It was the cold that woke her, the chilly wetness seeping through the thin fabric of her nightgown. The sky above was dark and as Claire slowly sat up, her body aching, she realized she was lying on the hardwood floor of the ruined tower room. Her encounter with Sevik still vivid in her mind. Was it possible she had simply dreamed it all?

Looking down at her hands she saw streaks of mud and shuddered.

Recalling what he had said, Claire pulled up the nightgown and turned it so she could see the still healing gash the shade had left.

It had been healing well and hadn't hurt her in some time, however, in the darkness it looked red again and she could feel the dull burn pulsating through her calf and up into her knee.

You can either bring me what I want, or you will lose everything

Had Sevik been telling the truth, or simply trying to frighten her?

"Claire!!"

Claire looked up and to her surprise she saw Alek dangling overhead from the end of one of the balloon tethers. Once he was close enough, he jumped down and hit the floor with a heavy thud. He raced towards her, kicking up standing pools of water and sending them flying in his haste. He slid to a stop beside her, crouching down and grasping at her arms and legs in a blind panic. "Is anything broken? Does anything hurt?" he asked, his words bordering on frantic.

"No, Alek, I'm fine," she insisted, trying to push his hands away. He kept reaching for her, clearly worried that she might be downplaying any injuries. "Really, I'm fine. Just really cold and wet."

He stopped at last and instead pulled her into a tight hug.

"I thought I had lost you," he whispered. "I thought I'd get down here and find you dead. I would have never forgiven myself."

At his words, Claire felt her heart ache. "I'm here, I'm fine," she replied, wrapping her arms around him and pulling him close.

You will lose everything

If she could have stayed in that moment forever she would have, but she knew that was not possible. She realized now that many of the things she wanted were not possible. She couldn't go back, she couldn't give Sevik what he wanted, and so she was faced with one final choice. She had to find another way -- or die trying.

As a result of their hasty, impromptu departure, Alek had not not been able to pack any supplies. As a result, he had no change of clothes to give Claire to replace her nightgown which was still damp from the rain. Rain which had finally shifted from a violent downpour to a steady, icy drizzle.

Instead he provided her with a heavy woolen blanket to ward off the worst of the chill. Alek encouraged her to get some rest, however, as the basket swayed gently beneath her, and the quiet creak of ropes offered an off tune lullaby, Claire found it impossible to sleep.

While she would have liked to blame the lingering cold, or the hunger that had begun gnawing at her stomach, neither distraction contributed to what was keeping her awake.

There was an overwhelming sense of anxiety creeping over her. The feeling had overtaken her slowly, settling like a heavy, heated ball of iron in the pit of her stomach before she realized it was even there. Sevik's final words kept repeating like a broken record in her mind causing her to fall into a distracted sort of quiet while she tried to think of what to do next.

Was he telling the truth?

As much as she would like to believe he'd been trying to scare her, she saw no reason why he would give her an option to go back if he was simply lying.

If she chose to return to her world, he gained nothing as far as she could tell. It was a gamble to hope she would betray Alek now, especially when she hadn't before.

Perhaps he thought she would tell Alek, thus forcing his hand? If that was true, it was just another reason to keep the knowledge to herself for the time being.

With a soft sigh, Claire turned her attention towards Draz. His antics on the roof had taken its toll and he had taken to the opposite corner of the basket where he had promptly fallen asleep.

Claire envied him and his ability to escape reality so easily.

After getting her settled, Alek had turned his attention to other things, namely the task of working the pedals and pulleys that helped in the navigation of the balloon.

Watching him in the soft gray light of predawn, Claire wondered what he would say when she told him, because she knew eventually she would have to tell him.

Would he insist that she go back? Would he tell her it was all nonsense and that Sevik was making it all up? Would she listen either way? The thought of leaving him, of leaving this place, brought her such a deep sense of sorrow it made her heart ache.

Almost as if he could hear her thoughts, Alek turned towards her and offered her a soft smile.

This triggered another painful thud of her heart.

