Important Notice At the End of This Chapter: Also, HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
Winter was Death's time. While the spirit of death was everywhere at once, it took the most form in the decaying earth as winter storms blew through the land, freezing the roots of plants and animals too unfortunate to find a safe place to hide. Nature fell to slumber and the sea flattened by sheets of ice, resembling a stagnant, frozen painting that stopped all boats from sailing.
The village of the Fairies' With Tails had come to know this season. They were well prepared for the shortage of food and theft of their own body heat. Precautions were taken across the small town. Traded furs lined the homes of many and hunters attempted to bring in more if they could. The patrols were constant and Natsu fell ill at ease at each shift he finished. The village was still on watch, ready for an attack that may or may not come. The prisoner locked in the fortress refused to give further insights to their motives and the snow was piling high. Soon, the paths leading through the now frozen wilderness would become impassable.
This knowledge did nothing to ease the concern that flipped in his belly. It twisted and tangled inside of him, a constant whisper that none of them could take for granted the safety of the cold. Something was out there, someone was waiting and the moment they calmed would be when their enemies struck.
- but why? The unanswered questions bothered him and fueled the magic under his skin until it thrummed with heat that melted the flurries that fell around him.
"There's no one out there," Erza's voice broke through his thoughts. It was her third time joining his patrol this week, and she walked through the snow like a silent predator. If not for Natsu's sense of smell and excellent hearing, he would have forgotten her presence. Trudging through the packed snow beside him, Erza looked through the trees with a discerning eye and sighed, "and yet I feel as if we're missing something."
Natsu stiffened, gaze sliding to study Erza's features, "So it's not just me?"
"Not at all," She confirmed, shading her eyes as she looked to the sky in an attempt to see the Sun's location through the thick clouds. "You've always had sharp senses, but I worry that your concern for Lucy is blinding your focus."
Tense shoulders sizzled from heat as bits of flurries turned to steam before touching his body. The Draconis withheld the annoyed snarl that bubbled in his throat and instead huffed, moving a few paces away from his comrade. "Drop it, Erza. It's been a month and Lucy's just doing her best to fit in, she's not- "
The words felt like a bitter poison in his mouth, "-She's not distracting me from what's goin' on. You're just as stumped and still thinking she has somethin' to do with it. So what's your excuse?"
She flinched, "... I admit, for once, you make a good point. My apologies. Lucy has been nothing, but friendly since I met her. Tell me, has she met the remaining members of our group?"
"Uhh-" Natsu shrugged and began his trek through the snow once again, melting a path as he went. "I dunno? I think Mirajane was trying to help her get ready for the winter storms first."
"I see."
The conversation simmered, both returning to their thoughts as they finished the rest of the patrol. Natsu didn't want to think about it. He refused to consider that Lucy still had something to do with the attacks on their Caravan. While it would answer some questions, it wouldn't answer all of them, and every instinct in his body screamed to look elsewhere. He just didn't know where to look.
And despite her wariness, Natsu had noticed Erza spending more time with Lucy during dinner. Whether it was to assess her own judgment or keep an eye on her, he wasn't certain, but no one could miss the small smiles and laughter that came between them as their conversations became more comfortable and settled. Much like she had with the original caravan, Lucy was merging into the clan's dynamic with an ease the wounded girl hardly noticed.
Even with the damaged knee, she offered her help when she could give it. Lucy's want to learn and be sociable was contagious and welcomed by many. The fishermen were willing to teach her methods to keep fish from rotting, how to tie knots and Natsu had seen her willingness to help prepare the huts for ice storms. In return, she had earned many thick, fur pelts that covered the interior of her home, keeping her warm at night with ease.
It was comforting to see her settling in, but she wasn't one of them yet, and that bothered him. Lucy had yet to ask about officially being one of them, never mentioning it. That along with the imprisoned man's refusal to give more details towards his clan's motives, put a dissonant emotion in Natsu's chest. He couldn't put his finger on it, but it was like a puzzle that didn't have all the correct pieces.
Natsu wasn't the greatest at puzzles.
Their patrol ended in the afternoon and the return trek was met with less tension. Erza relaxed the closer they came and Natsu only stopped to stare at the few, remaining plants that managed to survive winter's chill. He passed by them daily, and their scents caught his notice. Motioning for Erza to go on ahead, he moved along his previous path to collect the few he could pluck. .
