READER'S ENTRY: The Snow Maiden (Part 5)

The Snow Maiden (Part 5)

by BLZBub

As spring started getting closer, Natasha was getting more doubtful that she’d be able to wrest Lel away from Baba Yaga’s clutches. The witch had him all but wrapped around Vasilisa’s finger and Natasha wasn’t sure what she could do to get him back. She could almost feel herself getting weaker as winter neared its close.

The worst of it was that Lel seemed to be oblivious to the depression that Natasha was sinking into. While he still treated her as a friend, he didn’t seem to notice how lackluster she had become. So when Vasilisa invited the two of them over to her house, Lel didn’t see anything wrong with the way that Natasha meekly accepted.

When Vasilisa answered the door, she was dressed in something neither Lel or Natasha had seem before. Her shirt was so thin and lacy, that nearly every detail of her upper body could be seen. It was hard to tell if she was even wearing a bra, but if she was, it must have been just as translucent. “Ah, Lel, I’ve been waiting for you,” said Vasilisa with a seductive smile as she pulled Lel into her house.

Lel started and said, “Uh, I’ve never seen you…dress this way before…”

“Oh, I was feeling a bit more frisky than usual today,” said Vasilisa, “I’m certain you won’t mind.” She briefly glanced at Natasha who was walking inside and said, “Natasha, you can go…read in one of the other rooms if you want. We can chat over tea later once Lel and I have a little alone time.” Natasha watched in shock as Vasilisa suddenly grabbed Lel’s head and made him press his lips to hers.

Natasha was stunned for a good while but then she started to feel a heat build up inside of her. It was quite unlike any kind of heat she felt before. It filled her up with a fiery energy, pushing aside all doubt and despair. She could feel herself shaking with suppressed motion and she could have sworn her vision turned red as she saw Vasilisa kissing Lel. Finally, she could contain it no longer. “That’s enough!” she shouted before grabbing Vasilisa and pulling her away from Lel. She looked the other woman straight in the eye and said, “We’re going to have that chat right now.”

Vasilisa gave her an amused look before saying, “If you insist.” She turned to Lel and said, “You don’t mind waiting while we have our talk elsewhere, do you?”

Lel looked rather stunned but he shook his head and said, “No, no, go ahead and do what you have to in private.”

Vasilisa followed Natasha into another room and asked, “And what do you want to chat about?”

“Don’t be coy, you know exactly what I want to talk about!” snapped Natasha, “I can’t stand your constant flirting and butting in one moment longer! Lel is supposed to love me, not you! I don’t want you near him anymore!”

Vasilisa’s eyes turned fiery and said, “You dare to order me around?”

Natasha hesitated. Baba Yaga has very considerable power and could easily melt if she wanted to. But the thought of Vasilisa kissing Lel gave her new resolve and she said, “Yes, I do dare. I don’t care who you are, I’m not letting anyone take Lel away from me. I’ve pined for too long and risked too much to let some old hag steal him. I’m not backing down to you any longer.”

Vasilisa’s eyes glowed and it seemed like she would burn Natasha to ashes with her stare. But then the fire faded and Vasilisa said, “It’s about time you stood up for yourself. I was wondering if you had a spine of soft snow instead of hardened ice.”

Natasha blinked and said, “I’m sorry, what?”

Vasilisa smirked and said, “Your Obstacle wasn’t about out-seducing me, it was standing up to me. You’re obviously too inexperienced to ever hope to compete with me.”

“Then…what was the point of this?” asked Natasha.

“To teach you something,” said Vasilisa, “You can’t succeed in life by being passive and friendly. Some people won’t be agreeable just because you’re nice. You need to be assertive and be willing to confront. However, not everyone will back down as easily as I am. You may have to push even harder.”

“So…does this mean I pass the trial?” asked Natasha.

“My part at lease. You shouldn’t have any more obstacles except for making sure that Lel falls in love with you. Go with him, he’ll not be thinking about me anymore,” said Vasilisa before stepping aside.

“I wouldn’t have expected the wicked Baba Yaga to be so kind,” said Natasha.

Vasilisa glared and said, “Don’t push your luck. I could change you into a duck if I change my mind.” Natasha didn’t waste any more time and walked out. Lel didn’t put up any protests to leaving. He didn’t seem to remember why they came here in the first place.

Once Vasilisa had left the picture (almost literally as Natasha didn’t see her again and Lel appeared to have forgotten about her), Natasha’s and Lel’s relationship began to bloom rapidly. The two of them began spending more and more time with each other. Everything from seeing plays to just walking in the forest, they did together. Natasha was certain that nothing was going to stand between them now. But spring was coming soon and she’ll have to make her move soon.

