Hello people! Today is a big day! Why, you may ask? Well, today is May 13th, and it's been a year since I started posting this dumb story. So I don't know how you English people call it, but I think it's a sort of anniversary. So yay! Happy anniversary!
It seemed like the Natblidas weren't done introducing Natshana to the joys of winter, as a few days later they invited her to join them in going ice-skating on the frozen pond, a few meters away from their training ground. Nova had even dared to ask Leksa to join them, but she had politely refused: Heda did not indulge in such childish games. Already Titus had severely reprimanded her for her lapse in the snowball fight.
Onya, on the other hand, hadn't even been invited; the Natblidas seemed to take her presence for granted. Where Natshana went, Onya went too. Onya had preferred to monitor their games, just in case. You never knew what could happen.
On the morning of the famous day, the Natblidas dragged Kassy into the woods, Onya following them, grumbling about their stupid ideas of having fun when it was so cold. Still, all her complaints drowned in her throat when Kassy turned around, waving her arm with a smile, delighted to see her. She had a child on her hip, another clinging to her tunic, and the rest of the Natblidas never left her side.
As expected, the pond was covered in a thick layer of whitish ice, Aden excitedly rushed to the ice, dropping down to sit on the snow to put on his skates. Natshana watched them curiously, her own skates in hand. Onya suspected Oksana of loaning them to her.
Finally, she in turn put on her skates as the children rushed onto the ice, with more or less ease and grace. Onya watched them in silence, her hands in her coat pockets.
"You sure you don't wanna try?" Kassy suggested.
She was sitting on the snow, struggling to put on her skates. Onya let out a mocking grin.
"No, I want to watch while you fall and ridicule yourself."
"Ouch. You have such little faith in me," Natshana replied, a teasing smile on her face.
"You are smart, Skaigada, but coordination is certainly not one of your best qualities."
"It's part of my charm," she said, winking.
"Your charm!" Onya scoffed. "The only thing you do is annoy everyone."
"Alright, I didn't come here to get my ass roasted. You gonna help me up or what?"
Onya was tempted to refuse, just to see, but she took Kassy's outstretched hands in hers anyway, pulling her to her feet. Maybe she had put too much force into it, or maybe Kassy wasn't used to keeping her balance on her skates, still she tipped forward, and Onya caught her by reflex. She placed a hand on her waist, her fingers brushing her hip, Natshana's nose crashed into the collar of her coat, Onya heard a burst of laughter muffled by the thick fabric.
Stupidly, she found herself blushing like a child, but she recovered quickly, rolling her eyes in annoyance as she helped the Skaigada to recover.
"Can you even stand on your feet? You Skai people are like a troop of ducklings."
Letting out giggles from time to time, Kassy managed to stand on the skates, still gripping Onya's arms for balance. Holding her by the elbows, Onya slowly moved away, stepping on the ice, pulling her towards her.
Kassy skidded, almost lost her balance, so Onya had to catch her.
"Oh God. This was a bad idea."
"You tell me."
"I'm gonna break a leg. Nope, I'm not doing this. Help me out of here, please."
Onya shook her head.
"No."
"What do you mean 'no'?!"
"You're not a quitter. You're not walking out of this."
"Shit, what's gotten into you?"
Onya rolled her eyes.
"Ask Tris and Leksa. I do not raise a quitter."
She took a few steps back, pulling Natshanagada with her, Kassy's jaw clenched in anguish. Behind Onya, the Natblidas slid in all directions, shouting with joy. Kassy skidded, almost cracking her head open each time.
"Slide, don't walk. Slide your feet."
Natshanagada obeyed, and soon, Onya managed to let go of her, letting her slide a few meters clumsily. No sooner had she gained confidence than the Natblidas surrounded her, taking her hands to pull her with them.
Onya, considering her job done, returned to the bank and sat down in the snow.
Onya saw it before hearing it.
The crack split the ice, expanding like a deadly, icy spider's web.
She jumped to her feet and vociferated, as a dull crack was heard:
"Natblidas! Kep au! Kep au gon az, kom nau!"
The children, who had seen the crack stretch across the ice, had already started to come out of the pond, rushing to the bank while avoiding the cracks. Some turned when they heard her scream, thinking it safer to obey her by rushing through the snow.
"Kep au! Kom nau! Shit, where is she…"
She turned, her hair whipping her face.
"Kassy!"
Suddenly she saw her, sliding on the ice, skidding at full speed. Onya wasn't sure if she could control her own speed or where she was going, but she was speeding along with her legs bent, and Onya immediately understood what she was doing.
