Velvet Flares in the Snow

The forest was dark with snow hanging in the branches of the trees as the beautiful woman on a white horse rides through. Her long dark hair was draped over a short fur jacket, with a small gold bag over her shoulder. She was also wearing heavy, dark, wine red velvet huge skirt pants draped over her legs and black riding boots. Coming to a frozen river she swings her skirts to dismount where she rests and investigates the river. Standing there looking at the river her long flares completely envelop her long legs and flare out from her hips to finally drape in the snow completely covering her feet. Striding towards the river with her flares swirling around her legs and feet she is aware of movement and sound behind her and turning she notices a number of large gray wolves stalking her and starting to surround her. Suddenly they attack and snap at her long flares as she backs away from them. Her horse bolts leaving her alone and she backs herself against a tree again as the wolves attempt to snap at her huge skirt pants. Reaching into her bag she pulls out a small golden seed and throwing it into the air it explodes into brilliant flash of golden light that illuminates the forest and frightens the wolves away.

Left alone with her horse gone she starts walking through the long grass in her wide flares down to the frozen river with the bushes and grass pulling on her long pants slowing her progress. The forest is still and as it has been snowing her huge velvet flares drag through the leaves and snow getting wet and heavy. Icicles hang like crystals in the trees and coming to the frozen river she realizes the only way across is to walk over the ice. Walking out on the ice in her flares she looks down to see if it will hold her. All she sees is her dark red skirts completely covering her boots and draping on the ice. The wind causes her pants to billow and swirl around her legs leading the hems to sweep the leaves on the wet ice. The further out on the ice she goes creaking sounds begin and small cracks begin to emerge from under the huge skirts and her walking becomes more careful with her steps becoming smaller under her long huge flares. Concentrating the only sounds she is aware of is the creaking and the dragging and slopping of her wet skirt pants on the ice. Emerging and clambering up the other bank with difficulty due to her standing on the bottoms of her own trousers the snow starts to fall harder and the wind blow stronger causing her pants to billow and her to hunch into herself into the warmth of her jacket.

In the distance a strange castle looms with a hint of yellow light and after what seems ages she finally staggers through the open gate into a court yard with her long trousers flowing and dragging around her legs and feet. Finding it difficult to walk quietly in her flapping, dragging skirts she abandons all caution and strides in her huge flares through a large doorway across a large stone room with a huge fireplace and roaring fire at the far end. Once at the fire and enjoying its warmth she spreads her flared trousers and dries the huge skirts.

Unaware that nearby behind her a trap door is gently being raised in the floor and a group of castle guards watch her as she is warming herself and spreading her wide pants to dry. Looking up they see and hear her long velvet skirts sweeping and draping on the floor as she moves and watch fascinated as the flares flow and drag so close they could nearly touch them. Quietly but quickly they surround her. Although initially surprised and afraid she has the presence of mind to lift one of the legs of her pants and drop the wide long hem over her small gold bag, covering it with her heavy flared trouser leg. At first they stand around her laughing, pointing, pulling and touching her big flares but eventually unnoticed by them she smuggles another small golden seed from the bag and with a brilliant flash of light she knocks them to the ground with a magic ball of golden light. Semi conscious on the ground she strides over and around them in her long velvet skirt pants and collects their weapons. Her huge flares brush a guards hand accidentally sweeping a sword down the stairs of a trap door and causing a loud clattering noise to result. Other voices are now heard and running for the doorway with her trousers flowing around her legs she emerges back into the forest.

Evening is approaching now and she is exhausted from walking through the forest with her skirts heavy and dragging around her feet and legs through leaves and snow. With her skirt pants dragging and swirling around her legs she staggers and trips where she resigns her self to the easier option of going to sleeping in the snow, so lying down under a tree she pulls her feet further inside her long skirt pants and drifts off. Lying there the last thing she was conscious of was the wind flapping her pants and snow flakes falling on the huge dark red velvet flares.

As if in a dream a handsome man dressed in leather and wearing a sword at his waist and a bow and quiver over his shoulder carries her with her flares draped over his arms to a warm fire and lies her down in warm furs. Gazing at her he spreads her long flares out wide to their full width over her feet and is amazed and entranced that what she is wearing are two wide skirts. He sits staring at her and her beautiful flares on and off for hours throughout the night. The night moves on and revived by a tonic and his warmth the next day she accompanies him to his hometown.

Arriving in the town they ride in with her on the back of the horse behind him with her huge flares draped on either side flowing as they ride. Dismounting the towns people gather around and the handsome man proclaims the woman to be the one prophesied. “From the snow she will arrive the one wearing a skirt but not skirt” the people argue. How can this be the one she wears nothing unusual. Walking forward towards him with her huge pants swirling and flowing he reaches down and pulls the two skirts apart to the amazement of the people revealing the split. As the celebrations continue into the night the handsome man and her dance, her skirts pants sweeping the floor as they sway and swirl around her legs in the arms of her man.