Ridin' on a Hurricane

He had yet to explore the ice bridge that had cropped up some time ago. He had wondered where all those strange creatures had come from, but now he knew. He sat at the beginning of the bridge with Knut by his side, the icy wind buffeting his thick fur. He was extremely curious to know what lied beyond if it led to anything extraordinary. Though he was also feeling adventurous enough to see how far he could go before he was forced to turn back. Shifting the makeshift sheep cloak he had brought for extra protection against the cold, he took his first step onto the bridge. The larger cat walked beside him, claws gripping the slippery surface as the pair slowly made their way forward. "Slow and steady, Gimli. There will soon be nothin' but ocean on either side of us, and I don' fancy a swim." The dwarf barked out in laughter, hearty and full of amusement. "Don't ye worry, Knut! Ye know I don't fancy swimmin' neither, especially not in these frigid waters! I'd sink as quick as a bag of rocks!" He shivered at the thought as he slowly, and steadily, walked along.

Several long minutes had passed as the pair chatted, keeping eyes and ears out for anything unusual. Though so far, all that surrounded them was the wind and the sea. He glanced towards his left, amber gaze watching the water lap at the ice. He wondered what kinds of creatures lived beneath them...what kinds of monsters lurked beneath. He shivered as his imagination began to run wild. He imagined giant, eel-like creatures with dagger-like teeth as long as redwood trees. Gigantic sharks, far larger than any he had seen or heard of. Creatures below that were bigger than the creatures above...he shuddered to think of something swallowing him up should he fall in the water...

"GIMLI!"

He snapped out of his thoughts to find every hair on Knut standing on end and the cat looking terrified as he stared past. Gimli turned to find that a strange, funnel-like shape made from air and sea reached towards the heavens...and was dangerously close to them. He looked back to where they had come and realized just how far they had come...and given that they were on the ice, there was no way they'd be able to make it without potentially slipping into the frigid waters on either side of them. He cursed under his breath for not being aware. "Gimli we have to make a run back to land, we can't stay here!" Nodding without argument, they broke into a run.

The ice made it difficult. The pair gripped as much as they could with their claws, and luckily, the dwarf was wearing his bear claw gloves so they did add some grip, but he wasn't sure if they'd make it in time. Gimli glanced between the land and the waterspout. And as it drew closer, the water began to violently swirl nearby and caused it to crash over the ice bridge. Water sloshed around their feet. The sea spray began to soak their fur, and the wind hurt as it ripped at his fur and deafened his ears. The sheepskin he was wearing had begun to weigh him down as the water seeped in, causing the dwarf to move slower as he struggled to keep up with Knut. "Knut! Help me take this off!" He shouted.

His companion slid to a halt as he turned and dashed back to the small wolf, the pair fumbling with the straps with the water and wind crashing around them. It took a few moments, but once they managed to get it undone, he slipped it off and they continued forward. He felt like they'd been running for a good while...but between the water and the ice, they probably hadn't been moving as much as they thought they were. His heart was roaring through his ears and his chest hurt from the exertion. And still, land didn't seem any closer.

For once in his life, he could feel desperation claw its way to the surface of his mind. He didn't want to die at sea, and as adventurous and as fearless as he was, he felt...fear...for the first time in his life out here. The roaring of the wind and the sea grew stronger, and when he glanced back, the tower of water was upon them. "Eir have mercy..." He breathed. "Knut! Brace yerself!" He called over the roar of the wind and ocean.

He gripped into the ice with his claws, but it wasn't enough to steel himself and keep him on his feet. Before he knew it, there was nothing around him but whipping winds and water. He couldn't see land. Couldn't feel anything solid. The rush from it all had quickly turned everything to darkness...