As the blinding snow whirled around her, Lily staggered and fell. Trying to ignore the icy wetness spreading up and down the length of her body, she blinked her eyes to clear away the snowflakes clinging to her eyelashes. She hadn't been wrong: there was a cave up ahead. Renewed by the thought of shelter, and maybe even of building a fire, she crawled forward, breath by ragged breath rasping from her screaming lungs.
It seemed to take a lifetime, the blizzard blowing stinging ice right into her face, but finally, she raised her head again to find herself at the entrance to the dark cave. Too cold, wet, and tired to stand up, she kept crawling, whispering silent gratitude towards the refuge.
When she was close to thirty feet away from the opening to the storm, she stopped and leaned against the dank rock wall, shivering with renewed violence now that she could focus on something other than the blowing snow and screaming wind.
Though her cape had done the best job it could, she hadn't planned on running into blizzards on her way, and the cold had chilled her to the bone. Lily looked around desperately, her head and her eyes seeming to move at different speeds. The disorienting feeling reminded her of the time her father had let her drink wine that hadn't been watered down. She hadn't had anything to eat or drink in quite a while now, but the feeling was the same. Her breath echoed in her ears three times as loud as it normally did. Fire... I need a fire... Peering into the darkest corners she could see from her present position, she searched in a sort of otherworldly state for something that she could use to start a fire.
She found nothing. Doesn't matter anyway, she thought, growing sleepy, huddling close to the wall, I have nothing to burn. Maybe I can just...take a short nap. When I wake up, the storm is sure to have subsided. Yes. A short nap is sure to hurt nothing. I need sleep.
As Lily rested her cheek against the chill ground of the cave and tucked her wet clothes around her as best she could, she thought dizzily, Maybe I should have waited for Connor... I wish I had someone to hold me and warm me up... But soon, even those thoughts were lost from her mind as her breathing slowed and her consciousness faded.
***************************************************
"Need some help?" Jack asked Connor from several feet ahead.
"I need no help from you," Connor snapped, brushing his hair away from his sweaty forehead with his dirty hand. "I'm not used to climbing mountains, that's all."
The forest boy laughed derisively. "Neither am I, but I'm not puffing as if I'd been running for my life."
"Cram it," was Connor's curt response. He was now thoroughly regretting having agreed to go find Lily with Jack. Jack wasn't a bad person, but he was naive and annoying, and he had been getting more and more on Connor's fragile nerves ever since they took their first step into the Frozen Mountains several hours ago. With every second, Connor could feel Lily getting further and further away, and into greater and greater danger all by herself.
He glanced higher up the current mountain, where Jack was bounding with agility and showing no sign of being winded. How far ahead of us could she really be? Connor frowned, not really wanting to know the answer to that question. Taking a deep breath and cursing the thin air, he thought half-seriously that he'd sell whatever remnants of a soul he had to find her.
"Jack!" he called up to the top of the peak, where his companion was standing silently now, gazing off into something. "Jack, I've been thinking," Connor grunted, continuing to climb, "we don't even know if she's ahead of us or to the side, or even somewhere else, so—" He paused to take a deep breath, the altitude making his head swim a little bit. "So," he resumed, now only feet below where Jack was standing still as a statue, "it might be the best thing if we split up, at least...for..." His voice trailed off as he reached the crest of the mountain and saw what Jack was staring at.
Looking down from his high vantage point, he couldn't see the ground. It was masked by a lake of cool white mist. Connor shivered, a cold wind whipping through his clothes.
"What is that?" he whispered, staring down at the swirling vapors.
"It's a storm," Jack replied quietly. "It's a horrible blizzard, from the looks of it, and it's caught in that valley down there. It can't get over the top of this mountain, so it's going to keep hurling itself around down there until it fizzles out."
"Sounds pretty nasty," Connor remarked. "Lucky we're up here, then, aren't we?"
