Frost and Snow

Chapter 1

Chapter One.

The sound of footsteps somewhere close, water was dripping nearby, the ground I was sitting on was cold and something heavy held my wrists down. I had not opened my eyes yet, but I could conclude that wherever I was, it was no paradise. Even the air smelled filthy.

Memories invaded my thoughts and I remembered what had happened before I drifted off to the darkness. I was free; no longer could the Snow Witch use me for her evil plans, no longer would I have to torture and kill and no longer was I an instrument of fear and terror. And I felt like I should be happy with that, but I could not smile.

When I opened my eyes I instantly knew where I had ended up; prison. I could not blame them, having done the same thing if I was them. Years I had spent following the orders of that Witch, of course they could not trust me; they still held me responsible for what she had made me do. My hands, still the color of snow and the icy veins beneath them clearly visible, were stained with figurative blood and they always would be.

I did not want to linger on the visions of the monster that I had been. Every death I remembered and every plea for mercy I could still hear; I knew I would have to live with that knowledge from now on. My face would be connected with evil deeds, and I did not know how long it would take for people to trust me again, what I would have to do to redeem myself. A simple ‘sorry’ would not be enough.

Afraid of the images I would see when I closed my eyes I observed my surroundings more closely. For a prison cell it was spacious; the door was located on the same wall I was chained to, but I could not see what was happening behind the wood and iron bars. A table on which my armor was placed stood at the other side, they had even taken my ebon-thread clothing and I was now only dressed in a worn and rough linen robe. I was glad to see no tools of torture around.

Leaning back against the wall I focused on sounds again; other criminals walking around their cells, the clanking of chains and the soft sound the keys hanging from the guards’ belts made. Each time someone walked past my cell I held my breath, but none stopped to check on me. Whether I was glad or disappointed about that I did not know; I was afraid of what they would do with me, but I did not want to stay here either. I had a lot of wrongs to do right and I had to convince them that I was not longer in her frozen grasp, that it was not a trap.

“You deserve to die, filth.” The voice was coming from a man that leaned against the door, his back turned to me. “You should die once for every life you took.” I could hear him spit on the ground in anger.

“Tell that to the Snow Witch, it was her that made me do it.” I stood up and tried to see the man’s face, but the chains did not allow me to move that far. Out of frustration I half-heartedly tried to tear the chains from the wall and instantly regretted it as the iron cut in the skin of my wrists. Sighing I slid down the wall again, letting my arms hang limply and resting my head against the cold stone, staring at the ceiling.

“So you say, but how can we know that you tell the truth, that this is not another plan of that Witch?” The man chuckled and turned around so I could look him in the eyes. If looks could kill I would have been dead the moment I saw his eyes; there was anger in them that I did not see often. His eyes almost glowed with the emotion and instinctively I tried to back away, though I held his gaze.

“I speak the truth. Let the Court Mage read my mind if my word is not enough.” I countered his accusation and for a moment the man hesitated to talk back; he had not thought of that I guessed.

“That is true. But until then no one will trust you, I can tell you that.” He sneered, and I could tell he was beginning to get frustrated, perhaps he had not thought that I would talk back. “You will pay for this, filth. Mark my words, you. Will. Pay.” The man spat again, this time in my direction and left, his heavy footsteps echoed through the hallway and died away.