Gloria curled up in her coat and shivered. She could see her breath curling from her mouth into the air. Is it getting colder? She wondered.

She looked up at the night’s sky. It was clear, and the spring stars twinkled brightly and shimmered their light upon the snow. Gloria felt uneasy – The contradictions hurt her mind.

“Pars Dolo.” Gloria heard Seth mutter. She looked down from the stars to a brilliant campfire. Seth wiped his brow and smiled with pride. “There we go!”

“Woah! That’s so cool!” Elias beamed. “Can you teach me how to do that?”

“No!” Seth answered with a frown. “I’m not starting you off with fire!”

Gloria giggled a bit as Elias sat back with a little pout. “It’d be cool though,” he muttered.

They were a day away from Westfjord now. Seth will probably insist on information at this point. Gloria thought rubbing her arms. Elias has stalled long enough.

Gloria shivered again and she scooched closer to the fire. She put her hands out to warm them. It is getting colder, she thought.

Seth untied his coat from around his neck and handed it to Gloria. “Here,” he said, “take my coat, you’ll be warmer.”

Gloria took the coat and gratefully wrapped herself up in it. It was still warm from where it hugged Seth’s body. She couldn’t help but blush a little at the thought.

“Alright!” Seth opened his bag and rummaged through it. “What do we have for dinner? Looks like dried goat and…oh look!” Seth pulled out another cloth wrapped package. “More dried goat,” he added with a joking smile.

Gloria giggled while Seth dug around the bag some more. “Wait, wait, wait!” he cried. “I think I feel one more apple.” Seth fished out the apple and put it in between him, Gloria, and Elias.

Elias dug through his bag. “Hmm,” he said peering into the opening. “I’ve got salted pork, cheese, and chocolate.”

“Chocolate?” Gloria looked on in curiosity, while Seth perked up.

Elias, surprised by the reaction, defensively held back a paper-wrapped rectangle. “Yes?” he said, eyeing Gloria and Seth suspiciously.

“What is it?” Gloria asked, trying to peer at the rectangle.

“You’ve never had chocolate?” Seth cried incredulously. Even Elias’s mouth dropped open.

Now Gloria felt defensive. She shook her head sheepishly. “I might’ve heard of it,” she lied. “But I’ve never had it.”

Gloria saw Seth give Elias a pleading look. “You’ve got to let her have some!” he said. “She doesn’t know what she’s missing.”

Elias nodded and unwrapped the package. Inside was a dark brown rectangle. He broke off a small piece from the corner and handed it to Gloria. “Try it!” he urged. “It’s so good.”

Gloria took the piece and looked it over. The edges were jagged and melted a bit in her fingers. Gloria looked up at Seth and Elias who both leaned forward to watch her.

Nervously, Gloria lifted the chocolate piece to her mouth and nibbled at it. It was bitter, but there was a smoothness to it that caught Gloria’s attention. She took another bite, bigger this time, then she blinked and looked up at Seth and Elias with wonder. “This is so good!” She cried. The boys beamed at her and each other.

“Where did you get this?” Gloria asked, now savoring the little bite she had left.

Elias broke off a piece for Seth and himself. “Westfjord gets some traders who come as far south as Quenya Tower. Sometimes they bring things like chocolate from the Rocoa Islands nearby. I saved six months of allowance for this bar. It’s been worth every copper piece so far.” Then Elias took a nibble of his own piece and sighed in contentment.

Gloria looked over and watched Seth nibble on his piece. His eyes glistened in the fire light as he ate. He sighed and Gloria sensed a bittersweet memory go through his mind.

Gloria licked her fingers. “That was good,” she said. “But I think we’re going to need more than just chocolate for dinner. Want me to divvy up the food?”

“You don’t need to do that,” Seth answered.

“It’s alright,” Gloria smiled. “You built the fire. Let me help and do something.”

Seth waved her off. “It wasn’t that hard.”

