Flash Fiction #407 -- Lost in Elsewhere/17

Lord Snow was right to question why the snowmen had turned us loose so easily.  At the time, I'd only been grateful to get away and thought maybe I could settle some trouble here in the snow lands.

Now I looked at the large snow leopard with a bit of dismay. "Maybe the Snowmen thought we'd lead them to Lord Ice and make it easy for them to attack him."

"Only he, being a wise dragon, had already moved off so that his enemies didn't find him where he'd dropped."

"He won't have gone far," Maggie added.  She had Five in hand, at least.  Edmond had curled up on the hearth.  "He was still weak, and it takes some time for dragons to rebuild that kind of energy."

"The Snowmen hoped he'd be here, and we would escort them right to him," I said.  "I could be wrong -- but they gave in too quickly."

"And instead, we have brought them to Lady Lorla," Maggie replied.  "Maybe we can --"

"Whatever she had meant to say was stopped by high-pitched yells. 

The icelings were fighting a battle.  I was not going to leave it to them, either.  I started out, and Maggie moved to join me, but I shook my head.

"You have a duty to the Council, Maggie," I said with a hand on her arm.  "You may need to get Lady Lorla away from here.  Lord Snow --"

"Let's go deal with this," the snow leopard said and darted out ahead of me.  I was surprised to see Edmond do the same, but he stopped and turned back.

"Five -- you keep Maggie safe!" he shouted above the growing noise.  Then he darted away.

I followed, hoping that Maggie kept hold of Five and that they both stayed with Lady Lorla.  The fae lady must have powers of her own, but I thought it wiser to leave Maggie to help there.  Since my cousin didn't argue, she must have felt the same way.  I didn't think she was happy about it, though.

As I came out of the warm cavern, I was not surprised to see Icelings and Snowmen in combat.  What did surprise me was that the Snowmen were not alone.  I had never seen these creatures before moving with them, thin and long-legged with a fine gray pelt.  I couldn't tell if they were intelligent or not --

"Oh damn," Lord Snow hissed.  Really hissed.  "Griblics!"

Those creatures all seemed to turn our way at once.  Even the Snowmen stopped -- but for a different reason.  They melted away to show even more Griblics beneath the snow.

"Icelings, scatter!" Lord Snow shouted as he charged straight toward the Griblics.

I followed at a slightly slower run and not feeling in the least bit as tired as I had been a few minutes ago when we walked down this street.  I was mad, too.  All I had wanted was a few minutes to sit and think, maybe eat a little food.  Sleep would be really nice again, but I tried not to count on that happening anymore.

Lord Snow had leapt into a mass of Griblics, and I think several died in short order.  I was not used to him being so bloodthirsty, but it did tell me that these were not creatures to take for granted.  I slowed down, trying to decide what I could even do.

"I'll keep watch from above," Edmond yelled.  Wise, getting off the ground.  I wished I had Maggie's wings right then.  I didn't even have a weapon until an Iceling handed me a sword. 

The sword was made of ice, which stung my palm and numbed my fingers, but I was grateful for any protection.  A Griblic had just started leaping at me, but the sword cut through -- and froze -- the creature in mid-leap.  It fell and shattered.

Good sword.

We fought, though not for long.  The Griblics pulled back into ragged lines of ten across and four deep.  I glanced over my shoulder; the Icelings had lined up as well.

I shifted the sword to my other hand and moved the aching fingers of my right hand.  If there had been another sword around, one that wasn't made of ice, I might have taken it up, even though this one had spectacular results.  At least I'd learned a few basics of wielding a sword from my father.

Trouble in the Council, I remembered.  He might be in danger, too.

Edmond swooped down and grabbed at my shoulder, nearly pulling me off balance as he landed.  The Griblics had started to move, but I didn't go down, and they stopped moving forward.

Edmond leaned close to my ear, his whiskers tickling my neck --

"Maggie got the lady out," he whispered.  "The Icelings made another door for them.  We need to hold here and give them a chance."

I nodded.  Edmond launched off of my shoulder and landed on Lord Snow, who grunted in surprise.

"How can anything that small weigh so much?" he demanded.  I glanced over to see Edmond repeating the news to Lord Snow.  The larger cat glanced my way.  We both understood.

I wasn't sure what the Icelings would do.  I hoped they mostly stayed back and looked menacing for now.  Since I had no idea what Snow and I would do, I just didn't want them to get in the way.

While I was deciding what to do, the Griblics took the choice out of our hands.  Someone pushed his way forward.  Unlike the others, he wore chains and pelts, and he stood a good head taller when he straightened.

"Griblic king," Lord Snow said, his ears laid back.  "Take to the air, Edmond.  Be damned careful."

I could hear the Icelings growing restless behind us.  No one appeared to like that the Griblic king was here.  I took that seriously and shifted the ice sword back to my right hand.  The Griblic King snarled.  Then they attacked.