chatelaine of cair paravel

[charning]

In the wood, near but not too near the Lantern, drives a sledge, drawn by a reindeer under the whip of a Dwarf, and carrying a woman, of sorts. She is taller, and paler, and somehow - grander, more terrible, colder even than the deep winter through which she rides. The furs are decorative; she wears nothing over her ears, which, were she human, would spell frostbite given how long she has been on this ride.

The harness-bells jingle tinnily.

Comments

[charning]

He is violently thrown back, clear through the insubstantial specter and against a non-magical wall, and his hand smarts with electricity.

[pythbox]

He giggles. The jar of jellybeans is empty by this time, so he doesn't mind it breaking.

[charning]

"Her Majesty does not like thievery," advises the specter.

[pythbox]

"I can tell," laughs Winter.

[charning]

"Come, you have yet to see the dungeons," the specter says, and it shows Winter the dungeons. They are not well-populated, but there are a few creatures here - a Badger, a Dryad, a unicorn with her horn sawed off - who are locked away in the hopes that they may yet break and disclose information to their captors.

[pythbox]

Winter is impressed by the dungeons! They're very dungeony.

[alicornucopia]

"Son of Adam?" inquires the Badger weakly. "A Son of Adam - here?"

[pythbox]

"Huh?" says Winter.

[alicornucopia]

"A boy, a human boy," says the Unicorn, "and in the Witch's Dungeon."

The Dryad seems too overcome with despair to speak.

"Don't listen to the prisoners," advises the specter loftily.

[pythbox]

Winter shrugs. "I'm hungry, are there more jellybeans?"

[alicornucopia]

"I have never seen a confection like what you were eating before today," says the Specter.

The Badger sobs quietly.

[pythbox]

"Guess I'll have to ask the queen, then," he says serenely.

[alicornucopia]

The Specter nods, relaxing.

"Son of Adam," says the Unicorn. "As you value your life - you must fly from this place -"

The specter reaches in the unicorn's direction, and does no visible thing, but the Unicorn screams softly and falls silent, backing away as far as her chains allow.

[pythbox]

"Ooh, what was that?" says Winter.

[alicornucopia]

"I am not most often a giver of tours," says the specter mysteriously, and he leads Winter out of the dungeon.

The Badger sobs some more.

[pythbox]

"No, really, what'd you do?" says Winter, tagging along with a grin like sun on snow.

[alicornucopia]

"Only a little nightmare," the specter says modestly.

[pythbox]

"Nice," says Winter. "So is that your job? Nightmare people until they do what Jadis wants?"

He seems very impressed by this!

[alicornucopia]

"Occasionally. I have also seen use as a spy," the specter adds. "Being insubstantial helps. Her Majesty finds me useful."

[pythbox]

"I bet!" says Winter, gazing at him admiringly.

[alicornucopia]

The Specter smiles. "I am called Wisp," he adds.

[pythbox]

"Nice to meetcha, Wisp," says Winter. "I'm Winter, but I guess you heard."

[alicornucopia]

"Yes. Her Majesty must favor you to call you that."

[pythbox]

"Guess she does!" he agrees. "Think that means she'll give me more jellybeans?"

[alicornucopia]

"Possibly. Or she may dispense them only as a reward when you have done things she particularly approves."