Chapter 9:

George had not moved for hours. He couldn't feel anything; as far as he could tell, he had no limbs. His tears had long run dry. The voice of Fred had left him, for now.

He was at an utter loss. He didn't know what to do now he had no hope. He dared not even open his eyes for fear that one, glittering snowflake would show him the face he dreaded to see.

The cold was numbing George's body. He could feel himself weakening, but he made no effort to move. If he died here, so what?

His eyes slowly closed for what he was sure would be the last time.


Eideard didn't know what he was doing. Since when did he help any wizards from the south? But there was something different about this one. He had a haunted look; terror and pain and confusion and every negative thought looked like it had passed through his head.

He had said he had lost a twin. Eideard didn't know what it was like to lose a twin, but he knew the feeling of losing a brother. The pain in his heart still stung every time he thought of his little brother before he had died. He couldn't even imagine losing the one who was your best friend, who was you in every small detail. It would be like losing half of yourself.

His stomach twisted. This wizard had touched him in the way that he was somehow feeling sadness for this lost twin. It was as if he had met him before, like he had lost a friend. This made Eideard want to help George, he didn't deserve to die in the wild like an animal. And the twin wouldn't want his brother to die for him, would he?

Eideard searched for hours for George. He was beginning to lose hope. He feared nature had taken him for her own.

Suddenly, he saw a light in the trees. He followed it, curious as to what this light was. He could never see what the light actually was, it seemed to be keeping at a distance where he couldn't distinguish it. Never the less, Eideard trusted his instincts and continued to follow it.

The light suddenly disappeared, plunging him into darkness. He muttered "Lumos" and studied his surroundings. The tree nearest him ha little snow on it's trunk; living in the forest Eideard could tell if someone had been there, and he knew that a person had passed this place. He moved past the tree, hoping that was the direction George had gone in, and kept walking, occasionally seeing snapped branches and melted snow. Whoever had passed here was not looking where they were going; they had stumbled, running clumsily, not caring if they hit the trees and snapped the branches.

Eideard's suspicions were confirmed when he stumbled upon a body. George was lying on the ground, his eyes closed and his skin deathly white. His breathing was shallow and ragged; snow had begun to settle on him. Eideard rushed to his side, picking him up in his arms and spinning on the spot. He appeared back with the rest of the tribe and hurried into one of the buildings, laying George down onto a table.

"What's this?" Eideard's wife, Rhoswen gasped. "Who is this?"

"This is George," he said, feeling out of breath from carrying George- he was becoming old, after all- "he came to us, looking for a cure for death."

"Ha, another one." she said, but she gently placed a soft woollen blanket under George's head. "What's happened to him?"

"He ran into the forest when we told him we couldn't save his twin."

She raised her eyebrow. "Twin? I don't remember ever seeing someone here who had lost their twin."

"Well, I suppose it's rare to have a twin, let alone to lose one at such a young age."

"It's such a tragedy," she said, mixing a strange concoction made of all sorts of plants and herbs. She waved her wand and the mixture hissed and bubbled before turning silver. She hurried over to George and poured a little into his mouth, holding it closed until he swallowed it.

"What made you want to save this one?" she asked her husband, curious. He had met many of people hoping to bring back their loved ones, but never had he gone after the disappointed to save them from the wild.

"He just seemed... different. Like this really was a matter of life and death." He shuddered. "Just, the look on his face, I worried for him. I worried he would do something... stupid."

Rhoswen's heart softened. Even with Eideard's tough exterior, he was a kind and caring man inside. This was why she loved him.

"I just really hope it's not too late. The cold has really got to him, and it seems like he isn't fighting." She worriedly felt George's forehead, wincing at the icy temperature.

"We just have to hope and pray he is going to fight it, otherwise we are going to lose him."

Eideard glanced nervously at his wife, before leaving the hut. He couldn't bear to see such a young person die. But then, that's what death did to people. He really wished he could find a way to cheat death, but what possible way was there. He glanced back at the hut. Come on George, fight it. Your twin wouldn't want this, no one would want this for you. Don't let Death take you for his own.

Eideard looked back towards the forest and saw the very same light he had seen before, the light that had led him to George. He rushed towards it, hoping to see what it was, but it disappeared. The light had gone.


A/N: Hope you like this chapter! Will update as soon as I can, I have a busy week though, so apologies in advance :P Please review and tell me your thoughts on how the plot is unfolding, heck, take a guess at what is going to happen, I dare you. Thanks for reading!