Chapter Twenty Eight

Out in the Snow

ANNA

"I still don't believe it." Kristoff insisted as they set about preparing for the day's long march again. "I just can't."

"Can't believe what?" Anna asked, trying to untangle the knots in her hair. She was already fully adorned in her winter gear. "That Hans is the new Emperor of Exon? Or that he pulled it off without none of us realising what he'd been trying to do?"

It was true. Though it took Anna a few times to read the letter repeatedly to see if she'd read it wrong, there was no disputing it. The message was there, writ plainly in black and white. But could Frederick's intelligence agents be wrong? Could they have misinterpreted the Exonians' intercepted signals?

Not very likely, Anna grimaced. Frederick picked his intelligence unit personally. They had never been wrong thus far. There wasn't any reason to start doubting them now. Which led back to the original lingering question. How the hell did Hans do it?

Kristoff swore, fastening his pistol to his hip and turning round to face her. "Both, actually. I just can't believe it."

"Trust me when I say, if anyone could pull it off, it's him." Anna said tightly. "I've faced him more times than you have, and I'm still finding it hard to believe it. I…I don't know how I missed it. How we all missed it. It was so obvious this whole time. It was right under our noses too."

"He's far more cunning than we ever gave him credit for." Kristoff lamented, pushing aside the tent flap for them to exit.

"Way more." Anna agreed, debouching from their tent. "It's like we were playing checkers when he was playing chess all along." She was greeted by blinding sunlight, and instantly shielded her eyes. Blinking, she rubbed her eyes and squinted.

The sun. She hadn't seen it in so long. Bewildered and rather relieved, she glanced around at the landscape just to be sure. A thick blanket of snow spread across the terrain as far as the eye could see, but the blizzard was gone. No cold winds, no falling snow, no storm clouds. Just sunshine and respite from the merciless snow storm that had plagued them throughout the past week or more.

"It's…" Kristoff trailed off.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Anna felt her spirits lift slightly, all too glad to forget about Hans for a while.

"This'll work in our favour." Kristoff looked out at the sea of soldiers, many of whom had already collapsed their tents and were ready for the long march ahead. "We'll be able to cover more ground in this weather. Quicker, and last longer too."

"And so might the Exonians." Horatio piped up, trudging through the snow towards the royal couple. "Damned fools just don't know when to quit. My cavalry scouts report that they made it over the trunk and are still headed for us. Oh." He sketched a light bow. "And good morning to you royals."

"How far behind are they?" Anna asked.

"Half a day or so." Horatio answered. "And closing the gap fast. So if we want to hold on to our advantage, we better get moving."

"Agreed." Kristoff said. "But first, we need to speak to Frederick."

"About the letter?"

Anna rounded on the marquess. "How did you know about the letter?"

"Easy." Horatio lifted a hand in defense, reaching into his flamboyant fur coat and pulling out a folded letter. He waved it in front of Anna. "You're not the only one who got an urgent report from the Field Marshal."

"Then you know what's happening in Exon." In a way, she was relieved that he knew. She wouldn't need to fill him in later on the new threat that had just developed.

"Yeah." Horatio spat in the snow. "That bastard Chancellor's the new Emperor. I say we just traded an incompetent little girl for a genius who could wipe us all off his chessboard."

"That's certainly one way to put it." Kristoff stated dryly, and tilted his chin up slightly. "Look who's here."

Anna and Horatio both turned to see Field Marshal Frederick riding towards them on his sturdy thoroughbred, navigating expertly between the tents and the packing soldiers who stopped and saluted at his presence. He dismounted fifteen yards away from them and approached on foot, reins in hand.

"Your Majesty. Your Royal Highness." Frederick bowed. He regarded Horatio. "My Lord."

"Field Marshal." Horatio waved the letter at him. "Would you kindly explain what the hell is going on?"

"Horatio." Anna said sharply and he piped down, scowling. She turned her attention to Frederick. "You saved us all a trip. We were about to come find you."

"I think we're all hoping for some sort of explanation." Kristoff added.

