It had always seemed so *easy*, now she knew why Logan and Scott had put them all through the wringer every single day of training. Because *THIS* wasn't *easy*, running through snow, freezing your ass off, heading for forest that might or might not shelter you from a Russian Mob Boss who was intent on keeping his little harem of Mutant girls.
It had seemed such an easy job, the Professor wouldn't have sent the Beta team otherwise, thing is intel that's nearly three months out of date isn't much good when you're on the ground. Pieter was doing his best to keep the gunmen from following them but the kids they were dragging weren't exactly well fed and kept falling in the cold air. They needed to get some shelter and some heat in them all soon, the signal had been sent to collect them all but it could be hours yet.
At least she'd had the sense not to lose hers, Logan had drilled it into her head that it should be around her neck, less chance of loss as Bobby and Jubilee had found to their cost.
The pat she gave on her back was put into perspective when she felt the air rip next to her ear as the bullet tore the air, heating her blood and making her pull the girls along with her into the dark edge of the woods. They'd all had training about survival but their small backpacks had been sacrificed to get away clean, so all they had was the powers they could muster. An as good as they were, Bobby was useless in the cold unless they all wanted to freeze to death. An Jubilee's paf's could heat a small area as long as she didn't get tired and lose control of them and destroy what was around them. No they needed fire and a roof and soon.
It took nearly an hour to find something, an old shack with enough of a roof not to collapse on them with the weight of the snow. Getting the girls inside was easy enough, they all huddled together speaking in scared tones, the language musical to her ears and they were all still shuddering when Pieter made his way toward them. His head was bloodied but apart from that he looked okay, Jubilee was trying her hardest to make the heat from her little explosions of light fill the wooden shack but it was getting harder and the didn't know how long it'd be before they got picked up. Nodding to Pieter Marie took him back outside and talked to him.
"We're screwed unless we get some heat and light here Pete." The gentle giant nodded his head and Marie noticed the way his own hands were clenching and unclenching with the cold.
"Da, the winter here is always bitter, around here it's called 'The December Wolf', because so many die from it's bite." Marie could always trust Pete to tell her the truth and the memories of Logan were no help right now unless she could find another house nearby.
"Look, we're dyin' here. Bobby and Jubes can keep the house up and keep the cold out, you're needed here just in case the bad guys find your trail. The only one who isn't really useful is me," Marie could see Pete's mind working out what she was saying and agreeing with her. "There's one cabin, so in reality there should be others around here, they might have some oil or something we can burn. Ah'm the one with the survivalist in her head Pete an if Ah run into someone Ah can touch em and get the info we all need."
It made sense. To risk one of them instead of everyone, they could huddle together around Jubilee's energy bursts for a while. Keeping the worst of the cold at bay if Bobby used his powers to block the openings of the cabin with ice. Pieter put his hand on her shoulder, his face filled with hope as Marie turned into the forest, her feet taking the path that was still picked out by the dearth of trees. It was wide enough for a truck to go down so there must be somrthing or someone down it. Setting off into a jog she set out into the snow, hoping that there really was something at the end of this artic rainbow.
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Logan was fuming, the panic signal had gone off when eveyrone had been sitting down to dinner. Scott had just sat there and finished eating while he'd already been dressed and ready to go. Ororo had come soon after him but Scott had lingered, giving the reason 'that food was just as important, there was no point getting there if he was too weak to help anyone.' He'd snorted and sworn under his breath at that one, the Beta team had been sent out to pick up some kids from an orphanage. The intel was a little old but it should have been an easy pick up, no need for the little red button to be pushed. But the one thing that had disturbed him was that it had been Marie's button that had been pushed. Each one had a different signal, a different frequency and he knew for a fact that she'd never push it unless they really needed help. He'd drilled it into her to carry it safely around her neck where his tag used to be. A replacement for it if you like, something that kept her safe from the world and now it was sounding out loud and clear. A constant hum to his ears, and as they flew toward the co-ordinates he just hoped her heartbeat was just as strong as the signal.
