Claire was lost.

       In truth, she had half-hoped, half-expected, Kilian to follow her, either with the intent to help her, or to try and stop her from going on this fool's errand. When he did neither, she had no choice but to follow through with her impromptu rescue mission alone.

       Now, having been wandering in the forest alone for what felt like hours, Claire couldn't help but wonder if maybe Kilian had been right. The cold wasn't unbearable, but she knew the moment darkness fell it could not bode well for her. Was a silly doll really worth potentially freezing to death? Claire couldn't really explain it, she didn't understand it herself, but something in her heart said yes, it was worth the risk.

       "Where are you, Prince Walnut?" she muttered as she pushed through some low hanging evergreen branches and stepped into a clearing. Her heart skipped a beat and she nearly jumped for joy when she recognized the log she had been banished to the previous evening. In the light of day the clearing seemed much smaller than it had illuminated by the silvery light of the moon. This was where they had 'landed' the night before, so the nutcracker had to be there somewhere.

       Claire canvassed the clearing first, looking for any sign of the doll against the white snow. The sky overhead was clear now, but it had been snowing the night before and there was a chance the doll had gotten covered by a layer of fresh powder.

       Once she was confident the nutcracker was nowhere to be found in the clearing, she extended her search into the surrounding tree line. She walked in a slow circling, expanding outward a little further each time she circled back around to her starting point.

       The longer she searched, the more her initial excitement at finding the clearing began to wane. What if she never found it? What if it had gotten buried beneath the snow, or flung somewhere far from where they had ended up?

       The sound of approaching footsteps jerked her from her thoughts and Claire instinctively ducked behind the sweeping branches of a large evergreen. No sooner had she melted from view than three figures appeared at the far end of the clearing. From where she stood she could tell it was two men of average size and build, though one was taller than the other. At first glance they didn't appear threatening, but upon closer inspection, Claire caught the gleam of metal were the afternoon sun glinted off the weapons they carried.

       As they drew closer to her hiding spot, they slowed and the taller man knelt down as though he were inspecting something in the snow. Claire held her breath, uncertain what it might be that caught their attention. The taller man stood a moment later and began to walk in a strange circular path similar to the one Claire had walked earlier.

       That's when she realized just what it was that had caught the stranger's attention -- her footprints. They'd be all over the clearing, and Claire been so methodic in her search that the footprints would spiral outward until they lead directly to where she was hiding.

       Holding her breath, Claire tried to remain as quiet as possible as she stepped backwards into the trees around her. She kept her eyes fixed on the two men in the clearing, the one remaining in the center, while his companion continued to circle around, following her steps, like a hunter in pursuit of his prey.

       Claire had only gone a few steps when her heel met with a fallen branch and snapped it in two. The sound echoed through the trees and Claire froze, her heart hammering so loudly in her chest she could hear nothing else except the sound of her blood rushing past her ears. When she looked towards the clearing she was surprised to see both men had vanished. While some would have seen this as fortunate, their absence only made Claire that much more anxious. Several moments slipped by where Claire stood in frozen silence, like the statuesque woman of her dreams, simply waiting.

       When the two strangers didn't pop up suddenly from the trees, Claire forced herself to relax. Perhaps the sound had scared them off, maybe they believed it was some sort of wild animal that they had no intention of engaging with. Sighing inwardly, Claire took a deep breath. Whatever the cause, they were gone now and she could continue her search for the nutcracker.

       Turning, Claire felt a cry of surprise lodge itself in her throat. Leaning nonchalantly against a tree just a few feet away was the man who had first discovered her footprints.

       "Hello there," he offered a wicked grin.

       Claire turned again, her goal to run back into the clearing, but her she found her path now barred by the tall man's companion. He shook his head slowly and Claire turned back towards the man behind her. He pushed away from the tree and strolled closer.

       "You weren't thinking of leaving already, were you?" he asked, pausing in front of her, his cool gaze sweeping over her. "It's poor manners to leave without proper introductions. My name is Leonel Grenair, most people just call me Leon, and that there is my good friend Pip. He doesn't talk much, but he's quick on his feet and has one hell of an arm. Never misses a target with those knives of his."

       Claire wasn't sure if that was a threat, but she certainly didn't wish to find out. Leon leaned in closer and Claire took a step back. He chuckled and spoke again, "Who might you be?"

       "Claire," she managed at last, her mouth was dry and she buried her hands in her pockets to keep them from tremblings.

       "That's a lovely name, isn't it Pip?"

        Out of the corner of her eye,  Claire saw Pip nod.

       "A lovely name, for a lovely girl," Leon continued, reaching his hand out to touch her cheek. Without thinking, Claire lifted her hand to slap his away before he made contact. For a moment Leon's expression grew dark and Claire's heart crept right up into her throat. A moment later the darkness passed and he laughed instead, lowering his hand.

