Tenshi no Fuyu
Jessa shudders as the winds howl outside. She pulls a shawl tighter around her shoulders in a desperate attempt to stay warm. A fire crackles in a corner of the room. It spits sparks onto the cold stone floor, and they quickly extinguish. She closes the tattered curtains and sits down next to the fireplace. She tries desperately to stay awake, but still her eyes droop, and the world turns darker.
"Jessa?" Thorkil calls out. "Jessa?"
He pushes the nearly frozen door open and hurries in. The door slams behind him from the calming, but still fierce winds. Thorkil edges in, a sense of unease capturing his heart and mind. His foot collides with the wooden table, and he winces uncomfortably. Then, from the corner of his eye, he sees her.
"Jessa!" Thorkil exclaims. "Don't tell me you've fallen asleep."
He kneels by her hurriedly, and nudges her shoulder. She doesn't respond. He nudges her again, and once more she doesn't respond. He shakes her by her shoulders violently, and still she does not wake. His eyes are now wide with terror. Nightmares plague his mind, and each one brings only the worst conclusion. He slumps against the wall, trying to make sense of what had happened, when he hears it.
Thorkil pulls her closer, and listens carefully. Slowly, but surely, he can hear her breathing. To his untrained ears, she sounds just a bit weaker than she should. He scrambles to his feet, tripping over things on his way to the door.
"Arnbjörg!" Thorkil yells. "Get the horses ready!"
With that said, he darts back inside to make sure she's still breathing. The situation was beyond anything he'd ever encountered, and he doesn't at all know what to do. He picks her up and slides her warmest jacket over her shoulders.
"Stay here," Thorkil mutters to her. "Don't go yet."
Author's Note: Hello! I really hope you enjoy this story. I really hope you do, because I've messed up my uploading order to squeeze this one in. Joking. I'm joking. The Snow Walker Trilogy is my favourite book, and it's a shame there's so little stories on it.
Thank you! Xie xie! Arigatou! Merci!
*Arnbjörg – An ancient Scandinavian name. Arn – Eagle. Björg – Help.
(She did help him by getting the horses ready)
*Tenshi – Angel. No- On, of, under, etc. Fuyu – Winter. Angel of Winter.
(I don't know Japanese grammar, so excuse me, please, if I worded it incorrectly.)