Fille de glace et de neige.

Chapitre un

English:

Girl of Ice and Snow

Chapter one

The long awaited sun rose into the morning sky, trailing its powerful rays through Shizuru's bedroom where she slept peacefully. Sleepy eyes happily greeted the bright sun. She threw the covers off her graceful frame and groggily eased off the mattress. She quickly dressed and threw on her favorite red cloak before she tiptoed out the door.

It was still early dawn as she exited the threshold of her father's estate and headed toward the gate. As usual, the guard on duty was leaning against the wood walls that enclosed the small town fast asleep. She carefully slipped by and walked out into the world beyond the vast walls of Hime. Shizuru felt her heart soar as she emerged from the shadows between the gate towers. She was free.

Pour tandis Que. For a little while.

The golden fields stretched as far as the eye could see. To her left was a sea of emerald-green stalks of the barley fields, which would soon turn to gold by harvest time. Peasants, their wide-brimmed straw hats shading their already sun-burned faces from the sun, were already hard at work reaping the last of the season's wheat. The iron curve of their scythes glistening in the rising sun whenever they heaved it above their heads.

Beyond the river bank, lined with oak trees and marsh willow, was the deep and silent forest where the wild eagles flew. Stag, lynx and bear were plentiful, and fox too in the winter. Towering above the lowland woods and thicket were the dark forests of the North where the wild wolves ruled the land.

Shizuru lifted the hood of her cloak over her head, shading her face from other's view. It would not be wise to be caught outside of the village. She walked quickly, her cloak trailing behind her and kicking up dust.

Since Hime stood on a tall hill the path down was steep and rocky. Shizuru knew every dip and rise of the land and climbed down with ease. She came upon the edge of the barley field and disappeared among the tall stalks as she maneuvered her way forward. Soon she reached the woodlands where the trees stretched tall, reaching for the morning sky. Their dark branches contrasted against the grey dawn.

She glided into the trees, twigs snapping and leaves crunching under her feet. Gradually, as she followed the familiar path, she came upon a meadow. The dawn mist made the tall grass glitter in the light of the rising sun. Red, yellow, and orange flowers speckled the field making this place special in Shizuru's eyes.

She stripped off her dress and cloak until all that covered her was her undergarments. She undid her tawny hair letting it fall freely around her shoulders before she ran through the meadow. The tall grass tickled her thighs and she happily dashed around the meadow. It was during these moments of freedom that she was never held back by anything. Here, she was a free spirit. She wasn't a daughter or a soon-to-be bride; she was just herself, a seventeen-year old girl not bound by rules or responsibilities.

Shizuru slowed her pace and collapsed onto the soft ground. Her chest heaved up and down as the grass around her swayed in a gentle breeze. She looked up toward the sky and watched as the sun slowly but surely rose higher into the sky. The surrounding forest was alive with bird song and insect calls.

Once her breathing was even, she rose from the forest floor and walked toward her forgotten clothes. She slowly dressed and walked over to the blackberry bush on the outskirts of the woods. Large, ripe berries grew dense among the thickets and thorns. She folded her skirts under her and knelt beside the fruit and gingerly plucked some from their prickly leaves.

Bittersweet slid down her throat as dark juices settled on her lips. She licked it away and reached for more, enjoying the taste of the natural, wild berries. She sat back against a nearby tree and looked through the canopy of leaves at the pale sky. She wondered if her father was already awake, reading important documents of the state in his private chambers. Her time here was growing short and she was reluctant to return to the busy village of Hime. Telling herself a few more moments couldn't hurt, she lay back against the tree and closed her eyes.

--"0"--

The sound of a buzzing insect near her ear woke her from her slumber. Shizuru jolted upright and looked up at the sun hovering high in the sky. She scrambled to her feet in a panic and quickly slipped her feet into her slippers. She had accidently fallen asleep and now she was sure that everyone would take notice of her absence.

Pulling her cloak tighter around her frame, she ran back through the forest. She battled her way out of the barley field and up to the gatehouse. She knew she couldn't just go waltzing back into the safety of the walls since she couldn't be caught by the sentry guards or they would inform her father of her wrong doings.

