The matter of Sonja's curse clawed at Ceallach's mind, which already churned with the lack of actual activity going on in the castle. Rowan's earlier statement against asking her about it still lingered in his mind, though, so he sought out answers on his own, combing the keep to look for any other diaries or messages.

The keep was more expansive than he had imagined (he realized he had never quite seen it from the outside, seeing as the snow obscured the view when he came in) and certain corridors were unlit and clearly unused. They were filled with doors - all locked, all rooms for departed servants, he presumed - and though he could not find any dust, he could definitely smell it in the air.

He wandered, following echoes, holding a lit candle close to his body. Evening was rapidly approaching, and in such an empty place like this, he had a slight suspicion that the coming dark would steal his light away if he didn't protect it.

The hallway ended in a windowless cul-de-sac. Plaster covered parts of the walls, looking like huge gashes, though some effort was made to make them look less conspicuous. The majority of one wall was dominated by a huge painting, faded only slightly with age. A stern-looking man, wearing a richly-colored suit covered in altogether too many medals and brooches, sat imposingly in an ornate chair. On his right, a little girl in an elaborate rose dress was timidly putting a ribbon in the man's long, dark curls to match the bow in her own hair. To their left, a younger man in a similar suit, without the excessive decorations, stood stiffly, staring off in another direction. Ceallach could not help but think that the color of their hair, their tawny skin, and their flat noses seemed very similar.

"It is very late for someone to be wandering about," said someone behind him.

Ceallach cleared his throat and turned towards the voice. The beast was on all fours and approaching at a calm pace. "Would you like me to leave?" he asked.

"It's alright. I can't ask you to forget what you have seen," she said, drawing up next to him. "I suppose if I didn't want this to be seen, I would have hidden it better."

"This is a family portrait?"

"That's correct."

Ceallach tried to match the older man's hard gaze, and decided to look at the little girl instead. "You've never spoken about your brother."

"He and Father had a...falling out," Sonja said. She swallowed heavily. "They disagreed. On his marriage prospects."

"Where is your brother now?"

"Buried. Alongside his wife-to-be, although Father does not know about that part."

Ceallach ducked his head.

"I would like you to retire to your room, Ceallach. Please."

He turned towards the beast, whose expression had not changed, though her eyes were very bright in the candlelight. "Alright. Good night, Sonja."

"Good night." She did not follow him out of the hallway.

----

Sonja's teeth were getting very long again. The falling snow was actually getting lighter bit by bit. Ceallach was reading when Ark came into the room, clearly anxious. "Help me find Rowan," the angel said quickly.

"Why, what's going on?"

"The maid collapsed, and --" here Ark's mouth squirmed - "I felt something vile, a looming thing, and I couldn't approach..."

"And you left her?" Ceallach could feel heat rising in his body.

"Sonja's with her now."

"Alright," Ceallach said, rising. The two of them ran out of the room and caught Rowan passing by as they headed towards the front parlor.

The beast sat hunched under the chandelier over Claire's supine form. Rowan stepped forward and undid some of the buttons on his pockets to reach for salves. "Ah, let me have a look at her --"

"There'th no need," Sonja said without turning around. "...Sthe'th gone."

Rowan froze mid-step, then knelt by her anyway to hold her wrist. Then he placed her hand back over her chest. After a moment, both Ceallach and Ark knelt as well. The maid's face was free of pain or any kind of emotion, and her eyes were closed. Such an unusually peaceful expression reminded Ceallach of Aisling, and he swallowed hard.

"Will you all help me bury her?" the beast looked up at them without lifting her head.

"Won't that be difficult, due to the snow...?"

Sonja looked back down and nearly had to hiss in order to enunciate properly. "The snow will stop. It will."

If not because she knew it would, Ceallach felt, it would stop because she so hotly wished it to do so.

----

The snow stopped, just as Sonja had said. Claire was buried, rosy-cheeked, in the garden in front of a round rock that was tall enough to make do for a headstone. The burial was a quiet affair.

"Well, the thnow's th'topped, tho you all will be leaving, right? Good luck on your travelth."

"Are you sure you're alright with us going?" Ceallch asked.

"Do not worry. I sthouldn't keep you any longer. You have your dutieth!"

Ark gave his thanks and shook her paw. Ceallach was about to do the same when the beast gave him a furry hug and a pat on the back. "G'luck, friend," she said softly.

Ceallach was pleasantly surprised and allowed Rowan to step forward. "Thank you very much for letting us stay here," the doctor said, taking one of her paws in a friendly gesture. "I can't speak for the other two, but I'll try to visit the next time I'm in the region. I'd much like to come again."

