The Duke's Secrets

Chapter 6 - The Northern Dangers

Elizabeth walked over to the door, expecting to open an ordinary closet as she briefly forgot where she was. She opened the door and was greeted by a ridiculously large room bigger than some stores she had visited.

The closet itself was bare, holding only a sparse collection of dresses brought in by the maids and a selection of nightwear on the shelves and racks. But tucked deep in the back, Elizabeth found what she was after.

Everything was there: her clothes, the extra layers she took off at the entrance, even her bow, and the few arrows she had were all there. But one item was missing. Elizabeth had hoped it wouldn't come to this, but considering the Duke's interest, the absence of her hood didn't entirely surprise her.

She took a moment, reflecting on the hood's significance. It wasn't just a mere tool or weapon for her—it was a cherished gift from her Mother. Elizabeth's heart ached as she knew she couldn't afford to try and find it.

She quickly changed out of her dress and left behind the extra layers when she found Victoria's heated crystal in her cloak. The crystal was imbued with an emergency heat spell, making the extra layers redundant. They would only slow her down, and Elizabeth understood she had to prioritize speed above all else.

Elizabeth exited the closet and hurried to the bed, swiftly pulling off the sheets and blankets. She gathered additional blankets from a smaller, more normal closet and fashioned a makeshift rope, securely anchoring one end to the sturdy wooden bedframe.

A biting breeze swept past Elizabeth as she opened the window. She peered down the four floors she needed to descend, dropped the rope, and began to climb down—but the length fell short.

The ground was both far and near. Elizabeth shut her eyes, let go of the rope, and plummeted downward, praying the snow would provide a thick enough cushion. Thankfully, a hidden bush beneath the snow broke her fall entirely.

Elizabeth quickly got up and examined herself, noting a few minor cuts, but none too severe. What was serious was that her body was already shivering. She had intended to use the crystal just before facing the blizzard as she didn't know how long it would last, but the cold overwhelmed her before she could.

She crushed the crystal and felt her whole body start warming. Though she still felt a chill, it wasn't enough to make her turn back, so she just ran.

Her stay at the Duke's castle had been brief—just a day. But when she skimmed the snow as she fled, she recognized any hope of retracing her past footprints were dashed as fresh snow had already covered them.

Wait!

Elizabeth remembered she had somewhat memorized a part of the Duke's castle. She glanced back, working her way around it until she figured out the direction she had come from.

It had taken more time than she had hoped, but now, knowing where to go, she sprinted full force. Her thoughts were focused only on running, even as she couldn't quite feel all her fingers anymore. Elizabeth just kept running—

A bone-chilling howl shattered her focus and froze her in her tracks, making her quickly duck. It was an unmistakable icy howl, a call from one of the most formidable beasts that call the North home—Ice Wolves!

Elizabeth scanned the snow, well aware that their perfectly white fur easily blends into the snowy landscape, rendering them nearly invisible. She caught a hint of motion in front of her, and her heart sank as she spotted three of them together.

The largest of the Ice Wolves that stood 10 feet tall howled again, sending shivers down Elizabeth's spine. She recalled Zen and Alexander's struggle against one during their journey and knew facing one alone, let alone three at once, was out of the question.