The Snow Gnarl

What one takes, one must return. - Michelle Liew

This is for Mikeydred’s December prompt, Stephanie Hoogstad’s Winter Folkloric Beings Challenge and Vocal’s Tales from the Hearth Challenge.

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Raised in the town of Namesville, young Sienna was familiar with the stories of its winter yore - namely the tales told of its infamous monster, the Snow Gnarl. This monstrous beast, pieced like a jigsaw puzzle from ice and jagged stone, had intimidating, long claws that bored deep into the Earth. Its breath froze rivers as they flowed, trapping boats unaware. The townsfolk told stories of it traumatizing travellers in the woods, preying on those who trespassed.

The young girl didn’t believe in the Snow Gnarl, but she was desperately hungry. The cupboard in her kitchen was vacant, except for a loaf of stale sourdough bread that her mother baked months earlier when the family still had means. Her job at the local bakery couldn’t pay for food, let alone clothes. But Sienna didn’t let her circumstances faze her; she longed to comfort her family with food during the wintry months. With snow collecting underneath her windows, she made her way into the dense forest with a worn basket.

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Thick, white, silence blanketed every inch of the forest. Not daring to break the uncanny stillness, SIenna trod carefully, dusting snow off branches, seeking anything edible. Pine nuts, mushrooms or berries were a welcome relief. The work was timorous and, at times, even dangerous - her fingers nearly froze over in the biting cold.

Then the wind became…different.

A low, threatening snarl nearly shook the trees to their roots. The air turned more chilly than before. Sienna clutched the basket to her heart.

“I am the guardian of this forest. Who dares disturb it?”

The voice was low, deep, and more menacing than anything that Sienna had ever heard. Her breath frosted more than usual. Then it emerged - the Snow Gnarl, its frost-covered eyes glistening like blood-red rubies in the wintry moonlight. Its body was massive, odd, and unbalanced - it possessed both poignant beauty and abject terror.

Sienna, courageously holding her own despite the creature’s presence, took a step back. “I didn’t mean to…”

“Speak then!” The Gnarl boomed, his voice shaking the snow-laden tree branches. You infringe on my forest. What are you seeking?”

Sienna extended her empty basket to the creature with a tentative hand. “Food. I’m not after anything…I just want something to eat.”

The Gnarl paused, its icy breath blowing. “Food? Those who request favours must return, or bear the consequences of taking from the forest. What will you offer?”

Sienna thought for a moment. Her fingers clutched the scarf her grandmother had knitted for her many years ago tightly- a soft ball of red yarn- before winter claimed her. With trembling hands and a face full of tears, the young girl took it off her neck and held it out to the creature.

*****

“This,” SIenna offered the scarf, her hands shaking. “It isn’t much, but it will keep you warm.”

The Gnarl’s sharp claws hovered over the young girl, sharp, glittering, ready to strike. It paused, hovering for a moment. Then, they slowly withdrew, holding, instead, the red scarf within. For a brief moment, it looked almost comical - a monstrous, intimidating creature with a patchy red scarf wrapped around its neck. The wind around them was still.

“Warmth. Given freely. That’s rare.” The Gnarl murmured, its voice becoming softer.

Sienna stayed with her feet fixed on the ground, not sure whether to run or face the creature.

The Gnarl, with its head raised, stared at her with its ruby-red eyes. “Go home, child. You will discover what you need.”

Sienna didn’t wait for the creature to change its mind. With a hurried “Thank you,” she ran, her breath blowing in frosty, panicked bursts, her footsteps becoming larger. Her shadow had become a little longer, without her notice. Her hair, once long, raven locks, had become brittle and coarse.

*****

Sienna raced all the way home, gasping in relief to find her hearth lit by a warm fire. Her basket held all the food her family needed for a few months -warm bread, roots, and fresh berries that she hadn’t seen before.

She sat by the fire, reaching for a berry. The flames cast her shadow on the frosted window of the living room. Something about it was…eerie. It made her uncomfortable. It didn’t quite look like her. It had become…longer than before.

It had a lot of hair. And a jagged beard.

She froze, her heart racing. Turning to the window, she wiped away the frost and stared.

Her heart thumped uncontrollably. She faced the frosty window and gasped.

She could no longer see herself. The Snow Gnarl had replaced her, with its glowing, angry red eyes glaring from her face. Its beastly, hairy limbs had replaced her youthful ones.

She fell backwards, panting heavily. Her cold breath fogged the room, becoming colder each time she exhaled. Her skin had become rough and hard; small patches of snow and frost appeared on her arms.

Her fear and shock combined; her breath caught in her throat.

She was the Gnarl.

A voice, deep, harsh, unforgiving - resonated in her mind.

“Human, you gave warmth. In return, you take my place as the guardian of this forest. Someone must watch over it.”

The red scarf, once fitting snugly around her neck, drifted to the floor and gathered in a heap, its warmth gone. It had crumbled into frost as the wind carried it with its icy breath. Her home, once poor but inviting, was now unimportant. The food in the basket she had received shimmered in the window, slowly becoming invisible.

Her legs, running without her consent, carried her back to the forest. The snow felt comforting, not cold. She didn’t need boots; her feet, warm and hairy, left no prints on the frozen ground.

The forest welcomed her with whispers and an archaic rhythm. The branches of trees bowed as she walked; bushes turned their leaves upward.

Sienna merged with the drifting snow, her figure indistinguishable from the snow-covered trees. The forest was quiet from that day - but it was alive, still treacherous to those who dared to venture without giving something in return.

People came out of their houses as the snow on their roofs melted away. They smiled; more food collected near hearths. The sky was blue, with birds spreading their wings, carried by a soft breeze.

The people of Sienna’s village soon whispered of a new Snow Gnarl - one with ruby red eyes and traces of red dotting its neck, like a scarf frozen in time. They talked of food left behind by an unseen guardian-one they still feared and had to appease.