The fall down the stairs to the cellar wasn't pleasant, but Sassette had no choice. She couldn't let Scruple get to the Book alone, because she was sure that instead of stopping the frost he had created, he would only wish for a new wand.
"Oh no!" The boy's desperate scream broke her out of her reverie. The Smurfess got up from the dirty floor and dusted the back of her pants, looking at Scruple, who stood with his back to her.
The red-haired young man grabbed his head, grunting mournfully. Unfortunately, his body hid the reason of his sudden despair from Sassette. The girl hesitantly approached the boy, and the image that had caused his emotions was slowly revealed to her.
The Great Book of Spells was frozen.
"Oh, Book!" Scruple groaned and grabbed his head. He walked quickly to the ice-bound book and held out his hands. "Maybe it's not too late yet!"
However, as soon as he came into physical contact with the magical object, he was electrocuted and he jumped back, his hair standing up. But the Book remained in its unfortunate position, unable to even move a page. It wasn't speaking, gave no directions, as if it had become an ordinary book.
"Not a chance," Sassette squeaked softly. "Since the whole area and all living things became ice-bound, this fate couldn't spare the Book either."
The further despairing of the two redheads was interrupted by the other two Smurfs, who also experienced the slide down the frozen and hard stairs all the way to the cellar.
Farmer and Handy landed on the cold floor with their bruised butts and tails. "How's the book?" Handy asked hurriedly.
"We can't get in contact with it!"
"That's not good," Farmer muttered. "The hot springs turned out useless, everything is starting to freeze over there. We should run away."
"Without the Book, I won't get a new wand!"
"You can't be serious! It's all your fault, Scruple, and all you can think about right now is getting a new wand?!" Handy growled. "Better ask the Book to return the summer!"
"Oh no, you've been ordering me around too many times, you nasty Smurfs!" That said, the boy grabbed all three of them in his hands with one neat movement. "And now back to the Book," he grunted and approached the frozen magical object again. "The Great Book of Spells, Give me a new wand, If you do this now, Summer is all I want!"
"No!" Farmer, Handy and Sassette shouted in one voice.
To their surprise, the Great Book of Spells began to shine a white glow, but it didn't bring a pleasant warmth. On the contrary, if the world was ruled by winter, the Gargamel's cellar turned into an Ice Age. Scruple, trembling with cold, tightened his grip on the captured pixies, doubling their discomfort.
A thick layer of ice covered the book, compacted around it as tightly as it could, and then the entire lump of ice with the book inside it broke into thousands of tiny pieces. The magical force pushed Scruple away with such great power that this time he flew across the cellar and hit the wall with his back. Unfortunately for the Smurfs, the stubborn and determined boy didn't think about letting them go. The impact put all three of them into a momentary shock and disorientation. Their Smurf hats were blown off their heads and fell behind some old wooden chests.
"Oh no!" Scruple shouted again as the glow faded and what was left of the Great Book of Spells was shown to them. The redhead sprang to his feet, but quickly gave up on any further actions. "The Book is destroyed!"
Sassette moaned in pain, reminding him of the Smurfs' presence.
"Thank smurfness," Handy whispered. "Are you okay, Sassette?"
"I think so..."
"At least he won't get a new wand now," Farmer added quietly.
"Ah, you selfish!" Scruple clenched his hands again and shook them, instantly worsening the trio's well-being. "The Book is destroyed, but at least I have three Smurfs and Gargamel will pay me in gold for you!" Having said that, he realised what had happened to Gargamel and Azrael. "Oh no!"
The terrified apprentice ran out of the cellar and slipped on the icy floor, nearly hitting a table. A new cage hung near a table in the corner of the room, perfect for a few Smurfs.
Scruple slid on the ice awkwardly and miraculously stopped right in front of the table full of vials and books. "This day is not over yet!" he growled, tossing the Smurfs inside the cage. "But if I were you, I'd start bidding each other last goodbyes, because it will be your last day on Earth!"
When the three Smurfs were locked in the cage, the boy tugged an old, torn blanket resting on one of the chairs in the hovel and ran out, slamming the door. A frosty blast of air went through the room, easily reaching the trapped Smurfs.
"Chilled Chihuahuas, what will we do now?" Sassette mumbled in a trembling voice, rubbing her shoulders.
