The Calm Before the Storm

By the afternoon, the sky had lost what little color it had left. A flat, gray blanket stretched over the village, hiding the mountain peaks and making it hard to tell how far the clouds were above us. Every so often, I’d find myself looking up as the wind stirred the branches that hung overhead.

Blaze’s warning had been enough to get me outside quickly. The view of the sky was enough to keep me working.

Shade approached a fallen tree branch and wrapped both of his hands around the end of it. The other end was still wedged in the brush, but that didn’t stop him from trying to drag it over to me.

I crouched down beside him and helped him work it free. Shade pulled back with his full weight and nearly tumbled into the remains of Raven’s felled oak.

“Careful,” I warned him gently.

“I got it,” Shade called back to me, still gripping the branch.

I couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped me. “I can see that.”

He dragged it toward the growing pile that had taken form at the edge of the treeline, leaving behind a crooked line in the snow. I cut the branch down into smaller, more manageable pieces before I returned to chopping larger pieces off the old oak.

We still had a fairly sizable stack of wood back at the hut, but enough for an ordinary day didn’t necessarily make it enough for however long the weather would end up keeping us inside. I would rather spend my afternoon gathering more than what might be necessary than find myself wishing I had after the snow had started flying.

“How much more do we need?” Shade asked, looking up at me.

I studied the pile.

“A little more,” I told him. “The small branches will burn faster than the rest.”

Shade looked down at all the wood he had brought me.

“And they’ll help get the bigger pieces burning,” I added.

That seemed to be enough to motivate him again. He headed toward another patch of fallen wood, carefully stepping into the tracks he had already made.

For a while, we worked like that. I gathered the larger pieces from the oak while Shade brought over whatever he was able to carry.

At one point, he brought over a stick that was barely longer than my hand and showed it to me.

“For starting it,” he explained.

I nodded approvingly as I smiled. “Good thinking.”

He placed it on top of the pile with great care as I went back to work.

It was only after I’d managed to quarter a thicker log that I realized he had grown quiet.

Shade made his way toward me with three long sticks gathered against his chest. His steps were shorter than they’d been earlier, and his shoulders had crept up toward his ears. They raised slightly higher as another gust of wind blew past us.

“Shade,” I called. “Come here a second.”

He approached reluctantly, sticks in tow. I crouched down and took them from him.

With his hands empty, he tucked them underneath his arms.

“Cold?” I asked him.

Shade gave a small shrug. “A little.”

A sympathetic smile crossed my face, but fell as I watched a small shiver run through him.

He still needed a little coaxing to tell me when he wanted something, or if something was wrong, though not as often as he had before.

I glanced toward the hut, then back to him. “I think it’s time for you to go inside, then.”

Shade frowned. “But we’re not done yet.”

“No, but you are.”

“I can still help.”

“You have helped.” I gave a nod toward the pile. “Look at all of that.”

He looked, but I could see him preparing another argument.

“I just need to finish gathering these bigger pieces,” I said. “You go inside and get warm.”

“Are you coming?” he asked.

“I will in a little while.”

Shade’s eyes moved to the wood resting at my feet. “I could carry some.”

“Later. For now, tell your mother that I’ll be bringing the rest.”

He glanced at the pile again, pausing briefly before letting his shoulders sag slightly.

“Okay,” he sighed.

“Okay,” I echoed as I straightened, brushing away a small clump of snow that had found its way onto his shoulder. “Now, go on. Get warm.”

Shade pulled his hands farther beneath his arms as he started towards the hut. He stopped once at the edge of the treeline and turned back to me to see if I was still watching.

I waved him on, waiting until he disappeared around the edge of the hut in the direction of the entrance before I turned my attention back to the wood.

The wind blew through the trees above me, shaking clumps of snow from a few nearby spruces.

I drew in a breath and felt a faint scratch at the back of my throat.

I swallowed.

It lingered.

Clearing my throat helped for about as long as it took for me to bend down and pick up the axe. Then the irritation caught again, and I turned my head to cough into my shoulder.

I stood still for a moment afterwards.

Nothing hurt. My breathing settled easily enough. There was just an unpleasant little tickle that swallowing didn’t quite reach.

I rubbed the front of my neck as I looked around at the remaining wood.

Just a few more trips. Enough to get everything that had already been cut back. Then I’d go in and get something warm to drink.

A few stray flakes began drifting between the trees as I gathered the first armful. One settled on my sleeve. Another got caught in the dark bark of one of the logs in my hands.

I glanced up at the sky.

“Alright,” I muttered under my breath, “I’m going.”

The cough returned halfway to the hut.

I stopped long enough to let it pass, adjusted my hold on the wood, and continued on toward the entrance.

Warm air met my face as I ducked inside.

