Post by Grisha on Oct 6, 2021 18:34:16 GMT -8
It was another day in the village. Children were playing outside; villagers were shopping; and she was at the window again. Grisha was in the mountains, and she was at the window…why did she always do this? Lena watched two boys tackle each other into the snow laughing. She remembered when she was a little girl how she used to roughhouse with the village kids. Now that she was older, there weren’t too many girls to hang with. Most of them were too occupied with the guys they were dating. She didn’t want to talk about boys. She wanted to…what did she want to do?
Lena hung her head and sighed pathetically. She was such a loser. When Grisha was around, she always had something to do. He kept her busy, but when he was gone, she felt like she didn’t have much of a job. Grisha always ensured they had enough supplies to survive without him before he disappeared. She had asked to go with him once, but he claimed it was too dangerous. She puffed her cheeks and growled. She wasn’t that weak.
A blond man with a full beard entered the home. He stomped his boots upon a fur rug to rid them of excess snow before he stepped further inside. “We’re going to need more wood. I gave a portion of our wood to the Bland family,” Tobias, Lena’s father, informed. He approached a stove that had a hot kettle of coffee on it and prepared a mug.
Lena turned from the window, her blue eyes glimmering with excitement. “Can I help?”
Tobias poured the black brew into his mug and replied, “I have to go out with the sled into the wood line. It’s really cold today. The beasts will probably be out hunting.”
“I’ll bring my bow, and we can bring The Lion Horn just in case.”
Tobias set the kettle down and turned to face Lena, while holding his mug. She must have been bored. Then again, it was always he and Grisha out cutting wood and she was spending the day preparing dinner. When it was just the two of them, they didn’t eat as much as Grisha. Tobias smiled as he thought he and Lena could spend more time together. Away from home. Just father and daughter.
“Sure, why not,” he agreed.
Lena clenched her fists and cheered, “Yes! I’ll go get ready!”
In a blur of platinum blonde hair, Tobias watched his daughter race upstairs to her room. It was going to be interesting heading out to the woods with her.
Winter Outskirts
Lena was sitting on the sled as her father pulled it. He was carrying an ax in his free hand, while she was armed with her bow slung about her shoulders. White extended around them in a plane. She could feel the cold on her nose that peeked above the furry scarf that wrapped her neck and face. With her mitten-covered hands resting comfortably on her knees, Lena happily started to sing. It was an old folk song her mother used to sing. Tobias glanced over his shoulder at Lena, his frost-covered brows raised in surprise that she remembered it. He looked forward, continuing on his path and allowing Lena’s song to carry him away.
Tobias’s mind vanished into a warm memory when he and Yelena were heading out to the tree line. Lena was a bundle wrapped around her mother’s body and warm against her breast. She always sang as they walked and Lena’s voice was just as beautiful.
Lena closed her eyes and swayed. She hummed through her smile as she embraced the cold; the nature; and the moment. It was her and her father, and the spirit of her mother was walking with them. She opened her eyes and gazed at her father’s back. She could see his hand wiping at his eyes. She gave him a concerned look.
“Dad, are you okay?” she asked.
“Yes, I’m fine,” he replied. “I’m surprised you remember that song.”
“I won’t ever forget it.”
“I won’t either.”
They eventually reached the tree line. Lena stood from the sled and followed her father as he began inspecting trees. She saw a doe prancing through the wood and gasped, “Oh look!”
Tobias glanced over at the fleeing doe and frowned in discomfort. “Let her go.”
“But if I kill it, we can have it for dinner tonight,” she said. “If it runs too far, then I’ll just turn back.”
Tobias stopped and turned to gaze at her with an amused smile. “I thought you were going to help me cut wood.”
Lena blushed and grinned sheepishly, “I-I won’t be long. I’ll come back and help. I promise!”
Tobias was still reluctant. He exhaled a yielding breath and finally gave in. “All right; but if I feel you have been gone for too long, then I will call for you. If you still do not come, then I will blow the horn.”
