In the Midst of Chaos

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

It was only after the blizzard began that Melora realized she was not dressed to be outside in the snow. She didn't normally feel the cold, since she was brought up in it, but even she was containing shivering within her small body.

Her clothing was the same as what she'd worn every day before – a long sleeved, pale blue dress that finished just above her ankles. The white flowers decorating the bottom of the dress matched nicely to the lace coating the neckline.

Surprisingly, it wasn't a bad dress, considering she was forced to wear it by her captor. In fact, it suited her undernourished frame given to her from her years of imprisonment.

The wind and snow pelting down on her body didn't bother Melora. Yes, she was colder than she normally would've been, but it was nothing she couldn't handle. She'd endured Elavier for fifteen years of her life, surely a storm wasn't too unbearable.

She crossed her arms over her chest to conserve body heat and stubbornly pressed through the blizzard. Nothing was going to get in her way of getting as far from the Winter castle as she possibly could, not if she could help it.

Blue sparkled wings flitted before Melora's eyes in a frazzled state, leading Melora to reach out and grasp the object gingerly in her hands. Upon peaking between the gaps in her hold, she discovered the ice butterfly resting on her palm in a somewhat calm manner.

"What were you thinking?" she inquired, letting a stern expression rest on her face. "You shouldn't have let go of my hair. You were safe there, but in this wind, you could blow away."

The butterfly seemed to ignore her comment. "Oh, come on, you're much more delicate than you give yourself credit for. Don't worry, I'll find us some shelter until the storm passes. However long that may be," she added the last bit to herself, not realising that the unusual creature in her hand was ingesting ever words that came out of her mouth.

With one hand, Melora covered the creature to her chest. The other, was in front of her, trying to block out some of the wind and snow blowing in her face as she pushed herself to find a place to dwell.

The wind was much stronger than it had been when she'd first left the castle, and Melora was struggling to keep her feet on the ground. The ice in the air pushed her around and into a cliff face. In the side, a small hole, big enough for only one or two people to fit in, indented in the rock.

"I found something," she yelled over the wind, climbing in to the little space and letting the butterfly out of her hand. "We can stay here for a while."

She curled herself into a ball, letting out an involuntary shiver before adjusting to the cold climate surrounding her. It took her a moment to realise that the butterfly had moved to the edge of the small hiding space.

"You're a little too adventurous for your own good, aren't you?"

Its wings shimmered as it flew back toward Melora. "You don't have a name yet, do you? I'm going to call you Cinna." It seemed to agree, judging by the sudden movement of what appeared to be a joyful dance.

"Okay, Cinna, I'm tired and would appreciate some rest. You can go to sleep too, and we can continue our journey in the morning," Melora started, whipping her head around. What she found astonished her, or rather, what she didn't find astonished her. "Cinna!" she yelled, but it was no use.

Cinna was gone.

Ignoring the blizzard, Melora leapt out from her safe place, searching for her new friend. With the wind and ice, Melora was hindered in her search for the butterfly.