It was a cold night in Salitask even for the snow people. The blizzard outside was slowly picking up but one could still make out buildings. Cold wind blew up against the palace walls and little Sylvia watched with two blue almond eyes, watching at the snow flakes distorting the shapes of citizens ice homes. 

"Sylvia come to bed now, it's getting late," Queen Beata said in her quiet voice.

"You too Platon."

Sylvia's little brother Platon who had been playing with some wooden soldiers obediently got up and went up the stairs to his bedroom. At ten years old Platon was more than capable of getting himself ready without any distractions.

"Sylvia come on," Beata told daughter, walking over to the window.

"Why do I have to go to bed? I won't be able to sleep anyway."

"Here," Beata said, grabbing a book off of the small desk and handing it to Sylvia.

"You can read this for a while. But please, try and go to sleep at a reasonable hour."

Sylvia looked one last time out the window then nodded, grabbing the book and brushing a stray strand of blonde hair out of her face. It tended to get a little wild sometimes.

"Now go and say goodnight to your father."

The twelve year old girl pattered across the room to a fur covered ice rocking chair where King Egil was going over some reports.

"Goodnight father," Sylvia said quietly.

The tall man smiled and kissed her on the forward saying goodnight. Sylvia quickly walked up to her bedroom and sat down the carved ice table chair her father had made her and opened of the leather bound book. It was one of her favorites. 

The story was actually Elvin and revolved around a Princess who lived in the time of a terrible warlord. She decided to run away into the Tralem woods to go looking for the nymph pool and met twin brothers who were also looking for the pool. Together they found it and were told what to do about the warlord and his schemes.

Sylvia had never met a real life elf before but she intended to so before her twentieth birthday. As the girl read on the night wrapped itself around the world like a blanket and the white snow battered down on everything, not so hard that one would get lost but enough to keep you from venturing outside.

The book drew Sylvia into a trance and she read on about the dangerous antlered people stealing the precious stone which would lock the warlord away forever. The Elvin Princess and the twins battled for the stone, risking death to keep everyone safe. Succeeding they went up into the mountains and hid the stone in between the seams of the world, contenting everything to that one object hoping that it would keep anyone from trying to get it and releasing the warlord.

Sylvia was very near the climax of the book when a young girls cries reached her ears, startling the young Princess.

"NO!" the voice came.

"I CAN'T GO BACK! I CAN'T!"

Sylvia put on her blue silk robe and rushed out of the room, meeting Egil and Beana in the hall as they rushed downstairs. 

The king quickly opened the door and rushed out, Beana and Sylvia following close behind.

"What's going on here?" Egil roared in an angry tone.

"This girl was trying to get in my Lord," one of the guards answered.

The two palace guards on night shift and holding a girl not much older than Sylvia by the arms, trying to keep her from going in. Sylvia twisted in between her parents and nearly caught her breath. 

The prisoner was wearing a tattered green dress with a muddy hem and her long hair was straight and brown, but what frightened Sylvia the most were the small antlers that protruded from her head. The girl was one of the Cievo. 

According to all the stories they were not to be trusted...Of course that was centuries ago.

"That's alright Edwin, let her come inside," Beata said calmly.

The two guards reluctantly let go of the girl and the queen ushered her into the palace. Sylvia closed the door and watched with wide eyes. 

"What's your name?" Beata asked, sitting the youth down in a fur covered chair and giving her a soft blanket.

Looking up at the queen with piercing green eyes the girl did not immediately answer, seeming to asses Beata and the others with a keen eye.

"Adrastea," she answered shortly.

Adrastea's voice was young but sounded worn as if she had lived five years before her time.

"Well Adrastea, how can we help you? Where are your parents? I girl your age shouldn't be out alone especially in this weather," Beata asked in a soothing voice.

"They're dead," the girl said bluntly.

Sylvia felt sorry for her but Adrastea did not show any emotion, sort of numb to all feeling. Beata and Egil looked at each other and the king nodded.

"Adrastea, would you like to stay here? I'm sure Sylvia would be more than willing to share a room."

The princess nodded emphatically and her eyes floated to the silver circlet Adrastea had been holding on to for dear life. Suddenly it struck her.