"Yes," Jack said. "I sure hope nobody's caught in—" He broke off, his eyes going wide with horror. Swinging around to face Connor, he found himself looking a face equally as pale as his. Apparently, the same thought had occurred to both of them. Jack looked at the clouds again, then looked back at Connor. A crazed expression spread across his face. "Lily!" he screamed, and before Connor could speak a single word, Jack tore off down the side of the mountain, looking for a way into the valley.
"Oh no," Connor muttered before pushing his hair out of his eyes again and setting off after Jack as fast as he could.
Jack was fast, there was no doubt about that. A lifetime of living in the forest had given him the lightning reflexes of the animals he had been raised by. Several times, Connor thought that he had nearly caught up to him, but then Jack would put on an extra burst of speed, or Connor would stumble over a tree root. Soon, Connor was gasping and clutching the stitch in his side, his legs burning from trying to keep his feet while on the way down the mountain.
"Jack!" he rasped. "Stop!"
Crazed with fear for his beloved, though, Jack either didn't hear or didn't care. Finally, realizing that he could go no further, Connor decided on one last-ditch effort. Jumping with every ounce of strength he had remaining, he hurled himself bodily at Jack, who was no more than a few feet ahead.
Fast Jack may have been, but when it came to sheer muscle mass and momentum, it was no contest. Connor crashed against Jack's back with a grunt of pain, and both men went flying several feet.
For a moment, neither could move, too dazed even to breathe. However, this time, Connor recovered first, and managed to make his limbs work well enough to crawl over to Jack and get a grip on his ankle to stop him from tearing off again.
"Are you... an idiot?" he gasped, bleeding from a shallow cut on his face and scratched in several other places.
Jack, only now recovering, tried ineffectually to break Connor's grip on his ankle, but his hands were shaking too hard to accomplish much of anything. "Let go!" he yelled, breathing almost as hard as Connor. "Lily might—"
"She might!" Connor yelled back. "It doesn't mean...that she is!"
"But I have to...have to..."
"You can't go...in that," Connor broke in, taking advantage of Jack's labored breathing. "You'd...freeze."
"What about her?!" Jack shouted frantically, his hands pulling at Connor's implacable grip, tearing bloody furrows in his captor's scraped hands.
"She's better...prepared for bad weather...than either of us," Connor insisted, ignoring the pain. "Listen, Jack, we don't...don't know that she's even...in there. And if she is, then...there's nothing we can do...to help her." He glanced grimly to his left, where the malevolent storm was whirling, still further down the mountain. "If she is...then it's too late already."
Jack froze, Connor's words finally sinking in. Slowly, his hands let go of Connor's bleeding wrist. He fell back, as though all of his strength had disappeared in an instant, and lay still, breathing harshly and staring up at the sky. Only then did Connor dare to release Jack and hold his injured hand close to him protectively.
"Jack," Connor said slowly, "This hurts me too. I don't want to think of her all alone...somewhere...in that storm. But...what else can we do? What good could we do her if we're dead too?"
"Nothing...I know that, but..." Jack inhaled roughly, "...but I can't sit here safe while..." He rubbed an arm over his eyes.
"Let's make a fire," Connor sighed, "and we'll head in as soon as we can." Jack didn't move. His face, still staring at the sky, was wracked with pain. "So I guess I should make a fire," he continued, "because you're utterly useless."
He stumbled to his feet, hissing in pain as his overworked legs struggled to take his weight. Starting to trudge towards the nearest twigs, he was stopped by the sound of Jack's bleak voice.
"I'm not useless. I'm a champion. At least, I was. But...I love her." Connor stared at the sky, not wanting to hear it, but Jack's voice just kept going, like the ceaseless crashing of waves against a shore. "I love her more than anything. I don't care that she lied to me and left me, I don't care that she was kissing you... Well, not much. I could forgive her anything, and I don't care if I die, not if it would help her." A tear slipped from Jack's eye and slipped down to lose itself in the mess of his hair. "I would die for her, and here you are, using her, hurting her, and stopping me from going to her. You're a cold-hearted bastard. I wish I believed in hurting others. Then I could—" Jack choked and couldn't seem to go any further.
