The blizzard stung Greda’s eyes and she tugged on her cloak. The snow crunched under her boots which were too big, taken from the bandits that had been foolish enough to try and abduct her. Her numb hands gripped the spear with its glass, pointed head. The glass was from the damned mirror, made by the devil and shattered long ago. The mirror had stolen her dear Kai, a shard had gotten into his eye and poisoned his mind. Then the witch had claimed him. Greda had found another piece of the glass and strapped it to her spear, to end her friend’s suffering with the mirror that had started it. Before Greda was a frozen lake, the surface uneven with solidified waves, polished by time. In the centre was Kai, frozen in ice, his face twisted with tortured pleading. Behind him, on an icy throne was the witch, she stood slowly. Her face was sharp, striking but not beautiful, her eternally wet hair was matted to her face, black and dripping.
“Mine” the witch hissed.
Greda’s anger was the warmest thing she had felt in an age, she ran onto the ice. The witch laughed and flung her arm outwards, sharp snowflakes shaped like bees flew towards Greda. Greda fell to her knees and heaved her cloak around her. The cloak was thick and feathered, an angel had seen Greda’s quest and given its very wings to protect her. She felt the thud of the snow-bees, hitting the cloak and shattering into dust. She sprung up and saw the delicious look of shock on the witch’s face. Greda heaved the spear, her right foot slipping slightly on the ice. The spear struck the witch’s cloak and thudded into the wall behind her. The witch writhed against the missile angrily. Greda slid and streaked along the lake until she reached Kai, throwing her arms around him.
“I’m here, I’m yours. For eternity.”
She kissed Kai’s frosty mouth and waited. Eyes closed, she felt a sudden burst of heat, droplets of water ran along her lips. It was working. Opening her eyes, Greda saw Kai, shocked, wet and glaring at her. Kai was weeping, he grunted with pain and a small piece of glass fell from his eye. Kai peered back at Greda again, he was free. The witch ripped free of her cloak and launched herself towards them. Her right-hand touched Kai’s shoulder, just as he kissed Greda. The witch recoiled and stared at her palm, now ablaze with a red flame shooting up her arm. Kai and Greda didn’t even look at the screaming witch as she turned to ash. They were safe now, filled with a warmth that no cold could extinguish.
Submitted by: Simon Lonsdale