The Ice Storm
Chapter Twenty-two
Wendell shivered and turned in his blankets. In his mind, the dream played out with frightening precision. She fell, a great plummet where the icy winds tore at her hair, her mouth open in a silent scream...
"Scarlett!" he choked, waking in a panic. Fortunately the air was so cold that his voice came out as little more than a frozen croak. Never mind that his heartbeat sounded as loud as thunder in his ears. Someone reached to put a gloved hand to his mouth and another on his shoulder. Wendell, unused to sleeping in such close proximity to another, stifled yet another yelp at the touch.
"Hush, man". Tony whispered across the tent.
"S...sorry"
"Bad dream?"
"You could call it that" Wendell whispered back. It was not really a dream, he reminded himself, just his tired mind conjuring the images he had seen in the Swamp Witches Mirror. Mirrors never lied, not like dreams did. Already numb from the cold, still he shivered. She would not fall, and even if she did, well, he would sit by her bedside and nurse her back to health! Who had said that? Perhaps it was Virginia, recounting some 'Wolfism' in happier days past. Maybe they'd been sitting in the gardens, under the sun, but it was hard to visualise the sun nowadays. The world was dying.
"Dawn soon" . Someone spoke softly from outside the tent. Wendell thought he recognized the voice of one of the many wolfen folk who had joined up with his men. They had proved themselves assets beyond anything a war commander could hope for. More than once their scouts had led them safely around isolated hamlets and armed encampments of the Eigth Kingdom.
Now, on this night, they were camped down barely a days ride from the Ice Palace. A feeling of pure luck warred with a feeling of a fatal trap in Wendells mind. But there was nothing for it now. They had come too far, through too many dangers already, to turn around and slink back home to await whatever end the Ice Queen had planned for them. And tomorrow, well, that was the day of reckoning wasn't it? Midwinters night was the deadline, and the deadly freezing spell would be sprung. Wendell doubted more than ever that even if he had made concession to this Kingdom, still the plans would have gone ahead. Surely too much magic and energy had already gone into it. Maybe the rulers of this Kingdom could not stop it even if they wanted to.
Only death would work. The oldest trick in the book. If you can't undo the spell, undo the caster. She would be aware of that, probably even expect such an attack. Maybe she was even now laughing into her hand at the foolishness of anyone who would approach her domain with little more than a hundred souls at his back. And damn near frozen souls at that, he smiled ruefully in the darkness. As the King and Commander, he had the 'luxury' of a slightly thicker blanket than the rest, but it provided little comfort in his burdened heart.
Realising he wouldn't be able to sleep anymore that night, Wendell gave up his fidgeting and slipped out of the tent. A thin silver line on the horizon heralded the approach of dawn. All about in the gloom huddled shapes, of men and wolves and those in between. The half-wolf who was nominally their 'spokeswolf', the one called Giles, slunk from the shadows to his left.
"We are very close, King Wendell" he whispered. In the dim light the half-wolfs eyes glowed a pale red, reminding Wendell that he was very glad indeed that these people had sided with him in this battle. Yet he knew that even with these ferocious fighters at his back he was still hopelessly outnumbered, probably a hundred to one. For a moment he wondered vaguely why the wolfen were prepared to risk themselves. On sudden impulse, he asked.
"We have heard strange rumours, King Wendell. More than one of us has been visited by the Goddess lately" the wolf replied rather cryptically. Wendell noticed that the red light eyeshine was as equally fervent as it was hostile. Virginia is important to us. That was what they had said. How important then, and why? Giles smiled as if he could read Wendells thoughts. "We have come to believe that Virginia is the bearer of a great tiding for our people, an old and secret thing that many thought but a fancy from easier times in the world. We would not have such a thing in the hands of an evil soul, wolf or human born".
"I...I don't understand what you mean"
"No. It is not a story of your people King Wendell. I know you are doubly curious now, but it is a thing that I dare not speak too freely of, not here when we are so close and others might be watching us. It could be that the Ice Queen is ignorant of what she has in her keeping"
"I see. For myself, I doubt it. I have had many hours with which to ponder why Virginia was taken. She has her status in the Kingdoms, to be sure, but few would agree that she herself posed a direct threat to the Eigth Kingdom. Even less so since she was with child and that was no secret. One pregnant woman with no magics surely would not make such a target, I warrant" Wendell said, once more his insides quailing at the thought of having to explain to Wolf how he had let Virginia be taken. Wolf, who even now was likely on their trail and closing fast.