Sonja's smile disappeared for a second. "Ha ha ha...you flatter me, but you needn't go through the trouble. I hope you make good time." She waved at them for a while as they left and returned to the castle.

"Well now, pleasant as that was, Winter's Mouth is still very far away and the day is half gone. Let's find the river as quickly as possible..." Rowan said, tracking ahead.

A few hours later they had not yet found the river. Ceallach kept looking over his shoulder as they walked, resisting the urge to frown. He couldn't help but feel as if something had been left unsettled back at the castle. While they wandered, the snow started to gently fall again.

"Oh, for heaven's sake," Rowan frowned when he brushed his hair with a hand and found the flakes clinging to it. "If we pick up the pace, we should be able to get ourselves outside the snow's influence before it affects us. Let's hurry."

He jogged on ahead, but Ceallach didn't follow. It was important to get back on track as fast as possible, yes, but something bothered him too much about leaving, especially now. He looked ahead, then back, unable to move in either direction. Ark waited beside him, then looked towards the doctor.

"Ceallach! What's keeping you?"

He turned towards Rowan. "...Do you think we can do anything about Sonja's curse?"

"I think we have more pressing matters to attend to!"

Ceallach felt something at his side and turned to see Ark clinging to his shirt while looking behind them intently. "What's wrong?"

"It's back. The looming thing. It's close by," the angel said.

Rowan turned back to the two of them. "Looming thing?" he asked carefully.

"He felt it when Claire collapsed...are you sure it's the same thing?"

Ark said nothing, but his wings rustled uneasily.

"Ark, can you tell us what it feels like?" Rowan padded over to where they were standing.

"A little like...smoke. Cold."

Rowan stiffened but said nothing. Ceallach looked at him, then at Ark, then back towards the castle.

"...I can't leave now. Even if there's this cold smoke thing. Even if we have...someplace to go. Sonja's curse is most dangerous during the full moon, right? That's tonight. I have to do what I can." He took a step, then another, then broke out into a run. Soon he could hear the other two running or flying near him.

The front gate was locked. Ceallach shook it fruitlessly, then picked up the large lock on it and tried to figure out if he could melt it.

"Back here!" Rowan beckoned, having opened the back garden gate. The snow was deep enough to cover their feet as they made their way towards the gardens.

On the round stone Claire was buried under, there sat a very white humanoid with large black eyes eating an apple. "Hello there," it said as they approached.

Ceallach skidded to a stop when he saw the thing.

"Snow demon," Rowan said under his breath, using his walking staff to make marks in the snow.

"Get out of here!" Ceallach yelled at it. "And take your damn snow with you!"

"Now hold on there just a minute," the demon held up a bony finger, turning from them to take another bite of its apple. "I have every right to be here. This girl belongs to me, I'll have you know."

Ceallach had no idea what the demon meant by that, but what he could think of disturbed him. He shuddered, then steeled himself with a frown.

"What are you getting so upset over, human? I've been kind. I've remained attached to my anchor here, haven't eaten anyone in a very long time, even though I've been ever so hungry. So hungry, in fact, you are looking quite delicious right now..." the demon grinned, showing many fine needles instead of teeth. When it did that, the light snowfall became manic.

Ceallach cursed over the howling wind. The snow blowing into his face was thicker than the little flakes from before - he could feel them cut into his skin and was knocked to his knees by the force of them. He heard thrashing and Rowan shout in shock through the snowstorm.

"Thought you could get away with your little circle of power, did you?" the demon's voice was distorted through the storm. "You are first!"

White, white, everything was so white. And yet Ceallach could see a dark shape further out. Something was on top of it, trying to wrestle it to the ground. He gathered every bit of heat he could muster, pushed himself up, and grabbed what he knew had to be the snow demon with his burning hands. The thing shrieked and clawed at him, but he would not let go. It cursed his blood, leaped into the storm and shook like an animal, but Ceallach held on.

"Ceallach -!"

He could barely hear the angel over the demon's cries.

"I'm going to count to three -!"

The demon's arm felt like it was melting under his grasp, so he grabbed its head instead. It shrieked louder.

"...Go -!!"

At that point Ceallach released the demon and fell. The snow, the wind, and the demon's noise all seemed to gather into a single point some distance from him. Then there was a dull clapping noise and all was still. At first he thought he was imagining the silence, so he pushed himself up to have a look around.

Ark was holding his book shut, panting. He looked about to collapse.

"Ark!" Ceallach scrambled up to support him. The angel coughed with a hideous sound, then wiped his mouth. "Don't tell me you put that thing in your book!"

"Alright, then I won't," Ark wheezed. "Please...let me sit..."

