A winter night. Heavy, yet beautiful. The once green pine trees, with the smell of an entire forest.. withered, to white ice cones. Waiting, for spring. To grow green once more. Footsteps in former untainted purity, wasted, like a thorn in ones eye.

The storm was heaving, the snow was thickening. The air getting colder, making it hard to breath. The gods were angry. Something had made them upset..

In this world were mystical beings are more than just mythology...
nd everything is possible.

The howl of two untrusting k9's. Barking and growling into the night. Something was moving behind the trees. From a distance you could see the slow swaying of four small dimmed lights. Voices came closer... humans. What brought these four man so far away from their safe shelter? Were they just heading home from one day's work in the woods? The snow was getting agitated, and it was raining down harder. The dogs barking louder, noticing something and leaving their master's side. In their own unthought actions when they followed their pets instead of sticking to the safe trail, which would lead them home. They strayed away from it, deeper into the dark unclear woods.

"Where are they! Shit.. maybe we should head back! The storm isn't passing and I'm starting to lose the feeling in my feet!" One of the man shouted over the raging tone of the storm. They held on to their jackets and hats tightly, trying to keep them near.

"No! I'm not leaving them! They never run off like that! I can still see a few paw marks! If we hurry we might find them before they fade completely!" The elder man said, obviously some kind of leader. Because the others didn't protest, even though the storm could be the death of them all. They jerked themselves through the harsh winds and soon they could hear the barking of their critters taken along with the sounds of the wind. Just a few more trees further, an open field was visible. One the older man did not know about. He could see the back of two chocolate brown German Sheppard's, not really moving or hesitant to proceed any further. The man stumbled over to his dogs, falling to one knee and patting them on the back.

"What's wrong with you two!" The man shouted. His other three companions were not far behind him, meeting up with him. Though one stayed more behind. Noticing something on the untouched side of a tree. The side that stayed untouched by the snow. It was tainted with a red substance. The male took off his glove and touched it, even though he couldn't feel his fingers anymore.. it was clear to him. Blood. And it was fresh too. He didn't know were it came from though, as he put his glove back on. The snow had already erased possible tracks of blood on the solid beneath them.

"We should go! I'm feeling uneasy! Let's go back the weather is getting worse!" The man shouted at the three, almost unheard by the other males. But they did and turned their back on the open field, though the dogs did not move. Two of them had to pull and drag the Sheppard's through the white in order to get them to move.

"What is wrong with them!" One of the other two remaining man said as they began to head back. Though as the three began to walk away the owner of the dogs looked back over his shoulder at the open field. Something... troubled him. The man gazed into the distance, blurred by the flakes of ice. His pupils turning bigger as he half closed his eyelids. He.. saw someone. Vague, but he did!

The man who had found the blood earlier, looked over his shoulder seeing the elder man running away into the open field. Disappearing inside the white haze.

"Raphael!" the man shouted as he turned and wanted to go after him but was stopped by his other companions.

"Michael! Don't! The storm is increasing! We have to stay low! Raphael will freeze to death before he gets out!" Michael gritted his teeth as he pulled his arms free and got on the ground with the others. They stayed close to each other and the dogs kept them as warm as they could. Having experienced these circumstances before.

Raphael was half crooked through his legs, almost forced down against the snow banks. His face sticking with frost and his fingers and toes numb. Breathing was hard and he didn't think anyone could still be alive in this weather if they had been in this longer than him. "Hello?! Is anyone there?!" He shouted, though his voice was overpowered by the raging storm. He moved one arm up trying to keep his eyes clear, and as he moved forward he could see a figure getting visible. It was really close, but duo the storm you cold only notice it from a short distance. Then what was it Raphael saw from far away?...

The thick clothed man fell to his knees, and crawled further. When he looked up he could make out a leg resting on frozen sheets of white. He grabbed it with one hand and pulled himself up. He tried to speak out for himself, but he was short on air and couldn't afford it. He lifted his head up higher, when he noticed something. It was the body of a man, laying lifeless in the snow. His skin pale, frozen completely the tone was icy blue. His eyes numb, staring at the eye of the storm as if they had been frozen without life. His clothes, smothered in dark red fluids. Blood. Where did it come from? He could see no wounds.

Raphael fell back on his back when his heart was shocked when he suddenly saw a black figure standing next to the body. How could he have missed it? It seemed like a large cocoon.. made of black… feathers. Wrapped together as a protective shield from the outside world. The raven black feathers started to spread, in what would lead into something divine. A large heave of wind raged over Raphael's body, almost sending him flying back if he didn't hold onto the dead corpse's leg. Which, miraculously didn't move at all. Created with one large spread of those dark feathers, which belonged to two large wings of legends. Slowly revealing two bodies... a girl with pure white hair, all messed up reaching half to her back. Softly entwining with the black feathers that sprung out from her mythological wings. Inside her arms… a little girl. With chocolate brown hair just to the shoulders. Both of them would have appeared like ghosts to Raphael if he wasn't completely sure he wasn't dead. White as ghosts, their skin was. Hardly clothed, bare and exposed to the merciless cold.

Suddenly Raphael could see a little bit better, because the pair of wings stopped most of the wind. How could such a small girl... even it was a mystical being, be so strong? The image was overall amazing, confusing... but amazing. An angel with black wings, in contrast with her pure white hair matching up with the beautiful yet deceitful snow. Held onto a small girl as if it was her own life she protected, kneeled down before a blooded man who had the same hair color as the smallest girl. Could they be related?

Raphael's eyes slightly widened as the black winged angel turned her gaze towards him, her eyes as pale as an mid winter frozen lake. She tried to stand up, slow. The wind blowing her magnificent pure hair, rustling through each black feather. Only now, it was clear how weak she was. She couldn't get up.. Her eyes never changed, yet her gestures were desperate. On her knees, she crawled towards Raphael. Slowly extending the beautiful wingless child she protected from the threatening cold. Her blue lips moved, though Raphael couldn't hear a thing. Her eyes.. so cold.. so clear.. Though as if Raphael didn't move on his own, he reached out... And took the child in slumber. He embraced her and opened his coat. The cold was immense. His breathing was out of rhythm and he was afraid he would die before he could get this child safe first.

As fast as he still could, with frozen senseless limbs he put the brown haired child inside his coat. Against his body, giving her his last body heat. Raphael looked up at the creature of myths. She... smiled. Raphael's mind was blank... he needed to.. But before he could think of anything her black wings started a huge sweep and Raphael was forced against the ground.. He could feel something warm being put over him. The cold was still there, but it was less.

He was tired.. His eyes were slowly giving in. Though his arms tightly embraced the child he had with him, he felt her soft thin hair. He could slightly smell her scent, he never smelled this before. And couldn't describe it that well.. Raphael was in his thirties, but he didn't have a family. His work was his life. And now... he had another reason to live. A daughter...

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In my cold winter night..
You can no longer stay..
Because I can not fight..
For our summer day..
You, the only thing I had..
I will find you again..

Wait for me my angel..
I'll shed my feathers from all it's beauty..
Each passing day, on earth I will dwell..
When I leave, wait for me..
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