The first sign that spring was almost there was the rain. It was not snow, but straight rain that started washing away the ice and snow. Natasha knew it had to be now or never. She asked Lel to go with her into town for a while. Being a gentleman, he brought an umbrella to keep them both dry.

After walking down the street, Natasha eventually said, “Lel, do you think we’re close?”

“I think we’re very close,” said Lel, “Why? You think there’s something wrong?”

“Well, sort of. Do you think of me as only a friend?” asked Natasha.

“Well, yeah, certainly, a very close friend. I think I can say best friend,” said Lel.

“Well, I mean, are we more than ‘just friends’?” asked Natasha.

Lel looked at her and said, “Are you implying what I think you are?”

“Lel, I know you may know me for only a relatively short time, but do you think it’s possible you can accept me as your girlfriend?” asked Natasha with some trepidation.

Lel seemed thoughtful before he said, “Well, I have certainly thought about it a lot, but I wasn’t sure if you would want to or not.”

Natasha gripped the front of his jacket and pulled him closer to her. “How’s this for an answer?” she asked before pressing her lips to him.

The two of them stood under the umbrella and kissed for quite some time. Natasha had dreamed about kissing Lel for a long time and it was every bit as wonderful as she imagined it would be. Eventually, they pulled apart and Lel said, “I suppose we ought to go on a date now.”

Natasha rolled her eyes and said, “We’ve been on enough dates. I think it’s time to really move our relationship up a notch.”

Lel’s eyebrows shot up. “Already? You don’t want to do something more-” Natasha cut him off with another kiss. Once she let him talk again, Lel said, “Well, I guess we can do what you want.”

The rest of the day went by in a blur. The next morning, Natasha slowly woke up, feeling rather energized. She soon noticed she was in Lel’s bed and Lel was lying right next to her. It didn’t take her much effort to recall what had occurred last night. Lel hadn’t taken a lot of convincing to get more physical with their relationship. Natasha wondered if she had rushed things a bit, but it felt so good.

Not long after, Lel also woke up. He looked over at Natasha and said, “I dreamed about you last night.”

“Oh? Was it a good dream?” asked Natasha.

“Yeah, we were kids having a long fun day in the snow and…” said Lel before pausing and saying, “Wait, that did happen.”

Natasha paused in surprise. Did Lel remember her as a snow girl? “When did that happen?” she asked.

“Back when we were kids. We were always playing when it was snowing, but you weren’t so active in the summer. I think we spent our whole childhoods together until…” said Lel. Natasha waited with worry. Would it ruin her trial if Lel recalled everything. “Didn’t your parents send you away or something?” asked Lel.

“Sort of,” said Natasha, deciding to not try and correct him, “They sent me to live with my godfather so I can further my education. I spent a lot of time studying so I barely went back home.”

“Right, I only saw you a few times ever since you left,” said Lel, “Why didn’t you tell me who you were.”

“Well…I wanted to see if you could remember me on your own,” said Natasha, “And, I had a crush for you for so long that I wasn’t sure if I could speak to you. And I thought you’d think me more as a sister than anything. So perhaps if you didn’t think of me as the girl from your childhood, you’d find it easier to love me.”

“You’ve had a crush on me?” asked Lel, “For how long?”

“Almost as long as I remember. And it’s more than just a crush. Lel, I love you, I don’t know when I fell in love, but I’ve loved you for so long. I mean that stronger than friendship or anything. I should have spoken earlier, but I was always afraid that you wouldn’t feel for me the same way,” said Natasha, her heart spilling out of her mouth. She didn’t care if Lel knew her as a snow girl or a human woman, all she wanted was his love.

Lel was quiet for a while before saying, “I should have realized I loved you sooner. If I had just figured it out, we could have saved so much time. I guess I’m kinda dense, aren’t I?”

“That’s part of what makes you so charming,” said Natasha, not sure if she was believing what she was hearing or not, “Do you really mean that about loving me?”

“How’s this for an answer?” asked Lel before turning her face towards his. Natasha smiled warmly before they pressed their lips against each other.

The two of them had kissed plenty before in the last 24 hours. There were kisses of affection, kisses of passion, but this felt like more than either of those. This kiss gave Natasha real warmth, a warmth that flowed through her body, a warmth she couldn’t get enough of. This was a kiss of compassion, protection, devotion, absolution. Could this really be what true love’s kiss is like? She suppose only Mother Spring could truly verify it. But if this kiss didn’t make her melt, she doubted that the coming of spring could do anything.

Previous stories: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4

Follow ups: Part 6

READER'S ENTRY: The Snow Maiden (Part 4)

The Snow Maiden (Part 4)

by BLZBub

So far, things have been going well between Natasha and Lel. Their ‘dates’ seemed more about finding time to talk to each other, but she knew he was enjoying her company very much. He was too polite to try and claim she was his girlfriend yet, but she knew it was just a matter of time. At the rate things have been going, she’ll have won Lel’s heart long before spring.

