The Traveller Snow. Snow everywhere. As far as the travellers weary eyes could see, there was nothing except snow and a solitary mountain on the horizon. The mountain was his destination, his life's goal since the age of five. Since he first heard the stories about the valley and what happens there, once every hundred years. Legends, they had said to him, fairytales nothing more. Twenty years of his life he had spent gathering every scrap of information he could find. Studying maps, old manuscripts, journals of adventures and travels. Slowly pieces started to fit together. He found the location of the mountain and he had learned the time of the next gathering. And now he was here. The sled felt heavy, he's feet hurt but he knew that he must keep on going, that there was not a minute to waist. His last sled-dog had died two days ago and since then he was forced to pull the sled alone. Not that there was much to pull, only some food, firewood and some blankets. Five days later he had reached the base of the mountain. He allowed himself a days rest before he started to climb the mountain. The climb was a perilous one. Ice and snow covered the mountain making it hard to see where it was safe to place his feet. Twice he almost fell only to be stopped by his safety line. That did not worry him, he was so close to his goal. By nightfall he had reached the top of the ridge. And there he saw that what he had hoped to see. The valley of ice flowers. The flowers were shards of ice, created by some bizarre whim of nature, growing out of the snow. The sun was quickly setting behind the horizon and he knew that they would come soon. It was time for the next gathering. The last rays of the setting sun sparkled on the mountain tops and then the sun was gone leaving behind a star filled night. Quickly he set up his camp and took the equipment out from the backpack. He chose the location on the plateau he thought had the best view and built there a seat from snow and ice. Now he only had to wait. Few hours later the sky started to shine in thousands of colours. Faintly at first but getting stronger by the minute. Aurora borealis, the traveller thought, it won't be much longer now. And then he saw them, one coming from the east the other from the west. The two white bodies almost collided over the ice flowers. "I was right" the traveller said to himself and drew out his pen and his sketchbook. Like that was a cue, the two creatures started their performance high in the sky. Low humming noise could be heard high above, broken only by short shrieks and screeches. But the traveller did not listen to that, he's only thoughts were to draw what he saw. The gloves restricted he's movement and so were removed. The coat soon followed. Cold and wind attacked his defenceless body but the traveller paid them no mind. Page after page were filled with sketches. Page after page of he's dream was completed, he's dream to see and draw the ice dragon's mating dance. He knew that what he had put on paper could never be measured to that beauty what he saw around him, but he drew. The light from moon and aurora reflected thousands and thousands of times on the ice flowers and on the scales of the dragons. Hundreds of shades of green, blue and red danced on the ice, the field sometimes resembling a park on autumn, sometimes a summer on a meadow. The shadows of the dragons played their own little game amongst the ice flowers chasing one another. The breath of the dragons hung in the air like small clouds only to be thrown apart by the flapping of giant wings. The picture never stood still, the lights and the dragons were in constant motion. I just hope I brought enough paper, the traveller thought. And then the darkness fell. First rays of the morning sun extended from behind the horizon. The plateau was slowly filled with light. At the edge of the plateau on the chair of ice the traveller sat, his hand still holding the sketchbook, the smile frozen on his face. He had died happy, he had died after seeing true beauty. P.S. If there are any errors in the text, i am sorry, but English is not my native language. Good luck to all contestants!