The brightness of the sun greeted me as I opened my eyes, I slept outdoors after all. I got up from the ground and I felt way better than last night. I should be able to manage to get back to the village in my condition. I should hurry since grandma might be quite worried since I was not able to comeback yesterday. I should go and tell Silvwi first that I’ll be going now.

“Oh, you’re up.” Silvwi came out of the cave, what fantastic timing.

“Thank you for everything, Silvwi. I should be getting back now. The others might be worried about me.” I told her while I fix my things.

“I see, shouldn’t you eat something first before you go? I can go prepare something right now.”

“No it’s alright, thanks for the offer.” It will be some vegetable soup again since I don’t have any meat left and I am not too ecstatic to have some. If I can hurry back home, maybe there will still be some of the boar we hunted.

“Okay, be careful.”

“By the way, may I know from which direction is the place where you found me?” I almost forgot that I did not where I currently am. If I can at least find the place where I was last then I can find my way from there.

“It’s that way, just straight ahead.” Silvwi stated as she pointed to the direction to which she found me. “Want me to guide you there?”

“It’s alright. I can manage by myself. Thank you for everything!” I then turned my back from her and about to go out when I thought of something. I do believe it is a good idea but somehow I kind of got nervous. I took a deep breath before I spoke. “Hey Silvwi. Why don’t you come back with me to the village? I think it would be more fun if you will live with us than alone.”

“Um...” Silvwi looked down.

“If you don’t want to it’s alright. It is just a random thought.”

“No...”

“Hm?”

“I want to come with you... but my mother told me to stay here no matter what happens.”

“I-I see.” That kind of made my nerve wrack. I actually thought she will say something like not wanting to go with a foul smelling jerk like me.

Although I am disappointed that she won’t be coming with me, I am still happy to know that she felt that way.

“Then... Is it alright if I come visit you every now and then?” I asked as my heart was about to get out of my chest. I am not confessing or anything but why do I feel like I did?

“Of course! I’d love to see you again!” Silvwi said with a smile. Dammit, I want to do a weird dance right now! I have not left yet but I want to come back already.

“Then, I’ll be leaving now. Thank you again for everything!” I told her while I cover the lower part of my face with my arm. She might think I am a weirdo if she sees my grinning from ear to ear. I went to the direction she told me and she saw me off while waving her arms, smiling.

I reached the spot where I fell. I also found one of my arrows so I picked it up. Even if it is only one, I felt more secure. So from here, this direction should bring me back to the village. I cautiously traversed the forest as I do not want any unwanted encounter.

After a while, I was able to get out of the forest. I gave out a sigh of relief that I was able to get out of the forest, unscathed. Well... not really unharmed thanks to the boar but I am still alive and well and that is good enough. After an hour and a half of travel time, I was able to get back to the village. Boy, I am hungry.

“Keil!” I heard a voice from afar. From the sound of it, it should be Teku. I stopped for a second to know if I might just be imagining it. I looked from afar and I saw him running towards me while calling me.

“Keil! It’s really you!” Teku uttered until he reached me then tackled me to the ground. He is now atop of me.

“Ow!” It hurts! The tackle itself was not strong but I still had my injuries from yesterday. Did he really think that it is alright for him to take down an injured person to the ground?

“Sorry! But hey! It’s really you! We tried to search for you but you were no longer on the place where you fell! I’m worried sick you know!” Teku kept on babbling while smiling. Wait, is he crying? Come on man! I am your best friend, not your wife!

“Heavy... Get of me...”

“Sorry, Sorry! I am just so happy to see you in one piece!” Teku got off me and stood up while wiping the tears of his eyes. I guess he might have felt guilty and seeing me alive took the load off from him.

“Sure, sure! I am hungry now, I want to eat first.” I also got up as I wipe the snow off my clothes.

“Of course you are! There are still some boar meat left! We should go to the village center! Honestly the feast last night is not so tasty, the fact that you’re missing made the taste so bland!” Come on, would you shut up already? I know that you are happy already so you can drop it. I just want to eat.

We went to the village center where the Captain and the others are. I saw that there is indeed still some meat left, I am so glad.

“Captain! Keil is here!” Teku called out to the Captain who was seemingly polishing his spear. The Captain went to me and looked happy, even the other villagers are.

“I’m glad you are alright! We were just about to set out to come look for you!” The Captain told me as he holds my shoulders firmly.

“Yes, I am hurting all over but there does not seem to be a broken bone.” By all over, that includes my shoulders which you are holding very tightly so can you please loosen your grip?

“That’s good. You might be hungry! I will have some food ready for you so you should go see your grandmother first. She is worried sick about you.”

“I see, thank you.” I then headed to our house. I wanted to eat first though but I guess what he said makes sense

“Grandma! I’m home!” I called out after I got inside the house.  Grandma came out of the kitchen and smiled after seeing me.

“I was really worried about you! I thought you are going to leave me as well!” Grandma told me as she hugged me tightly.

“Don’t say stuff like that. I won’t do that.” Grandma then released me from her arms.