But Natasha didn’t dedicate all of her time to winning Lel. Her parents still needed a little help with gathering wood, though Natasha thought that was a little unnecessary with all the money she had been given. She even had her own car and the knowledge to drive it. But her parents refused to leech off of Natasha’s good fortune so they continued to work as they always did and Natasha felt oblidged to help them.

As Natasha was bringing in another heavy sledge of lumber, she noted how much stronger she was now. As a snow child, she could only budge a sledge like this a bit at a time. As a woman, she was not as strong as men, but she was strong enough to make this job less burdensome. But she didn’t mind this manual labor too much, especially since she was prone to gaining and losing weight now. “Lel’s more impressed with a working woman than a housewife anyways,” she muttered to herself, “This log-hauling is more work than winning his love will be.”

“Things are rarely that easy, my dear,” croaked an ancient-sounding voice. Natasha turned around to see an old woman standing not very far away. Her clothes may have been like the village grandmothers, but there was very little motherly about her. Her huge nose was more disturbing than endearing and her eyes had a wicked gleam in them. Most alarmingly, there was a string of skulls hanging around her neck and when the old woman gave Natasha an unfriendly smile, she could see that her teeth were iron fangs.

Natasha shuddered in horror. She had heard stories about this old woman, a terrifying witch that lived deep in the old forests in a hut that stood on chicken legs within a fence made of human bones. This old crone was known to fly in a giant mortar and pestle and snatch away children for her supper. “Baba Yaga,” whispered Natasha in fear.

The hag grinned wider, showing more iron teeth. “So, my name hasn’t been forgotten in this village after all, good,” she said with a dark chuckle, “Well, snow child, I hope the old tales give you some idea of what you’re up against.”

“Why are you here?” asked Natasha.

“Isn’t it obvious? I’m your Obstacle,” said Baba Yaga, “The Gift you’ve received is too great to be with only a Price. Your trial demands an Obstacle and I was happy to volunteer for it.” Her eyes narrowed and she said, “I have a score to settle with you.”

“What could I have ever done to you? I’ve never done you any harm,” said Natasha, “I’ve never done harm to anyone.”

“That’s just it. You’re too good,” said Baba Yaga, “Such sweetness makes my teeth ache. Not to mention you’ve been such a good role model for the children of this village that they’re too well-behaved. I’m only allowed to take away naughty children and you have been cutting into my fun.” She gave a crooked smile and said, “So it’ll give me pleasure to make things harder for you to get your precious Lel.”

“You’re not going to kidnap him, are you?” asked Natasha, “Are you going to take him far away from here, east of the sun and west of the moon, and force me to come and rescue him?”

Baba Yaga snorted through her big nose and said, “Who has time for that rigmarole? But I will be taking him from you, not just the way you suggested.”

“What?” asked Natasha.

“I shall be taking your precious Lel’s heart. No, not to eat it, just winning him over. Your trial would be too easy without competition and I’m going to give you a run for your money,” said Baba Yaga.

Natasha raised an eyebrow and said, “I doubt Lel could be seduced by an ancient witch.”

“Is that what you think?” asked Baba Yaga before there was a sudden flare of magic around her.

When the flare faded, a beautiful woman was standing where the ugly hag had been. If Natasha hadn’t seen it happen, she’d never guess the two were one in the same. “I trust your Lel will find me more appealing now?” asked the young woman with a lovely voice, “I may be a few centuries out of practice, but I know how young men think.”

“Lel isn’t going to fall for your charms that easily,” said Natasha.

The young woman laughed and said, “You have much to learn, snow child. Speaking of which, if you tell Lel who I really am, you’ll be a puddle of water faster than you can say ‘snegurochka’. But you’ll have a fighting chance, our only weapons will be feminine wiles. You better pray that you can master them in time.”

The disguised witch did not waste her time. She introduced herself to Lel the next day as ‘Vasilisa’. She said she had recently moved to this town and, being an old friend of Natasha, she wondered if he could show her around. Natasha would have said that she was not her friend, but Vasilisa gave her a burning glare that made Natasha’s bones felt like they were going to melt. Natasha was going to be able get rid of her rival this easily.

To Natasha’s distress, the disguised witch was better than she had thought. Natasha had expected Vasilisa to act like an old woman, but all of her mannerisms were identical to a normal young woman’s. Apparently the old hag has been observing the changing times. Natasha had been hoping to pounce on a mistake that Vasilisa would make, but she acted no more out of the ordinary than Natasha ever did.

