The small cottage wasn't the most exciteing nor was it richly done, but what it did have was love enough to make it beautiful. The thin boy leaned on the hoe as he worked in the back yard and hummed to himself,his dark hair was worn shoulder length and currently was framing his face because the long hat he wore over his head,he pushed his bangs from his eyes and glanced to where the child was,his son he thought proudly.

A small child even as toddlers went, his mop of black hair was loose though his mother had tried to tame that wild hair before letting the little tike out,had only achieved mimimum sucess.The stright hair was already wind blown.

"Dadda look" he yelled across the yard holding up his latest interest.A small fuzzy white rabbit who was looking up with large red eyes and it was trembleing.

"Ah my son's latest victim " though Jack laughing softly to himself though what he said aloud was. "Rycroft your scareing it why don't you put it down and feed it a clover"

Rycroft looked shocked and utterly dismayed he had hurt the bunny ,he kissed the fuzzy top of its head and set it down gently patting it.Searching through the flowers he found the ones his mother had taught him was good for bunnies.

The bunny had only moved a little ways away its little nose going fast as it smelled the clover then nibbled on it catching tiny fingers as well,drawing a happy giggle from the little boy who's eyes a soft gold went wide.

He looked to the house sad, his mother wasn't feeling good, she hadn't felt good in a long time.She had been ill last summer and it was still with her the acheing she often told daddy,but Rycroft was an intelligent little boy and he understood more then his adoreing parent would have thought.

Jack went back to turning the dirt over,he was going to be sowing seeds soon and he wanted to make sure the ground was good for it before he did.A smile caught his lips as he gazed at the young girl in the house,she was no more then fourteen with a thick fall of the snowiest hair that fell unbound today as she gazed out the window at him,lifting it she called to him softly.

"Tell Rycroft to bring the bunny and hisself in to tha house, time for his nap and I'll not be haveing him cranky at dinner" she said as she offered some fresh baked bread to the black haired teen.

"Aye, I will Mlady" he said as he studied her,she was sore it was in the way she moved and her eyes were not as bright but her spirits seemed to be lifted brighter today then normal.

"Rycroft you mum wants you in the house" he called across the yard and somehow the little boy heard his soft spoken father and a storm cloud passed across his face.

"I wanna play with bunny!" he stated firmly dareing to defy his father and face the wrath he knew would come.The fuzzy little creature was just to enchanting to the child.

"Rycroft Lantern you will obey your father" Jack said turning his orange gold eyes on his son and the little boy immediately was swayed by his father's look.

"Aye,dadda" he called and predictiablely he picked up the bunny and came running as fast as little legs would carry him to his father's side.

Jack ruffled the child's hair and Rycroft beamed up at his father and firmly latched onto a single leg hugging it tightly before he continued into the house to where his mother was,he was already immensely excited to show his beautiful mommy his newest fascination.

Mlady Winter,was the daughter of the town's Lord and Jack was surprised that her father had willingly let her choose her own husband, true they had yet to wed,but her father said he would only grant his premission when Jack proved he could provide for both Mlady and Rycroft,though the child was given the protection of his father's name early on.

She was also a bit younger then Jack about by five years but that hadn't mattered to him at the time, he had loved her since he saw her at the Village's May dance, and she had stolen his heart right there,with her soft pale white hair and her deep silver eyes,she looked like the snow queen easily enough.

She had been five years old when Jack's parents had brought there reclusive ten year old to the villiage and he had been disinterested in everything, he did his chores and he sat alone by himself or playing his flute in the garden.

However, when this bright little winter child inserted herself into his life,he opened towards her like a flower blooming, and she could bring a smile to his face with out even trying.

Mlady had come with her father to the Emerald Isle when she was but a wee lass, he mother had died in the America's but Lord Harding, was always one to love all his children,and he had seven,Mlady was his eldest and only daughter.

She had brought with her,her love of plants and things green and growing.Includeing the one thing Jack had a passion for growing ;pumpkins!

Jack was so entranced with his Lady Winter, he just ignored others that flirted with him and thusly when he came of age for a wife,harsh words were spoken when his parents insisted that he marry.

