The Five [EDITING]

Chapter Two: Waiting (Part One)

ALIENA

The warmth of my father's castle at the west edge of the White City barely touched my skin before I was pulling on a robe and heading out into the hall in search of my family. "Aliena!" Nania called after me. "Aliena, you should soak in the hotsprings first to get the chill off your skin."

"I need to tell them about the vision."

"It can wait long enough for you to warm yourself, surly."

"No." I said. "It can't."

The ride home on the sleigh --- such a short trip on our way out --- had taken forever on our return. I had woken in the night hearing the storm flow around our shelter and went into a near panic with the need to return. I was unable to be sure on why, but I felt we were running out of time.

Against Nania's protests, we left the shelter where it was and instructed the dogs to return us home safely. Finally, we had arrived in the early morn, only to find the gates of the city blocked by several feet of snow. It took nearly two hours to be lifted by a pully into the city, and all morning to manoeuvre through the high snowdrifts in the streets to reach the castle. Now, it was nearing supper and the sense of urgency to run, run, run was still strong.

"Jenna!" I caught sight of the laundry maid. She stopped and turned with a smile as I approached.

"You've returned early, Princess."

"Do you know where my family is?"

She lost her smile to concern but answered. "I'm not sure of Queen Liana, but King Aaryn is helping thaw the city streets I believe."

"My brother then?"

"Prince Aaren is with the animals below. The cubs, last I checked."

"Thank you, Jenna." I said with feeling and headed toward the back staircase, tugging the robe more tightly around me as I moved further away from the center of the castle where the hotsprings heated it through stem vents. Nania, silently following behind me, handed me her gloves but I pushed them back at her gently with a smile and tucked my still-icy fingers under my arms to warm them faster.

The narrow stone staircase was not at all grand but was well used (though admittedly, mostly to the servants) it led deep into the castle but was brightly lit with mirrors in tunnels that ran through the walls all the way to the very tops of the towers. It was dark now though, lit only by fire --- the snow had clearly covered the mirrors again and no one had yet to clean them off.

Still, I was easily able to find my brother among the animals that were separated by bars made of ice or iron, depending on the creature. It was cold in here, but not windy and so therefore, it was bearable. I passed the snowbear cubs and found Aaren with the pinguines instead. He was walking among the waddling birds in their black and white suits with a pail of fish in his hands.

I watched a moment despite the urgency, near expecting the birds to attempt stealing the bucket for themselves. My brother laughed as one of the fuzzy pups tripped over himself to reach the food he couldn't yet eat whole anyway. Aaren tossed a fish right to the pups' webbed feet for him and the pup started swatting at it with a wing, not knowing what else to do with it now that he had what he'd wanted. An adult stole it from him before he could figure it out.

Despite our age difference, my brother and I could actually be mistaken for twins. At fifteen winters, I was tall for a girl and so nearly as tall as he was at twenty-six. We both had the same raven-black hair and pale skin --- common features among the Nascians. However, we also shared our mothers fine cheekbones and our fathers strong jaw, giving my brother a kind, handsome look while at the same time making me look perminately subborn. The only obvious difference in us was our eye colour; his with the same light brown as our fathers, while mine were instead a bright silver, apparently a feature my fathers' grandmother had, which many found unnerving. My eye colour further pushed the foolish rumors that I was gifted with a spirit inside me.