Chapter 17: Escape Through Frosted Woods

The icy tendrils of Elura's magic writhed and twisted, reinforcing the barrier with newfound strength. As she poured her remaining energy into the spell, the barrier shimmered and pulsed, momentarily repelling the troll's onslaught. She had bought them time, but it was clear that the barrier would not hold for long.

Caspian and Leopold, their faces etched with grim determination, charged towards the snow troll. Their glinting swords met the creature's icy hide with a shower of sparks. The rest of the hunting party, their fear momentarily forgotten, joined the fray. Arrows whizzed through the air, striking the troll's thick hide.

"This way, quickly!" Elura called out, her voice betraying the urgency of their situation as she ushered the fleeing nobles, servants, and the strawberry merchant away from the chaos. Sonne fell into step beside her, their pace brisk but controlled, a stark contrast to the panicked scramble of some of the more richly attired spectators.

"Your brothers seem to have things well in hand this time," Sonne remarked, his gaze flickering back to where the Frostheart princes led their knights and other noble hunters in a desperate dance against the monstrous troll.

"They're formidable when they work together," Elura agreed, her tone laced with pride, though a tremor of worry ran through her words. "But a snow troll is a creature of primal chaos. Even their combined strength might not be enough."

They moved swiftly through the snow-laden trees, the sounds of battle fading behind them as they delved deeper into the forest. Elura, guided by an innate understanding of the land that spoke of her Frostheart lineage, led them along a winding path, her steps never faltering despite the uneven terrain.

"Where are we going?" a nobleman, his face pale and his velvet coat askew, panted, struggling to keep pace with the princess's brisk stride.

"To safety," Elura replied curtly, her gaze scanning their surroundings. They were far from the fortified walls of Snowfall's capital, too far to make it back before the troll could catch up should it break free of her brothers' defenses.

Sonne, his senses alert, noticed the subtle shift in Elura's demeanor, the way her shoulders tensed, her grip tightening on the dagger she still held in her hand. She might have projected an air of calm confidence, but he sensed a growing unease beneath the surface.

The remaining nobles and servants, their breaths frosting the air with each panicked exhale, struggled to keep up with Elura's determined pace. Sonne kept a watchful eye on their surroundings, his senses alert for any sign of pursuit, but the sounds of battle had faded considerably, swallowed by the dense forest.

The crunch of snow beneath their boots echoed through the silent, snow-covered forest. The trees, heavy with snow, seemed to dance and writhe in the dim light. A biting wind whipped through the trees, carrying with it the scent of pine and snow.

As they walked, a sense of unease hung heavy in the air. They had been wandering, seemingly for hours, their destination unknown. The only sound was the rhythmic crunch of their footsteps and the occasional rustle of a branch.

"We can rest here for a moment," Elura finally declared, her breath misting in the frigid air as she paused beside a cluster of snow-laden boulders that formed a natural shelter. "It should buy us some time, should that beast break free of my brothers."

The weary nobles collapsed onto the snow-covered ground, their relief palpable even beneath layers of fur and velvet. Sonne, however, remained standing, his back leaning against a frosted boulder, his gaze scanning the surrounding forest.

"You seem remarkably calm, Master Sonne," Elura remarked, her breath catching in her throat as she leaned against the opposite boulder, her chest heaving from their rapid trek. "Most, if not all, would be… unnerved, being hunted by a creature out of legends."

Sonne shrugged nonchalantly. "I think they have enough manpower now to handle that thing," he remarked, his voice carrying a hint of confidence. "It's definitely doable based on its state when we left."

Elura, her breath slowly returning to normal, regarded Sonne with a curious tilt of her head. His unwavering composure in the face of a snow troll attack was certainly… intriguing. Most merchants she'd encountered were easily unnerved by the slightest inconvenience, let alone a life-threatening encounter with a rare beast.

"You speak with surprising certainty, Master Sonne," she remarked, her voice laced with a hint of amusement. "One might even mistake it for experience."

