Chapter 10
Frosta, Empress of Ice Mountain glided alongside her small force of guards on a path of ice which shot from her fingers, her unique control over the element of ice and wind and air keeping her footing securely fixed on the edge, propelling her forward. Three guards rode silently on cobalt colored snow sleds, the engines purring with a light sound accompanied by a gentle vibration, their sharp-eyed gaze taking in everything in their surroundings. They were riding to a peace conference on the border of Acheon, the farthest demesne under her power which ran alongside the territory of the Sulkies.
The Sulkies were a tribe of people resembling the seals of the sea, they were bipeds, like humans but they had seal like features and were quick to anger. She had been able to form an uneasy peace with their people four years ago, with the help of She-Ra, but the old king had died and his son took over. That was when the trouble began.
King Narwa had been a wise and benevolent ruler. He cared for his people and he had sought an alliance with her. He preferred to see his people prosper in peace than bleed and die in a war for conquest and power. His son was not so wise. He lusted after the power of the Mountain.
Ice Mountain was ancient, older than even Frosta knew. Frosta's family had ruled there for centuries, protecting the resting place of the Ice Elemental Ooo'ha.
Legend had it that two elementals- one of Ice and one of fire were lovers. They traveled the universe together for eons. When they first found Etheria it was a magnificent land of unsurpassed beauty, full of life and color and climates of many kinds. The elementals, Ooo'ha and Zeee'na decided they were weary of travel and Etheria would make a good home. Zeee'na settled in the south in the land known as the Crimson wastes and Ooo'ha made her realm in the north, in the land of the tundra, ice and snow. As the elementals aged, they grew weary, yearning for sleep, but they did not wish to be captured and have their powers used by the unscrupulous.
Those with the proper knowledge could cage an elemental and use its power as they saw fit; the two beings had seen this happen before and would that it did not happen to them. Zee'na chose a race of people known as the Flame dancers to safeguard her resting place. They were mighty warriors in the Crimson Waste, possessing a high standard of honor, they defended the elemental and in return their leader was imbued with the ability to control fire, wielding it as a weapon in battle. Ooo'ha chose the Kelry's of the north, granting their leader the same control of ice. With their guardians entrusted with their safety the two elementals slipped into a deep and seemingly endless slumber. Centuries passed.
Frosta knew nothing of the fate of the Flame dancers and the elemental, Zee'na. But her people were the Kelry's and she was their leader. Only she knew the location of the slumbering Ooo'ha. It was a secret she trusted to no one and a responsibility she took very seriously. Ancient writings of her people claimed that one day the two elementals keepers would unite in love and the elements of Ice and Fire would join and help purge the world of evil. Frosta suspected that time was drawing close if it was not already upon them. She would see the fulfillment of the prophecy in her own lifetime or that of her heirs.
Heirs. She Grimaced in self disgust. She would more than likely marry for convenience. She was a Stateswoman, heart and soul and blood and bone. She loved her people, her country and her home. She had never been in love, never pined for a man's touch. Her heart was like her powers, untouched. One man in her life had ever stirred her to such heights of rhapsody that she forgot her place and position. One man had ever stirred her senses beyond bliss. He-Man, a noble warrior, a true hero and an honorable gentleman. Frosta cringed mentally as she remembered her first and last brush with romantic love. She had made such a fool of herself.
She threw herself at him every chance she got. He tried letting her know gently he wasn't interested but like a fool she had ignored the signals, plowing head on after what she wanted. Frosta did not use lies or deception, she didn't know how to flirt or play the romantic games that came so easily to some women. She was the ruler of a nation, a confederacy of three nations actually and twelve tribes, she was more than a queen, she was an Empress. She was direct, blunt to the point of tactless but in her position she could never afford to be misunderstood or considered as weak. She said what she thought and she meant what she said.
Having never felt the feelings she experienced with He-man before she pursued him with the same relentless determination she would pursue a trade agreement or international concessions. This had seriously turned the Eternian off and eventually shamed her. As the months passed after his departure from Etheria her attraction to the warrior waned and faded, but the embarrassment her actions brought her never did.
