The summer sun shone bright, the light made the snow glow white.
Violet was outside sitting with her friends, she smiled happily oblivious to what was happening in her home.
**
The summer came a month ago, the icy storms had passed but the cold didn't.
The night when the winterbeast attacked the village, Garrett saved and killed the monster.
Though even he saved his family he paid a significant price.
The horns had pierced the bones and nerves of Garrett's right hand and left leg.
Garrett came home covered in blood with bandages wrapped around his body.
Maria, the moment she looked at Garrett, the color drained from her face.
The man she loved and thought of strongest laid powerless.
The arms she held in the darkest night, in the toughest of times now had no movement in them.
The legs that walked together carrying her and their daughter now didn't even have warmth.
She dropped on her knees and crawled to Garrett, the tears weren't coming out, her jaws trembled, she touched her husband's face but asked him...
"Garrett, open your eyes... What are you doing? There is nothing in this world that can hurt you, so open your eyes.
Don't do this to me." Maria held her face close to him, she felt his breath slow and cold.
The two guards who brought him here kneeled in front of her and shared the grim news.
"We have given his necessary treatment, unfortunately the attack from the monster had severed the bones and nervous and the rotting flesh on horns made the injuries marred.
The monster corrupt miasma has infected the mana circuit and completely destroyed the function of two limbs, the infected mana circuit will also affect his body.
The pain along with after effects might be severe, we apologise." The men said.
Maria looked at them in anger, "Why didn't you help him?"
"We are only here to protect lady Violet, forgive us-"
"Get out-" Maria whispered, they didn't hear it well, they stood there thinking what she just said...
"Get out!" She cried out.
The men looked at each other and then vanished.
Violet, who was hiding under the cellar climbed up, there she saw Garrett lying in Maria arms and Maria wailing in agony, she ran at Garrett and started crying.
She never imagined in her worst nightmare, seeing her papa lying lifeless like this.
She held him tightly as if she loosened her grip, her papa will go away.
That night both of them cried until the reality sank in, Violet fell into deep sleep.
"Maria..." A hoarse muffled voice touched Maria's ear, she slowly looked up and saw Garrett eyes looking at Violet.
"I blundered, didn't I?" Garrett's eyes had nothing, but hollow gaze.
When Maria heard this and heart twisted in pain she hugged him tightly and kissed him,
"No, you protected us... Don't ever regret it, neither will I." Maria promised herself at that moment;
Whatever happens now, she will do everything in her power and beyond to preserve everything Garrett has protected until now.
The morning came and Garrett laid on his bed, silent.
The chief decided to hold a meeting close to Garrett homes.
Garrett was carried out by two men and sat on a log.
He had woken up, she had lost the movement in his arms and legs.
The chief and the villagers discussed and talked about the losses;
17 men and 8 young men died.
Some were sole providers for their family.
The women who depended on the men decided to form a party and hunt together.
The tradition of "the prey shall belong to the one who hunted it." There were, 10 women banded together, and then they looked at Maria.
The mother of Hassen, who always kept her child away from the home of Violet stood hesitantly, but every child who grew up in this village learnt something from childhood.
The ungrateful are the first to left to die and the one who seeks to walk alone has got buried in snow before the hail.
Pay the blood by blood, pay the silver by silver.
"Maria, your husband has made a great sacrifice for protecting our village, so we think you can take care of Violet and we'll-"
"No need, I am still able to hunt—" Garrett tried standing up and but one glare from Maria made him sit back down like a child.
"We don't need charity, what Garrett did was to protect me and our daughter, since Garrett will be recovering from now on, I shall hunt in his stead." Maria's eyes had conviction burning like flames.
"But Maria—" Garrett I tried speaking up but a glare again shut him down.
"But what about Violet?" The villagers looked at her, the people who once averted their eyes fearing her now had gratitude and pity.
"She-" Maria was about to speak up with heart she turned cold then Violet came out from behind.
"I'll stay home and take care of my wife!" Violet spoke up loudly, her voice was stern and her papa and mama first time heard her so loud.
"But-" Garrett again tried to speak up, but one glare from Violet shut him down again.
That day a new routine was decided, Maria got up and went to hunt, she learnt everything important from survival when these two were on a journey against the world.
Meanwhile Violet took care of her papa, she learnt how to cook medicine and concoction from Maria.
Garrett often used a stick wandered to the kitchen and tried cooking.
Whenever Maria came home she found food, she yelled at him the whole night but the same thing happened next.
She tried coming home early but Garrett knew her better than herself.
They all lived hiding the pain behind smiles comforting each other...
**
The Black Raven leered at the nest, from far away,
The night had gone, but the season did not end,
The freezing winds shall blow again...
**
Present day,
Maria stood in the cottage facing Calla.
Calla had a feint smile, she walked to a chair and sat with a deep sigh.
"I'm sorry dear sister, the moment I got the news I came back hurriedly, I was worried about Garrett and you.
Forgive me, the capital didn't allow me to come here in the area marked in danger." Calla gazed downwards, there was something like pain in her eyes, at least that's what she tried to show.
"I see, finally you remembered you had an ailing daughter that lived in fear or danger until-" Maria put down the meat and looked at Garrett who was sitting in his room, and had a finger in lips...
Telling Maria to choose her words carefully, one mistake and things will start crumbling, although they weren't aware the strings had already reached their necks.
"Your anger is justified Maria, I can't refute...but don't worry this time I'll make sure that she will be cared well from now on." Calla tapped on the table.
Maria steps stopped and she was afraid that her worst fears might come true.
"What do you mean?" Maria glared at Calla, the servitude and gratitude she had in them until now was replaced by doubt and anger.
"I am thinking of taking Maria to Saint's Canopy!" Calla looked at Maria, her smile carried thousands of words and each had a sharpness that stabbed Maria's heart a thousand times.
"No!" Maria stabbed the table and her dagger went through the table, "I didn't raise her until now so you can show up one day and take her away!" Maria walked up to Calla, eyes filled with rage and the two men who had vanished that day, came in front of Calla.
"We warn you lady Maria, our duty to protect you was ended that day, we are no longer obliged to keep you away from harm!" The man spoke through the mask.
"It's okay, being an only girl, I've always wanted to argue with someone like my sister, let it be Maria, who is my sister so what our mothers were different." Calla said.
"What happened Maria, how does it feel to know that something you've protected until now is about to be stolen?
It feels enraging right? The thought grates the soul right?" Calla stood up.
"That's what I felt away from Violet, I left her with you feeling like this everyday.
I lived in fear day and night that one day she'll stop calling me mother!" Calla smacked her hand on the table.
"Maria, when I heard about the danger I thought about this deeply, I know that the place for Violet is with you.
But that is only when you promise me to protect her, but now when I look at Garrett, how can you assure me that?" Calla glared at Maria.
For a moment Maria thought Calla knew about the plan of Garrett but Calla knew to weave her words so carefully that can struck the strings without making sound.
"Don't worry I won't take her, but I am here for you... My sister."