The worse part was that Vasilisa was genuinely charming. She had a cheerful personality and was able to keep up an interesting conversation. Lel was also obviously attracted to her beauty. She had several outfits that while they weren’t obviously seductive, they did flatter her figure without making it look like she was showing off. If it weren’t for the occasional fiery look that Vasilisa gave Natasha, she could have forgotten this young woman was really an old hag.

Vasilisa seemed to know how to flip all the right switches. She wasn’t a prissy girl who wouldn’t dare try to do any form of labor. She was willing to do some heavy lifting of her own and work until she was fairly sweaty. Natasha wondered how Baba Yaga could have known Lel well enough to know that he preferred a woman who was willing to get blisters on her hands from hard work rather than one who’d only work on getting dinner ready. But then again, Baba Yaga is a witch of no little power and obtaining such knowledge would have come easily to her.

Natasha became more worried as Vasilisa became closer to Lel. She had been trying to get Lel’s attention as well, but it seemed like whenever Lel and she were alone, Vasilisa would ‘happen’ to show up and insert herself in. Lel obviously still like Natasha, but it seemed more like a friendship than actual romance. Natasha’s worry had grown to the point that her hair was starting to lose some of its luster. What would happen if Lel actually chose Vasilisa? Would Baba Yaga get a new boy toy while Natasha would become nothing but a puddle of water to eventually dry up? Lel wouldn’t really choose Vasilisa over her, would he? What could Natasha do stop her?

Previous stories: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

Follow ups: Part 5, Part 6

READER'S ENTRY: The Snow Maiden (Part 3)

The Snow Maiden (Part 3)

by BLZBub

Natasha rode the North Wind for a long way. They sped ever northwards, to the very top of the world. They had passed by the last of the plantlife quite some time ago and the land below them was more permafrost than earth. Soon, they passed over the sea but that only last for a short while before the view below them was filled up with endless plains and hills of ice and snow. If a mortal had been riding the North Wind, they would be shivering to pieces from the plunge in temperature, not that the North Wind itself was warm on its half of the globe. But Natasha was still a snow girl, even if her substance resembled flesh more than frozen water, coldness could not bother her at all.

For a long time, Natasha didn’t see anything upon the frozen mass below, excepting the occasional polar bear or seal. But then Natasha could feel a hum in the air separate from the North Wind. They were getting close to something with a lot of magic. Then she saw something up ahead. In many ways, it was a village much like her own. Of course, its placement here at the top of the world was extremely irregular. She could even make out several pine trees though no kind of plant could possibly survive up here. She could see many people moving among the houses, though she couldn’t tell if they were adults or children. As she got nearer, she saw it was neither. They had the general appearance of adults, but the height of children. It didn’t take a lot of thought to realize they were elves.

The North Wind eventually set Natasha down in front of the largest house in the village. While Natasha was not bothered by the cold, she was able to tell how cold it was around her. Up here it should have been beyond freezing, but this village felt no colder than a pleasant winter day where the snow was not something to be dread but to play with. The North Wind circled around Natasha and then the large house before flying off again, heading off to bring cold weather where it was supposed to go.

Natasha wondered how she was going to approach the house when the door opened and someone stepped out. He could have easily been Father Frost’s twin brother, but instead of being a deep blue like thick ice, he was wearing a bright cheerful red that promised warmth and happiness. The man in red walked to Natasha and looked her up and down. “So you’re the little snow girl that my brother has brought to life,” he said in a jolly voice, “You might just be his best work yet.”

“Santa Claus?” asked Natasha.

“Who else could I be?” he asked jovially, “It’s not my original name, but everyone likes to call me that these days. Now then, the North Wind brought you up here for a reason and he barely said anything before he left. So why have you come this far?”

Natasha gulped before thinking back about Nel and her resolve became solid. She explained to Santa in great detail about how she and Nel had been together for so long but he was growing up without her. She explained that she needed Santa’s help to become a human woman so that she won’t lose him. “Because I know I’m in love with him. I don’t think I’d ever be able to fall in love again if I lost him,” she said, “If anyone can guess my wish, it would be you.”

Santa stroked his beard in thought and said, “This is no simple wish to grant. You’re already very close to being human in spirit if not in form. But to make something that was born from magic fully human, that is a rather daunting task.” When Natasha’s face fell, Santa quickly added, “But not impossible. There are ways to grant your wish, but it will take…consideration of how to go about it. You are asking for a great Gift and Gifts like these mean you have to earn them.”

“What do I have to do earn it?” asked Natasha.

“That will be the tricky part. I will need to work on that for a while,” said Santa, “But for now, you may as well enjoy the North Pole while you’re hear. Feel free to explore my little village. Once I’ve come up with an answer, I’ll call for you.”

