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Quickly pulling on her boots and wrapping her cloak around her shoulders, she stepped out into the snowy morning. She expected the pika to take off through the maze of buildings, but instead it scampered along the front of their shelter to a large mound of snow in the corner between their building and the next.Maybe that’s what I heard falling from the roof, she thought as the pika climbed on top of the mound, chirping again.
It wasn’t until she took another step closer that she realized there was a body half buried in the snow. He was wearing a white garment that blended with the snow and it took a moment for her to realize just how big he was, her eyes traveling up over strong legs to a narrow waist and broad shoulders and finally to his face. A stunningly handsome face, as white as the surrounding snow. Was he… was he dead?
She bent cautiously over him and his eyes opened – brilliant blue eyes that seemed oddly familiar. Then he moved his head and the snow fell away to reveal his horns - the same horns she remembered from her dream. It was her snow prince.
“You,” she whispered.
He smiled up at her, a surprisingly sweet smile despite the sharp white teeth it revealed, but then his eyes fluttered closed again.
No!She automatically reached for him, grasping a big shoulder, his muscles firm and strong beneath her hand. His head moved at her touch but his eyes remained closed.
“Who is he?” Johnny asked suspiciously as he appeared at her side, and then his eyes widened. “What is he?”
“I don’t know, but I think he’s hurt. We have to get him inside.”
“You gotta be kidding. What if he’s dangerous?” The boy’s eyes traveled from the horns to the big body and he shook his head. “No, I know he’s dangerous. What if he hurts the kids, or tries to take them?”
It was a fair question, even though she found his size more reassuring than frightening. She didn’t believe that he meant them any harm, but could she take the chance? The pika chirped impatiently, staring at her from its big lavender eyes, and oddly enough, that helped her to decide.
“But what if he’s not dangerous to us? We can’t just leave him out here to die. Is there somewhere inside where we could keep him separated?”
Johnny scuffed at the snow with his foot, scowling, then gave a reluctant nod.
“There’s a bedroom back behind the stove wall. Tolva was sleeping in it.”
“Will you help me get him there?”
“I guess.”
Johnny was obviously not enthusiastic about the idea but he bent over the stranger’s body with her. It was immediately clear that he was far too heavy for them to carry. Johnny grunted and disappeared back inside, returning with a blanket. With a considerable amount of effort, they managed to roll the stranger onto the blanket and then the two of them dragged it across the snowy ground and into the shelter. The children looked at him with wide eyes, including Merry who was now awake.
“He’s so handsome. Who is he?”
Johnny scowled at her.
“He’s a stranger. A creepy looking stranger. You stay away from him, you hear me?”
“You don’t get to tell me what to do.”
“Stop it, you two,” she said, still panting from the effort of tugging his body along. “Unless you want to leave him in the middle of the floor, we need to keep going.”
Johnny stopped glaring at Merry, and nodded.
“Yeah, this way.”
He opened the door in the back wall next to the stove to reveal a small bedroom. The wooden bedstead was still intact, furs draped over the frame. She looked at it and sighed. How was she going to get him up on the bed? As she bent over to try and tug him up, his eyes flickered open.
“Can you stand?” she asked. “I want to get you onto the bed.”
He didn’t really seem to see or hear her, but when she put her shoulder under his arm to lever him up, his arm tightened around her shoulder. She was all too aware of the strength of that arm but although her pulse was beating rapidly, it wasn’t from fear. This close to him, his scent washed over her and she recognized it. The same cool, minty scent that had filled her head when she woke. Just the memory sent a small pulse of arousal through her body.
“That’s right,” she murmured. “Can you stand?”
It took a few tries before her words seemed to penetrate, but he half stumbled to his feet, and she urged him the few steps to the bed and down onto the furs. He collapsed down, taking her with him, his arm still around her shoulders and she found herself plastered on top of his big body. It felt oddly comfortable, as if she belonged there, and it wasn’t until she heard Merry giggle that she thought to free herself.
He was unconscious again, but she managed to swing his legs up on the bed before covering him with another fur. She wished she knew what she could do to help him but he looked strangely peaceful, more as if he were sleeping than unconscious and his breathing was steady enough. Maybe all she could do was wait. She reluctantly left the room and Johnny immediately started to close the door.
“Don’t do that,” she protested. “I need to check on him and see if he wakes up.”
