If
you spent your whole life travelling the world, tasting exotic foods,
drinking foreign wine and living in extraordinary places, you would
never come across a place quite like Aeveryn. To the traders that
pass with their loaded carts or the road-weary travellers who stop in
for a night, it seems nothing more than another of those ordinary
little settlements that spring up around the place, big enough to
thrive and grow but small enough that everyone to know everyone else
and every new arrival founds themselves friends of the whole town
within days. But what held Aeveryn apart, were its stories. Every
town has them, but for Aeveryn it was different. Starting from a
single raconteur, one could spread in a single day, and by the end
of the week every child will have heard it with rapt attention and
every adult be reciting it with their own vivacious retelling.
Instead of slowly fading away into dusty memory, each tale would stay
alive and so, generations later, parents would still repeat to their
sons or daughters the enchanting words whose origins had long been
forgotten. Most towns have gossip or rumour; Aeveryn had its stories.
And the favourite of its residents was always that of the Winter
Maiden.
There was a woman, so the story told, with the skin as
white as a feather from an angel's wing, eyes as blue as a clear
morning sky, and hair as black as a soaring raven's beak. A woman who
lived, not on top of the earth or over the ocean, but in the seasons.
A woman who travelled, as they say, throughout the realm, visiting
towns and villages under the guise of the ice and frost, coming with
the end of autumn, and leaving with the blossoming of spring.
A
woman who dwelt within the winter.
* * *
"Are
you ready?"
The young man turned from where he was
saddling his horse, head twisting around at the familiar voice.
"Almost,
mother. Most of the hunting party has left already"
The
old woman moved closer, a soft smile on her lips. "After you
returned, you've been so distant. It's so nice to see you out
again."
"It's a nice change from the battles.”
He
returned the smile wanly, a lukewarm attempt at light-heartedness. In
a town like Aeveryn where wild animals were the worst weapons ever
got turned against, no one really understood.
"I
know you've seen and done things the rest of us we can barely
imagine, but when I look at you, Ajeus, I still just see my little
boy. The one I chased after barefoot in the rain, cooked little
sweetcakes for after dinner, told my stories to at night." She
leaned in to press a soft kiss against her son's cheek, running her
fingers through the coarse brown hair that was only just growing back
after months of being shaved back with flints. “I know you aren't
the same as you were before you went away, but the whole town is so
happy that you started to live again.”
Ajeus looked over the
woman who had raised him, expression deepening into sincere fondness.
He bent over to pick up his bow and quiver from where he'd left them
on the floor, strapping both on his back before taking the reins and
turning toward the door of the stables.
"I
know, mother."
“Take
care, Ajeus.”
He gave
the reins a light tug, leading out the blonde mare that he had
received as a gift upon his return two months earlier. He stepped
into the cool air with a slight shiver, his horse whinnying softly as
her hooves kicked up a cloud of flakes. This time of year the snow
was still light, the weather not yet cold enough to warrant wearing
anything over his tunic, but he knew from many warm memories of
winters spend curled up with hot soup and blankets in front of the
fire that the temperature would be dropping drastically over the next
two weeks or so. He made his way over the thin layer of white the
short distance to the gathering place beside the forest.
"Ajeus."
A tall rider was standing beside a lean black stallion near the edge
of the trees, beckoning with a small smile and a very slight
hesitancy.
"Tarhne," Ajeus greeted, leading his mare
over to greet the older man. "Still the town's best hunter, eh?"
he said, injecting a little light-heartedness into his voice.
Tarne's
smile widened. "It's good to finally see you with us, little
cousin, finally turn all those pretend games we used to play into
reality."
Ajeus grinned back. “Thank you,” he said
softly. “I owe so much thanks to everyone here for their kindness,
taking me in again.”
“You're
one of us, Ajeus. No matter whose army dragged you off. You're always
one of us.”
Ajeus
turned away, smile fading as he looked over the other riders. There
were a few men gathered near the stables, a few more closer to the
trees, and if he craned his neck he could see a young nervous-looking
man just approaching, on his first coming-of-age hunt it seemed.
Simple men, in an uncomplicated world. But that was the thing, he
wasn't really one of them, not anymore. He could never be a small
town man anymore.
