Author's Note:

Well, here is the escape. I hope you enjoy it! I'm trying to make it as genuine as possible, so buckle up, kids!

-Tangent

Ean lay upon his bed, thinking of the day that had finally arrived. He could lose everything he cared about in the Land of Man.

There's a comforting thought. He sat upright and went over the plan once more in his head.

He had packed his bag with extra food, clothes, and money. His claws were on his hands, sheathed for now, but the elf hoped he wouldn't have to use them. Milli had been approved to be an extra helper for the day, and he already retrieved her uniform. She would help in the morning, and go to the Princess before him on the pretext of getting her ready. He would retrieve his gear and make his way there, while the halls were deserted because of the feast. Then, he would have to tell her everything.

Please, let her still be inside. He supposed that he could knock her out, but he would never be able to get through the entire city with her. Still, he supposed a terrible backup plan was better than none. When the time came, he rose from his bed with the other servants and proceeded to the kitchen, where he began to assist with last-minute cleaning, like mopping and sweeping. The giant table in the throne room was set, and the time passed too quickly.

Before he knew it, the servants were taking their places, and the trumpets were ringing out. The Snow Queen stepped forward, and the doors swung open to present representatives from every land.

They were a cheery lot, smiling and waving to each other as they entered, and the queen was greeting them individually.

"Friends, friends! Please, take your seats!" Her voice was happy, and Ean almost believed she had good intentions. The guests set, and the servants began bustling around like crazy, serving food and drinks. Milli disappeared with a nod to Ean, heading for Iya, while he doubled back and headed to his room.

He had just pulled on his pack, when a cough sounded from behind him. He spun to see an elderly servant glaring at him.

"What are you doing? The feast has started!" He looked at Ean's pack, and his eyes narrowed. He spun, opening his mouth to shout, and Ean acted. Grabbing the man by the neck, he slammed him into the wall twice, knocking him out. The man fell to the ground with a dull thud, and Ean stepped over him.

"Sorry." He said, feeling bad. He closed the door and locked it. Hopefully, the servant wouldn't wake up for a few hours, and hopefully the door kept him locked in. He moved silently through the halls, heading for the princess's chambers. He saw nobody, and he arrived in a couple of minutes, opening the door quietly.

Iya was wearing the same beautiful gown that she had worn the first time she met him, except with more jewels. Milli was standing by the door, and she smiled encouragingly at him. His mouth was slightly opened as he stared at the gorgeous princess, and she giggled at his reaction.

"Ah, Ean. I'm feeling a bit nervous." She was a bit pale, and Ean stepped forward.

"Princess, I must talk to you. It's urgent." His voice was shaky, and he steadied it.

"Right now? But I'm due in about 10 minutes."

"It cannot wait." Ean said, and began to speak.

"Iya, I know you do not recognize me, but I've known you my whole life. You are my best friend, Iya Tiki, from Elfwood. Do you not remember me?" He spoke quickly, and Iya's eyes were wide with shock.

"I… What?" Ean pulled off his hat, and she gasped.

"You are an elf like me?" He nodded.

"We grew up together. We were best friends. Iya, can't you see what's happened? I'm here to save you."

"I… you seem familiar, but I don't-" He stepped forward, pulling out the pink ribbon and placed it in her hands. She looked at it, and she staggered. Grabbing a chair, she fell into it, her face white with shock.

"I… I remember this. You gave this to me, years ago." Her eyes were scared, and Ean's heart leapt. But she continued speaking. "If you know me, you know I can't go home."

"What? Why?"

"I'm nothing but a failure in Elfwood. My own family practically disowned me. I have no magic." Ean felt his hopes begin to crumble.

"You aren't a failure, Iya. Not to me." He tried again, but she shook her head.

"I have a home now, Ean. Mother adopted me, and she gave me magic and power. I can't leave now."

"Iya, she wants to kill you!" Ean exclaimed, and Iya jerked back in her seat.

