Chapter 9 : Shelter from the Bitter Cold
The savage wind battered against Belle. It slammed and spun her without mercy. She fell to her knees landing on the slick earth and sharp rocks below. Her fingers splayed out in the mud and she dug down for a better grip. Forcing her head up, she squinted at the figure before her.
The sweet-faced angel stood unmoved by the terrible gales of snow. Her lovely yellow curls swept across her soft cheeks and she frowned down at Belle. The moon shined behind her and her eyes glowed green and gold with an inhuman light.
"You must learn to stand, Savior." Mon Ange sang in her bell-like voice. "Never to kneel, never to yield. Never to tame, always the same."
Belle remained on her knees and moved her arm in front of her eyes to shield them from snow and ice shards. "I don't understand...", she started.
"Stand!" The child ordered, the light in her eyes turning more gold than green.
Belle shook her head. This wasn't happening. Then lightning struck and Belle gritted her teeth and began to stand up against the wind. It seemed to grow stronger the more she struggled.
Finally, she found her feet below her. With all the will she could muster, she anchored her legs and braced herself for more of the punishing ice cold gales. Her face stung and burning trails of blood ran from her knees to her ankles.
"Much better!" The girl sang-spoke encouragingly. "Your road will be long, Savior, but you will stand on it"
The small child stepped forward and the storm moved with her. The closer she came to Belle, the harder it was to remain upright, but Belle did not fall again.
Instead, she dug in her heels and pushed her weight down to her bloody feet. Her wet curls whipped around her head and swatted her cheeks and neck with snow.
As she gazed painfully at the child in front of her, her mind began to focus. Something about her was so familiar. She thought back to all her years of study, the hours she spent reading everything she could get her hands on.
Where had Belle come across such a person? No, not a person, she corrected instinctively. Though her mind struggled against it, she knew with certainty that what stood before her wasn't human.
"What am I, Savior?" The child asked curiously, as though she were aware of Belle's private thoughts. The snow began to twirl around her in a spiral.
Belle bit her lip as she struggled against saying the words out loud.
"What am I!" Mon Ange demanded with a childish stomp of a bare foot. Her skin seemed to radiate and Belle felt the earth vibrate at her feet.
"I, I don't know. It's not possible." Belle shook her head, her voice barely audible above the winds.
"Possible? I worry you will find most things are possible, Savior. Even me." The little girl laughed and swept her arms out wide. The snow flew out along sparks of gold. To Belle, it looked like a ring of frozen fire.
"The Vale. The Sword of Maleknock. The War du Mal..." Belle shook her head as the words trailed off. Shaking herself as if out of a trance, Belle stared at the girl in wonder. "The Enchanted."
The girl simply stared at her, tilting her head to the side. She watched as understanding colored Belle's face and witnessed as she put the pieces of her intricate existence together. Then she clapped happily and laughed. "You are clever, Savior, and well chosen."
Mon Ange sighed in approval. She took another step and reached up, placing a palm on Belle's cheek. The winds died instantly, as did the snow. Silence fell upon the forest. It was a peaceful quiet and Belle felt the warmth spread from Mon Ange's fingers onto her skin and throughout her body.
Mon Ange's power was evident in her stunning eyes. She vibrated with incredible energy even while standing still. Though she wore the face of a sweet child there was an agelessness about her. From what Belle had read in books she could be ancient.
The girl folded her hands and smiled sadly. "I will explain."
She pointed to the trees around her. "There are wolves in the forest, Savior, and they hunt without mercy in numbers beyond imagination. They have traveled from land to land and leave nothing behind but bones and blood."
Dread filled Belle's body. It was too much. Her world had changed in a matter of moments. Everything she ever learned about in her youth was real. Monsters were real. Heroes were real. Belle ran a hand through her damp hair and tried to keep herself from trembling.
"They follow the dark beast." Mon Ange continued slowly. "You have read the history of my people. Now that is all that we have left of them. He and his horrendous pack have destroyed them all and have grown stronger with their powers." The child looked away and wiped a tiny glistening tear from her eye. "I am alone in the world, Savior. A lost child in a realm of monsters."