"We have to get out of here and go back to the village," Farmer muttered, looking around the hovel.
"Let's hope that the other Smurfs have found a shelter from the frost," Handy added.
The trio was looking around nervously, trying to come up with an idea. If the whole area was attacked by winter, the sun would set soon, and without light they wouldn't be able to escape before the return of visible air exhaled by the Smurfs testified to how severe frost had penetrated even inside Gargamel's castle.
"Glittering Glowworms, I can see the key!" Sassette squeaked suddenly. "It's there, almost below us, on the floor!" The redhead pointed with her finger at the metal object.
"That's great, but how are we going to get to it?"
They watched the key for a long moment, their hands gripping the bars of the cage as if they were trying to summon the key by will alone. All for nothing, the Smurfs didn't have any psychic abilities or anything like that, so they just had to think.
At one point, Handy returned to looking around carefully and shifted his gaze high above his head. "I know!" he shouted triumphantly. "I know how to get out of here, but I'll need your help." The blond tugged a little at Farmer's shirt sleeve. The boys went to stand in the center of the cage. "The cage is hanging on a hook, which is hanging on a rope. Give me your knife and lift me up and I'll cut that rope."
"A painful plan." The brown-haired frowned.
"We have no other, and we're running out of time."
"Then what am I supposed to do?" Sassette asked uncertainly.
"When Farmer lifts me up, you'll both hold on to any bars in the cage. Most probably, the cage will hit the floor with the side you'll be on, so be prepared that we will fall as if we just jumped out of the cage."
"Either it works and we'll be free, or we'll break our bones or even die." Farmer took his knife out of his pocket and handed it to Handy. "May it be the first option."
The boy knelt and looked at Sassette. The girl was anxious, she was obviously scared for her life. The dark-haired was convinced that they were all equally terrified, but he and Handy just didn't show it, wanting to make the younger Smurfess less scared. He gave her a small half-smile that she didn't reply to in any way. The redhead only clenched her hands on one bar, to which she pressed her back, and waited.
Handy gritted his teeth on the handle of the knife so that it wouldn't disturb him when he was trying to find balance. The cage was high, so he couldn't just sit on Farmer's shoulders, he had to stand on him. He slowly rested his left foot on brown-haired's shoulder and placed a hand between his foot and Farmer's neck. He rested his right hand on the other side of the other's neck. "Ready?" he muttered around the knife's handle.
"Yes, just be careful."
After a few stiff movements back and forth, Handy took his leg off the cage floor, shifting his weight onto his arms, and rested his right foot in a similar way he had done with his left one. The two remained in that position for a moment, Farmer gave his friend time to find balance. When the blond patted him lightly on the shoulder, the taller Smurf slowly rose from his knees, freezing each time he felt the smaller boy lose his balance.
Sassette felt all the muscles in her body tense with fear and stress while watching them. She silently begged that everything would work out and that no one would get hurt.
When Farmer's body finally stood up straight and stiff like a guitar string, Handy slowly raised his hands and rested them on top of dark-haired's head. The taller Smurf stood unmoved as a stone, breathing loudly but very slowly. The blond first straightened his shoulders, lifting the front of his body, then stopped to acknowledge his new position. Then he tried to move from a frog-like position, so that all his limbs would be straight.
The three Smurf hearts stopped for a second when Handy tilted forward and almost fell. If it hadn't been for Farmer's quick-thinking, the boy would have hit his head on the cage floor and broken his spine. They couldn't go to the bars and climb on them because they were too slippery and would be of no use.
"Are you alright?" Farmer gasped, clenching his hands on Handy's calves.
"Yeah..." the other Smurf sighed, his voice trembling, his teeth tighter on the knife.
After making sure that they both regained their balance, Handy took his hands away from Farmer's head and began to straighten up. Farmer was growing impatient, his body shaking slightly as he broke the stiff stone position he was trying to maintain. The more Handy straightened himself, the heavier he seemed to be.
It seemed like ages before the shorter boy stood up straight and dared to look up. Fortunately, the top bars were within his reach, so he wasted no time grabbing the cold pipes and lifting himself up, removing his weight completely from Farmer's shoulders.
The brown-haired sighed in relief, massaging his sore shoulders. His legs felt like they were made of cotton wool, and all smurfy color left his face. For a moment, Sassette wasn't sure whether the boy would be able to reach the bars on his own.