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The snow went on for miles, it didn't help that the trees obscured nearly everything, several times she'd gone off the path to find the remains of a building. She was beginning to lose hope of finding anything when a glimmer of light caught her eye. It was half hidden and she had to stop and stand to focus on it, light, yellow and inviting. The warmth of it's light drawing her in like a line caught fish, setting her feet forward she ploughed through the snow drifts toward the light hoping someone would be alive in there.
The fence of the place was still up and it was lit all the way around with round little lamps, it had been those that had glimmered at her. Even now she was trying to triangulate her path back to the rest of them, thinking of the fastest route back to give them heat and light. Passing straight through the gate she didn't notice the large animals by her sides as she walked upto the small veranda and doorway. All she was concerned with was survival, with getting some heat for those behind her still in the teeth of the snowy winter.
Knocking on the door as she finally let herself shiver and feel the cold, looking through the small window in the door as a hump backed shape walked toward the door. Finally as it opened the warmth hit her like a sledgehammer, she almost fainted from the blast as it hit her skin. Making her flush with it as she took a look at the resident of the house.
She was small, almost bent double, her hands knarled and old, finger nails long and yellow her face hidden by the bend of her back. Marie hoped she spoke english but she waited for the older woman to speak first.
"What do you want young lady?" The voice was old, cracked and crazed with an accent that was definately Russian but she was speaking English.
"Thank you! Ah need help my friends are about a two miles away and we don't have anything to make fire with, we need a light, a torch or some way of making heat." The older woman beckoned her inside and Marie found herself following her. Only when the door slammed shut did she realise she was inside the small house.
The older woman hobbled over to her seat, a kind of deep egg cup shape with a cushion inside it, next to her seat was a spindle and carding comb. Grey wool was being made from her spindle and a pelt of wolf fur was at her feet. Marie watched as she manouevered herself back into her seat, finally lifting her face to her view.
The skin on her face was iron grey, eyes that burned red flashed at her, taking in everything that she was in a moment. Stood in her uniform as the gaze went through and over her, the old woman's hands picked up her spindle again and began to spin the wolf pelt into thread.
"You need fire....Well it was lucky for you that you found me. I'm not always here you know, I travel around the forest in the winter." Marie understood her predicament, being an elderly mutant she obvioulsy needed to be away from everyone else if the reception they'd had was ususal.
"Yeah, Ah lucked out findin ya but Ah really need to get back to those friends of mine. So could you spare something for us? Some firewood, some oil to make a fire?" The old woman's gaze grew hard and flinty and her nails began to spark as they clashed with each other as she span her thread. Reaching behind her she brought out a huge iron knife and cut the thread she was spinning and Marie felt something pass her, something invisible, something important. Outside a wolf howled as the shutters rattled with the wind, Marie turned her gaze to look outside the small windows. When she looked back the old woman was right in front of her, the lines and wrinkles of her face close enough to touch. Her smell closed and old like an unaired room, eyes that burned red watching her emotions as she backed off from her.
"Scared child?"
Marie nodded her throat suddenly tight but she kept her calm, "For you not for me."
"For me?" Her wizened hands now shod with iron claws rattled against her small chest, her bent back straightened as she laughed out loud in the small space. Outside the wolves howled with her, when they'd calmed a little Marie focussed herself and answered the challenge.
"Yeah for you, Ah'm a mutant, like you. Ah could hurt you, mah skin takes life from things, you're too close. Ah don't want to hurt ya." Her voice shook as she spoke but the old woman bent away from her, letting her have some room. Weighing up the information Marie had just given her as she walked away from her. She was almost at her seat when she turned round and spoke to her, "If you can pass through my garden without fear, you can have one of the oil lamps on them. But if you fail...."
There was an unspoken end to the sentence, something was happening here, something that she really didn't understand but she had to risk it for those who were waiting for her. Turning her back on the heat of the house she took hold of the large latch and pulled it open. After the warmth of the house it was like stepping into liquid nitrogen, her breath stopped in her throat and pinched her lungs. Her hand went to the door jamb, supporting her as she looked out at the garden. The line of lamps were there, all she had to do was cross the open ground. She could clear that in five seconds if she ran, Marie was about to step off the veranda when a iron clad grip closed around her wrist and a voice as old as the snow entered her ear.