When Natsu returned to the village, his destination was clear and certain. Each day his patrols ended at different times, but he never failed to check on his charge. (She had yet to tell him to stop treating her as such, and he still saw this job with the same priority as his patrols.) His body heat created melted pathways that others used and recognized each day, leading through the village and all the way to the old abandoned hut that now held an occupant who was in desperate need of house decorations.
Mirajane often left her own home to check on Lucy. She helped decorate it in leftover fabrics and lace that went unused. She even helped lattice flowering vines through the roof. They looked dead while surrounded in the cold of winter, but she promised Lucy would see beautiful blooms come spring. Natsu didn't understand the sentiment, but he remembered seeing Lucy's eyes light up at whatever mental imagery the thought created, and she held a pep in her step that lasted for days.
Looking upon the small hut now, it hardly looked like the dilapidated eyesore it had been before he and the others had cleaned it, but it was still small and away from the others. A thought Natsu didn't appreciate. He remembered the nightmares she had while asleep in his tent, the desperate cries for companions to keep her company, to assure her she wasn't alone.
Was this tiny hut, truly enough? Perhaps he'd ask about moving her closer to more people when winter ended. For now, he slung his pack over his shoulder and knocked on the wooden frame of her entry way. Some days, she wasn't home, but he could hear her humming from a ways away.
"- is she back already?-" Lucy's humming stopped in a startled squeak and after a few, hastily shuffled footsteps, she came to the door to brush the flap aside, eyes meeting him as she sighed, "Oh, it's you. I thought you might be Wendy. Is your patrol done, already?"
"Already?" Natsu groaned, following her in, "I've been up since before the sun! Gramps doesn't want me sleeping, apparently."
"- he did say you weren't going to like what would happen if you kept eavesdropping on his meetings with Erza and Laxus," Lucy reminded him, taking a seat in a multitude of furs. She propped her leg up with a relieved sigh and rolled her eyes. "You did it before, but why do you keep doing it?"
To see if they heard any more stuff about you - "No reason. I just like annoying them."
Lucy fixed him with a stare that clearly didn't believe a word he said. He shuffled his feet sheepishly and cleared his throat. Somehow, Lucy had managed to make Natsu feel as if she could sense what was going on in his head. While he knew this was a ridiculous notion, it didn't stop the strange apprehension that settled in his gut any time she hit him with that expression. This called for a change of subject!
"Er, so- " He scratched the back of his neck, suddenly sheepish as he reached behind his back to pull the few plants he'd picked from his belt. Ears flushed with a heat not unlike the magic that thrummed inside his body and he held the flowers out with a rushed flurry, looking anywhere but at Lucy, whose expression had changed the moment they were thrust into her face.
"What's this-" She began, curiosity rising as the gentle scents flooded her nose, but Natsu interrupted with words that tumbled out like tripping feet.
"Just thought ya' could add 'em to your decorations around the place and make it more colorful, y'know?" More like you, he thought. "I think I remember what they're called, like the snowdrop and winterberry and uh-" He blinked, staring at the third type he'd gathered, stuck on the name of it. The white and red ones were obvious to him, but why couldn't he recall the yellow? "Winter… winter-"
"Jasmine." Lucy finished for him, eyes lighting up as she excitedly accepted the flowers, grinning wide, "That one's Winter Jasmine! What made you decide to get me these?"
"Well, it's not like I just thought I should get you something!" He interjected, face feeling hotter than it should be. The far wall was beginning to look very interesting to him now. Was there a hole forming? Perhaps he - or someone!- should fix that? "I just saw them on my way back and remembered you said something about wanting a lil' more color for the season and so I just- .. it's not a big deal or anything…"
He stumbled over his words, tripped and rambled. Not like him at all. Natsu was glad none of the others were witnessing him flounder like this. He'd never hear the end of it. As if sensing his discomfort, Lucy motioned for him to bend down, still examining the flowers he'd placed in her hand. Curious, he followed the motion, moving into the range of her hand, that she gently placed over his mouth.
"You don't have to explain it to me." She said, eyes warm and sparkling. "Thanks for thinking of me, even if it was an afterthought. They'll work perfectly for what I had in mind."
