An Emotional Thaw
An ice maiden is called to remember a past she buried long ago, deep within the dead of winter.
The weakened blizzard ceased to distract Kalda from agonizing over the queen's ominous summons. Returning to court terrified the ice sprite.
Why revisit a past I can't remember?
Kalda wished winter's driving snows drifted ceaselessly higher, affording places to hide forever.
Dare I continue ignoring Queen Skadi's messengers?
Uneasy, Kalda refocused on compressing the firn about her. Transforming the granular snow into ice always calmed her.
Feeling better, Kalda studied the crystalline magnificence of the glacier she herded, weighing which snowbank required attention next when she spied something amiss below.
Avalanching down for a closer look, the ice sprite found, to her dismay, people struggling across the icy expanse.
The sight of the frail, southern mortals filled the ice sprite with loathing. She couldn't recall the particulars, but Kalda knew she had suffered greatly at the hands of humankind.
Raking a claw across the ice, Kalda conjured a rimy, barbed spear.
"Such brazen disregard for the sovereignty of my queen's lands merits death!"
"Ahem. Kalda, you might want to hear the queen's latest message before slaughtering the Norse king's envoys."
Turning, Kalda discovered the queen's consort stood behind her, grinning sanctimoniously.
"Jokul Frosti. Clearly, Skadi suffers no longer my insolence if you're here, My Lord. But I'm confused. Our queen parlays with humans?"
"Indeed."
Hissing, the ice sprite shattered her spear against the glacier with a mighty throw.
"Enough, Kalda. Your queen pledges to aid the Norsemen. She's sending you south."
"Why me?"
"Kalda, it's time you remember you're human."
About the Creator
MatthewKusza
Star Wars Fan! Dungeons & Dragons Geek! Love history! Probably born a hundred years too late, I relish anything from 19th and early 20th century. View world through lens of Tolkein's mythology. Pretty simple, I write about what I love.
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Comments (2)
I did not see that coming!! I know Kalda is "frozen" in her thoughts and feelings after that humdinger of a news flash.
Nice twist at the end. Have you plans to write more of this? Also, thank you for teaching me a new word: "firn".