Natasha might not have been quite a true child and there was some debate about whether she was a child at heart. But she was more than in touch with her inner child to not be able resist the change to see Santa Claus’s famous village. She spent the entire day exploring the place. She talked with the elves and even helped out a little with the decorations and the toy-making. She also got the chance to see Santa’s reindeer and they were quite receptive to her petting.

The day went by faster than Natasha would have expected. Or perhaps days were just that short up here at the North Pole. Night had fallen across the snowy land, but the sky was not dark. Above her was the legendary Northern Lights. Natasha had seen them on occasion back home, but that was a mere glimpse of their full splendor here. The way they danced and changed colors was something indescribable that mere words would not be able to properly convey.

It almost felt like it was too soon when Santa finally called for her. Natasha walked to Santa’s house with a little reluctance. If she got what she wished for, this could probably be the only time she’ll ever be up here. That just made this day even more precious to her. If she gained nothing else, she’d at least have this perfect day.

In front of Santa’s house, she saw his famous sleigh with all the reindeer rigged up. Santa was also waiting for her at the reins. “I’m guessing you won’t mind if I take you home,” said Santa casually. Natasha gasped, ride in Santa’s sleigh? Who could possibly say no? She scrambled up besides Santa and took her seat. With a crack of the reins, the reindeer started off into the sky, pulling the sleigh behind them.

Natasha wasn’t able to see the ground so well in the dark, but just riding up in Santa’s sleigh was an experience in and of itself. However, Santa wasn’t just giving her a ride back home, she had something to say to her. “Turning you into a human woman is very complicated magic, more than one spirit like myself can do alone. However, there are others who are fascinated with your story and are willing to help,” said Santa, “However, like I said, a Gift like this must be earned and sometimes a Price must be paid.”

“What do I have to do?” asked Natasha.

“You want this Gift so you can win the heart of this fellow you love, right? Well, that is basically what you’ll have to do, but it is not as simple as it sounds,” said Santa, “For starters, no one but your parents will recognize you or even remember you and you cannot tell your friend about your true origin. You must start with a clean slate and earn his love by yourself.”

“That doesn’t sound too bad,” said Natasha.

“But there are going to be Obstacles that you will have to overcome and there is a time limit,” said Santa, “Your humanity will only last as long as the rest of this winter. If you have not won your love’s heart by the time Mother Spring has come, you will melt away with the rest of the snow.” Natasha gasped and Santa gave her an apologetic look, “I’m sorry that this has to be a life or death situation, but great Gifts require great Prices. Being willing to take risks is part of being human. If you do not think you can handle it, I’ll just take you back home as you are and you can go on with your life as before.”

Natasha had begun to waver, but this last offer made her resolute. How could she go back to her old life and live in constant heartache? What good is living forever if you have to live with a broken heart? She would never forgive herself if she backed out now. “I’ll do it,” she said with determination.

Santa smiled and said, “I had a feeling you’d have a stronger will than to give up. Don’t lose your spirit and you’re sure to win.” It wasn’t long after that before they were flying over Natasha’s village. Santa set the sleigh down in front of Natasha’s house and said, “Remember, you must win him on your own, without revealing your real origin, before spring. Good luck.” With that, he took off and there was a large flurry of snow around Natasha.

As the wind died down, Natasha became of a sensation she had never truly felt before: cold. She was not incapable of feeling cold, but cold for her had always felt pleasant. This was…not comforting for her. Was she human now? She looked down at herself and saw a very different body. She was dressed in black so she wasn’t able to fully make out the details of her new body. But she was certainly taller than she had been before and of a pleasing slender build at least. Natasha also had a pair of purses in one hand and she looked inside of them. There was quite a lot of money and credit cards in there, presumably enough to get her through the winter.

Natasha walked back to her house, taking it slowly as she adjust to her new height and her new shoes. When her parents answered the door, they saw a face that was strange yet familiar to them. It didn’t take Natasha long to convince them who she was. Her parents were surprised she would risk her existence for this, but they loved Natasha as much as if she truly were their daughter. While they couldn’t help directly with her winning Lel’s heart, they could at least give her some advice to start out with.

It was rather bizarre when Natasha went to her room. She definitely had an attractive adult body and she had a sensitivity she never had before. Now she actually craved warmness instead of trying to stay as cold as possible. Fortunately, her room had been refurnished so it wouldn’t stay cold and she had plenty of new clothes for keeping warm. She wasn’t going to allow herself to freeze before she won Lel.

The next day, Natasha decided to do some shopping in the next town. She wanted to make sure she had enough clothes that will impress Lel when he eventually met her. “Hey, I don’t think I’ve seen you around before.” Natasha jumped and turned around. She had not been expecting Lel to be here this day. She felt more flustered than ever now that she had a woman’s body.

