Crimson Snow

by D A Rice

  When he told as much to the princess, she shook her head. “I’m not sure that is a good thing, Eason. It makes me fear what she’s planning. Our kingdom is vulnerable right now. We must get this potion mixed with due haste.”

  She turned the horse, moving it more carefully through the gathering trees. He could see the wariness in her posture, her shifting eyes. “What’s the plan?” he whispered.

  Brie took everything in without responding for a moment. The morning had passed in a hurried pace, and as the afternoon took hold, Eason could see the bulk of the forest on the horizon. He was right about two things: the first was that they were entering at a different part of the forest, and the second was that it would still take another day to get where they were going, unless they travelled through the night. “Luckily for us, the lake we need is at the eastern side of the forest’s edge, but we will still need to travel inside. Snow has spies everywhere, so we will leave the horse, as I did when I found you, and travel by foot.”

  “Stealth mode, got it.”

  There was a chuckle from Brie’s breast pocket. “Do you even have a stealth mode, boy?” Eason gave the mirror a look it couldn’t see.

  Brie, for her part, ignored Will, her focus intense on the thickening trees in front of them. “We have a few hours yet before we need to leave Shadowfall behind.” She patted the dark horse’s mane before glancing at him behind her. “We will rest at that time. Then we will prepare.”

  ~

  It was dusk before Brie finally allowed them to rest. She’d taken Shadowfall to the stream a few times in the last few hours, making sure the horse set a quick pace, even when walking. She didn’t run him ragged, but she was relentless.

  Eason stretched out his legs as Brie dropped the reins and climbed down after him. Letting the horse keep to himself in the grass, she pulled a small pack over her shoulders as she nodded to him, glancing back at the forest they would have to enter soon. Eason closed his eyes, centering himself. He still didn’t hear Snow’s singing in the back of his head, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t nearby. He took a deep breath before glancing at the princess, who watched him with an eyebrow raised. He nodded in answer to her unspoken question: are you alright?

  Brie nodded towards the forest and they began to walk. Unsure if he should speak, he followed Brie, meticulously aware of where he put his feet. He’d already screwed up by letting Snow loose; he was determined not to screw up the cure Brie needed to revive the one person who could stop her.

  The queen had told him he’d be the one to put Snow back, but Eason couldn’t imagine getting the job done without her help. She was the one with the knowledge. Besides, he thought as he glanced at Brie, Grimhilde is her mother.

  Brie halted ahead of him, pulling her bow off her shoulder as she cocked her head in alertness. Eason’s hand strayed to the hilt of his sword, his grip tightening around its pommel. A twig snapped to the left of him, and he found himself pivoting, taking up a fighting stance as Brie swung her bow around, an arrow nocked. “Steady, Eason,” she breathed, barely making a sound.

  Eason only narrowed his eyes as the brush rustled again, swaying back and forth, “animal?” He whispered back, keeping his voice as light as he could. He could barely see what was in front of him as the forest greyed around them, the sun setting quickly to their backs.

  Brie shook her head. “Back up, Eason.”

  Eason took a step back, but before he could react or pull his sword free, he was being thrown back. A man jumped from the bushes, toppling Eason over. Eason reached for his sword, but the other man was faster, yanking his arm out and away. With a crack, Eason yelped as his socket tore free from his shoulder, making his arm useless.

  An arrow whooshed above him, knocking the man back as it hit him dead center of the chest. Eason shot up into a sitting position, scuttling back as Brie came forward. His free hand held his arm close to his chest as he focused on breathing, his eyes on the prone man before them. “What the hell?”

  “That is not a dwarf,” Brie said, voice in shock as she knelt beside Eason, a hand gentle on his shoulder. Her bow dropped as she assessed his injury, occasionally glancing in the direction of the fallen man. “Hold still; this will hurt.” She prodded his shoulder and he winced. Extending his arm, she made eye contact with him. “Brace yourself.”