“You won’t have to. I’ll be back!” Lena said before she raced away to follow the doe.
Tobias gazed up at the tall tree and made a miserable face. He should have known that in the end, he would still be doing all the work.
WC: 877
Lena hung her head and sighed pathetically. She was such a loser. When Grisha was around, she always had something to do. He kept her busy, but when he was gone, she felt like she didn’t have much of a job. Grisha always ensured they had enough supplies to survive without him before he disappeared. She had asked to go with him once, but he claimed it was too dangerous. She puffed her cheeks and growled. She wasn’t that weak.
A blond man with a full beard entered the home. He stomped his boots upon a fur rug to rid them of excess snow before he stepped further inside. “We’re going to need more wood. I gave a portion of our wood to the Bland family,” Tobias, Lena’s father, informed. He approached a stove that had a hot kettle of coffee on it and prepared a mug.
Lena turned from the window, her blue eyes glimmering with excitement. “Can I help?”
Tobias poured the black brew into his mug and replied, “I have to go out with the sled into the wood line. It’s really cold today. The beasts will probably be out hunting.”
“I’ll bring my bow, and we can bring The Lion Horn just in case.”
Tobias set the kettle down and turned to face Lena, while holding his mug. She must have been bored. Then again, it was always he and Grisha out cutting wood and she was spending the day preparing dinner. When it was just the two of them, they didn’t eat as much as Grisha. Tobias smiled as he thought he and Lena could spend more time together. Away from home. Just father and daughter.
“Sure, why not,” he agreed.
Lena clenched her fists and cheered, “Yes! I’ll go get ready!”
In a blur of platinum blonde hair, Tobias watched his daughter race upstairs to her room. It was going to be interesting heading out to the woods with her.
Winter Outskirts
Lena was sitting on the sled as her father pulled it. He was carrying an ax in his free hand, while she was armed with her bow slung about her shoulders. White extended around them in a plane. She could feel the cold on her nose that peeked above the furry scarf that wrapped her neck and face. With her mitten-covered hands resting comfortably on her knees, Lena happily started to sing. It was an old folk song her mother used to sing. Tobias glanced over his shoulder at Lena, his frost-covered brows raised in surprise that she remembered it. He looked forward, continuing on his path and allowing Lena’s song to carry him away.
Tobias’s mind vanished into a warm memory when he and Yelena were heading out to the tree line. Lena was a bundle wrapped around her mother’s body and warm against her breast. She always sang as they walked and Lena’s voice was just as beautiful.
Lena closed her eyes and swayed. She hummed through her smile as she embraced the cold; the nature; and the moment. It was her and her father, and the spirit of her mother was walking with them. She opened her eyes and gazed at her father’s back. She could see his hand wiping at his eyes. She gave him a concerned look.
“Dad, are you okay?” she asked.
“Yes, I’m fine,” he replied. “I’m surprised you remember that song.”
“I won’t ever forget it.”
“I won’t either.”
They eventually reached the tree line. Lena stood from the sled and followed her father as he began inspecting trees. She saw a doe prancing through the wood and gasped, “Oh look!”
Tobias glanced over at the fleeing doe and frowned in discomfort. “Let her go.”
“But if I kill it, we can have it for dinner tonight,” she said. “If it runs too far, then I’ll just turn back.”
Tobias stopped and turned to gaze at her with an amused smile. “I thought you were going to help me cut wood.”
Lena blushed and grinned sheepishly, “I-I won’t be long. I’ll come back and help. I promise!”
Tobias was still reluctant. He exhaled a yielding breath and finally gave in. “All right; but if I feel you have been gone for too long, then I will call for you. If you still do not come, then I will blow the horn.”
“You won’t have to. I’ll be back!” Lena said before she raced away to follow the doe.
Tobias gazed up at the tall tree and made a miserable face. He should have known that in the end, he would still be doing all the work.
WC: 877