"So,
when are we leaving?"
"We're waiting on Delton and
Steiche," Tarhne informed his childhood friend and protégé.
mentally checking off the riders. "They're breaking in some
young ones today, I suspect it's taking some extra time to get them
ready."
They waited in silence for several minutes before
the faint sound of hooves on soft snow was heard. The two horse
trainers trotted up--newly trained it seemed for Ajeus didn't
recognised them from before he left--on a pair of stout palominos,
alerting the gathering into action. The riders mounted, forming into
two lines before the entrance to the forest. He took his place at the
front beside his cousin, who flashed him a reassuring smile before
giving the forward signal.
They maintained a steady pace
through the trees, Ajeus half focused on controlling his breathing
and half overcome with wonder. He had played around the edge of the
forest as a child, but he had never been in this deep before. The
trees were alive, even at this time of year, with the song of birds
and chirping of insects and scuffling of small animals. There was
something amazingly beautiful in nature, its innocence, purity. It
was almost enough to keep at bay the images that suddenly flashed
before him, of another place, another time as he lead the men
through the woods, bedraggled and half dead from exhaustion. The road
seemed endless, the ground littered with splashes of blood from those
who had passed before them. The commander, the man who had held them
and forced them against masses of innocents, was long dead. A few of
the men had already deserted, never to be seen again, but the rest
stayed together with the knowledge that leaving alone at this stage
would be lost to suicide.
“Do
we have a bearing?”
It
was the second in command, who had fallen prey to an infection from
the last conflict and now sat slumped in the saddle of a horse that
Ajeus was leading.
“We
passed a town, some days ago, I remember. Maybe they can help us.”
The
weak man coughed, raising a hand to wipe the red dribbling out of the
corner of his mouth.
“The
horses have barely slept in days. Even if we don't find it soon we're
going to have to halt.”
The
order was soft, but it jerked Ajeus up abruptly. It took a few
seconds for him to sag back into his saddle, ignoring Tarhne's
questioning look and turning in the direction of everyone else's
gaze. Through the trees a large brown shape was just barely visible,
grazing in what appeared to be a small clearing. Tarhne cast a glance
around, exchanged a few nods with the others, then dismounted
silently.
The
hunter took his bow and and arrows from where they hang from the
saddle, weaving around the trees, skilled steps undetectable to the
majestic creature. He paused behind the trunk of a thick oak,
assessing his vantage points before drawing back the string and
letting the arrow fly through the hanging leaves. A soft curse was
let out it missed by inches, clipping off a low branch just by the
animal's hide. Startled, it sprang into action, graceful neck jolting
up, racing through the undergrowth.
Before
he knew, before he could even fathom the thought, Ajeus's own bow was
off his back and in his hands. The arrow notched itself to the string
for the barest of moments before it was cutting through the air,
spearing through flesh and bone.
The
others stared, some in shock and others in admiration, as Ajeus
lowered his arms, slowly relaxing muscles snapped tense by instinct.
Tarhne took a few steps around to animal that now lay unmoving on the
forest floor, arrow through its skull--not a hunt for a beast, but
a kill shot for a man.
“It's
a buck,” he said rather lamely, for the lack of having anything
else with which to break the strained silence.
They
seemed to work, regardless. Several of the other men dismounted to
tend to the catch, while others began to urge their horses forward
once more. But Ajeus stayed still, frozen in his saddle.
“Hey,”
came his cousin's kind voice again, closer now. “That was a good
shot.” There was no reply.“Come on, let's continue. The others
will take care of it.”
Ajeus
let his eyes fall shut as Tarhne moved away to remount, taking a few
deep breaths.
“You
guys go ahead. I'll catch up. Just, give me a second.”
A few
worried glances were cast, but Tarhne gave a stiff nod and the riders
began to peel away. The three than had stayed behind were frowning at
him from beside the dead animals' side, and he threw them an
insincere smile before kicking his horse and putting some distance
between them. He lead the mare at a slow walk, keeping well behind
the main party. Somehow, the forest didn't seem so beautiful anymore.