Connor stood still, his entire body feeling heavy. "Yeah, that's right," he muttered. "Cold-hearted bastard. I certainly am that. I never even had a chance to be anything else." He spun around. "But I'll tell you something!" he exclaimed, his voice rising. "I'll tell you something, you childish little—" He broke off and took a deep breath. "I'll tell you something. I think that I might love her too, so if you even try to imply that I would put her in danger, if you even start to say it – Well, I don't have a single problem with hurting you." He paused. "In fact, I think I'd really enjoy it, so don't you even try."
This speech, delivered totally deadpan towards the end, chilled Jack to the bone. He stared up at Connor, noting for the first time the brackets of pain around his mouth and the cold look in his eyes. Towering above him, looking down with a blend of anger and superiority, Jack realized with a shudder that Connor reminded him of someone. He couldn't think of who it was, but he knew instinctively that it wasn't a good thing.
"I'll go make a fire," Connor continued frostily, "and if you leave while I'm gone, don't expect me to come save you."
With that, he turned and stomped away, leaving Jack lying still at the ground, trying to figure out who Connor reminded him of with an intensity that worried him.
*****************************************************
"Sir?"
Edgar reined in his horse at the sound of Gavin's tentative voice behind him. "What is it, Gavin?"
"I...I see something. Over there, sir."
Following the direction of his squire's slightly trembling finger, Edgar blinked, wondering if the vision could possibly be real.
She wound her way through the trees, wearing wispy, diaphanous silver garments. Her eyes were large and doe-like, her hair was lustrous, and her hands beckoned to him. Slowly, Edgar dismounted from his horse, whispering soothing words in its ear to keep it calm, all the while, staring at the angel of loveliness who had appeared before him.
Now she was right in front of him, looking at him as though he was all she had ever wanted in her life. Gently, she lifted her hand to him. Feeling totally humbled in the presence of such beauty, Edgar fell to his knees and grasped her hand, kissing it gallantly. He blinked almost embarrassedly, not understanding the tears that were welling behind his eyes. It was almost as though he was staring into the sun, and he had to look away, lest it burn him.
"Lady," he whispered roughly, "I am... overwhelmed."
A winsome smile curved her lips. "Good sir," she said in a quiet, lilting voice, "I have been wandering through this forest for...goodness only knows how long. Could you possibly help me?"
"Of course!" he exclaimed. "Never let it be said that Prince Edgar abandoned a damsel in need." Standing up, he found that he towered over her petite form, and felt a fierce need to protect her. Looking down at her upturned face, there was something rapturously familiar about it. Remembering his quest, he bowed again and said, "Lady, I apologize if I...overreach, but is there any chance that you are the Princess Lily?"
Her eyes lit up delightedly. "Indeed!" she blushed. "I am she... Who would you be, fair rescuer?"
"I am... I am Edgar," he murmured, feeling as though he was falling deep into her brown eyes. Inside, his heart sang with delight. It was Lily! She was every bit as beautiful as he had heard, as he had imagined, and his quest was a success, even before he'd needed to face any sort of danger. "I am your betrothed."
Her lips parted in a soundless gasp. "You are Edgar? I can scarcely believe it! You have come to rescue me, have you not?"
"Indeed," he said, "and I vowed not to return to my castle without you."
She blushed and glanced downward in a demure manner that nearly sent him reeling. She was so ladylike, so modest, so very decorous, so...so... Edgar's brow creased slightly, despite his rapture. ...so unlike herself. The girl he had met years before had been stubborn, mischievous, and a determined flirt. The young woman standing in front of him now was exquisite, no doubt about that, but he suddenly had the feeling that something was off. Oh, it was possible that her willful behavior had been leeched from her with years of royal training, but that very headstrong nature had enchanted him since the time he was a child. Would she really have lost it so completely?
