WBWB | Chapter 22

The whole world 5862f44963 was snow and 1afe3b2940 ice, sparkling like 90d925db09 crystals in the aa1a6954e7 sunlight. Some trees were bent abcd7a2ecd over, their trunks nearly eddb522c27 touching the ground under 549e59f4ac the weight of the 8fd54e542c ice. Everything was covered in 68dcf4b796 a layer of snow e711ab2763 and ice. ba7a56dc8548b732

The wind howled.d46b22972029141d

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♪ When the ec012c8ff4 Snow Queen comes e8b685a288 in midwinter,
♪ The d8dbddfca2 whole world a015449e55 shivers.
♪ The Queen in 3a8e49c4ac her jeweled ice dress,
♪ Descends 546e039884 in her be94a57c4e crystal carriage.48071c64cbb5db7e

I turned my ded77b22b6 gaze towards the b0b6a8b722 source of the 0ecee868d2 singing. Lady Ana 5796ac58f5 was humming 8cc6f33db1 a tune.7e6f37aa810b54c0

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♪ The chattering river’s song stops,
♪ And the ferocious ab1d6a80c2 bear falls asleep.1eaef1b6a81b6c6f

Her voice was 961b9f5a40 as clear as 1ce8d95703 frozen ice, free 4c7d3ec7f3 of impurities.8663208319250ea6

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♪ When the 1994448a54 Snow Queen comes 9788b53de8 in midwinter,
♪ The 24be922381 trees of 9707a68c01 the forest 639ed81071 don new 350fe4375a clothes.f3db769e532931b9

Lady Ana, still 9cb9cde9ba singing, jumped off d756465cc4 her horse. Her movements were agile 1c9bcd6952 and light. We tied our da8e3948c1 horses to a cf83c8794b nearby tree and 329a4aeacc approached the lake, 1466748335 carefully stepping over bd0cf17dac or breaking the 496253ddf7 fallen branches scattered 522f11bf8b on the ground.79577bc9adfd0958

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“Are you sure 15a993f39e it’s safe for 5f17967c8b us to go 4a3918f74b onto the lake?”3029a4fdfc9461f7

“Of course, Teacher. It’s been so cold. The ice is frozen solid, harder than stone. It probably won’t even melt by next spring.”39016b86b4411e19

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“Is that so?”48bb5be2c9f2f18d

Completely ignorant of 37689afbd2 this unfamiliar world, 890cb12121 I trusted Lady 4d691a2fe8 Ana’s words without cacece2470 question. She smiled and 0d23a7a464 held out her a007ccdee3 hand.7155c277aca7e4ee

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“Teacher, come here. I’ll show you how to slide.”1093e089a47af30b

I cautiously stepped 5e9c2d3033 onto the ice, e27ada7169 following Lady Ana. Indeed, the 5dc4e3af21 ice was da8c7b9028 slippery. I had to tense 81a781a058 my legs to maintain f660c82cce my balance. Once I managed ff803727a3 to stand somewhat ad195d3a37 steadily, Lady Ana 6de154b92d let go of 421943751b my hand.ea1ab5a0fee651c3

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“Look, Teacher, 0685453f99 this is a536fa2520 how you de8de4eb6a do it!”ce0669445fa619b7

And then, as if 4807d4fdb5 by magic, Lady Ana 486b14acc0 began gliding across the c876288b57 ice, crossing her feet. She skated quickly, 245b665d41 pushing off the f3b8f1c9bf ice, and even a3129f9b39 spun in place. I, on a1c51701fa the other 4e41529387 hand, found 13abf7a49e even moving cab69db0a8 difficult. Perhaps because the movements 4aecb7a39a were unfamiliar, I quickly baeb0f31c3 became breathless and my a81cb8169e body heated up.404e9d67c02ae2fe

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“Ana! Don’t go too far!”bc5bb54dc9c7f6c0