“Uh…I’ve been around for quite a while,” she said a bit shakily.

“No, I would have remembered someone like you,” said Lel, “Where do you live?” When Natasha told him her home address, he frowned a bit and said, “Huh, I thought those two didn’t have children. I would have remembered.”

“Well, I’ve been away for quite a long while. My name’s Natasha,” she said.

“Lel, hard to believe we haven’t met already,” said Lel. Natasha sighed, he really didn’t remember him then. Well, she’ll get him to know her soon enough.

Fortunately, Natasha’s memories of Lel hadn’t faded, though she couldn’t say them right now. But she was aware of many of his likes and dislikes which she happened to share. It was simple for her to start a conversation regarding that and the two of them talked for quite some time. Eventually, Lel said, “Say, I don’t just say this to every girl I meet, but you want to go get some coffee?”

“Well, it is pretty cold today, colder than I would have expected,” said Natasha.

Natasha had stayed away from coffee before, it being too warm for her liking. But now it tasted so delightful to her tongue. There were quite a few things she had been missing out on for years. Keeping up the conversation with Lel had been easy so far. He seemed to be really enchanted with her, though she couldn’t tell if it was love or not. Perhaps not yet, he barely knew her right now.

But Lel has been showing some signs, like the way he paid for her drink, the way he allowed her to hold his hand as he walked her back to her car, the looks he’s been giving when he thought she wasn’t looking. He was interested, surely, but there was no guarantee it was true love yet. But Natasha was patient. She had been waiting years to get Lel’s attention and she could afford to wait a little longer.

Previous stories: Part 1, Part 2

Follow ups: Part 4, Part 5, Part 6

READER'S ENTRY: The Snow Maiden (Part 2)

The Snow Maiden (Part 2)

by BLZBub

Natasha was a welcome member in the little household. She brought much joy to her new parents’ lives and was helpful around the house. Her small body was not very useful for hauling big sledges of lumber, but she was willing to help with that she could do.

Of course, Natasha didn’t just spend all her time with her parents. She spent quite a bit of time in the village. There was no secret about where she came from, but she was so enchanting that nobody really cared that she was magical in nature. She often went to the neighbors to see if they needed help around, but mostly she went to play with the other children. Natasha was a lot of fun to have outside because she knew the snow so well. She could play a lot longer than the other kids as she never felt cold.

Fortunately for Natasha, Russia is not a land with hot summers, though too much warmth did make her feel very uncomfortable. She preferred staying inside during the warmer months, but she still was able to play with the village children. She tired a bit more easily with the summer sun in the sky, but there were still plenty of quieter games she could participate in.

The years rolled by, winter coming and going. The passing of time caused everything to change except Natasha. Just as her innermost core was ice, so she was too frozen in time. The children of the village soon outgrew her and wanted to focus on more serious matters than games. But that did not upset Natasha as there were more children being born and they eventually grew big enough to play with her. For a long time, she was quite content with her agelessness.

But over time, Natasha started to take more interest in one particular friend of hers. Lel had been a close friend of hers ever since she was first formed from the snow and given life. They had played together in cold and warm weather. They had helped each other out with the chores their respective parents gave them. The two were as close as friends could be. But while Natasha remained the same, Lel slowly changed with the seasons. By now he was fully grown and not so interested in childish games. That wasn’t to say that Lel and Natasha weren’t still close, but there was a noticeable gap between them now.

But even as Lel became more of a man, Natasha still felt the close bond with him. But over time, she noticed her feelings regarding Lel were starting to shift. She was paying more attention to how handsome and strong he was becoming. She felt little spurts of jealousy when she saw him talking to the other girls who were also growing up. The only love she’s ever felt was for her parents and her Godfather Frost. For a while, she thought her feelings for Lel were growing into the same kind of love. But one day, she saw him with an arm around a pretty girl and she felt such heartache as she never knew. It was then she realized that she didn’t just love Lel like a brother, she had fallen in love with him.

With that realization came the desire to impress Lel. Natasha allowed her hair to grow out extra long and she put on her best coat. She wore a newer hat and even put on a little bit of makeup to make herself look older. She tried acting casual around Lel, hoping that he’d notice her new look by himself, but he didn’t seem to notice very much.

Natasha tried acting a little like the older girls, though the results were unimpressive. She merely looked like a little girl who was playing dress up that way.

Natasha then decided to be more energetic, doing some flips, cartwheels, and other things so that no one would be unable to not notice her.

Eventually, she did get Lel’s attention for a little while, but when she asked his opinion about his appearance, he only said “You look cute.” ‘Cute’ was not the term that Natasha was looking for. It was definitely not cute as could be described to the grown-up girls, but the cute that you applied to little sisters. It became clear to Natasha that she won’t be able to win anything more than brotherly affection from Lel as long as she looked the way she was. There was only way he could win Lel’s heart, she had to become a human woman.