“Well, neither is serving dinner,” Gloria said taking the pile of food away from Seth. He began to protest, but Gloria interrupted him. “While I prepare dinner, you and Elias could talk.”

From the corner of her eye, Gloria saw Elias choke on a piece of chocolate and have a coughing fit. He grabbed his water skin and took a drink.

Seth put a hand to his chin. “That is an idea.” Then he nodded at Gloria. “Alright, I accept this trade.”

Gloria beamed at Seth and set about preparing dinner. Seth, meanwhile, folded his arms and looked at Elias. “Alright kid,” he said, “you’ve gotten a ways away from Westfjord now. So, tell us – Who is The Lady of The Mountain and how do we defeat her?”

Seth watched Elias settle himself down. He took another sip of his water and looked from Seth to Gloria. “Right,” he grimaced, “I did promise I would tell you.”

Seth felt The Lady stir within him. She was still distant, but she watched with eager anticipation. Seth was uneasy. What are you expecting? He wondered.

Elias rubbed his hands together and let out an anxious breath. “Alright,” he began, “Like Gloria, most people in the Fjord Plains think The Lady is a myth. The embodiment of winter; not a real being to be feared. But, as we’ve all discovered, she’s very real.”

Seth nodded. “So we’ve realized, but who is she?”

“Well sir-”

“Seth,” Seth corrected.

Elias grimaced and closed his eyes. “Sorry sir, I mean Seth.” He sighed and continued his story. “No one knows her true name. I scoured the oldest tomes the monastery has, and I couldn’t find any name other than The Lady. I did, however, find copies of a few accounts from when she reigned several thousand years ago.”

Seth found himself leaning forward and noticed Gloria doing the same. They locked eyes for a moment then anxiously looked back at Elias.

“The Lady,” Elias said clasping his hands together, “was once an angel of light, the protector of the Fjord Plains. The stories I gathered from the townsfolk say that she was the most beautiful of all of Crim’s angels and he chose her to watch over the Fjord Plains and protect them from cruel winters the mountains brought and for a long time, she did.

“But…” Elias shuddered. “Over time, the people of the Fjord Plains forgot Crim, and they began to worship The Lady instead.” Elias shook his head. “She loved the praise and worship – I guess the power was intoxicating.”

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Seth furrowed his brows. “I’m not sure I understand how this second winter fits into this.”

Elias’s eyes shook. “She toyed with the people of the Fjord Plains! She demanded prayers, fasting, a temple, and even human sacrifice. If she didn’t get what she wanted…” Elias swallowed and shook his head.

Within him, Seth felt The Lady slowly smile as though she was reminiscing on times long past. Those were wonderful times, she purred. Seth shuddered.

“What happened next?” Gloria asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

“She ruled for years,” Elias answered. “Decades! Her cruelty grew more and more twisted, until there was a cry to Crim for him to save them and he did. He sent them a champion – the founder of my order: Sir Theopolis.”

Seth noticed Elias’s eyes sparkle. “He chastised the people for their abandonment of Crim,” Elias continued, “and encouraged them to return to him and abandon all worship of The Lady. Most listened, but The Lady was not about to let her power be taken. She stole summer and threw the land into a second winter, much like this one, but worse.”

Seth’s eyes widened. “Worse? How was it worse?”

Elias’s grey eyes met Seth’s. “Blizzards that would rage for days, snow drifts so deep they would drown a man, hail shards that would pierce flesh…” Elias trailed off and Seth could see images of the horror playing across the boy’s eyes. “Many people of the Fjord Plains died…” Elias whispered.

“Oh Crim…” Gloria breathed.

The Lady gave a little chuckle and a sigh. Soon… She crooned. Those stories will be nothing compared to what I have in store for this time.

Seth’s face paled and he swallowed. “How…was she defeated?” Seth asked, trying to ignore her.

