The Book of Snow

by J. S. Skye

  Her journey seemed to take forever as she crossed hills, grasslands, and plains. She traveled through forests and through an infamous wasteland known as Crocodune. Every step of the way she grew weaker, but she pushed herself further. She knew she must save her teddy bear master.

  Finally, she reached the edge of Ebongreene Forest, but she was too weak to venture in. The little reeyu collapsed to the ground and was about to pass out from exhaustion. Her vision blurred, and her eyelids became heavy. Before she lost consciousness, she saw several figures come toward her.

  Out of the forest appeared half a dozen furry creatures. They appeared, to the reeyu, to be teddy bears. The bears ran up to her and gave her some water. As she came back around, a white bear, dressed in armor, approached her.

  The little bear laid down his shield and knelt next to the reeyu. “Where did you come from?” he asked. As he pulled her up for a drink, he noticed she had a passenger. “There’s a rider! Cut them free!” ordered the ivory-colored bear.

  The other bears cut Flurry free and set him on the ground next to the reeyu. The reeyu looked at her fuzzy friend with deep grief in her eyes. She groaned and cried for her master. “Shhhhh! Hush now, your friend will be fine,” came the voice of a female bear with yellow fur. She patted the reeyu to reassure her.

  The bear knight looked closely at the cub and was startled. “Flurry? What’s he doing here?” the bear asked himself. He stood up and shouted, “Someone! Quick! Get Nick! It’s an emergency!” The bear picked Flurry up in his arms, ran into the forest, and called out, “Nick! Nick! Come quickly! We need you! Nick!”

  A young, muscular man rushed out from the wilderness to meet the bear. He was very tall, with dark brown hair that went down to the middle of his bare back. He sported a goatee with the ends braided and bore some sort of Celtic-looking knotwork on his right arm and chest.

  The man met the white bear halfway and looked down at the nearly lifeless bear cub. As Flurry was placed on a patch of grass, the bear said to the gentleman, “Look! It’s Flurry!”

  The man was dumbfounded. He reached over, touched Flurry’s arm, and then put his ear to the cub’s mouth. “He’s going to die,” the man informed everyone that stood near. The other bears gasped, and the reeyu cried.

  A young, red-haired lady with green eyes ran up and joined them. She had a bow in her right hand and a quiver of arrows at her side. “What’s going on?” she asked.

  “Katie, it’s Flurry,” the man answered her.

  “How’s this possible?” Katie replied.

  “I don’t know, but if I don’t do something, he’ll die.”

  At that moment, Flurry stopped breathing. Katie put one hand over her mouth and pointed with the other. “Oh, Nick! Do something!” Tears streamed down her cheeks.

  “Would that be an abuse of the powers entrusted to me? Would I be breaking the rules?” Nick asked the beautiful lady.

  “You need to do what’s right, regardless of the rules,” she insisted.

  “You’re right, of course.” Nick leaned forward and whispered something in Flurry’s ear. Suddenly, Flurry coughed up water and gasped for breath. Nick rolled Flurry to his side so he could spit the water out. “It’s okay. Everything’s okay now. Breathe. Just breathe.”

  Disoriented, Flurry looked up at the young man. It was evident that the cub was confused when he said, “San’ta?”

  Katie and Nick glanced at each other with a perplexed expression upon each of their faces. Perhaps it was some form of baby speech? It strangely resembled the word for “father” in an ancient dialect of Mezarim. Nick cleared his throat and replied, “No, I’m not your father. My name is Nikolas.”

  Flurry replied, “Santa!” and clutched Nikolas around the neck with an affectionate hug. Amusement broke out among the teddy bears. They giggled, and Nikolas himself chuckled with them.

  “Welcome back, Flurry,” said the white bear in shiny armor.

  “How do you know my name?” asked Flurry.

  “We’ve met before, don’t you remember? It’s me! Drift!” answered the bear.

  Flurry looked at Drift’s shield and noticed it bore a snowflake design that matched the one on Flurry’s scarf. “Are you related to me?” Flurry inquired.

  “No. It’s just that I decided to choose this as my family crest like you advised me to do. Don’t you remember?”

  Flurry shook his head. He felt immensely confused. All the while, Nikolas was deep in thought. “Flurry, I’d like to ask you a question,” Nikolas informed the cub.