  Eason opened his mouth to ask why when Brie pushed his upper arm, yanking on his shoulder at the same time. He gasped in shock, biting his lip to cut off the strangled cry as quickly as possible. Brie leaned back, a smile touching her lips as Eason pulled his arm in, able to move it again. “I did warn you.”

  Eason nodded. “That you did.” He grimaced, glancing at her before his eyes moved past her. He scrambled up in shock, causing Brie to twirl around, grabbing her bow off the ground. The man who’d attacked him had risen again, his head tilted in an odd manner and the arrow buried deep in his chest. He had on a royal uniform, dark blue once by the looks of it, and a cape clasped around his shoulders, pinned by a ruby clasp. He had an unkempt beard and his face was deathly pale with sunken black eyes that did not blink.

  Brie lowered her bow, her eyes wide. “Oh… Florian.”

  Eason didn’t even look at her. “Prince… Florian?”

  Brie nodded in his peripheral vision as the undead prince before them took an unsteady step in their direction. Brie’s bow was up instantly and Eason pulled his sword free. “What happened to him?”

  “I would guess it’s his heart. He was one of her first victims. I had always wondered what happened to him. We thought he was dead.”

  “He must’ve slept while she did, yeah?” Eason asked, pacing back as the prince took another step, his free hand clenched into a fist at his side. “Is that what’ll happen to me?”

  Brie didn’t have a chance to respond as the man in front of them shot forward, his focus solely on Eason. “He can sense that you’re marked!”

  Eason dodged back, blocking the prince’s faster-than-average movements. He grunted in reply to Brie, even as three arrows thudded into Florian’s back. The prince sagged, roaring in pain, but he did not stop coming for Eason. Eason shoved, pushing the prince back and off of him. “What do I do?!”

  Will’s voice penetrated the forest next, unnaturally serious, “You must cut off his head, and quickly. If you do not, she will know you are not where she thinks you are.”

  Nobody had to ask who ‘she’ was as Florian rose from the ground, shaking. Eason cringed, side-glancing the princess next to him, whose face had drained of color. He didn’t know how to cut off a person’s head, and he didn’t know if he could, but as he shifted into a fight stance Brie had taught him, he could feel his determination rising.

  He prepared himself to fight and prayed that his little bit of training would serve him well enough not to die.

  Chapter 16

  Brie shot back, her bow up as Florian charged Eason before him. She shot off three more arrows in quick succession before dropping the bow and reaching for the short swords at her sides. She wasn’t sure how much she could help Eason as he swung his sword at the prince, who dodged back unnaturally fast. “Will, either of us can cut off the prince’s head, yes?” she asked the mirror, voice low.

  “Yes, my princess. However, if you are to do it, I would suggest soon. He may have already warned Snow of your presence, if she hasn’t sensed it already.”

  Brie only grunted in response, already stalking after the undead prince as he rushed Eason, tackling him to the ground again. Eason had the sword up between them, but with his barely-trained technique, the weapon was almost useless for him. “His head being cut off will only incapacitate him though, correct?”

  “It does make one wonder….” Will was cut short as Brie found her opening, lunging forward with both swords crossed in front of her as Eason threw the prince off him, his sword in the prince’s throat. Eason pushed, seeing Brie, yanking his sword free at the same time that Brie swung, pulling both swords through the prince’s neck. Eason
glanced away, his face turning a strange color, a hand coming up to his mouth in a fist.

  Brie dodged back, avoiding any splatter, her nose wrinkling at the smell of rot that found her. Ah, she thought as she watched Eason heave up his lunch in the bushes. She paced forward warily, eyeing the fallen prince. “He won’t be able to communicate with her for awhile now,” Brie stated, voice soft.

  Eason glanced at her, eyes wide. “You mean that didn’t kill him?”

  “No. Only delayed the inevitable. We will need to kill Snow to set him free, for she consumed his heart long ago. This is all that’s left of the prince now.” Brie wiped her swords clean before sheathing them and handing Eason the cloth she had used. He took it, wiping his own sword clean with shaking hands, his mouth he’d wiped on his sleeve. The boy had never fought another, not like this. She wasn’t about to judge his nerves.

