Frozen 3

Chapter 88

Honeymaren

I did not dare to move forward as I was impressed. The buildings were very high, much higher than the trees, I had never seen such a thing. Besides, the few plants there were locked in iron cages for no apparent reason. The houses were all covered with stone, which surprised me just as much. I am not sure that the spirits of the earth would appreciate being challenged in this way... I was frozen in the spot and was unable to make the reindeer I had mounted take another step. There was nothing familiar in front of me. Everything frightened me, pushing me to stay at the edge of the thin forest that covered the side of the mountain that I had just descended, the only element in which I still felt in my place. My reindeer took a few steps back, visibly frightened, too. I took a deep breath and gave him a little kick. He refused to obey me. To encourage him, I gently stroked his neck. He shook his head in sign of discontent but finally moved forward. When his hooves first trampled the ground covered with smooth stones and dovetails, he made a gap on the side and almost made me fall.

"Hey, easy..." I whispered to him as calmly as I could.

No matter how hard I chased him to restart, he categorically refused to take another step. I sighed with exasperation, dropping my head back.

"That's not true... " I mumbled.

I had to get off the reindeer and continue on foot, dragging it with difficulty behind me. The irregular and hesitant lapping of his hooves on the ground was the only noise that disturbed the strange silence in which the kingdom was plunged. I found it more and more disturbing that we didn't meet anyone, and yet, I had the impression to feel a multitude of looks placed on us. I looked up and glanced at the dwellings. The shutters which had hitherto seemed closed because of the sun were now half-open. I felt more and more uneasy and, in an attempt to counter the unpleasant sensations that were invading me, I tried to focus all my attention on the huge towers with pointed arrows that rose in front of me. The castle, I thought. It looked beautiful, sparkling under the late afternoon sun. It was there that I had to go, but the houses glued to each other gave me the road. I soon arrived at a small crossroads, which could go either left or right, while the palace was in front of me, behind a row of houses. I hesitated for several minutes, not knowing what I had to do to access it. As I was about to take the street to the right, I heard footsteps approaching behind me. Pretending not to have noticed anything, I engaged myself, remaining on my guard. As I moved forward, I listened attentively to what was happening behind my back, trying to ignore the clicking of the reindeer's hooves. Something worried me then: with each stride I made, I had the impression that the person behind me multiplied, that his steps became more and more numerous and more noisy. She was not alone, there were several of them. They were going at the same pace as me and seemed to be following me. I had to make sure. I then saw a small alley on the left and took it, seeing an opportunity to win the castle faster. As I had just walked the first few meters, I noticed that there was not a single noise behind me. Relieved, I released the pressure that had seized my body and continued my progress more serenely. You must stop imagining the worst Honeyma... A man suddenly appeared at the end of the alley, brutally pulling me from my thoughts. I gave him a worried look. He seemed frozen, blocking the passage of the entire width of his body. I slowed down, but refused to stop. I didn't have to show her I was scared. A whole group of people then appeared, joining the man and preventing me definitively from passing. I stopped abruptly and felt the head of the reindeer bump in surprise against the back of my shoulder. They all stared at me, men and women, and none of their looks inspired confidence in me. Without letting go of their eyes, I gently felt the sides of the animal where I had hung my few luggage. I felt a long piece of wood between two bags and grabbed it discreetly.

"Let go of it," said the man I saw first.

Seeing that I did not obey him, he repeated:

"Drop it. You're not in a position of strength, you can't do anything."