  “Okay?”

  “How did you get here exactly? Was it by a book?”

  “Yes! How did you know that?” Flurry felt that progress was finally being made.

  “Pardon me for a moment.” Nikolas grabbed Katie and stepped back apace. He asked Drift to join them. “I think he’s from the future, and I think he hasn’t yet visited us the first time. That’s why he doesn’t remember us, or what he told us about that special book of his. Remember what he said to you the first time he saw you, Drift?”

  “Hmmm, that does make sense,” answered Drift. “So if that’s the case, what do we do now?”

  “We need to find out why he’s here and what has happened to him,” Nikolas answered.

  When their private chat was over, they turned and saw Flurry on his back. His reeyu was overjoyed at his return to the living. She had pounced him and licked his face repeatedly. “Okay, okay! I get it. You can stop now,” Flurry insisted as he tried to push her off.

  “Your reeyu truly loves you. She traveled all this way to save your life. We found her carrying you on her back, from wherever the two of you came,” Drift informed the little cub.

  “The last thing I remember was falling into a river,” Flurry replied.

  “What river? When?” asked Nikolas.

  “We were in Running, and it got attacked by a mean white fox,” answered Flurry.

  Nikolas’s eyes widened with astonishment. “Wait a minute! Do you mean Ronin?”

  “Yeah, that’s what I said! Running!”

  “Nero attacked Ronin? Why would he do this? That’s unprecedented!”

  “He was probably trying to stop us,” Flurry reasoned.

  “Stop whom?”

  “Me and my friends.”

  “And these friends might be …‌?”

  “Tomodachi, Yujin, and Lotora. Oh, yeah, and my friend, Honja. I hope they’re okay. I haven’t seen them since the attack.”

  Nikolas glanced at Katie. They were both extremely bewildered. Nikolas continued. “You mean Tomodachi, the samurai?”

  “Yeah! That’s what I said. Why do you keep questioning me like that?” Flurry replied.

  Nikolas reached over and picked up an object wrapped in cloth. He removed the fabric covering to reveal a beautiful sword.

  “Hey! That’s Chingu’s sword!” Flurry shouted. “What are you doing with it?”

  “The Great King gave this to me. He told me to give it to Tomodachi. I had no idea where I would find him, and now here you are. So …‌ where do I find him?” Nikolas asked.

  “I don’t know. He was trying to get others to join him in a fight against Jack,” answered the cub.

  Suddenly, everyone gasped and turned to their neighbor to whisper amongst themselves. One of the teddy bears asked, “So the prophecy is true?” The entire crowd was now abuzz.

  Nikolas stood up and addressed them. “I don’t know how Flurry ended up being a part of this, but it’s obvious that he was chosen. This all has a purpose. He was sent so that we can put an end to Jack Frost’s tyranny once and for all.”

  The bears cheered, but Drift was not so quick to rejoice. “How are we going to do this without an army?” he asked. “Secondly, he doesn’t even know where Tomodachi is!”

  “But we do!” came another voice. Everyone turned and saw that three red panda warriors now stood among them. Their reeyu were perched on the rocks not far behind the trio.

  Drift pulled his ax, and Kat
ie drew her bow, but Nikolas raised his hands in the air. “Stay your weapons! All of you! They’re welcome here!”

  “Need I remind you that most of the nations want you dead?” Katie informed the young man.

  “There’ll be no bloodshed here! You’re now my guests, and I bid you welcome,” Nikolas insisted.

  The red pandas came forward. The leader quickly explained their presence. “We’ve been tracking that cub’s reeyu, and it led us to you. The Great King is clearly with us all this day. Tomodachi has been taken captive and is being led to Ursidea as we speak. They should arrive within a week. Jack plans to make an example out of him.”

  “I see. Well, then, we haven’t any time to waste. We need to gather as many allies as we can, and ride for Ursidea. This could be the answer we’ve longed for, after all of these years. Tomorrow, we leave at first light. To Ursidea!” Nikolas shouted.

  “To Ursidea!” clamored the others.

  Nightfall came again, and everyone had gathered up in the hills in Ebongreene Forest, where Nikolas took care of his guests.