Ceallach set him down gently and walked over to Rowan. He seemed asleep, despite his troubled expression. "Rowan! Rowan, wake up!" Ceallach said, placing his palms on the doctor's face.

"Gah," Rowan grimaced as he warmed. In a few seconds he was able to sit up. "The demon is gone?"

"Yes, thanks to Ark."

"Good, very good...next order of business," he said, standing with difficulty, "is finding a shovel." He began to walk towards the round stone.

"What? We don't have time for that! What about Sonja?" Ceallach shouted after his back.

Rowan turned around, an exasperated and tired look on his face. "Come over here. Touch the ground."

Ceallach stared disbelievingly, then rose and placed his palms in front of the stone. There was a thumping in the earth, like a heartbeat. He leaped up and fell back in surprise.

Rowan laughed darkly. "You heard what the demon said about an anchor, yes? It's in a demon's best interest not to harm what's anchoring them to this world. But they do need to vacate them on occasion, lest the anchor build a resistance. I vouch her 'death' was just a trick in order for her body to be receptive again - some kind of sleep for the snow demon to continue its sleep-related trickeries at a later time." He offered a hand to Ceallach. "Crafty bastards, aren't they?"

Ceallach had nothing to say for a while. He finally settled on, "...Let's get her out."

There was a shovel in the garden shed. Though Ark had absorbed the snow, the ground was still cold and hard, so it was night by the time they unearthed the girl. The night was so clear the moon cast light enough to see by.

"Claire, can you hear my voice?"

The girl stirred, then woke. Her expression and the look in her eyes were different from the ones always seen on her before - there was a fullness and self-awareness to them. "What...where am I?" she said blearily, looking around at the gathered men.

"What do you remember, Claire?" Rowan asked gently. 

She put a hand to her head. "I remember you...I remember taking care of you...ohhh, I can't recall any specifics though. Like I had a thin wool sheet over my eyes the whole time. I'm sorry..." She closed her eyes and brought her other hand to her head.

"Try going back further. What is the last thing you can recall with clarity?"

She began to cough up small pieces of apple. "Ugh...there...there was the creature that felt like home...it -- offered me its powers so I could..." she snapped her eyes open and bolted up to a sitting position. "Sonja! She needs to be put to sleep!"

Ceallach caught her arm before she could get up. "You made a pact with the snow demon to make 'the beast' sleep, right?"

"Yes! I have to hurry! Sonja is in danger!"

"The demon is gone," Ark lifted a hand weakly. "You won't be able to use its powers anymore."

Claire stared at him, then curled her hands into fists in an expression of great concentration. She waited for a moment, as if expecting something to happen. After a moment she pounded her fists against her sides and ran towards the castle anyway.

"Claire!" Rowan shouted, reaching a hand towards her retreating form. Ceallach dashed after her. "Ceallach...! Damn it! Young folk!" Rowan got up, helped Ark to his feet, and followed them at a brisk pace.

"Thank you," the maid said breathlessly. "I hope there's still time..."

Most of the lamps in the castle had extinguished themselves due to neglect. Everyone's breaths were visible because of the chill and the moonlight shining through the windows.

"Do you hear that?"

There was a low rumbling noise, but it echoed so much its source was hard to place.

"What kind of beast are we facing, may I ask?" Rowan said with an easy casualness, as if he dealt with rampaging monsters every day. "A chaser, built around endurance? A stealth hunter, perhaps?"

"I'm not very sure," Claire said, her voice wavering a bit. "I've only ever seen her come back with her catch...not the actual catching."

"It is wretched cold in here," Ark muttered.

Ceallach looked at the others, then around.

...There were five clouds of breath.

"Get down!" he yelled, ducking under the great shape as it leaped over his head. There was a scuffling of claws on stone and a furious growl.

"Sonja! I'm alive!" Claire shouted. She was answered by a floor-shaking roar. Ceallach heard the beast charge the shouts of Ark and Rowan getting out of the way. 

"We need some light, Claire!"

"Front parlor! Hurry!" the maid said, helping everyone to their feet. The beast was roaring at them close behind - Ceallach could feel the warmth from its breath. Something grabbed a hold of his hair and held on hard enough for him to feel needles in the back of his head. It pulled, and pulled, finally managing to stop his forward progress. He strained against it for a moment before realizing his feet were skidding backward against the stone floor. His stomach plummeted.

"Is everyone here?" he heard Claire ask some distance away. He reached with his hand, as if trying to catch her words. He managed a weak protest, but it didn't seem like she heard him.

"Ceallach? Wait, don't shut it, Ceallach is missing!" Ark said.

