General Winter was Matthew's constant.
Even when all the nations forgot his existence, Winter would remember him. General Winter was there for him before the Europeans came. His children feared him back then, treating him like their enemy, believing him as a Star Child who would trick them. Back then, be was fine with it. It was hard to feel alone when it was all he knew.
But he wasn't really alone. General Winter was there every winter moon to silently observe him. At first Matthew thought it was one of his children, making sure he did nothing bad, but Matthew became curious of the weird clothing on the stranger's person. And to be honest, the stranger was curious about the boy.
Everywhere else Winter traveled, the spirits of the nations were next to God with their children, but this boy was treated as if he held all the diseases in the world. However, neither of them trusted each other enough to communicate. They spent many cold moons like that, silently observing each other. Matthew's child curiosity won out however, and he snuck up on the strangely dressed man.
"Who are you?" he asked in his native tongue. The blank look on his face told Matthew that he didn't understand. So Matthew tried again in all his children's languages.
Growing furious at the lack of understanding, Matthew pat a small hand on his chest, saying, "ᐊᐃᒪᕕᒃ" before gesturing with his other hand to the man who finally understood. "Winter" he replied, mimicking Matthew's hand placement.
Matthew smiled, someone wasn't afraid of him, and he wanted to show him his land. Matthew grabbed a hand and gasped. It was cold, like sticking his hand in the Great Northern River(Arctic Ocean). To his merit, Matthew didn't pull away, though he did stare st the man curiously, who just chuckled, speaking strange words, "I told you, I'm Winter."
Matthew just shrugged off the strange words and tugged the equally strange man north. He felt that the Spirit Ribbons(Northern Lights) would be coming tonight, and they needed to be on higher grounds. When they finally reached the hill, the Spirit Ribbons were in full bloom. That was their first interaction.
From then on, Winter taught Matthew the languages spoken across the Great Eastern River (Atlantic Ocean) every winter. It was hard, but Matthew adequately spoke each tongue. By the end of each lesson, Matthew grew closer to Winter, even considering him as a father. And it was because of his new father that he was finally respected by his children.
It was a cold winter that year. Matthew felt his people die in the cold. Crying, he stumbled into a camp, his children nearly dead as Winter stormed in. His people stared in awe as Matthew hugged the Bringer of Cold Death, begging for their lives. They celebrated more as the Cold Death listened to the Star Child.
Even though Winter disliked it, Matthew convinced him to go easy, leaving his children in the valley alone, going only in the mountains and the North.
After that, he still preferred his father figure over his children in the winter. That was until those Nordics came.
Thanks to his father, Matthew knew their language. They taught Matthew everything Winter could not: what it means to be a nation spirit; how to use the nation language; and what it means to have a family. They also taught Matthew what it means to be alone, truly alone.
He was devastated when they just upend and left, not even a goodbye or an explanation. What was worse, Winter was away in the land west of his. When Winter finally came, Matthew clung to him, crying, complaining that the new people called him Vinland, not what his people called him.
Winter just hugged him, cooed comforting words in his ears, promising not to leave the small boy. "ᐊᐃᒪᕕᒃ" Winter whispered in Matthew's language, "I have someone who will stay with you during Summer, when my winds can't comfort you." He held the boy in his arms and traveled North in his winds. He stopped in front of a tiny white ball. Sniffling, Matthew asked what it was. Winter smiled gentle and reached his hand out to touch the ball's head.
Matthew squeaked and hid behind his father when black eyes stared at him. Matthew felt, more that heard, the deep rumble that was Winter's laugh. He pulled the tiny body forwards and introduced him to the small bear. "His name is Kumajiro. I found him near dead, but saved him for you. I know how lonely you get in the summer." Gently, Matthew petted it's head. "He is tied to you now. Keep him close and safe, my son." Matthew held Kumajiro close to his small frame before hugging his father, thanking him in many languages.
Matthew spent the years exploring with his polar bear in the summer and in the winter, telling Winter about his adventures. That was until the Frenchman came and took Matthew away across the Great Eastern River. Francis, his new papa/brother, named him Matthew Bonnefay, made him dress in stuffy clothes in summer, taught him how to cook, brought him to a place Winter could never touch, taught him how to love and interact properly, and then broke his heart by giving him the the England after a seven year abstinence.
Matthew didn't blame Francis for anything, in fact owed him a lot for what e gave him, but the lonely feeling stayed. AT least both Francis and Arthur let were kind enough to let him keep Kumajiro. Matthew occasionally got a glimpse of Winter, now going by General Winter, in England, not long enough to talk, but just enough to know the other was surviving.
Matthew finally got to talk to General Winter when his twin brother was fighting his father/brother. Hugging his bear, Matthew learned what happened in the world from his first father. He conveyed his worry over his brother, the war, both his papa and father and his children fighting an English war.
When the war was over, the General soothed Matthew's joy over Alfred's independence and worry over Arthur's sick body from the lost of his favorite child. The General help win the 1812 war when Alfred tried to force him to become one.
The general was there to ease his pain when his children went to war in Europe because Arthur asked him to both times, shared the joy when Canada, he , was the boogieman to the German soldiers. The General was there when Russia sat on him, numbing his legs to the weight. Matthew knows this isn't how General Winter usually acts, he heard first hand from Russia. When Matthew got the courage to ask, Winter replied that what he did to Russia was to protect the boy from the cruel Europeans and by no means meant for the boy to go crazy. This makes Matthew feel special; Winter treats him special because he can; Winter stays because he wants to; The General remembers Matthew from the very beginning, not once forgetting him; General Winter, his father, stayed with him, the and now, and he won't leave, not that Matthew wants him to; Winter won't leave because he knows and Matthew knows Winter is the constant thing in Matthew's life, the life that has only one, cold constant.
ᐊᐃᒪᕕᒃ means home in the Inuit language.
I believe Canada and Kumajiro forget each other's name after the first world war, tramatic events and all.
Sorry if it isn't great/historical inacurracies, I wrote it at my grandma's house in an hour, and I am too lazy to correct it(I will if people complain).