A small band of soldiers broke away from Sam. Here they would leave him, on their way to find Katrel. 'If he wasn't an Abhorsen, that child would be far more trouble than he's worth!' Such were the thoughts plaguing his mind as Sam carried on to the Glacier. Still a hundred miles to go, and already all he could see was ice. It was no wonder the barbarian suitor Ellimere had seen was so crazy. Anybody could go mad in this place.
When he finally swung off his horse, Sam was cold, and hungry, and wet from a sudden snowstorm. It was a good thing Lirael had taught him the making of Charter skins. He tied the poor horse to a scraggly tree and threw both his blankets over it before beginning the spell. Half an hour later, Sam shivered his way into a polar bear's shape. Now, provided he didn't scratch it off in the middle of the night, he could have a nice, warm body to sleep in.
The next day, he arrived at the Glacier and entered through the merchants' gate. Almost immediately he found a Clayr who could guide him to a room and show him around. He was en route to the aforementioned chamber when he bumped into yet another white-clad being.
"Oh, I'm sorry." Unlike most of the others he had nudged along the way, he looked her straight in the eyes as he said it. The were blue, he noted, brighter and more resplendent than the purest robin's egg, with a single dot of black in the exact center. He silently cursed the muddiness of his own irises. Brown was so dull, so incredibly common compared to that color. Sameth realized that he had been staring at her far longer than could possibly be considered accidental, and stepped aside.
She continued on her way, throwing him a smile over her shoulder. The woman's eyes flashed every bit as much as her gleaming teeth.
"Who was that?" Sam inquired of his silent guide.
The Clayr took a quick glance at the figure's retreating back. "Firana," she said simply.
†††
It seemed they were fated to meet a second time that day, for so they did. She was passing the Great library; he was returning a volume entitled Ancient Magicks of the Clayr. Again, Firana smiled at the man, hoping he would respond this time. No such luck. She would have to result to craftier methods.
†††
At last, the day of her opportunity arrived. The handsome young visitor, Sam, as she had learned his name to be, needed a Clayr to lead him to the room of the Nine Day Watch. And who better for the job than Firana, who would be traveling there to do her time anyway? She met him at the guest chambers, far below the main halls of the glacier, but close to the room of ice in which the Clayr caught most of their glimpses of the future.
He opened the door, looking slightly downwards to see his escort's face. Again, he was lost in her eyes, which had strangely changed color. No longer robin's egg blue, they were now a turquoise deeper than the Sea of Saere.
"Well, come on then," she said. "We must get there early, so that you may not interrupt the Watch with your... examinations. She strode down the corridor, clearly expecting Sameth to follow without further instruction. He needed none. If she were to get two corners ahead of him, he would be hopelessly lost here.
Sam followed her as she took a left, two rights, and then many more turns he had no hope of memorizing. He spotted a gleam in an upcoming hallway. They must be nearly there, if that was the shine of ice instead of the ubiquitous stone. As he came closer though, he saw that it was not the gleam of ice, but rather the more deadly glint of highly polished steel.
"You must be blindfolded here," she said, turning to face him.
He sighed, and muttered under his breath, but allowed the cloth to be tied around his head. Before the fabric slipped over his eyes, Sam gripped Firana's arm. she might know the way from here, but he didn't, and wasn't about to bet his life on the chance that this Clayr would not trick him. He dogged her, hand tightening whenever he felt her making a turn.
†††
This would be her only chance. She couldn't mess this up, or he would leave, and then... She could not, would not, think any farther. Firana followed the standard path to the observatory, but took a left instead of the last right. She followed this with another left, which should lead to a dead end. It seemed she had either mapped the area incorrectly, or the Glacier was trying to take them back to their path, for the corridor continued on, toward the observatory. Cursing mildly, she walked down the hall until she found a right, which led to the desired dead end.
Firana pried Sam's hand from her wrist, showing more strength than she had any right to possess. She promptly followed this by whipping away his blindfold and kissing him.
Sam stared, dumbstruck, for a moment before words came to his lips. "Leave me, wench!"
"Well, so be it!" Firana marched off, head held high. As son as she turned the corner and was out of sight, she ran at the full speed possible while in a dress. 'With his slow wits, I'll be at the observatory before he even takes a step,' she thought.
"Now which... Ah, I hate women!' Sam, faced with two corridors to choose from, took the one to the right. He blundered about for hours, more lost than when he had been blindfolded. At last, he found a passing Clayr. Having had quite enough of stone and ice, he asked to be lead to his room.
He passed her several times in the next days, both traveling to and from the Observatory. Sameth would never give her so much as a glance, determined to hold his resistance no matter how much he longed to give in.
†††
A/N Well, that actually came out half decently! Being that this scene was written around the same time as the first two chapters, I expected it to be much worse. At any rate, it's here now. So, how am I at scripting more romantic scenes? Like it? Hate it? Do you want to see more of them or never catch me writing one again? Whichever it is, let me know.. you never know what could show up in the future.