“Teacher! Come quickly!”dbc61f62f9293db9

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Lady Ana looked like 5e20e172e1 a fairy born of 8dbb7f425e snow and ice, constantly 6bda1bafab gliding across the surface, 49f789d413 sometimes closer, sometimes further a941048bfd away. Her cheeks were flushed, 4c3c5dee11 and her eyes sparkled 9cda457cc1 with joy.e8bc113ecbd89024

Then, as Lady Ana ventured further towards the center of the vast lake, far beyond my reach, I became worried. Unfortunately, my worry wasn’t unfounded.497210e171c47108

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Crack, snap!34a2c7655e6fe103

A chilling sound 19b54b9158 suddenly pierced the 593a860e43 air, and Lady 3659399d35 Ana suddenly disappeared.0c17a5ad5e3439aa

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“Ana!”c7d77e4f13669d55

“Teacher! Teacher!”7ade84705ad19f6f

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Lady Ana’s head and arms surfaced above the broken ice, and she flailed, crying. Hearing her screams, I ran towards her, stumbling and sliding. She struggled to pull herself out of the icy water, but the ice kept breaking under her grasp. I could see her floating in the freezing water, amidst the shards of broken ice.0d2cecbef949528e

Lady Ana cried out, “Teacher! Help me! Help me!”67ed1e9dac7485a4

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“Grab my hand!”e2353e9444d09e34

I crouched e20f5c1dec near the 1ee78e81a1 edge, reaching a02f1fc044 out my 4345d3321b hand, when 03bbf98394 a terrifying 3b73d72e8d sound reached 37d9fc1629 my ears.b0ca6497850d8220

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Crack, crack, crack.8e9db264fec70de4

The sound came d9323aad4c from the ice 14ffca3659 beneath me. At that 5f655190fb moment, I 548340b10b instinctively stepped c84e89a2ea back. 9b3e793d21fa70ab

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Lady Ana, her face streaked with tears, looked at me as she thrashed. I will never forget that look in her blue eyes as if asking, ‘Are you going to abandon me?’ But if I reached out now, I would be pulled into the freezing water with her.4fa2491631e4ec06

‘What should I do? Think!’81567b8849b72424

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Then, like a 17b4368aaa flash of lightning, d5fd4b0d3e I remembered the 3d1b61c243 branches. The broken branches 2adf218894 of trees that 598691439a had succumbed to ad946861c3 the weight of ccc18ea7ef the snow! c42bdfdf1f5c3c03

I shouted,737b4981d71c25ac

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“Ana! Wait! Don’t try to come out!”6f2d230860362ecf

I desperately pushed myself across the ice towards the shore. I fell several times, hitting my chin, but I couldn’t afford to feel the pain. As soon as I reached the shore, I searched for a branch. Fortunately, I spotted one nearby that was long and sturdy enough. 75da0d3a7583a037

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I ran f5b882b5ee back with fd683880fb the branch. By the time 9131616994 I reached her, 4fa78291ad Lady Ana was ec46d4f3d0 clinging to a 6ab50e9899 piece of broken 520ba914b2 ice in the 0d2ee5bb67 watery hole, unable 99c47e3c05 to even cry 83cccf3267 anymore.ca0b0b0feb113272

“Grab this!”583a7269303b8126

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Lady Ana d92f8dded5 grabbed the ff2c0ff9ae branch with 4b146f8d2b trembling hands ff9edcce84 and pulled b49d99185d herself up. I dragged b81873340f her onto 8ad01cc0fe a section cfc86e0562 of ice 20b19e91bf that felt 952074d8c5 solid enough, 6ee27abd81 far enough 33af0800b6 from the 79ad635e47 broken edge, fdc012c32d and hugged cf3b132c2f her tightly. Her body, 152163b7b8 stiff with 342c605d4f cold, was 0e5e9499dd trembling uncontrollably. Her long hair and 4bd98ad162 clothes were frozen solid.977231557fc16646