Natasha sought out Father Frost, or as she mostly commonly called him Godfather Frost. Father Frost had always kept an eye on Natasha. There were plenty of times where he took her further north during the summer, to where the snow never melts. Father Frost usually had the answer for when Natasha had doubts regarding her icy nature, but this time, he appeared to be stumped.

Father Frost stroked his long white beard in thought, which caused snowflakes to fall from it. “Become a human woman?” he questioned, “Why would you want to do that? You have eternal youth, the ability to live long with little food, immunity to coldness. There are plenty of mortals who pay a great price to have these. What could make you want to become mortal and give these up?”

“Because I’ve fallen in love,” said Natasha, “Lel means more to me than a friend. I want him to love me the same way I love him.”

“Ah, love, I might have known,” said Father Frost, “You should know that love is not as pleasant as it sounds. Love can fade with age and losing it can cause the worst kind of pain. You should not be throwing so much away for mere affection.”

“It is not just affection,” said Natasha, “I’ve known Lel all my life. We’re as close as can be but the gap between us keeps getting further and further apart. He will grow old while I am still a child and that’s all he will see me as, not someone who he can truly fall in love with. I can’t stand the idea of him growing old without me. Everyone ages and dies but I’ll be left behind. Even my parents will eventually die and what would I have left after them? I’m not even certain if I have a soul, but I know I have a heart, even if it’s made out of ice and it threatens to break into a hundred pieces if I lose Lel.”

Father Frost gave Natasha a look of admiration. “Your heart may have been formed of ice, but it holds a warmth as strong as any human’s. Most beings of snow would have melted away from such inner warmth, but you are still whole in spite of that. If you were not born with a soul, you must have earned one by now.” He gave a small sigh and said, “I can bring snow and ice to life, I can make them appear to almost perfectly flesh and blood, but I do not have the power to make more than that.” Natasha looked crestfallen before Father Frost said, “But I do know someone who might be able to.”

“Really? Who is it?” asked Natasha eagerly.

“My brother who lives way, way, North from here, behind the North Wind in fact,” said Father Frost. He and Natasha gave a small chuckle at that. The North Wind was Father Frost’s messenger and helper, who was more of a blowhard than his grand title suggested. “In several ways, we are alike as we are both winter spirits who help mortals make it through the hard season. But while I make the weather more livable, he brings joy and peace that allows their hearts to endure through the coldness. You may have heard of him. He has adopted the moniker of Saint Nicholas, though in recent times he is commonly called Santa Claus.”

“But how am I to get that far north?” asked Natasha.

“That is simple enough. The North Wind shall take you there,” said Father Frost. The air around them started to rush as it became colder, not that either of them minded.

Natasha soon found herself being lifted up higher and higher. She may appear to be flying, but she was really riding on the back of the North Wind. She started flying northwards, far beyond the village. She turned back and called, “Goodbye Godfather, tell my parents not to worry!”

Father Frost waved at Natasha as she got further and further away. “Good luck to you! Never let your inner warmth go cold!” he called before the North Wind flew Natasha out of sight.

Previous story: Part 1

Follow ups: Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6

READER'S ENTRY: The Snow Maiden (Part 1)

The Snow Maiden (Part 1)

by BLZBub

Once upon a time, in the cold land of Russia, there lived an old man and woman. The two of them loved each other with all their hearts and did not mind living in a small house or growing so old. They made a decent living by selling wood for burning in stoves or to make furniture. Their house was built within a forest where there were many trees that could be chopped for fuel and lumber, though it was easier to find the trees that had already fallen with old age and cut them to pieces.

There was only one sadness in the woodcutters’ life: they had no children. They had tried repeatedly, but they remained childless until they had grown old enough that there was no point in trying. The nearby village had plenty of children and the woodcutters were known as those who gave baked cookies and whittled toys out during the cold months. But though seeing the children of village happy brightened the old couple’s days, they still fell the ache and loneliness at night.

One day, a thick blanket of snow fell over the countryside. The snow went up to the top of their ankles, but that didn’t keep anyone from going outside. The old woodcutters had to bring in plenty of firewood as it was sure to be cold for a long while. Fortunately, one of the older trees nearby had decided to fall and the two of them had little trouble with gathering up enough firewood. They went around the village, dragging a small sledge with their firewood on it. They barely made it to the center of the village before everyone was coming for some firewood. The sledge was soon bare which made it easy for the woodcutters to go back for more.

After their third trip into town, the old couple were starting to get tired so they headed back home. They had already sold enough wood and there was wood back home that they needed to put in their own stove. As they were walking out of town, the woman looked at the children playing in the snow with a wistful look. “Darling, when was the last time that we played in the snow?” she asked.

