Maria held Violet close to her, she hugged her tightly and saw her freezing fingers.
A strange frost was spreading from her nails to her hand, she immediately got up and pulled out the vial of medicine and gave it to Violet, after taking a sip, the frost stopped.
She rubbed
her hands until they were warm again, she picked her up and held her hands close to the fireplace. She was crying the whole time and held her forehead close to Violet head.
She prayed to every God and spirit she heard the whole time, and hugged her like it was the end of the world.
**
Meanwhile, in the high noon, Garrett held a long stick and he was commanding the youngs of the village without speaking much.
The young got used to his silence fast, their breath filled the cold with warm air.
Garrett had a battleaxe on his shoulder bigger than any young there, he had his eyes on young until he felt something approaching him. David appeared from the mist and swung his sword at Garrett.
The collision with both of their weapons sent vibration from snow to every person around them, their swings were fast and precise but in just a few movements, it became clear who was going to win.
Every hit from Garrett sent David a few steps back in air, while David prepared for the next attack, Garrett already prepared himself for the next attack.
"That skill of yours." David after getting a fair share of hits and finally was out of breath.
"That bloody ability of yours, is there any man that you haven't sent flying?" David sheathed his sword and tread towards Garrett.
"Only a few." Garrett grumbled, he shoved his axe in snow and glared at David. The young villagers were in awe looking at their spar.
"You haven't lost your touch." David looked at the youngs and then threw an ale at Garrett, but Garrett threw back at David.
"I don't drink it anymore." Garrett said in a firm tone and approached David.
"What are you doing here?" Garrett looked at David then moved his gaze to the chief.
"I was sent from the capital, it was your sister-in-law's request." David opened the bottle and took a sip.
Garrett gazed down thinking something, then grumbled— "do whatever you think is right, but don't put your nose where it doesn't belong." Garrett looked away and then tapped his axe on the snow telling the young to continue.
And thus time passed.
**
Violet's PoV
A few months have passed ever since strange men came to our village, mama seems really scared and often checks on me.
It happened after that...
I was looking out, imagining playing with other boys and girls but then, I felt like my heart was burning but outside my body was freezing.
It was painful and scary, I was not able to walk to do anything for a while.
Papa Garret also looked worried, he often goes late at night and brings some herbs, they taste good after mama makes it. Mother hasn't come for a while.
She sends medicine through beautiful birds, I wish I could keep them, but I can't.
Violet was looking through the window, a few days ago the kids started playing again, she liked looking at them, imagining that she was playing with them, but one day something happened.
They are making snowman again, they make it like a big monster and fight it, it seems fun I wanted to play too.
3 boys and 2 girls poked the snowman and then a boy looked at me.
It's normal thing, he'll just look away again.
He looked around and then slowly walked towards my window.
Is he coming here?
He slowly walked towards me and knocked on the window, I wanted to open the window but mama told me not too.
I breathed in the window and wrote— "Hello!"
He did the same but I couldn't understand— "?su htiw yalp uoy lliW"
I slowly creaked the window open, just a little bit.
"What are you doing there Hassen?" His mom yelled at him.
"Let them play!" The chief came out of nowhere, "the village owes lady Calla, I can assure you she is not a threat to you kid, my granddaughter is playing there too."
"But—" The mother looked worried.
"It's ok mother! Please!" The boy looked at his mother, she looked at me and then sighed, "I'll not forgive you cheif if anything happens to my boy." She then went inside.
"Will you play with us?" The boy looked at me with big bright green eyes.
I wanted to, but will mama let me go? I looked around and saw mama working in kitchen, but her hand didn't seem to be moving.
She sighed and then without turning, "wear that double coat before you go outside and don't try to run."
She definitely had eyes on the back!
I pulled out my coat and went outside, I start playing with them.
With Hassen, there was Jamie, Gor, Tani and Sam.
All of them were around my age.
Only Sam was older, she was 12 years old, we started playing, they gave me stick and told me I was mage. I didn't know what mage did, so Sam told me they are people who use mana to create fire, water anything they can!
They are very powerfull! I was happy, I made a few spells of my own.
I named it "Freeze!" But same told me it was bland,
Then I named it "Snow stop!" She didn't like it either,
Then she suggested a name "Holding Mist!" It was too long but I took it!
We played like this, one day, two days, a week, a month.
Like this few months went by, I turned 11.
Sometimes I got sick and got scolded by mama but she later let me play again.
Papa had already fenced the whole village and they say they are ready to fight any danger! Well as long as he is here, I don't fear anything.
**
But the calm always end with storm...
It was a normal day for the village, the kids were playing, the men were patrolling, the women were cooking food.
The sun was slowly moving to horizon but even was far late.
——
"Do you see anything?" A villager was standing open a watchpost on the fence.
"Nope, maybe that merchant was exaggerating. If there were Winterbeasts, they would've been sighted a week before by scouts." Another man right below the post yelled.
"Man! I wish I could just go home and shove my head into my wife-" the words of the man was silenced before he could finish.
The man below chuckled- "then what? Borris then what?"
The villager didn't reply. The man looked up and climbed up, what he saw brought his heart to his mouth.
The man looked at the body of the man named Borris.
His torso was slashed like a he was tore apart through ropes, blood and bones were everywhere.
But what shocked his most, there wasn't any sound.
He looked around and tried to yell but no sound came out of his mouth, then he turned back. Then suddenly he found his voice back and yelled out...
"DANGER! DANGER! GO INSIDE! WOMAN AND CHILDREN HIDE YOURSELF! MEN COME OUT! IT'S HERE! ITS—" Then suddenly his head was sent flying.
The choas unfolded in the village, the kids rushed back inside, the mothers took their children and hide under their home.
They were prepared, that's what they thought atleast.
The men and guards came out with torches, the started burning the light posts they planted around to make sure even the darkest of night will be well lit.
But the fate wasn't on their side, slowly a cold storm was approaching the village. The men and guards lifted the arms.
They were sweating and trembling, the fear was shaking their souls to the core.
The storm extinguished the torches and thick darkness got blended with cold fog, like the nightsky was leaking down.
The silence was eerie they grouped around and then David throw a lumious orb on sky.
The darkness diluted and slowly they were able to see again.
But the first scene they looked didn't brought relief but despair unbound.
Many of the men was on the ground with limbs and organs missing. The blood soaked the snow red.
The men who were too proud to ask for help wet their pants and cried in horror, one of them threw his weapon and tired running.
"Don't break away from the group idiot!" David yelled but the man didn't stop, he ran and leaped towards his house but in a blink, a large figure crushed his body.
It was huge, larger than any bear and it had horns that were rotting and felt like flesh infected the horns.
It was a reindeer that was turned into a Winterbeast, a dead Winterbeast.
It was different from the one that had living blood, but still it turned this village into a graveyard.