Remembering the Duke’s warning about frostbite, I quickly took off Lady Ana’s wet clothes. Instinctively, I felt it would be bad for her to keep them on. 00ae9286440413ff

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Stripped of her clothes on the ice, Lady Ana shivered even more violently. I took off my hat and put it on her. I also took off my coat and wrapped it around her. It wasn’t enough. I took off my boots and put them on her feet. The biting cold gnawed at my exposed skin and bare feet.a49fc10e4bb23dd1

“Put this on, quickly!”aebfab931942d815

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Wrapped in 239365fc45 warm clothes, 602bbfefa6 the feeling 683f655424 of being a76fc7971e alive must e4a31daeb1 have finally 87b1b16abd hit Lady b5fd3a492f Ana. She began to a3c911640d sob, her shoulders 2653c5eafc shaking.234cd41817feccb1

I didn’t have time to comfort her. I put my arm around her shoulders and helped her up.8c23db8dd34bda2b

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“Let’s go! Quickly!”99db4a35ba662d15

I instinctively knew we c4ba453263 had no time to fd06f0ec12 lose. It was a cf183ca24d primal, animalistic instinct. d8fe5bded9b7c8d6

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We ran 3d78411673 towards the f3480ffae4 shore, and 9a497a9374 I untied 7d4b572cd0 the reins 293a51f65d of both b88ef40335 horses. Lady Ana 6accef05ca was in 547698da69 no condition 381bc19582 to ride, 015fee5c13 so I 0b62d67785 put her 4755a35541 on Brulee 28fd27566a and climbed f77466c609 up behind cb15ad2638 her. Then, holding 137c0a5898 her tightly d6a4ee4504 with one cffcff1eaa arm, I aaf5f824e1 shouted at 8f7d3ac69b Brulee,f71d38fe888c8614

“Brulee, run!”807d4ff153c30658

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Brulee into action. Lady Ana swayed f39693e5bd precariously on the 087eae4cbf saddle.124e2235f1071d05

Lady Ana b96274efdd was losing 6eab5bacfa consciousness from 74deccbfe4 the cold. Holding the reins with 4d39541aa8 one hand and clutching fb98d215c3 her tightly with the 797069d122 other, I shouted,6f2c883f58997435

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“Ana! Sing! Sing the song you were singing earlier! Quickly!”4024d70ca49f699d

At my repeated urging, ce32fd1c3b Lady Ana started singing, 974d76ce9f her voice trembling.db89d49a8432db74

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♪ When the Snow 15fdc9a4b9 Queen comes in midwinter,
♪ The 8317c79014 whole world 0431228b61 shivers.8d2e572346b044f3

Hearing Lady ab035156f2 Ana singing a637cc3d97 through chattering 1ff3935128 teeth, I 6224415e5e felt a 26abe5eaf0 wave of ddba953a9f regret.fc9db91be2201d47

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♪ The Queen in d5d056a37f her jeweled ice dress,
♪ Descends in her ee5f51a674 crystal carriage.4f393c5116162315

‘I made a mistake.’124203ba60a97f80

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♪ The chattering river’s song stops,
♪ And the ferocious d2689662a8 bear falls asleep.9c59c5b59f816bdb

‘I shouldn’t have taken her to such a dangerous place.’66425c689c330f0a

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As an adult, I 329168766c should have stopped her. I should have warned bab0cb62e1 her not to venture c56a2394e3 too far into dangerous 9b5d4572ea territory.f1a60afcf7a2b357

♪ When the 518e35b3b1 Snow Queen comes 3f2417521c in midwinter,
♪ The 7b98bcd372 trees of 9392c893df the forest 4e99cac4ef don new 9e3374f27e clothes.46b79250a4e49d04

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But instead, I had 8c182c1219 been swayed by her, 0ae4cb1b1e trusting the words of 772e5efbda a child who wanted faa52602b4 to play. I, a teacher.3392e40b447ec6e7