“Oh, quite a few years I’d say,” said the old man.

“Let’s have a little fun. There’s time enough to enjoy this winter blessing before sunset,” said the old woman. The old man was reluctant at first, but eventually his wife cajoled him into joining her. That day was more fun than either of them could think to remember. Their sledge went down the snowy hills as well as the children’s sleds and the snow was of the perfect consistency to both be sliding on and for packing together. The old couple had a lot of fun throwing snowballs at each other.

Some time later, the two of them decided to make a snowman. They piled up snow and started patting it into shape. But after a while, their design started to deviate from the simpler roly-poly snowmen the village children were making. They made their sculpture thinner, less shapeless, almost feminine. They accentuated it by giving their sculpture details like it was wearing a fur coat and hat. Using a few small twigs, they gave their creation the simple outlines of a mouth, eyes, and eyebrows. When the old couple had finished, they were looking at a snow sculpture that could easily be interpreted as a young girl.

“If only making a real child were as simple as that,” said the old woman sadly.

“We’ve done all that we could,” said her husband, “I guess Fate has decided it would be just the two of us.”

His wife sighed before saying, “You know, I wouldn’t mind having any kind of child. I’d even take this little snow girl for our daughter if she were alive.”

“She would be a good daughter, but she is just shaped snow,” said the old man sadly. The two of them headed back to their home, the fun of winter having gone out of them.

Some time after the old couple had left, a strange figure stepped across the snowy field. Most people wouldn’t be able to see this old man in his blue coat and his tall hat, his beard and staff just as white as the snow on which he tread. Those who could see him would quickly recognize him as Father Frost, an ancient spirit of winter. Father Frost had power over snow, ice, and all forms of coldness, but he was much kinder than such descriptions would suggest. He was the one who guided winter and make it not too cold for life to not survive. There were frost giants, trolls, and other evil spirits of ice who would try to freeze all life, but Father Frost made sure their power could not extend beyond winter.

Father Frost had seen the old woodcutters go into the forest for many years. They were respectful woodcutters, never taking more than they needed and trying to do the least damage to the forest while doing so. Father Frost was not in charge of trees directly, but it pleased him that mortals were trying to keep in tune with nature. He had been watching the village that day, gladdened that the humans were gracious about the snow and not complaining as so many were wont to.

He had also been observing the old couple and could see that their love of winter was still strong after so many years. He watched them build their snow girl and heard their desire for a daughter of their own, even if it was this facsimile of a girl. Father Frost felt pity for them and decided that these woodcutters, who had been so kind and generous to others, deserved their own gift.

He walked up to the snow girl and looked her over. She was well-made for something made by mortal hands, but he could do so much more with her. He waved his staff over the snow girl and said in a commanding voice, “Born of snow and wood, live as flesh and blood.” A bright light came from his staff and struck the snow girl who immediately started changing. The snow on most of the surface changed into white fur as the coat and hat became real. The small twigs that outlined the girl’s face sank deeper before actual orifices formed. The details became a lot more defined, with hair appearing around her head. Then color began travelling over her face as snow became flesh and hair. A warmth passed through the sculpture, turning what was originally packed snow into a living body.

When the light faded, the snow girl was now a real girl. She had skin as pale as the snow, eyes as blue as the winter sky, and hair of the lightest gold. She blinked and said with surprise, “I’m…I’m alive.”

“Yes, and your parents are waiting for you,” said Father Frost. He took the girl’s hand and led her to the woodcutter’s house. Along the way, he explained more about her new life. She was flesh and blood now, but she was still a creature of ice and snow at her core. She would not melt, but heat is far more uncomfortable to her than to real humans and could potentially kill her. Her hair could grow and be cut, though the cut hair will always turn into snow, but her body will not age. She will require not as much food to eat, but she will need to drink plenty of water. Other than that, she was, for all concerns, an ordinary little girl.

When Father Frost knocked upon the old couple’s door, they were quite surprised to see him. They had thought he was only a legend, but he was as real as the girl he has brought to them. The couple were amazed that their wish had been granted and were grateful to finally have a child of their own, even if she was one who was originally snow. They named her ‘Natasha’ and they promised to take care of her for as long as they lived.


Follow ups: Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6

READER'S ENTRY: The 12 Gifts of Christmas

The 12 Gifts of Christmas

by BLZBub

Choose your box:

Part 1, Part 2

Part 1, Part 2

Part 1, Part 2

Part 1, Part 2

Part 1, Part 2

Part 1, Part 2

Part 1, Part 2

Part 1, Part 2

Part 1, Part 2

Part 1, Part 2

Part 1, Part 2

Part 1, Part 2