Despite his excellent hearing, the world seemed to mute itself in that moment. Natsu barely processed Lucy's words, so focused on the hand covering his mouth. She smelled like soap sands they used for bathing and somehow like light, but light didnt have a scent, did it? A strange thing to notice. With brows furrowed, Natsu was about to fall into deep thought over the exact scent he'd picked up, until her amused laugh pulled him back to reality, eyes widening. He jumped back with a shrug, attempting to feign indifference.
"Well, that's good! Yeah, real good," He said, trying to think of anything that would move away from this topic. Why was he running away from so many subjects? Too many questions. He didn't like overthinking so much. Inspiration struck and he waved his arms, voice louder than it needed to be, "So! That's all I wanted to do. I think it's almost time to start helping with dinner so I better go to that!"
"Oh? They're trusting you to not burn the meat again?" Lucy teased, leaning back into her seat, amused by something Natsu wasn't about to try and figure out.
His lips thinned into a pout and he huffed, arms crossing over his chest in offense, "That was ONE time and was Gray's fault! He distracted me!"
"... you use that excuse so often-"
"Y-yeah? Cause it's true!" He argued, pushed the flap open as a blast of cold air hit him in the face. A shiver passed through his body until the heat of his body canceled out the cold and he stopped half way through the doorway to glance back at Lucy, expression tense.
"Oi, Lucy?" He asked, voice slightly more timid than before.
She looked as if he'd pulled her from a thought, eyes blinking as she glanced back at him. "Yeah, Natsu?"
"... you… like it here, right?"
Lucy blinked, stunned by the question, she stayed quiet and thoughtfully looked at the flowers, fingers grazing the petals as she considered the question. Apprehension rose in his stomach. Being locked up hadn't ruined her opinion of them, had it? Fury over her situation welled within him and Natsu struggled with the urge to track Makarov down and state his distaste in their treatment of Lucy all over again, but before he could storm off, Lucy finally answered.
"At first, I thought that even if I liked everyone and enjoyed staying, that it wouldn't be a permanent thing." She admitted, Natsu stiffened, the pit in his stomach giving way to nausea.
"- now I'm not so sure," She finished quickly, as if noticing the change in his stature, "So, yeah, I do like it here."
He wasn't sure he liked that answer. "So do you wanna stay or no-"
"You should probably go." She interrupted, voice sounding far away, "that dinner won't cook itself, you know?"
He didn't like ending the conversation there, but words weren't his strong suit. Natsu didn't know what he could say to that. There were many reactions, but too many to know what was the right one and he didn't like how he felt when trying to decide which reaction was the best course to take. So instead, he nodded, muttered a good bye and quickly left, allowing the door flap to slide in place behind him.
Maybe one day he'd know what to say, but for now, he'd respect Lucy's decision and leave it alone, but the knowledge didn't sit well with him. Not one bit.
Lucy's sigh of relief came the moment the cold air was blocked up again. Her own stomach turned flips as guilt gnawed inside her chest. She smelled the floral gift in an attempt to calm her nerves and blinked rapidly, ignoring the pang that stabbed in her chest. Why did she say that? Now Natsu would be thinking she didn't like them! Which was the furthest from the truth. Choosing to distract herself, she looked around her small hut, planning locations where she could hang the flowers. Upside down would be best, she decided and the colors would do wonders to brighten up her little corner of the world.
The fact Natsu had thought of her for such a gift made her smile return. It was touching. No matter how much he denied it. How had it turned from her distrusting him to this? Lucy decided she would find a way to return the favor eventually. He deserved that much before…
Before what? Before she left? Is that what she wanted anymore? Did she even want it in the first place?
"... but isn't it my fault they were attacked?" She mused, voice mumbling to herself. A way to fill the silence spaces as she rose to tie the stems to separate locations on the ceiling. Lucy hoped the smell would be nice, and that they would dry well.
If it was her fault… and if.. If those people had anything to do with the massacre of her family then…. "It's not safe if I stay here. For them. They've done so much for me, how can I burden them more than I already have?"
Wasn't it better if she did leave?
Circular thoughts and concerns. They wriggled themselves deep into Lucy's subconscious and had been whispering to her for quite some time. She didn't know how to express these concerns, or how the others would react to them. She only knew that they were there and eventually, it could come down to a choice. Satisfied with the placement of her flowers, Lucy smelled them again and shrugged.