There was a soft grumble from behind him, and Wendell turned to see Tony, wincing as he stretched his sore back. Tony, at least, had not blamed him for Virginias loss. At least not directly.
"You look like a new chick out of the nest for the first time, Wendell" Tony muttered with a crooked smile.
"I am afraid" Wendell answered.
"Of who? Surely not some frozen old hag in an oversized igloo?" Tony said with a show of mock bravado. Wendell didn't know what an 'igloo' was, but he decided to play along in the pretence anyway.
"Oh no, not her. It's Wolf. Boy, am I going to be in for it when he catches up with us. I've been expecting him to waltz into camp for days now and with one sweep of his paw make of me an entirely useless King to my Queen-in-waiting" he said, gesturing to his trousers and pretending to look around in fear. But instead of a laugh or rejoiner, Tony simply looked down at the ground uncomfortably.
"Wendell..." he began.
"What?" Wendell cut him off, taking steps towards his old friend. "Tell me man!"
"There's no way that Wolf will be anywhere near picking up our trail, if he stayed true to his word that is, or at least to what Virginia asked him to do"
"What do you mean?" Wendell sputtered, fear rising in his breast. "What did Virginia ask him to do?"
"Go to Coven Lake. And not just by himself" Tony mumbled. Wendell felt sick with the certainty of what he would hear next. Damn it, but he just knew something else had been going on. Damn her, she lied to me!
"Scarlett" he said, voice flat with emotion he could not utter. "She's gone to Coven Lake with Wolf, hasn't she? I knew it, I knew it. She tricked me into letting her go back to her castle. She knew I would never have agreed for her to go traipsing off to that place, I would have stopped her...somehow. What a foolish, dangerous thing to do! What a fool I've been". His voice was choking finally, He shook off Tonys placating arm from his shoulder, his mind a riot of fear and anger and frustration. Coven Lake? One could get no further from her Hooded Castle except to fall into the ocean itself. Why there? Why now? Wendells mind seethed with unanswered questions.
"It was her idea, in truth, to go there. Virginia told me about it. Virginia would never have asked her to do this, but since Scarlett seemed determined to go, she at least made sure that Wolf went with her, to protect her you know? And since it was obvious that you would neither let her go, nor stay behind with your people, they decided that you would be best kept in the dark. Her reasons for returning to her Castle, her fears about her siblings and the like, those were true enough, so she did not lie to you in that regard. She omitted a thing, no more. She did not want to endanger you, nor strip a Kingdom of it's King when they needed it most"
"This is no comfort, what you're saying. Why must everyone think me a weakling, unable to make my own decisions?"
"No one thinks you weak, Wendell. But you're asking the wrong person, most of all because I know so little of the minds of women, especially headstrong fairy-tale Queens" Tony replied.
"As do I, apparently" Wendell said. He felt proud and foolish at the same time. Infernal creatures, women!
"And?" said Tony expectantly.
"And what, Tony?"
"Well, don't you want to know why your wife-to-be and my future son-in-law are off traipsing all over the world?"
"Do I, or not?" Wendell said morosely. Inwardly he tried to put on a stern thought. This had better be good!
"Let me tell you then" whispered Tony, drawing close once more. "It all started with a little girls dream..."
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Footsteps, even hated ones, would have been a memory of comfort in the dead hearted silence Virginia now found herself in. Her arm throbbed wearily from the bruise that the Ice Princess had inflicted on it. Virginia would not have struggled with the woman anyway, fearing the risk to her unborn daughter, but that had not stopped the merciless grip as she had been 'escorted' down a long flight of stairs. Virginia had not had the time to wonder at why the Princess had stooped to do her own fetching and carrying of prisoners. Now, alone with her thoughts at last, she did. Obviously, this was a secret place of Rhoswens own devising. Was it a personal bolthole that she took pains to keep hidden from everyone else?
It was a small room, carved entirely from white stone and coated with ice, as was the rest of the palace that she had glimpsed. It was not as cold as Virginia had expected, but then she recalled the natural insulating properties of ice and was glad of them. Besides, why drag her down her if all she was going to do was freeze to death? No, for better or worse, Rhoswen wanted her alive, and secretly hers. For now anyway. All that would likely change when her daughter was born. With a pang of worry, Virginia realised that even if her child turned out be be the perfectly normal cub, Rhoswen would probably kill them both simply in anger.
