Year 1242, Third Month
A rhythmic sound echoed through the forest.
Garreth, a broad-shouldered man, swung his axe with a personal cadence, a melody for his daily labor.
He wore a linen tunic and trousers, covered by a heavy wool cloak that protected him from the northern cold.
Winter was coming to an end; although the cold remained, it was no longer as intense, and the layer of snow covering the ground was thinner than a month ago.
For Garreth, however, the end of winter wasn't necessarily good news.
He could feel his son Aedric's eyes fixed on him from the side.
The little one, still bundled up in his winter clothes, observed him.
A thick, long wool cloak covered him from head to toe, with the hood up. Aedric hated the cold and didn't mind looking like a wool bundle at all.
—I wonder what he's scheming in that head of his.— He wondered what he was plotting in his head.
"As if one wasn't enough, that damned sheep is looking at me too" —Garreth muttered to himself, letting out a sigh that turned into a cloud of vapor—.
A few steps away from Aedric, stood Karen, a sheep with her lamb stuck to her side.
Days earlier, Mildred had found a merchant who offered her the sheep at a bargain price.
What seemed like a good deal to her soon turned into a domestic problem.
Mildred found the "strange" name the merchant gave the sheep irrelevant, a colossal mistake, as they would soon discover.
Karen, with her soul-piercing gaze and overprotective instinct, had arrived to become Aedric's worst enemy.
A shiver ran down Garreth's spine.
The sheep stared at Garreth, a look that seemed to cross earthly limits and reach the depths of the soul, with wide, large eyes that looked about to fall out of their sockets. Aedric, totally oblivious to the tension, savored his dark rye bread.
Watching his father felling wood was his favorite pastime, a simple sight that filled him with curiosity, completely absorbed, observing the dance of the axe.
Suddenly, he felt a soft brush against his leg. Karen's lamb was rubbing against him, its small snout pointing towards the bread. Aedric understood the hint, but the idea of sharing his valuable snack with that "small furry thing" never crossed his mind.
Karen, perceiving Aedric's slight toward her "little princess," didn't hesitate.
A warning bleat came from her throat, with unexpected determination, she charged the boy.
Aedric felt the world coming down on him, but the impact was cushioned by the snow and the thick cloak he wore.
The blow didn't hurt him, but it was the first time he had fallen that way.
He flipped over to see the culprit.
Karen was looking at him with an expression that looked like a frown, snorting like an angry bull.
Garreth, hearing the noise, turned to witness the scene.
He put his axe aside and hurried to reprimand Karen while helping Aedric to his feet.
The push hadn't been a problem, but Aedric's frustration soared.
He watched as the sheep, with the audacity of a seasoned thief, grabbed his bread with its snout and offered it to its lamb.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!" —A sharp cry of frustration came from the depths of Aedric, a sound that made any living being nearby tremble—.
Garreth, seeing the situation, thought his son, with the divine blessing, would incinerate the sheep alive.
To his surprise, he watched as the boy ran at full speed towards the cabin.
He thought he would return with another bread or go complain to his mother.
Far from his wildest expectations, he saw his son return with the wooden axe he had given him and launch himself like a human missile towards the miserable sheep.
Karen, who had been raised like a queen, considered herself within her rights to snatch the bread from that "human child."
When the sheep, fat and chubby, realized what was coming her way, she ran for the first time in her noble life.
A demon in the form of a child chased her.
He murmured sweet and tender words about how she would end up on his plate that very day.
The sheep didn't understand the words, but the demonic tone of her pursuer was a universal language.
Garreth, instead of stopping the chase, laughed out loud, holding his stomach.
The sheep, squealing in terror, looked at him sideways, seeking help, but only found the face of a proud father.
Meanwhile, on the path to the cabin…
Rinella was following her mother, Lysa. Both wore simple and loose white wool dresses, accompanied by black wool cloaks and gloves.
Rinella visited Aedric once or twice a week, but today she felt especially excited.
It was his birthday and she hoped for a gift from her only friend.
Her excitement faded when she remembered her last visit, although she didn't fully understand Aedric's words, as she still hadn't learned to speak properly, she understood that he was talking about the difference between their legs.
The boy had compared them to his, saying hers were stronger and longer.
At one point, Aedric started running out of nowhere and then turned to question her why she wasn't running too. As Rinella didn't understand what he was saying, she remained silent, not knowing what to say.
It was then that Aedric entered the cabin and came out with a wooden axe, chasing her to make her run; it worked on the chickens so he decided to do it with her.
His mom later ended up scolding him for a good while.
Rinella's legs still hurt a little, even though several days had passed. It was her first time running so much, and although the moment wasn't pleasant, sometimes she remembered the scene and a funny smile formed on her cheek.
At that moment, she realized they had arrived.
She saw Aedric in the distance, as energetic as ever, running out of the cabin.
She was going to greet him, but suddenly she saw the fat sheep squealing and fleeing, Aedric was chasing it with the axe in his hand.
Garreth was holding his stomach with laughter and Mildred was yelling at her son to stop.
The memory of her own experience made Rinella hide behind Lysa's long skirt, who was watching the scene dumbfounded.
