The moment her fingers penetrated the glowing swirl, tiny pearls of light scattered outward before rushing back, sticking to her skin. The tiny balls melted, the golden glow spreading out and merging into one another and bringing with them an intense warmth that was almost too much for Claire to handle. It spread up her fingers, to her hands, and up her arms until she was completely engulfed.
Claire could only watch in awe as the light spread and the burning in her lungs abated. The need to breathe became an afterthought and the only thing that mattered in that instance was the light. It grew steadily brighter, so bright that even when Claire closed her eyes it was all she could see, and then it winked out suddenly, leaving Claire in absolute darkness.
In the next instant, Claire's still outstretched fingers broke the surface of the water. Her head followed, the air rushing into her lungs was cold and painful, but welcomed nonetheless. She floundered for a moment, nearly going back under before she was able to get her arms to function properly again. In her struggle to stay afloat, Claire barely noticed the chill that was creeping over her, or the snow that drifted gently from the dark sky above. Her teeth began to chatter violently against one another and she knew that she needed to get out of the pool and quickly or else she was going to freeze to death.
Claire did a quick glance at her surroundings and swam towards what seemed like the nearest shoreline. While in reality it took only a minute or two to reach the muddy bank, it seemed like an eternity. Between the steepness of the terrain, the slick, snow coated muck, and the numbness in her fingers, Claire found climbing out of the pool far more difficult than she initially anticipated.
By the time she managed to crawl out she was exhausted, the cold having sapped all the strength she had from her body. As she lay on the hard ground, two thoughts rose above all the rest. Had she made it and where the hell was Draz?
Closing her eyes, Claire took a deep, steadying breath, grimacing at the way the cold air seemed to stab like icy needles at her lungs. Why had Draz thought that this was a good idea? She was so tired and all she really wanted to do was sleep for a little while. In the back of her mind was a nagging feeling that she probably shouldn't, but she couldn't remember why.
Pushing up onto her hands and knees, Claire tried to crawl but only made it a few more feet before she collapsed again. She rolled onto her back and stared up at the black, starless sky. Maybe she should just wait there for Draz. Surely he couldn't have been that far behind her.
Claire wasn't sure how long she lay there, drifting in and out of consciousness, before she heard the voices. At first she thought she was imagining things, the voices sounded far away, like a distant memory.
As the voices drew closer, however, they also grew louder and Claire could make out bits and pieces of what was being said.
"...gone... just a... minutes..."
"How could... leave..."
"I didn't think..."
"Claire!"
The sound of her name jerked Claire from her state of semi consciousness and she opened her eyes to see two round, white faces hovering over her in the darkness. The eyes were wide with alarm and she could see their lips moving but heard nothing but a deafening silence.
"Move," another voice finally broke the silence.
"Is she okay?"
"What were you thinking? I told you to wait here!"
"I-I know, we thought we heard something, we went to investigate, we had no idea..."
She was faintly aware of being lifted up off the ground, warmth like a fire sweeping over her. She curled into it, desperate to drive way the chill that seemed to have settled into her very bones.
"That's it,, Claire," a voice whispered into her ear, "just stay close to me, and whatever you do, don't go to sleep."
"Alek?" Claire whispered, gazing up through the darkness towards the face of her rescuer. A sad sort of smile blossomed across his face.
"No, sorry."
"Draz," Claire said with more confidence and a great deal of relief.
"The one and only," he replied, his arms tightening their hold on her. The warmth seemed to intensify and Claire felt the chill fading. She realized after a moment that her clothes were no longer clinging uncomfortably to her skin. "Sorry about that, I didn't think that fool of a fae would leave his post. I thought there would be someone waiting to pull you out. I never would have--"
"It's alright," Claire said quietly, gritting her teeth to keep them from clattering together. She didn't quite understand, but trusted that Draz knew what he was talking about. "I'm just glad you're here."
"Of course, can't get rid of me that easily," he said with a chuckle and Claire was glad to hear that the lingering sadness had faded from his voice.
"Where are we going? What happened with Benjamin?"
Claire felt Draz tense and then relax again. "There is an outpost not far from here, we'll go there. I got as much of the water out of your clothes as I could, we will get you into some drier clothes as soon as possible," he explained, "then we'll talk, just rest for now."
-----------
It took about fifteen minutes for them to reach the outpost Draz had spoken of. It was an encampment of sorts set up in the cramped confines of a grove similar to the one the pool had been situated in. There was no pool here, however, instead there were dozens of tents, varying in size and shape.
All of them white save for the tent in the very center. It was a dark blue and stood out starkly against the white surroundings. It was also larger than the other tents, much larger, taking up the entire center of the field.
While the positioning of the tents appeared erratic, there was a wide path that cut through them towards the center, stopping at what Claire assumed was the tent's entrance.
It was down this path that Draz carried her, their destination obvious. All around them the folk of the Winter Wood seemed to flit and flutter, ducking into tents, emerging moments later laden down with food stuffs or other supplies, and paying them little mind.
They were nearly to the tent when the flap flung aside and a tall, dark haired young man stepped out. He smiled brightly when he saw them and rushed over, waving his hands animatedly in greeting.
"You're back!" He exclaimed, his eyes bright as they looked them over. His brow furrowed slightly. "Is everything okay? Claire?"