"So, have a normal baby and both of us die, or have some magical 'moonchild' or whatever and only I die" she said aloud. The thick walls absorbed her words effortlessly. Virginia did not necessarily want to be discovered anyway and had made no attempts at screaming or yelling for attention. Rhoswen might be mad, or merely cruel, but she was one person. Virginia did not want to have to face a castle full of enemies. And there was still hope, slender as it was, that the Princess could be manipulated.
Virginia sat down on the narrow cot tucked into one corner. It was piled with thick furs which made her think even more that this was a personal hidey hole. Virginia sat and thought about the sort of life Rhoswen must have led to have to made her think to have such a place. A foundling child adrift in a hostile land and a castle full of plots and intrigues. Only the toughest and the craftiest survived, in both human politics and a kingdom bound by ice and snowfields. Had the Princess ever felt genuine love and affection from her step-mother? Or had she been aware, even from an early age that she was merely a tool, a thing that someone had found and decided to shape into a formidable servant? A princess by name and title, but a servant nonetheless.
Rhoswen was formidable though, Virginia had to admit. Virginia had always been naturally adept at hiding her true thoughts, a legacy from years as an abandoned child, but it had been difficult to maintain a calm exterior in the womans presence. Her tall and regal poise, combined with those other aspects of her that Virginia knew of had fashioned themselves into a strong willed young woman. Someone that Virginia guessed would be seen as a credit to her family.
It was a strange feeling, but Virginia realised suddenly that she honestly hoped that one day someone from Rhoswens true family would look upon the Ice Princess that way.
Virginia was about to stretch out on the bed when she heard the sound of returning footsteps. A sharp, quick step that could only be Rhoswen herself, and underneath that, a low scraping sound like something heavy being dragged.
The door in the corner of the chamber opened, falling back with a muffled thud. In the dim light of the held lantern, Virginia could make out the tall sillouette of Rhoswen.
"I almost forgot. I have a little something for you, someone you might know actually. I am sorry that you may find his company somewhat testing at the moment" Rhoswen spoke, gesturing to a crumpled figure at her feet. Virginia could not make out any features, but she guessed at once who it might be.
"Yacobe?" she whispered.
Rhoswen laughed, a bitter choked off sound. "Ah no. Yacobe is dead. As will this one be, Virginia of the Fourth Kingdom, should anything go wrong with my plans. So, you will remain here, as my guest, you will deliver a healthy infant, you will not try to escape or to contact the outside world. These things are clear to you then? Any deviation from these rules and this one will die most surely. I may even let you watch"
Virginia reeled from the words, her hand over her face as the door slammed shut once more, casting the chamber into stillness once more. The cloaked figure on the floor uncurled itself a fraction, raised its head into the fitful light of Virginia's candle.
It was Will.
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Something was breaking free at last. With the barest of slivers of thought that she had left to her, she felt the deadly weight begin to leave. They had been coming closer, steadily, dull thuds and crashes from above. But they had such a long way to travel, these small creatures. They would not make it in time. She tried to tell this to them, to the smallest one who had been there the longest.
"Leave me. I am lost finally"
"No, lady-dragon. We are coming down for you. Wait for us!"
Since waiting was all she done for years uncounted, she felt it would be no great hardship to indulge the childling. Now, she could hear them. Not the silent mind voice, but real voices. A male spoke, huffing and puffing as though in great labour.
"Look, Alice, see there! I can see the dragon!"
"Hurry uncle Wolf, we must hurry".
She fell into a lull listening to them. She tried to count how many years it had been since she had heard the wild wolfen voice, be it in careful entreaties or ringing howl-song to the moon. They had always been friends, the forest folk. She was pleased that they had survived the onslaught of men even though her own people had perished or fled. A womans voice rippled through the ice.
"Careful now Wolf. We are close. We don't want that Axe to hurt her"
"I know, Scarlett, I know. But look. One more strike and we are through"
"Well what are you waiting for?"
"Have you thought about this Scarlett? I mean really thought about what we are about to free? How can we know that the dragon won't simply crush us beneath her foot, or burn us to cinders for disturbing her?"
"Only two dragons together can make the sacred fire. Even I remember my school lessons in dragon-lore" Scarlett said pointedly.
"Zaphira won't hurt us, uncle Wolf" chimed in Alice, her high pitched voice tinged with tiredness.
"What makes you so sure Alice?" said the wolf.
"I just know. She told me"
"She told you"
"Yes. Please, uncle...the arrow bites her"
"The arrow. Well, I hope she is kind enough to overlook one little fact about this arrow"
"What's that?" said the woman and the girl in unison.
"Well, it seems too much of a coincidence otherwise, but I guess I'm kind of responsible for putting that arrow there in the first place"