Lysa wondered if it had been a good idea to let her daughter be friends with that crazy boy, but the idea, however, made her smile.
Later, during lunchtime…
Inside the cabin, the entire family and guests sat down, ready to eat.
The delicious aroma of the sheep stew, prepared by Mildred, spread through the room. According to Aedric's words, "Karen volunteered to be his food." The lifelong enmity had lasted only a few hours. He had already forgiven the sheep for its noble sacrifice.
Rinella and Aedric sat together at a smaller table and chairs, made of wood by Garreth. She, having already forgotten the terrifying scene, rejoiced at the smell of the stew. Her good mood had returned thanks to the promise of a meal with meat.
Aedric, with his characteristic intelligence, posed a problem for himself: how would Rinella eat? The question tormented him, observing the armless girl next to him.
It wasn't long before the doubt was resolved. Everyone already had their plate of stew. Aedric looked discreetly, although his fixed gaze made it anything but subtle. He believed no one noticed.
Rinella, using her legs with great skill, lifted them into the air while sitting. With her toes, she held the spoon and brought it to her mouth.
Lysa, her mother, had taught her that method. Until now she had fed her herself, but she wanted her daughter to start learning the technique she would use the rest of her life.
Despite the practice, her leg trembled, causing a little stew to spill onto her coat.
It was then that Aedric, imitating his mother's gesture, picked up a spoonful of stew, loaded it to the brim with meat and juices, and then brought it closer to her.
"Open mouth" —he said with his childlike voice, wanting to help her—.
Rinella's eyes froze at the sight of the spoon. She felt strange, just like the time he had hugged her, but then remembered that her mother also fed her that way. Her surprise didn't last long and, without hesitation, she opened her mouth.
At the adults' table, they whispered with laughter as they ate. They forgot a small detail: Aedric resisted heat very well thanks to his blessing.
Chaos broke out in the cabin. Rinella screamed, mouth open, trying to blow on the food that was burning inside her. Aedric, trying to help, blew directly into her mouth. Seeing the method's ineffectiveness, he ran to a bucket of water and offered her a bowl.
Rinella, finally, was able to swallow the food and calm the burning with the water.
Angry, she decided to look away. It was her ultimate weapon, the greatest offense she knew: ignoring him.
Aedric, trying to appease her bad mood, grabbed another spoonful of stew. This time, he blew on it gently for a good while before bringing it closer to her. Rinella's anger didn't last long; she accepted the spoonful and, this time, enjoyed the taste.
While the children ate, the adults watched them with knowing smiles.
"So, when's the wedding?" —joked Garreth, laughing loudly with a beer in his hand—.
"Honey, don't say that" —replied Mildred with anguish in her voice— "Aedric is still my dear baby"
"At least I won't have to worry about my daughter being a single woman the rest of her life "—added Lysa, smiling broadly—.
Later, with the sun hiding behind the mountains, Lysa prepared to leave. She said goodbye to her best friend and her husband, already half drunk, who was laughing at his own jokes.
Outside the cabin, on a wooden bench, the children sat together. Aedric, although intelligent, didn't fully understand the concept of a birthday, but he knew it was a special day where gifts were given.
In his improvisation, he grabbed a small flower, white as snow and fragile in appearance.
An Evershine.
During the night, these flowers would open and absorb the moonlight, giving off pollen that glowed with a beautiful fluorescent blue. The forest was plagued with Evershines that began to open, creating a beautiful sight of a dark, snow-covered forest that began to light up in a pleasant blue glow and fireflies began to flutter around.
For both children it was the first time they saw the show. Aedric had never left at night because of the cold, and Rinella lived in the village. A magical gift that lit up both their faces.
Rinella smiled shyly, receiving the first birthday gift from a friend.
"Thanks" —she murmured weakly to Aedric—.
He was surprised; it was the first time she had said a word that wasn't a cry or a shriek.
The crunch of the wood was heard as the cabin door opened. Lysa appeared to look for her daughter. She approached and gently carried her in her arms for the walk back.
"Bye, Rin" —said Aedric, saying goodbye with a silly smile on his childlike face.
"Ujum" —she replied unintelligibly—.
She raised her arm, which reached to the elbow, and moved her stump from side to side, the sleeves of her coat tied in knots.
Garreth and Mildred came out to look for their son, the "conqueror of hearts," to take him inside.
"Did you have fun, boy?" —Garreth said to him with a knowing smile and a tone that implied much more—.
"Yes, a lot!" —Aedric replied innocently, returning the same kind of smile to his father without understanding its meaning, but found it fun—.
Mildred, for her part, looked worriedly at the scene, the knowing smiles of father and son.
Aedric was imitating Garreth, but the father's gaze was one of understanding that unsettled her.
—Perhaps her son was smarter than she thought, or perhaps her husband was just teaching him nonsense.— She kept her words to herself.
The sun finally set, giving way to a bright blue moon.
The forest lit up in a soft blue tone, illuminated by thousands of flowers that opened to absorb the night light.
The cold night in the northern imperial forests was a beautiful sight.
—End of Chapter 2—