Elias shook himself from his trance and met Seth’s eyes again. “Sir Theopolis traveled to her temple within the Stonerun Mountains and fought with her. It was a hard battle, but even with all his power, Sir Theopolis couldn’t destroy her; She was too powerful. He was, however, able to seal her in the mountains. But not forever…”

Here Elias paused and looked at Seth’s arm where his scars hid. Within him, Seth felt The Lady raise her head and give him a malicious smirk. He looked down at his wrapped arm and trembled. If she was too powerful for him... he thought, then what chance do I…? He trailed off.

“Go on…” Seth urged in a trembling whisper.

“There was a prophecy sir,” Elias answered, his voice was low and grave:

“When The Lady gives life for death

And grants the murdered back his breath

Her frozen heart shall beat again

And winter’s bite her sweet revenge”

The terrible words hung like a noose around Seth’s neck. He felt his blood drain from his face and heard Gloria gasp. He stole a glance at her; her face was pale, and her hands shook.

Seth dropped his head into his hands. “What have I done?” He cried. The Lady’s tinkling laughter roared in his ears. “I’ve damned them all!”

Elias raised his hands. “Wait! Let me finish the story! I have good news.”

Seth’s eyes snapped up to Elias, “Good news?” he cried. “How could you possibly have good news after that?”

Gloria came around and put her hand on Seth’s shoulder. “Let him finish,” she said. “I’ve got a good feeling about this.” Seth whipped his head towards Gloria and opened his mouth, but Gloria squeezed his shoulder. “Trust me,” she said, despite her own eyes quivering in fear.

Seth clasped his hands together and nodded Elias on. “Go ahead,” he said.

The boy’s grim face grew brighter until only a smile remained. “Legend says that her lifeforce is tied to her frozen heart – The only part of her that survived her battle with Sir Theopolis. Because of this, there’s only so much she can do without a proper body.” Elias began to get excited. “So, if we find her temple and destroy her frozen heart, she will be destroyed! And if she’s destroyed, the spell should be broken!” Elias threw his hands into the air with a wide grin.

Seth stared at the boy in terrified silence. The crackling of the fire sounded like a roar and his own heartbeat like pounding drums. Seth swallowed and fought the urge to bury his head in the snow.

“How…” he began quietly, before rising to a cry. “Is that good news?”

Elias blinked in confusion. “It’s good news because we can find her temple and destroy the heart.”

“But if this Sir Theo – or whatever his name is – couldn’t defeat her, how can we possibly hope to finish the job?” Seth cried.

“Well…” Elias began.

“And we don’t even know where her temple is!” Fear began to overtake Seth; it was getting hard to think. He shook his head. “And I don’t know how to climb a mountain.” He pointed at Elias. “Do you know how to climb a mountain?”

Beside him, Gloria frowned. “Weren’t you going to travel through the mountains to The Frozen Lakes?” she asked softly.

“Through a well-known mountain pass!” Seth exclaimed, throwing his hands up in exasperation. “Not free climb the mountains where it’s even colder than it is here!” Seth rose and began to pace frantically. “Not to mention, no food, and no wood! Even if we did find her temple-!”

Gloria snatched Seth’s arm as he passed by and gripped him hard. “Ow!” he cried. He looked down at her. “What’s that for?”

Gloria’s stern face glowed in the firelight. “Seth, you need to get a grip and pull yourself together!” she scolded. Seth bristled at the chastisement and was about to spit something back, when her face softened, and she held his gaze. “You’re not alone, we’ll help you, right Elias?” Seth glanced at the boy across the fire who nodded.

Gloria gently pulled Seth down to sit beside her. “It’s going to be okay,” she said.

Seth struggled to pull back from despair, but he took a deep breath and breathed out the tension in his shoulders, then he nodded. “You’re right,” he said quietly. “I’m sorry I panicked.” Gloria smiled. She gave his arm a soft squeeze and let go.

Seth looked around at Gloria and Elias. The snaps and crackles of the fire filled the quiet between them. “Okay,” he said when he had regained control of himself. “What do you guys think we should do?”