While she was still batting her eyelashes at the ground, Edgar glanced up at Gavin questioningly. Gavin's face was bright red, but he had served Edgar long enough to know what that tilt of the prince's dark eyebrows meant. Soundlessly, he shrugged, and then nodded. Edgar quickly and correctly interpreted those quick movements as saying that Gavin didn't know, since he'd never actually seen the Princess Lily before, but that yes, he did have the feeling that something wasn't right.
Edgar looked back at Lily's elegant face, and again felt the magnetic pull towards her. "Tell me, Lady," he said hastily, trying to keep his thoughts clear, "how long has it been since I've been lucky enough to lay eyes on you?"
She laughed, every peal like a silver bell ringing, and waved a hand carelessly. "Heavens," she replied, "I cannot even remember. It's been quite a long time, hasn't it?"
"Oh, indeed. Not since we were both children." He smiled genuinely, remember what a little hellion she had been. "My dear lady, do you remember the first time we met? Never in my life have I been so determined, but I'll admit that you had me quite...flummoxed."
"Indeed?" she laughed again. "I had no idea, Edgar."
"Oh, indeed," he laughed conspiratorially, putting his head close to hers. "No matter what I did, I simply couldn't get you to pay attention to me. Why, I finally had to kiss you on the cheek to induce you to look at me!" He held his breath, waiting for her response.
"Ah, yes, that's right!" she exclaimed, bashfully holding a hand up to her cheek. "A very rapscallion of a young lad you were too!"
Slowly, his mind screaming out a warning, Edgar stepped back from her. "Too true, Lady," he said, the smile on his face fixed. "Do you remember how angry your father was?"
Lily frowned, a line creasing her brow. "Hmmm... If I recall correctly..." she paused for a long moment. "Ahh, yes! He was furious at you. He nearly threatened to have you clapped in irons!"
He backed up another step. "Who are you?" he whispered.
She blinked, the beatific smile on her face fading slightly. "What are you talking about, Edgar? I'm Lily, and you're going to take me back to your castle and make me your princess... yes?"
"No," he said flatly. "I would, if you were Lily, but those things I told you... They never happened. If you were truly my Lily, you would know not only that I was a shy lad, but that you kissed me and your father laughed and told my father to let bygones be bygones. So who are you? And where is Lily? Speak quickly, foul demon, before I slit your throat."
The kind look on her face gone, the girl threw herself at him, nails outstretched, shrieking like a demented banshee. With no time to protect himself, Edgar recoiled, arms automatically going up to block his face, anticipating the pain that would follow her fingertips.
But no pain came.
As he watched, Gavin, who had apparently dismounted his horse while neither Edgar nor the Lily look-alike had been paying attention, jumped in her path, grabbed her wrists, and flung her to the ground. As her lips curled in a snarl and she made as though to bound back to her feet for a second attempt, Gavin smoothly drew his sword and placed the gleaming point against her neck.
"Don't threaten my Lord," he said forcefully, "or I'll be forced to paint a red smile across your throat. Now reveal your true self."
She hissed, but as the pressure against her throat increased, her features blurred. Edgar blinked, looking at her intently. When the haze that was now her form cleared and solidified again, he found himself staring into the irate, iridescent blue eyes.
He involuntarily took a step backwards to defend himself against the rage he saw in those eyes. Slowly, his eyes drifted to the wispy blond hair that seemed to float around her skinny face, the skinny, but muscular limbs that showed under her dress (if it could, indeed, be called that, for it seemed to be made of nothing more substantial than spider webs and dew), and the small translucent wings that protruded from her shoulder blades.
"Who are you?" Edgar repeated, his eyes hard. "And what do you want? Don't think I'll take mercy just because you're some sort of pixie."
