The Legend of the Snow Queen | Aphotic Adaptation

Aleksandr led Sanzher to the kraal to inspect the scene but he couldn't restrain himself after what Sanzher had just shared with him.

''I can't believe you saw her in the woods, brother!''

''It happened so fast, Aleks. You were on the ground, wrestling that wolf, Artem was yelping like a child in the night!''

''And you saw her again in your dream? Is she as beautiful as legend says?'' Aleksandr implored with the enthusiasm of a little girl who had just been given a porcelain doll.

''She IS beautiful. It was her voice, Aleks, like fresh kumis on a hot Summer's day!''

''Tell me more!'' Aleks exclaimed with great fervour.

''She beckoned me closer to her. She wore a sparkling white cape and her mane was just as incandescent,''

''She sounds majestic,''

''She was, Aleks. I love Diana. I love her with all my heart but I was enchanted by her. She called me 'her love',''

''And then you woke up! It was all a dream, brother! Your mind, it bamboozles you in your slumber!'' Aleksandr joked.

The large group of elders had begun to clear when the young men entered the kraal to inspect the siphoned lamb. Sanzher knelt next to its carcass and grappled one of its hind legs and noticed that rigor motis had already set in.

''This lamb has been dead for over twelve hours. Feel it Aleks,''

Aleksandr knelt next to his best friend and conducted the same experiment, lifting its hind leg, trying to manipulate the joint to bend but it was too stiff. The young men were perplexed by all this just as much as the elders were. Struggling to find an answer to this mystery, they left the kraal in search of Sanzher's father, Great Kirill.

Great Kirill was in the church lighting several sticks of incence when he turned to see the Sanzher and Aleksandr walk toward him through the centre aisle of the old church. Great Kirill wore a look of worry which seemed to wear itself on his face in the form of several wrinkles above his brow. The pepper in his beard was soon losing the battle against the salt that seemed to dominate his thick and earnest beard.

''My sons, I'm sure you've seen what has happened to the lamb?''

''Yes, father,'' Sanzher said as his best friend stood beside him.

''What worries me more is the broken branch,'' Great Kirill said plainly.

''Father, aren't we over-reacting? It's an old tree and -''

''Sanzher, that tree is what provided shelter for our ancestors when the were crossing that mountain,'' Great Kirill interjected. ''It is the symbol of our people. Even if it no longer bears fruit, its very presence is testament to the struggle, the victory and the decision of our people to settle here, at the foot of the mountain. It is what connects us to our ancestors, sons.''

Sanzher bowed his head in acknowledgement, taking in his father's wise words. At first, the duo had gone into the church with the purpose of sharing Sanzher's encounter with the Snow Queen but after his brief conversation with his conservative father, Sanzher opted to keep it to himself, in order to find an alternative solution to the burgeoning situation.


Catch the continuation next Thursday for the next installment

The Legend of the Snow Queen | Aphotic Adaptation

Diana was up early, preparing breakfast for Sanzher in their quaint home. Sanzher stirred as the waft of fresh food engulfed his senses. As he shuffled in the bed, scrambling up to sit, Diana emerged with a plate of grilled fish, tomatoes and a rusk of bread.

''You looked so peaceful. I didn't want to wake you,'' she said placing his breakfast on his lap.

''What time is it?'' Sanzher asked planting his fork into a tomato.

''The first bell rang nearly an hour ago. How did you sleep, my love?''

Sanzher looked at his wife, unsure whether she remembered the events that transpired the previous night. Diana was brimming with energy and a revived sense of freedom that Sanzher hadn't noticed until today. She had always been a quiet woman, meek at times even.

''I slept quite fine, my love,''

''I know!'' she said wearing a wry smile.

She must've woken up with her sleeping gown still hoisted above her hips Sanzher thought to himself.

''Eat up now, you must regain your strength, my love,''

Sanzher took heed and continued to shovel large mouthfuls of the delicious grilled fish, breaking off large hunks of the loaf he had. He washed it all down with goblet of fresh milk Diana had collected whilst he was still in slumber.

After freshening up, Sanzher met with Aleksandr at the start of the forest. Aleksandr was setting a few traps to protect the village livestock when Sanzher arrived to lend him a hand.

''Where have you been? I'm halfway done!'' Aleksandr stated with his temper already flaring.

''Calm down, brother. I'm here now,'' Sanzher said kneeling beside Aleksandr.

''Did you hear what happened last night?''

Sanzher's ears tweaked. ''What?''

''Well, you know the large tree near the animal kraal?''

''Yes,''

''Well that tree has been here longer than anyone in this village. One of it's branches just snapped in the middle of the night!''