There
was a soft rustle from the side, a pad of heavy paws, and with that
Ajeus was back on full alert. A white creature stepped out onto the
path, black spots dotting its thick fur. He vaguely recognised it as
resembling a creature he had heard about during one of his treks--a tiger it was called, and a vicious predator though one not seen in
these parts. He only got a glimpse of it before it leapt.
Battle-honed
senses pulled his horse back violently and it reared upwards, just
about throwing him if it weren't for the vicious grip of his thighs.
But instead of pouncing it streaked across the path, disappearing
into the depth of the forest.
Later,
Ajeus would think up reasons why he took followed. The creature was
rare, most definitely expensive. Every child was told stories of a
single reckless man abandoning the hunting party to return triumphant
hours later. It would be a good way to earn back the goodwill of the
village.
But
really, all he knew at the time was the rushing of blood through his
temples, the terrible thrill of the chase. Throwing himself forward
into his saddle, he pushed his horse into a flat out sprint. The
forest sped past, mere flashes of white fur streaking before him. He
could feel the mare's muscles flexing underneath him as strong as the
frantic beating of his adrenaline driven heart. His right hand still
clutched his bow, fingers gripping almost painfully. He plastered
himself against the mare's neck and reached back for an arrow with
his left.
A guttural cry of triumph escaped his throat as the
trees fell away, finally allowing him an unimpeded shot. Ajeus found
himself racing out into an open plain and, to his slight dismay, the
sound of gushing water. A part of him almost hesitated as a wide
river flowed out before him, but the passing confusion fled as the
object of his pursuit climbing, dripping wet, out on the opposite
bank.
He'd
never known that there was a river in the forest, but there was only
a second of thought before he dug his heels into his horse's side,
driving it down into the water. It was chilly, but not freezing, and
the current gave his horse no trouble in the crossing. Cold air bit
at him as he clambered out of the water, but it was just another
sting that he'd learned to ignore.
Shaking
the few droplets from his eyes, Ajeus clenched his jaw in sudden
determination as he saw that the clearing extended a good distance
from the river, the creature in the clear before him. He shook out
the damp feathers of his arrow and notched it to his bow, raising
both and lining up the shot to the beat of his pounding pulse.
But at
that moment, the beast stopped. It pulled itself to a halt, turning
to face its pursuer before he had a chance to pull in the reins,
swiping out with a massive paw and bearing its gleaming teeth. The
mare screamed, hooves digging into the hard earth, pitching itself on
its side in a roll.
Ajeus
felt a sharp pain in his neck as he hit the ground, then, nothing.
* *
*
He
came into consciousness slowly, becoming aware of a pounding headache
and a thudding pain in all of his limbs.
"You're awake."
The
voice was female, high pitched and lilting.
"Open
your eyes slowly, it'll hurt, but you'll get used to the light."
Ajeus
obeyed, groaning as the even soft winter light glared into his sore
eyes. Bit by bit, his vision fell into focused. He was in a small
room of what looked like a homey wooden cottage, a fire burning in
the fireplace and a slow drift of soft snow flakes visible through a
slightly foggy window. He was lying on a narrow bed in the corner,
covered in downy blankets.
"Drink this."
He
turned his head as the voice spoke again, wincing as the action
pulled at stiff muscles. A woman sat beside him on a low wooden
stool, wearing a light green robe that accentuated the long black
hair which fell around her face. Her skin was pale, so pale it looked
as if she had never seen the sun, her lips a deep blood red and her
eyes a piecing aquamarine. Ajeus couldn't help but gape, her
complexion so unlike any he had seen before, even the exotic
travellers he sometimes saw coming through Aeveryn. She was holding
out a mug toward him, filled to the brim with broth.
“No,
thank you,” he replied firmly with a slight grimace. His throat
felt like he'd inhaled a pile of brick dust and every action was
fifty times more effort than it should be, but it was nothing
entirely new. The woman sighed softly.
“Here,”
she lifted the mug to her own lips and took a small sip. “If I was
going to hurt you, I wouldn't have saved you.”
He
hesitated for a moment longer before conceding.
“You've
already had some, anyway. You probably don't remember, your fever was
very high,” she said as she helped him pour the broth down his
throat. It was warm, but not hot, and deliciously spiced. Ajeus drank
fervently.
"Who
are you?" he asked finally as she lowered the now empty mug,
attempting to sit up further despite his already drooping eyelids.
