The Ugly Duckling Of The Tiger Tribe-Chapter 217: It’s too steep

"We’re almost there!" Noah yelled and I raised my head, white plume escaping my lips as I parted my them and exhaled softly.

It was cold. But the cold wasn’t bearable. I wasn’t shaking and I doubt I had my coat to fully thank for that. My blood was hot, passing through my veins and heating up my organs like an internal furnace. I wonder if this is the miracle of being a beastman.

But that alone wasn’t enough to keep out the cold, of course. The coat still played a part, keeping out the biting wind.

Still, I would very much like to get into a warm cave before the snow starts falling any heavier.

Because it was already falling heavily even now.

What had started as a gentle dusting had turned into a thick, swirling curtain of white.

My hat was filled with snow, and the others had snow covering their shoulders and hair, their nose were red.

If they were humans, they’d be sneezing nonstop and suffering from frostbite but it seemed like this little had nothing on them.

As males, the internal fire burning in them must be hotter than mine. Especially so when they were born for the cold.

Our movements no longer made crunching sounds on the door, as it had transformed into a muffled, heavy thump as the snow rose past our ankles, in heavy waves.

It had only been a day but the path ahead of us was already covered in so much snow.

"Ugh," Fenric grunted.

I looked over and saw his muscles straining. The troller, which once glided smoothly, was now acting like an anchor sunk deep into the snow. The wooden wheels were sinking deeper with each step, and even when both of them combined their strengths, it made it difficult.

It was more so because they were sinking under the load as well. Without being able to get out, they would just keep struggling in vain.

I knitted my brows together and looked down at the load I was sitting on.

The heavy load of smoked meat and rock salt was starting to work against us.

"It’s too steep," Damar noted, his voice strained as he leaned his weight into his lead line. Even when he put more strength into his tail, it only forced him to slip over the snow and he let out a low hiss.

Suddenly, a heavy wind began to gush over us and the troller let out a sickening creak and began to slide backward.

"Hold it!" I cried out, my heart leaping into my throat.

Fenric dug his heels in, his veins bulging in his neck as he fought the gravity of the mountain. Noah came sprinting back from the treeline, his face grim as he dove toward the back of the troller to help shove it forward.

"It’s no use!" Noah shouted. "The snow is too soft. We’re losing the friction we need to pull it like this."

I looked up at the ridge ahead. Just past there was the cave...

We were so close.

"Change of plans!" I said, shielding my eyes from the stinging flakes. "Fenric, you’re in charge. At this rate, we aren’t going to make it on two legs so better to go all out!"

He didn’t need to be told twice.

He took off his clothes quickly, since he didn’t want to ruin them, and handed them to me.

I nodded, taking his clothes, my eyes scanning his naked body even if I didn’t want to.

And then came the cloud that always surrounded him when he was transforming and his frame turned into that of a mighty tiger of the mountains.

I stared, in awe, and Noah, who was seeing Fenric’s true form for the first time was taken aback. He probably didn’t expect Fenric to be so majestic.

I cut him off from his awe as I called out to him.

"Noah, help me clear the path!" I commanded.

He nodded.

"I guess I’ll be showing myself now as well." He said and took off his own clothes, transforming into a big black wolf, his size a fraction smaller than Fenric but he was by no means insignificant.

The black fur around him reminded me of the word, ’twilight’. He was as dark as he was beautiful.

And then, he suddenly howled into the air, showing his majesty, and this earned him a smack on the back of the head with Damar’s tail, and he whimpered.

"Ari gave you a job to do. Stop wasting time." Damar grunted, and I was sure that if Noah could speak in his beast form, he’d be complaining about how Damar didn’t let him finish his howl.

I chuckled and then watched as he dove into the snow, digging up a path in front of us.

Damar helped tie the front harness to Fenric’s body and made sure it was tight before coming over to me.

"Come, Ari, I’ll hold you."

I held their clothes tight in my arms and let Damar carry me. Since Fenric was going to be as fast as he could, there was no telling what would happen to me on top of the troller.

So instead of all that, it was better to be in safe arms.

Damar’s arm, which was usually cool, suddenly felt so warm that I wanted to nestle on him all through the winter.

Fenric’s claws sank deep into the frozen earth for a grip, preparing to use his sheer muscular weight to lunge forward.

Noah came back and no words were needed to tell us that he had dug as far as he could to get us out of this steepness.

Fenric let out a low growl and Damar let out a low, insistent hiss, his emerald eyes fixed on my belly and the clothes I clutched to my chest.

"Comfortable?" He asked and I nodded. "We’re going to be going fast so hold on tight."

Once again, I nodded. I didn’t need to hold on tight, after all his arms were already firmly wrapped around my body.

Noah went to the back of the troller to make sure nothing went wrong as we went at full speed.

"Alright," I whispered, my voice lost in the wind but loud enough for all to hear. "Let’s go."

With a synchronized roar from Fenric and a powerful howl from Noah—the troller surged.

Seriously, were they trying to announce to the entire forest that there were two wild predators around?

I chuckled.

They were just showing off.