolves," Kathleen said with a shudder. "They justdisappeared behind a snowdrift. My people greatlyfear the wolves.""You need not be afraid. I shall protect you," saidTeddy. He took Kathleen's hand. "Come! Let us makehaste toward the sun!"Together, Teddy and Kathleen headed across thesnow-covered plain. Their woolen cloaks wavedbehind them. Annie and Jack dug their27hands in their pockets and quickly followed themtoward the setting sun.
As Teddy, Kathleen, Jack, and Annie trudged acrossthe frozen plain, the sun sank closer and closer to thehorizon. Its last rays poured purple-pink light over thesnow.
The wind blew against Jack's face. He looked downand kept walking. The cold felt like needles on hisskin. Each icy breath was painful. He hoped theyfound Merlin's Staff of Strength soon. He couldn'timagine anyone surviving for long in this lonely,freezing land.
Jack's thoughts were interrupted when he heardAnnie calling. He looked up. The sun had completelyslipped behind the horizon. In the cold twilight, thesnow had faded from purple-pink to a dark shade ofblue.
"Jack! Come look!" Annie called. She, Teddy, andKathleen were standing on the slope of a hugesnowdrift.
Jack hurried to join them.
28"Look!" said Annie.
"Oh, man," Jack said softly.
On the other side of the snowdrift was aglimmering palace made from huge blocks of ice.
Beneath the rising moon, its gleaming spirespierced the blue dusk.
"I wonder who lives there...," said Jack.
"Let us go and find out!" said Teddy.
Teddy led the way down the slope to the ice palace.
Long icicles hung like spears in front of the entrance.
"It seems no one has visited this place in quite awhile," said Kathleen.
"Indeed," said Teddy. He broke off several icicles,and they clattered to the ground. "Onward?" he said.
The others nodded.
Kicking aside the chunks of ice, Teddy led them allinto the ice palace. |