"Where am I?"
The woman just smiled softly and
pressed him back onto the bed. "You are tired, sleep now and I
will answer your questions later."
Ajeus opened his mouth
to protest, only to find himself slurring the words into his pillow
as he faded back into unconsciousness.
* *
*
The second time Ajeus woke it was to his own shivering. The
sky was dark, the fireplace in dull embers, and the steely grip of
cold in his bones.
"Hello?" He called out, trying to
stop his teeth from chattering. "Is anyone there?"
Silence.
He tried to pull the blankets tighter around himself, but his stiff
limbs wouldn't obey. Ajeus forced himself to swallow, once, twice,
ignoring the protesting soreness of his throat from screams and
howls of the previous days' battle. The burnt-out shack was dark
except for a single candle in the corner, flickering in the icy
breeze that weaved through the crumbling timber walls. There were
thirteen of them curled on the floor under moulded and near-useless
scraps of cloth, and all merely thankful they wouldn't have to sleep
outside that night.
There
was a boy beside him, not even yet of age, short blonde hair crusted
with blood and tan skin greyed with dirt and grime. Ajeus gently
eased off his coat.
“Here.”
He
draped it over the small, shaking body. The boy scrabbled at it with
a ghostly white hand.
“Th-thank,
you sir.”
“Ajeus.”
“What?”
“My
name is Ajeus.”
“Oh.”
There
were several silent moment before he spoke again.
“What's
your name?”
“Resly,
s"Ajeus.”
“Goodnight,
Resly.”
“Goodnight.”
Ajeus
let his eyes slip shut, rearrange himself as comfortably as he could
on the hard ground. But just as he felt himself slip into blessed
oblivion, the soft sound of a boot on snow broke through the howl of
the wind.
The
entire group was wrenched to attention with a second, men sat up and
reaching for their weapons, eyes glued to the entrance to the shack
as the steps moved closer and the door flew open in a gust of
wind and a flurry of snow.
"I'm
sorry about the cold, the firewood ran out," the woman said
hastily, closing the door and dumping an armful of wood onto the
floor. She threw a few handfuls of kindling into the grate, quickly
stocking the fire back to life.
"Would you like more
soup?" she asked, kneeling now beside a large pot suspended over
the reawakened flames. It took several seconds for Ajeus to collect
himself enough to nod.
"My name is Vienne,” his host
said as she pressed another fragrant cup against his parched lips.
“This is my cottage. I found you in the forest, unconscious. Your
clothes were frozen solid, I had to thaw them out."
"I
went through the river," he told the woman"Vienne. "My
horse threw me."
"Yes, I thought I saw some tracks
leading away. Your horse must have run off, unfortunately,"
Vienne replied. "It was a bad fall, your fever ran for five
days, and your injuries kept you asleep for four more."
"Nine
days?" Ajeus let out a exclamation, then promptly fell back
coughing. "I don't think I've thanked you enough," he
managed to get out between hacks.
Vienne pulled the blankets
further up, tucking them around him.“Thank luck, not me, I only
happened upon you because I was searching for
Sierra.”
"Sierra?"
"Yes, a lovely
beast, my snow leopard."
"What's a snow
leopard?"
Vienne laughed softly, standing up and walking
to the door. She pulled it open, making Ajeus wince at the blast of
cold, then must have made some kind of signal he missed because a
second later he was gaping as a familiar shape appeared in a midst of
a swirl of snowflakes. "It's yours?"
"She,"
Vienne corrected, reaching out a hand to stroke the creature on the
head. "And mine, yes. Snow leopards are magnificent creatures,
aren't they?"
"I've never seen one before, or heard
of one," Ajeus replied, staring at the creature. Now that he
could see it closer up, he saw it was in fact quite magnificent.
"It-she was, I was chasing her. I didn't realise, I'm
sorry."
"There is no need to be," Vienne said,
patting the leopard one last time and shutting the door. "Sierra's
far too intelligent to ever allow you a clear shot of her. And don't
be afraid, she's harmless. I'm sure she didn't mean to startle your
horse that badly." She pulled the latch shut. "Go to sleep
now, we shall see how you are in the morning."
"What
about you? I am taking your bed, surely.”
