Chapter 23: Feathers
While Lysander was making his way back from the hunt, Erin had snuck back outside the hut, to keep watch over Lord Snow-a-lot, and Lady Jayne. His eyes were watery. Why did they have to die? All this time, they had stood in silent vigil over the hut. And now, they would just melt.
Erin realized that it had to happen. They weren't humans, and he suspected, that Lysander had made up the story he told him. Yet, the story was good, and the snowmen had never treated them unkindly. (Not that they could, seeing as they didn't have a voice. Erin wondered if they had made vocal cords in the snowmen, would they have spoken then?)
"Little boy, what are you doing in here?" Came a raspy voice from the tree line. Erin whipped his head around, only to see something straight from a nightmare. There was an old woman, but she had weathered skin, and feathers for hair, and a beak for a mouth. Erin quickly rushed back to the hut, and bolted the door.
He slumped against the door, and hoped that Belle's barrier was going to hold. He wasn't so sure about that. For, this woman was probably a witch.
He heard footsteps, and then the woman stopped right before the door. She tried to open it, but soon let go of the handle.
"Little boy, I just want a gulp of water," came the voice from outside. Erin kept silent. "I haven't drunk in days."
"What are you, lady?" Erin asked, his entire body shaky.
"Open the door, and I will tell you," she said. Erin refused to do so. His mama had told him many things about witches, and none of them were good. Some used children for potions ingredients.
"Open the door, please. I really need water," she begged, in a frail voice. Erin bit his lip. Maybe, he could leave her a glass of water outside the window? Would she even see him, as he went? What sort of person would he be, if he left a woman thirsty outside his hut? Perhaps, she would leave, after getting the water?
Erin went to the faucet, and filled a cup with lukewarm water. Once more, he thanked Belle silently, for the fact that they had warm water, even during the winter.
He went to the nearest window, and opened it silently. Then, he placed the cup down on the snow, and quickly closed the shutters, and locked the latch.
"Your water is over here," Erin called, and then went far from the window. From the holes in the shutters, he saw that the woman went to the window, and then bent. He heard drinking sounds soon after, and a relieved sigh.
"Thank you, little boy. Now, you deserve a reward," Erin didn't trust the woman one bit. He backed away towards the beds. He was just about to hide under Lysander's when the woman spoke again.
"What reward do you think the cup of water deserves?" Came the now more melodic voice of the witch from outside.
"For you to leave," Erin called, right next to the bed.
"That is heartless of you, little boy," she said with a sigh. "If you give me a water skin full of water, then I will reward you handsomely."
"I will give you the water skin, only if you promise to leave," Erin said. They had a couple of water skins. He was sure that Lysander wouldn't miss one.
"Heartless little boy," she said, and there was something like approval in her voice. "So be it. I, Goldana, promise that I will leave, if you give me a water skin full of hot water."
Erin quickly busied himself with getting her water. He could hear, as she walked around the hut, probably looking for a way in. He shuddered at the thought, that she might find one entrance. Where was Lysander? He could deal with the witch without a problem. He could do anything!
The blonde boy was sure that the witch was back at the door, so he went back to the window, and opened it. Just as he was lowering the water skin on the ground, a hand grabbed his. The witch was not before the door, but hiding under the window.
"Let me go," Erin yelled, but her gnarled hand pulled him out of the hut.
"Look at you. Living in the frontier, and looking this plump," she smacked her lips, and Erin could see that she had fangs, instead of teeth.
"You promised you'd leave, if I gave you the water," Erin said, white with fear.
"I promise many things to morsels such as you. Now, let us go, and make a stew," she said, and then touched Erin's neck. The next thing he knew, was darkness.
The witch took the boy in her arms, and began walking away, back towards her hut. She was happy, that she has gotten such a well looked after child. He looked to have a lot of meat on his bones. Belle must have been raising him. The witch, Goldana, really wanted to get back at the nymph, for chasing her away from the better lands in the frontier. Now, she had a chance.
When Lysander came back, he saw the window of the hut wide open, and footsteps leading out into the forest, beginning from the window. He rushed back inside, and saw that the fire has gone out.
"Erin!" He called, but no one answered. "Rin, where are you?"
Lysander looked at the wiggling puppy, and he placed it on the ground. The puppy dug through the leaves on the ground, and then took out a feather.
"Oh, no. A witch," Lysander said. He looked at the puppy, and then pointed at the footsteps.
"You have to find Erin, puppy. If you do, I will give you the snout of the mammoth," Lysander promised. He just hoped that it wasn't too late.
The wolf pup began to move, his nose on the ground. Lysander followed it into the forest.