"Indeed." Frederick nodded. "I find myself at a loss for words too. When I first received the report, I found it hard to believe. But I spent the night decrypting the cipher myself just to be sure, and checked it a few more times again. That's why I didn't come in person last night."

"And?" Anna probed. "Is it true?"

"It is." Frederick said solemnly. "There wasn't a mistake. The report was accurate."

"Damn." Anna muttered under her breath, her hands growing cold in her gloves.

"So the Chancellor's running the show now?" Horatio said. "Terrific."

"I wager we are all aware of the ramifications of this new development." Frederick's face was blank as usual. "With the new Emperor in charge, he would likely try to put a swift end to this war, far quicker than the Empress had tried to do. Which means-"

"Which means we need to get the hell out of here as quick as we can." Kristoff finished for him.

"Quite astute, sir. And there's more."

"More?" Anna echoed. What else could there possibly be?

"My intelligence operatives intercepted more messages that came in the middle of the night." Frederick fished out a report from the pocket of his uniform and handed it to Anna.

Anna nearly snatched it out of his hand, unfolding it quickly to see what other horrors waited for them.

"Emperor announced campaign for Pax Exon effective immediately. Eliminate enemies at all costs." Anna read aloud, her heart sinking as she did so.

"This is bad." Kristoff said quietly. "They're going to be coming after us with everything they got now."

Horatio scoffed. "Like they weren't before?"

"It doesn't matter." Anna said with a confidence she didn't feel. She handed the letter back to Frederick. "New campaign or not, we're going to get out of this hell hole alive. We move out now and widen the gap between us and them today."

"Yes, Your Majesty. Please excuse me." Frederick bowed and gingerly swung himself into the saddle like a man half his age before riding off in search of his general staff.

Horatio stared after him incredulously, then turned his gaze to Anna. "I better get the cavalry ready just in case. Something tells me we're going to need a damn good rear guard."

"Do that." Anna nodded in gratitude as the marquess hurried off as well.

Kristoff stood in silence for a couple of moments, then looked at her. "Are you alright?"

"Honestly? No." Anna shuddered and rubbed her arms. "I know Hans. He has a personal vendetta against me and will do everything to make sure we die before we make it out of Empire territory. But I'm not going to let that happen." She set her jaw and steadied herself. "I won't."

MELODY

"Wake up." Deirdre hissed quietly, jolting Melody from her slumber.

Melody's eyes flew open and she sat up with a jerk, the ache in her cold bones sparking new pain that greeted her morning. She groaned, heart hammering in her chest. Ever since their crushing defeat at the hands of the Crimson Order and the Emperor, she'd been on edge and she had found it increasingly hard to fall asleep. On some days, she didn't feel like sleeping at all.

Frankly, she didn't know why. It was likely an irrational fear that the Crimson Order would ambush them again, out here in their tiny cave where they were ridiculously handicapped to fight back. Or maybe it was the fear of the Emperor himself showing up to finish the job. Whatever it was, it was really beginning to affect her ability to get sufficient sleep.

"What is it?" She managed once she got a grip.

Deirdre's face held a mix of disbelief, suspicion and a tiny glimmer of hope. "You better come see for yourself."

Accepting a hand from Deirdre, Melody was pulled to her feet. They walked past the still snoring figure of Eleanor, and made their way towards the cave entrance. Strange. Melody didn't feel the usual bitter winds blowing into the cave as they usually did. But when she got to the entrance, she got an even bigger shock.

The endless plains of white still lay before her, stretching out towards the horizon for what seemed like eternity. But for the first time, she could see the capital's silhouette in the far distance, not shielded in mist and snow. The skies were no longer dark with storm clouds, and no hail fell from the sky. All was suspiciously peaceful, resembling an utterly normal winter morning.

"The storms." Melody said breathlessly. "They're gone."

"Yeah," Deirdre looked skeptical. "But I don't know about this. I want to believe it but it feels a little too good to be true."

"This is the break we've been waiting for." Melody turned to face the fiery sorceress. "We've been waiting for the blizzards to stop. Now we can leave this wretched cave and get moving."

"And what if it starts snowing again? What if this is only temporary and the blizzards return?"

