Submission (#6050) Approved

A soft growl pierced the silence of Strynhalde, but the sound was quickly swallowed by the thick layer of snow everywhere.
The air was crisp and bitingly cold, causing each breath to form a visible mist in the frigid morning air. Tall, majestic trees in white and blue stood sentinel, their branches heavy with a layer of glistening snow. The branches above formed a natural cathedral, their intricate lacework of ice crystals capturing the soft sunlight and scattering it into thousands of sparkles. Untouched snow stretched for miles around the forest clearing, while fragile snowflakes flurried through the air.

In the heart of this winter wonderland, a wide river meandered its way through the forest and cliffs. The half-frozen river presented a mesmerizing and treacherous landscape, a testament to the battle between winter's icy grip and the flowing currents of water. It was a place of absurd contrasts, where the sharp shards of ice stuck out from the partially frozen surface; their edges razor-sharp and glistering in the pale light.

None of it was of interest to Alois though as he stood perched on the edge of the riverbank. His gaze was fixated on a whole other problem that was about to ruin his journey. As if he didn’t have enough problems already.
It’s been three weeks now since he’s been on the hunt for a certain Elnin. He had tracked him all the way through Ahza and now Strynhalde. It was exhausting, to say the least, but he couldn’t give up now. Not when he was this close. His intel was good this time. The Elnin in question had been spotted in Iorumund, the capital of Strynhalde. There was no escaping him now … if Alois could make it there in time. 

His white fur, ever so slightly wet from the snowflakes, glistened in the sunlight, as he examined the situation that unfolded in front of him a little further. The forest was hushed, the only sounds being the occasional rustling of branches and the wild gurgle of the river beneath him.
Jumping over it was out of the question; it was too wide and too wild. The rocks had dagger-like edges and were partially frozen over, making it impossible to hold onto. One wrong step and he would slip into the raging current below, and Alois was unsure if he could ever get out of there unharmed. 

His only hope rested upon something else.

Alois - despite his somewhat dainty appearance - exuded an air of determination as he surveyed the broken bridge in front of him. It had been ravaged by the harsh eternal winter of Strynhalde, its wooden planks splintered and weakened by the icy grip of the never-ending season. Yet, here he was - ready to tackle the daunting task ahead. He wasn’t about to waste anymore time; he needed to get to the other side, no matter what.

With a polite chirp he alerted his Pomu. The little creature emerged from Alois' shadow and blinked in discomfort and half asleep - the snow reflected the sunlight and everything was so bright. The Pomu was in the middle of a nap and it blinked hesitant towards the Elnin.
“Haha, sorry little one, I know, I know. It’s early. But I kinda need your help here, otherwise we’re stuck. Go and grab the tool bag please, would you?”
The Pomu yawned and stretched its plumb little body, before sinking back into the shadow. Alois could hear a faint rumbling and crashing, and was wondering how much junk his little friend had accumulated over time. It was probably for the best to plan a declutter session, but that was a problem for another time.
Just as he thought his Pomu fell asleep again, it jumped back out of the shadows and handed him the tool bag.
“Thanks. I’ll go and inspect the damage and see what I can do. You could help me out and collect a bit of wood I can use for the repairs.”, Alois explained in a soft voice and his Pomu nodded, before it turned around and waddled towards the nearest trees to see if it would find anything.

With a graceful leap, Alois landed on the rickety bridge, his small paws leaving slight imprints on the snow-dusted wood. Delicately, he inspected each damaged plank, his tails quivering with concentration. While putting the tools next to him, he realized that he definitely needed new wood to fill in the gaps and to make it safe to cross.
He called out to his pomu and decided to join his little friend. He would need a lot more wood than the little one could carry and it was probably more time efficient. 

It didn’t take them too long. They were in luck, not far from the bridge was an old tree that collapsed under the weight of the snow during the last storm. Alois carefully grabbed everything he needed, while his Pomu did the same. Together, they quickly gathered enough and returned to the bridge. They put all the needed materials safely next to the tools and Alois stepped back for a moment, content with the progress they had made so far. He thanked his furry little friend, who chirped at him one last time before jumping back into Alois’ shadow. Then, with precision and a sense of purpose, the Elnin began to mend the bridge.

Using his miniature chisels, Alois expertly carved away the weakened parts of the wood. His movements were deliberate, and the discarded splinters fell silently into the river below and were quickly carried away by the dark waters. With each careful incision, he revealed the untouched, sturdy wood beneath, gradually restoring the bridge's strength. But he needed the extra wood they collected to fill in the gaps. Carefully, he tested each plank, bit through the rope and put the new wood in place with nails and hammer. As Alois worked, his breath formed a faint mist in the icy air, and the winter sun casted a gentle glow on his shiny fur.
Time seemed to stretch as Alois continued his task, never wavering in his determination to repair the bridge. He wanted to get it done, but he also wanted to do it right. This was now his work and failure wasn’t an option.

Finally, after what felt like hours, Alois stepped back, his work complete. The bridge, once broken and battered, now stood strong and whole, ready to serve travelers once more.
He tested the bridge thoroughly - and was content with his work. Everything seemed to be in place now and he collected his tools again, handing them to his Pomu, which emerged from the shadows to take a peek at the final work. It thrilled in excitement and eagerly took the tools off Alois paws, before going back to continue its nap.
Meanwhile, with one last look at the repaired bridge, Alois smiled softly.

The hunt could continue.