She was more reserved now than ever and no man could get close to her. She was now Thirty four years old, too near the mark past childbearing age. She had already begun grooming her two nieces, daughters of her brother, the King of Cerdia to take her place in case she never took a mate but her advisors were pressuring her more and more lately to take a mate and bear a child of her own. It had been centuries since the line of Ice empresses had been broken, Frosta's mother Frostine had been empress before her and her grandmother Chilla and her mother Glacia before her and so on down the line for seven hundred years. The heritage of her people was important to her and so she would more than likely yield to their demands.
After this conflict with the Sulkies was resolved. Suddenly her nose twitched and she raised a hand to her guards stopping where she was. Her eyes scanned the horizon for signs of life. Acheon should be nearby, she should be seeing people, teams of dogs and Musk Ox but it was strangely silent. Her heartbeat quickened and her cerulean eyes darkened with dread as she noticed fat plumes of dark gray smoke rising in the distance.
"Hold here." She commanded her guard.
"But Empress-"
"Shh." She hissed, raising a hand for silence. "Something's not right." Putting her hands down she created a spiraling road of ice which took her increasingly high until she could see over the hill in front of her. What she saw caused her to gasp in pain and anguished rage.
Acheon was gone. All that remained were the charred skeletons of the towns structures. A cry of pain escaped her lips as tears welled and poured from her eyes. Without a seconds hesitation or thought to her own safety she sent the ice from her fingertips and sped toward the remains of the village. He guard let out a cry of warning and surprise before tearing off after their distraught leader, but they went unheard as Frosta's eyes drank in the sight before her.
'There are no bodies!' Her thoughts screamed. She tried taking comfort from that but the blood pounding in her ears refused to let her.
'Whatever happened here, her people might yet live!' She screamed inward in silent supplication for redemption. But redemption would not be found, she pushed away the solace it offered. She deserved the pain, the clutching, tight, rib squishing, air expelling hurt born of failure and despair. For she had failed. Failed her people when they trusted and believed in her. She put the hope of peace above their personal safety and this was the price for her hopeful naiveté. No more.
Her guard stopped beside her. Shock holdoing their tongues immobile. One of the men, Captain Freedream bent over, scooping up some black ash in his hands then rubbing it off, his own eyes brimming with tears.
"It's still hot Empress. It's still hot."
"I will make them pay!" She snarled angrily. "We will make them pay!" She turned blazing wrathful eyes, full of bloodlust and guaranteeing vengeance, towards her men.
"Empress?" They spoke as one. Their eyes alive with hope at the promise in her eyes.
"War. We will exterminate them. Their foul taint will be driven out of the north and they will all die until our people are returned to us alive!"
"What if they're dead?" One of the guards choked out.
"Then for every one of us they have killed we shall kill ten of theirs." She hissed in fury.
"That will be difficult for you Ice Maiden." A smirking voice from behind grated. Frosta whirled around snarling to face Irda, son of Narwa, King of the Sulkies.
"Where are they nac'tung!" Frosta snarled hurling the vicious insult at her enemy, drawing her Air wand from the scabbard at her back. The wand was more than an ancient antique meant to illustrate the prestige of her line and the power of her people. It contained a large measure of Ooo'ha's essence. Irda's face flushed at being called an animal.
"If you mean your people, I know not. I gave them to him." He said, smirking and pointing upward. Frosta looked up and her heart nearly stopped. A cylindrical ship cut through the cloud cover above her and she knew, though she could not see him, Hordack was there. She could sense his gloating evil through the metal hull. The fan on the wand began to madly spin and she reigned in her power, preparing to release it in a mad torrential burst of energy. Her eyes began to glow white with rage and power.
"Get out of here Freedream. Take your men and deliver my command to my brother King Tundra of Cerdia and his daughter Winter. They will see that my will is carried out."
"We cannot leave you Empress, we must protect you-"
"Fool!" She cried. "You will hinder my efforts more than you will help! If you value my life you will go!" Captain Freedream paled at her command, noticing the tight control she held over her muscles and the tense way she clamped her jaw shut. He knew she was preparing to release a massive amount of power. He knew also she would not release it while they remained. Yet he sensed this was one fight she would not win. His heart was torn.
His indecision must have shown on his face, for the wind around his Empress slowed and the white fire in her eyes disappeared as she looked into his own. What he saw broke his heart. His Empress, the woman he had served since her birth, helped raise and protect, the woman who he had sworn to defend at all costs even his life was begging him- she, who had never begged another before him, pleaded with him.
"Please." She whispered softly. He could not deny her request. Tears fell from his eyes uncontrolled and he could only nod.