"It's a risk we're going to have to take." Melody grimaced. "This is the best odds we've had in an entire week. If we don't take it now, we're never going to get anywhere. We'll run out of food soon. At least out there, we stand a better chance of foraging and finding food and a new place to shelter from the storm if it hits again."

"Hmmn."

"We have to move. Now."

Deirdre looked uncertain, glancing out at the endless landscape of white again. Finally, she gave a quiet grunt. "The plan had better work."

Melody turned her attention to Eleanor, who still slept peacefully, blissfully ignorant of the opportunity that had been presented to them.

Marching back into the cave to where her sister laid, Deirdre prodded her with her foot. "Get up."

Eleanor snarled and turned over in her makeshift bed that'd been made out of straw and sticks. "Leave me alone."

"I said, get up." With the mild tweak of her fingers, Deirdre set the edge of Eleanor's bed on fire, prompting the ex-Empress to leap from her cot in a hurry.

"Bitch!" Eleanor slurred acidly as she tried to stamp out the flames, leaving smoke trailing from the straw. "Why'd you do that for? Do you know how long it took to make that bed?"

"It's not going to matter anymore." Melody announced as she joined Deirdre. "We're leaving."

Eleanor blinked. "What?"

"You heard me. The blizzards have stopped. We have clear skies." Melody said, turning to head to her corner of the cave. "Pack whatever you need. We're getting out of here."

"Finally." Eleanor scoffed. "Being stuck here with both of you is driving me nuts."

"I'm sure the feeling's mutual." Deirdre deadpanned.

Eleanor spat on the ground at her sister's feet. "Remember, sis. You both need me." She sized up her older sister for a long moment before a smile broke onto her face. "So you'd better show some respect."

"I'll show you respect." Deirdre growled, tiny flames dancing at her fingertips.

"Girls. Please." Melody called out tiredly. "Just…stop." She watched as Deirdre and Eleanor stared each other down, neither refusing to back down. Finally, Deirdre shook her head and stalked away, prompting a spiteful sneer from the antagonistic Eleanor.

As the tension dissipated and the two sisters began preparing for the long journey ahead, the worry in Melody dissipated slightly and she sighed. It felt like those two were constantly on the verge of tearing each other's throats out. And it was beginning to add to Melody's ever-mounting worries. She needed them both to tolerate each other for what lay ahead. Who knew what dangers they might come across as they ventured across Empire territory in search of the temple Eleanor had spoken of?

Kneeling beside her pack, she began to store away her remaining meagre supplies and weapons. It didn't take very long, considering the fact that she didn't have very many remaining possessions to her name. Gently, she picked up the necklace made out of rocks that she'd taken off of Maui's body after he'd died. Turning it over, she gazed at the necklace. She'd never really taken much notice of it before, back when Maui wore it on a daily basis, and she'd never really thought to ask him what it was.

Could it have been a gift from someone special once? Or a tribal identity that he'd adopted, having lived with Moana's tribe? She didn't know. But what it was now was a symbol. A symbol to remember the demigod by. Closing her eyes, Melody could still hear the bass rumble of his laughter and the optimistic grin on his face that kept them all hopeful.

"We'll find a way to get through this." She whispered under her breath as she closed her fist gently around the necklace. "Somehow."

"Glad to see you kept the necklace."

Melody nearly leapt out of her skin and spun round like a cat. Her eyes grew as wide as saucers. "Maui?"

"Would've been a real shame to leave it out there in the snow. Moana would be mad if it got lost." The demigod flashed one of his warm, cheery grins. His stomach was still bleeding and the knife Melody had plunged into his heart was still protruding in a most unsightly way. However, he bore no signs of pain in spite of the red staining his skin.

"You're…you're alive!" Melody stared at him, relief washing over her. "But how? You said you knew you'd die, but you were lying weren't you?"

Maui smiled broadly.

"You wanted us to get to safety while you recovered," Melody guessed excitedly. "How did you get past them without-" She turned to Deirdre and Eleanor, only to find them still packing for the long journey ahead of them, none the wiser about the demigod's presence. Sensing Melody's gaze, Deirdre looked at her blankly and raised an eyebrow before returning to her packing.

