The Snow Queen

Once Upon a Time

"Aye, if it's this cold in the mornin', we ought to head back."

"Does the cold scare you?"

"Not the cold, but where we're goin' will be a lot worse. Y'know why it's called Dead Man's Peak? Because all you'll find there are the remains and ghosts of everyone who's tried to climb it." That was only partially true; yes, it was known from time to time that the body of a hunter was found up that way, but it wasn't the weather or the climb that killed them. Only Elrond had that knowledge—he prided himself in knowing more than the others. The men were all laughing about the tall tales they'd been told of the mountains and what were in them. Even the forests just outside the village had rumors of being haunted, and children were told to stay away. Many liked to play a game of who could go the farthest into them before getting scared and sprinting back.

"I already don't like this weather, and it's already going to take us a week to get home. Hard travels ahead."

Elrond said, "You've seen plenty of snowstorms; this is nothing but a chill."

"Aye." Replied his subordinate, who was deep in his cups. "But nothing burns worse than the cold."

"Why don't I push you into this fire and see if that's true?" Laughed another.

The night began to deepen, as did the wind. Elrond was grateful that they now had the moon's light. Somewhere off in the wood, a wolf howled. The camp had gone silent since they retired to their fur tents. The night no longer made him afraid like it used to. The mysteriousness of the empty woods at dark now felt like home to him. He was at his most alert; he listened to the wind, the trees, the animals. Most importantly, he listened out for it. It tended not to come near if there was a fire, but it had started to dampen into soot and embers as the night went on, which meant it could be close by watching by now.

Another howl reverberated in the forest, but it was when the winds fell silent that Elrond's heart stopped. Like the flicker of light, the weather changed and all was peaceful, like something needed to clear the air to see. Elrond glanced outside of his tent and reached for his long rifle. His gloved hand around it brought him some comfort as he looked around with eyes as sharp and trained as an owl's.

There was still a problem: It made no sound. He could never listen for it, but only search.

Elrond saw movement from the corner of his eye, but it was one of the hunters shivering in their sleep. Yes, it was colder now. Elrond stood up and trudged away from the party, scanning the area. Cold, colder still. Yes, it was here. "Come out! Dance with me!" He shouted, stirring awake the men who weren't immobilized by the alcohol.

"Elrond! What are you doing shouting like that?"

A shadow emerged from the dark of the wood. It stood behind the man, groggy with sleep. It was tall and as pale as the white of the moon.

Elrond heard the gargle of death behind him before he could answer he turned to see it was among them.

It slid forward on silent feet. Hunters scrambled to gather their weapons, but with the simple gaze or touch of its hand, the weapons froze to solid ice and were destroyed. Elrond fired and the creature halted. His strike had failed him as its flesh was coated in an armor of ice. Again and again, the men fired, they attempted to use their blades, but the creature had done this dance many a time.

Elrond saw its eyes; blue, deeper and bluer than any human eyes, a blue that burned like ice.

...

"Jackson." A man shook his son by the shoulder. "Wake up." The boy moaned sleepily—he'd been deep in a strange, long, fascinating dream and he wanted it back for just one more moment. "There's work to do, come on." The boy rolled over and lazily rubbed his eyes. "I'll meet you outside. Don't make me have to throw your sister on you." Said his father. He tried to recall the dream, but much of it had escaped him. Had he been flying, or was something carrying him? He'd seen the tops of mountains and volcanoes and all sorts of sights he could only imagine here in this mundane town.