Sometime during the night it had begun to snow, and it was still snowing when the travelers awoke the next morning. Well, they assumed it was morning. It was difficult to know for sure what time of day it was. The sun was obscured by thick gray clouds which made it dark, and heavy snowfall made it difficult to see further than a few feet in any direction.

"We should keep going," Tanaraq said as the considered their options, "I fear if we remain here and the storm lingers, we'll be covered by snow drifts by evening."

Agreeing that it would be better to get moving, they began the tedious task of breaking down their camp in the midst of a swirling snow and icy wind. Claire chose to help pack up the supplies despite Alek's insistence that she just needed to rest. She was feeling much better and she knew that the faster they packed, the sooner they'd be able to move on.

After a hurried breakfast of dried fruits and warmed milk, the group was off again. For the most part Claire huddled low, her hood drawn up and around her face to protect it from the wind and snow. Every now and then she'd peek out to make sure the other sleds were still visible within the flurry and then she'd duck back down again, like a turtle into the safety of its shell.

It was during one such check that Claire first noticed the shadows. She couldn't recall of they'd been there before, but she was certain she saw them now. They appeared to be running alongside them, just far enough out that they were almost invisible, their presence masked by the blizzard.

They moved incredibly fast on limbs that were impossibly long. A shiver of apprehension rippled through her and she ducked back into the basket.

She took a deep breath, counting to five in her mind, and then peeked out again.

The shadows were still there, still keeping pace with the group. To Claire it was as though they were floating, moving in a fluid motion, as if the snow itself wasn't even there.

"Alek!" she tried to shout, but the wind swallowed her words instantly.

Panicking slightly, Claire began to wiggle around, trying to free her arms from the confines of the blanket wrapped around her. It took only a few seconds, but it felt like an eternity to Claire. She watched out of the corner of her eyes as the shadows seemed to grow darker, or perhaps closer.

Once her arm was free, she brought her elbow back hard and caught Alek right in the ribs. If he yelled, the sound was lost, but she felt him stiffen behind her so she knew she had his attention. She pointed in the direction of the shadows.

Alek shouted something, but she couldn't make out what it was. There was a loud cracking sound that drew Claire's attention towards the front of the sled where the dogs that had been pulling it were no longer present.

As though it were happening in slow motion, Claire felt the sled suddenly lift up as it became unexpectedly airborne. As it tilted, Claire felt herself sliding out, her fingers desperately reaching for something to grab hold of but find nothing but air.

A moment later, Claire was flying through the air, snow swirling around her in a chaotic dance of stinging ice that burned like fire. She hit the ground hard, the snow doing little to soften the impact which knocked the air from her lungs.

All around her screams and shouts erupted, accompanied by the sound of angry barks and muted yelps. For several heartbeats, Claire remained were she landed, lying on her side and struggling to breath. She could almost make out the shapes of her companions through the storm, but it was impossible to tell just what was happening.

After catching her breath, Claire managed to push herself into an upright position. A few feet away she saw the sled which lay overturned in the snow. Neither Alek nor Yakone were anywhere to be seen.

Claire, however, wasn't alone. She watched with mounting horror as a shadow had peeled itself from the side of the sled before it crawled towards her with amazing speed. Before she could react, it was on her, its clawed appendages curling into the fabric of her woolen pants. A scream caught in her throat, refusing to dislodge itself. The creature, an indistinguishable hulking mass of pure black, leaned in close.

Though it had no face and no discernible facial features, Claire felt as though it was grinning at her. One of those maniacal expressions she imagined donned the face of every killer when it knew its prey had nowhere to run.

She waited, her heart hammering violently against her rib-cage.

The creature remained still, its grip flexing. Another appendage twisted into view, the clawed tip reaching towards her face. It gently stroked Claire's cheek sending a shiver of disgust pulsating through her. They remained this way for several seconds, Claire frozen in fear, the creature staring at her with faceless malice.

Claire was on the verge of screaming at it to do something when, without warning, the creature released her.

It regarded her for a moment longer before twisting about and skittering back the way it had come. Claire felt cold inside, cold and confused.

What the hell had just happened?

A shadow fell over her and she felt something grasping at her jacket.