Melody's heart sank as she turned back to Maui. "You're just a ghost, aren't you?"

Maui shook his head. "No, I'm not a ghost. In my culture we don't believe they exist."

"Then what are you?"

"I don't know," Maui looked pensive. "Maybe I'm just a figment of your imagination?"

That would explain why Deirdre and Eleanor hadn't reacted to her excited shouts at Maui's return, and more importantly why no one else could see Maui except her. The hope in her heart dissipated like dust in the wind, the gladness and relief that'd not manifested in more than a week slipping out of her grasp again.

"So you are dead." Melody said dejectedly. "Your body's still lying somewhere out there in the snow."

Maui winced. "I guess so. But hey, on the bright side, you guys look like you're finally going to get out of this cave. Where are you going?"

"Eleanor says she knows a place where the people there can restore her demon so that she can get us all out of this hellish country."

Maui raised a trademark eyebrow that almost made Melody believe for a second that he was real. "And you really believe her? After everything that's happened this year?"

"You're just my conscience talking to me, right?"

"I suppose so. Why?"

"If you really are my conscience, why do you still have that knife sticking out of your chest?" Melody pointed.

Maui looked down. "Ah. I don't know. Maybe I'm a manifestation of your guilt too?"

"That figures." Forehead creasing, Melody tried hard to make the knife go away. It didn't.

"Anyway don't try to evade the question. You really believe Eleanor's going to help you?"

"She did get us all out of the capital in the first place. But yeah, you're right. It doesn't mean I trust her." Melody grimaced. "I'll just have to keep an eye out and watch our backs."

Maui nodded. "Good. Make sure you remember that."

"Wait! Don't go." Melody pleaded. "We can't do this without you. I can't."

"But you already have been." Maui smiled at her and clasped a hand on her shoulder. "It's very human-like, isn't it? When someone dies, the world still carries on without them?"

"But you're not just any human. You were a demigod."

"Were." Maui emphasised. "Well not anymore apparently. I'm just going to fade away into history like any other mortal man. And I'm okay with that."

"I'm not." Tears welled up in Melody's eyes. "Please don't leave."

"You'll all do fine without me. I promise." Maui winked and gestured. "Look after that for me, would you?"

Melody looked down at the necklace he was pointing to, and when she looked up again the demigod was gone. "I will." She whispered, gently running her thumb over its ridges. She didn't know what she'd just seen. Was Maui right? Was he just a figment of her imagination? A part of her mind that was just keeping him alive? And most importantly, would he come back? I guess time will tell.

Placing it gently into her pocket, she touched her own necklace to make sure it was still there. It was. But it wasn't like she was going to need it. Stuck out here in the middle of Empire territory, there wasn't any water bodies nearby that she could use to capitalise on her mermaid biology. They were all likely frozen over anyway.

Pulling on her thick fur jacket that'd been padded generously with wolf skin and fur, she mounted the pack on her back, which was alarmingly light. Then, she slung the quiver holding her green-fletched arrows. Lastly, she picked up her compound bow by the riser. It'd been a solid week since she'd used it, and yet she found that she felt strangely adverse to the idea of wielding it - the primary weapon she'd been using for the past few years of her adventures.

Pushing her thoughts to the back of her mind, she slung the bow across her back too and looked up. The two sisters were more or less ready too, swathed in their thick furs and shouldering what little belongings they had.

Eleanor, who'd been found in the dungeons in her night gown, had fashioned a coat out of straw, sticks, wolf skin and excess fabric. She looked nothing like the mighty Empress who'd kept the entire continent in terror over the entire year. In fact, she looked downright pathetic.

Deirdre on the other hand, looked better than her sister. Dressed in similar thick clothes and wolf fur and sporting a backpack, the fiery sorceress still looked uncertain. "We're ready." She reported.

"Alright." Melody drew in a deep breath and set her jaw. "Let's get the hell out of here."

###

Deirdre was right. It does feel too good to be true. Melody stared up at the sky. She could see the midday sun clearly in the sky, the rays of sunshine granting them all a tiny hint of warmth in the still chilly air. This was the best weather they'd had in so many days, since Elsa had been captured. It hadn't taken Melody too long to figure it out once she'd had so much time to kill in that cave over the past week.