"I will save you. Somehow Empress." She nodded and the flame returned to her eyes and the menace to her stance. Hordack suddenly materialized in front of her. Standing between her and Irda. Freedream gave a signal to his men and they boarded the snow sleds. In seconds they were gone.
"Stop them! Stop them you idiots!" Cried Irda. Frosta wasted no time. In a burst of power she released the heart of winter on her enemies.
Hurricane force winds slammed into the ship above her from four different directions. The force was too much at once and the ship was thrown upward and imploded. The flash of the explosion lit them all up and Frosta was blown backwards. Hordack turned his arm into a laser cannon and shot at her as she rose. She had just enough time to dive and flip out of the way, his shot narrowly missing her face and blasting into a beam supporting a building nearby. Summoning forth the power inside her again she rose from the ground surrounded by blinding Aqua light. She was not standing on the earth but floating above it. Hordack shot at her twice more, but this time his shots bounced harmlessly off her aura. Irda and his soldiers fired a rain of arrows and stun blasts at her, they felt like the tickling of ants against her flesh. But she didn't smile.
Aiming her finger at Irda she muttered a word, the whisper of a name, ancient and powerful and unuttered in many a millennia.
"Ooo'ha." Breathing the name of the spirit invoked her and it was all the impetus Frosta needed to drink the full depth of her magic. A rain of pointed ice spikes flew from her hand like missiles of cold death, impaling Irda's throat, killing him instantly. Several of the sulkies behind him were impaled as well, in the throat and the guts and the limbs. Hordack remained untouched. The sulkies were in a panic and Frosta thought to herself, 'I might just make it out of this'. The winds of the winter she had called up were laced with hail and icy spikes and the cold was numbing as Frosta bathed her enemies in the arctic wind. Hordack fired at her again and missed. She smiled. He must be shaken. Suddenly something heavy slammed into her from behind, crushing her to the ground. The wind puffed and died as her wand flew from her fingers. There was no pain.
Frosta tried to get up, knowing her freedom- if not her very survival depended on it; but she found she couldn't move. Her fingers twitched. She heard snow crunching by her ears. She saw spots before her eyes. She cried out as her hair was grabbed from above and her face was pulled up, out of the snow. She felt something warm and moist trickling down her face, she tasted blood and felt the first tingling of panic as she gazed into Hordacks cruel and merciless eyes. He was smiling as he pulled back his arm making a fist. 'I hope the captain makes it home' she thought before he struck her. She felt a blinding flash of pain and knew nothing more.
Hordack gazed down at the unconscious Woman at his feet. He felt a surge of manly appreciation at her physical form. Raising a foot he kicked her in the stomach. She didn't move. With seeming effortless ease, he picked up the massive beam pinning her to the ground and hurled it aside. Without pausing he drew out a length of silver chain with manacles on it. It seemed too delicate to hold anyone prisoner, but looks were deceiving. It was an enchanted length of silver imbued with magic and strength suppressing powers by his sorceress Shadow Weaver. He locked the larger manacle around the Empress's neck, pausing to savor the feel of her delicate flesh, so soft and fragile beneath his fingers and the warmth of her lush hair falling over his skin. Repressing a groan, with iron bound determination he released her, letting her head fall to the ground. Grasping both her wrists, he couldn't resist running his thumbs along the pulse he found there as he clamped the two smaller manacles on them. In disgust- mostly aimed at himself, he stood rather quickly. He pulled out a communicator he kept in his belt.
"Mantenna." He paused. No reply. "Mantenna you moron I know you hear me." He hissed. "Respond!" There was a bleep and then some static before his imbecile-of-lackey replied.
"What can I dooo for you, m-m-m-m-master?"
"That stupid ice witch destroyed the Horde cruiser I was in. I need you to send me another. Immediately. I don't like to be cold."
"Yeees, m-master Hordack! Right away sir!" Hordack didn't bother to reply as he pocketed the communicator. It was cold. The wind wasn't blowing very hard, but he was in the Tundra. The sulkies were no doubt long gone, the cowards. He looked down at the fallen empress. She really was a beauty, even with all that blood clotting and drying on her face. She had really surprised him with her show of power. He had never had the time to deal with the Ice Empress before so his run ins with her were limited. Quite simply she had never been worth the effort. The kingdoms in the north were too far from his sphere of influence. He took the eastern Hemisphere of etheria quite easily and the south west corner of the western half fell as well before any strong resistance came up. After the fall of Rendwoll he was at a stalemate with the Kingdom of Brightmoon as they exchanged territories several times. He had the power to take it. But he allowed Adora to take it for him when she was of age, it was her first act as Force Captain.