  Eason watched the prince with fear in his eyes, but even Brie could tell that it was fear for his own fate. She moved to his side, taking the cloth from his fingers gently, then the sword he’d brought with him. She lay them on the ground and cupped his face in her hands, making him meet her steady gaze. “I will not let her have you. Not while we both fight. Do you remember my promise to you?”

  Eason nodded, color returning to his ashen face as he gulped, his eyes closing. He took a deep breath, centering himself. When he met her gaze again, she saw his determination back in force. “Let’s get those ingredients. I’m not giving up.”

  “Is your head still clear, boy?” Will’s voice murmured, causing Brie to pull out the mirror so that they could both see him.

  Eason nodded, his fingers grazing his temple. “It’s weird, but yeah. I don’t hear the singing…” he paused as he glanced down. “Is that good, Will?”

  “It certainly isn’t bad,” the mirror replied, grim-faced. “Let’s move before we find more surprises. I would not want to face any others she may have been keeping undead like poor Florian.”

  Brie cringed as one thought coursed through her head. The huntsman. Eason watched her but didn’t ask as she pulled up his sword and sheathed it for him. He returned her bow, and she felt her lips twitch up.

  “I’ll fight with you until I can’t anymore,” he said before letting the weapon go.

  Brie nodded. “And I will fight for you, my strange companion from another world.” She glanced towards the direction of the lake, the night sky shimmering with stars as the last of the light faded. Her eyes narrowed, “Let us go. We have little time left.”

  With a nod, Eason followed her through the forest.

  ~

  Eason couldn’t fathom what he’d seen. How Florian had looked, dead but still alive, would haunt him for the rest of his life. If they didn’t find a way to stop Snow soon, that would be him. Brie explained that once Snow consumed your heart, you were her slave forever. She didn’t know where Snow’s own heart was, only that, once she’d taken over the huntsman to get back at Grimhilde, Snow had him hide it where the queen would never find it. The poisoned apple was Snow’s reward. The plan had been to find it while she slept, but Brie told him that even with Will, they never could.

  Eason took the story in silently as they made their way through the trees, pausing every once and awhile as Brie found her bearings, glancing from the sky to the ground in front of her. They moved quietly, their voices soft. Brie had told him that they were safe as long as the forest itself wasn’t silent. Eason listened to the forest now, the chirping of birds and the rustle of animals. If the forest stilled, Snow was near, and she’d taken control. For now, the animals’ minds were their own.

  Brie had gone quiet as well in these last few hours, her focus unwaveringly east as she picked her way towards their destination. Eason let her, watching her movements. She was graceful, and he found that he really cared about her. He only hoped he wouldn’t hurt her. He never wanted to.

  “Strange,” Brie said in front of him and Eason stilled, instantly wary as she crouched, inching forward. “I would have expected more resistance.”

  “Other than the prince from hell?” Eason inquired as they peered over a small hill on their stomachs. A small lake greeted them, shining in the moon’s light.

  “Yes. I am worried. It’s too quiet.”

  Eason listened to the lively forest. “It doesn’t sound quiet to me. Isn’t that a good thing?”

  “No, Eason, you misunderstand. There was but one sentinel. Think about it…” Brie’s eyes slid to his, and something clicked in Eason’s mind. He glanced around again.

  “You’re right. It’s as if she isn’t even here…” Their gazes locked and Brie spun around, yanking Will from her pocket.

  “Mirror, mirror, in my hand, show me Cylentra, that is my command.” Brie’s words were soft, but her voice was rough, laced with what was almost panic. Will’s face bowed and Eason gasped as the scene changed. Cylentra showed before them in the tiny mirror’s surface. The two of them huddled together as they peered down, watching. The outer gates were still closed, but guards stood on every surface of the wall, bows peeking out where they could, as if preparing for battle. “Will,” Brie’s voice was full of emotion. “Can you show us Snow?”