"I have a
feather mattress near the fireplace in the kitchen," she
gestured toward the next room. "It is very comfortable and
probably warmer. You need not concern yourself about me, just rest.
It will most likely be another week before strong enough to get out
of bed."
"Another week? But I must get back
home!"
"I am afraid that will not be possible. The
river has frozen over, it's too wide to cross and the ice is too thin
to walk over. You will not be able to return until the spring."
"But
is there any way to contact Aeveryn? Any way at all?"
Vienne
shook her head. "There's nothing we can do now, you will just
have to stay this winter here and hope they assume the best."
She turned to walk through the doorway to the kitchen. "Do not
be troubled, I will be sure to take care of you.
Goodnight."
"Goodnight," Ajeus whispered,
letting himself melt into the soft mattress. A thousand thoughts spun
around in his head, from his mother's no doubt frantic cries when the
party returned without him, to the echoes of his initial awaking
panic. But in the warmth of the bed, with the soothing crackle of the
flames in the fireplace and the soft sound of falling snow, he found
himself drifting into a calm and dreamless sleep inside the cottage
in which he would be spending the winter.
* * *
For
Ajeus, the following days spent in recovery passed in a blur of warm
blankets, hot soup, and draining sleep. It was indeed a week before
he was able to stand, and then it was only for a few minutes of shaky
walking over the timber floor before his knees buckled and forced him
back into the bed. Distaste for any form of weakness born of
desperation and survival pushed him almost to re-injury, forcing his
still-frail body to exercise until exhaustion finally took him
down.
After several days of Ajeus pacing frustratedly around
the cottage just barely short of whittling the fire logs into arrows,
Vienne gave in to his pleas for a breath of the open air. It truly
was a wonder, for outside Vienne was never alone but forever
accompanied by her many animal friends. Birds chirped brightly as
they repeatedly circled her head before landing on her shoulder, dogs
barked merrily as they chased after her on the white dusted ground,
and Sierra and her mate prowled the perimeters, white coats shining
in the sunlight. And when it snowed the tiny flakes sparkled and
gleamed as they floated down from the sky to settle on feather, fur,
and woollen coat, captivating the ex-soldier as he stood in the
pristine untouched nature and saw, for the first time, the world's
full unveiling. The forest was beautiful, the animals were beautiful,
and the strange woman who, despite Ajeus's prodding questions, would
reveal nothing about her identity or her past, was foreign,
mysterious, enigmatic, but doubtless beautiful. And the winter was
only just beginning.
Another
week or so passed before Ajeus was helping Vienne out around the
cottage, sweeping the snow from the doorway, wiping the windows down
from frost, and various other work that didn't tire him too quickly.
He spent his days determinedly stretching his weakened muscles and
rebuilding his strength, and in the evenings when he lay ensconced in
the warmth of a borrowed bed and allowed himself to be totally honest
with his thoughts, he'd admit that he above all he was glad to be of
at least some use to the woman to whom he owed his accommodation,
welfare, and life.
As time progressed further, the two began
to rapidly hoarding fuel for the fireplace. During the season's
climax, the human occupants of the cottage found themselves curled
together on the hearth-rug among piles of logs and branches, as well
as the few birds, dogs, and other creatures not brave enough to
venture into nature's fury. The windows had glazed over opaque, but
defrosting them would be a pointless venture as there was nothing to
see but a huge cloud of white, a maelstrom of swirling crystals as
the blizzard raged outside unhindered. Ajeus spent the stormy days
with his extraordinary host, conversing softly to the crackle of the
fire and the howling of the winds. He made light-hearted anecdotes,
regaled the stories he'd been told as a child, and the deepest days
of the winter found him recounting his weeks on the field of battle,
the fear, the terror, and the way his eyes were opened to a world
he'd never be able to forget. During all this the animals that Vienne
still refused to explain looked on quietly, observing the exchange,
the banter, and the growing curiosity.
The fierce winds raged
for many days before finally dying down to a much needed respite, and
the next week was spent in rather tedious routine. While Ajeus had
eagerly offered his assistance, Vienne flatly refused letting him
outside for long periods of time. He busied himself with other work
as she worked at the solid layer of ice that had crusted over the
windows, chipping away with surprising strength and skill. He cleared
away the snow that had found its way through the gap under the door,
packed up the nest that had built up in front of the fireplace, and
wondered when exactly everything had began feeling so natural.
