Thanks, @Celine and Moon Wolf! :)

Part 3

Tirian was standing by the big Council Rock, an expression of worry on his face. It was almost time for the Council to begin, and Alasana and the children (as he still thought of them) had not arrived. Then, too, the skulking, revenge-seeking courtier Haborym had disappeared that afternoon - simply disappeared. Strange fears consumed Tirian. He didn't know what Haborym might have done.

Suddenly there was a rustle in the underbush, and Samuel, Tirian's right-hand man, stepped into the clearing. He was followed by Veyka, a young noble who often helped him out, and Retni, the chief fox.

"Your Majesty." Samuel's voice was terse. "Could you come here a moment?"

"What's wrong?" Tirian asked, following the two.

"You'll see."

A little way off stood Alasana, her dress torn and her hair rumpled, and her children. Violet was a little way off. Riara was nowhere to be seen. Tirian anxiously searched the woods for her. But there was no sign.

"What has happened? Where is Riara?" he asked frantically.

Violet answered, trembling, "She disappeared. We were waylaid on the way here by a band of thieves - and while the carriage driver fought them off, the three of us ran - and Riara must have gotten lost. Haborym was one of the bandits, I'm sure of it. His chuckle gave him away."

"The prophecy is being fulfilled," said Alasana miserably.

Tirian remembered it at once - the old prophecy which all royals of Derrain learned.

When brother's against brother,

When good's against evil,

This will bring sorrow.

The hour of unglory will have struck

When servant betrays master.

***

The moon shone down on a clearing, deep in the heart of the Derrain woods. Its ghostly light illuminated, starkly, the Council Rock, where lounged Haborym. He was surrounded by other traitor courtiers, coyotes, hawks, snakes, and a few remnants of faithful Council members. A little wind sighed to itself, rippling across the deathly pale snow. But no one heard, or cared even.

Haborym, leaning lazily against the Council Rock, was speaking.

"Well, well, well! My friends, we've accomplished great things today!" Here he chuckled squeakily. "Heh, heh! Thanks very much to the coyotes, etc. for letting me lead them; to the Family of Eire for - well, let's call it telling me secrets - and my other helpers."

At this point there was a low growl, rising steadily. The coyotes shrank back, the snakes shivered, and Haborym winced. For every false, vile traitor there recognized Retni's growl.

"Cowards!" came Tirian's voice. "Begone!" And he sprang onto the Council Rock. He stood there, head lifted, his eyes furious, a picture of nobility and righteous anger condensed into one man. Haborym backed away, eyes narrowed, hand on his sword hilt. Alasana, standing at the edge of the clearing with her children, felt her spirits rise with love for her husband. Here he was, come back from a heart-breaking hour of searching for Riara, only to find the Council taken over and Haborym filthing the Rock with his presence, and yet he still had the strength to challenge them!

Most of the Council members had fled, but on Tirian's side there remained Samuel, Veyka, and Retni and his foxes. These sprang onto the Rock beside him. The fight raged for a long time. They battled valiantly, and for a time, the struggle seemed to be going their way. But they were beaten by sheer numbers. Haborym stood indolently by the edge of the clearing, chuckling hysterically, and with that look of cruel satisfaction on his face.

At length, Alasana saw that they could not keep it up any longer. They were sure to be killed if they did not flee at once.

"Tirian! Call them off!" she cried.

"No! I'll win this battle if I die for it!"

But Alasana had the children to think of, and she was determined that she and the king would emerge alive. "Stay close to me, everyone! Tirian, I'm going even if you're not!" And she inconspicuously made her way through the milling, battle-hungry crowds of her worst enemies. In that light of death the bloodthirsty fight seemed truly unreal. All that mattered was the woods beyond this clearing - the silent, dark, safe woods.

Nobody noticed her - they were too furious, too intent on their prey. Tirian, however, did not fare so well. He left the Rock and started through the crowd as well, but by the time he got close to Alasana he was bleeding in many places - he coudl hardly drag himself along, yet the crowds were still jeering at him. And his followers were a pitiable sight.

Alasana alone was unexhausted. She drew her sword and fought her way through the crowd resolutely. Her children did her part too, but it was their mother who was keeping them all from certain death.

Then they had gained the woods, where they couldn't be seen so well. The enemy fell back, but Haborym pressed on, bent on revenge.

The chief fox, Retni, said low to Tirian:

"You go on. We'll fix 'im. Won't we, lads?" He turned to look at his foxes.

"Very well. But don't kill him."

And through the black forest, suddenly so full of evil, pressed one family and their friends - tired, starving, half-dead with weariness and pain. All had been lost at once. The bleak, sparsely inhabited South Woods, where only mice and voles lived, would be their refuge. And Riara was gone.

Yet a glimmer of hope still coursed through Alasana's veins. For, as they passed the last coyote-post and dawn began to break, she saw two sets of tracks - large bootprints and smaller ones following them. And she knew, without doubt, that the prints meant something. She led the group along the path they made. And as she went, hope and energy began to come back to her.

Yikes. Iffy says <ddoom>. That sounds ominous...