"You fool!" the fairy spat at him. "If you had any sense at all, you'd go back to your home and stay there. Stay away from her."
Ignoring Gavin's cry of warning, Edgar crouched down and grasped her upper arms roughly, shaking her. "Do you speak of the Princess Lily? Where is she?" he asked angrily. "I half-suspect you of having a hand in her disappearance, and if I find out that you are involved, no set of wings can fly fast enough to save you from me."
"Princess Lily, Princess Lily, Princess Lily," the fairy mocked bitterly. "It's always about the Princess Lily, isn't it? Well, you see this forest? It's dead, and it's because of your precious Princess Lily!"
"Speak sense," he warned darkly. "Where is she?"
"Beyond your grasp, you prancing idiot," she snarled. "Let me go!"
On that last word, despite his grasp, she disappeared, and all that was left was a small globe of light, buzzing around the dead trees angrily, until it too flew away.
Edgar stood up slowly, shaking his head. He turned to Gavin, who was sheathing his sword, his face slightly pasty. "Gavin," he said, feeling no less ill than his squire looked, "I thank you. Your quick thinking may have saved my life... I have never seen you so...so..." He groped for the words, his dazed mind not giving him any.
Gavin merely shrugged, grinning, though the side of his smile twitched. "It's what I've been trained for, Price Edgar. I may not... like it, but it is my duty."
Edgar clapped him on the shoulder. "I do not like it any more than you do, but..." He gazed off into the bleak distance and sighed. "I think that we can now safely say that whatever has happened to Princess Lily, it is not as simple as a case of kidnapping or running away. I—" he mounted his horse, looking miserable. "I am afraid of what might have happened, Gavin. But we must continue, yes?"
Gavin nodded wordlessly, and swung himself back up onto his own horse.
Edgar patted his stallion on the neck, speaking more comforting words to it, trying to make sense of what was happening, but he just couldn't. It didn't make any sense, and he was terrified for Lily, for the trouble that she might have somehow gotten herself into.
He firmed his chin. Whatever had happened, he couldn't help if he just sat there, being afraid. "Ya!" he yelled, digging his heels into the horse's side, and followed closely by Gavin, they bolted off through the deadened trees.
******************************************
Darkness paced the shadows of his cave, growling angrily to himself. That stupid, inept little fool!
When she did finally arrive, though, she looked no more in the mood to have a calm chat than he felt. "You called?" she scowled.
"Indeed." Inhaling loudly and exasperatedly through his nostrils, Darkness seated himself majestically. "Just what was that little farce supposed to accomplish?"
"He was supposed to return to his castle. I don't want him, or anyone else, getting in the way. The more people there are, the less likely it becomes that things will go our way," the fairy explained angrily.
"...And you couldn't even fool that pretty peacock?" He steepled his fingers. "What a little incompetent you are."
"Do you want Lily or not?"
He snarled. "Of course I do, which is why I called you here. If you had been paying attention, instead of going on your little quest for vengeance, you would know that Lily is caught in a storm."
"Oh?" She crossed her arms, looking recalcitrant. "And?"
"I haven't the strength to magic myself into the middle of a storm," he explained slowly, wanting to throttle her and her little smug face. "You promised to get her here alive."
"I will!" she said shrilly. "But you have to let me do this in my own way. We had a deal."
"A deal in which your pretty little head is sure to sorely miss your shoulders should you fail me," he sat back, gazing down upon her contemptuously. "If you want that Jack of yours, delay no longer."
She bowed mockingly. "Yes, your grace. I will go." The scornful smile evaporated and she spat at him, "and I hope you enjoy the fruits of what you will reap!"
Before he could rise from his seat regally and demand that she inform him of her meaning, she was already gone.
Darkness growled again to himself. Damn that impulsive fairy! He still wasn't quite sure if she'd rather have her revenge on Lily or have the vapid forest boy, and until he was sure, he couldn't take any chances.
He would have to take matters into his own hands.