Meanwhile, Handy had already managed to put his legs between the top bars and propped himself safely. He took the knife out of his mouth and stretched his arm up between the bars, trying to reach the rope the hook was attached to. It wasn't easy, because the hook was long and it was a problem for the Smurf to reach above it. The boy stuffed his entire shoulder between the bars, shaking with stress and determination.
With his head turned toward the other two, Handy fought with time and patience while in a very uncomfortable and difficult-to-maintain position.
"Maybe try reaching it with your tail," Farmer suggested.
Their tails were long and strong, just like the tails of some monkeys, so the idea made a lot of sense. The agile Smurf shifted the knife from his hand to his tail and extended the flexible 'fifth limb' toward the rope. When the blade made contact with the rope, the blond wanted to scream with joy. With quick and strong movements, he was hitting the rope, which was slowly giving up.
The cage began to shake as the rope was cut more and more. Sassette grabbed Farmer by the hand. "The fall will be vary painful, right?" she squeaked.
"It can't be avoided," Farmer said seriously. "Stay on this side of the cage," he ordered, then let go of the bars and walked away to the other side of the cage.
"Don't leave me here alone!"
"Be quiet! Once we are falling, the cage should tip over my side and hit the floor with this part. That way we increase the likelihood that nothing will happen to you."
The Smurfess' eyes widened. Of course, it was very kind of the dark-haired to want to protect her, but who would protect him? Did he realize that an injured Sassette would be less of a burden than an injured Farmer?
The girl had no time for further protests or reflections, because the rope lost the fight with the knife and the cage fell down. Farmer's calculations proved correct, the cage tilted with his side to the floor as it fell. At the last moment, the brown-haired Smurf let go of the bars he was holding so that they wouldn't crush his hands, but it didn't ease the pain after falling to the icy floor.
The jerky move after hitting the floor nearly tore Sassette's arms from her shoulder girdle, but the red-haired Smurfess held on to her bar with a short cry of pain and terror. She looked quickly Farmer, who was clenching his eyes and gritting his teeth, hissing silently. "Weeping Whippoorwills, are you okay, Farmer?"
Handy, who was unfortunately hanging upside down, millimeters separating his skull from the floor, was a little shocked after falling down head first. Despite the chills and horror, Sassette's question made him even more anxious, and he slowly turned his head as best as he could to assess the condition of his companions with his eyes.
Like a spider, he carefully descended from the bars to the floor, miraculously avoiding slipping off the icy metal. He crouched down beside Farmer and placed his hand on the other's chest. "Do you think you have any broken bones?" he asked quietly, watching still hanging Sassette out of the corner of his eye.
"Mmm..." the dark-haired groaned, shaking his head barely noticeably. "No broken bones. Help me up."
The blond grabbed him by the biceps and lifted him to a sitting position. It didn't go without the sounds of great pain. Farmer put a hand on the back of his head, massaging it gently and thinking about how huge a bump would form in that place later.
In the meantime, Handy helped him bend his knees a bit, and then came over to Sassette. The poor girl's shoulders were shaking from the exertion, her plan to grab the bar had been poorly thought through, and because of that her shoulder joints were burning in pain.
"I'll help you down, but you have to let go of the bar with your legs, because I can't reach you." The boy stood under her and stretched his arms up.
"I'll try," the red-haired whimpered. She knew that if she had let go of the bar with her legs, she would have added even more pain to her arms, but she had no choice.
After untangling her legs from the bar, the Smurfess straightened them stiffly, then tensed her abdominal muscles and began to lower her feet extremely slowly. Her shoulder joints screamed in protest, but the girl bravely ignored it. With tears streaming down her cheeks, she kept her eyes on Handy, focused on the task.
"Okay, I can grab your feet," the blond announced and touched her shoes. "You can go a little lower."
"And what will happen next?" she asked.
"I'll grab your legs and then you'll let go of the bar."
The Smurfs couldn't waste any more time. The boy hugged Sassette's knees, and the girl boldly let go of the metal pipe. With a short cry, she leaned over and fell on him. Handy bent his knees to cushion her fall. The redhead was happily hanging over his shoulder, safe and sound.
The trio breathed a sigh of relief. When Sassette's feet finally touched the ground, the Smurfess immediately walked over to Farmer, who was rising from the floor, to help him stand up. Meanwhile, Handy clung to the bars of the cage again, this time to reach for the key.
