The snow was cold.
Extremely.
That's what Varian decided when he noticed he was still less than halfway to Verona. Only science can get you so far.
He looked out at Corona.
Why. Why had he not listened to his father at first? Maybe they could have left. Found somewhere new to live. Maybe the rocks would be discovered by the guards and stopped before any of this-
"Are you okay?" asked a voice from behind him.
Varian looked up at a woman on the back of her horse, behind him. At first, Varian thought that she was Rapunzel by her long blonde hair-but then realized that her hair wasn't in a braid- rather blonde and tied in a bun- and was several feet shorter. Not to mention there were googles that covered her eyes to keep the snow out, and she wore a rather rough looking thick winter coat, thick pants, and a wool hat, with an empty cart being towed behind the horse.
"This isn't the place for a young child to be wandering around. The snow's picking up. You could freeze to death out here." replied the woman. She reached out her hand to Varian. "Where are you heading? I can take you there."
Varian looked at how far away Verona was and then up at the woman. He took her hand, and she helped him on the back of her horse.
"Where you heading kid?" she asked him, snapping the reins of her horse as they started to trot along to town.
"Verona." Varian responded. "To see the princess."
"The princess, ay kid?" she asked jokingly. "You guys friends?"
"She owes me a favor." he responded to her.
The woman laughed. "Kids these days." she said to herself.
Varian was slightly irritated.
"But I'm serious miss!" he responded urgently. "My father- he's going to get stuck in black crystals!"
Suddenly, the woman stopped. She looked at him urgently.
"Crystals? Like, actual crystals?" asked the woman urgently. "Not a joke. What chemicals did you use to make them?"
"I was trying to get rid of these black rocks-" Varian explained.
"Black rocks?" asked the woman. "Like, big, spiky black rocks that are unbreakable and have obliterated villages near that creepy tower where the princess was held captive?"
Entire villages.
Varian swallowed and nodded.
"Hold on kid." the woman replied, snapping the reins of her horse. "Come on Lightning. To Corona!"
The horse neighed and took off towards the kingdom. Varian nearly fell off at first from how fast the horse was going, but he quickly held onto the woman's coat to kep from falling off.
This was happening.
Someone who believed the story that he was telling.
Finally.
This is Alice Foreshadow, heading back down the rabbit hole!