Shade sat near the fire with a pelt draped over his shoulders as he held his hands out towards the flames. Raven sat beside him, mending a tear in a heavy coat that she had draped across her lap. She moved her sewing basket well out of my way as I walked past.

“How much more?” she asked, looking up at me.

“Two trips, probably,” I said as I lowered the wood onto the stack next to the wall.

A small smile appeared on Shade’s face as he started gathering the pelt around himself.

“Stay there,” Raven told him as she placed a hand on his shoulder.

“I was just going to help put it away,” he whined.

“You can help from there,” I said, turning to him, “Let me know if anything falls over.”

Shade’s eyes locked onto the stack with renewed attention.

I brushed bits of dirt and bark from my hands before I turned and headed back outside to retrieve the second load.

The snow was falling steadier. Small flakes drifted across the path in front of the hut, catching in my hair and settling over the wood that’d been left near the trees.

I gathered another armful and brought it in, then returned for the last of it and the axe.

By the time I stepped inside again, my shoulders were dusted white.

Raven reached over to take the axe from me as I adjusted the logs against my chest.

“Is that all of it?” she asked.

I nodded. “That’s all of it.”

“Good.”

She set the axe aside while I finished arranging the logs on the pile.

Shade pulled the pelt more closely around himself, appearing satisfied with his work as he watched each piece settle into place.

I selected one of the smaller pieces and carried it towards the fire. The flames had started to burn low while I was outside, though there was still a good bed of coals beneath them. I eased the wood into place and shifted another piece to give it room.

A thread of smoke curled toward my face.

The irritation in my throat caught before I could turn away.

I coughed into my shoulder, then cleared my throat.

Raven glanced over at me.

“Smoke,” I explained, waving a hand in front of my face. “Got right in my nose.”

She looked back toward the fire. “Move that one back a little.”

I did. The new piece of wood caught with a faint crackle, and I stood before the smoke could give my throat another reason to complain.

Raven filled a cup from a basin of water warming near the pit and held it out to me. The cup warmed my fingers as I brought it to my lips and took a cautious drink, letting the warmth soothe my throat as I swallowed.

That helped.

I lowered myself onto the furs next to Shade, and he immediately lifted one edge of his pelt toward me.

“Cold?” he asked.

A corner of my mouth lifted in a small smile. “A little.”

He gave me a solemn look. “Then you should go get warm.”

I paused with the cup halfway to my mouth, and I caught the smile that spread across Raven’s face as she turned away.

I let out a chuckle. “I suppose I should.”

Shade spread the edge of the pelt over one of my knees. Most of it remained wrapped around him, though.

Outside the hut, the wind pressed against the hide covering the entrance. It lifted slightly at one corner, letting in a thin gust of cold air before it fell back into place.

Raven crossed the hut to secure it.

Through the gap, I caught a glimpse of snow moving sideways outside. It seemed like it was coming down heavier and faster.

“Getting worse?” I asked.

Raven frowned as she looked out at it. “It seems like it.”

She checked the ties along the bottom again before returning to the fire.

I took another drink as Shade leaned against my arm, his attention fixed on the small branch I’d added in. He watched it until the fire had spread completely over the bark before letting out a small sigh.

For a while, the hut was quiet, filled with nothing but the cracks and snaps coming from the fire and the faint rustle of the coat as Raven worked. I could feel the warmth working its way back into my body. Shade had stopped shivering completely.

The back of my throat hadn’t quite settled, but another drink of warm water seemed like an easy enough solution.

Unfortunately, the urge to cough returned just as I swallowed.

I turned away from Shade and caught it against my sleeve.

Raven looked up again.

“Went down wrong,” I choked out, lifting my cup slightly.

She waited while I cleared my throat.

“Are you alright?” she asked.

“Yeah.”

I took a smaller sip to prove it, though I wasn’t entirely sure what that was supposed to accomplish.

Raven’s gaze lingered for another moment before she returned her attention to the coat.

I kept the cup close.

Snow tapped softly against the hide covering the entrance, the sound coming faster with every gust of wind.

Shade looked toward the entrance as we listened.

“Are we staying here?” he asked.

“For now,” Raven replied softly.

“All day?”

“If it keeps snowing like that, yes.”

Shade pulled his feet further beneath the pelt.

I couldn’t say I blamed him.

There was wood within reach, water warming by the fire, and no particular reason to go outside again. After spending the afternoon making sure we had enough of everything, sitting now felt surprisingly easy.

At least until my throat started itching again.

I swallowed and pressed my tongue against the roof of my mouth.

Shade shifted beside me.

I swallowed a second time.

The cough escaped me anyway, short and sharp.

Raven set down the coat again as she looked back up at me.

“Dust from the wood,” I stated. “There was quite a bit of bark that came off.”

“David,” she said flatly.

“What?”

She rose and strode over to me.

I started to straighten, but her hand was already reaching toward my face. I held still as she brushed my hair back and rested her palm against my forehead.