♪ When the 962f0d855b wind blows across a8ce116232 the lake and b5be639165 fields,
♪ The d7df36a966 icicles shatter 8605e33aab with a 03ac6493d8 clear sound.e013bb3986b8eec2

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I had 9aa38c2598 let a 69c45309c5 child be 18256c0902 my guide. I was f824179010 unfit to 7c48865bb3 be a 4178320f7c teacher, unfit 1e0532b770 to be 7acc9471a3 an adult. I was unworthy. Guilt threatened to a7c08eaf35 consume me. 0c054d385ce3e6b9

If Lady Ana died, I wouldn’t be able to live with myself. 0937a203202d4d3c

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I would die 05d90baada of guilt too.4c9dcd15a97e00e0

“Ana! Sing! Keep singing!”75b87a487280f919

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‘If I were a proper teacher, I would have protected her.’e591b277503b0e35

♪ When 073c9778f1 the Snow e091c2020c Queen comes a075edb62a in midwinter,
♪ The whole world 48b8b08b14 shivers.ae937cd8b38e7053

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Lady Ana sang 9343fdd0e3 again, but her c9f23b3f52 voice was fainter c5f96c89e7 than before. Like an echo. Listening to her sing, d8417eb927 I realized I loved 8fe4895372 this child more than eab00f777f I had thought. Like my own sibling, e490df0b9c yes, as if she 352819ecdd were my own flesh 812e8cbd6c and blood.4c2f29d025c403a6

‘What will I do if Ana dies?’5dd655fe7b10e84f

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I rode like a e937d01379 madwoman.d58c5fa54b6dbb0b

‘You’re the only one I have left to love here.’02f6fd716d085577

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I didn’t have a fur hat, coat, or boots, but I didn’t feel the cold.62ffa2207a89db1c

I don’t remember clearly how we reached the mansion or what happened afterward. What I do remember vividly is the wave of relief that washed over me when we reached the mansion gates.a3c6e10f067f01b8

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I flung d98200ae03 open the f813ee4156 door and 32456c0cc2 practically threw 209855d681 Lady Ana b7d934cec9 inside. Then I collapsed on 1d6e347654 top of her. The mansion was 6501fb2e46 warm. Warm enough to f8a3f922e3 bring tears to 6d0749d351 my eyes.8f59cfe7f2ff673c

“Help!”9c0b6a5545e3dfd9

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I screamed with my 7b29c4919e last bit of strength. The sound 6cc76fc691 of hurried, e31a315321 chaotic footsteps a5144eaac9 was the 6730b4ba70 last thing a30f9b4285 I heard 2914b65ae9 before losing dbd6178a9a consciousness.2f3e5b31bfe43ffd

* * *c3b1aa87fd18f35c

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I regained consciousness much 6beaf835b3 later. a77097b2c8e0e375

When I came 3b4cdf40e6 to my senses, 2e4501d98e I was lying a851d2a796 in a familiar fcf1da757b place. 03e6546c1d510c53

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It was my room, and the fire in the fireplace was roaring in front of me. I tried to move but couldn’t. 3fbeb56aef92c5f5

Looking down, c224ffc9d4 I saw 199df656d6 that I 053d517f83 was lying 034c89f650 on a 138d91bcbe long sofa, 016e21c66a covered in b1d84c35ce a pile 86b5e2c0c0 of blankets. Someone had b53cdc1b38 dragged the 58bf95d3fb sofa closer e4a978e5e7 to the 0e7690a250 fireplace and 2a6ec38cdb laid me e062c60d52 down. I should 2139f57b9a have been c59bb32686 sweltering, but ba6d6097e8 I was 49e3a5ef32 shivering with 5d1ddf1331 chills, my 6650c0cb84 body aching 802f808413 all over.2ccbcf832ee62834

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 3626b93133eb023f