Some Strange Type of Peculiar Love

The Ice Castle Part Two

Hugh's POV

"I am Balenciaga Wren."
I could have cried, or fainted, or both. After all this time, we found her.
Finally.
I hugged Emma and Olive hung around my neck, her weighted shoes dragging me down. She motioned for us to follow her down the blue tunnel. Olive held onto my hand as she tried not to slip on the icy floor, her metal shoes became colder with each step. I picked her up and gave her a piggy back ride.
"How did you guys find me?" Miss Wren seemed amazed.
"First we found your loop-"
"But how? It was so well hidden!"
Emma smiled and looked for Millard, whose teeth were chattering. Bronwyn took off her over coat and handed it to Millard. Miss Peregrine was on her back like a school bag.
"We found it in the tales." Miss Wren turned at looked at Millard, momentarily startled.
"Cuthbert?"
We nodded and Emma continued.
"Then Jake killed the hollow that was there."
"JAKE?" I laughed as Bronwyn rolled her eyes.
"Ah yes the hollow, thank you he was most bothersome."
"Then your puppy told us to go to London!" Olive cheered. I adjusted her on my back and she gripped harder on my neck.
"I can take her." Bronwyn offered.
"Nooo! I want Hughhhh." Olive whined. I beamed a bit and Bronwyn stuck her tongue out and laughed at me. We were all giddy with joy, even Enoch.
"But how did you know how to get to this loop?"
"Your pigeon."
"Winnifred? But how did you find him?"
"They didn't. They found my loop," Melina looked deep in thought for a moment."Or what was left of it and found Winnie and I."
"And us." Said Joel and Peter.
"Then we went through the bombs and almost died!" Cried Horace.
"And a girl with a hole in her stomach!" Yelled Olive. We were all collectively clamoring about our adventure before Miss Wren could quiet us.
"You guys must be hungry." Miss Wren pulled back a curtain and we stepped into a kitchen.
"I'm starving!" Olive whined.
"Hi starving, I'm Jake." Olive giggled like it was  the funniest thing she'd ever heard. Bronwyn ushered me forward into the room. The air was frosty and I could see my breath, but it wasn't necessarily cold. She opened the ice box and took out a tub of ice cream.
"For desert." Miss Wren at Olive who looked at Enoch mischievously.
"What about dinner?" Asked Horace.
"Horace! Be polite!"
"I'm trying to but I'm starving and in peasant clothes, there's only so much I can take!"
Miss Wren chuckled. "You sure are an odd group."
"Odd? Wouldn't you say-"
Horace flicked Enoch in the head before he could say 'peculiar'.
"Now, get some rest before dinner, you've had quite the journey." I was ready to fall into a deep sleep despite how hungry I was.
"But we need help for Miss Peregrine!" Cried Olive. I set her and she stomped her foot.
"Oh, I'm so sorry to hear about Alma. But rest assured we will get her back!"
I furrowed my brow and looked at Emma, who looked to Bronwyn, who reached her back to grab Miss Peregrine.
"Addison said you could help her."
"With what?"
"Are you thick? She can't change back!" Shouted Enoch. Miss Wren scowled and looked at Miss Peregrine.
"What do you mean?" Enoch's temper was growing hotter by the second.
"She can't turn back, she hurt her wing." Jake explained.
Miss Wren gasped and nodded.
"How long has it been?"
That was a good question.
"Umm, maybe three days?" Emma said unsure. Miss Wren took Miss Peregrine and stared into her dull eyes.
"Alma, is that really you?" The bird squawked and Miss Wren started to walk briskly, we followed behind her like ducks.
"Althea?"
"Yes Miss?" Ahead of us was a girl with long brown wavy hair. She had thick wired glasses and thin lips that looked like they could crack with a small smile.
"Go get my study ready, it's an emergency. Also, refreeze the area we came from." Althea ran her long slender fingers against the wall and hummed. Suddenly the room got colder and the ice thicker.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome." She talked impossibly slow.
"Now go get my study ready."
Althea nodded and slowly started up the stairs.
"Hurry, this bird is an Ymbryne."
Altheas eyes widened and she took off with a sprint up the stairs. Miss Wren turned to us and held Miss Peregrine like a baby.
"Make yourselves comfortable, you can make anything you'd like, even ice cream." Olive smiled and took Enoch's hand and led him away.
"You should be ashamed! Leaving your Ymbryne for some bloody ice cream!" Horace shouted. Olive whimpered and turned into Bronwyn, who shot Horace a nasty glare.
Horace cleared his throat and turned back to Miss Wren. "What about Miss Peregrine?" He  asked.
"I will heal her, but I need no interruptions. Stay in here and do not wander. When the others get back tell them the same." Emma nodded and Miss Wren went swiftly up the stairs.
"Now what?" Horace asked. Bronwyn was drying off Olive's tears.
"How about we yell at the little one more? You seem to be good at that." I hissed.
"Oh back off would you?" Enoch nodded in solidarity and I started to get annoyed.
"I'm starving." Jake sighed.
"Hi starving I'm Olive!" Olive giggled and Jake laughed at the joke he taught her earlier.
"We could eat the leftovers from the menagerie." Emma suggested.
"We can't, look." Bronwyn took out the bag only for it to be a disgusting rotten mush.
"I forget that food doesn't travel too well." Emma muttered to herself.
"I can make you something." We all turned to see the snake charmer from earlier.
"You are peculiar!"
"I'm Simren." Simren held out her hand to any of us but tucked it back when she noticed our lack of manners.
"Look Samurai—"
"Simren." Her snake hissed and flicked his tongue but Enoch was unfazed.
"Like I was saying, I don't care what your name is all I know is that I'm starving and you seem to have a kitchen."
"Forget it, I'm not cooking for you."
"But I'm so hungry!" Whined Olive and I.
Her eyes melted a bit and she rolled her eyes with a smile.
"I'll cook for all of you, but him." Her snake bit towards Enoch and he scowled.
"Carful you skin worm, if she wasn't here I'd roast you myself."
She scowled and turned to the kitchen. In there was the clown and folding man.
"We meet again."

Hours later we sat in the main room with the falling darkness.
"Can we turn on a lamp?"
"Miss Wren is too afraid someone could see in."
"Oh."
Millard and Simren were arguing over The Map of Days.
"That's India now." Jake pointed out. Simren glared at him.
"Jake, let's take a walk." Jake followed Emma with puppy eyes as she fiddled with her hands.
Olive was eating her weight in ice cream with Enoch. I walked over and grabbed myself a bowl just before the sun dipped down behind the building.

3/12/21

Sorry this took so long! I've had school all week lol