''Well it is an old tree though, Aleks'' Sanzher reasoned.

''You try and tell the elders in the church that! They've been talking about its meaning,''

''It could have been the wind. That mountain air is relentless,''

''They found one of the lambs in the kraal dead, Sanz. It was completely stiff, drained of all its blood. And the most startling thing is that they were no bite marks anywhere on its body!'' Sanzher stood still for a moment before Aleksandr continued. ''Why do you think I'm out here, setting traps for an animal that doesn't leave footprints nor a trail of blood for us to follow? This is certainly a fool's errand.''

Sanzher got up from the snow with a grave look on his face. This in turn made Aleksandr stand up.

''Aleks, I think I may know what is responsible.''


Catch the continuation next Thursday for the next installment

Snow Queen | City

Singer-songwriter Nata Llia teams up with Snow Queen Vodka

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Singer-songwriter Nata Llia

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Singer-songwriter Nata Llia

I can't seem to stop playing her song, 'Love Poem' which combines her skillful and meticulous manipulation of the keys on the piano with a contemporary pop twist creating a fresh new sound for me to dance to as I doll-up in preparation for the pleasures of the night.

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Snow Queen | City

images of Nata Llia courtesy of GLAMOUR

The Legend of the Snow Queen | Aphotic Adaptation

Sanzher stood still in the snow. Rooted to the ground and with his friends frozen still on the ground, Sanzher could not believe his eyes when he saw the Snow Queen float away into the thick birch forest.

''What happened?!'' Aleksandr said rising from the snow.

''I don't know what you did, Sanz, but thank you! You saved us from those wolves!'' Artem declared brushing snow off his large fur cape.

Sanzher picked Aleksandr's bow from the ground and handed it to his best friend, ''This place isn't safe. Let's go back to the village,''

''We have them right where we want them. We can follow them to their den, Sanz,'' reasoned Aleksandr who wanted to get even after his manhood was put to the test against the onyx wolves.

''We must get back up at the very least, Aleks,'' Sanzher stated with Artem nodding in agreement.

The young men agreed and set forth back to the village. Each step they took submerged their feet in the snow. Though Sanzher didn't say a word to his friends about seeing the Snow Queen in all her majesty and how it was her sonic shrill that in fact actually saved their lives, he felt that she was with them. Watching them as they went back to their village. It took took them short of an hour to get out of the large birch forest and into the fields that they would till in the dewy mornings of March.

The trio arrived back to the village with Artem and Aleksandr relatively unscathed but still shook after their ordeal with the wolves. When they walked into the church, Diaz and his team were already present.

''Sanzher!'' Great Kirill said when he saw the boys; with Aleksandr clutching his forearm. ''Are you boys alright?''

''We are fine,'' Aleksandr said.

''You don't seem fine, Aleks,''

''We were attacked by two of the wolves!'' cried Artem. ''Sanzher saved us!''

Diaz and two of his hunters walked toward the men, trying to get within earshot of our conversation. ''Did you see where they fled to?''

''It happened so fast, we were on the ground - snow everywhere, they were biting at us,'' Aleksandr babbled.

''They ran toward the ridge, west of the mountain peak,'' Sanzher said.

Great Kirill looked at Diaz and his men. He placed a hand on Diaz's shoulder, ''My old friend, we have to protect this village. Take ten of your bravest men, as many arrows as each can carry and see whether or not that is indeed where their den is,''

''Fresh snow is yet to fall. We may yet see this ordeal come to an end! I'll carry my dagger so I don't fall into peril like Aleks in close combat!'' Diaz said which made the two old men share a laugh.

That night as Sanzher placed his head on the feathered pillow next to his wife, he would re-enact the series of events that transpired in the forest in his mind, vowing not to tell a soul. He found it difficult to fall asleep, continuously tossing and turning while his young wife enjoyed her dream state. When slumber crept up, Sanzher would be visited by her again but this time it would change the course of his life, forever

Catch the continuation next Thursday for the next installment.

Snow Queen in New York

Calibre Brands LLC is proud to have been appointed the official distributor of Snow Queen Vodka for the  state of New York. Calibre Brands LLC was formed specifically to import and distribute the finest authentic vodkas to the United States so we are absolutely thrilled to welcome Snow Queen onboard.


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We foresee that this incredibly stylish product will be endorsed by the celebrity and business elites here in  New York which will provide a solid platform for the expansion of Snow Queen all across the USA.  This is an incredibly exciting time for us and we are sure that our relationship with Snow Queen will be  mutually successful for many years to come.