Snow and the Serpent

Snow’s son suffers from a breathing sickness ravaging the flock and food by the mountain lake is scarce. A boy from the village visits the forest offering grain. But Frey Tyra, flock leader, does not trust the human and forbids all swans from dipping beaks into his ‘bait’ on threat of banishment. Snow does not trust Tyra, or the hungry serpent in the lake, who is as old as the mountain. “The moon as witness,” whispers Snow, “I will taste the boy’s offering.”

(A Short story of 6000 words (45 pages) – 30 to 45 minutes to read)