Jack and Maya entered the village in the evening. They walked through the houses. Maya stared at the village, amazed, as if she'd never seen anything like it before. A man came out of his house, greeting Jack and her with a wave. Jack waved back high; meanwhile, Maya waved low nervously.
She asked Jack in a low voice,
"Who is he?"
Jack answered confidently,
"He sells firewood around here; Fred is really nice."
Jack walked confidently toward Nicholas's lodge, while Maya stayed a few meters behind, gazing at her surroundings, her eyes wide.
Before they reached it, a young man and a small child came toward them. The child's dark hair was tied in a loose bun. Her dark eyes gleamed with happiness. The young man had brown, slightly curled hair and was holding a batch of fish. His tired eyes brightened at the sight of Jack. Mila and Aos smiled with gentle relief. Mila sprinted toward Jack in a warm hug.
"Brother Jack!"
She lifted her gaze, staring into his eyes.
Jack embraced her as well, giving her a gentle smile.
"I'm back."
Aos gave him a warm smile.
"Took you long enough."
Aos leaned toward Jack, patting him down slightly. Jack stared confused. Aos patted him on the arms. Jack grunted slightly.
"Ouch!"
Aos glared at him.
"Well, the very least you did is come home with all your parts."
He gave a slight pout.
"Come home and rest. Mila and I will take care of your wounds."
Mila looked behind Jack. There stood a beautiful young lady wearing a long white coat. Her green eyes shone in the snow around her. Her hair was tossed up into a neatly placed bun. Two strands fell onto her softly tanned face.
"Aos,"
"Brother, do you see what I'm seeing?"
Aos looked behind Jack, his eyes showing worry.
"Oh no."
Mila whispered into Aos's ear, trying to keep her voice low but failing.
"It's the first time he leaves the village."
"And he already brought a girl."
Aos frowned slightly, whispering back,
"Do you think the whole Yeti story was made up?"
Jack clenched his fist in front of him.
"Shut up, fools. She's right here."
"I didn't lie!"
"She just happened to pass by!"
Mila kept whispering in Aos's ear.
"Pass by? Here in the north?"
"Yeah, sure."
A snowball struck both their faces, scattering snow everywhere. Aos turned to face Jack, who had thrown it. The beautiful girl stood next to her. Aos spread her hands as if presenting her.
"This is Arya."
"She lives in the nearest village to the east."
Jack's face showed a hint of nervousness.
It's hard to hide someone's identity.
He glanced at Arya—no, Maya—her eyes cast down nervously.
Damn you, monarch, for your importance in society!
Aos bowed slightly.
"Welcome. My name is Aos, and this is my sister, Mila."
Mila hurried toward her, embracing her the same way she did Jack.
"Hello, Jack's girlfriend!"
Her face turned bright red. She spoke nervously,
"Oh, I'm not his girl—"
Mila interrupted,
"Sure, sure."
Mila let go of her embrace and grabbed her by the hand.
"Let's go, let's eat something at Ralf's!"
Maya asked curiously,
"Ralf's?"
Mila pulled her away from Aos and Jack.
"Let's go, you two!"
Jack and Aos laughed together and walked with them. Aos shouted to Mila,
"Hey, we have to leave the fish at the house!"
Mila giggled while walking away.
"Ralf can keep it for us!"
Aos sighed. He looked at Jack with a calm gaze and said,
"I'm glad you're back."
***
All four of them sat around a large round table. The tavern wasn't as crowded as on the festival day, but it was still lively. People were eating, drinking, and laughing.
Ralf brought over a plate of steaming dumplings, accompanied by a rich sauce.
The aroma filled the air, a perfect mix of herbs and meaty goodness.
Jack grabbed a few dumplings, and noticing Maya's hesitance, he placed some on her plate.
She hesitated before speaking softly.
"Thank you."
Mila eyed Jack suspiciously.
"Hmmm."
Jack lightly tapped her foot under the table.
"Ouch!"
He gave her a stern look.
"Don't even dare."
Aos served himself and glanced at Maya between bites. He was nervous—not only because Jack was his first friend his age, but now there was anotherperson his age in the village. His thoughts raced.
Impossible. Two people this year?
Trying to hide his nervousness, Aos spoke.
"So… Arya, right?"
"Why did you come here?"
Maya blinked in surprise.
"Well, actually…"
Jack quickly intervened, sensing her hesitation.
"She's a researcher!"
Aos blinked.
"Really?"
Maya nodded, her voice a little shaky.
"Yes… cough, cough. I'm a researcher."
Mila's eyes widened in excitement.
"Researcher?" She said eyes wide.
Maya met her gaze, speaking calmly.
"Umm… yes. I came here for research."
Aos leaned in, intrigued.
Maya placed a dumpling in her mouth. The flavor was rich, with a sweet hint. Her cheeks turned light pink, and she smiled, placing her hand on her cheek.
"So good!"
Mila looked at Maya with pride.
"Right?"
Aos turned back to the conversation.
"What are you researching?"
Maya grabbed another dumpling, popping it in her mouth with a small smile.
"The… culture up here. Further north."
Suddenly, the tavern doors burst open, drawing everyone's attention.
Jack looked up just in time to see a broad man with brown hair and a thick beard. His burgundy coat gleamed in the light as he strode in, his boots heavy on the wooden floor. It was Nicholas.
Their eyes met. Jack slowly raised his hands.
Nicholas walked quickly toward him.
"You're coming with me."
He grabbed Jack's arm and pulled him out of the tavern.
For a brief moment, everyone fell silent, before the chatter resumed.
Aos looked toward the door, still shaken.
"What just happened?"
Mila shrugged and continued eating.
***
Nicholas led Jack outside. Snowflakes fell from above.
Jack spoke.
"Ouch!"
"Hey! I didn't even eat yet...!"
Jack went quiet, noticing Nicholas's gaze—strong, serious, and firm. His voice was gaunt.
"There's a problem."
"I'm sorry, but I need you for this. Now."