Later after her defection he bided his time, waiting and hoping for some means of luring her back to his side. The entire North half of Etheria remained free but he perched his base of operations right on their borders. The Fright Zone was a blatant black mockery against the forces of Freedom on Etheria. Now that Adora was taking care of them Hordack found himself wanting a diversion, so he set himself the challenge of taking the Ice empress. He didn't want her kingdoms, or her land.
Yet.
He merely wanted to pit himself against a formidable enemy. She-ra was gone so he came here. It was rather disappointing how easily she had fallen. She came practically flying right into his arms.
Damn it was cold. The sun was beginning to disappear. The wind was picking up. He looked down again at the Empress. He didn't smile; but he wanted to. He knew one way to keep warm. Bending over he hefted her into his arms, relishing the feel of her warm softness against his chest. With a shift and a shake he was able to position her so her head rested upon his shoulder beneath his chin. She was breathing deeply. Calmly. Snow began to fall. Hordack didn't care as he watched the horizon, waiting for his rescue. He reveled in the feel of her warm, moist breath against his neck. If she was awake right now she would be kicking and screaming in loathing and fear. He preferred her this way. It allowed him the illicit pleasure of memory. Memory of a time before he was who he was now. When he was somewhat. human and women came to him willingly.
He was almost disappointed when the Horde Cruiser appeared and landed in front of him. The wind of the cruiser blew her hair against his nostrils and he snorted uncomfortably past the lump in his throat and the sudden sting in his eyes. She smeeled like woman; fresh, clean, inviting.
Boarding the cruiser he said not a word to Mantenna as he took his captive to the back of the ship and unceremoniously dumped her into an energy cage. He would be glad to dump her on Catra at Mount Fier, in the Crimson waste. The volcano prison would also leech away the Ice maidens powers, depleting whatever reserve Weavers magic chains left behind, he was sure.
Frosta, Empress of Ice Mountain glided alongside her small force of guards on a path of ice which shot from her fingers, her unique control over the element of ice and wind and air keeping her footing securely fixed on the edge, propelling her forward. Three guards rode silently on cobalt colored snow sleds, the engines purring with a light sound accompanied by a gentle vibration, their sharp-eyed gaze taking in everything in their surroundings. They were riding to a peace conference on the border of Acheon, the farthest demesne under her power which ran alongside the territory of the Sulkies.
The Sulkies were a tribe of people resembling the seals of the sea, they were bipeds, like humans but they had seal like features and were quick to anger. She had been able to form an uneasy peace with their people four years ago, with the help of She-Ra, but the old king had died and his son took over. That was when the trouble began.
King Narwa had been a wise and benevolent ruler. He cared for his people and he had sought an alliance with her. He preferred to see his people prosper in peace than bleed and die in a war for conquest and power. His son was not so wise. He lusted after the power of the Mountain.
Ice Mountain was ancient, older than even Frosta knew. Frosta's family had ruled there for centuries, protecting the resting place of the Ice Elemental Ooo'ha.
Legend had it that two elementals- one of Ice and one of fire were lovers. They traveled the universe together for eons. When they first found Etheria it was a magnificent land of unsurpassed beauty, full of life and color and climates of many kinds. The elementals, Ooo'ha and Zeee'na decided they were weary of travel and Etheria would make a good home. Zeee'na settled in the south in the land known as the Crimson wastes and Ooo'ha made her realm in the north, in the land of the tundra, ice and snow. As the elementals aged, they grew weary, yearning for sleep, but they did not wish to be captured and have their powers used by the unscrupulous.
Those with the proper knowledge could cage an elemental and use its power as they saw fit; the two beings had seen this happen before and would that it did not happen to them. Zee'na chose a race of people known as the Flame dancers to safeguard her resting place. They were mighty warriors in the Crimson Waste, possessing a high standard of honor, they defended the elemental and in return their leader was imbued with the ability to control fire, wielding it as a weapon in battle. Ooo'ha chose the Kelry's of the north, granting their leader the same control of ice. With their guardians entrusted with their safety the two elementals slipped into a deep and seemingly endless slumber. Centuries passed.
