A Blizzard’s Treasure

“Ugh… how did you convince me to go with you for this…” Teji complained, yelling over the howl of the wind. The young tori had himself wrapped in his wings, shivering from the frigid cold of the valley. Struggling to trudge through the deep snow after his green-and-gold-feathered companion. 

“For treasure! Duh! Who doesn’t like treasure?!” Micah called back. The cold didn’t seem to bother them as they proudly carried their shovel like a flag.

“We’re risking our lives in a blizzard for something we don’t even know we can find!!”

“That’s what’s so exciting about it, ya dork!!”

“It’s not going to be so exciting when someone finds a couple of toricicles…” Teji mutters into his wings. His common sense was yelling at him to turn back, but he owed a favor so he couldn’t back out.

“Where does the map even say we’re supposed to be? Better yet, how do we even know we’re going the right way in this storm?” Teji calls, struggling to get over a snowdrift.

“Don’t worry about it!” Micah laughs, looking back and waving the shovel a bit. “I have the best sense of direction when it comes to these things!”

The two made their way through the snowy landscape of the Cold Valley. Micah confidently leading the way, while a miffed Teji struggles to keep pace. Every so often the golden-trimmed tori would take a look at a map he had stowed in a wing.

“Alright! We dig here!” Micah announces after a while  and plunges his shovel into the snow.

The younger tori looks at the shovel, then to Micah. “Alright. Go at it then.”

“Well you have to help, otherwise no treasure for you!” Micah chided. 

Teji groaned in response and swung his bag open. He took out a small hand shovel then approached Micah and started to dig.

The pair dug and dug for a good while. Each with a different degree of enthusiasm. The heavy winds of the blizzard making their efforts all the harder to maintain.

Panting, Teji threw his shovel to the side and plopped down in the snow while wrapping himself in his fiery colored wings again. “This is stupid!! We aren’t getting anywhere!!”

“Not with that attitude! C’mon keep digging, we can get there!” Micah’s confidence was not contagious.

With a huff of annoyance, and a great deal of exaggerated effort, Teji pulled himself back to his feet and rejoined the efforts. “This is so stupid.” He repeated.

Hours went by with these two tori working away at the snow. Ever so slowly digging their hole, only for the mighty storm to reverse all progress and make them start anew. The process repeated again and again until finally the blizzard's power waned and faded altogether. Only then were they able to finally dig properly, tired as they both were.

A loud clunk was heard as Micah’s shovel hit something solid. In a burst of renewed energy he dropped to his knees and fervently scooped snow in large wingfuls out of the way. Soon enough, a brilliant blue chest was revealed. 

“Hah!! See!!” He yelled triumphantly.

Teji simply glared at him. “We could have found it easier by waiting after the storm!!” He growled while panting.

“And have some other tori find it first? No way!” Came the retort.

“Whatever!!! Can we go back to the village now, I’m freezing my feathers off..”

“Sure, sure.” Micah nodded, holding the chest close as if it were absolutely critical to keeping him alive.