A warm rush of air brushed against his back, and an image of a snarling beast flashed in his mind. Without thinking, he twisted and threw his fist out. It connected with something kind of bristly. There was a little yelp, and the noise of the claws on stone, as well as the needles at the back of his head, stopped. He stood in shock for a second when he realized what he just did. His hand hurt, and he massaged it in a clueless attempt at numbing the pain.

"In here, Ceallach!"

Ceallach followed the voice into a wide room with all of the curtains drawn open. As soon as he entered the room, Claire and Rowan slammed and bolted the door shut. The four of them waited to catch their breath. After some silence, there was a scratching at the door, some snuffing, then finally the sound of claws clicking away from them.

"That worked out well," Ark sighed. 

Ceallach leaned an arm against the door, listening for any other noise. There was none. "Are we going to stay here the entire night, then?"

Claire was on the ground holding her knees to her chest. She said nothing for a long time, then put her head on her knees. "I don't know."

Ceallach turned away to see how the others were doing. Ark had slumped to the floor to rest, while Rowan had seated himself in a chair. They looked like they were dozing, sometimes shivering. Ceallach looked at them, pondered his own chill, then carried them over to the fireplace. He had to turn over the logs a bit to find some embers, but soon there was a fire going. Afterwards he looked back at the maid, kneeling next to her. "Why do you need to put Sonja to sleep?"

"If she stays up the entire night, she'll...lose her mind, be that monster, forever. If she sleeps, though, she'll regain herself," Claire said, turning her head to face him.

"And you did that with the previous master? Her father?"

She stared at him in confusion, then shook her head. "He...found his own way. Drank draughts, I think. I prepared them for him. He would sleep out the full moon, yes."

Ceallach leaned his arm on the door again. "But that didn't break the curse. It got passed on and you're still dealing with it."

"...No. Yes...? Ohhh!" Claire put her head back on her knees. "You're giving me a headache!"

He pounded the door gently to get her attention again. "The last Prince of the Keep knew how to break his curse, but he didn't." He waited for her to say something.

"...Because the young master...his son...was dead," she said, not lifting her head.

"He needed forgiveness for something, right? But his son died, then he died, and the curse got passed on to Sonja. Does she have a son?"

"No! Good gods, no!" Claire put her hands on her face as she shook her head. "She's just as old as you or me...never wed!"

Ceallach put his hand on her shoulder to calm her down. "Did she have any family left when she got the curse?" The maid mouthed a no. "She must have someone that can break her curse for her. Think."

Claire rested her elbows on her knees, hands still on her face. She seemed to be thinking hard, but wasn't coming up with anything.

He shook her shoulder again. "She has you."

Claire looked at him, and he was sure there was some color on her face that wasn't entirely due to the light from the fireplace.

"You've got to be connected to her somehow. Did Sonja do something to you...?"

She dropped her gaze for a moment. "There...has been something taken from me." She pushed herself to her feet and laid her hands on the door bolt. "It's...an old problem, I have to admit."

Ceallach helped her unbolt the door. It swung gently open. "All the more reason to take care of it."

There was a shifting noise farther out when the door opened, then a low barking sound. Claire shrank a little at first, then stepped out into the hall. A shadow drew up in front of her, breathing steam into her face, but she did not draw back and the beast did not attack.

Ceallach waited on the other side of the doorway but did not step forward. If a curse could indeed be broken, he wanted to see it.

The maid lifted her head. "Honestly...I hated it here, at first. It wasn't anything like home. It never snowed, there were no pine trees, and no one here looked like me. When the old master died --" here the beast snorted and growled faintly. "...When the old master died, I finally had the chance to go home. But when you became the master of the house, you...ordered me to stay."

The beast bent its neck to lean closer.

"Yes, the idea of staying made me very sad...and I got homesick, sick enough to want to die sometimes. But Sonja...I've never blamed you for it." 

The beast's eyes went very wide.

Claire's words were strained with emotion. "I miss the Northwest. I miss the snow and the mountain air. But parting from you would wound me so much more than any longing I had for home. If staying with you means I won't ever see the land of my birth again, then..." she gathered her breath and raised her voice. "Then I'll do it anyway!"

There was a great light, so great it knocked Ceallach over. Then it was dark.

The next thing he felt were hands tapping the side of his face. "Get up, Ceallach. Come on now, make an effort."

He snapped his eyes open. The doctor and the angel were leaning over him. From the amount of light in the room, it was early morning.

"What happened? Did Sonja...?"

Rowan smiled. "See for yourself."

Ceallach got up and looked beyond the door. The maid was seated and appeared to be resting. Leaning against her, and partly being leaned against, was another girl, tawny-skinned, with long, black, almost furry hair, covered in a blanket. She wore a peaceful expression.