"That's not true! She loves me, more than my mother ever did." Her voice was angry. "Sorry, Ean, but you should leave while you can. Go home, and tell my family."

"I won't. Not without you." Ean reached into his pocket and pulled out the magic mirror. He thrust it into her hands urgently.

"Look!"

The Snow Queen stood upon the raised dais that housed her throne. She was almost giddy with excitement. Finally, the day had come. Turning to her guards, she hissed:

"The sacrifice. Now." They ran off quickly, and she turned back to watch the kings and queens dancing to the lively music. They were all so foolish to trust her, and now she would show them. The music slowed, and the royalty began to stop dancing, looking towards her. The table had been cleared from the room, and she felt her power begin to grow.

As the music faded away, she stepped forward to the edge of the dais, raising her arms. The nobles looked at her expectantly, smiling. She smiled back, and shouted the word that sealed their fate.

"To ice! All of you, to ice!" Their faces changed to alarm, but it was too late. She released her power in a wave that swept the entire room, covering everything in a cloud of ice and water. When the dust cleared, nine icy statues looked back at her in horror. She cackled madly, her laughter echoing throughout the room and the entire city.

"Finally, the world is mine!"

Glass shattered as the mirror fell to the floor, cracking in half. Iya threw her hands over her face with a cry, and Ean knew the spell had been broken. He touched her shoulder gently.

"Ean?" His heart soared as he heard Iya speak truly for the first time.

"It's alright now, Iya. I'm here."

"She…" she seemed at a loss for words, and he grabbed her arms firmly.

"I know, Iya, but we need to get out of here!" She nodded once and rose unsteadily from the chair. As she did, two guards burst into the room, their spears ready. Milli was flung to the side with a cry.

"Apologies for the intrusion, princess, but the Queen needs you now." Iya looked at them, her voice shaky.

"Guards, leave me. I shall attend the Queen shortly." They narrowed their eyes.

"Sorry, but her orders are to accompany you directly to her." Ean lowered his hands to his sides. This was it. This was the end, and there was no way he could defeat the two guards. He steeled himself to attack, but before he could, a voice rang out in his head.

You fool! Tell her to use magic! The voice was gone, and he looked around for who had spoken. There was nobody there. Throwing caution to the winds, he whispered to Iya, who looked at him:

"Use your magic, Iya! It's the only way."

"But I don't have any, Ean! I told you that." She was panicked now, her hands fidgeting.

"Iya." Ean spoke, his voice low and confident. "Why do you think the queen took you? It's because you alone are powerful enough to face her. The Elder Oak himself told me this. You have magic. Find it!" His voice encouraged her, and she closed her eyes, murmuring.

Ean was here! She couldn't believe her eyes after the mirror had shattered and she had woken up only to see him in front of her. She was so happy to see him.

She closed her eyes, murmuring words quietly, reaching out for her magic. She felt his words rush through her, warming her inside and out, and she took that warmth, pulling it up to the surface.

"What is she doing?"

"Magic! Seize her!" She heard the guards run forward, and she opened her eyes to see Ean leap in front of her.

"No!" The shout was torn from her as she took her emotions and shoved them outwards in a blast of power. Lightning blasted the guards into the wall with a crash, and they fell to the floor, dead. Ean turned slowly, his eyes wide with surprise and… was that pride?

"I…" she felt something inside of her, bubbling up slowly. "I used magic."

"You did." Ean spoke.

"I… I did it! Ean, I did it!" A smile beamed across her face, and she felt so happy. Finally, she was no longer worthless! But then it all came crashing down, and she remembered what was happening.

"Ean, we need to go!" She cried, and he nodded, turning to Milli.

"Wait a few minutes, then go." She nodded, and he sprinted into the hallway. She followed, fear racing through her. The Snow Queen was here, they had to run.

"Where can we go?" asked Ean, and she racked her brains frantically. There had to be something, anything!