Elias put a hand to his chin. “I think I heard of a small village a few days away from Westfjord that’s at the base of the mountain range. Maybe they’d have some tools for climbing the mountain? I’m sure that they climb at least part of the mountain for herbs or something like that, so maybe someone could teach or guide us up the mountain.”

“That still doesn’t solve the issue of where The Lady’s temple is,” Seth pointed out. “The Stonerun mountains span miles.”

Elias shifted his eyes back and forth. Seth furrowed his brows. “Elias? Is there something you haven’t told us yet?”

“Well…” Elias gulped and fidgeted nervously. “That’s where you being…” Elias couldn’t meet Seth’s eyes. “Um…possessed by The Lady comes in handy…”

Seth’s eyes widened. “What?”

“Well…” Elias continued. “Since The Lady doesn’t have a body of her own, she needs to steal someone else’s. So, she’ll probably want to head home where she’ll be the most powerful and solidify her control over you. So…I thought…maybe following her nudges could be the key?” Elias smiled nervously.

Seth blinked. “What?” He cried again, louder this time. Even Gloria’s face looked pale.

I suppose that weird tugging makes sense now. Seth thought in the back of his head.

Elias fidgeted more. “I may have also neglected to add that the further away from the mountains, the weaker she is, but the closer we get, the stronger she’ll become.”

“What?” Seth and Gloria shouted in unison.

“It just makes sense!” Elias cried defensively. “If her heart is all the way in the mountains and her spirit– or at least part of it – is all the way over here inside of you, then she’s going to be stretched thin!”

“Don’t you think that might’ve been helpful to say at the beginning?” Seth cried, he felt panic rising again. His mind raced for a way out.

Elias put his hands up. “You’re right, sir! I’m sorry! Perhaps that wasn’t the wisest decision-”

Seth’s head snapped up as an idea came to him. He rose to his feet. “I’ve got it!” He cried, beginning to pace again.

“Seth?” Gloria reached out for him.

“I’m fine!” Seth answered, running his hands through his hair. “We’ll run!" he cried. "She’ll get weaker the further away I am, right? So if I leave, then that’ll solve it! No mountain climbing and no one gets hurt!” He looked hopefully at Elias, but his heart dropped when the boy dropped his eyes and wouldn’t look at him.

“That’s…not how it works,” Elias answered quietly. “You could leave,” he admitted, “and The Lady’s control over you would lessen, but winter would continue to rage here in The Fjord Plains.” Seth trembled. There was no escape was there?

Elias looked up at Seth. “It’s not ideal,” he said, “but let me ask you this: What other options do we have?”

The question echoed in Seth’s ears. He glanced behind him towards the way he came. There was an option. He could make that choice – to flee, to put everything behind him. But…Seth thought, then I really would damn them all…but if I did how could I live with myself?

Seth looked back at the campfire and met Gloria’s green eyes. They pierced his soul and her words from yesterday floated into his mind – Stand! Fight! Protect the people of this land…Save my home.

He furrowed his brows and looked down into the fire. The glowing embers of the fire reminded Seth of his father’s forge. He could almost hear Father’s hammer banging away. “A man does what is right even at great personal risk.”

Temptation faded away and Seth nodded to himself. This is my mess, he thought. I need to make this right.

Seth looked up at Elias. “You’re right,” he said, “I hate it, but you’re right. This is what we need to do. Any objections?” he asked looking around the campfire. Seth noticed Gloria looked nervous, but she collected herself before she thought he noticed.

Elias shook his head. “No sir…I mean Seth,” he answered.

“I guess it’s settled then,” Seth said. “Tomorrow, we continue north to…?” he glanced questioningly at Elias.

“Giantstoe,” Elias answered.

“We continue north to Giantstoe,” Seth finished.

As Elias and Gloria nodded in agreement, Seth sensed The Lady chuckling faintly. He shuddered and couldn’t help but feel as though he was playing right into her hand.