  They had a feast, sang, and were merry all throughout the night. Flurry tried to enjoy himself, but he constantly worried about Honja and wondered if the little rabbit was okay.

  Bedtime came for everyone, and Katie had made a comfy sleeping spot for Flurry. As she tucked him in, Nikolas entered the room. “Santa, why does my papa call you Chris, but everyone here calls you Nick?” Flurry asked.

  Nikolas chuckled and said, “Christopher is my first name. I’ve never liked it much, so I go by my middle name, Nikolas.”

  “Santa is much better. You should go by that,” Flurry replied. Nikolas and Katie laughed. “So how long have you been married?”

  “Huh?” the two replied in unison. They were taken off guard by Flurry’s question.

  “Yeah, I mean, every time I go to your house, she makes me cookies. Do you have any cookies now? That would be wonderful! They’re the best! Yum! Yum!” Flurry informed them.

  “Uhhh …‌ we aren’t a couple. We’re just friends,” answered Katie.

  “Oh. Well, maybe you need to think about that. You two are great together,” Flurry answered and giggled.

  Nikolas and Katie looked at each other and blushed.

  “Well, it’s time for you to get some shut-eye. We have a lot of work to do in the morning. Rest well and good night,” said Nikolas as he and Katie walked out the door of Flurry’s room. As they strolled out, Nikolas put his hand on the small of Katie’s back. He spoke softly to her, and closed Flurry’s door.

  Flurry smiled and said to himself, “Who’s the matchmaker? I am!”

  CHAPTER 6

  LOTORA’S DEAL

  While Flurry was safe in Ebongreene Forest, Tomodachi and his companions were extremely fatigued from their trek on foot. Lotora was so weak that she let the ropes drag her along in the dirt.

  The troops took their three prisoners and put them on one of the wheeled carts to rest for a bit. Nero did not want Jack to be angry about the condition Tomodachi would arrive in. They were now all on the same cart with their belongings. Honja realized that this was his chance, if he could muster up enough courage to leave the pouch. He was very frightened. Honja closed his eyes, took in a deep breath, and peeked his head out. He saw Tomodachi, Yujin, and Lotora, weary and half asleep on the cart.

  Honja slipped out of the bag. He snuck over to Yujin, and nibbled away at her bindings. It was going to take a while, but if anything was for certain, it was that they had plenty of time remaining on their trip.

  After his diligent work, Honja was met with success and moved on to Tomodachi. Yujin remained asleep the entire time, but Tomodachi was aware of what was happening. Eyes still closed, a smirk came to Tomodachi’s face. He knew that his chance to break free and seek revenge was at hand.

  A few more nibbles, and Tomodachi was free from his ropes. Honja had succeeded. The red pandas had been liberated, and now it was time to loose Lotora.

  Tomodachi nudged his daughter and slowly snuck up behind the drivers of the cart. A hint of a grin came to his face as he inched toward his sword. He could already taste victory. The blade lay on the bench between the two foxes at the helm of the cart. He turned his head back to Yujin, and she nodded.

  The moments that followed were so sudden that the drivers of the carriage did not know what hit them. Tomodachi grabbed his sword and cut down his enemies like a hot knife through butter.

  One of the horsemen looked back, saw the escaped prisoners, and sounded his horn. Nero and the others spun around and glimpsed Tomodachi as he leapt from horse to horse. The samurai dispatched one fox after another.

  “Somebody stop him!” Nero shouted.

  Yujin had joined the battle, and chaos ensued. Lotora picked up Honja and attempted to hide. One-by-one, Nero’s warriors were cut down like grass. Tomodachi was nearly unstoppable. He was a warrior of renown. It looked as if Tomodachi would defeat the entire company of soldiers singlehandedly, until Nero took matters into his own paws.

  “Stop, if you want your friend to live!” shouted Nero.

  Tomodachi turned and saw Lotora held captive.

  “I have no idea how you three managed to get free, but it ends now. I don’t want to incur the wrath of my master. However, he’ll have my head if I allow you to succeed,” Nero continued.

  “There’s no need for concern,” came another voice. “I’ll deal with this personally.” A legion of polar bears approached, led by Jack Frost. “Bring the prisoners to me!” Jack shouted.