Frosta knew nothing of the fate of the Flame dancers and the elemental, Zee'na. But her people were the Kelry's and she was their leader. Only she knew the location of the slumbering Ooo'ha. It was a secret she trusted to no one and a responsibility she took very seriously. Ancient writings of her people claimed that one day the two elementals keepers would unite in love and the elements of Ice and Fire would join and help purge the world of evil. Frosta suspected that time was drawing close if it was not already upon them. She would see the fulfillment of the prophecy in her own lifetime or that of her heirs.
Heirs. She Grimaced in self disgust. She would more than likely marry for convenience. She was a Stateswoman, heart and soul and blood and bone. She loved her people, her country and her home. She had never been in love, never pined for a man's touch. Her heart was like her powers, untouched. One man in her life had ever stirred her to such heights of rhapsody that she forgot her place and position. One man had ever stirred her senses beyond bliss. He-Man, a noble warrior, a true hero and an honorable gentleman. Frosta cringed mentally as she remembered her first and last brush with romantic love. She had made such a fool of herself.
She threw herself at him every chance she got. He tried letting her know gently he wasn't interested but like a fool she had ignored the signals, plowing head on after what she wanted. Frosta did not use lies or deception, she didn't know how to flirt or play the romantic games that came so easily to some women. She was the ruler of a nation, a confederacy of three nations actually and twelve tribes, she was more than a queen, she was an Empress. She was direct, blunt to the point of tactless but in her position she could never afford to be misunderstood or considered as weak. She said what she thought and she meant what she said.
Having never felt the feelings she experienced with He-man before she pursued him with the same relentless determination she would pursue a trade agreement or international concessions. This had seriously turned the Eternian off and eventually shamed her. As the months passed after his departure from Etheria her attraction to the warrior waned and faded, but the embarrassment her actions brought her never did.
She was more reserved now than ever and no man could get close to her. She was now Thirty four years old, too near the mark past childbearing age. She had already begun grooming her two nieces, daughters of her brother, the King of Cerdia to take her place in case she never took a mate but her advisors were pressuring her more and more lately to take a mate and bear a child of her own. It had been centuries since the line of Ice empresses had been broken, Frosta's mother Frostine had been empress before her and her grandmother Chilla and her mother Glacia before her and so on down the line for seven hundred years. The heritage of her people was important to her and so she would more than likely yield to their demands.
After this conflict with the Sulkies was resolved. Suddenly her nose twitched and she raised a hand to her guards stopping where she was. Her eyes scanned the horizon for signs of life. Acheon should be nearby, she should be seeing people, teams of dogs and Musk Ox but it was strangely silent. Her heartbeat quickened and her cerulean eyes darkened with dread as she noticed fat plumes of dark gray smoke rising in the distance.
"Hold here." She commanded her guard.
"But Empress-"
"Shh." She hissed, raising a hand for silence. "Something's not right." Putting her hands down she created a spiraling road of ice which took her increasingly high until she could see over the hill in front of her. What she saw caused her to gasp in pain and anguished rage.
Acheon was gone. All that remained were the charred skeletons of the towns structures. A cry of pain escaped her lips as tears welled and poured from her eyes. Without a seconds hesitation or thought to her own safety she sent the ice from her fingertips and sped toward the remains of the village. He guard let out a cry of warning and surprise before tearing off after their distraught leader, but they went unheard as Frosta's eyes drank in the sight before her.
'There are no bodies!' Her thoughts screamed. She tried taking comfort from that but the blood pounding in her ears refused to let her.
'Whatever happened here, her people might yet live!' She screamed inward in silent supplication for redemption. But redemption would not be found, she pushed away the solace it offered. She deserved the pain, the clutching, tight, rib squishing, air expelling hurt born of failure and despair. For she had failed. Failed her people when they trusted and believed in her. She put the hope of peace above their personal safety and this was the price for her hopeful naiveté. No more.
Her guard stopped beside her. Shock holdoing their tongues immobile. One of the men, Captain Freedream bent over, scooping up some black ash in his hands then rubbing it off, his own eyes brimming with tears.
"It's still hot Empress. It's still hot."
"I will make them pay!" She snarled angrily. "We will make them pay!" She turned blazing wrathful eyes, full of bloodlust and guaranteeing vengeance, towards her men.