One girl in praticular a young woman name Courtney Merdon had taken quiet a fancy to the youth.Jack had constantly ingnored her advances and her attitude towards the younger girl that she figured out he fancied.

For her part Mlady had always been a rather sweet girl,like her mother before her she was a child of nature and while she loved God she believed in the elements as well.Though this was kept from all but her closest friends.

Cortney had tried to get her killed more then once,but by the luck of grace and god,Jack had managed to be there to save her, on praticularly harrowing experience came when Courtney had gotten her lost in a Bog by stealing Mlady's puppy and putting it out there.

Jack mused that he was so lucky Mlady survived that long,he had found her day's later and returned her home a bit scratched up in desperate need of a bath and starveing but well,though the puppy he had not been able to save as well,he considered it a personal failure but Mlady never did.

This endeared him to her father anyways, and it wasn't long before Mlady began to notice that Courtney was interested in her young man as she saw Jack,Jack had always been around her, her protector and her friend her best friend at that.

By this time, Mlady had become quiet the beautiful teen, and she decided the best way to keep her Jack away from Courtney would be to seduce the lad, as her best friend a curvy wench at the local Pub,said if she could get him in her bed,he'd never want to get out, and gave her a love charm.

What neither of them understood was that while Mlady was a witch her friend dabbled in magic as well,but didn't have the skill to be a true mage but her skill with love charms and magics was well known to those in other villiages.

To Mlady's dismay and surprise Jack had refused her advances,kissed her good night and sent her into her home.Promiseing to see her tomarrow if she wished it.

Upset that he had as she saw it spurned her ,to add to the young woman's confusion to spite him,Courtney told Mlady that she had slept with him and Jack's actions the night before seemed to condem him.

She fled in tears,hideing herself away from the town telling no one she was going and takeing only a large bear fur and a few of her things she valued,she had felt as though she couldn't show her face in town so betrayed she was.

It had only been when Jack went to call on her the next day that he discovered from Lord Harding that Mlady had left a note saying she was with him.This worried him and knowing that Mlady often spent time with Spring went to the Pub of the Golden Hare.

The reception wasn't what he expected as he walked in and politely greeted Spring she scowled at him and tossed a mug of ale at him.He was hit in his shock,and promptly dodged a second in comeing ale mug.

Seeing his surprised look,Spring had dragged him into the cloak closet despite the cat calls from the men in the pub. Jack figured he was going to be pummeled because Spring has sort of declared herself,Mlady one woman army.

It was Jack who paled and then shook with anger when he learned what had happened with Courtney and Mlady,it all suddenly and painfully made sense to the youth,his actions and Courtney's words had marked him for a fool.

Setting out with one of Spring's faithful hounds Jack went in search of his missing sweetheart. With the help of the hound and his own innate magics,Jack was able to find Mlady.

Beneath the stars in a Field of Rye the two became lovers,Jack in his fear of looseing her,gave into the magics that had been eatting at him,and to cure any insecurities Mlady would have had about his dedication and intentions towards her.

Thing had been peaceful for awhile, Jack had taken up carveing as a hobby and seemed to have quiet the creative streak when it came to createing object de art,he would sit in the Pub and work magic from the wood.

It had been a late night when the pubs doors had opened and a tiny figure had come into the room, Jack had glanced up and was on his feet as quickly as his mind registered who it was. Mlady had come to the Pub dressed in her father's hood.

She was pale when he caught her and led her over to the fire place to speak quietly,it had been in the light of the Pub's comforting fire that she had told him he was to be a father.

Jack met that information with mixed feeling of elation and joy at being a father and dread and fear for her,she was not wed and her father wanted to make sure his only daughter would be provided for.

Spring had looked sheepishly at the couple.Then informed them that her love charms had in the past been known to work as fertility tailsman's as well,seeing the look Spring blushed and excused herself leaveing the couple to themselves.She hated it when Jack gave her that look especially with those eyes.

Lord Harding had indeed been unhappy with the whole mess, but understood that Mlady had always wanted to be with Jack,he had suspected that from early on and understood the sluagh's dedication to his daughter in return, the shrewd Lord had also suspected that it hadn't been the dark haired youth who had instigated that either,but to protect Mlady had taken blame for all of it.