By
the time the cold season was beginning to wane and the snow falls
were becoming more and more infrequent, Ajeus had all but fully
recovered from his accident and was delighted to reach the end of
what had been a particularly vicious winter. He'd never felt
excitement like that before over the promise of the rebirth of
nature, the reawakening of the animals. Vienne was strangely
unenthusiastic, which only served to heighten Ajeus's interest in his
exotic, reserved, and frankly stunning saviour. He spent his nights
on the bed or feather mattress that he now alternated with Vienne,
thoughts more often than not wandering to the woman in the next room.
His mind churned with ideas, possibilities, as he lay in the heat of
dying flames while outside, tiny crystal snowflakes glittered in the
light of a bright shining moon as they made their way down to a white
covered forest floor for the final times of that year.
On the
eve of the third month of the winter, Ajeus realised he was in
love.
* * *
It was on a clear sunny afternoon of the
season's last days that Vienne grabbed her cloak and left to return
at sunset with those final fateful words on her lips.
"The
river is clear."
Ajeus tensed, spinning around from where
he had been idly drawing patterns in the melting snow.
"What?"
"The
ice has thawed, you can journey back in the morning."
"No."
Vienne
raised her eyebrows. "No?"
"I'm not going back.
Or at least, I'll go back and let them know that I'm going away
again. I'm coming back here, with you"
"Ajeus,
surely you jest. You must return. They're waiting for you, your
family your friends, everything. Your life is in Avereyn, it's
all you know! Please son, you can't leave us!”
“I
don't have a choice mother. I won't be able to hide. They said all
the young men.”
“They?
Who is they? Some band of riders and a bully who calls himself the
king of this land, trying to take away our boys for a war we've never
heard of? You can't let them take you away, Ajeus, you're no
warrior.”
“No,
I'm not.” He finished tying his boots and stood, wrapping his arms
around the weeping woman. “But I can learn, and I love you. You,
mother, and everyone else in that I grew up with. You can't stop them
from taking me, you'll only get hurt trying.”
His
mother cried harder. “Come back, my boy. Come back to us.”
That,
at least, he did. And he was the only one of the sons that left that
day to keep that promise. And when he returned three years later,
actions and images burned into his mind that would never fade away,
the town was the same. But he isn't like it used to be. I've
changed, Vienne. Yes, my life was in Avereyn, but I'll never be a
village man again. Not after what I've seen and done.” He walked
forward, raising a hand to gently stroke over her cheek and through
her thick hair, "They don't understand."
Vienne
froze at the touch. “Neither do I,” she whispered.
“But
you do. With you, it doesn't matter. You don't expect me to live a
simple life in a simple town, expect me to be the same little boy
that they remember me as. I've seen the world, not all of it, but
enough to know that Avereyn is so far from it.”
“And
so am I.”
“No,
not anymore. You are my world, Vienne. I love you.”
Ajeus
was expecting shock or surprise, at best a smile and at worst a
stuttering retreat and apology. But not this. Vienne's eyes widened
and she pulled looked up into his eyes, staring at him with an
expression he could not interpret. "No," she gasped. "You
do not mean that."
"But I do. These past months
here, I've been free. With the trees and the animals, and being
myself.” He gently took one of her hands in his. "I love you,
Vienne, and I could I never take you away from here when I could
hardly leave myself. Please, let me stay with you."
Vienne
stared down at their entwined hands for several moments before
pulling away sharply and turning around, walking away from him. She
took a deep, shuddering breath. "You do not know me, Ajeus. No
one knows me."
"Then let me know."
She
let out a humourless laugh. "If only you would believe me."
"I
will," Ajeus said, walking toward her again, "I
promise."
Vienne spun around quickly to look at him.
"Would you believe me if I told you that I was enchanted?
Bewitched?"
"Bewitched?"
"Yes."
Ajeus
tried to step towards her, but Vienne only moved back once more. She
cast her eyes away, gazing up at the sky.