There wasn't anything she could do about it now. The winter had come and it was far too cold and dangerous to venture out on her own now. "I'll just see what Spring brings me." She decided, before grabbing a wool tunic to fit over her clothes. It was time to venture out and see the others again. If she remembered correctly, one of the last caravans of the group had finally returned last night and Lucy was longing to meet them.
Maybe they were just as friendly? Lucy hoped so. Ready to face the cold, she grabbed her walking stick and set out despite the chill in the air, leaving Natsu's gift to hang from the ceiling in wait for her return.
It had taken a few weeks for Lucy to memorize the layout of the small fishing village. She had often been found by the permanent residents (or those of the clan) turned around and unsure of where to go. At the time, Lucy didn't have to look far to receive assistance, but in time, she could pick her way along the path and recognize the turns she missed with ease. While the roads were not coated in a light dusting of snow, Lucy's sense of direction became close to muscle memory, making her way to the mess hall.
She pulled her furs close around her shoulders and poked a stray pebble off the path with her cane. A tumble here would send her skidding through the snowy incline; a risk Lucy had almost suffered a few days past, but luck had been on her side. A tall man, face covered in a strange helmet, had caught her, one arm around her shoulder as he cackled. She didn't recognize him at the time. Only later had Cana filled her in that he was one of the late arrivals.
She'd seen him alongside Laxus, with a few others after, but they hadn't spoken since.
A gust of wind forced her into full body shivers, distancing Lucy from her reverie as her teeth chattered. She'd have to pick up the pace if she wanted to enjoy the heat of the dining hall! Ignoring the protests in her knee, Lucy shuffled along the path with urgency, grimacing each time the chill bit at her nose.
Just feet away from the large doors of the dining hall, Lucy's trek was stopped short by the rusted doors swinging open, buoyant laughter and chatter struck her ears, and a trio she didn't recognize almost trampled right over her.
"Oh! Gosh, sorry about that!" The smallest of the three, a short woman with brightly blue hair, waved her arms frantically, signaling for the two behind her to stop- they stumbled over their feet, but managed just in time to avoid collision and their eyes lit up at once.
"Hey! Isn't that the new girl Mira was telling us about?"
"Are you sure?"
"She's got that cane, who else would she mean?"
Lucy's face warmed by their scrutiny, wondering if these were the last late arrivals she'd heard about. "Uh- well, yes, that is me, but-" The tallest of the three whooped and smacked the other on the back.
"Hah! Told you! It is her!"
For a moment, Lucy felt her leg was about to give out. She really needed to take a seat, but this sudden stop had winded her. The short woman in front of her snapped her hands to her hips and clucked her tongue, causing the two men to fall silent before she moved fast like a viper, snatching Lucy by the shoulders to lead her in through the warm doors.
"Looks like we'll finish our trek back to my place later!" She called out, the two following behind her reminiscent of ducklings, though Lucy was too distracted to comment on it. "You look so pale, let's get you seated! I'm Leavy, and the two doofuses behind me are Jet and Droy! It's good we didn't run into you, that could have been a big mess for your knee, huh?"
"Uh, yeah- I …" Lucy commented dumbly, uncertain when and how she'd suddenly been seated, leg propped on a neighboring chair. "- you're really… friendly?"
"Huh?" Levy blinked, cheeks slightly red, "Oh, did I make you uncomfortable? I just wanted to help!" And she slid into a seat, eyes practically sparkling as she looked Lucy over. "Wendy and Romeo told me all about you! They said you had some really great stories that your clan taught you, I'd LOVE to hear them some time! In fact, I bet I could find stories connected to them back at my- is this too sudden for you?"
"No, it's not-"
Jet interrupted, laughing as he also took a seat, drumming his fingers on the table in a random beat, "Don't mind Levy, she's been excited to meet you since we got here. She collects stories!"
Lucy tried to answer, but was quickly interrupted by- what had Levy said his name was?- Droy? "Yeah, that's our Levy for you." It seemed she was now surrounded by the three, sitting comfortable at the table nearest the wide doors. Many tables ahead of them were groups of others enjoying their evenings as the strong scent of soup wafted in the air.
It was comforting, even as Lucy tried to relax her shoulders and find a moment to jump in on their one sided conversation. Levy caught the attempts eventually, smiling sheepishly as she signaled the other two to quiet down. They seemed… in sync, probably caused by the amount of time they traveled together. Not for the first time, Lucy felt a tiny pang in her heart- a slight jealousy and longing for a similar connection.
