Chapter Three- Decision

Jack continued to warn her away, his frantic words and movements making it difficult for Adrianne to untie him.

"You don't understand, Pitch is after you, not me..."

"Then why did he tie you up?" Adrianne asked skeptically, raising one slender eyebrow. Jack flailed, it was important, imperative that she understood and went, as quickly as possible. He struggled to answer.

"Because I get in the way." He ducked his head sheepishly, peering up though his lashes, adding the silent it's what I'm good at.

"Exactly!" She said in a no-nonsense voice, continuing to struggle with the knots. "And here you are, convincing me to run off, getting in his way once more,if he's after me that is. If I leave, this... Pitch will use you as a human punch bag." Her eyes met Jack's, and Jack could have sworn they were the exact color of the ocean, on a beautiful cloudless day. She clasped his hand and squeezed it.

"I won't let that happen. Not to anybody." she smiled softly. "Who are you anyway?"

"Jack Frost." He replied crookedly.

"Okay." Adrianne replied, not looking up at she scrabbled at the rope. Jack was stunned.

"You believe me?"

"Sure. I trust you. I don't know why." She was didn't know why, but was certain that she did. Like fate.

"Plus there's no other way you could be this pale and this awake at the same time, no human would be. And I'm willing to bet you're freezing." He grinned halfheartedly at her observations.

She cursed in exasperation no matter how hard she tried to loosen the knots in one area, they would tighten in another. "You're the greatest spirit of winter- any tips on how to get you untied? These ties aren't giving."

Jack shrugged and then immediately regretted it as pain lanced across his side.

"You could always make an ice dagger." Adrianne closed her eyes, rubbed her hands together and sure enough an ice dagger was formed. Jack stared at her worriedly then scanned the trees for a glimpse of black or amber. If Pitch saw that... but the nightmare king was nowhere to be seen. Which may or may not have been a good thing.

Adrianne began sawing through the ropes. When he was finally free he collapsed in the snow.

"Can you walk?"She hissed in his ear. Jack grimaced and hobbled forward a few steps before collapsing again. The rope had cut off the circulation to his feet.

"A little." Adrianne sighed before grasping his arm and hoisting him up. "I'll help."

He shook his head. His eyes were flitting backward-forward-backward-forward. Looking towards the trees. He was frightened, Adrianne realised, though he was doing well to hide it.

"I need my staff."

"You need a staff?" He nodded. "Any staff?" He shook his head. Adrianne looked around, even setting her fingers on fire to provide her with some extra light. But she could see no staff.

"Jack I can't find it." He groaned in response.

"Pitch will have it, and I need it."

"Right now our priority is getting you away from here." Jack laughed weakly at that.

"What?" Adrianne huffed, more than a little put out, and worried he may have gone delirious.

"I was supposed to say that to you."

"You already did, in less words." She reminded him. "And I said no." And despite everything, he smiled. Adrianne noticed but chose not to comment.

They stumbled forward a few meters.

"We need to get to a clearing. Use the wind to take off." Jack was feeling slow, and vulnerable without his staff. He hated the feeling of helplessness and placing his safety in the hands of the girl he was supposed to protect.

"Hey! Stay with me- I can't ride the wind!" Jack hadn't realised his mind had wandered.

"The wind likes you, and it's coming. But it's a bit busy at the moment." He mumbled, looking around suspiciously. Adrianne created an ice block, and rested him on it. "Wind wind wind wind come on!" She felt drained, she had used too much energy for the first day of her existence. Then suddenly she felt that something was very wrong. The sky darkened and she felt shivers run down her spine. Something was definitely wrong. Slowly, she rose and turned to face the man she knew must be Pitch, and he had come to take her or Jack or maybe both.