Elsa must have been the one who'd conjured up the supernatural blizzards. Only an Elemental Sorceress with her raw power could pull off a feat like that, stretching out the bitter storms for days on end. She must have been forced to do it. Melody's jaw tightened at the thought of Lord Magnus or Hans threatening Elsa with torture or some other form of punishment. But if her assumptions were accurate, there was a silver lining to it now. Elsa had stopped conjuring the storms, which could only mean that she'd escaped from the enemies' clutches. Likely together with Tracy.

Her spirits lifted slightly. If Elsa and Tracy are free, they stand a chance of getting out of the city. They can regroup with Anna and the Coalition. But Jade was still out there, brainwashed and a servant of the Emperor. And then there's Janus, who'd vanished off the face of the earth. Or - and this was a scenario she didn't want to acknowledge - Elsa and Tracy had served their purpose and been killed. Melody's mood soured again, and she heaved a huge sigh as the dreadful weight settled back onto her shoulders.

"Oh, don't tell me you're getting tired now." Eleanor's mocking voice drifted over. "I thought you were supposed to be a Warrior or something."

"Shut up and lead the way." Deirdre said acidly as she walked at Melody's side. She glanced over at her. "You alright?"

"Yeah." Melody affirmed. "Just…thinking."

"Right." Deirdre glared at her sister's back, lowering her voice. "Do you think she's going to double cross us?"

"My instincts tell me 'yes'." Melody scowled. "But what choice do we have? We need her to lead us to the village of Mon Solrak on the other side of this range of mountains. And she's the only one who knows how to get there."

"Bah." Deirdre said acidly. "Keep an eye out for her. You never know when she's going to stab us in the back."

"I can hear you both back there." Eleanor called out in a jeering sing-song tone. "You think I don't know you're both conspiring behind my back?"

"That's rich, coming from you." Deirdre spat. "I said shut up and keep moving."

Eleanor whirled round, a dangerous look on her face. "Or what?"

The fiery sorceress growled and took a bold step towards her sister. "Don't test me."

"Stop." Melody said tiredly. "We need to keep moving. Cover as much ground as we can before dark, then forage for food."

Deirdre relented grudgingly. "She's right. We shouldn't waste time."

Watching them both for a long moment, Eleanor snickered then waved a hand. "Come on, then. We still have a long way to go."

"How much further?" Melody asked, resuming their trek.

"Don't know. It'll probably take us a few days to reach Mon Solrak, if we're going at this pace. And then we still have to find the Hoffensol temple when we get there." Eleanor spat in the snow. "I'm not cut out for all this walking. Where the hell are the horses when you need them?"

Eleanor's complaints rang distantly in Melody's ears as she lapsed back into her thoughts. A couple of days. That's assuming the weather holds up. Melody looked up at the sky again. It was still clear. For now, at least.

When the sun eventually began to dip towards the horizon, Melody realised that they needed to start foraging before it went completely dark. In their quest to cover as much ground as possible, they'd lost track of time but yet Melody still had no clue how far they'd made it today.

"And now?" Deirdre asked.

"Uh…" Eleanor glanced around, scratching the back of her neck.

"Eleanor." Deirdre said more sharply. "Are you sure we're even headed the right way?"

"Of course." She snapped. "I just…need to remember." She looked rather lost even as she said the words.

Melody groaned. An entire day trekking through deep snow, and they could even be farther away from their destination. "Look, Eleanor-"

"I got it." The girl snapped again. "Just shut up and give me a moment."

"We might not have a moment." Deirdre's tone had grown gravely urgent. "Something's coming."

Author's Commentary:

Pax Exon was inspired by Pax Romana. You can read all about the 200 year golden age of Roman Imperialism if you're interested. But something tells me that Hans is aiming to reign for far longer than just 200 years.

Also, an interesting fact about Melody's current predicament: Trauma victims sometimes don't sleep for days (hyper arousal). It's called avoidance, because they don't want to face their memories in their sleep manifesting as nightmares and such (recollection).