I waited for hours, trying to assume the best. Maybe he had gone to gather something. Eventually the terror set in. I couldn’t tell our tracks apart. Would I be able to find my way back alone? Surely I could retrace a single day of travel… but he had left all of his belongings behind. Was I abandoning him, or had something already taken him?
As if sensing my desperation as I lingered near the edge of the snow dome, I was greeted by my very first resident of The Night.
Expecting teeth and claws, I was instead met with, simply, Icecream.
Of all the people I could have expected to meet in a freezing and desolate wild district, a hominid object was not one of them. He carried his own supplies in woven baskets strapped to his back and looked me over carefully before asking if I was alone.
I explained what had happened, or what I believed had happened. He nodded solemnly, which I am beginning to notice many folks here do. I then explained why I was here in the first place.
He offered to help. I was very surprised, because after reviewing Morrigan’s records with Frozen Boba, I realized that the hominid people here have an obvious aversion to bestial objects. Unfortunately, that includes me.
Hesitantly, I gathered what I considered useful and left a little behind, just in case. It should be enough for the guide, if he returns, to at least make it back home.
Icecream was not much different from Frozen Boba in temperament. He was informative, soft-spoken, and a little somber. Unlike Boba, however, he was more willing to talk about a variety of subjects, much to my delight!
He walked through the snow barefoot, wearing little more than the paper wrappings of his object. I asked if he was always very cold, and he told me that he prefers to be. I suppose that is only natural for an ice cream cone.