CRUNCH! CRUNCH!
"Haa! Haa!"
Snow clawed at his lungs as his boots sunk heavy.
He was running, no direction in mind....just as far as he could.
WOOOOH!
The castle's visage grew faint behind.
CRUNCH! CRUNCH!
He didn't dare stop yet.
Riven's grip on the girl was tight, survival the only objective in mind.
CRUNCH! CRUNCH!
Through the cold smoke and pale sky, his dark silhouette raced, as his breath drew clouds.
The princess's breath joined him, although faint, as they painted the air.
His sword still dripped blood, steam rising as it hissed in the snow; a fact he knew all too well.
The gargling of blood....
The slump of a limp corpse.
The sounds replayed.
WOOOOHHH!!!
It lived in his mind even still....even as a '...monster', had pushed him to escape.
CRUNCH! CRUNCH!
"Haa! Haa!"
He pushed faster, stamping into the white mass with full effort, even as his legs grew numb.
He dared not look back.
If he did....he'd see those ember slits staring back.
Cough! Cough!
Those violent roars cascaded the frost-ridden air, echoing across its plains.
The cold was catching up in his escape.
"Haa! Ha-!"
His feet stumbled upon a missing footing.
The ground dropped as his stomach churned.
A slide of snow.
And further in front?
A bridge below.
Ropes groaning against the push of gale, the wood planks black with ice, sagging into an abyss below.
Snow whipped across, echoing the same scenery across the path.
The gap between stretched....
It seemed the ice had torn the planet apart.
He skidded to a halt.
"Haa...haaa"
His chest heaved.
The girl lay limp, face drained of colour, lashes heavy against her cheek.
She was still wrapped in blankets.....but seemed worse for wear.
He stared across, as his chest rose and fell.
WOOOOHHH!
Crunch.
....Behind him-
A step?
The sound echoed keen against the wind.
Too close.
Every hair on his neck stood if not already....
He stared wide eyed, behind.
The bridge loomed ahead, its ropes thrashing violently. Each board clattered like bones.
CLICK! CLICK!
Crunch.
The sound followed.
Closer.
Or was it only his heartbeat?
Riven's grip on the girl tightened until she stirred, weak breaths brushing his neck.
He didn't want to find out...
CRUNCH! SWIISSHH!
He jumped down, travelling down the slide of snow and frost.
"Haa!"
He sprinted towards the bridge.
The whole span turned.
Ropes screaming.
Snow spitting sideways.
A wall of white swallowed both ends of the crossing.
WOOOHHH!
CREAK!
One wrong step....and they'd vanish into the abyss below.
Hesitation....and whatever haunted his heels would have them.
CREAK!
His legs moved, each plank shuddering beneath his boots.
Each step was a prayer.
WOOOOHHH!
Each gust of wind, a shove closer towards death.
And still--
Creak.
That echo.
A second set of steps?
Or the wind, laughing at his psychosis?
CREAK!
He stumbled forward....boots slipping on the frost-covered wood, until stone loomed ahead, in another white expanse.
CRUNCH! PUFF!
His body fell onto snow, leaving streaks of red across the pale cover.
The princess lay beside, still breathing, faint clouds escaping.
Silence.
Since he fled....it was the first time silence pressed in, with his body laid upon snow
WOOOOHH!
But the wind howled again.
A moan cutting through mountains.
He dragged himself up, vision swaying as he cradled her.
"Haaa!!"
His lungs burned.
It was becoming difficult to respire.
And through the fog, it was difficult to scan.
But his eyes landed upon stone.
Jagged and black.
The hollow of a cave mouth yawning open to the side.
CRUNCH!
He moved.
One step.
Then another.
He didn't stop till shadow swallowed them whole.
Drip. Drip.
The air was damp, heavy with the smell of rock.
He pressed deeper until stone closed around the cold.
The gale dulled to a faint moan outside, leaving only the drip, drip of water from cracks above.
The walls gleamed with frost, ridges of rocks in corners portraying like teeth.
Shadows twisted at the edges of his vision.
Exhaustion.
"Haaa...."
His breath rasped.
The girl's head still lolled against his chest, pale, unmoving....but evoking slight warmth.
A positive.
One that sent slight relief...despite the tremor in his arms.
Drip. Drip. Drip.
He sank down against the cold wall.
Stone biting his spine.
His body screamed rest.
Carefully, he lowered the princess to the dry, stone floor; her blanketed form, sinking slowly.
Her hair spread across, skin faint against the dim icy glow.
"....haa...."
He stared, chest heaving.
Mael's Fang was still in his grip.
The blood had dried as it stared back at him.
Slow silence came.
Drip.
Broken only by drips, and the hammer of his pulse.
All of which eased.
Outside, the wind howled ever present....but here, for the first time he let his head fall back.
Tomorrow, she would wake.
His fingers loosened, hands cold as the stone around him, white from the harsh grip.
The cold iron rested across his lap, gleaming faintly.
His eyes burned, but he forced them open.
Drip. Drip. Drip.
Those ember slits came to mind....
Burning in the dark.
He forced himself not to look toward the cave's mouth.
Not tonight.