  Tomodachi and Yujin were disarmed and brought before Jack. He paced to and fro in front of them. Jack clapped his paws, and the red panda prisoners were shoved to their knees, along with Lotora. “That’s better! It’s only fitting that Tomodachi …‌ the great Tomodachi …‌ kneel before his ruler and master.”

  The samurai warrior said something in an unknown tongue, but it was undoubtedly a vulgarity of some kind. Jack smacked Tomodachi across the face. “Now, now! None of that kind of talk. We’re gentlefolk, you and I, not barbarians. However, I may need to make an exception for the sake of teaching you a lesson.” Jack looked at Nero and ordered, “His blade! Bring it to me!”

  Nero came forth with Tomodachi’s beautifully crafted samurai sword, bowed down, and handed it to Jack. He looked toward the ground out of respect to his master. Jack took the blade, pulled it from its scabbard, and looked it over. The blade was a marvelous work of craftsmanship. It was one solid piece of metal. The sword was very elegant and light. “What a beautiful blade, this is,” Jack said. “I’ve heard that a samurai’s sword is his soul.” He then looked back at Tomodachi and added, “Too bad for you!”

  Jack handed the blade to one of his polar bear brutes. The massive bear gripped the blade with both paws and snapped it in half.

  “No!” Tomodachi shouted.

  “Oh, don’t fuss. The sword is the least of your worries. Think of it as the appetizer, and now it’s time for the main course.” Jack reached over and touched Yujin on the forehead. The necklace around his neck glowed a bright blue. Instantly, frost came forth from Jack’s touch and encompassed Yujin in solid ice.

  “Nooo!” Tomodachi shouted in agony. “I kill you! You pay!” The anger and hatred burned in Tomodachi’s eyes.

  “Next!” Jack shouted. The guards pushed Lotora forward. “Say goodbye to her, too!”

  “Stop! Take me! Stop!” Tomodachi yelled.

  “Relax! I’m freeing her,” answered Jack. He nodded his head, and the guards cut her ropes. “As agreed, you’re free to go. Your daughter is waiting for you.”

  “Mommy! Mommy!” came the voice of a little raccoon cub that ran up to her mother. Lotora knelt down, hugged her, and cried. “Thank you! Oh, thank you!”

  “See! I’m not without mercy,” Jack announced.

  Nero stood there with a dumbfounded look on his face. He could not understand why Jack would let her go free. Jack glared at his general. “What? You mean to tell me that you had no
idea she was my spy? How do you think I always knew where they were?”

  Tomodachi reacted strongly and shouted at Lotora, “You! You did this? How could you? How could you?” Tomodachi struggled to break free from his fresh restraints, but it was no use.

  Jack laughed as he watched Tomodachi struggle. “Face it, you can’t win. Before long, the entire world will bow to me.” Jack glanced over at his polar bear guards and shouted, “Take him away!”

  Tomodachi’s spirit had been broken, and his paws made weaponless. The loss of his daughter stole his will to live. A samurai now without honor, the only thing for him to look forward to was the grave. He felt like a fool for not realizing Lotora was a traitor, and it cost him his daughter’s life. She was now eternally frozen. Nothing would ever be able to free her except Jack.

  Nero and Jack’s troops had rejoined each other. Together they continued to Ursidea, which was still a long way off. Nero was speechless. He realized Jack was crafty, but he did not know the depths of what he had just witnessed. Deep down, he longed for Jack’s power, authority, and throne. He had devised numerous plots to overthrow him, but had not found the right moment. He now realized that he was going to have to be much craftier than he anticipated. He even wondered if Jack suspected him of anything. Now, his devious plans would have to wait until Tomodachi’s execution. Afterward, he could focus on his own ambitions.

  They all trailed off together and left Lotora and her daughter behind. Honja remained hidden in her bag, with her book. Lotora at least had the decency to conceal Honja’s presence from Jack. He never knew the little rabbit was there all along. In fact, nobody but Lotora knew. She sat down, held her daughter in her arms, and cried.

  “What’s wrong, Mommy?” asked the adorable little raccoon.

  “I did something very bad, Sweetie. Something very bad,” Lotora answered her daughter through a steady stream of tears.

  “That’s not true! You would never do something bad. You’re the best mommy ever!” her daughter denied as they held each other tightly.