Chapter ONE

Icy wind blew across the barren landscape. The falling snow was picked up and spread across the frozen ground, like icing spread over the top of a cake. The trees were stripped skeleton's reaching with leafless branches for the nonexistent sun. The creaking of those branches sounded like the groaning of sickly old men begging for help.

There was no bird song, no little woodland animals foraging for food. The only sign of life was the distant howling of wolves. Nevertheless, there was life on this land.

Two figures walked through the packed snow. They were bundled up against the cold. The only thing visible was their eyes. The rest of their bodies were covered in heavy cloaks and coats. It was impossible to tell whether these two were male or female. Another howl echoed across the snow. One of the figures looked at the other, their blue eyes were the same color as the sky above them.

"Are we in any danger?" The voice was soft and feminine, but betrayed no fear at the thought of being attacked by hungry wolves.

Her companion shrugged, his golden green eyes stayed fixed straight ahead. "I don't know," he said, his voice held a note of uncertainty. "I've never been to this part of Elphame before." He looked sideways at the girl walking next to him. "I don't even know if they are wolves."

The girl's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean you don't know if they are wolves."

"I mean I don't know if wolves are what Lord Winter keeps to guard his home."

"Great!" the girl snapped, betraying a hint of irritation. "Remind me again why we are even here?"

Harry took a deep breath. "Because," he said, repeating something he'd obviously said many times before. "Lord Winter is one of the few that may know why elven magic doesn't work on iron. According to Mum's research, it wasn't always that way. Excalibur was forged from steel, so we used to be able to enchant iron. We need to know what changed."

"If there's a winter, there must be a summer," the girl said, shivering. "Why couldn't we visit her?"

"Because Summer's home is warded. No one gets in there unless they are invited in. Besides, I thought you liked the cold?"

"I like the cold," the girl grumbled, "but this is too cold."

"Well, you'll just have to deal with it. Mum wanted me to find this information and we didn't have time to send Summer a request to visit her."

"And you don't find the fact that Winter just lets people walk up to his home a little ominous?"

"Of course I do, Daph, but what other choice do we have? Winter is one of the oldest elves left. Mum was banished from Avalon, so we don't have access to them and she's not sure how the other two courts view her."

They continued walking for several moments in silence. When Daphne next spoke, her voice was hesitant.

"Harry?"

"Hmm?"

"Why did you ask me to come with you?"

Harry looked sideways at her, his golden green eyes gleaming in the dim light of the winter sun. "Do you regret coming? I wouldn't blame you if you did."

Daphne touched his arm with a gloved hand. "Of course not," she said, her voice betraying no emotion. "I would've just thought that this would've been more up Ariana's alley than mine."

Harry winced slightly. "No, there are reasons I didn't bring Ariana on this mission."

"Oh?" Daphne asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah," Harry said. "First, she has the heart of a phoenix. The phoenix is a creature of fire. I wouldn't want to bring her here because Winter would sense it immediately. He may view bringing someone with an affinity for fire magic to his domain as a threat."

"And the other reason?"

"Ariana is gentle. She's very knowledgeable and she can fight if she has to, but she doesn't have the heart of a fighter. She is my best friend. I wouldn't want to ask her to do something she might never forget."

Daphne raised an eyebrow, her lips twitching minutely. "But you don't mind asking me to do something I'll never forget, do you?"

Harry smiled grimly. "Daphne, you are my other best friend. I've known you for three years. I know that you could kill and cook a cat and not bat an eye."

Daphne inclined her head. "True," she said tonelessly. "I know I'm a little mad, but I'm okay with that." Her eyes narrowed imperceptibly. "That doesn't mean I'm a psychopath. To use your analogy, I would only kill and cook a cat if the situation warranted it. I'm more of a dog person, but I don't mind cats as a species and I have no desire to kill them just to be killing them."

"And that's why I want you with me," Harry said. "You can fight and do what needs to be done and it won't bother you later."

Daphne was silent for several moments. "You are my best friend; you know?" she said finally. Her voice, as usual, held no emotion; she could've been commenting on the weather.

Harry glanced at her, surprised. "I thought Ariana and Pansy would be closer to you. I mean, well…" He trailed off.

"Because they're girls?" Daphne said, her lips twitching again. "They're nice, but I've always felt closer to you. You are…" She paused looking for the right word. "You are darker than they are. Pansy and Ariana both have a light about them. They have a purity and innocence that makes it hard for me to get close to them. My attitude makes it hard for me to make friends, but you," she touched his arm gently. "You accept me and don't try to change me. You are happy with who I am; I like that. It's rare to find somebody like that."

"Thanks," Harry said softly. He grinned suddenly.

"What?" Daphne said her eyes narrowing.

"Nothing," Harry said quickly. "This is the longest I've heard you talk in the three years I've known you."

Scowling, Daphne punched him in the arm. The blow was hard enough to knock him off his feet. He landed on his back on the snow, rubbing his arm, which had gone numb.

Eyes watering, he clambered to his feet. "Wow," he grunted, still rubbing his arm.