       "You're quite the feisty one, Claire, I like that in a woman," he said once his laughter subsided. "A challenging woman, with a strong will, those are the ones worth breaking. What do you think, Pip?"

       "Aye," the other replied with a smirk.

       "What are you doing out here all by yourself, Claire? Don't you know it's dangerous to wander these parts by yourself. There's all sorts of wild animals that would gobble you up before you could blink."

       "Who says I'm alone?" Claire quipped, trying to sound as casual as possible. She was surprised at how even her voice sounded considering just how badly she wanted to throw up the meager breakfast she had eaten that morning.

       "Well, we've been following your trail for quite some time, Claire, and unless your companions are invisible and float, I feel quite confident that you have embarked on this little adventure on your own," Leon explained. "In fact, I'd bet my life on it."

        "I'm looking for something, but I'm not alone, my friend is waiting for me and if I don't return to town soon he'll come looking--"

       "Now now, Claire," Leon interrupted. He took a step forward, easily eating up the distance between them with a single motion. "Is that any way to start off a new acquaintance, with falsehoods?" His hand reached out to curl around her forearm, his fingers gripping her like a vice as he pulled her closer. His tone grew dark, his voice quiet, "You and I both know that if this friend of yours cared for your well-being, he would not have let you come out here alone."

        Claire tried to pull free but Leon's hold tightened and his free hand came up to grab hold of her chin, forcing her to meet his eyes. "Come now, my dear, there is someone who would very much like to make your acquaintance. If you promise to behave, I promise I will let no harm come to you. If you don't... well..." his hand fell away from her chin to trail downwards towards the collar of her coat where it came to rest. "Lets just say that Pip's knives are very good at removing unwanted obstructions."

       The facade Claire had been maintaining up until that point was beginning to crack and she wasn't entirely sure how much longer she'd be able to keep it in light of her current situation. She felt weak in the knees and worried they might give out at any moment beneath the weight of Leon's threats.

        "Hey, asshole, why the hell do you have your filthy hands all over my woman?"

       Three heads swiveled in unison towards the origin of the voice. Claire nearly wept with relief when she caught sight of Kilian perched on the low hanging branch of a nearby tree. Leon's grip tightened and Kilian shook his head.

       "Couldn't stay out of trouble, could you," he complained as he dropped down to the ground in a crouch. As he slowly rose he dusted lingering snow from his coat and crossed his arms over his chest. "Let her go, Grenair."

       Leon smirked and instead of letting her go, Claire found herself being pulled closer. "Kilian Vairionne, how long has it been? Two, no, three years since you were expelled from the Black Guard? Didn't know you were whoring your services out, I guess it's true what they say, beggars can't be choosers."

       Claire saw Kilian's jaw tense. Leon must've noticed it too because he chuckled. "Always so serious, Kil, you really need to learn to relax," Leon pressed. Claire could tell that Kilian was struggling to keep his temper under control. She had a feeling Leon was intentionally goading him, trying to get him to act recklessly.

       "As much as I'd love to stay and chat, you and I both know how much he hates to be kept waiting. I'm not sure what his interest is in your little friend here, but I promise to take good care of her."

       That was all it took to push Kilian over the edge. He let out a roar of anger and lunged towards them. Leon shoved Claire in the direction of Pip who grabbed hold of her before she could regain her foot and avoid his waiting hands.

       Leon and Kilian went crashing to the ground, Kilian letting out a stream of curses as he and Leon landed one blow after another. After grappling for several minutes, the two broke apart and Kilian extended his hand outward. The trees directly over Leon shuddered and groaned before two branches suddenly dropped down and wrapped around him like a pair of boney arms.

       "Let her go, or I'll crush him," Kilian demanded breathlessly. When Pip did not immediately obey, Kilian squeezed his fingers into a fist and Leon let out a painful cry as the branches constricted around him.

       "Just do it, Pip!" Leon growled, his fury was palpable. Pip's grip on Claire relaxed and she pushed away from him, towards Kilian.

       "Are you hurt?" Kilian asked quietly.

       "No," Claire murmured, but he was. "You're bleeding."

       "It's nothing, just a scratch," Kilian grunted and turned his attention back to Leon. "You know how this works, when we're clear of the area, the magic will fade and you'll be freed. You go back to him and you tell your master that the girl is of no importance. He should turn his attentions elsewhere or he will have me to deal with."

       Leon smirked. "Do you really think that will be enough to dissuade him? Kilian, your presence in this will only make him all the more eager to have his way."

       Kilian simply shook his head and grabbed hold of Claire's hand. "Let's go," he commanded, pulling her along behind him without giving her a chance to argue.