A Gift of Ice and Snow; Prologue

The forest is quiet and still as the two fae creep along. The male and female both carry bows, but neither have them strung. The quiet is not a bother to them. When the silence is broken, they share a glance, both moving to ready their bows, prepared for anything that might be coming through the forest towards them. While they were in their territory, it did border human lands.

The female inhales deeply, but the wind blows the wrong way for her to scent what's coming. She slowly edges away from the man, eyes searching the dark between the trees. When she finds the source of the noise, she blinks in surprise, bow lowering.

A human child dashes blindly through the trees, more focused on watching where she had come from than where she was going. The female holds her ground, prepared to let the child crash into her, yet it never happens. The girl's foot catches a root and she goes tumbling to the ground before the female in an ungrateful heap.

Despite the fall that must have hurt and her trembling arms, the girl is quick to push herself up. When her eyes land on the fae before her, they grew impossibly wider. She's frozen in place as the female studies her.

What a mess the child is. The hem of her dress is coated in mud, with rips and tears all over it. Considering the frazzled state of her hair, it was doubtful this had been her first fall. The cut on her cheek is oozing fresh blood, most likely from this fall. The only clean space on her face are the twin streaks stretching down her cheek from her eyes. Considering how bright her gray eyes are, she's no doubt on the verge of crying again.

Pity touches the female's eyes as she unstrings her bow, stepping towards the child. The male issues a warning, eyes still locked on the source of the still coming commotion as the child finally moves to scramble away from the female. She's not faster than the female though. The female pulls the child to her as she lowers herself to her knees.

"What are you doing?" The male hisses in the fae's language.

The girl's eyes flick between the male and female, terrified and unsure.

"What is your name?" The female asks gently in the human tongue.

The girl blinks in surprise as wariness creeps into her eyes. "A- Aspen."

"Why are you running through the forest?"

"They. . . they killed my mother. She told me to run." Aspen's gaze falls to the forest floor.

The female looks to the male. He's looked away from the noise, bow lowered, watching the girl with a look of pity.

The pursuers come into view then. Men holding torches and brandishing tools as weapons appear between the trees. They come to a stop, though whether their surprise is from seeing the two fae or the girl they were chasing being held by one of them is unclear.

The male gives them no time to recover, bow coming up, arrow primed for firing. The female doesn't move, holding tight to the child's arm.

One of the men steps forward. He points to the girl, "The child," he motions back to himself, "Give her to us."

"Why should I?" The female demands, fighting the urge to tighten her grip on the child's arm.

The man blinks in surprise at hearing her speak their language so easily. "These matters don't concern your kind."

"They do when it brings you on our land," the male spits at him.

"That girl is a witch. She'll kill us if we don't kill her first."

The female reacts at his words, wrapping her arms around Aspen, tucking the child against herself. Baring her teeth, she growls at the men. "Get off our land."

"Give us the witch."

"I have claimed this child as my own. So, unless you want to fight, you should watch how you speak of her and you will leave without another word."

The man takes a step forward, opening his mouth to protest. An arrow flies by his face, leaving a bleeding gash along his cheek.

"Consider that your last warning," the male growls.

The rest of the men need no further motivation, turning and fleeing. Their leader lingers a moment longer, shooting a venomous glare at the child before turning and stalking off after the rest of the men.

The female doesn't move, keeping the child tucked safely against herself as she watches the man disappear into the forest. It's not until even the sounds of their passing have faded that the male sighs.

"Do you really plan on keeping the child?" He asks the female, sounding slightly exasperated.

The female flicks her eyes to him, expression hard. "You won't change my mind."

"I support you completely, but your father will probably be less than pleased," he points out as he kneels beside the female.

The girl presses herself further against the female. The male just smiles gently at her.

"Hello, Aspen," he says just as gently, offing the child a hand. "My name is Heimdall."

The child remains still in the female's arms for a moment before slowly reaching out to take the male's hand.

"My word, your hand is freezing! You must be cold."

Releasing the child's hand, he pulls his quiver free, undoing the clasp of his cloak. The female releases the child as the male holds his cloak up.

"Here, this will keep you warm." The male waits until the child steps closer to wrap the cloak tightly around her shoulders. "From now on, Eda and I will protect you."

The male finally looks up from the child to find the female watching him in surprise.

"Any child you claim as your own, I claim as my own," he tells her firmly, rising from the ground. He looks back to the child, a warm smile in place. "Come now," he says holding a hand out to the child. "You must be tired. Let's get you out of the forest." "

The male finally looks up from the child to find the female watching him in surprise.

"Any child you claim as your own, I claim as my own," he tells her firmly, rising from the ground. He looks back to the child, a warm smile in place. "Come now," he says holding a hand out to the child. "You must be tired. Let's get you out of the forest."