She looked like a child, Belle thought. So small. Deceptively small. But there was a fragility to the enchantress that made Belle's heart ache and she stepped forward cautiously. "I, I'm sorry."
Mon Ange gazed back at Belle with a small smile tilting her tiny pink lips. She shook her head and took a breath. "There is a castle along this road, hidden in the wood and rock. Do you know of which I speak?"
Belle nodded. "Yes, the Château de Beauchene."
"You must go to this castle, Savior. You must speak with its master and you must help him stop the dark beast."
Belle stared at the enchantress for a moment. "Me? No. I cannot. My father..."
Belle stopped as the cold returned. The chill seeped into her pores and penetrated her bones. It felt almost as though it radiated from within.
"Your father? How many fathers will die? How many mothers and children? What is your father to a world drenched in blood?" The child answered coldly. "You must save them all."
Belle frowned and shook her head. "How? I am a commoner. It isn't possible for me to get an audience with the Prince, much less try to convince him of what you are saying."
The child held up a hand to stop Belle from speaking. "You mustn't worry about the prince. If you want to help your father you must go to the castle. Tell the master I have sent you. Help him. And remember, you are a nightjar, Savior. Sing when the night is darkest. Fly when others flee. Never to kneel, never to yield."
Wordlessly, Belle nodded and ran a hand up her frozen shoulder.
"You have warmed me on our travels, my friend, and I am grateful." Mon Ange spoke gently as she slowly ran a hand down the surface of the white cloak she wore. Belle observed as it blazed with bolts of yellow and blue lightning. She was amazed that it did not burn.
Belle watched in silence as the cloak lifted from the girl's small shoulders and began to change colors.
First, it was red, then black, then every color of the rainbow and shadows. It twisted in the air as if wrung by invisible hands, all the while shivering with bolts of electricity. Its material began to change. It was at once a soft cotton and hard leather. It transitioned from water to ice, from soft petals to hard rock. Then it was gone altogether.
The little enchantress held out a hand and it reappeared, draping itself over her arm. Stepping forward she handed it to Belle with a happy childlike grin. "A gift for a gift."
Belle's brow pinched and she looked at first at the girl, then at the cloak. Hesitantly, she reached out a hand to the cloak. It seemed to give off its own heat. "It's warm," Belle observed quietly.
Mon Ange laughed and the curls bounced around her face. "And so it shall be, no matter where it is worn. Forever warm, among other things."
Belle drew her brows together. "Other things?" she asked.
"You will see in time, Savior. Go now, in peace. Our paths will cross again."
Belle felt the wind whip around her again and then the child was gone. The snow still fell. The winds still howled. In the forest, a tiny creature fluttered its wings. All was as it was and yet Belle was changed forever.
She stood for a moment, frozen in place. A flake fell on her cheek and she lifted chilly fingers to wipe away the dampness. The sound of her horse's hooves beating against the frozen path caused her eyes to flicker and she glanced his way. It still stood waiting patiently by the trees.
Belle twisted her wet hair away from her face and moved to mount. Her body ached as much as her mind and it took a moment before she sat upright in her saddle. The wind blew again and Belle glanced down at the cloak in her hands. For a moment she considered leaving it, then Gaston's face filled her mind. Belle sighed and placed the cloak around her shoulder. Instantly the cold disappeared and was replaced by a comforting warmth that spread across her whole body.
Her frame felt lighter and the horse took off at a dazzling speed. Trees whipped past and she leaned forward as she rode. It would be a long journey and would take the rest of the night but she would reach the Château de Beauchene by morning.
Twilight went quickly and before she knew it the sun was spreading its rays across the sky. The morning was stunning. Pink and purple painted clouds scattered across the horizon and outlined the magnificent castle up ahead.
It wasn't until later that Belle would wonder at her speed. She would marvel at her ability to find the hidden castle. It wasn't until later that she would come to regret ever finding it at all.
A.N. All characters belong to Walt Disney Co.
Hello, readers! I think we have all learned not to talk to strangers. Even cute little blonde ones! Are you excited about what's to come? What do you want to happen when Belle meets Beast? Let me know your thoughts and I promise to save you from any creepy 10 yr olds!
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As always thank you for reading, reviewing, following and / or favoriting! -S