There was a howl coming from the woods, and her stomach turned at the sound of it. It seemed like it was a little too close to them. “If you don’t want to stay here, we should turn back. Go back to that inn and start again in the morning.”
Before anyone could argue, a figure appeared from behind the cabin. Olivia tried hard not to scream as it came into the light and started to approach them. Ms. Howard, Gemma, and Alice held their ground and waited to see what the figure would do. It stopped inches from the light to take a look.
“Hold on! What are you doing here?”
Olivia opened her eyes and saw who was standing in the light. It was a dark-skinned girl who was gathering wood in the back of the cabin. She held a pile of it in her arms. “What are you doing out at this hour? Don’t you know that the wolves are roaming around?”
“I apologize for trespassing through your property, miss. We were looking for an inn to stay for the night, but didn’t find any.” Ms. Howard said, staying cool. “You wouldn’t happen to know where the nearest inn is, would you?”
“In these woods, you’re not going to find an inn. You’d have to go further to get to one, and chances are, you’ll struggle in the dark. A lot of travelers come down here, but get lost easily.” The girl shook her head, nodding towards her cabin. “You’d better come inside my house and spend the night here. I’ll start a fire and make some tea. There’s no point in freezing out here. You can go search for the Frost Queen tomorrow.”
“How did you know that we were going after the Frost Queen?” Olivia asked.
“That’s the only reason anyone comes down here anymore,” the girl said. “Most people will usually stop right before they get to my house. They come in here to hunt and collect wood, but that’s about it. The only ones crazy enough to go beyond this point are those who want to see the Frost Queen.”
“All right, you’ve got us there.” Alice agreed. “We are crazy enough to go after the Frost Queen but with good reason. We’re looking for someone, and we think that she might know where he is.”
“I’ve heard that reason, too.” The girl let them inside, and everyone felt better immediately. The warmth in her cabin was ten times more welcoming than the cold. The cabin was small, but she had enough beds and room for them to sleep in. The fire was roaring, and there was something cooking in a pot that smelled delicious. Olivia wondered if it was okay to eat the food in this world. She was a little hungry, but she didn’t want to eat unless the other three deemed it to be okay. The girl pointed to the coatrack where everyone began to hang up their coats and get out of their winter clothes.
“My name is Astrid.” She said, putting the logs by the fireplace. She stirred the pot a little bit and took a sniff. “This is almost ready to eat, and I have enough for all of us. I hope you all like vegetable stew.”
“That will be fine.” Ms. Howard said. She saw Olivia’s face and added, “We would all like to have some. We haven’t eaten in a while, and had no idea what to do about dinner.”
“It’s good thing you showed up at my doorstep then.” Astrid joked, giving each one a bowl of stew. “I made a lot so it could last me through the tough winter nights. The vegetables are from my garden. They last all year round.”
Olivia took a bite and felt warmed up instantly. The stew tasted just as good as the one her mother made during cold nights at home. All of the vegetables were crisp and delicious, and the seasonings that Astrid used were a perfect blend of flavorful and tasty. She was glad that the food in another world was edible. As they all ate, Astrid gave them some water and put a few logs on the fire.
“You should probably stay with me for the night. These woods aren’t safe for anyone, and I would hate to see you encounter one of those wolves. You can go back out in the morning when the storm has cleared.”
“Thank you,” Olivia said sincerely. “I’m Olivia, and these are some of my friends. We were trying to get to