Flying was something that she had never gotten use to. Despite Nephilliâ€™s trust in Uru, she couldnâ€™t help but cling tight to the thick fur around his neck, keeping her eyes shut as she buried her face in said fur. The harpies and other forest dwelling mythical flying creatures use to tell her how wonderful flying was and how the world looked so different; you were free to go where you pleased and were free of restraints â€“and the wind was always so nice, how it blew your hair back. Even Uru told her never to be afraid, but she supposed it was easy for a winged creature to love flying. She disagreed with them, because for poor Nephilli, who could not fly, flying was like an encounter with death. She absolutely hated it with a burning passion, though it was more the thought of falling to her death that frightened her, but always managed to block it out by thinking of her tasks at hand; finding that medicine that would save her motherâ€™s life being the task now.<br/><br/>And the entire time, she thought to herself: â€˜Father had better be right about that medicineâ€™, unaware that she was now digging her fingers into Uruâ€™s mane<br/><br/>The snowy colored griffin was warm, and she snuggled closer to him once they neared the frozen Northern lands. He was different from most griffins; though he stuck true to a typical griffin he was more lion like than some lion with a birdâ€™s head sewed onto its body. In fact the only thing bird-like about him were his wings and face which was that of a bird. He had a thick coat, being from this area, of pure white and large wings of the same color. Nephilli always thought he looked somewhat boring and wished he had another color mixed in with his coat. Also, naturally since he was from Frostwilde, the bitter cold breeze had little effect on Uru but ate through Nephilli like she had holes punched in her. She was shivering, almost vibrating, and despite being dressed warmly she felt as though her very skeleton had become frozen.<br/><br/>â€œHow much longer until we get there?â€ She asked Uru.<br/><br/>â€œWeâ€™re passing over the lake now, so not much longer.â€<br/><br/>â€œAbout time. I canâ€™t stand this coldâ€¦ Alsoâ€¦ do you think this so-called miracle stone really is here?â€<br/>â€œI canâ€™t say for sure,â€ The doubt was evident in Uruâ€™s tone. Usually when he had doubts, he was right to doubt. â€œThis is something Iâ€™ve never heard of before. Donâ€™t let that deter you, however, because I donâ€™t think your father would have sent you here if he didnâ€™t believe it.â€<br/><br/>â€œI hope youâ€™re rightâ€¦ I just canâ€™t help but wonder, you know.â€ He had tried to lift her spirits, succeeded, but she had doubts as well. Still she was determined to help her mother get better even if it meant she had to endure this horrible cold. Knowing her luck she was going to catch a cold, being out here like this could not be good for her.<br/><br/>When they finally arrived, Uru informed Nephilli he was landing so she didnâ€™t have to latch onto him anymore. Frostwilde was a magnificent place; surrounded by ice with ice clinging to some of the buildings, it almost looked like a giant crystal palace turned into a city. Over all, it was a quiet city, much like the forest, and in that sense Nephilli liked it. For a brief moment she was able to forget about the cold, coming back to reality when she felt the slight jolt from the landing. Take offs she was alright with, but landings created butterflies in her stomach. Uru had landed a short way from the entrance to keep a low profile so he wouldnâ€™t be seen landing. She dismounted and then dismissed him, then gazed at the city before her.<br/><br/>She took a deep breath, ready to face this place, but nervous as well. The first thing she had to do here was ask for directions to the mine, and then hopefully find someone who knew about this cure stoneâ€¦ whatever it was called. It shouldnâ€™t be difficult, but she knew well how rough it was around here. Rumors may be rumors, but they had to hold some truth to them right?<br/><br/>Well she was about to find out.<br/><br/>â€œHalt!â€ A guard had stopped her, eyeing her warily as she approached the city gate. â€œWith attire like that, Iâ€™d say youâ€™re an outside. What would your business be here?â€<br/><br/>â€œIâ€¦ um I need to head to the mine. My father needs me to pick up some minerals and stuff.â€ Nephilli said in reply. Oh, she hoped they would let her through. Tensions in the kingdom have been rather high for the longest time, so it didnâ€™t surprise her that there were guards watching over the city during the night. Her father always had his men watch over the forest, and the king the capital. Just in case, her father always told her.<br/><br/>â€œOh? What minerals would that be, then?â€<br/><br/>â€œSonemite.â€<br/><br/>Evidently her little lie was convincing enough. She didnâ€™t want to come outright and say she was actually going to the mine because the miners might have discovered some cure for illnesses. The guard said to her: â€œAlright. Just donâ€™t cause any trouble. And be sure to keep warm, this storm tonight is a nasty one.â€<br/><br/>Nephilli shivered lightly and smiled, passing the guard and entering the unfamiliar city. Despite the buildings blocking out the wind, it seemed to be colder here out in the streets than on the outskirts of the city. That guard had been right about this nasty storm and didnâ€™t need to tell her twice. It seemed like the buildings were instead keeping the cold in. She would have to look for some place warm as soon as possible.