"Sven, don't. Move," I whispered. The pitch black of the winter night was dead silent, only interrupted by my shallow breathing. I waited expectantly. I knew I had heard something moving behind us, and I wasn't going anywhere until I was sure we were safe, or in danger. After a brief moment of silence, I heard it again; a footprint breaking the thin ice that covered the snow. My heart leapt into my throat. We weren't alone.
"Sven, go!" I yelled. The sleigh jerked to life as Sven bolted away from whatever was following us. I waited for howls or footsteps, anything which would give me some idea as to what we were up against. I was met with nothing but the sounds of Sven's heavy foot falls, and the blood that was roaring in my ears.
I desperately searched my pockets for a match to light a lantern, but I once again came up empty. I could feel Sven losing steam already, and his breathing had become labored and shallow. I looked at the huge pile of ice attached to the sled and felt desperation rise up in my chest. It had taken me all week to get this much ice. I jumped in horror as a sharp crack of a branch breaking rang out though the night. I looked once more at Sven's shaking frame, and I climbed to the back of the sled. I had nothing to fight with, and that left me one option. I took a deep breath and pulled out my dull stone knife, preparing myself for what I had to do. Another crack sounded, even closer, and I cursed to myself for moving so slow.
I leaned over the back of the sled and quickly began to saw away at the ropes that secured the ice down. I frantically sawed at it, but the knife barely even cut into it, and I unexpectedly heard footsteps. Footsteps heavier than Sven's, inhuman and unnatural. I looked back in dismay to see a huge creature pounding after us, and I once again began to work on the ropes. My heart beat uncontrollably in my chest as the first rope snapped and I began working on the second. After what seemed like ages, the second rope snapped and one by one the ice slid off, as if to torture me slowly for what I had to do.
As I climbed back to the front and grabbed the reins, I allowed myself to glance back and I saw nothing. I sighed in relief. The ice must of taken it slowly began to regain steady breathing, and slowly I brought him to a halt. I took in my surroundings cautiously, only to be met with nothing. All I could see where the vague, barely recognizable forms for the trees that surrounded us, and any hope of light was killed. Dark, heavy clouds shielded any starlight that might get through, and even the full moon couldn't shine through the gloomy night. Deciding I should find a lighter, I climbed from my sled to access my belongings. My eyes opened so wide that it hurt and I felt my way to the back of the sleigh. I jumped onto the back and began searching blindly through my bags, when my heart stopped. The distinct sound of ice breaking filtered through my muddled brain.
Wildly, I looked around myself, running through the few options of survival I had left. Sven couldn't manage another mad dash through the forest, and all I had was a blunt, stone dagger. I cursed myself silently once more for being so ignorant. I shouldn't have assumed I was safely away from whatever creature followed us, and this assumption I had made was going to cost us terribly. I circled slowly around trying to locate my attacker, and as if on cue to make the situation better, the wind began to pick up. It started as a chilling breeze, but steadily it began to rise louder, faster, until it was a howl. Trees leaned unnaturally to the side, and the snow was swept into the air. I saw it then, its hunched, massive figure, its long hair blowing madly in the wind and the snow glinting off its teeth. I stood there frozen, man facing beast, as the wind rippled through the trees and snow stung my face. Panic suddenly clenched my heart, and the ice from around me seemed to seep into my veins.
A low moaning sound suddenly filled the clearing, and urgently searched around me to see where it was coming from. All the trees leaned unnaturally, but only one had the power to crush me. The beast launched itself from where it stood, its muscles bunching together as it loped towards us. The sled jerked to life as Sven panicked and I was thrown off the back and into the snow.
"Sven!" I screamed as loud as my lungs would allow, and I felt my throat being ripped raw. The wind blew snow from the ground and tree's everywhere obscuring my vision. I pushed myself up to see the giant thing racing after the sled, and it was then that a deafening crack rang out around the clearing. I stared in horror at the tree now making its full decent towards the ground, the ground Sven was about to occupy. I scrambled to my feet but was immediately knocked back down by the wind, and flattened to the snow covered ground.
A thunderous boom resonated of the trees and overpowered the sound of the wind. A sickening crunch accompanied the finality of the tree falling and my heart stopped. I could no longer see the sled, or Sven, or the giant being that had been after us. The silence that followed the tree hurt, and only the constant howl of the wind was left. Snow stung my exposed face like needles, and I welcomed the pain.
"S-Sven," I choked out. Tears froze on my face before they could fall, and my eyes burned. My head fell into my arms and a sob choked me from the inside. I turned my face to the sky, "Sven!" I screamed once more, trying to lurch to my feet. The wind ripped the word from my mouth and knocked me head over heels. I went flying through the air, my site growing fuzzy from lack of oxygen. The second I saw the tree in front of me, everything went black.