It must have shown on her face, because Alek frowned.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

"Yes," Claire managed after a moment. "Just a bit tired."

"You should try to get some sleep," Alek insisted quietly.

"I'm fine, really," Claire replied. It was a lie, she was exhausted, but sleep was elusive. Just let me watch you. She wanted to say. Just let me hold onto this moment a little longer. Just a moment longer...

Alek watched her in silence, his brow wrinkling in that way it often did when he was thinking. After a moment, he slid from his perch and patted it with his hand indicating she should come and have a seat instead.

Curious, Claire adjusted the blanket around her shoulders and rose to her feet. She eyed the contraption with obvious uncertainty and this prompted Alek to grin in such a way his entire face seemed to light up. Claire took a mental snapshot and stored the memory away for later.

"It's safe, I promise," he said, extending his hand to assist her in getting into the seat.

"I trust you," she said, her eyes fixing on all the pedals, chains and pulleys. "I just don't trust myself not to bring us crashing down."

Alek chuckled. "Don't worry, Claire, you couldn't even if you tried," he reassured her. "You see that there? The green one?" He pointed towards a brass chain from which dangled a green handle. Claire nodded. "Go ahead and give it a pull."

Claire looked towards him, her surprise obvious.

His grin widened and he motioned encouragingly. "Go on, it won't bite," he promised her, placing his hand lightly on her shoulder and giving it a gentle squeeze.

"That wasn't a concern," she replied with a faint smile before reaching out and grasping the dangling handle. She looked towards him one more time, as though expecting him to suddenly change his mind -- or at the very least giving him the chance to do so. When he said nothing, and merely offered her an amused grin, Claire did as he asked and pulled.

Somewhere she heard the faint sound of clicking as a gear turned and the balloon suddenly rose higher causing Alek to stagger as the basket shifted beneath them. Claire let out a shriek of surprise, and felt a giddy sort of excitement sweep over her. From the corner where he was sleeping, Draz let out a low groan, eliciting stifled laughter from both Claire and Alek.

"Looks like we're disturbing sleeping beauty," Alek whispered.

Claire couldn't help but smile, and for a moment her concerns were pushed to the corners of her mind. She knew there was little she could do about her situation from the basket of a hot air balloon and if this was her last chance to be with Alek, she wanted to enjoy it as best she could.

"Where are we going again?" Claire asked, turning her attention back towards the horizon which was growing brighter with each passing moment. It wouldn't be long before the sun had fully risen, painting the sky in shades of pink and gold. It still wasn't bright enough to make out the landscape below, but it looked to Claire like a dark ocean stretching out for miles.

"We're going to the Winter Wood," Alek explained. He reached into the deep pocket of his long coat and pulled out the nutcracker. It was difficult to tell in the brightening darkness, but the doll now seemed more faded and worn then Claire remembered. "We're going to meet with someone who can undo the curse."

"The fairy queen, right? What did you say her name was again? Alice? Elsa?" Claire questioned, she was tired and struggled with the memory. It had only been a couple of hours, but after all they'd been through it seemed like days had passed since they'd spoken of it.

"Queen Elysia," Alek reminded her, "and yes, that is exactly who we are going to see."

"Does she know we're coming? What if we can't get in to see her?"

"I sent a missive, but I doubt it's reached her yet.. Don't worry, she'll see us," Alek replied with a nod of confidence. "Elysia wants the prince restored just as much, if not more, than the rest of us. She's the reason I got involved to start with."

"Why? Why does it matter to her whole is ruling your kingdom?" Claire asked.

"Politics, Claire," Draz replied. "The moment Nicolai took control, he severed all ties with non human races in Oria. He ended trade and barred them from crossing the borders. Lets just say, it has caused a lot of bad blood."

Claire turned her attention back to the nutcracker. Before she could say more, Draz interjected.

"You really should warn her," he offered with a Cheshire grin.

"Weren't you sleeping?" Alek asked dryly.

"Like I could sleep with you two yammering on like old biddies," Draz replied with a yawn.

"Warn me? Warn me about what?" Claire asked, glancing between the two of them.

