Page 7 of Protected

"Yes, Princess. Imagine the rest of your guard." I had no choice but to reveal who they were. If the Land of Animals didn't already know who they were battling, they would now. "The Sugar Plum and Dew Drop Princes, and the Gingerbread Viking are waiting for you. Go quickly through the tree and into their care. Save the Realm."

I jumped off the table and shoved her toward the tree. She needed only to touch even one needle for the portal to open for her and take her to her true home.

"Not as long as I am under the command of the Mouse Queen." Steely white light flashed in Konig's eyes and he charged toward me with an animalistic war cry piercing the air and my very heart. He threw his sword like a long dagger, spinning end over end, directly at the tree.

He would destroy the portal, trapping us all here. It had taken help from a powerful magician to get me through the veil before the portal opened and the spell wouldn't work in reverse. I couldn't allow that to happen.

I threw myself in the path of the projectile, hoping I wouldn't have to sacrifice my life to get the Princess back to the Winter Realm. I so wanted to be there to support her through the trials she would have to overcome to reclaim the seven crowns.

A flash of red whooshed in front of my eyes, my heart stopped, and the world slowed as if frozen on a cold winter's night. Instead of the ripping of flesh or wood, the sword tore through the billowing skirt of Princess Clara's dress, and she flung herself right in its path.

The sword clattered to the ground, the sound restarting my heart. Clara shook her skirts and spun."Well, that's one way to get pockets in a ball gown."

The Mouse Prince was still advancing toward us, that icy look in his eyes. The mice that had been scattered to the far corners of the room, stampeded, surrounding us on three sides. But Konig had made a critical error. There was nothing standing between us and the portal to the Winter Realm.

"Go, Princess Clara, go, go, go." I grabbed her hand and pushed her into the tree. I stepped into the magic with her and set my intention on the Land of Snowflakes and the waiting guards. Just as the lights and scent of the tree overwhelmed my senses, the tip of the Mouse Prince's sword slashed at my broken arm, tearing a gash from shoulder to elbow, then continued on and ripped open my leg.

The pain seared right through my intention and the portal swirled and spun us not knowing where we wanted to go. Clara screamed and her hand was wrenched from mine. A moment later, I fell, bloodied, and battered into the soft snow surrounded by a huge forest of Christmas trees as far as the eye could see.

"Nutcracker? Are you okay? Oh God. You're bleeding. Help. Someone help us, please." She shouted into the night, but there was no answer.

Stranded in the Christmas Tree Forest

ClaraMarie

My words echoed through the crisp and chilly night air. The Nutcracker and I were very clearly the only people in this entire forest of sparkling Christmas trees. There must've been someone here at some point to have decorated them with lights and shiny stars. So where were they all now?

I was so over this dream spurred on by Drosselmeyer's fairy stories from my youth. I wish he hasn't reminded me about them today.

The whole bit about two incredibly good-looking men fighting over me was fun. But when the rodents showed up and the Nutcracker threw himself in front of the deadly flying sword, I was ready to wake up. I did not remember any of Drosselmeyer's stories with horrible creepy mice. Yech.

I must have left a window open in my room where I was fast asleep, because I was really feeling as if I were standing around in this winter wonderland. But there would be no arm rubbing or jumping jacks to get my blood flowing as long as the nutcracker's blood was spilling into the snow. I didn't want to dislike the delicious warrior who'd been fighting to kidnap me, but it turned out he was the bad guy in this dream scenario.

Why were the hot ones always the most evil?

"Nutcracker, wake up." What had the other warrior called him? Right. "Nuss, can you hear me? Please don't be dead."

I looked around again, hoping against hope that a Red Cross unit dressed up as Santas might come dashing through the snow. No such luck. What I did see were little yellow eyes peering at me from the nearest trees. Not just one pair, or two, but the longer I looked, the more I saw.

Eek. There were some kind of animals starting at us. I hoped they weren't scavengers or carnivores who came running to the scent of blood. The Nutcracker had lost his sword and I had nothing more than some hairpins to defend us against them with.

"Shoo. Go away. I don't have the time or energy for you. Shoo, shoo." I waved my hands at them and for a moment, the eyes disappeared, and I thought they'd gone away.

Wrong. They little beasties or whatever they were just dropped down from the branches they were hiding in, to the ground. Some were even venturing into the snow. It was too dark, even with the lights on the trees for me to see what they were, but the way they slowly crept toward us, didn't feel safe.

I balled up some of the snow around us and made myself a quick pile of snowballs. I had fairly good aim and a great arm. If I had to, I'd at least surprise them, and at best scare them off. "Don't you come any closer."

How I wished I had a fire. That would keep them away, and warm us up. Nuss groaned and I took my eyes off the little buggers for just a moment to check on him. Thank goodness he wasn't dead. I gave him a gentle shake on the shoulder to see if I could rouse him, but he only made a pained noise.

I was on my own, taking care of someone else. Not like I hadn't felt like that before. When I looked up, the creatures were closer and had surrounded us. They were small and I cringed at the thought that they could be more mice. Ugh.

These snowballs had better work. I picked one up and cocked my arm back, ready to let loose. What would be even better is if I could just freaking wake up. I'd had darker and scarier nightmares than this and I'd woken up in a fright. Why couldn't that happen right now?

I pinched the sensitive underside of my arm held aloft because I'd read that people did that to wake themselves up. Didn't do anything but make my arm hurt.

Shoot. What else could I do to get out of this? Oh, I'd also read that people who realized they were dreaming could then manipulate the dreamworld around them. Turn a nightmare into a lark. That sounded silly. I hadn't been able to control anything else since Nuss appeared to me in my sleep. Although, it's not like I had lots of other options.

Okay, think positive. They aren't little monsters with mouths full of sharp teeth who want to eat us. They are... uh... bunnies. Soft fluffy bunnies. I narrowed my eyes at the creatures coming closer and closer, willing them to be soft and squishy balls of fluff.

---