"Walk, don't run. Pray if you want to but if your heart falters once, your their's." Her other hand waved across the snow field of her garden, revealing the creatures that were laying in the snow. Wolves, huge wolves, bigger than she'd ever seen in her life, bigger than the ones in Logan's memories.
As soon as the hand left her wrist Marie stepped forward, her first steps taking her off the veranda. The closest wolves saw her and their eyes locked onto her own, they shone in the dark. Reminding her of the night on Lady Liberty, when Sabretooth had held her in his grip. The look in the wolves eyes was the same, it wasn't personal, it was just the way it was.
But she wasn't the same girl, she'd changed, someone had given everything for her, Logan had died for her. Keeping his face in her head she moved forward, her steps taking her into range of the wolf. She kept her focus on Logan, on what he'd told her up there, not to give in, not to give up.
The wolf bit so close to her face she smelled the rotten meat of it's last dinner, the stink and heat of it's body making her gag as she walked past it. Keeping her mind on Logan, on his face, on his words as he trained her, honed her instincts as well as his own that she carried inside her.
That wolf fell back to be replaced by another, just as vicous, just as hungry. She felt the blow of it's body against her side as it tried to get her to fall, to come off the path she was walking but Logan's words bubbled up into her head. The way he smiled at her when she fell over, the hand he always held out to her even if she was ungloved. "Hey, keep your head Marie. Not everyone has your patience or persistence but I think you get that from me."
A small smile erupted on her face as she remembered that incident, she'd been trying to get Bobby to notice her and failing abysmally. Logan had noticed her though, seeing everything she'd been doing and he'd rewarded her with a touch and hug. The smile on her face kept the last wolf at bay as she made it to the fence, opening the gate and passing through to the other side. Finally looking behind her at the place she'd just come through, wolves were pacing everywhere. Her footsteps standing proud in the snow as she followed them back up to the veranda where the old woman still stood.
"Take your prize little one, only true love would keep the wolves from eating you. But I put a price on the heat and light you carry home, it will destroy your enemies for you but you must tell the one you thought of your love when you see them or they will drop dead with cold. That is the price of life, the price of the lamp I give you. Will you take it?"
Marie looked at the lamp light and the heat it would give to those who were in desperate need of it. Taking the lamp in her hand she spoke across the snow covered garden, her voice wavering as she did it, "Ah'll do it, they need it." The old woman nodded as Marie took the snow covered lamp away, not knowing that someone was watching her walk back to the hut.
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There was no sign of them anywhere, Scott, Ororo and him had been through the small village, dealt with the rest of the Mafia here. At least the village might have a chance until the next set came through, the wind brought the sound of wolves howling to his ears. Wracking his brain he saw the forest edge about fifty yards away. Tapping Ororo on the shoulder he ran for the dark line knowing that if push had come to shove Marie would've gone for the cover of trees.
The signal had stopped a while ago, only giving them a small area to cover but it was still big enough for three to search all night and miss them. He only hoped the transmitter worked again, that way they'd be able to find them. Praying to any god that was listening Logan set off at a run.
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Marie retraced her steps, it seemed the bes thing to do in the circumstances. The lamp was hung on a post in her gloved hand and as she walked through the footsteps of her own path she didn't hear the breath of her attacker until he was on her.
The lamp went flying as she went face first into the snow, her only thought was if it had smashed, if it had gone out. Screaming her frustration she tried to turn over to see what and who was on her, the weight shifted and she saw the lamp light glow around her, bright as the sun. She had to shield her eyes from the glare of it but it was the scream from above her that made her wonder. A scream filled with pain and fear, primal and overflowing with terror. A growl like a wolf then silence and darkness, the sound echoing around the quiet woodland. Pushing herself back up out of the snow Marie went for the lamp. It was intact, the snow on it's surface had been cracked a little but she could still see light and heat in there. Picking it up she went into a run, not looking behind her, she had her mind on her friends and on Logan.