"I
was born on the twelfth hour of midwinter day, the strongest hour of
the day of the Winter God and for it I was blessed with a gift. A
gift of emotion. It allowed me to feel every emotion keenly, more
keenly than any other human, and to never feel that emotion die. At
first it served me well, shaping me as caring daughter, a kind
friend, and later a loving wife. But then everything changed when
bandits burned my home and killed my husband. They took me too, used
me, then cast me away."
She
stopped, looking at him again.
"That
was when I realised that my gift was not a gift, but a curse. Now, I
feel my pain, my heartbreak, more keenly than any other, and I will
never be free of sorrow."
Vienne
crouched down, gathering a handful of the sparse white flakes into
the hand. Then she stood again and held her arm out, letting them
swirl to the ground with a soft sigh.
"That's
why I'm here. The animals, the trees, the winter, I make them my
friends, they understand." She let the handful fall back onto
the ground. "Do you not see? You cannot love me, I am not of
your world. Now that the snow is melting, I must leave."
"The
snow?"
The
woman's lips curved into a sad smile.
"The
snow numbs the pain, and there is no greater pain in the world than
that of unfulfilled love. There is no other way for me to live, but
in the snow."
There was silence for some moments, the
weight of the confession hanging in the air. Then Ajeus moved
forward.
“I
don't care about your past. I love you for who you are, as you are.
Please, just tell me, Vienne. Tell me if you love me too."
There
was no reply. Instead, Vienne simply stood there on the frost dusted
ground, gazing into Ajeus's eyes. Neither of them moved. Slowly,
Ajeus began to lean down, bringing their lips together. But their
mouths barely brushed against each other before Vienne abruptly
pulled back.
"Go
to sleep, Ajeus. I will have a horse prepared for you in the
morning."
Her tone
was emotionless, but her eyes were blazing. She whirled around and
walked off into the forest.
Ajeus stood there in shock for
several seconds before his body spurred into action. He ran, but she
was nowhere to be seen. He weaved between the trees, calling out her
name, but with the encroaching night and the dimming light the search
was fruitless. After an hour of futile searching, he finally gave up
and returned to the cottage, climbing into the same bed he had woken
up in all those weeks ago, and drifting into a troubled sleep.
*
* *
A
high pitched whinny rang through the air of the cool bright morning,
instantly rousing Ajeus from his restless slumber. He took one look
at his surroundings, and gasped.
The room was completely bare.
The fireplace was empty and pristine, the small potted plants that
usually adorned its windowsills gone, the pots and spoons heaped on
top of the mantelpiece vanished in the night. Rushing into the
kitchen, Ajeus found the bench top clear of the remains of
yesterday's lunch that he had left out, and the pantry devoid of
anything but dust. Frantic, he raced through the rest of the cottage.
The food supply, the tool cupboard, and both closets were bare. It
was all empty.
The whinny rang out again before he could lose
himself in worry. He walked toward the direction of the sound with a
frown on his face, pushing open the door and shivering in his thin
night clothes as he stepped out onto the brown dirt now almost
completely bare of snow.
Near the edge of the trees there
stood a majestic pure white stallion. Sensing his presence, it turned
and walked toward him without even a summon, revealing itself to be
untethered but fully saddled and bridled. It stopped before Ajeus,
and surprise turned into confusion as he opened the saddlebag to find
a black cloak, the clothes he had been wearing when he left on the
hunt so long ago, and a pouch full of dried food. Breakast, her
realised.
Ajeus
looked back at the empty cottage, then at the ready horse, and
sighed. There wasn't much of a choice. Donning the cloak, he mounted
the stallion and reached into the pouch. Before he even urged the
horse to move, it began to walk by itself, breaking into a steady
trot as it reached the trees, turning this way through the
forest.
It wasn't long before the rush of water met his ears
and he quickly straightened up as the trees thinned out approaching
the river bank. The stallion began to pick up speed, reaching the
water at a full gallop. Wet splashes stung his eyes and soaked his
clothes, and Ajeus found himself shivering as he emerged on the other
side.
As his clothes slowly dried in the spring air and the
trees began to seem more and more familiar, a dull ache began to
build in Ajeus's chest. Without even realising, he'd begun to heal
that winter, the scabs of love forming over the open wounds of war.
