Frozen Warmth

Nivea Village Part 1

Here I stand gazing at the large stone walls, taller than Thessalia and quite mighty as well. I spotted a few semi-armored guards with bows and quivers of arrows latched across their backs as they stand up there staring at me. This was my first time seeing such a place with many of my kind.

It all started, during my and Nix's stroll around the forest had we heard some child singing. Curious we leaned over the hill and that is when our eyes met three human individuals. Two of which I assumed were a senior couple considering the old woman was leaning herself against the old man with both of their hands interlaced with one another. The third was a little girl carrying a handkerchief covered wooden basket.

I was on a hill above the path they are walking on so we weren't noticed by them. Nix and I were even more curious why they are travelling through the forest so to sate our curiosity, both of us agreed to tail them from above.

The child skipped along the snowy path, her dress shining deep crimson in the dappled light. She stopped as the old couple followed. The child spotted a mother bird feeding its children worms inside a tree hollow. Fortunately, the tree was on the other side of the their path.

One look at it the little girl scampered up the tree as high as she could yet still couldn't come close to their hole so she ended up scampering back to sight at the birds from a distance. "Grandmother, do birds eat worms?" The grandmother paused too.

"Yes sweetie, they do."

"Can I, grandmother? Can I eat a worm?" Her grandmother shook her head.

"No, sweetie. You'd get a very sore tummy." The little girl's lip jutted out and she slumped on her feet, tummy out.

"Don't you suppose the cookies you're carrying are getting colder? Wouldn't you like your mother and father to eat them while it's still warm?"

"Yes, yes, yes!" The child danced jiggling her wooden basket up and down, the old couple noticed she was getting too close to the edge.

"Sweetie watch your step you might-" The old woman was too late to warn the small child as she accidentally slipped on the snow as she slides down the steep hill. "Sweetie!" "Aaaah!"

I was a lot quick to help the child as I dove straight down the hill over the old couple. With a little boost of Frost Breath, I latched an arm around the child and with the other I held it down, manipulating the snow around to create a large layer of snow below to fall on.

The moment we reached the bottom, we landed on the soft layered snow, none of us were hurt but the small child was crying and her basket was missing.

The old couple above leaned over the edge and was relieved to see the child safe and without wasting time to stare, they rushed down the safe path despite how old they were.

"My basket! My basket! I lost my basket!" The child stood from the snow digging through the snow while tears still slide down her face.

I have saved the child but I have forgotten to save her basket as well. I scanned the steep mountain from below and the tree branches but no, I couldn't locate the basket anywhere. That is when Nix came running down the mountain carrying-

"My basket!" The child shouted aloud rushing to Nix without fear of the wolf. Nix lowered herself to drop the basket from her jaws and then backs away from the child a little to not scare her but it appears that wouldn't be the case.

The wolf returned herself beside where I am as we watched the child danced around happy with the wooden basket on her hands. The sight if the child safe and happy had me relieved.

Worried shouts came from behind our backs just as the couple appeared running down the hill panting as they go to embrace her immediately.

"Sweetie!" They cried out loud in unison. "Please dont give your grandparents another heart attack sweetie. We thought we'd lose you!"