"The kitchen! There's a door that leads into the sewers, if we can reach it!" Her voice was desperate, and the elves ran for their lives. They pelted through the corridors, knocking people aside left and right. They had just rounded the corner when a horn boomed through the corridors, low and menacing. Ean knew Milli had sounded the alarm, and he hoped she was safe.

"They know I've escaped! Quickly!" said Iya as they burst into the kitchen, shoving servants aside. Taking the lead, she ran to a wall near the ovens and pushed on it.

"It… It won't budge!" Ean pushed her aside, and he slammed into the wall with a growl of rage. It moved, and they fell through into a dark room. The door shut behind them, and there was silence.

Ean lit a candle, and she could see his face dimly in the light.

"Iya, quick! Can you seal the door with magic?"

"I… I can try." She focused on the door, drawing up that same feeling from before, and lightning crackled outwards, fusing the door to the stone around it. She felt a surge of satisfaction as Ean lit several candles around the room. They were in an abandoned storeroom, filled with rotting boxes and barrels. The walls were lined with stone, and she shivered, suddenly feeling weak.

"Ean…" Her voice was quiet.

"Just don't think about it, Iya. We need to get to safety. Here, I have some clothes and food." His voice was gentle as he handed her some clothes. She turned away to change, stripping off her dress and tossing it to the side. Ean turned away to give her privacy as he changed as well. As she pulled on the snug pants and cloak, she turned to see Ean back in his normal outfit from Elfwood.

"What happened to Milli?" she asked quietly, and Ean looked at her.

"She raised the alarm, to not draw suspicion to herself. She'll be okay." He sounded as though he was trying to reassure himself as much as her. "We need to keep moving. Where does this lead?"

"The sewers, I think. And from there, it leads into the Shaenlir mountains."

"Alright, then let's move. We don't have much time." Ean said, and the two elves set off into the darkness.

The sewers were dark, with slimy floors, walls, and ceilings. Their feet squelched through the substance as they walked, and Iya felt Ean shudder next to her. Her hands were raised, listening for any sound of approaching guards, but there was silence. All of the canals in the sewers were filled with a toxic green water, and she really hoped they wouldn't have to swim in it.

"Ean?" Her voice was quiet, and she felt, rather than saw, him turn his head to look at her in the dim light of the candle.

"Yeah?"

"What… What happened when I disappeared?" In a quiet voice, Ean told her everything that had transpired since the Snow Queen had taken her, from everybody forgetting her to his journey through the mountains.

"Oh, here." He reached into his robes and pulled off his ice necklace, placing it on her own neck instead. She protested, but he shook his head firmly. "You're still in shock, Iya. I've got thick clothes, I'll be fine." Accepting that his mind wouldn't be changed, Iya nodded once in gratitude.

"Iya, what happened to you?" Ean asked, and she shivered at the thought of telling him.

"I… I can't, Ean. Not now." She said no more, and the male elf looked at her with apparent concern. Her breathing was uneven, but she kept walking, desperate to escape.

"If she hurt you, I-"

"Ean, look out!" Iya's voice rang out, and he whirled to see a large rat leaping for him. It was the size of his leg at least, and he kicked it back into the darkness, where it squealed in rage. He flicked his claws out, and the blades gleamed in the dim light. The eyes burning in the darkness paused, and the rats leapt at him.

I must protect her, at any cost. His eyes narrowed, and he let out a snarl of animalistic rage. His claws slashed upwards, and he tore through the rats with a fury, blades opening wounds everywhere. Oily black blood spilled onto the stone, and the rats fell still with a squeak. He took a step back, shocked.

"Ean, how did you do that? And what are those things?" Iya pointed at his claws, his blades still out. Flicking them once to clear the blood from them, he sheathed them and picked up the candle on the floor, the flame still flickering.