She peeked around the corner of the gatehouse and saw a man guarding the gate. There was no way to get around him.

Luckily a horse and charrette, cart, was traveling down the dirt path that led to Hime. Shizuru hid in the shadows and waited for the cart to pull up to the gate. Finally it did and while the farmer who was leading the plow horse towards the entrance of her father's estate was busy discussing his intentions with the guard she ducked behind the wooden cart that was loaded with a variety of vegetables and fruit.

The two men finally finished speaking and the guard moved aside to let the man enter. As the cart lurched forward, Shizuru quietly followed.

Just when she thought she had successfully sneaked back inside the village, she felt a strong hand grab her shoulder and roughly turn her around. She came face to face with the stern-looking guard. When he realized who she was he quickly released her but the irritation that occupied his face didn't vanish.

"What do you think your doing, princesse? You know you're not supposed to be outside the walls," he retorted angrily.

"Ara, it seems like I've been caught. But not to worry, good solider, I won't do it again," Shizuru said submissively.

"Even if I knew you were speaking the truth, my orders are to let Sir Fujino know if anyone disobeys his orders by leaving or entering the village without his permission, and you, Princess, are clearly disobeying his orders. Now, come with me," He announced with a sneer.

Shizuru sighed and knew that she was in for a lot of trouble. She willingly followed the guard as he led her toward the courtyard.

When they entered the house, they immediately went towards Sir Fujino's office. The sentry glanced at the scarlet-eyed girl once more before knocking on the heavy oak door.

"Entrez," Shizuru heard her father's voice boom from behind the door.

Shizuru and the watch guard entered the office and saw a large man sitting behind an oak desk. The desk was piled high with papers and scrolls. Behind the man was Hime's crest, which consisted of a snarling wolf's outline with a cross bearing behind it.

Hime's crest always reminded her of the stories of how a young déesse, goddess, roamed the woods in the distant hills and has watched over the estate for hundreds of years. Some say that they have caught a glimpse of the young girl before she turned into a silver wolf herself and disappeared.

Shizuru never really believed the legends but that didn't stop her from glancing toward the hills wishing to catch a sight of the young goddess.

The tawny-haired girl broke her line of vision from the wolf-bearing crest and glanced toward the towering figure of her father.

Sir Fujino was a man of great wisdom and his striking gaze and large size made him look intimidating. His wide shoulders and head was the only thing that could be seen from behind the mountain of documents. Shizuru instantly noticed that he didn't look pleased that he had been interrupted.

"What has my mischievous daughter done this time?" Her father asked as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

The sentry snapped to attention and bowed slightly before saying, "Monsieur, I caught her trying to sneak back inside the village. I don't know how she got past us the first time."

Sir Fujino just glanced at Shizuru as he listened intently. His brow furrowed and his mouth drew into a thin line. She heard her father sigh, weary from his work. Shizuru noticed the deep lines around his mouth and the dark circles under his eyes. All fifty-one years of his life was etched permanently on his skin.

Shizuru watched as her father slightly inclined his head toward the sentry, dismissing him. The solider instantly did a one-eighty and marched out the door. Sir Fujino turned his full, undivided attention towards his only daughter.

"Shizuru,filla, you will be the death of me," his tired smile removed the sting from his words.

The young girl looked toward the floor, embarrassed to have been caught disrespecting her father's wishes. She knew that he didn't want her to go beyond the village walls because of the danger it holds but she enjoyed her little moment of freedom and hated to give it up.

"You are just like your mother, Shizuru. May she rest in peace. I know that you rather be roaming the hills than being locked up in the citadel but these days are dark times, my child. It is very dangerous outside of Hime's walls. That is why I cannot allow you to go beyond our walls. I am sorry but you must obey my words. Besides, you are about to marry Prince Reito and you need to cast aside these childish acts of yours. Can I trust that this will not happen again?" her father asked.

"Yes, père."

"Merci, Shizuru. Vous êtes écarté."

Shizuru turned to leave her father's presence when a question formed in her mind. Before she opened the door she turned and asked, "Père, if you would be so kind, I would like to know about these dark times. I have noticed that you have trained more militia and that you have enforced a curfew on Hime."