"Empress?" They spoke as one. Their eyes alive with hope at the promise in her eyes.
"War. We will exterminate them. Their foul taint will be driven out of the north and they will all die until our people are returned to us alive!"
"What if they're dead?" One of the guards choked out.
"Then for every one of us they have killed we shall kill ten of theirs." She hissed in fury.
"That will be difficult for you Ice Maiden." A smirking voice from behind grated. Frosta whirled around snarling to face Irda, son of Narwa, King of the Sulkies.
"Where are they nac'tung!" Frosta snarled hurling the vicious insult at her enemy, drawing her Air wand from the scabbard at her back. The wand was more than an ancient antique meant to illustrate the prestige of her line and the power of her people. It contained a large measure of Ooo'ha's essence. Irda's face flushed at being called an animal.
"If you mean your people, I know not. I gave them to him." He said, smirking and pointing upward. Frosta looked up and her heart nearly stopped. A cylindrical ship cut through the cloud cover above her and she knew, though she could not see him, Hordack was there. She could sense his gloating evil through the metal hull. The fan on the wand began to madly spin and she reigned in her power, preparing to release it in a mad torrential burst of energy. Her eyes began to glow white with rage and power.
"Get out of here Freedream. Take your men and deliver my command to my brother King Tundra of Cerdia and his daughter Winter. They will see that my will is carried out."
"We cannot leave you Empress, we must protect you-"
"Fool!" She cried. "You will hinder my efforts more than you will help! If you value my life you will go!" Captain Freedream paled at her command, noticing the tight control she held over her muscles and the tense way she clamped her jaw shut. He knew she was preparing to release a massive amount of power. He knew also she would not release it while they remained. Yet he sensed this was one fight she would not win. His heart was torn.
His indecision must have shown on his face, for the wind around his Empress slowed and the white fire in her eyes disappeared as she looked into his own. What he saw broke his heart. His Empress, the woman he had served since her birth, helped raise and protect, the woman who he had sworn to defend at all costs even his life was begging him- she, who had never begged another before him, pleaded with him.
"Please." She whispered softly. He could not deny her request. Tears fell from his eyes uncontrolled and he could only nod.
"I will save you. Somehow Empress." She nodded and the flame returned to her eyes and the menace to her stance. Hordack suddenly materialized in front of her. Standing between her and Irda. Freedream gave a signal to his men and they boarded the snow sleds. In seconds they were gone.
"Stop them! Stop them you idiots!" Cried Irda. Frosta wasted no time. In a burst of power she released the heart of winter on her enemies.
Hurricane force winds slammed into the ship above her from four different directions. The force was too much at once and the ship was thrown upward and imploded. The flash of the explosion lit them all up and Frosta was blown backwards. Hordack turned his arm into a laser cannon and shot at her as she rose. She had just enough time to dive and flip out of the way, his shot narrowly missing her face and blasting into a beam supporting a building nearby. Summoning forth the power inside her again she rose from the ground surrounded by blinding Aqua light. She was not standing on the earth but floating above it. Hordack shot at her twice more, but this time his shots bounced harmlessly off her aura. Irda and his soldiers fired a rain of arrows and stun blasts at her, they felt like the tickling of ants against her flesh. But she didn't smile.
Aiming her finger at Irda she muttered a word, the whisper of a name, ancient and powerful and unuttered in many a millennia.
"Ooo'ha." Breathing the name of the spirit invoked her and it was all the impetus Frosta needed to drink the full depth of her magic. A rain of pointed ice spikes flew from her hand like missiles of cold death, impaling Irda's throat, killing him instantly. Several of the sulkies behind him were impaled as well, in the throat and the guts and the limbs. Hordack remained untouched. The sulkies were in a panic and Frosta thought to herself, 'I might just make it out of this'. The winds of the winter she had called up were laced with hail and icy spikes and the cold was numbing as Frosta bathed her enemies in the arctic wind. Hordack fired at her again and missed. She smiled. He must be shaken. Suddenly something heavy slammed into her from behind, crushing her to the ground. The wind puffed and died as her wand flew from her fingers. There was no pain.