"Oh, I got these from the weapons dealer. They seemed fitting for me, and I guess they work. I just kind of acted instinctively." He scratched his head, still a bit unsure of his own ability.

"Well, it was very impressive." Iya said, and they continued through the rotting sewers. Finally, Ean saw light ahead, and he extinguished the candle. They stepped into another part of the sewers with wide pathways and candles burning in the walls. Light flowed in through holes far above, no doubt the drains for the city.

"These must be the actual sewers. I'm not sure where the exit is, but there might be guards down here." Iya whispered, and Ean nodded.

"We'll have to find the right one, then. Come on." They crept through the abandoned sewers until the path branched off, leading to the right and to the left. Choosing a path at random, they walked to the right. The old stones of the sewer walkway crunched under their feet as they walked, and Ean noticed that the walkway was coming to an end.

"Hold up, Iya. What's this?" On the wall in front of them was an old, rusted lever that had clearly been untouched for years.

"Do you know anything about this, Iya?"

"No." responded the elf quietly. "I never came down here before." Ean reached out and grabbed the lever, pulling it down. There was a low thunk that sounded through the sewers, and…

"Nothing. But something happened for sure." Ean said, turning around. He was greeted by the sight of more angry rats scampering towards them. They bounded forward, ready to attack, but pink lightning fried the air in front of them, and they all fell, dead.

"You're getting better at that, Iya." She nodded, and they kept moving. As they wandered, Ean found a couple of boxes with dried food, and even a small staff that Iya could use to support herself. She accepted it gratefully, looking at the open boxes.

"Where did this come from?" she asked, but Ean thought he knew.

"Well, there's apparently lots of thieves in the city, so I wouldn't be surprised if some of them hid down here. Hopefully they aren't around." The other elf nodded, and they set off. Iya fried all of the rats in their path, her confidence growing with each spell that she cast. However, she also began to grow weaker, until Ean placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Iya, rest for a while. I can take care of the rats, okay?" She began to protest, but thought better of it and nodded. Finally, they came to a metal gate in the sewers, which was open. Beyond it was a room with two beds, and a couple more boxes of supplies.

"This must be the door opened by the lever. Very clever." Ean remarked as he entered the storeroom. There was a lever on the other side, so he flipped it, closing the gate. "There. Hopefully they can't follow us now." As he closed the gate, a section of the wall swung open, revealing a passage of smooth rock. He could see daylight up ahead, and he smiled.

"There it is. Not too much further now, Iya!" The elf was sitting on the bed, eating a piece of cheese, and she nodded.

"Just… give me a few minutes to rest, alright?" She asked.

"Of course. I think we have a decent head start. Milli must have diverted the guards." Ean replied, sitting down next to her. She was breathing hard, but her face seemed to have recovered some color. After a few minutes of silence, she spoke, her voice timid:

"Why didn't you forget?" The other elf knew what she meant, and he paused before answering.

"You're my best friend. I don't think there's any magic that could make me forget you."

"But I did." Iya said sadly.

"Yes, but you were the one struggling. The Snow Queen must have taken advantage of that. But you're here now, and that's all that matters." Iya looked at him, a hesitant smile on her face.

"Thank you." They rose and exited the sewers, the stone door swinging shut behind them.

She roared and blasted a house to smithereens with a ball of ice. People fled, screaming, and she hurled another projectile across the street. Behind her, guards were searching every building. Her breathing was heavy, and rage filled her eyes, turning them pure white.

The servant had burst into the hall, screaming about how the princess's servant had kidnapped her, dragging her from the castle. Instantly, the queen knew what had happened, and she ran to her library, blasting the doors apart. But the mirror was not there, and her rage had exploded. She had demolished whole sections of the town, searching for that damned princess.

"You little wretch!" She bellowed, her voice ringing out over the city. "I'm going to find you and rip out your eyes! You and that boy!" The boy must have known, he must have! But how could he? She had cast a spell on everyone in the elven village, and she knew it.