Somehow the sight of him made her realise why Jack was so afraid. He was tall, and dark and imposing, and was doing the opposite of glowing, sucking the light out of the area around him. Beside her Jack let out a low gasp. Adrianne, unwilling to show her fear instead tipped her head to the side as if considering him. Pitch smiled wider at that. She could certainly see why he was called Pitch Black. He was tall and lithe, and draped in black, His skin was a washed out grey, his hair a sooty black, and his eyes a gold or amber, leaping out from the gloom. His presence was so dark and evil and chilling.

But then something she noticed made her lips quirk upward into a smile.

"Jack..." She began slowly, her smile growing more pronounced. "He has no eyebrows!" She muttered lowly. Jack just stared at her disbelieving as if to say is this really the time?

And she supposed, as Pitch stepped forward another step, that no, it had not been the right time, but it was funny. She and Pitch stood staring at each other, each daring the other to speak. Jack made to stand, but she placed a hand on his shoulder telling him to stay seated.

...

If anything Jack felt a little excluded. It was sad to think that his life had been so chaotic recently, and so many people (namely Pitch) kept going after him for his blood, that whenever be wasn't being beaten up, or fighting or planning the next move he felt... Misplaced. And that was exactly as he felt now, as the spirit girl and Pitch had their little staring match. He was certain now that Pitch had seen her earlier power demonstrations, because he didn't look at her like a person, or even an animal. He looked at her like a tool. That's how he looks at me sometimes, Jack realised.

But then he was being ignored, something he had a lot of experience in. Maybe that's why it was so strange because he wasn't used to being ignored anymore.

He had no fear of Adrianne being tempted by Pitch, she was too defiant and downright stubborn to do as she was told. But if it turned to a fight... Pitch had his staff, and though the graceful spirit beside him was undoubtedly powerful, she was also unpredictable. He watched as the girl became visibly bored as she waited for Pitch to speak. She narrowed her eyes, but didn't give in.

"Well." Adrianne lifted her chin triumphantly.

"Pitch." Her voice was eerily calm, and her demeanor was casual, giving nothing away.

"You know why name, but I don't know yours." She stepped forward, as a challenge.

"I share my name with who I wish to," A ghost of a smile flew across her face before being chased away by a frown. "and I hate to break it to you Pitch, but you don't qualify. And right now I have more important things to do than conversing." So go away.

Pitch pulled a mock sympathetic look, but Jack could see the calculating glint, trying to work out how to twist the conversation for his benefit.

"I'm trying to help you! That boy is nothing but trouble, he pretends to be your friend just so he gets something." The nightmare king shook his head despairingly. "I would know."

To there surprise, Adrianne laughed. Her figure shook as peals of mirth exploded out of her. while still laughing she stepped back to Jack.

"I know you know, for you have plenty of experience." She shrugged. "As for Jack, I know he's trouble. It makes life so much more exciting." As suddenly as a flipped switch, she straightened out a glared at him coldly.

"This is our home, and you are not welcome here."

"So you're house sharing now- I feel left out!" Pitch jeered, but it would get him nowhere.

"I was born here too. He didn't have a choice." And died here Jack continued silently, wracked with guilt once more. Pitch saw his grimace, and decided to throw his one last trump card in manipulating the girl.

"You do know that Jack is the reason that you are here? The reason you died?" Adrianne turned to Jack curiously, and Jack wondered if she remembered dying.

"I must have drowned in the pond." She said slowly. "Yes?" Jack nodded, forcing himself to meet her eyes. "You were skating, and the ice wasn't thick enough." He hung his head in shame. She tilted her head, assessing his reactions.

"You too?" Jack nodded. Pitch watched the scene with interest. The girl was not as angry as she could have been, just oddly understanding.

"I do not hold Jack responsible for my death. Even Jack Frost cannot save every child from winter."

"You might as well give up Pitch. She's not going with you." Jack proclaimed. "And neither am I."

With that statement Pitch turned into a writhing monster of fury, dripping with deathly cold anger.

"Then you give me no choice."

Hope you like it so far. I know Its a little slow at the moment, but it should speed up later (hopefully).

If you don't like it... Tell me why so I can improve!