It was his first winter in Arnor and Eldarion decided that he hated it. He drew his cloak about him, but somehow the wind managed to sneak under the thick material. It was so cold that even the great lake was covered by a thick layer of ice.
And then there were these people that moved on its surface. Looking closely, the prince detected some strange metal devices under the soles of their feet that apparently helped them to glide on the treacherous ice.
Laughing, they chased each other, played games with sticks and a disk or with a huge object that they pushed over the ice. They seemed to be having a lot of fun. He thought it ridiculous.
Slowly his toes were turning to blocks of ice. The young man had enough of this. He had just decided to leave them to it when a merry voice called out to him.
“Why are you standing here alone? Will you not join us, my lord? You are going to like it, I'm sure.”
She had a pair of those metal devices in her hand. And she was very beautiful to behold.
Eldarion found that he could not say nay.