"There must be some sort of trick." She snarled, ice steaming off of her body.

"Your majesty…" A voice came from behind her, and she whirled, grabbing Wart and slamming him into the ground easily, despite his size and weight. He gulped, his face pale.

"You. Contact all units in the field. Tell them to blockade every port, every city to search for these wretches. I must have her remaining spirit! After that, raise the barrier. Don't let anybody out, and search every house in the city." She threw him aside and continued her rampage through the city. She would find that girl, and when she did, she'd kill her in front of the boy. Slowly. Painfully. A slow smile spread across her face at the thought, and the Snow Queen continued slaughtering her people with brutal abandon.

They emerged from the passage into a snow forest high in the mountains. The trees were thick, and there was a tiny passage leading between the trees. The air was thick, and Ean felt a sort of tension vibrating through the air.

"Stay close, Iya. I've never been this deep in the mountains." She nodded, and they strode between trees, their footsteps crunching throw the snow and over rocks. Up ahead, Ean could see that the tree line had begun to fade, and he waved for Iya to stop. Peering through the trees, he could see a long stretch of white rocks ahead, studded with black. Moving quietly the two elves crept forward, but they had not moved more than 30 yards when the rocks began to move.

Ean stared in horror as the massive creature rose into the air, undulating like a snake. Its scaled gleamed in the sunlight, and it turned to reveal a hideous face, studded with a red mane. Wings unfurled along its back, and it roared, shaking the trees around them.

"What…" Iya breathed behind him. "Is that?" The dragon-like creature roared again, and Ean signaled for Iya to creep around. They began moving around the edge of the clearing, avoiding the dragon's line of sight. They had just made it halfway when a stick snapped behind him, and his heart sank. The dragon turned, its head whirling around, and when it saw the two elves crouched in the snow, it roared a challenge and charged.

"Iya, go!" Ean said, diving to the side as the dragon flew between them, destroying a tree. He scrambled to his feet, claws flicking out.

How do I kill something this big? He saw Iya moving away, and the dragon turned back towards him opening its mouth, which began to glow white.

"Uh oh…" He dove back to the ground, lying flat as two massive spikes of ice flew from the dragon's mouth, tearing through the trees behind him. It shot towards him, opening its mouth again, and he knew he couldn't dodge both spikes. Suddenly, lightning crashed into the creature's side, and it flailed, falling to the ground. Ean turned to see Iya standing there, lightning flickering in her palms.

"Nice job." He said, panting, but the dragon rose up from the ground and charged, slithering towards him with surprising speed. He tried to dodge, but it caught him across the chest and flung him into a tree with a crunch. It reared up, ready to swallow him.

"Leave him alone!" Iya shouted, and lightning ravaged the dragon's face, sending it flying to the side. It stirred feebly, and Ean brought his claws down in a great swipe across the already damaged face, cutting deep. The dragon crumpled to the side and vanished, leaving a pile of items. Iya rushed over to him.

"Ean! Are you hurt?" She looked him over for wounds, and calmed down a bit after seeing no blood.

"I think so. My ribs are going to be sore, but my coat protected me. What the heck was that thing?"

"I think it was an ice dragon. They inhabit the upper mountains."

"Hm. Well, hopefully there aren't anymore." Ean climbed to his feet and walked over to the items left by the dragon. There was a pile of various things, including money, several green leaves, and a bottle of something red.

"Cassia leaf." Iya said, pointing to the plants. "They have tremendous healing properties when used in potions. You can even eat them for lesser effect." Ean uncorked on the bottle, and a terrible smell drifted out, causing him to gag.

"Urgh! Disgusting! Is this supposed to be some sort of repellant?"

"Maybe. Come on, we should go." Iya's face was pale, and they continued down the mountain following the path. They were definitely heading lower, and Ean thought he could see the river in the distance.

"I've got a boat, so we can get farther away. I don't know how many guards the Queen has, though."

