Fire Meets Ice : by Wingedtora

 

Chapter 3 :  Fire Meets Ice

 

 

‘It’s a good thing this room isn’t fully iced over,’ Stork mumbled to himself.  The steam had done a good job of melting away the ice and exposing the bare rock underneath. 

 

 

It would be hours before the rest of the Storm Hawks returned.  Plenty of time to get back to the Condor and get the heating coils working again.  Stork’s head lurched around as the sound of rocks falling came from the entrance he had used.  Nervously, the Merb stepped out of the hot spring and kept a careful eye on the rocky opening.  Feeling amongst his clothes, he pulled out the monitor and scanned the tunnel. 

 

 

‘Hmmm…’ Nothing.  Turning, he walked towards the far entrance.  Might as well scan that way too.  Naturally, the steam made the monitor beep, but it made a special sound if it caught a live creature… well, anything bigger than a cat, that is.

 

 

With another shake of his head, he flipped his damp ebony hair out of his face with a huff of annoyance.  He started to slip the monitor back into his pile of clothes in the corner of the cave, when suddenly…

 

 

BEEP!  BEEP!  BOOP!

 

 

The Merb froze, neck swiveling side to side.  Nothing to the left.  Nothing to the right.  That only left…  UP! 

 

 

He didn’t even have a chance to look when a loud thump sounded behind him and a pair of strong arms wrapped around his upper arms and chest, pulling him back against a solid body.

 

 

‘Hello salamander.’

 

 

tbc