RRA Writing Contest

    In the middle of Baako, Lileep and Braae's last journey, a trip to the arctic, they had found nothing of mention. A beautiful rainbow had appeared from the iced over cliffs, and was the only thing worth mentioning.
    However, the trip had been fun for someone else too. A young arctic Kodryama, his clan name known as Su'Karuudo, had followed the three and had listened to their conversations. He was becoming ever engrossed by the three who constantly bickered with each other, but always seemed to be together. He also wondered how they could stand the cold.
    It was only about noon, and Su'Karuudo didn't like the heat the sun provided. Or the sun in general. He hid in the shadows that the cliff cast. He began sliding across the snow carefully, making sure not to make a sound. Furred feet sunk into the snow, and he got stuck.
    Su'Karuudo hissed at the snow, standing upright. He flicked his wings out and flapped, waving his arms up and down to gain enough motion to pull himself from the ground. Su'Karuudo's legs were reluctantly released, the ground whining as it retreated to cover the holes.
    He hovered over the frozen ground before gently floating back down and landing gently on the snow. It sunk just enough to accommodate his weight. However, just to be safe, he kept his wings open and stayed a few inches off the ground.
    After a while of slowly walking on the air, he looked up to notice that the trio were getting farther and farther away. Their laughter and bickering were all disappearing.
    Su'Karuudo panicked. And did something he only did to others.
    He ran.
    Not only did he run, but he ran fast.
    Su'Karuudo ran across the snow in a blur, kicking up flurries as he went. He wasn't in one place long enough to even make a dent in the snow other than the flying clumps of ice that he displaced. Su'Karuudo ran with his arms pulled tightly to his side, increasing his speed. He kept his wings folded, ears back, eyes shut, and tail lifted off the ground; All things he had practiced for the sake of running.
    Suddenly, he opened his eyes. Luckily, fur around his neck and above his eyes kept most of the wind from blinding him. And, the only thing he saw was the backs of the trio. Su'Karuudo was going to run into them if he kept up his speed. Alarmed, he opened his wings and dropped his tail, creating a slowing sort of motion.
    Su'Karuudo skidded to a halt several feet away from the trio. While the other two didn't notice him, Baako had turned around and met his red eyes with her amber colored ones. He felt the chill of fear creep up his spine, wings still outspread.
    Baako simply grinned and winked, before turning back around. The chilling tendrils that were embracing him slipped away, turning them into warm feelings that crept up his chest to his face. Su'Karuudo didn't know what to do.
    He didn't know if he should follow in secrecy. He didn't know if he should leave, or if he should blatantly come out and say he's there. One of the people in the group knew he was there. Whether he should be worried about his safety, or simply getting home.
    Su'Karuudo shook away his worries, and began walking to the left, in a straight line away from them. His tail dragged, and he watched his feet as he headed for another cliff, this one rising up to form something like a watch tower.
    He ran up the provided ramp, not using his full speed, then took a look around. There was nothing to hide him; No trees, bushes, any greenery was all dead in the winter snow. He inhaled, and ducked down into the snow. Su'Karuudo flicked his ears back, so just his eyes showed through the fluffy snow.
    When the group left his vision, he would follow, hiding in snow drifts and near frozen over lakes to keep an eye on them.
After awhile of traveling, the snow disappeared and they neared a small village. Su'Karuudo had not noticed the disappearance of the snow, and instead slipped into the shadows of the trees. He watched as they entered the camp. When they disappeared, he decided to explore around the camp.
    It seemed the camp was shaped like a battlefield. Round, and completely walled off unless you really wanted to get in.
    Su'Karuudo walked around the base again, until he saw a few children playing outside the wall. One of the children was playing on a piccolo, imitating bird calls. The children were chasing each other, running around in circles, shouting and laughing.
    He took a step forward and cracked a twig. Almost instantly, the children froze and looked towards Su'Karuudo, their faces filled with terror. He did likewise, muscles stiffening as the children and him had a staredown; One he was losing.
    After a minute or two, he ended up blinking and rubbing his eyes, a few painful tears smearing against his fists. The children smiled and crowded around him, asking Su'Karuudo questions in a choir of happy voices. The child who had been playing the piccolo, had pressed his head against Su'Karuudo's stomach. The child seemed interested for a moment, before yanking his head back. The other kids looked at the child, and standing tall, he said, "The poor Mr. is starving! We should get him some food." From the way the boy spoke, he was the eldest of the group, but not older than Su'Karuudo. The children nodded and ran off like a herd of animals, going to grab food for the Mister who they assumed was hungry.
    "Please excuse any of the ones who were rude." The boy said politely, sitting back down on a rock, "They've never seen someone like you, Mister." He paused for a moment, before becoming flustered, "Ah! I mean that in the best way possible!" Su'Karuudo simply watched the boy with red eyes, but the child seemed to understand he was forgiven.
    "Anyhow, I'll get you someplace to sleep. The children will get you some food, so please, follow me!" The boy said, gently taking a hold of Su'Karuudo's hand and walking him towards the camp.