Nova was standing in the middle of the cracks, unable to control her skates to get out of the ice. Onya rushed to the bank, just as Kassy bumped into the little girl, sending her sliding forward. Onya caught her as she stumbled across the snow, dropping her onto solid ground.
"Are you okay?"
"Sha, Wormana," the girl whispered in a shaky voice.
"Anya…" Suddenly whispered a voice.
Onya looked up.
Natshanagada had fallen sitting on the ice, a few steps away from the bank. Onya could hear the cracks of the ice cracking under her weight, expanding around her.
Her blood boiled in her veins.
"Don't move. Kassy, do not move!"
Without taking her eyes off her, Onya waved at the Natblidas.
"Go get a branch, a big branch. Long and solid, do you hear me, Aden?"
"Yes, Wormana."
The young boy immediately began to run in the direction of the woods, leaving his skates behind to launch himself barefoot on the snow.
Kassy was up on her hands, her white curls falling over her face.
"Do. Not. Move," Onya repeated in her most authoritative voice.
"Anya, I—"
The ice cracked loudly beneath her, tearing Onya's ears.
"Kassy. Kassy, look at me."
The Moon's Daughter looked up at her, jaw clenched, a terrified look on her face.
"You are not going to fall. Nothing is going to happen to you."
"I... I'm sorry."
"No. Look at me. Look at me."
Tears of dread beaded in Natshanagada's white eyelashes. Onya needed to keep her focused on herself, not on the ice breaking beneath her. One panicked move and Kassy was lost.
"Focus on me. Focus only on me."
"Okay, okay, okay, okay…"
Onya's brain was racing. It would take Aden a few minutes to come back with what she had asked of him, she had to keep her focused until he returned.
"What's your daughter's name?"
"What?"
"Your daughter. What's her name?"
"Uh…Linh."
"What?"
"Her name's Linh Estelle. Linh is a Vietnamese name, means 'soul' or 'spirit'. And Estelle is a French name, it means 'star'."
"Good. What color were her eyes?"
"Black. So dark you couldn't see her pupil."
"What was her favorite color?"
"Purple. Like my eyes. She used to say it was impossible to have purple eyes, but yet here I was, so that must have meant I was a fairy."
"What's a fairy?"
"Uh… A magical thingy, with wings like the ones you see on bees," Natshana replied, her eyes sliding from Onya's face to fall onto the ice.
"No, look at me. Look only at me."
Kassy's eyes, that strange color, were filled with tears.
"I don't want to die," she whispered in a strangled voice.
And that was the biggest confession Onya had ever heard her make. A mixture of panic, pride and determination swept through Onya's heart. She wanted to live. She wanted to live, and she was ready to fight for it. The Haknes gon Keryon was still here, big and cruel, but Kassy was fighting it.
"You are not going to die."
Screams were heard behind Onya, she heard footsteps on the snow approaching. Aden appeared beside her, a large branch in his hands, cheeks red and breath short.
"Here, Wormana."
Onya gripped the branch tightly with both hands, testing its strength. Aden had made a good choice.
Then she extended the branch forward, holding it out to Kassy, who immediately stretched out her hands. The ice cracked a little more on the movement.
"Don't move."
Onya held out the branch until it touched Kassy.
"Grab it, and hold on tight."
Kassy obeyed, wrapping her gloved hands around the bark, tangling her fingers in the small twigs. Behind Onya, the rest of the Natblidas held the end of the branch.
"Are you ready?"
"Yes," Natshanagada muttered.
The ice gave a dull crack and Onya realized she couldn't wait another second.
"Go!"
And she began to pull with all her might, extending her hands along the length of the branch. A few yards ahead of her, Kassy slid forward, the ice opening behind her to make way for a black, icy hole. The Natblidas were pulling at full speed, running through the snow to take turns, but Onya didn't care about them. She pulled, faster and faster, one of Kassy's feet met the frozen water and Onya saw her clench her teeth, her eyes black.
Finally, Natshana was within arm's reach and Onya reached out, grabbing her coat and pulling her forward onto the bank. She grabbed everything under her hand, twisted her fingers in the fabric, caught in a frenzy. Kassy's hands let go of the branch to close on the sides of Onya's coat, and Onya tipped backwards, falling into the snow, dragging Kassy with her, out of the water.
The ice had finished breaking, giving way to torrents of cold water that would have swallowed them if not for Onya's vigilance.
The Natblidas dropped into the snow, catching their breath. Kassy laughed between her sobs, her tears rolling down her face and wetting the fabric of Onya's coat.
And Onya, for some reason, stood completely still, wrapping her arms around Kassy to make sure she was safe and sound. That she was with her.
That she was real.