Trudging through the snow, the blizzard blows at me relentlessly. My legs feel numb and frozen in place. I am exhausted. Gathering my strength, I push forward. Raising my head, I look out into the vast engulfing sheet of pure whiteness. Suddenly a strong wind picks up and my hood slips off. A fiery redness obstructs my view as I struggle to brush away. When I finally get my hair out of the way, I see several lights in the distance. A mixture of joy and relief quickly penetrates me and I rush toward them.

A new energy that wasn’t present before, fuels me and I pick up my pace. It turns out that the faint lights earlier were coming from a massive dome-shaped mountain. As I approach and draw closer, I realize that it is a cave carved entirely out of ice. The lights were reflected from its glistening smooth surface.

This is it. My heart pounded loudly in my chest and I hug my little bundle closer.

“Don’t be scared, I will protect you,” I softly whisper to the bundle.

As soon as I enter the cave of ice, I hear the constant echoing drops of water. Even though there is no longer snow blowing at me, a cold chill runs down my spine. I look around cautiously before I begin to walk deeper in the mouth of the cave. I stop when I reach a forked road. By just looking through each individual path, it was impossible to determine where these twisting mazes headed. Hesitating, and unsure of which path to take, I slowly recall what the elderly man said to me before I left on this journey.

“What you are headed for is a long one my dear, you will not get there without facing harsh blizzards, a hungry stomach, and extreme exhaustion physically. This quest requires not only preservation but interminable patience as well,” the elder warned me

“I am ready to endure all challenges, there is no other choice left for me now. I have tried everything else and am at the end of my wits. Please, Elder; tell me how to get to the ice cave,” I sob and grasp the elders hands pleadingly.

“I am sympathetic of your situation and have warned you, but if you insist on leaving then I have some knowledge of the cave that may be of use to you. The brave souls who have gone on the same journey and were able to come back are few, but I have heard some details from them. When you are confronted by a split road, take the one that doesn’t answer.”

“I thank you from the bottom of my heart; your kindness will not be forgotten.”

That was half a year ago. I’ve been keeping track of the days passing since I have left the snow village on the mountains. What the elder had warned me of were all valid. I have gone through many trials of harsh weather, hunger and exhaustion, but that had not stopped me. Here I am now, finally in the ice cave of miracles. But what did the Elder mean by ‘doesn’t answer’? Perhaps the cave is able to talk back? I walk to the left opening and talk to the cave, however only my echoes reply back. I move on to the next tunnel and the same thing happens again. After the second try, I feel very silly, but there is just one more path left. I stand at the mouth of the opening and speak loudly in a bold voice,

“My name is Rosa Aveen. I am here to find the ice fairy”.

This time, something strange happens, which is nothing at all. I don’t hear any of my echoes greet me. So this is what he meant.

Continuing into the cave, it is dark and the twisting path seems to have no end. Finally, I reach the end of the tunnel that led to the heart of the ice cave. The ceiling above me is shaped like a dome as I saw earlier on the outside. Ancient language is inscribed, spiraling across the dome. Pillars of carved ice hold up the dome and are wrapped with vines. Flowers and grass cover the floor. In the middle of all this is a fountain. I am stopped short and take in the beauty of the structure. Never in my life have I seen something so marvelous. It dawns on me that I have found what I have been searching. From the tales told in the village, this fountain contains the tears of the ice fairy. With these magical tears any type of sickness or disease can be cured. I walk up to the fountain and kneel down with the bundle cuddled in my arms.

“Oh ice fairy, my child is deathly ill from birth. He is lost in time, in a deep slumber that he cannot wake from. His body may be cold but he still breathes. None of the medicine men I have asked knew the source or cure of this ailment. Please lend me your strength to help my son overcome this hardship. Let me borrow your powers to save this poor child.”

I slowly unwrap the cloth to reveal the sleeping face of a baby boy. His chubby cheeks are the same paleness even with the biting cold and his face, lifeless. Even so, he continues to breathe evenly but silently which was the only indication of life he has ever had. Looking at the face my baby boy stirred a penetrating pain through my heart and overcome with emotion, tears rolled down my face onto his. I got up slowly and reached a shaking hand into the fountain while praying. The water felt refreshingly cool, different from the type of cold that surrounded the ice cave. Scooping up a handful of sparking aqua colored liquid, poured it into the mouth of the baby and stare attentively. Warm pink flushes his cheeks, his eyes flutter open and he lets out a small giggle. I gasp and this time, tears of happiness drop on him.