High above it all, the moon was nestled between thick patches of silver clouds, drifting across the deep blue night sky. Even when fully obscured, the moon was bright enough to light up the frozen world far below, an attempt to show this land's beauty despite there being no one to show it to.
And the beautiful land went on and on. A labyrinth with no walls, but hills and trees and felled logs. No sure path one could choose to walk, but perhaps an endless choice of wrong turns. Perhaps that was why there was no one to wander through the forest, any more.
And perhaps, that was about to change.
A pair walked close to one another, the smaller clinging to the second's arm for dear life. The forest welcomed them quickly, the sound of their footfalls muffled by its natural silence as the fluttering snow encircled them. It had been perfect before their arrival, and it was perfect still. But even enveloped in this endless perfection, an air of fear followed after the pair; most especially, strangely enough, the taller one. Oh the poor little things.
For they were both small in stature, with one even more so. Short, pallid, and malnourished. Yet the smaller one-- a young boy-- was the more bold one, and regarded his new surroundings not with frightened eyes but with sparkling wonder. His gaze was a pale teal, arched with raised, curious brows. Framing his face was long tresses of deep blood red hair peppered with black, part of which fastened in a haphazard ponytail while the rest went where it so pleased. His form, tiny as it was, was covered completely in layers and layers beneath a thick kimono, which itself was beneath a hooded and fur lined robe. Yet despite this heavy attire, his confident, upright posture could not be missed; this one didn't let his fear stay him.
The same, could not be said for his travelling companion. Though many inches taller, and though a good two decades the boy's senior, he wilted under a heavy weight that he'd carried with him from wherever the two had come from, and had only grown heavier since their arrival. His shoulders were slouched and shrugged forward, head bowed as if being harshly reprimanded by someone imagined, and white, green-tinted eyes cast down to the snow they walked through. He twitched constantly and shuddered almost just as much, though he was dressed similarly to his younger companion. And there was a strange similarity between the two; their facial structure was the same, strong-jawed but with hollow cheeks, and with thin but defined lips and down turned eyes. But the man's face was far more scarred and discoloured than the boy's. And his hair was only similar to his in length. Instead of bearing the colour of fresh carnage, his hair was a dulled grey that could be mistaken for brown if one were looking at him from a distance. It retained the same peppering of black, however.
And the fear. The man was so frightened, that even the slightest of brushes against the gentle and harmless pine trees' nettles was enough to make him jump. To which the younger boy would lay a hand on his shoulder, and offer him a few murmured words of comfort. It seemed to work, if only a little.
[ The Frozen Forest, post 1, 674 words ]