Snow Bites

Chapter Two

"She's watching me again," Eirwen said. The bird perched in front of her chirped. What she wouldn't give for someone who she could talk to, someone who could answer back. Birds were no good. It wasn't like she could make any friends with her stepmother watching her every move.

Ever since she was a child, Grimhelde had kept her in sight as often as possible. It'd only gotten worse once her father died. Then the servants had left. People stopped coming to the castle. Soon enough it was just the two of them.

The clock on the shelf chimed eight times, each chime louder than the last. Eirwen pulled her short black back with a worn purple headband. It was a poor replacement for the golden tiara she'd grown up with. Grimhelde had sold it years ago to pay for some herbs. It didn't matter, there was no one to see her now.

Eirwen ran down the stairs to the outdoor courtyard, the wooden bucket bouncing against her leg. Cleaning down the courtyard was one of her weekly chores. She never looked forward to the winter more than on the days she had to clean it. At least when there was snow it hit the worn paving stones beneath.

One of these days she'd have to learn to fix the old well at the center. Grimhelde would never call on anyone to fix it for them. Eirwen leaned over the opening of the well and attached the bucket to the frayed rope. It splashed into the water below, the sound echoing up the shaft.

A brush against her ankle startled Eirwen out of her daze. She looked down and smiled at the dark green snake moving slowly over her left foot. "Well hello there, little friend," Eirwen whispered, scoping the snake up in her hand. It twined its body around her fingers. "You shouldn't be here. Step mother doesn't like little things like you."

The snake's tongue flicked out at her followed by a soft hiss. It settled down into the palm of her hand. Eirwen leaned back over the well and sighed. "My mother always told me that this was a wishing well. Do you believe in wishes?" she asked the snake. "All I had to do was call down into the well, and if you hear an echo your wish comes true."

Down below, the bucket bobbed in the water. How many days had she spent hours staring at that water so far down, wishing something would answer her back? Eirwen set the snake down and pulled hard on the rope to pull the full bucket back up. It knocked against the sides until it hung suspended at her head level. The splashes from the well stopped and the darkness became silent.

"I miss mama and papa so much. I just wish I had someone to love me again," Eirwen called into the well. Her voice echoed back after a moment. It was small and weak, like it had gone through weeks of journey to get back to her. "Just a well."

"Hello."

Eirwen spun, letting go of the rope so the bucket plummeted back down to the bottom of the well. A young man stood across the courtyard from her. His dark red cloak was covering one shoulder, leaving the white sleeve of the other completely exposed. The sun glinted off his bright green eyes. He took a step towards her.

"I didn't mean to frighten you," he said.

"You can't be here," Eirwen wanted him. Her stepmother would be watching her even now. She'd be punished if she saw them speaking.

"I promise, I'm not here to harm you. I was just out for a ride on my horse and I saw this place. No one ever mentioned there being a castle here," he explained. All the while he'd been talking, he hadn't made a single move towards her. The steady calmness of his voice soothed her frazzled nerves.

"Where did you come from?" Eirwen took a step back towards him. This was the first person she'd seen in over a year besides her stepmother and her huntsman. Just his voice was enough to make her rethink leaving.

The man removed his hat, turning it slowly in his hands. "From the west, maybe a day or two on horseback," he answered. He straightened his rumpled clothes. "May I know your name?"

Eirwen shook her head, flinching back again. "I shouldn't, you're a stranger. You might try to kill me," she whispered. They'd never caught her mother's murderer after all. Grimhelde loved to remind her of that. After she'd personally seen to the torture of half the staff, she'd made sure Eirwen knew that there was danger at every turn.

"Why would I ever want to kill you?" he asked.

"Don't you know what happened here? Everyone knows." When he shook his head, Eirwen furrowed her brow. He was lying, everyone knew about the vicious attacks on her mother and the deep mourning that had taken her father's life. They all knew but no one had ever come to help. Grimhelde had been the only one to care for her.

"If I tell you my name, will you stop trying to run? I promise, I won't come any closer. I only want to know more about you." He held his hands up and away from his body. "My name is Ezekial. Mu horse's name is Loreth, he's waiting just down the road. At least, I hope he is. The big lug has been known to wander." He sighed tiredly.

Eirwen stifled a chuckle behind her hand. "You didn't tie him to anything?"

"Oh no, I was worried about wolves. I heard them howling the other night. If something comes for him, I want him to be able to defend himself," Ezekiel explained.

The wolves had become more and more of a problem in recent years. On some nights, Eirwen could hear them as clearly as if they'd been standing next to her. Those were the nights she was thankful to have Ryker around. Nothing could escape his keen eyes.

Eirwen stepped so the well was between them. "My name is Eirwen. I... I don't have a horse," she told him. "You should go now, to make sure Loreth is safe."

Ezekiel checked the position of the sun and nodded. "I think you're right." He bowed so low his hair almost brushed the ground. "It was my greatest pleasure to meet you, Eirwen." He turned and ran at the wall, bracing his first foot against it and launching himself to the top. One leg was already over the edge when she called out to him.

"Maybe you'll come back? If you're nearby." she asked.