Sir Fujino smiled and said, "You have a sharp eye, filla. Very well, I shall tell you since I believe you have a right to know."

Shizuru watched as the small smile that graced his lips disappeared and a firm look took its place.

"All of Fuka is gathering its allies because the Obsidian Lord of the North is once again on the move. He has started to gather a great armée and he plans on conquering the Land of Fuka and its neighboring lands. Hime and our allies have decided that we will fight for our lands. The Obsidian Lord is a merciless leader and he will wipe out any obstacle that stands in his way. As the Lord of Hime, I am making sure that we gather enough of our allies together so that we will have a chance at protecting what is rightfully ours. The problem is that many of our Allies, such as; Chanclet, Terrill, Genni, and a few others think that if they surrender and refuse to fight, Lord Obsidian will leave them be. They are bête; foolish. The Dark Lord will not hesitate to completely destroy them."

Shizuru listened to her father's word intently. It seemed that 'dark times' were upon them. She had already learned of this Lord Obsidian in her studies since he was mentioned in Hime's history countless times. The so called, 'Dark Lord' was a ruthless leader and he had already attempted to take over the Land of Fuka. Thankfully, General Takuma had managed to defeat the Dark Lord's armée. Now, it seemed, Lord Obsidian was back for revenge and this time he was even more powerful than before.

"Now do you see why I would like you to stay inside the walls? You never know when some of Lord Obsidian's mercenaries are dwelling," Sir Fujino asked.

"Yes, père. I understand. Il ne se produira pas encore," Shizuru promised. It will not happen again.

--"0"--

It had been a month after Sir Fujino had revealed his plans to Shizuru. Since then, the tawny-haired girl has not broken her promise. It was difficult for her but she managed by focusing all her attention on the wedding.

She was to be married to Prince Reito, a man that greatly annoyed her. She despised the fact that they were to be betrothed but since her father wished it, she would reluctantly oblige.

The wedding was to occur in a few weeks time and her many, domestique; servants, seemed more excited about it than she. Shizuru wished that she didn't have to marry but for the future of Hime she would have to. Prince Reito was from a wealthy kingdom and his father was Sir Fujino's best friend so it was natural that her father would want her to marry him.

Shizuru had met the prince twice before and she already despised him. He was someone that would be described as a prostitué; a 'man-whore'. He was quite popular with the female gender but Shizuru wasn't slightly interested. He was cocky, air-headed, and just plain stupid. No, he was certainly not someone she would ever marry if she had the choice.

Shizuru sighed for the up-tenth time that day as she was getting ready for sleep. Her maids had already helped her change into the kimono that she usually slept in. She slid in under the covers, dismissed her maids, and blew out the flickering flame of the lamp. The large room was instantly consumed by darkness and she closed her eyes and quickly slipped into oblivion.

--"0"--

Shizuru was woken by the sound of shouting and thundering footsteps. She quickly sat up in bed and was startled to see a solider of Hime throw open the door. He glanced around in the darkness and when his eyes locked onto hers, he quickly ran toward her.

"Princesse Shizuru, we have to leave. Monsieur Fujino's orders," with that said he snatched her up out of bed and dragged her out of her room by her upper arm.

"Solider, ce qui se produit? Where is my father?" Shizuru asked with authority.

As the pair was quickly walking down the corridor the troop explained, "The lookouts have spotted a large militia on the horizon. It was later confirmed that it was the armée of Lord Obsidian. Your father has given me instructions to take you far from here and to the safety of our neighboring kingdom. It is important that you are far away from here before the enemy can advance closer."

The red-eyed girl was about to ask more questions when she was interrupted by a group of Hime soldiers, all clad in armor, run by them. Shizuru watched them go. It seemed that they were most likely heading toward the Eastern Gate. She turned her gaze back on the solider whom had a grip on her arm and asked, "Quediriez-vous de Monpère? What about my father?"

"Seigneur Fujino has said that he was to stay here. He wants to be here to command his troops," The guard told her as he glanced around at their surroundings nervously. Despite trying to sound brave as he spoke, Shizuru could hear the fear in his voice.