Frosta tried to get up, knowing her freedom- if not her very survival depended on it; but she found she couldn't move. Her fingers twitched. She heard snow crunching by her ears. She saw spots before her eyes. She cried out as her hair was grabbed from above and her face was pulled up, out of the snow. She felt something warm and moist trickling down her face, she tasted blood and felt the first tingling of panic as she gazed into Hordacks cruel and merciless eyes. He was smiling as he pulled back his arm making a fist. 'I hope the captain makes it home' she thought before he struck her. She felt a blinding flash of pain and knew nothing more.
Hordack gazed down at the unconscious Woman at his feet. He felt a surge of manly appreciation at her physical form. Raising a foot he kicked her in the stomach. She didn't move. With seeming effortless ease, he picked up the massive beam pinning her to the ground and hurled it aside. Without pausing he drew out a length of silver chain with manacles on it. It seemed too delicate to hold anyone prisoner, but looks were deceiving. It was an enchanted length of silver imbued with magic and strength suppressing powers by his sorceress Shadow Weaver. He locked the larger manacle around the Empress's neck, pausing to savor the feel of her delicate flesh, so soft and fragile beneath his fingers and the warmth of her lush hair falling over his skin. Repressing a groan, with iron bound determination he released her, letting her head fall to the ground. Grasping both her wrists, he couldn't resist running his thumbs along the pulse he found there as he clamped the two smaller manacles on them. In disgust- mostly aimed at himself, he stood rather quickly. He pulled out a communicator he kept in his belt.
"Mantenna." He paused. No reply. "Mantenna you moron I know you hear me." He hissed. "Respond!" There was a bleep and then some static before his imbecile-of-lackey replied.
"What can I dooo for you, m-m-m-m-master?"
"That stupid ice witch destroyed the Horde cruiser I was in. I need you to send me another. Immediately. I don't like to be cold."
"Yeees, m-master Hordack! Right away sir!" Hordack didn't bother to reply as he pocketed the communicator. It was cold. The wind wasn't blowing very hard, but he was in the Tundra. The sulkies were no doubt long gone, the cowards. He looked down at the fallen empress. She really was a beauty, even with all that blood clotting and drying on her face. She had really surprised him with her show of power. He had never had the time to deal with the Ice Empress before so his run ins with her were limited. Quite simply she had never been worth the effort. The kingdoms in the north were too far from his sphere of influence. He took the eastern Hemisphere of etheria quite easily and the south west corner of the western half fell as well before any strong resistance came up. After the fall of Rendwoll he was at a stalemate with the Kingdom of Brightmoon as they exchanged territories several times. He had the power to take it. But he allowed Adora to take it for him when she was of age, it was her first act as Force Captain.
Later after her defection he bided his time, waiting and hoping for some means of luring her back to his side. The entire North half of Etheria remained free but he perched his base of operations right on their borders. The Fright Zone was a blatant black mockery against the forces of Freedom on Etheria. Now that Adora was taking care of them Hordack found himself wanting a diversion, so he set himself the challenge of taking the Ice empress. He didn't want her kingdoms, or her land.
Yet.
He merely wanted to pit himself against a formidable enemy. She-ra was gone so he came here. It was rather disappointing how easily she had fallen. She came practically flying right into his arms.
Damn it was cold. The sun was beginning to disappear. The wind was picking up. He looked down again at the Empress. He didn't smile; but he wanted to. He knew one way to keep warm. Bending over he hefted her into his arms, relishing the feel of her warm softness against his chest. With a shift and a shake he was able to position her so her head rested upon his shoulder beneath his chin. She was breathing deeply. Calmly. Snow began to fall. Hordack didn't care as he watched the horizon, waiting for his rescue. He reveled in the feel of her warm, moist breath against his neck. If she was awake right now she would be kicking and screaming in loathing and fear. He preferred her this way. It allowed him the illicit pleasure of memory. Memory of a time before he was who he was now. When he was somewhat. human and women came to him willingly.
He was almost disappointed when the Horde Cruiser appeared and landed in front of him. The wind of the cruiser blew her hair against his nostrils and he snorted uncomfortably past the lump in his throat and the sudden sting in his eyes. She smeeled like woman; fresh, clean, inviting.
Boarding the cruiser he said not a word to Mantenna as he took his captive to the back of the ship and unceremoniously dumped her into an energy cage. He would be glad to dump her on Catra at Mount Fier, in the Crimson waste. The volcano prison would also leech away the Ice maidens powers, depleting whatever reserve Weavers magic chains left behind, he was sure.