  The scene shifted in the mirror, and there she was, awake and sitting in what appeared to be a divan-shaped litter, carried by dwarves on all sides. She was small and petite, with her short black hair and lips Eason could see from where he stood. Her hand was up, within it an apple, and she stared at it almost lovingly. He could see her blue dress, her eyes shining in delight as half of the forest’s animals moved around her. To her right, walked a man dressed in furs.

  Brie snarled beside him, making to throw the mirror in her hand. Eason caught her before she could, gently releasing Will from her hold as the scene shifted back to his face. Brie was shaking as Eason moved to kneel in front of her, the mirror still in his hand. Will said nothing as he watched them. “I knew it.” Brie seethed, her fists clenched at her sides.

  “She hasn’t gotten to Cylentra yet, but the fact that she’s on her way just made our job a hundred times easier.”

  Brie met his gaze, fire in her eyes, but he didn’t shrink away from her.

  “Think about it, Brie. We don’t have to be delicate anymore. Her one guard is incapacitated. Let’s get the goods we need and get out. Can you make this Alchemic potion on the way?”

  Brie shook her head. “I will need to light a fire, at the very least.”

  Eason placed a hand on her cheek and she flinched, re-focusing on him. “Then let’s go. Like you said, we don’t have a lot of time. Either you can use it being angry and throwing things you need.” He showed her the mirror in his hand, and she softened as he continued, “and hurting your friends, or you can put it to good use. What do you say?”

  Brie watched him for a moment, her eyes shifting between his. “I say that you are wiser than your years suggest.”

  Eason smirked, standing as he held out a hand to her. She took it and he pulled her up. “Then let’s get to work.”

  Chapter 17

  The sun was rising gently in the east by the time Eason and Brie had canvased the lake’s edge, picking it clean of everything that she needed to make the Alchemic potion for the queen. When they were done, they made camp back near where they’d left the horse, who was still grazing peacefully nearby.

  It was unnerving, even for Eason, to see how different the forest was without Snow’s presence. He could still remember, vividly, how the animals had watched them leave, a human intent in their eyes. He glanced at Brie as she stirred the small pot she’d brought, and hung it over the fire. He could see the fear lurking behind her determination as she studied a book in her lap, measuring everything precisely. He still had Will in his hand. Brie hadn’t taken him back after she’d almost thrown him across the forest. He glanced down at the mirror now; he’d been so quiet since that moment.

  “You alright?” Eason asked the mirror now, voice quiet so that Brie would not be disturbed.

&n
bsp; The face in the mirror blinked. It was hard for Eason to tell where he stared sometimes, so he imagined that Will had eyes, instead of mask slits. “I am. Why do you ask?”

  Eason shrugged. “It just seems you’re incredibly quiet.”

  If Will could shrug back, Eason imagined he might have then. “She does not need me right now. She needs you, and so you she shall have.”

  Eason raised an eyebrow at this.“I have no idea what that even means.”

  A soft chuckle from the mirror, “I can only do so much, Eason. I will always be a friend to her, true; however, I am nothing but a tool. I can show her whatever she wants to see, as long as it’s true, but I cannot comfort her. Right now, that is what she needs.”

  “Ah.” Eason glanced at Brie, leaning over her book. His look turned back to the mirror. “You guys said to destroy the prince, you guys would have to find Snow’s heart. Sever the link and he dies properly right?”

  “Yes, as will Snow.” Will answered, voice soft.

  “Can’t you just show Brie where it is?” Eason asked next.

  The mirror was silent for a moment, and Eason had the distinct impression Will was rolling his eyes by the tone of his voice when he spoke next. “Do you not think we tried that, Son of Grimm? My magic can only do so much. Snow has the capability of blocking my sight, a gift from her mother I would assume. Where her heart lays, is the one thing I am incapable of seeing.”

  “But you can see Snow…” Eason trailed off thoughtfully.