The Cold Empress

Chapter 2: Sorcier

"How can I know who I am, until I find out who I was?" 

-Jack Frost; Rise of the Guardians

DISCLAIMER: *sobs, breaks down, cries*

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THE COLD EMPRESS

CHAPTER 2: SORCIER

"Weird." That was the only word she, a seven-year-old girl could use to describe them. Them, gnawing and reaching at her through the metal fence with glassy, dust-like eyes and mashed up rotting skin.

These creatures were called 'Wendigos'. They were demonic half-beasts who indulged in human flesh; and with four, ghastly, bony claw-like hands and sharp talons for feet, they could tear up anything, much less anyone within milliseconds. The Wendigo nearest to the child bared its blood-stained fangs, the grey skin stretching over their apparent skeleton structures. They were well-known in the kingdom of Arendelle, but the child had only heard stories of the demons and personally facing them brought on a tinge of slight curiosity and excitement.

There was no sunlight or warmth from the sky. It was another cold, wintry day in Arendelle, but the royal castle has not yet provided the children with big, warm, fluffy coats; or so she had been hoping for.

'I wonder what human flesh tastes like to Wendigos.' Her mind was whirring with different questions and filled with the curios insights of a child. 'If only they were able to talk.' She sighed, staring harder at white web-covered pupils. 'Curiosity killed the cat' was the saying, so as she continued to examine their features with great fascination, she failed to notice the single, creeping claw that was barely hooking onto the hem of her dress.

A pristine, white snowball suddenly shot through the air, barely passing the blonde-haired girl and hitting the fence, making the Wendigo withdraw its claw but further energizing them. She blinked in surprise as she slowly stepped back and looked behind to see someone running towards her. She stared at the figure; it was a boy, the boy with peculiar white hair and sporting an expression of annoyance and obvious distaste.

"Do you have a death wish, blondie?" he asked, hastily grabbing hold of her arm and roughly pulling her further away from the fence.

"I wasn't in trouble." She half-heartedly muttered, suddenly gaining newfound interest in the dirty cuffs of her dress.

He stopped; suddenly facing her with full seriousness. She slightly tilted her head in question; why was he so serious? Now that she noticed, the other children with them were all looking rather depressed; some of them with noticeable blood-shot eyes. Was something wrong? She asked herself.

Even when they were first brought into the castle and been given shelter in the dark, dirty stone-walled rooms, the boy with the white hair had never talked much less spared a glance at her.

The golden-haired child's thoughts suddenly shifted; how was her mother and father doing back home? Why didn't they come to visit her in the castle? Weren't they missing her? She clearly remembered the words her mother told her before letting the weird, scary-looking men take her.

"Be good, Rapunzel. They're not going to hurt you. Just follow the nice guards of his majesty. You are going to be protected in the royal castle for now; where the beasts outside the barriers won't reach you."

She was still staring at the white-haired boy, who tiredly ran a hand through his hair.

"Do you know where you are, blondie?" he asked once more.