"Yeah, just a bit of a mishap at pool," Draz explained. "Just need to get some dry clothes."
It was then that Claire realized the young man was Rollan. He was a far cry from the thin, tired man she had last seen just two months prior.
"Of course," Rollan replied, "I'll see what I can do, meanwhile come inside and sit by the fire. Elysia was called away but should be back later this evening. She'll be thrilled to know you've returned."
So the Queen of the Winter Wood was here as well? Claire wondered if the fae queen had made any headway on the request she had made. Claire doubted it, Elysia hadn't looked hopeful.
Once they were inside the warm confines of the tent, Claire insisted that Draz put her down. He looked as though he wanted to protest but let out a heavy sigh instead and set her on her feet. He kept a firm grip on her elbow, waiting until she was steady before letting go.
A large fire blazed in a ring of large, smooth white stones, and the heat of it could be felt all the way to the tent's entrance. Despite this, Claire found herself drifting closer, desperate to rid herself of the chill that seemed to have taken root deep inside her bones. Her clothing, while no longer soaked through, were still damp and uncomfortable.
Draz came to stand beside her, his dark blond hair hanging in wet strands before his eyes.
"Where is he, Draz?" Claire asked quietly, her gaze fixed on the flames as they danced wildly within the confines of the pit.
"Let's get you dry and then-"
"Tell me," Claire interrupted sharply.
"I'm going to look for some dry clothes," Rollan interjected before quietly slipping out of the tent and leaving Claire and Draz alone.
Draz was quiet for some time and Claire felt her heart slowly rising to lodge itself in her throat. She instantly thought the worst -- that Alek had been hurt, perhaps even killed.
"We don't know exactly," Draz said at last.
"What do you mean you don't know?" Claire said, scowling at him.
"About two weeks ago he claimed he thought he had found a way to keep you from succumbing to the shade venom," Draz explained, "he didn't tell anyone where he was going, just grabbed some supplies and took off. He said he would only be gone a few days, we haven't heard from him since."
Claire felt her stomach twist and her mouth go dry.
"And he calls me reckless," Draz muttered, dragging his fingers through his damp hair. "I thought perhaps he had found what he needed and gone to see you."
Claire shook her head slowly and crossed her arms tightly in front of her. "I... I haven't seen him since I left," she said, her voice quiet, "do you think something's happened to him? Do you think..."
The very thought left her feeling cold again and she couldn't bring herself to even say the words.
"No," Draz replied sternly and Claire almost smiled at his show of confidence.
"Then there is only one thing to do," Claire declared, "we're going to go find him."
Claire expected Draz to argue with her, to insist it was too dangerous or offer some other excuse as to why it was very much a bad idea. To her surprise, he simply nodded.
"Yes, we are," Draz agreed.
---------
"Impossible," Elysia stated matter of fact, her tone stern. "We don't have the resources or the manpower to embark on such an endeavor."
Claire frowned, regarding the dark haired fae from the opposite side of a long table around which five of them sat. Draz sat directly beside her, arms crossed, feet propped up on the table, with a look of defiance etched across his boyish features. Sitting to her far left was Rollan who looked indecisive and kept casting furtive glances between Claire and Elysia, uncertain of who would prevail in this battle of wills.
Sitting beside Elysia was a tall, regal looking woman Claire now knew as Commander Sylvia. She was Elysia's right hand and served as her adviser. In the months Claire had been gone, the fae had begun organizing the restoration of Crown Prince Rollan to the Orian throne.
"We aren't asking for much," Claire insisted, rising angrily to her feet which were now snug inside a pair of warm leather boots. The rest of her clothing had been replaced as well thanks to Rollan who had scoured the camp searching for something in her size. The damp sweater and jeans had been replaced by a sturdy, well crafted gown of thick, dark green wool, its long sleeves and high, fur lined neckline, providing ample protection from the cold. "Just some provisions, enough to get us... where again?"
"Drift," Draz replied, "Alek mentioned meeting a contact in Drift right before he disappeared. If we can find who that was, maybe we can find out where he went."
"Claire's ignorance is understandable," Elysia replied, narrowing her eyes on Draz "but you of all people should know how dangerous a place like Drift is. You might be able to blend in, but Claire? She's going to stick out like a sore thumb and the last thing you want to do in a place like that is stand out. Do you think you can protect her? Is that really a risk you want to take?"
"He won't be alone," Rollan said before Draz could answer. "I'm going with them."
"What?" Claire exclaimed, looking towards Rollan in surprise.
"You aren't going anywhere," Elysia stated, "we cannot risk something happening to you or all of this is for nothing."
"I understand your concerns, Elysia, really," Rollan said, his eyes shifting towards Claire, "but after all Claire has done for us, for me, I feel obligated to aid her in anyway that I can."
"That is very noble of you, your grace, and some day that nobility will do you good," Elysia grounded out from between gritted teeth, "but-"
"Besides," Rollan continued, interrupting her, "it's what family does."
There was a soft thud as Draz's feet hit the floor and Claire simply stared at Rollan who was regarding her thoughtfully.
"I didn't see it before," he said, "but I see it now, the way your eyes light up when you're angry, and the turn of your mouth when you scowled just then, you are definitely Nathalie's daughter."