Sonne chuckled, the sound surprisingly warm amidst the chill of their surroundings. "Let's just say I've encountered my fair share of challenges," he replied, his gaze drifting back to the path they'd taken. "Though perhaps not of the giant, ice-throwing variety."

He didn't elaborate, and Elura, sensing a story that might be better left untold, didn't press him. Instead, she shifted her weight, wincing slightly as a sharp pain shot through her ankle. She'd twisted it during their hasty retreat, a fact she'd been trying to ignore in the face of more pressing dangers.

Sonne, ever observant, noticed her wince. "Are you alright, Princess?" he asked, his brow furrowing with concern. "You're favoring your left leg."

Elura, startled by Sonne's attentiveness, tried to downplay the throbbing pain in her ankle. "It's nothing, truly," she insisted, attempting a reassuring smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Just a minor twist. It'll mend soon enough."

But Sonne, his gaze sharp and unrelenting, wasn't convinced. With a decisiveness that brooked no argument, he whistled sharply, the sound cutting through the panicked whispers of the huddled nobles.

"Your Highness needs healing," he announced, his voice carrying an air of quiet authority as he gestured towards a flustered-looking healer who'd been tending to a nobleman with a rather dramatic case of fainting.

The healer, startled by Sonne's directness and the unexpected sight of the princess nursing a very un-royal injury, scurried over, his bag of medicinal herbs rattling nervously. Elura, accustomed to a certain level of deference from her subjects, opened her mouth to protest, but Sonne silenced her with a look.

"It's alright, Princess," he said, his voice surprisingly gentle. "It's better to be safe than sorry, especially out here."

Elura, momentarily disarmed by his unexpected concern, found herself nodding in agreement. She allowed the healer to examine her ankle as Sonne, with a quiet word to the captain of the guard, ensured their makeshift resting place was adequately protected.

The healer, his initial nervousness fading as he assessed the princess's injury, worked quickly, his nimble fingers applying a soothing balm that smelled faintly of pine and winterberries.

"There," he announced, his voice regaining its usual professional air. "It's just a mild sprain, Your Highness. This poultice will reduce the swelling, and you should avoid putting too much weight on it for a few days."

Elura, relieved that her injury wasn't more serious, offered the healer a grateful smile. "Thank you," she said sincerely. Her gaze, however, drifted towards Sonne, who was deep in conversation with the captain, their heads bent close together as they surveyed their surroundings. She couldn't help but feel a surge of gratitude towards the strawberry merchant. He'd been nothing but kind and surprisingly protective throughout the entire ordeal.

"He's quite different from what I expected," she murmured to herself, a soft smile playing on her lips.

The healer's final touch to the last wounded noble was a gentle pat on the shoulder, a gesture that seemed to convey more than words could say. Elura watched as the man's eyes fluttered closed, his breathing slowing into a rhythm of peace. A wave of relief washed over her, but it was quickly followed by a crushing fatigue that threatened to overwhelm her. She had pushed herself to the brink, her body aching from the exertion of their escape, her mind reeling from the horrors they had witnessed.

The fur cloak, once a source of warmth and comfort, now felt heavy and cumbersome. Elura pulled it tighter around herself, shivering slightly despite the crackling fire. She turned her gaze to Sonne, who was still engaged in a hushed conversation with the captain of the guard.

The wind howled outside, whipping through the snow-laden branches. She listened intently, trying to catch the faintest whisper of their words. The captain's voice was low and measured as Sonne nodded in agreement, his eyes filled with a determined glint.

"They'll be back soon," Sonne said, as if reading her thoughts. He turned from his conversation with the captain, his gaze meeting hers with a reassuring warmth that chased away the lingering chill of fear. "Your brothers, I mean. They're Frosthearts, after all. They don't stay down for long."

Elura offered him a tired but genuine smile. "No," she agreed, her voice tinged with a mixture of pride and relief. "They don't."

The forest around them seemed to hold its breath, the air thick with anticipation. The nobles, their earlier terror replaced by a nervous chatter, huddled together like a flock of startled birds, their gazes darting towards the path that led back to the clearing, their ears straining for any sign of the returning hunting party.