Daphne's lips twitched. "No more smart comments, alright?"

Before Harry could respond, there was a snarl from behind them. He spun around.

There was nothing there. He and Daphne peered into the falling snow, but saw nothing.

"That sounded like it came from right behind us," Daphne murmured.

"Yeah," Harry agreed, his brow furrowed. "This may not be good. Come on, let's get moving."

Turning back to face forward, they began walking again, trying to ignore the growls that sounded as if they were coming from right behind them. Harry sped up, until he was nearly running. Daphne kept pace with him easily. She stared at him. For the first time since she'd known him, she could see that he was afraid. She held out a hand, forcing them to stop.

"Harry, you know what's after us, don't you?"

"Yes," Harry said, wiping sweat off his forehead. "I thought it was only rumors. They are not that easy to control."

"What is it?" Daphne asked urgently.

Before Harry could answer, he heard a soft growl. It sounded as if it was far away, but Harry spun around. Daphne watched as his eyes widened. She turned to see what he was staring at.

The creatures loping towards them across the snow looked like something out of a nightmare. They had the bodies of large hounds, but the heads of men and women. There paws left no track in the snow and blue flames danced across their fur.

"I thought you said Winter didn't like fire magic," she said calmly.

"That isn't fire magic," Harry said. "These are The Hounds of Annwn"). They are the hounds of the Wild Hunt. Their fire is soul fire; it burns the soul, not the body."

"Incorrect, elf," a deep voice said.

Harry turned back to the hounds to see a large grizzled hound standing right in front of him. Its fur was streaked with silver. The man's face perched atop its canine body was lined with age. Long silver hair fell across his back. A single grey eye stared at Harry angrily. The other eye was a scarred ruin; the milky white orb stared sightlessly up at the sky. When this thing smiled, it revealed long pointed teeth. Seeing it had his attention, it continued.

"Soul fire normally only burns the soul, but we can make it burn the flesh to if we wish." The hound licked its lips. "Sometimes, it is nice to have a hot meal on a cold night."

The hounds behind him yipped in excitement. The old one continued. "Now then, you are trespassing on the land of our Lord. Why are you here?"

"We wish to speak to Lord Winter," Daphne said.

The hound turned to look at her. He breathed deeply, his nostrils flaring. "Human," he purred, saliva dripping from his mouth. "It has been centuries since I have tasted that flesh and you are so young. I bet you taste delightful."

Daphne drew her wand. "You'll never find out," her blue eyes narrowed.

The old hound chuckled. It was quite unnerving, sounding like a dog growling and laughing at the same time."

"Feisty," he said, smiling widely. "I always did like my food to struggle a bit. It makes it so much better when we bring them down and tear them apart."

Harry stepped in front of Daphne. "Please," he said holding up his hands. "We wish Lord Winter no harm. We just want to speak to him. Allow us to pass, and we will make sure we don't come this way again when we leave."

"No," the leader growled. "I'm afraid we can't do that. You see, it has been so long since we have tasted elven and human flesh. Had you asked for Winter's permission to be on his land, we would not be permitted to harm you, but you did not." his grin revealed those pointed teeth again. "You are fair game."

Harry's eyes began to glow. "I will not go quietly," he said coldly. "You are bound to lose some members of your pack. Can you live with that, old dog? You are their leader, are you not? Will they still follow you if you get some of their number slain?"

The old hound chuckled again. His grey eye twinkled merrily. "A good effort, but the pack knows that some may die during a hunt. They are prepared to die to defend their Lord. Can you say the same? Are you prepared to die in your attempt to complete your mission, whatever that may be?"

Realizing that diplomacy was not an option, Harry reached deep and began to draw on his magic. His hands and arms were bathed in a fierce white light. "Alright, I understand you will not be reasoned with. However, the girl is an innocent; leave her out of this."

Another hound stepped forward. This one had the face of a middle-aged woman. Her hair was the washed out grey of old rags and her ebony eyes gave off an unnatural glow. Her shaggy grey fur was matted with blood and other fluids. Her voice was harsh, as if someone had lined her throat with sandpaper. "If she were as innocent as you say, she wouldn't be helping you trespass would she?"

A tiny hound waddled forward. This one had a cherubic face with long red hair and sparkling blue eyes. Her fur was pure gold and shone in the winter sun. Her body was long and slender, almost serpent like. When she spoke, her voice was like a barking puppy learning to talk.

"She is pretty grandmother; do we have to eat her?"

The old female's tail lashed out, knocking the pup to the ground. "You are soft, just like your mother," she snarled.

"Enough!" Harry snapped. "Do what you want with me, but I will not sit here and watch a child be abused."

"Child," the old leader chuckled. "She is a child by our standards, but she is older than you and your friend combined.

Harry looked over at Daphne and saw a strange expression on her face. There was a soft expression in her eyes as she looked at the little hound. Her grip had tightened on her wand and her lips were pressed into a thin line.

"What happened to her mother?" she asked the old leader.