Lord Harding had gifted them with this cottage and the lands around it, as he understood Courtney would try to destroy Mlady,and deep down Lord Harding who was a Troll grump,felt that if the lass did something to his daughter he wouldn't be able to stay his own hand.

Jack had taken his beloved and gone into the woods,Lord Harding hireing his mother on as a personal midwife to his family,both for Mlady ,Jack and his own boys who a few had wed and had children or were expecting as well.

On a cold winter morning Jack had been awakened by Mlady,who was pale and scared stiff because her body was reacting so oddly she was hurting,Jack was so beside himself he could barely dress and he sent Clamore,the hound that had stayed with him for those years to fetch Spring to stay with Mlady as he was going to ride for his mother.

Spring had hurried over to stay with her best friend, tending her as best as she could and takeing away the pains. It was too soon she had thought and feared for both mother and child but said nothing to worry her already concerned friend.

Rycroft was born seven months in Mlady's pregnacy and both mother and child weren't doing well it has taken a full day for Mlady to birth the child,and she lost alot of blood, the child would have been lost if not for Sarah Lantern's considerable skill in midwifery.

Jack spent those two days in hell,because despite his considerable powers he could do nothing to help his love or his child,what he could do he did which was stay by her bedside the whole night and the next day.

He didn't even allow himself to sleep when Mlady fell into a exsausted slumber,instead he strightend the house and was finially commanded by his mother to seek rest.

It had taken Milady months to heal and her small body to repair after child birth.Rycroft however was a sturdy little fellow after the first two weeks and rather vocal about his wants.

Jack reflected on all of this as he followed his son into the cottage.Mlady was by the fireplace on a huge black bear fur with one of there many books, she was writeing again and Jack hid his smile, it was unseemly for a lady to read and write yet Milady flaunted it,writeing and illustrateing her own storys as well as there family tree and history as well.

"It's your nap time,Rycroft" Mlady said as she patted the fur beside her,her son was delighted to sleep anywhere but in his room and came across the fur with bunny in arms.

"Look!" he declared as he held it out to his mother."Isn't it pretty?" he demanded in his soft clear little voice."Can I keep it ?" the question both his parents knew was comeing next.

Jack leaned down and looked at the rabbit then back to his son and shook his head no. "I don't think we should take the bunny from his family, well let him live in the back yard ,if he likes us he'll come back and you can feed him,prehaps he will stay around eh lad?" he asked softly and though his little face scrunched up in thought Rycroft finally nodded.

"Okay daddy" he said takeing the bunny carefully from his mother and getting up going to there back door,he opened it and sent the bunny out."Go on your family probly wants you to take a nap to" the couple heard,then the door shut and there wee one returned to the fur to look at his parents. "I know I need a nap" he said solemnly laying down he snuggled into the fur, and soon his breathing was even and he was asleep.

Mlady chuckled behind a hand and looked to Jack curiously. "You comeing in ta the house now?" she asked softly as she glanced out the window to the turned soil,he worked quickly.

"I think prehaps...I need a nap Milady,and that you do as well" he said softly."I can tell when your in pain and I think some rest would do you some good." he said softly.

Mlady blushed and nodded "You figured it out eh?" she asked as she rested across the fur near Rycroft."I worked a bit of magic to ease that ache" she whispered as he leaned over and affectionately kissed an ear.

"I'm going to wash up " he said motioning to his dirty clothing."I also think I should be changeing clothing ,so I don't get you dirty." the lanky youth disappeared out the back to where the pond was.

By the time he came back,clean and freshly changed Mlady and his son were curled up together,it was then that he saw how clearly opposite he and his lady were.

A tossle of white hair was across the black bear fur,her skin wasn't tan she couldn't hold one too well,instead she looked like the moon had gently kissed her flesh and her eyes were so very light even when passionate, compared to his own lightly tan skin and dark hair, his eyes had always marked him as strange and as he thought about it he sighed,it was a trait his son would share, but Rycroft was likely to punch the lights out of anyone who said anything to him,he had his mother's spirited nature.

Jack himself settled down into the furs with lover and child,his life was so peaceful if he had been told by anyone that his peacefulness would be shattered in mere months,Jack would have thought the idea silly little did he know what web fate was spinning and well out of his control.