The guardian of the seasons

A tale for the children

The sun was starting to set over a garden, filled with roses, and tulips, daffodils and daisies, poppies and hyacinths, and many other flowers. There were children playing among the bushes, donning capes and wooden swords, when their mother called from the patio, for it was time to say goodnight. As the children climbed up the stairs, they begged their mother to let them stay up a little longer.
"If you are nice," the mother cooed, "I will ask your grandmother to tell you a bedtime story."
The children's eyes suddenly gleaned with excitement, for their grandmother always told the best stories, and there was one in particular that they wanted to hear tonight.
After they all were in their pajamas, and their capes and swords put away, they all climbed over to the couch, as their grandmother, Laura, walked from the kitchen with glasses of milk.
As she sat down, the children all started talking all at once, asking for the same story.
She put her hands up to silence them, saying, "Calm down! Calm down! I can only hear one of you at once!"
They quickly closed their mouths, and Laura said, "Now, what story would you like to hear?"
They all looked at each other, pleading for one of them to ask, knowing that if more then one spoke, she would ask again, until only one spoke.
Finally, Sarah, they eldest, spoke.
"Can we hear the story about the Guardian of the seasons?"
"You want to hear that one? Again? I bet you could recite it by heart by now!" Laura chuckled.
"Yes, but it's so much more exciting when you tell the story!"
"Very well. But first, you must don your capes! We must be in the mood of the story!" She laughed, and got up to go get her own. Sarah and the others raced to the closet, and quickly tied their capes around their shoulders, and climbed back on the couch, leaning forward with anticipation as their grandmother came back with her cape, which was a scarlet red, made with a velvet fabric.
"Now then. There is a legend, about a warrior, that is in a battle that repeats itself every year,"
"With a red cape, and a sword made from a drop of sunlight!" Danny, the youngest said,
"And a shield crafted from the tree of life!" The middle child added, Samantha.
"Yes! But there is more to her cape, then just the color, isn't there?" The grandma said, nodding.
"It's the cape invulnerable! Nothing can pierce its cloth!" Sarah said, grabbing her brother from behind.
"Very good!" Laura laughed, "and this warrior was trained by the sun itself, to fight back against the frosten spirits, who wish to cover the world with ice, and rule this world with the power of the icicle spear. Their leader, Yosedia, is the one who leads this army of spirits, and wields the icicle spear. Every year, when the fall starts, he builds up their army, and every year, the season gets colder, as his army grows."
"Until the winter! When he launches his attack!" Samantha says, hugging her sister.
"That is quite right! Meanwhile in the summer, the Guardian is building her strength, and strengthening her sword by basking it in the suns powerful rays, until winter, when she rides into the sky, on a horse that is brown like the earthly soil, and raises her sword to the winter clouds and battles them, fighting back the blizzards, until with the power of her sword, she can bring fourth the warmth of spring. But she can't do that until she has fought back the spirits, and sends Yosedia back the Arctic. Now, it's time to go back to bed. And do not fret, the warrior is watching over us, as she prepares for the winter battle."
The children yawn, and climb off the couch, when Danny says,
"Grandma?"
"Yes Danny?"
"What is the red Warriors name?"
The grandma paused before answering.
"Her name is Robin. Now off to bed."
Their mother came into the room and said, "your grandmother is right. Now it's time for bed." Their mother followed them back up the stairs, and the mothers singing could be heard while Laura rocked in her chair. It was quite a sweet sound, she thought, but Laura stopped rocking, and pauses before saying, "it's been awhile, Robin."
A woman walks away from the mantle, her red cape reflecting the light from the fire with a comfortable hue to it.
"Indeed it has, Laura. How have you been, my sister?"
"I've been well. My grandchildren love hearing about you."
"So I heard. Why must you tell them that story? You make me sound like a hero." Robin says, as she lowers the hood of her cape, revealing long brown hair, that tumbles to her chest, and a red and black mask, with two young hazel eyes shining bright from the eye holes.
"Because you are a hero. If it weren't for you, the spring would never come, the crops wouldn't grow, and we would starve." She said.
"Very well." The young woman said, rolling her eyes.
"I think I might want to see these grandkids of yours. I've heard so much about them. You don't mind if I?"
Laura shook her head, "their mother is probably asleep by now, in her own bed. Just be sure not to wake them up."
With a smile, she gave her sister a quick hug and quietly climbed up the stairs. When she made it to the landing, she turned her head back and forth, looking at the two doors, one to the Mother's room, and the other to the children's. After looking at the two doors, she chose the more decorated door, and opened it as quietly as possible. Inside she found three beds, each with a small child inside. Robin smiled at the sight of them resting peacefully, thinking about the dreams they might be having.
Then she looked out the window and her smile dropped.
"Scorpio you idiot!" She stage whispered, walking as quickly as she could, while being silent to the window.
Outside of the window was her Pegasus, wings flapping while looking inside, making a slight bashing noise against the old cottage. It was more of a wind sound, but seeing as there was no wind, it could very well get them caught. She climbed into the window seat, and tried to open the window, so she could climb onto her horse and get him out of there, but she grimaced when it made a slight creeping noise. She opened it a bit more, only to have more creaking. She silently cursed at the old rusty hinges of the window, and opened it wide enough for her to get through. Just as she was about to jump out and ride Scorpio away, her eyes widened, and she heard a small boy say, "Grandma?"
She looked behind her, and saw small Danny, raising from his bed. His eyes widened when he saw it was her, the warrior from his bedtime story. He was about to say something, but Robin put a finger to her mouth, and with a smile, blew him a kiss and said softly.
"Sleep well little child, for the sun will rise soon." She then gracefully fell from the window sill silently and landed on her horse.
Danny raced out of bed to the window, just in time to see her fly off into the sky with her brown Pegasus, with her red cape waving in the wind and almost glowing in the moonlight.