Before she knew it, they were exiting the entrance to her father's citadel. There, just beyond the road was a horse and carriage waiting to take her far from Hime. The solider helped her up inside and closed the door behind her. Before she even got settled on the leather seat the driver had signaled the horses into a quick trot. She glanced out the window of the carriage and saw that they were headed toward the northern gate.

Shizuru tried to calm herself but the fear that her father was going to be staying here while an army was trying to invade Hime wouldn't leave.

The sentries already posted there quickly opened the gates and without slowing down the driver urged the horses through. The princess used to enjoy taking a ride in the carriage but she didn't take pleasure in this ride at all. The horses were trotting fast and the carriage bounced around threatening to tip over as they travelled quickly down the dark path into the Northern Woods.

Shizuru peered through the window trying to see if she could spot anything through the darkness but it was futile. It seemed that even the moon was staying hidden. As the stagecoach ventured further into the wolf-infested woods, she thought for a split second that she had saw a figure move in the darkness but she knew it could just be a trick of the eye. She forced her eyes away from the window and tried to settle down. She took deep breathes to calm herself and was nearly in a peaceful state of mind when the carriage came to an abrupt halt, throwing the princess into the other side of the cart.

She could hear men speaking in a foreign tongue. The voices sounded harsh and their words were drenched in hate. Shizuru froze, being careful not to make a sound. She could hear the driver pleading for mercy but was abruptly cut off by a scream of agony. Shizuru knew that she had to get away. She quickly threw open the stagecoach's door and darted toward the trees. She could hear the evil men yelling and cursing as they ran after her.

It was hard to maneuver through the trees with her kimono on. She was running as fast as her bare feet would carry her. Sharp sticks and splinters tore open her feet and stray branches slashed out at her face and arms. Her clothes were snagged and torn from the many thorns that occupied the forest floor. The red-eyed princess was desperately trying to out run her adversaries but she could hear that they were quickly catching up.

Her foot slipped inside a hole and her pain shot up her leg as she hit to the ground. Shizuru made a desperate attempt to get back up but her leg wouldn't allow it. She fell back down and tried to scramble on her hands and knees to safety but a large hand lunged out and grabbed the back of her collar. She was thrown against a near by tree by a bear-like man. He had a twisted grin on his face as he glared down at her. Soon more men surrounded her, all with a sneering gaze.

Deep down, Shizuru knew that this was the end. But her pride wouldn't let her go down without a fight. When the man knelt down and reached a grubby hand out toward her, Shizuru spat in his face. She saw the rage contort his face and he grabbed her neck and lifted her off the ground. She flailed her arms and legs uselessly hitting anything she could come in contact with but the grip on her throat never released. She couldn't breathe and tears threatened to escape from her eyes but she blinked them back; she wouldn't give them that kind of satisfaction. Shizuru kept telling herself that this was the best way since she would rather be already dead when they ravaged and raped her.

Her vision started to blur as darkness was quickly settling in. Her body began to relax and her heartbeat lessened.

'C'est l'extrémité. This is the end,'

Those two sentences were running through her mind right before the arm that was choking her was severed from its body.

Shizuru fell to the ground gasping for breath, all the while a mysterious person was moving quickly and soundlessly toward the screaming man that had lost his arm. The screaming was stopped as a samurai sword impelled him through his heart. The dead man slumped to the forest floor as another man was beheaded by the same blade. Another solider charged at Shizuru's mysterious savior but his actions were stopped when a blade sliced open his gut.

The princess could hear screams of horror and pain as she desperately tried to gulp down air. When she could finally breathe properly, she noticed that everything was eerily quiet. She noticed that there was blood everywhere and the men who had tried to kill her were all just lifeless corpses now. Shizuru peered through the darkness and saw a small, lone figure with a glistening red blade in hand. The person was watching her intently as they sheathed their sword.

Shizuru could feel herself slipping into oblivion even though she was frantically clinging onto consciousness. Right before she passed out the princess noticed that the person before her was a young girl that had dark hair that was tinted blue as the moon appeared from behind the dark clouds. She locked eyes onto the shiny emerald ones that looked as if it they could peer into her soul and uttered a small, "Beau. Beautiful," before darkness pulled her into its depths.