Panicking, Claire lashed out only to have her arms caught up in a pair of warm hands.

"Claire! Stop, Claire! It's okay, it's me!"

"Alek," Claire gasped, allowing him to pull her up and into his arms. She clung to him for just a moment. The storm still raged around them, the wind whipping and pulling at their clothes.

"You were so still I thought you were dead," Alek replied, sounding shaken. "Are you hurt?"

"No, I'll be okay. What's going on?" Claire asked. She was starting to wonder if perhaps she had imagined it the encounter.

"Shades," was all Alek offered as an explanation.

"I thought they didn't like the light?"

"I guess it's dark enough to suit them," Alek replied, "Stay close, we have to get to the others."

Claire nodded, gripping his hand tightly as he moved in the direction of the shouting. As they drew closer, Claire could make out the dim shapes of their companions through the blizzard. Moving amidst the shapes were bright balls of fire which Claire soon realized were torches being used as weapons to fend off the Shades. Each time one met its mark, a horrific screeching wail filled the space around them and the injured creature disappeared back into the storm.

Alek went straight towards Draz who was not using torches to fend off the shades, but fireballs similar to what he had used to disable the Alek's golem. He slung them with startling accuracy at the approaching fiends. Like the torches, each time one of the creatures was struck it screech in anger and retreated.

Soon the creatures stopped coming and silence fell over the area.

"You two alright?" Draz asked breathlessly.

"Yeah," Alek replied. "How many do you think there are?"

"I can't tell, a dozen at least," Draz replied. "What the hell are they doing out here?"

"I don't know," Alek replied.

"I think you do," Draz snapped.

"This is not the time or place for your paranoia, Draz," Alek shot back. "Claire, get behind me and stay close."

"I'm going to get answers, Drosselmeyer," Draz growled, the flames dancing before him flickered wildly in response before settling again.

Alek said nothing.

Claire watched the snow swirling around them, her mind still caught up in her own, brief encounter with the creature. Why had it left? What did it mean?

"Claire, look out!"

Her eyes snapped up just in time to see the shadow slicing through the snow towards her. The next thing she knew she was on the ground again, Draz sprawled on top of her. That bone chilling screech split the air once more as thin ropes of fire snaked from Alek's fingertips and encircled the monster. It twisted and writhed, trying to free itself from its burning prison. After a few minutes it went still and promptly disintegrated into a pile of black soot-like dust that was quickly swept away on the wind.

Draz propped himself up on his hands and looked down at her.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, sorry, I didn't see it," Claire replied, feeling foolish. "You can, um, get up now."

Draz smirked and rolled clear. "If you insist."

"It seems like they've retreated," Alek called out.

That was a relief.

Draz rose to his feet with all the grace and poise of a cat before reaching down to help Claire to hers. She accepted his help and once she was up she dusted off her coat and turned towards Alek. He was crouching in front of the spot the shade had disappeared, a frown on his face.

"Ever seen a shade do that?" Alek asked quietly.

Draz stepped closer and Claire followed.

"Can't say that I have, but, then again, these aren't normal shades are they, Alek?" Draz commented, his tone sharp and borderline accusatory.

Alek didn't reply, he simply continued to stare at the dark stain standing out stark against the white snow.

"Shouldn't we go try to find the others?" Claire asked at last, the silence growing like a gulf between them. "What if someone is hurt?"

"Claire is right," Alek said, rising to full height. "We should check on the rest of the group."

Draz opened his mouth as though to protest, but Alek was already walking away.

"Come on," Claire insisted. "Let's go make sure everyone is okay."

Draz frowned but did not argue, instead he nodded and motioned for Claire to go ahead of him.

They found the rest of the group gathered around the sleds a few yards away. Claire noted two more dark patches staining the snow that were identical to the spot Alek had been examining. She assumed they had also been left behind by shades, but she couldn't know for sure.

Most everyone had made it through the fight unscathed, except for Aoni who had gotten a nasty gash across his back from one of the creatures. Two dogs had gone missing entirely and were presumed dead. Because of his injuries, and the missing dogs, Aoni and two others were taking one of the sleds and heading back to the village.

"We'll stop here for the night," Tanaraq declared. "We cannot guarantee that they won't attack again, so we will need to keep watch in shifts. We keep the tents close and the fire burning bright throughout the night. Does anyone have any questions?"