I don't deserve these people, the thought was pushed back once again and she finally smiled.
"Stories have always interested me, too," She said, voice low and tired, "It is a little sudden, but I can honestly say it's really nice to meet you three. I'm Lucy-"
"Yeah, we know, it's all anyone has been talking about since we got here-"
"Shh, Jet, let her finish!" Levy chided, now pouting. Lucy couldn't hold back her laugh.
"No, it's fine- it doesn't even surprise me." She agreed, watching as Jet whined from her peripherals. "It seems everyone here gets excited about meeting new people, It's only natural."
"Well yeah, but even Natsu doesn't usually talk about new arrivals so much, he must really like you-"
"Eh?"
Levy's smile turned mischievous, "Oh never mind that. Listen, do you have any plans tomorrow?"
Lucy blinked, mind derailing as it tried to catch up with this fast conversation, "Well, other than seeing Wendy about my leg, no-"
"Perfect!" Levy snatched Lucy's hands and leaned in close, smiled wide, "You and Wendy can come to my place and we can get to know one another! I'm so excited to learn more!"
Lucy could only nod her head in agreement, completely baffled.
Chatter continued and soon, Lucy figured out that Levy, among many others, was a fun person to be around. As the dining hall filled with more hungry occupants, the more Lucy's table was surrounded by friends and laughter. Natsu appeared eventually, bickering back and forth with Gray before taking his seat beside her and just like the previous weeks, Lucy found time passing faster than she expected.
The evening would turn to night and the chatter would continue on until they were too tired to continue, but not everyone stayed to enjoy socializing. Some left early and left to discuss issues still bubbling beneath the surface.
Cana was one of them, but she wasn't happy about it. Tapping her foot on the cold stone of the old prisons, she sniffed the murky air and grimaced. "Look, I've told you everything the cards said, what more do you want?"
"Assurance." Makarov answered, face grim as he looked between her and the other three that watched them. Laxus and Mirajane stood to the side, neither one looking to the other while Erza sighed, growing tired by the length of their meeting. "Are you certain we'll need Kage?"
Cana rolled her eyes, "No I'm not sure! That's not how card reading works! They reveal paths, options, choices! Things can happen or things can not happen, they're only here to slightly guide or warn us! Maybe we'll need him, maybe we won't, but what I can tell you for sure is that my cards sense nothing ill coming from him now. He's like a bird with clipped wings, abandoned by his own clan. And we can use that, can't we?"
"It's possible… very possible…"
"So, can I go then? Unless you're wanting me to do another reading for you, there's not much else I can do here."
"You can go with Erza." Makarov said, looking at the redhead who ashamedly shot up from her seat, flushed at nearly being caught dozing off.
"Yes, of course!" She answered, but Cana gaped.
"Go with her and do what?" She asked, outraged, "Give HIM a reading?!"
Makarov smirked, "... if you think that will help, but something tells me he'll only clam up more if he's continually questioned by Laxus, perhaps you can get somewhere we cannot."
Cana glowered at Laxus, quietly accusing him for getting her pulled into this, but he paid her no mind, only shrugging as he accepted the order. Seeing no help would come to get her out of this, the Fortune Teller threw her hands into the air and groaned.
"Fine, but I'm going to drink your favorite wine for this."
His mustache twitched from his amusement, but Makarov laughed, "All right, fair enough."
With that out of the way, Cana left the conference room along with Erza, the pit of her stomach rebelled against her and a sense of dread flooded her shoulders. Was this really a good idea? Or was she misreading the situation?
… why did she feel they were missing something?
Hey all! I wanted to get this updated before 2022 hit, so consider this an early Christmas Gift? :) Anyway, I have an important announcement about this story. Starting in January, I'll be trying my best to work on a backlog of chapters so I can eventually have a regular posting schedule on this. That's right, no more waiting an untold amount of months for an update!
But before I can do that, I'll have to start on that back log, so it may take some time before the NEXT chapter appears, but when it does, there should be enough chapters written in advance, that you'll be able to get more chapters next year then I've been able to post in quite some time!
I'll give more information on this when the time comes. Thank you all for reading and enjoying this story. It if weren't for all of you, I may not have had it in me to continue this story. So your love of this story means the world to me. Thank you.