“The Captain told me that you were no longer where they saw you fell! We actually thought that a beast might have devoured you!”

“Nothing like that happened. In fact, a cute girl saved me and tended to my wounds.”

“A girl?” Grandma frowned

“Yes, she is living alone in the forest and was very kind and-“

“Don’t tell me...”

“Is there a problem?”

“Did she have golden eyes and pink hair?”

“Yes, how did you know?”

“Let us sit down first.” Grandma seemed very serious. Does she know anything about Silvwi? We sat down on the chairs near the kitchen.

“Did you know that the land here is not originally plagued by the winter?”

“Yes, I heard of it from somewhere before.”

“The land here was good and crops grew finely but there is one place that was always snowy, no matter what month of the year it is. A man from the village was curious why so he went to investigate. Upon exploring, he was able to meet a beautiful woman. She has pink hair and golden eyes. The man and woman fell deeply in love. The man always went to the mountains with gifts and trinkets. Some of the villagers suspected that he was meeting a snow fairy.”

“A snow fairy?”

“ It was said in stories of old that a snow fairy is a creature who creates winter around her, as a curse of eternal seclusion. Yet the curse did not hinder the man from seeing the woman, hence worsening the curse and spreading the winter to the village. One day, the villagers followed the man and they saw the woman who resembled the description in the stories. The villagers told the man that they should slay the woman so the winter will go away.”

“What?!”

“ The man strongly refused, saying that he loved the woman. The deeper the affection of the man for the woman got, the stronger the curse became. Blizzards hunted the village every night. Crops completely died off from the cold and famine came to the village. Many died due to this sudden calamity so the villagers decided to slay the woman once and for all. After a very long night, they were able to kill the woman as well as the man who tried defending the one he loved.

“...”

“ The blizzards stopped but the winter did not leave even though the woman was already gone. The villagers no longer know what to do hence the only thing they can do is try to make do with what we have, which brings us to the present.”

“Are you saying that the girl who saved me is a snow fairy?”

“It is possible that they were able to have a child. If it is so, ending the life of this girl will also end the winter.”

“No...” If that is true then the others might come and hunt her once they found out. I heard a noise from my back. I looked to see that it was Teku with a dropped plate of food near his feet.

“For real? We can end this winter? I should tell everyone!” Teku looked happy upon hearing the news. This is bad, quite bad. Teku started running out and I chased after him outside.

“Teku, wait a minute!” I grabbed him by his coat to stop him from moving.

“Why? We can finally end this!”

“Are you serious!? You are willing to kill an innocent girl?”

“Innocent? She was the cause of so many deaths! Are you planning to keep something this big as a secret?”

“But she did nothing wrong!” I started raising my voice.

“So do you want everyone to endure this madness just because of the girl!?” Teku replied, shouting.

“I also want this winter to end! Of course I do!”

“Then we should kill her!”

“Can you hear yourself!? You are talking out loud about killing a girl!”

“Because that will end our suffering!”

“In exchange for the suffering of another!? This is madness!”

“Madness or not, she is the cause of this cold and eliminating her will eliminate the cold at last!”

“But she did not want this!”

“And we also do not want this cold weather!”

“But...”

“I lost my sister since she was not able to take the cold. So did your mother! Did you forget that?!”

“Of course I did not! But killing an innocent girl won’t bring them back to life!”

“Yet it will stop our suffering and other deaths to come!” Teku tried to walk away but I pulled him by his coat even more firmly. “Let go! Stop being stubborn.” Teku slapped my hand and ran away from me.

“I won’t let you go!” I chased after Teku outside and tackled him into the snowy ground.

“Are you serious!?” He asked as I grabbed him tightly, not letting go even though my body still hurts. He was able to escape me grasp and about to get up when I grabbed him by the foot.

“It is not like you to act like this! Stop this now!” Teku shouted at me but I refused to let go. He tried to pull his leg out from me but he was unsuccessful until he kicked me on the face.

“Gah!” I grunted. The kick hurt like crazy. Blood dripped from my forehead but I still held on. I cannot let them kill her! She only helped me yet I was only about to bring her misfortune! I can’t let her kindness be the reason of her death! For her, I cannot let go!

“Let go! Dammit!” Teku did another kick on my face. My grip loosened and I am starting to lose my strength. Move! Dammit, move! Why am I being so helpless in a time like this! Dammit! Darkness is starting to fill my vision. I can’t faint now! Not now...

“Graaaah!” I shouted to gather my strength. I forced myself to get up despite the leaving energy of my body.

I grabbed my bow that was slinged to my back all this time as well as the lone arrow that I was able to pick up. I nocked the arrow and aimed at my bestfriend.



“Take another step and I’ll shoot!” Blood was dripping down my face but I believe I won’t miss if I aim at him seriously.

“What?”  Teku stopped running and looked at me. “Are you joking!?”

“Do you see me laughing? You know that I won’t miss at this distance.”

“Have you lost your mind? You are willing to shoot me, your best friend for a girl you just met?”

“Yes because unlike you, she is not planning to hurt anyone.”