"Her army numbers around 5,000 men, and about two to three thousand of those are out in the world right now. I'm guessing she was planning to take over by force after she… after she froze the rulers." Iya said, he voice shaking slightly. Ahead, Ean could see that they were approaching what looked like a pass in the mountains.

"I think that's the end of the forest, Iya. We should be safe after we get through." The girl nodded, her head down slightly, and Ean felt a stab of concern. "Iya? You there?"

"I'm fine, I… I just got a bit dizzy for a moment." Ean turned to look at her, but saw a flash of white in the trees.

"Down!" He hissed, yanking her behind some bushes. Another ice dragon was gliding through the trees, its teeth bared, frost emanating from the ugly face. Iya was really pale now, but she managed to crouch low.

"Okay, I'm going to try to distract it with a rock or something. Can you make for the pass?" She nodded, taking a deep breath, and Ean stole out from behind the rock. He moved to his left, circling out of the dragon's sight. He turned to see Iya sneaking away towards the pass.

Good so far. He reached for a rock on the ground and hurled it away into the trees, causing a loud series of thuds and cracks. The icy creature whirled around, snarling. It floated away towards the sound, and Ean began crawling away. He had moved a couple of steps when he heard a chilling scream.

There was another dragon! Iya was slumped on the ground, the monster looming over her. As it lunged, she blasted it with lightning, keeping it at bay. But her power began to wane, and the lightning flickered and went out. The dragon slashed down, and she screamed.

"Iya!" Ean howled, dashing madly through the trees, desperate to get to her. Behind him, he heard the other dragon roar, but he did not care. Iya was lying still upon the snow, and there was red on the ground. With a shout, he slashed at the dragon, but it drifted out of range, opening its mouth wide. A second later, Ean felt two impacts on his arm, flinging him to the ground. By some miracle, his arm was still attacked, but it was too late. The dragon crouched over him, fangs wide, ready to tear him to shreds. As it lunged, he reached into his pack, grabbing the flame scroll and flinging it into the dragon's face. A white-hot explosion engulfed him, sucking the air from his lungs and scorching his face. He could not see anything for a moment, and he could only hear a high-pitched howling. When his eyes adjusted, he saw the dragon lying on the ground, its face burnt beyond recognition. It stirred feebly, and Ean lost control. He leapt forward, claws slashing madly at the creature, tearing into it. Blood spattered everywhere, and he did not stop until the dragon ceasing moving, and lay still on the snowy ground covered with blood.

Another roar sounded as the second dragon burst through the trees, and Ean whirled to face it. It would not touch her.

"Get away from her!" He bellowed, and the dragon paused, staring intensely at the gore-covered elf. Then, it turned and glided away, and Ean watched it vanish among the trees. Then it struck him.

"Iya!" He fell to his knees beside her. There were two long slashes in her side, but she did not seem to have lost too much blood. She stirred, and he reached for his pack, pulling out the leaves.

"Eat this, Iya. I'll get you out of here." He looked around, towards the pass, and saw a thin trail of white smoke in the sky.

A house? He did not care who was there, only that Iya could be healed. He pulled her to her feet, and she leaned on him. Making their way slowly through the snow, the two elves headed towards the smoke Ean had seen. They rounded a corner of the pass and Ean saw it: a house.

It was a small log cabin, and there was smoke coming from the chimney. The windows were covered with frost, and he could not see inside.

"Maybe they can help us." Iya murmured something unintelligible, and he half-walked, half-dragged her up to the front door.

"Ean.. I…" Iya's eyes rolled up in her head, and she fell to the ground, motionless. With a cry of despair, he dropped next to her. He banged on the door frantically.

"Please! Is anybody in there? My friend needs help!" The door swung open, and he saw the shadow of a figure in the doorway. They grabbed Iya, bringing her inside, and he followed, not caring if he was walking into a trap.