"Are you the Cieven Princess?" Sylvia asked before thinking.

Adrastea shot those piercing eyes in her direction and Beata quickly hushed Sylvia up before turning back to their guest.

"You don't have to answer that if you don't want to dear. We understand."

"I am," Adrastea answered, holding up the circlet.

"But I don't want this anymore. Please take it."

Egil and Beata seemed to understand the queen took the circlet handing it to Egil.

"It will stay safely in our crown room until you want it back."

Adrastea shook her head and looked up at Beata solemnly.

"I don't want it back. Not ever."

"Alright. Sylvia show her upstairs."

Sylvia nodded and got up from her sitting position on the ground, walking upstairs with Adrastea close on her tail. The two did not talk except for the occasional 'thank you' and 'your welcome' before they both went bed. Sylvia had told the guest to sleep on the bed but Adrastea refused saying she was more comfortable on the ground.

.................................................................

6 years later... 

"Oh, don't forget this," Sylvia said in a stressed voice, passing Adrastea her pack of medicine and basic medical equipment.

"I'd hate to come and visit you finding a corpse on the bed."

Adrastea smiled at the remark but did not laugh. She never did.

"Could you put it in my sack...You know I don't know if I can fit all of this on my horse," Adrastea observed the pile of stuff in the room.

"Too bad. Mom is not going to let you leave one bit of this here."

"I don't even need most of this stuff!" Adrastea complained, picking up a brown poncho.

"And what is this for?"

"It's a poncho. Don't ask me why you'll need one, just take it."

Adrastea sighed and picked up several bags, carrying them down the ice steps and out the front door to where Platon was keeping the horses occupied.

It was a clear day and Salitask was warmer than usual which was perfect for Adrastea. Of course for Sylvia she did not dare put on her cloak for fear of heat stroke. 

Platon helped to put all the bags on the horses and together all three of them rode off down the path towards the cabin Adrastea had built with the help of some of her snow men associates. It was small but well made and sturdy, placed about halfway down the mountain in a flat area. There was a large porch that ran all the way around the cabin with plenty of room on the walls for hanging her various equipment and there were three windows, one up front and one on either side. In the back they had built a small stable for Alice her horse and there was lots of hay for the animal to eat. Inside the cabin was a brick fireplace and mantel, one bunk bed, a table and two chairs, a vase of flowers (Which Beata had insisted on putting there), and a small pantry.

"Are you sure you won't get bored?" Sylvia asked looking around at the bare one room cabin skeptically.

"You know I've always wanted a small cabin of my own. Now that I have it I'm sure I'll find things to do."

"Where do you want me to put these?" Platon asked, lugging in three huge bags of various items.

"Oh...Um...Here, put them down on the table," Adrastea told him, grabbing the flower pot and moving it to a shelf. 

Sylvia watched as her friend walked around the room feeling the freshly sawed wood of a shelf which they had finished the day before. Adrastea was proud of the cabin, she could tell, but Sylvia was afraid it would make her more secluded than she already was. 

"Are you sure you don't want to have someone live here with you?"

"Like who? You? Sylvia you know full well that you can't do that and honestly I don't want you to," Adrastea said, giving her a crooked smile.

Sylvia sighed and shrugged her shoulders pulling a few items out of the bag and tossing them on the table. Neither of them said anything for several minutes until Platon came in through the door saying, "I can't believe how much stuff you need for such a small cabin!"

"Take it up with your mother. Most of this stuff is here under her 'suggestion'...There was no way I was going to say no," Adrastea answered, picking the poncho up another time.

"Alright, I think I'll be good here. You might want to be getting back to the palace."

Sylvia bit her lip and looked once more around the little cabin, trying to make an excuse to stay.

"I know what you're going to say...'You can't stay here all alone Adrastea. Let me spend a couple nights'," Adrastea did a fairly good imitation of Sylvia while shaking her hands back and forth.

"Alright, alright, I'm going...Come on Platon."

"Bye Stea!" they both called, walking out the door and leaving the Cieven girl to her own devices.

Adrastea waved and watched her friends ride back up the mountain, the smile quickly fading from her face...So it was done. She was finally alone.