Snow Maiden

Chapter 2

Sounds drifted in from beyond the tree line, loud enough to wake her. Nika stirred, amazed to find she hadn’t frozen in the night. After her feet had carried her far enough away from her cottage for the villagers’ yells to fade out, she’d hunched herself into a ball against a tree trunk. By some miracle, no hungry bear or wolf had come upon her while she’d slept. Fighting the chill in her bones, she cracked open her eyes and shivered. Winter was imminent, now, each night grew colder than the last. The smell of snow hung heavy in the air. Fine time to be sleeping out alone in the woods, Nika thought to herself. Squinting against the morning sun, she uncurled her sore body and tried to rub some warmth back into her extremities.

Again, voices drifted through the trees from nearby, the same sounds that had roused her. Standing with care, she followed them across the stream. When she emerged from the forest, the sight of a fair setting up met her eyes. The delicious aroma of newly baked bread and other fare filled her nose. Her empty stomach clenched. She had nothing, no coin. Perhaps, she could work for it. Cleaning or sewing, maybe.

Hunger driving her, she trudged on numb feet into the open area to see what she could find. Merchants were just arriving, early as it was. Following her nose, she found her way to the baker’s booth where a handsome young man noticed her. He smiled, his blue eyes twinkling and kind.

“Hungry miss?” His stare passed over her, taking in her worn dress and shoes.

Nika looked down, chagrined to find dirt and dried leaves clinging to her skirt. She frowned, hating to be thought a beggar.

“Y-yes sir, but…” she lifted her eyes enough to meet his gaze. His smile widened.

“Here now, don’t be shy, devushka.” He stretched his arm out to hand her a roll.

Nika’s mouth watered. She reached for the offering, the warmth of it hitting her palm before she even grasped it. When her fingers closed, she moved to step back, but the baker’s hand covered hers, holding her in place.

“No coin?” He asked, fingers circling her wrist. Her eyes flashed up, panic fluttering in her chest. “That’s fine.” He tsked, his head dropping close to hers as though to share a confidence. “We’ll find another way for you to pay for it.”

Instantly, Nika wished she hadn’t found his cart. He looked her up and down again, a leer on his features. She didn’t have much experience with men, didn’t have experience with anyone, but she knew enough to fear that look. She jerked back, trying to pull out of his grip. Before she could, his other hand came up and squeezed her breast.

“Sasha!”

A high-pitched woman’s screech sounded from around the corner of the cart.

“What are you doing?”

The woman’s angry face swung to Nika. The baker released her, even pushed her away, but Nika ended up with the bread in her hand.

“You thieving tramp!” The woman shouted, her hawkish features narrowing with outrage.

Nika shook her head furiously, but still said nothing. The whole situation came on so quickly it left her tongue-tied.

“Is there trouble over here?”

Without her noticing, a large group had formed around the cart. Several of the men from the fair stepped forward to see what went on.

“That tart is stealing from the vendors,” the woman accused Nika. “You see the bun in her hand?”

A big, burly man, who looked to be in charge, eyed Nika.

“There now, girl, what have you to say for yourself? The penalty’s steep for stealing around here.”

Probably the same as anywhere else in the North Country—she could be locked away, or even lose a hand. It depended on the villagers.

Shrinking in on herself, Nika backed away.

“No…I- I… he gave it to me,” she tried, but the baker was nowhere in sight by now.

“She tricked my poor Sasha.” The baker’s wife said. “Whores and thieves, they’re all the same.”

At that moment, a thundering of hooves pounded down from the top of the road. Everyone turned around to look. In that moment of distraction, Nika took the opportunity to flee from the crowd.

“Here, she’s getting away!” She heard somebody shout.

“She’s probably from one of the thieves’ forests, lordship,” another voice said. “The bands have been growing worse and worse.”

Their voices faded as she ran, but the sound of the horses’ feet trampling the earth resumed. A quick glance back behind her confirmed her fears. Several riders pursued her, closing in fast. Before they could reach her, she dashed into the forest again. Her headscarf left her head, torn off by bushes, but she kept running as fast as she could, deeper into the woods.

The riders kept after her, gaining ground. They looked like soldiers or hunters, maybe. Whoever they were, the people at the fair had convinced them she was a criminal. Her legs burned as she ran, her vision blurring from exertion and hunger. The only thing keeping her sharp was the cold air in her face as she pushed on.

Exhausted, she darted into a thick growth of brush, hunching down under an endless maze of branches. Dried leaves fell all around as she crawled into the overgrowth, twigs scratching at her face the whole while.

“There! In the bushes!” A man’s loud voice called. “Shall we let the dogs loose?”

Horror gripped Nika. Northern dogs were as big as bears, and just as strong. The mere thought of them was enough to keep her moving.

Finally, she broke free of the brush. For a time, she heard nothing besides her own labored breathing. Blowing out a big gust from her lungs, she tried to calm down enough to hear. Nothing had followed her into the thicket. Maybe the hunters had stopped chasing her when she’d jumped into the bushes. Moving into the clearing, she stopped short of the frozen creek to listen better. Everything kept still and quiet… too quiet. The fine hairs on the back of Nika’s neck stood on end. When a raven shrieked overhead, it spooked her into jumping.

“There she is!” A voice yelled from the far end of the creek.

They’d gone around. They were on the clear side of the path, now. Men, horses, dogs—all came for her at once. Again, Nika bolted into action. She started across the creek, slipping over ice and rocks as she went.

“Stop, girl!” One man rider shouted. Something in the sound of his voice made her freeze. She’d made it to the center of the creek, but they’d all stopped.

When she turned to look back, her leg buckled. Her foot broke through the ice, frigid water swallowing her leg as, all around her, the frozen sheet on top of the creek started to crack. The cold paralyzed her lower limb, but she managed to pull herself free. The water hadn’t looked nearly this deep at first glance. Testing her weight on the ice, she stepped toward shore right as a loud bark rang through the clearing. Nika’s eyes widened. Her worst fear had come true. One of the largest dogs she’d ever seen sprang forward and started across the creek. The animal looked like a shaggy gray wolf. A thick ruff of fur circled its neck, resembling a lion’s mane. All that aside, its most harrowing features were its enormous teeth!

Scampering and sliding her way off the ice, Nika pushed her frozen legs up onto a rocky wall on the other side of the creek bed. A small opening appeared over a ledge, and she dove for it. Instantly, darkness encompassed her, rendering her completely blind to the new terrain. Caves in this part of the country were dangerous. They were also well known for being haunted. Out of options, she pushed those thoughts aside and crawled forward.

Feeling her way, she crept on her hands and knees into blackness, hoping she hadn’t wandered into a wolves’ den, or a bear’s. She would have just traded one beast for another. As that thought that hit her, her hands slipped out from under her and she hurtled through the air into nothing.

Author's Note: Poor Nika! She just can't catch a break. Should she have taken her chances explaining her situation to the group? Or was her best option to run?