"I have a question," Draz chimed in, his voice cool. He was standing with his arms crossed and his eyes locked on Alek.

"We don't have time for your antics, Draz," Alek replied with a bored sigh.

"My antics?" Draz scoffed in disbelief. "You're a real piece of work. Tell me, Grandmaster, why do these things seem to be following you around? First the train, now here."

"How would I know? Perhaps they're following you," Alek snapped back.

"Maybe, but I'm not the one hiding something," Draz replied with a shrug.

"I'm not-"

"Oh no?" Draz interrupted, drawing from his pocket a dark blue bag. "So, this doesn't belong to you?"

Alek's eyes grew wide and for the first time Claire saw real panic blossom in their depths. He took a step towards Draz, extending his hand.

"You don't know what you're meddling in, I suggest you give it back," he stated, his voice colder than the arctic winds whipping around them. The rest of the group had fallen silent, all eyes locked on the two men. "Now."

"Afraid I'm not going to be able to do that," Draz replied quietly. "This is the reason those things keep showing up and unless you give us some answers I am going to have to make sure-"

Whatever Draz was going to say was cut short when he was found himself unexpectedly blown off his feet. He flew several feet into the air, disappearing for a moment into a flurry of snow, only to land a few seconds later flat on his backside. By the time he landed, Alek was already on top of him, hands gripping at the leather of his coat. The bag Draz had been holding was nowhere to be seen.

"You never know when to leave well enough alone, do you!" Alek shouted angrily. "You always have to meddle in affairs that do not have anything to do with you! Haven't you learn your lesson yet, Draz? Does someone else need to die before you figure it out?"

Draz grunted and managed to place a hand against Alek's chest. It glowed bright orange and Alek let out a loud shout of surprise and fury, before releasing him and leaping backwards. A black mark in the shape of a palm print was seared into the leather of his coat.

"If it has to do with Claire, it has to do with me," Draz replied, pushing himself to his feet. "She got hurt because of you and this." The bag appeared again, swinging between his fingers. Alek made a mad grab for it, but Draz was ready for him this time. He moved with such speed that he seemed to simply disappear and reappear instantaneously in another location.

"Like I told her, she should never have followed me," Alek shot back.

"But she did," Draz countered. "You could have stopped her, but you didn't, and now that she's here she is your responsibility whether you like it or not."

Alek dashed towards him again, his desperation causing him to act irrationally. Once again, Draz seemed to blink out of existence. When he appeared again, Claire was startled to find him standing beside her. His expression was solemn and looked out of place on his boyish face.

"You may not care about the rest of us," Draz continued, "but your carelessness is the reason innocent people have gotten hurt. Doesn't Claire at least deserve to know why?" He held the bag out to her and she hesitated a moment before taking it. Even through her gloves Claire could tell the fabric was soft and whatever it contained didn't weigh much.

"You of all people are going to lecture me on carelessness?" He scoffed and shook his head. "Fine, go head, open it," Alek managed, his voice tense.

Claire look towards him, but his eyes were locked on his feet. His clenched jaw and stiff stance was all she needed to know that he was furious. She looked down at the bag in her hands, suddenly confident that this was what the box had been holding. The opening held closed by a single gold rope. She could have easily untied it and looked inside, but it didn't feel right.

"No," Claire said at last.

"But Claire..." Draz protested.

Claire ignored him and approached Alek with slow, cautious steps. He didn't look up, he didn't acknowledge her, he didn't even move.

"You asked me once to trust you," Claire began quietly, "and I do, which is why I am giving this back to you. Now I am asking you to trust us. Whatever this is must be a great weight for you to carry. No one should be forced to carry such a thing alone." She held the bag out towards him, her fingers trembling slightly. He took the bag back with one hand, gripping it so tightly his knuckles turned white. With his other he caught her hand before she could draw it back.

"Are you cold?" Alek asked quietly.

"No," Claire replied.

"Then why are you trembling?"

"I'm afraid," Claire admitted at last, her heart thumping hard against her ribs.

Alek finally shifted his eyes to meet hers and she felt her pulse quicken.

"Of what?"

"I don't know yet."