"Well, you see, Elysia is quite unique," Draz continued, watching Alek with a smirk on his face. "I met her a few years ago, I was just passing through and happened across her. She is stunningly beautiful, nothing at all like I imagined -- wouldn't you agree, Alek?"

Claire glanced towards Alek who now stood at the railing, arms crossed, gaze fixed on the horizon.

"Well, she would certainly agree, in regards to her beauty I mean," Draz continued. "Elysia is very aware of the effect she has on people, fairy and human alike. Especially the men. Needless to say she isn't particularly fond of competition."

Competition?

Was Draz implying what she thought he was implying? While Claire had always thought of herself as pretty, she had never considered herself beautiful and highly doubted she could hold a candle to a fairy.

This Elysia had nothing to worry about in that regard.

"Just how much time did you spend in the Winter Wood, Draz?" Alek asked at last, his tone flat. "You know an awful lot for someone who was just passing through."

"You're smarter than you look, Drosselmeyer," Draz replied, hardly bothered by Alek's obvious annoyance. "I spent several weeks among the fairies, they're quite hospitable once you get to know them. Elysia is especially welcoming when she's taken a fancy to you. The whole time I was there she kept talking about some rebellion lad she just couldn't shake from her thoughts. I bet you heard all about him too, eh Alek? Lucky bastard..."

"Doesn't matter though, I kept her distracted for a time, but as much as I wanted to, I had to keep moving," Draz concluded with a wistful sigh. "That was about a year ago now. I wonder if she will remember me..."

"If you don't shut up, I'll pitch you over the side of this basket before you get the chance to find out," Alek growled. Draz looked like he was going to say more, but Claire interrupted before he could.

"I'm sure she will, Draz," Claire stated as she slipped from the seat and joined Alek by the basket's railing. "How long until we get there?" She asked as she placed a hand on his arm. He looked down at her and she offered him a smile.

"Not much longer," he sighed as he reached out to wrap his arm around her shoulders. "We'll be crossing the border soon, and it will be about an hour before we reach the heart of the forest, where the fairies reside."

She leaned into him and turned her gaze towards the sky which had grown bright enough now that she could see the darkness she had mistaken for an ocean was in actuality a sea of trees. They stretched on towards the horizon and beyond, a dark green blanket dotted with white.

It was absolutely breathtaking and unlike anything Claire had ever seen before.

"What's that?" she asked, pointing towards a shimmer-like flame in the distance.

"I don't know," Alek said with a frown. His arm fell away from her shoulders and he pushed himself away from the railing. "Draz..."

"On it," Draz replied, crouching down next to a box at his feet. He opened it up and produced what Claire recognized as a spyglass. Tucking it into his pocket, Draz grabbed one of the ropes tethering the balloon to the basket and pulled himself up. Looping his arm securely around the rope, he removed the spyglass from his pocket and extended it before bringing it to his eye.

"What do you see?" Alek called as he moved back to the controls and pulled himself up into the seat.

"I can't tell," Draz shouted back, sounding confused. "It might be a bird? I'm not sure if the sun is reflecting off of it or if..." there was a brief pause before Draz spoke again, this time his tone was one of urgency, "we need to get to the ground now."

"Why? Draz, what is it?" Alek asked impatiently.

"Because we're going to end up there regardless, I'd rather it be our choice. They're firing on us," Draz shouted as he dropped back into the basket with a heavy thud. "Why the hell are they firing on us, Alek? I thought you said you were friends with these people?"

"There's another one," Claire called out when she caught sight of another shimmering flash spiraling up into the air.

"Damn it. Alright, everyone hold on tight, try to tie yourself down if you can," Alek instructed. Claire didn't stop to question it, she simply did as he asked. She looped her arms through the holes in the empty cargo netting that lined the sides of the basket and hunkered down.

"Everyone good? Here we go," Alek said, pulling hard on a red lever attached to the side of the seat. There was a moment of silence, a moment where it seemed like everything -- including time itself -- simply stopped.

In the next instant they were plummeting towards the ground at an alarming rate.