"She was a participant in our hunt," he growled, licking his lips. "We are not the civilized hounds of the courts. No, out here only the strong survive and the weak perish. Every once in a while, we like to test the pack, to make sure we have the best. As my mate said, the girl's mother was soft. She didn't like killing humans, so we decided that her and my son would be participants in the hunt. They failed, but oh were they delicious."

Harry breathed out slowly. "You killed your own son?"

"He was weak," the female screeched. "Looks like his daughter is following in his footsteps. If she doesn't toughen up, we'll be hunting her in a few years.

Harry saw the little hound shudder and edge away from the group. He noticed several fresh cuts and bruises marring her small body.

"Enough talk," the leader growled. "It's time to feed." With no warning, he leapt at Harry, teeth bared.

Harry threw himself backwards, narrowly avoiding the snapping mouth. Throwing up a hand, Harry unleashed a wave of wind that caught the hound and sent it flying backwards.

The old leader landed with a pained grunt a few feet away. Harry didn't have time to watch his foe as he felt teeth sink into his leg.

Looking down, he saw a black hound with the face of a teenager chewing on his leg. With a savage grunt, Harry kicked out hard. There was a loud crunch and the hound slumped to the ground, his skull caved in.

Feeling something approaching, he dove to the ground. The hound that'd tried to tackle him from behind flew over him, landing awkwardly in the snow. Before it could get back up, Daphne pointed her wand at it. "Avada Kedavra," she murmured.

A bolt of green light flew from her wand and struck the hound in the forehead. It slumped over, unmoving.

Harry saw a hound trying to sneak up on Daphne and made a twisting motion with his hands. The hound was ripped in half, blood and innards splattering the snow. Hearing a cracking sound, he turned to see the hound he'd kicked rising back to its feet.

The hound grinned. "Did you really think that would work?"

"Nope, I just needed to get you of my leg and put you down for a few moments."

The hound let out a boyish laugh. "You're not doing bad, I'll give you that, but it looks like your friend is having some trouble."

Harry turned to see Daphne backing up to avoid a hound's snapping teeth, but she was surrounded. Three more were creeping up on her from every side."

"Face it," the old leader said appearing right in front of Harry. "There are too many of us. You can't win."

Harry heard a piercing scream. He turned in that direction, only to see the little hound tear out the throat of the teen hound. Blood gushed from the wound, staining the little hounds golden fur."

The leader looked at his granddaughter in shock. "Traitor," he whispered.

The little hound glared at him, blue eyes flashing. "You said I needed to toughen up. Don't you love me anymore?"

"You were supposed to attack the trespassers," the leader snarled, "not us."

"You killed my parents," the little hound whispered, crystalline tears falling onto the snow. "I could never trust you."

Harry took this opportunity to look at Daphne. Her attackers had been torn to pieces. The bloody chunks of meat were scattered across the snow. Daphne calmly walked over to stand next to Harry. As she stopped next to him, she casually blasted a hound into bloody chunks before lowering her wand.

"Are we done yet? I'm getting bored."

Before Harry could say another word, everything went black.

Harry tried to move, but he couldn't. Something icy cold bound his arms and legs to a flat surface. Looking down, he saw chains of ice binding him to a table. He turned his head to see Daphne in the same predicament. Her eyes were open and she smiled slightly when he looked at her.

"Are you alright?" she mouthed.

"Yeah," Harry grunted, straining against the ice. "How long was I out?"

"A few hours," a new voice said.

Harry turned to see an old man sitting in a rocking chair beside a roaring fire. His white hair was held back from his face with a silver clasp. It fell to his shoulders in a messy tangle. His face was heavily lined, but clean shaven. He smiled at the two of them, but the smile didn't reach his eyes. They remained as cold and dead as those of a corpse.

Harry gulped. "Lord Winter," he said.

"Yes," the old man said, bowing slightly. "Mind telling me why you invaded my home?"

Harry tested his icy bonds again. "We wanted some information."

"I see," Winter said, stroking his chin. "Why couldn't you have sent a letter?"

"We weren't sure if a bird would survive the trip. Milord, we didn't intend any offense. We merely wanted to ask you a few questions."

"And I merely wanted to be left alone," Winter growled. "Why do you think I moved to the most inhospitable part of Elphame?" He paused, looking at Harry speculatively. "Come to that, how did you get here? All the gates to this land are closed.

"My mother knew of a way."

"And who is your mother?" Winter asked.

"Morgaine Le Fay," Harry said through chattering teeth. The icy chains were beginning to creep up his limbs.

"Ah," Winter said softly. "Yes, Morgaine would know of a way. She was always resourceful when she needed to be." His grey eyes hardened. "Nevertheless, you entered my home without being invited. For that, you must be punished.

"Look," Daphne said calmly. "Are you going to kill us or not? I don't really care one way or another; I only ask because I'm getting cold."

Winter's eyes flashed. "Perhaps, I should deal with you first." With a gesture, Daphne's chains spread across her body. Within seconds, she was a frozen statue. Her eyes stared sightlessly up at the ceiling.