If she'd looked behind her, all she would have seen was a small patch of melted snow with a covering of grey ash. All that was left of the man who'd attacked her intent on killing all the strange foriegners.
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He heard the scream, knew the tone and his ears triangulated it, knowing the way sound bounces in the forest and off snow. Changing direction Logan powered off, Ororo following above while Scott kept in touch via the com link in the Blackbird. Snarling he let Wolverine free, if there were any more surprises out here he'd deal with them first.
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Their shack was visible now, running the last little piece Marie threw the door open to see Ororo, already talking to the kids. Silver blankets were out and everyone's head turned to her, Pieter's face blanched when he saw her stood there and saw what was in her hand. "Rogue...your hand."
She didn't understand until she looked at the lamp in her hand. Looking at it with the snow knocked off the smooth surface she saw it as it was, a skull with fire for eyes, the post she'd been holding was a spine that met the top of the skull. Turning it in her hand she looked at it in it's cruel glory, the fire within it beginning to fade away as the footsteps of someone came up behind her. The hand on her shoulder turning her, making her face the person she'd been thinking of as she crossed the garden. Logan looked like five miles of bad road and she knew the only thing that made him look this bad...worrying about her.
Marie dropped the skull to the floor and wrapped herslef around him, the final price ringing through her ears. Seeing over his shoulder something huge and red eyed waiting in the darkness, waiting. Nestling her head as close as she dare to his skin Marie whispered the words she'd been keeping to herself for nearly three years into his ear.
"Ah love you Logan, Ah love you." She let herself feel the emotion run through her, watching the darkness fade out behind his shoulder. The eyes the last to fade away, it didn't matter that she might get her heart broken, what mattered was that she'd kept her side of the bargain. That she'd kept her word and the way Logan was holding her it didn't seem that it was a bad thing after all.
When she eventually moved to look at his face everyone else was moving out of the shelter, kids wrapped up silver blankets Bobby and Jubilee covered too. Only Pieter was left with them, his hand dropping to the skull and spine that was still resting on the cold ground. He was saying something in Russian something she didn't understand but Logan did. She watched as his face creased and spoke to Pieter, the vowels flowing out of his mouth like silk. Pressing herself to Logan's side as she shifted around, the skull now empty of fire but the age of it obvious by the cracks in the bone.
Pieter picked it up, but it crumbled into dust as he moved it, the bone decaying as they watched. Pieter said something to Logan and moved away from the small pile of crumbling bone. Marie looked at Logan as he nodded to the larger man, wanting to know what had been said she asked him. Logan just looked at her, his eyes clear and focussed as he answered, "He said you must really love me to have risked so much for so little." Her blush caught her skin and she felt the heat of it rise through her body. She tried to look away but Logan caught her chin in a gloved hand, stilling her, making sure she saw his words and the emotions that went with them.
"Feeling's mutual Marie. Always has been just been waitin for ya to tell me when you were ready."
The cold began to prickle the air again as the last of the heat leeched away into the freezing air. They both left the small hut together, the night clear and the stars bright. Passing the trees where she'd seen the darkness, her eyes seeing the footprints of a wolf deep in the snow. It had been no contest, to tell him had been easy, this was the hard part, but then so was life in winter. You just kept going until it was over and as they walked back to the Blackbird Marie was sure she'd have a long time to work it out.
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Story Notes:
Marie gets her head cleared by events and she has to realise just exactly who she's in love with.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Marie gets her priorities handed to her, things take a turn for the worse and she has to deal with what fate hands her
Chapter End Notes:
Hope you enjoyed this one, a fairy tale inspired fic, where a girl has to go ask Baba Yaga for fire to keep her ungrateful family alive, she gets it but it consumes the unworthy. I played with it a little but kept Baba Yaga true, I'd never mess with her. Any how, let me know what you think, thanks, Jo.