"Can you reach it?" Farmer asked, standing next to the blond along with Sassette.
"I have to, otherwise we're dead Smurfs," the shorter boy muttered.
That, indeed, was the truth. Handy's tail was the longest and most agile of all smurfy tails in the village. And the cage had fallen quite close to the key. It was enough just to steer the tail in right way.
"I have it!"
"Living Lizards, let's smurf out of here! I have a very bad feeling." Sassette grabbed her braids, watching the key.
The metal object moved freely along Handy's tail and landed in his hands. The padlock of the cage was at his eye level, so at least they had no trouble with that.
After opening the door, some weird power took over their minds. They forgot to think logically and moved to a survival instinct. The Smurfs lunged for the door, nearly dropping on four limbs on the way. The floor was slippery and full of obstructions such as old rags, broken glass, and books. The blue pixies were slipping, stumbling, bumping against those objects, but nothing stopped them from running toward the exit of the castle.
Fortunately, years ago some rats had gnawed a hole at the bottom of the wooden door, between the beams. The hole was so large that three adult Smurfs could have easily passed through it at once.
As Farmer ran, the adrenaline pushed him to regain his strength and forget about the pain, and his boots were the best on the slippery surface, so he quickly took the lead and dragged the other two with him.
It seemed impossible, but during that half-hour spent in Gargamel's hovel the Smurfs had forgotten that it had been going to be even colder outside. When they ran out single file into the less slippery but wet and cold snow, their tails instinctively clung to their bodies, trying to protect themselves and their owners from freezing.
"Sh-sh-sh-shivering Sheep-p-p, let's go back to the-the-the-the-the village," Sassette stammered, dreaming of curling up into a ball.
"I'm in."
"Wait!" Farmer blocked their way with his hands.
"What?"
"Do you hear it, Handy?"
Both adult Smurfs began to wiggle their ears nervously and look around. Sassette hid behind them, concerned about their behavior. After a while, she heard a slight rustle too, but she couldn't identify it.
"It's Scruple!" Handy whispered.
"Into the snowdrift, now!" the brown-haired barked quietly, pushing the shorter Smurfs into fluffy whiteness. "Handy, lead the way, you have a compass in your head. Sassette, stay close. I watch the back. We must get away as quickly and quietly as possible."
It was hard to name the pace at which they were moving under the snow. They were in a rush, but they couldn't just run, because then they would surely be easily located and captured again.
At one point, they had to bypass Scruple, because it was impossible not to hear his heavy sighs and grunts. Only after reaching the edge of the forest did Farmer risk leaning out from under the thick layers of snow. He saw a picture of Scruple pushing frozen Gargamel and Azrael. The wizard and his cat looked almost like an ice sculpture, but were covered with a small layer of crystallized water.
Sassette stood next to Farmer and sighed loudly at the sight. "Lumbering Llamas, do you think Pappy Gargamel and Azrael will make it out of this?" she asked, frowning.
Farmer just shrugged and looked at Handy. The blond was observing the red-haired boy carefully, and after a moment he made an uncertain head movement, which neither confirmed or denied anything. "I think Scruple will be able to unfreeze them and they'll survive," he said sadly. "I'm not sure, but life suffered the most in places where the glacier passed directly. Most of the plants look healthy at first glance, but I'm concerned about the smaller animals that encountered the glacier. And let's not forget that the glacier practically passed through Mother Nature's house."
"Poor Pappy- I mean Papa Smurf," the Smurfess groaned, sniffling.
"We'd better smurf out of here before that fool realizes we're gone and comes looking for us." Farmer took Sassette's hand and jerked her slightly toward the forest.
Inspiration came from the episode: "Scruple and the Great Book of Spells"
If anyone's interested in the concept of the plot, I recommend that you read the one-shot "Rules of Survival" first. It shows scenes that will appear somewhere in this fanfiction.
Notes:
In my story, the Smurfs look different than the originals. They are still small creatures, but their silhouettes ar more humanlike shaped, they also have long ears, similar to the elves, but not entirely elven, flattened noses like the Na'vi from Avatar movie, hair of various colors (Farmer = brown hair, Handy = light blond hair), full clothing and long tails, similar to cat's or monkey's.