It's cold in the Spring

1 - A Child Lost

In an endless sea of white, a small tent fought to keep the cold out. The fire flickered in its battle with the wood, that was slowly running out.

A group of people sat around the fire, closely huddled together. They were staring at the soup, that was barely bubbling above the flames. While most people were silent, a young child was teasing the beautiful woman next to it. Her bell like laughter made the entire tent seem warmer. The child cuddled itself into the woman's arms and smiled in satisfaction.

A sudden gust of wind finally defeated the tent and the people screamed in shock and fear. Seconds later the fire died out. Being without protection in a storm like this was certain death. And yet, while everyone else was sitting on the ground and lamenting, the woman grabbed the child and embraced it. "Let's go."

"Where are we going Mom?" The child looked at her with big eyes, but no fear could be seen in them. Only dependence and infinite trust. It was as if even the gods wouldn't be able to scare the child, as long as it's mother was around. The woman smiled at the child, to hide the fear that tugging at her heart. "To where it's warm."

Ignoring the scoffs or the people, she started walking with the storm. In any case going anywhere was better than dying without having tried, she thought. And going with the storm would take less energy.

As the storm around her increased in strength, so did her unwillingness to die. She looked at the child in her arms. A smile blossomed on her face and she kissed its forehead. "I won't let you die like this."

The child didn't respond and only rubbed it's tiny face against her furs. When the woman looked up again the smile became a look of determination. She didn't even notice, how lightning started crackling in the skies. Right above her, a fight was happening in the sky. Snow from the north, fire from the south, ice rain from the east and lightning from the west.

The spectacle was visible far and wide. Far enough, that a young warmother could see it. Her mount grunted uneasily, the air around them stiff with the magic of the gods. And yet, something called out to her from within that storm. A look of hesitation flashed over her eyes before Sejuani exchanged a look with the man she had just talked to.

Udyr nodded. "There is a call. A human." He stocked, his pupils widening as fear consumed him when he tried to feel it. The metal nail deep inside his palms before he even realized that he had reached for it. "No. Whatever this is, it's not human."
His hoarse voice barely left his lips.

Seeing that Sejuani was already riding toward the storm a rare look of panic took over the otherwise stone faced shaman. "Sejuani! We don't even know what that is!"

No answer came and before he could say anything else, the warmother had left the encampment.

In the middle of the storm the mother finally realized that something was wrong and when she lifted her head to look into the sky, she dropped into her knees, tears streaming down her face, which instantly froze in the bitter cold.

She could feel the magic around her, it was so thick that it was, as if she could touch it as long as she reached out her hand. Thoughts of surrender flashed through her mind. How was any Mortal going to survive a fight of the gods?

"Mommy?" the childs voice instantly cleared her mind. The awe and fear were pushed back and all that was left was limitless determination. Her hand covered her child's ears. Then she took a deep breath and called out. "I am Frar! Daughter of Hypata! Mother of Siky! Spare my daughter you merciless old ones!"

Unsteadily she rose to her feet, her hands still covering the wars of her daughter. A bolt of lightning struck came down in in the last attempt to save Siky, Frar tried to push her out of harms way. A heaven defying pride in her eyes as she glared at the sky.

A wordless roar formed in her throat and the magic around her suddenly gathered. Whether it was the rain, the storm the ice or the fire. It formed a a transparent sphere around her and the storm suddenly stopped.

Sejuani arrived to such a breathtaking scene. On the edge of a cliff that one couldn't even see in the storm before, stood a beautiful woman, her raven hair fluttering in the wisps of magic around her. The wind that suddenly stopped seemed to have left the entire world breathless.

But then... Frar screamed. Her endless determination and pride formed the magic into a crude bolt that pierced the skies. The clouds evaporated and the sun shone down upon the woman. Frar turned around and looked at Sejuani. Even over all this distance the anguish in the eyes of that raven-haired woman made her swallow.

Sejuanis eyes left the woman and she finally noticed a tiny body laying close to the woman. Too tiny. Frar kneeled down and held Sikys tiny body that was covered in burn marks. She gently closed her eyes and the tears she swore herself not the shed, still ran down her face in silent waves.

A gloved hand landed on her shoulder. "I am Sejuani. Warmother of the Winter’s Claw! I am the Winter’s Wrath! I am the Flail of the Northern Winds! Follow me and we will fight the gods together!"

Frar looked up the young warmother next to her and when she met those pale blue eyes that shone with a rare gentleness, she found herself nodding. The body of her child was still in her arms and while she barely understood anything of the situation, she knew it were the gods that had killed her precious Siky.