Her fingers were warm.

For a moment, I forgot all about my throat.

Shade tilted his head to watch.

Raven kept her hand there briefly, then lowered it. “You don’t feel hot.”

“I feel fine,” I said. “It's just my throat. It’s a little dry.”

She studied my face before her eyes dropped to the cup in my hands.

I took another drink.

“Then keep drinking,” she said. “And stay here a while.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle as I took another look at the entrance. “I had no plans on going out there again anyway. Not with the weather being like this.”

“Good.”

Raven added another piece of wood to the fire before she returned to the coat.

Beside me, Shade settled against my arm again. I adjusted the pelt over his shoulder and watched the flames catch.

The water had helped. I wasn’t hot, nothing hurt, and I was finally inside where it was warm.

Given a little time, I was sure my throat would eventually settle down.

The hut grew dimmer as the snow thickened outside. Raven continued working on the coat while Shade remained settled against me, warm enough now to leave his hands outside of the pelt.

After a while, I noticed him staring up at me.

“What?” I asked, tilting my head.

He blinked. “Your eyes are shining.”

I raised a brow. “They are?”

He nodded as he leaned back slightly to study them.

“Green,” he said.

Raven glanced up from the coat again.

I turned, staring into the fire briefly as I thought about my visit with Blaze earlier that morning. The way his gold eyes flickered as they moved in the dim light of his hut.

His eyeshine had been a golden yellow.

Apparently, mine were green.

I’d barely glimpsed that green eyeshine myself, on the rare occasions I could see my own face.

Shade, on the other hand, seemed to be having far less trouble.

He tilted his head as I turned back towards him, then smiled.

“There.”

I held still for a moment to let him look. “Satisfied?”

He nodded and tucked himself against my side again.

Raven continued on with her sewing, a small smile lingering on her face.

I adjusted the pelt over Shade’s knees before reaching for my cup.

The water had cooled, but it still helped when the tickle returned. I swallowed carefully, waiting for the urge to cough to pass without disturbing the boy leaning against me.

Across the fire, Raven drew the last stitch through the coat. She checked the seam, tugged on it gently, then laid the garment across her lap.

Suddenly, from somewhere out in the distance, a low sound reached us through the wind.

I lifted my head.

It sounded familiar.

Raven’s hands stopped as we paused to listen. For a moment, there was only the sound of snow sweeping across the hide hanging in the entrance as the wind pressed against it and the crackling of our fire.

Then the horn sounded again.

There was no mistaking it this time.

“Far-hunters,” Raven gasped, setting the coat aside. “They’ve returned from the plains!”

“They actually decided to return in this mess?” I asked as I turned towards the entrance.

“I suppose it was either that, or risk being snowed out until spring.”

Shade straightened beside me.

Outside, I heard someone shout out. I couldn’t make out the words, but another voice answered.

Raven started to rise.

“I’ll go,” I said, lifting a hand to stop her.

She stared at me as I eased my arm out from behind Shade. I tucked the pelt back around him as I pushed myself onto my feet.

“Stay here with him,” I told her. “He’s only just warmed up.”

Her eyes moved briefly over to Shade.

“They’ll need help bringing everything in,” she stated.

“I can help with that.”

I set my cup aside and reached for my cloak.

“Wait.” Raven picked up the coat she’d been mending. “Wear this.”

She shook it open, revealing a thick lining and a deep hood edged with fur. It looked considerably warmer than the cloak.

I slipped my arms into the sleeves while she held it. A small, satisfied sigh escaped me as the weight of it settled across my shoulders. It must have been lined with lynx fur. I lowered my head and pulled the front together.

Raven brushed my hands aside to secure it herself.

“Hold still,” she said.

“I am.”

“You’re trying to help.”

I let my hands fall.

She tightened the fastenings, double checked the seam she’d just repaired, then lifted the hood around my head. Fur settled against my cheeks.

“Better,” she murmured.

Shade watched us from beside the firepit.

“Are you coming back?” he asked.

“As soon as we’ve got them inside,” I said.

Raven smoothed the coat over my chest, then glanced up at me.

“Keep the hood up,” she said firmly.

I nodded as another call came from outside. Closer this time.

Shade walked up to me and grabbed onto a corner of my coat.

“Stay warm,” he said.

I smiled at him. “You too.”

He nodded. “I will.”

I knelt down and gave him a quick hug, before standing again and starting towards the entrance. Raven stepped aside and untied one corner of the hide, allowing me to duck outside.

The wind caught me immediately, driving snow against the fur around my face. I pulled the hood closer and waited for my eyes to adjust.

Behind me, the hide fell back into place.

I turned away and coughed into my sleeve, letting it pass before I took off running towards the voices that were gathering at the edge of the village. 95Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGg7CXiqVRV

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