I haven't checked this in way too long! There's two whole new magnificent parts! Have I mentioned that you're really good at imagery? I really liked the bit in the first part where you described the courtyard, with the "sodden cotton-snow." I could picture it in my head!

okay, here's the next part! I'm so sorry it took so long. Enjoy!

~~~

Part 4

Meantime, Riara had been wandering at will. She had run for her life when the men attacked the carriage. When she finally slowed, she realized she was by herself. She was lost and alone in the woods.

Nightfall came, and the forest seemed wicked. Riara saw weasels slipping from tree to tree, and hid in an old abandoned cave. There were no deer, no squirrels, no foxes, pausing for a minute in their elegant redness to survey the lively nighttime forest. Only coyotes patrolled to and fro. A hawk perched in every tree. Snakes covered the ground. And now Haborym, far away, was beginning to wield his scimitar of black magic.

One by one the bare but living trees shivered and withered away to dust. Bit by bit, the soft white snow changed to black ice. Slowly, the few remnants of plants sagged, disappeared. And every weasel, snake, and hawk developed a greenish glow, enabling them to see each other.

Riara peered out of the cave in dismay. The forest had become nothing but a stretch of black, thin, creaking ice, stretching away as far as she could see. The moon was setting, and by its thin, weak light she could see nothing but ice.

Then she gasped.

Something was in the cave with her.

"Pardon me," said a courteous, yet strangely sleepy voice. "Did I disturb you?"

Riara thought it best not to answer.

"No need to worry," it went on. "I'm no enemy. I'm only Verd the bear, and you woke me up. But I daresay I disturbed you as well."

"I'm a princess. My name's Riara. And everything's happening at once!" Riara was trying to control herself, but her voice shook. "I don't know what to do. I'm all alone."

"Why nothing was happening when I went to sleep," Verd said. "I've hibernated for a good ten years, but not much can have happened in that time."

Riara was indignant. "Everything's happened! Just look outside."

Verd lumbered to the entrance of the cave and looked out. Riara could make out his silhouette - he was enormous.

"Whose work is this? Ice everywhere! There's black magic afoot!" he exclaimed.

Riara had soon told him all she knew, and her suspicions that Haborym that responsible, although of course she wasn't sure.

Verd frowned. "Well, I'll have to get you into the South Woods. It's fairly certain that the black magic only extends that far at the moment. On my back, youngster."

Riara didn't know why she trusted the big, lumbering, slow bear, but she did, and obeyed him, feeling that at last she'd found a friend. He was large and strong enough that she fit comfortably on his back. It felt like being on a large couch.

"Now, we can't go across that ice for certain," Verd remarked. "We'll have to use one of my tunnels. Years ago I asked some moles to make them for me, and they've come in very handy. Off we go."

Riara clung to his back as he swayed and rocked across the ground; they seemed to be underground. She curled up, her head resting on Verd's thick neck. If I've made a mistake, she thought drowsily, I'm really in for it now. Rocking rhythm...Verd grunting softly...warmth, darkness. Silence.

Riara was asleep.

***

When she woke up, Verd was nearing the end of the tunnel.

"Bother," he said. "My tunnel doesn't quite reach past the ice. But I believe we can make it.  Steady, there! You don't want to fall off me."

Verd started off across the ice. Ahead, Riara could see the end of the ice, beyond which was daylight and forest and pure white snow. The black, silkily smooth ice creaked warningly as Verd went across it. It was very dark. The night pressed about them like cold, still water. Riara shivered.

"Ha!"

Only a word, but it sent the blood racing through Riara, thudding in her ears, making her quiver. Verd leapt into a clumsy run. The voice was the voice of a coyote. She saw it in one second. Slits of cruel, crooked eyes. A snakelike, lithe body. It was chasing them. More coyotes closed in like jackals on a kill.

Verd slipped, lost his footing, fell over. Riara froze.

Then a figure sprang forward. As it stood, outlined against the safe woods past the ice, Riara saw that it was a man. Not Haborym! she gasped in despair.

The figure spoke in a voice that thrilled her.

"Quick, take my hand, we must gain safety. Verd, fight them! Hold them off until we get to the South Woods."

Verd did his work well, scrambling to his feet and lunging at the coyotes. Meanwhile, suddenly the two humans were off the creaking, thin ice, and treading soft snow and walking under fragrant pines in the blessed daylight.

Riara dropped to the ground and lay quite still, looking at the snow and the brilliant sun and smelling the pines, and feeling so happy, that she couldn't go on just yet. Verd was fighting the coyotes, anyway - they wouldn't come after her, and at any rate there was little they could do in an area uncontrolled by their magic. The mere fact of that made it a pure haven of delight.

The young man, too, flopped over and lay in relaxation under a nearby pine. Riara studied him shyly, noticing him for the first time. He was handsome, powerfully built and dark-haired, with tanned skin and playful dark eyes. He seemed young, about her age, and very quick-thinking.

"Who are you?" she inquired politely.

"A noble of the court; or that's what I thought I was going to be. I was journeying to the palace to begin court life when I found you. My name's Dieran.Who are you?"

"Riara, the daughter of King Tirian." She paused. "Thank you for saving me."

"Oh, it's an honor," said Dieran playfully. He stood up and held out a hand to her. "Come on. Let's look for shelter."