“I did not know that you had that very strong sense of justice within you, this is so not like you at all! Did you fall for her?”

“Shut up!”

“Bingo! Is she that cute? That you fell for her on your first meeting?”

“I said shut up!”

“You fell for her so deeply that you are willing to kill ME for HER!? We’ve been together for years while YOU JUST MET HER! “

“SHUT THE HELL UP!” I was not able to control myself that I shot the arrow but I hesitated before I was able to release it, I am not ready to kill anyone. The arrow grazed Teku’s face and hit the tree behind him. Teku wiped the blood off his face with his hands and looked at it while smiling.

“You really have lost your mind.” Teku gave his remark while smiling. He knew that I only have one arrow left so after speaking, he ran away. He was probably headed to the Captain to ready the hunting team, Dammit!

What should I do? If they leave at once and search from where I fell, they will find her with time. But before they go, they will most likely spend a while for preparations especially since it is not a normal hunt.

If they start getting ready now, the time that they will probably set out will be this tonight. If I leave now and warn Silvwi then maybe we can find another hiding place before they begin the search. I guess that is my only option.

I rushed inside the house to get my spare arrows in my room, I cannot leave unarmed. I also have not yet eaten since morning so I needed something to eat. I grabbed the scattered food on the floor and put it in a cloth and took it with me. I guess this should be enough; I have to go light so I can be with her as soon as possible.

“I heard you guys screaming from here. Oh my! What’s with all the blood!” My grandma talked to me but I was busy preparing that I did not bother to look at her.

“Its nothing, I’ll be going now.”

“Are you planning to go to the girl? Did you remember the story that I told you about? It is not only the woman that died. The man who loved her also died protecting her!”

I don’t know the expression in my grandma’s face as I do not have enough courage to look her in the eye. Is she disappointed? Angry? Worried? I am unsure but her voice seemed sad. I know you don’t want me to come but she saved my life so I have to do what I can to save her too.

“That won’t happen, I won’t die that easily.” I uttered before I ran off.

I left the village and traversed the one and a half hour of travel. I did not stop to even take a rest. I just ate half of the food I brought so I can stay strong and continue onward. Although I want to eat all of it, I need to reserve some for emergency purposes.

I reached the forest and was able to get to the place I fell to easily. I was just here a while ago so I still clearly remembered the paths. I went to where Silvwi was staying at and I am glad to see that she was there.

“Silvwi!” I called her out and she looked at my way.

“Keil? I thought you came back to the village?”

“I did and now men will come here to kill you! We should run away!”

“Huh? Why would they ?“

“I’ll explain later, for now I want you to trust me.”

“But...” I saw the fear and confusion on her eyes but there was no time to explain. I put my hands on her shoulders and looked her eye to eye.

“You saved me yesterday right?”

“Right.”

“You’ve been kind to me, right?”

“I believe so.”

“Then I do not have a reason to hurt you. So please...”

“Okay, I’ll trust you.” Upon hearing her words, my panic went down a little. I removed my hands from her shoulders.

“Listen, go that way and I will go the opposite way.”

“You are not going with me?”

“I will serve as a diversion so you can escape safely.”

“But you will be in danger!”

“You said you’d trust me.”

“I know but...”

“I’ll be alright.”

“Okay, you have to come see me alive.”

“I will. Just run as far as possible and find a good hiding place. You should also remember to get rid of your foot prints on the snow so they won’t be able to track you. You should also take this, it is food. I also have some with me” I then handed her the food that I have left. I just thought that she would need it more than me.

“Be careful!” Silvwi told me before she ran away. I watched her get out of my sight before I took my boots off. The snow is very cold that my bones ached the moment I took them off. Since they know that Silvwi is a snow fairy, I guess they would not expect her to wear some boots.

I then made my way on the opposite direction to which Silvwi was headed. I intentionally left my footprints on the snow as well as the footprints of my boots using my hands to make it seem like the tracks of two people. Since I had to make additional footprints, my pace was sluggish and the longer I stayed on the snow with my bare foot, the more it hurt.

I went on as long as I could. I did not know how much time I have spent but I kept on. My breathing became heavy and I grew hungry once again. Yet I do not have the time to rest. I have to lead them away from Silvwi, as far as possible. This pain is nothing if I can prevent them from hunting her down. She was kind, she did not deserve to live this way and more so be killed like a beast.

Darkness started to enshroud the place. I should find a place to rest first before they come at me. I found a small cave and that was where I rested for a short time. If my calculations are correct they would be here after a while.

Here comes the hard part. I do not have a plan by the time they get here. I don’t know how I will be able to escape and it will not be easy getting by this deep in the forest. Although I told grandma and Silvwi that I will be alright, I more or less already accepted my death.

If I were to fight them seriously, I can probably shoot down half of them before they get to me but I only have limited arrows so one mistake can instantly kill me. They are also likely to have some men with bows as well so I am in a huge disadvantage.

Although I am thinking about my chances if I fought back, I have no plan to kill any of them. I refuse to bathe my hands in blood unlike Teku. I refuse to be a murderer.