Chapter 23: Feathers
While Lysander was making his way back from the hunt, Erin had snuck back outside the hut, to keep watch over Lord Snow-a-lot, and Lady Jayne. His eyes were watery. Why did they have to die? All this time, they had stood in silent vigil over the hut. And now, they would just melt.
Erin realized that it had to happen. They weren't humans, and he suspected, that Lysander had made up the story he told him. Yet, the story was good, and the snowmen had never treated them unkindly. (Not that they could, seeing as they didn't have a voice. Erin wondered if they had made vocal cords in the snowmen, would they have spoken then?)
"Little boy, what are you doing in here?" Came a raspy voice from the tree line. Erin whipped his head around, only to see something straight from a nightmare. There was an old woman, but she had weathered skin, and feathers for hair, and a beak for a mouth. Erin quickly rushed back to the hut, and bolted the door.
He slumped against the door, and hoped that Belle's barrier was going to hold. He wasn't so sure about that. For, this woman was probably a witch.
He heard footsteps, and then the woman stopped right before the door. She tried to open it, but soon let go of the handle.
"Little boy, I just want a gulp of water," came the voice from outside. Erin kept silent. "I haven't drunk in days."
"What are you, lady?" Erin asked, his entire body shaky.
"Open the door, and I will tell you," she said. Erin refused to do so. His mama had told him many things about witches, and none of them were good. Some used children for potions ingredients.
"Open the door, please. I really need water," she begged, in a frail voice. Erin bit his lip. Maybe, he could leave her a glass of water outside the window? Would she even see him, as he went? What sort of person would he be, if he left a woman thirsty outside his hut? Perhaps, she would leave, after getting the water?
Erin went to the faucet, and filled a cup with lukewarm water. Once more, he thanked Belle silently, for the fact that they had warm water, even during the winter.
He went to the nearest window, and opened it silently. Then, he placed the cup down on the snow, and quickly closed the shutters, and locked the latch.
"Your water is over here," Erin called, and then went far from the window. From the holes in the shutters, he saw that the woman went to the window, and then bent. He heard drinking sounds soon after, and a relieved sigh.
"Thank you, little boy. Now, you deserve a reward," Erin didn't trust the woman one bit. He backed away towards the beds. He was just about to hide under Lysander's when the woman spoke again.
"What reward do you think the cup of water deserves?" Came the now more melodic voice of the witch from outside.
"For you to leave," Erin called, right next to the bed.
"That is heartless of you, little boy," she said with a sigh. "If you give me a water skin full of water, then I will reward you handsomely."
"I will give you the water skin, only if you promise to leave," Erin said. They had a couple of water skins. He was sure that Lysander wouldn't miss one.
"Heartless little boy," she said, and there was something like approval in her voice. "So be it. I, Goldana, promise that I will leave, if you give me a water skin full of hot water."
Erin quickly busied himself with getting her water. He could hear, as she walked around the hut, probably looking for a way in. He shuddered at the thought, that she might find one entrance. Where was Lysander? He could deal with the witch without a problem. He could do anything!
The blonde boy was sure that the witch was back at the door, so he went back to the window, and opened it. Just as he was lowering the water skin on the ground, a hand grabbed his. The witch was not before the door, but hiding under the window.
"Let me go," Erin yelled, but her gnarled hand pulled him out of the hut.
"Look at you. Living in the frontier, and looking this plump," she smacked her lips, and Erin could see that she had fangs, instead of teeth.
"You promised you'd leave, if I gave you the water," Erin said, white with fear.
"I promise many things to morsels such as you. Now, let us go, and make a stew," she said, and then touched Erin's neck. The next thing he knew, was darkness.
The witch took the boy in her arms, and began walking away, back towards her hut. She was happy, that she has gotten such a well looked after child. He looked to have a lot of meat on his bones. Belle must have been raising him. The witch, Goldana, really wanted to get back at the nymph, for chasing her away from the better lands in the frontier. Now, she had a chance.
When Lysander came back, he saw the window of the hut wide open, and footsteps leading out into the forest, beginning from the window. He rushed back inside, and saw that the fire has gone out.
"Erin!" He called, but no one answered. "Rin, where are you?"
Lysander looked at the wiggling puppy, and he placed it on the ground. The puppy dug through the leaves on the ground, and then took out a feather.
"Oh, no. A witch," Lysander said. He looked at the puppy, and then pointed at the footsteps.
"You have to find Erin, puppy. If you do, I will give you the snout of the mammoth," Lysander promised. He just hoped that it wasn't too late.
The wolf pup began to move, his nose on the ground. Lysander followed it into the forest.
