Frost Bite

Chapter 5: Where nobody has gone

I wake up to the bright sun in my eyes. I am sleeping next to Jack on the floor. He is awake too. He looks as if he hasn't slept in ages.

"Finally up sleepyhead?" He squeezes my shoulder.

"mhm..." I say rubbing my eyes.

"The clouds hovered over us a while and then left. Nothing seems damaged." He looked at the ceiling.

"It was probably a warning..." I sat up.

"Eh...don't worry too much." He reassured me.

"We should keep training, in case he comes back." I said. He nodded in agreement. I walked outside and saw a note taped to the door.

Dear Princess Elsa,

Your shadow warned me of your previous doings, but as I am feeling merciful I have decided to spare you of death and take you little sister instead. If you wish to see her before I kill her go where no man has gone and return yourself to me. I will be waiting inside the crows mouth 3 days for you my flower.

Cordially,

Oscuro

I stood there gawking at the note. Jack comes up behind me.

"Okay if we-what's wrong?" He turns so he can see the warm tears roll down my face.

"I-I have to go..." I whispered.

"Where?"

"Where no man has gone before." I hand Jack the note.

"Oscuro has Anna..." Jack hands me back the note walks inside and comes out with his staff. "Lets go..."

"No...I refuse to see you hurt..." I walk away.

"Like it or not I'm coming..."

"If you must.." I shake my head. Honestly I am quite relieved ti have the help but I don't want to put him in any danger. We sit on the ladder as we study the note.

"Oscuro and his riddles..." Jack rubs his temples. "What exactly did it say?"

"Go where no man has gone. I will be waiting in the crows mouth for you." I say staring at the horizon.

"I was never great with riddles..." Jack pauses. "But I know someone who is...c'mon lets go." Jack puts out his hand. I stuff the letter into a pack and take it. He flies into the air and towards the city. The cold fog scraping my cheeks as I clutch onto him letting him drag me along. The city is far down but Jack seems to know where he is going. He plunges to the ground being careful not to let go of me. When he lands he lets me down in front of a small shack.

"Where are we?" I ask.

"This shop is home to an old friend of mine Terrance...he calls himself a 'patron of the arts'. I call him a con artist. But if theres one thing he's good at its riddles." Jack stares at the misshapen roof.

"Then what are we waiting for?" I shudder. He nods. He opens the stained glass door where a wave of heat flows past me. Oddly making me shiver. The walls and floor are a rickety looking wood. I fire roars inside a brick fireplace. Odd machines and sculptures line the walls each with a price tag. A bearskin rug sits near the fireplace with a few pillows and a small shelf of books.

"Terrance..." Jack calls. Nobody answers. "It's me...Jack!" He calls again.

"Jack?" A gruff voice comes from underneath a counter. A mans head slowly rises. He has a shaggy beard and a cap on his head with round spectacles.

"Oh I see someone's expecting company..." Jack narrows his eyes.

"What do you want Jack..." The man snaps.

"We have a riddle for you..."

"A riddle...bring it here..." The man steps out from behind the counter smiling so that I can see his crooked yellow teeth. I pull out the note and hand it to him. He reads over it.

"Y-your the princess?"

"Nevermind that...where do I need to go."

"One moment." He rushes back into the counter and pulls out a map.

"It's simple really where no man has gone before is really just to say where neither of you can go. The mouth a volcano...it just so happens that due west is a volcano called Crow's Peak. Therefore the mouth of the volcano is the mouth of the crow!" He says running his fingers along the parchment. He looks at Jack with a pompous grin.

"Thank you Terrance." Jack smirks and ushers me out.

"Well never let it be said that Oscuro wasn't smart." Jack shakes his head as we walk along the wooded path.

"Well now I know where we need to go..." I said pointing to the west.

"Are you sure you want to do this? It's a big possibility that he is lying. Anna might still be at the castle..." Jack says.

"I don't care because even if there's a slight possibility my sisters in danger then I'm going..." I feel water swell up in my eyes.

"Then that's where I'm going." Jack puts an arm around me. I wearily smile at his kindness. Jack looks up at the sky and then at me. "Your tired and it's late...lets camp for the night." I nod. I don't really have the energy to say anything.