Diamonds and Ice

The very next day at Mika’s request from the letter, I decide to meet him. With me being dressed well and arriving by horse and carriage, he will see that there’s nothing to worry about. He’ll see that I’m better than ever before.

When my coachman pulls up to the front of the church, Mika is already there. To no surprise, it looks so lonely out there. Our little village church usually is during the middle of a week, unless someone gets an urge to confess or visit a dead relative residing on the church’s grounds. Even then, town folk usually wait till Sabbath to do so.

As I exit my carriage, I hear the church music. Someone inside is trying to keep up some liveliness by playing organ, telling anyone who might happen to pass by know that the holy house’s doors are open to anyone at any day.

“Good morning,” I smile.

Mika looks surprised. He knows that I would show up, but I bet he never though that someone like me who’s unmarried and with all family ties cut, would be wearing fine fur and navy blue wool.

“Wow!” his eyes widen. “You look well.”

“Now do you believe that I’m fine?”

“You certainly look fine,” he eagerly nods.

“I’m sorry I worried you, but things got our of hand at home. I did what I had to do.”

“What do you mean? When I asked about you, your step mother said that one day you just packed up and left. No note, no nothing.”

“And you believed her? You thought I would just straight up pack up and walk out without at least saying good bye to you or where to find me?”

“I didn’t know what to believe. One day, you were just gone, vanished, disappeared.”

“I got the job and somehow she found out, Mika. That step witch locked me up in the cellar, Mika. No food, no blanket, no water. For two days I sat in that freezing hole in the ground. I didn’t just leave. I escaped. One way or another, she would have let me die if I didn’t. ”

“I went looking for you,” he lowered his head, trying to keep his tear a secret.

“Mika...” my warm hand feels his cold cheek.

“I went looking for you, but couldn’t find a single clue. You were just...gone.”

“I’m staying at the Governor’s Mansion. I accepted the job and now I’m part of the staff. My boss treats me well and with respect. I’m okay. I’m okay.”

“I went looking for help from the mountain men, hoping that they would have a better time tracking you.”

“And?”

“Their dogs found your scent on the road leading out of town, but then it just stopped. Like I said, it seemed like you just...disappeared.”

“I didn’t disappear. That night, the Governor’s messenger coach was taking the same route and let me hitch a ride. I showed the messenger my acceptance letter and he took me to the Governor’s Mansion. But I wasn’t wearing a coat or shoes on that cold night and got really sick. It took me days to get well again. That’s why I didn’t write you sooner.”

“Their dogs didn’t find any horse tracks. Where your tracks stopped, they picked up wolf’s.”

“They were no wolves, Mika. They made a mistake. It happens.”

Mika still can’t bring himself to look at me.

He shakes his head, “they said that this is no longer a search and rescue. It’s a body recovery, if the wolves left anything to find.”

I’m a ghost who came back from the dead and the realization what my absence actually meant fell heavy on my chest.

As if to let him know that this is not some wishful dreaming and that I’m very much alive, I wrap him in my embrace. “I’m okay, Mika. I’m here, now.”

Overwhelmed, his arms respond and hold on to me to dear life.

“So I joined them,” his shaky voice radiates against my shoulder.

“Joined who?” suspicion wrinkles my forehead.

“The mountain men. I joined their cause, thinking that the wolves got to you.”

Slowly, I pull away.

“You promised you wouldn’t,” the idea of being pitted against him like this breaks my heart.

“Victoria, what other choice did I have?” his wet eyes beg for my sympathy.

I’m angry, but not at him. The fact that those mountain men would so shamelessly take advantage of his grief is what truly infuriates me. They’re using my Mika, by promising that they will find justice for me.

“Don’t be mad at me for this,” he pleads.

“I’m not. Not at you,” with outmost sincerity, I look him dead in the eyes. "But they were wrong and I'm okay. Mika, you must leave them."

"But I made a commitment, I can't..."

"You must. They have no right getting you involved into their personal crusade. Get out while you still can."

"Victoria, what's going on?"

"You found me. That's what you set out to do and it's done now. There's no reason why you should stay with them."

"I'll try," deciding not to press for the real reason, he nods.

For now, Mika is more than satisfied to seem me alive and well and isn't hungry for all the answers. At least not just yet. I try not to think about the future and want to enjoy this reunion with my friend. Arm in arm, we take a stroll around the church garden. Amongst many other things, he tells me about how my step sisters and his brothers are married now and I tell him about having a closet just for shoes alone.

Before we know it, it's time to go our separate ways. It's a week day after all and I'm a working girl now. Promising to see each other again, I head back to the mansion to start my work day. There's a lot to do in preparation for tonight's trip, but the thoughts of Mika haven't left my mind, not for a moment.

I really hope he leaves that hunting gang sooner than later.