He cast a glance over his shoulder, even though nothing was visible
except rows upon rows of budding trees. He would miss the deep
forest, he would miss the animals, and he would miss Vienne. One day,
he promised himself, I will return. One day, I will find you
again.
The first person who saw him was Tierjaim, the stable
master's wife.
"Ajeus? Oh gods, Ajeus! Everyone, Ajeus is
back!" The middle aged woman dropped her broom and scrambled out
of the stable, rushing out the door and crying out the good news to
the town.
The next few hours were a flurry of desperately
relieved smiles and repeated assurances that it was alright, he was
well, he was unharmed. It wasn't until every woman had patted his
cheeks and tearfully kissed his forehead, every man slapped him on
the back, every child had run around him and tugged at his legs, that
the town finally let him alone with his family.
“Thank god
you are back. Your mother has been out of her mind.”
"I'm
sorry, Tarhne." Ajeus, returning the man's bone crushing embrace
with equal fervour. “I would have contacted if I could.”
"What
happened? Where were you? Did someone find you?"
Ajeus
extricated himself from his cousin's grip at the old woman's voice.
He looked over at his mother, then at Tarhne, his gaze wandering back
and forth between his only family before dropping down to stare at
the ground. He nodded lightly. "I was with her," he
whispered in a barely audible voice.
"With who?"
"The
Winter Maiden. She saved me."
"Ajeus," Tarhne
began carefully, "I know you always loved that story, but that's
all it is. The Winter Maiden isn't real."
"But she
is," Ajeus insisted. "She has a cottage in the forest on
the other side of the river. She took me there after my horse threw
me. I couldn't return until after the winter because the river froze
over and the ice was too thin to cross."
No one replied.
Slowly, the two older villagers turned to look at each other,
exchanging a glance before Ajeus's mother stood and took his
arm.
"Perhaps you should get some rest now, Ajeus.”
"But
I don't need rest."
His mother began pulling and ushering
him to his room.
"I'm fine, really! What is it, do you
not believe me?"
They tucked him in to his old childhood
bed, pulling up the quilt despite his protest. Tarhne hesitated on
his way out of the room, looking back over his shoulder. "The
forest has been explored and charted many times, Ajeus," he said
softly. "There is no river."
* * *
Ajeus
awoke from a fitful sleep to the sound of angry voices. He quickly
grabbed a robe that had been left out for him and made his way to the
door of his mother's cottage, eyes widening as he took in the scene.
The
streets were crowded, with men, women, and children all gathered
around in a tempestuous discussion.
"...What is this?
This is not right..."
"...Why must nature torture
us..."
But Ajeus hardly heard any of it as he stared in
wonder at the thick cover of white that lay atop everything from the
winding streets and sloping rooftops to the shrubs and trees, gaping
at the midwinter landscape that adorned the early spring day.
"...It
can't be, the winter is over..."
"...This is isn't
possible, how could it...”
The snow numbs the pain, and
there is no greater pain in the world than that of unfulfilled
love.
"..The cold will not pass! This is a calamity,
a disaster..."
unfulfilled love...
"It's
not a disaster," he said softly, gazing at the mesmerising
beauty of the world's snowy blanket as it shone in the morning
sunlight. "It's a confession."
* * *
If
you spent your whole life travelling the world, tasting exotic foods,
drinking foreign wine and living in extraordinary places, you would
never come across a place quite like Aeveryn. To the traders that
pass with their loaded carts or the road-weary travellers who stop in
for a night, it seems nothing more than another of those ordinary
little settlements that spring up around the place, big enough to
thrive and grow but small enough that everyone to know everyone else
and every new arrival founds themselves friends of the whole town
within days. But what held Aeveryn apart, was its legend. Every town
has one, but Aeveryn's was different. It was not a tale of horror,
murder, and the undead, nor was it a tale of journeys, adventure, and
discovery. Instead, it was a romance.
Aeveryn
was the witness, so this legend told, to a love that was unlike any
other. A love that was founded on grief and heartbreak, on blood and
hatred, yet built on all the joys of nature. A love that brought
together two souls who no longer belonged, two hearts who thought
they would never be whole. A love that knew no boundaries, of past,
of world, of time.
A love as eternal as the snow.
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