Lael stood at the sands of the small cove surrounded by the villagers.
He felt nothing; not the harsh autumn winds that chilled them down to their bones, not the hotness of the funeral pyre that burned brightly in the morning sun, not the gentle touches on his shoulder in comfort. He felt none of that.
For the pain at her loss consumed him completely.
Some mumbled in concern that he might follow his mother soon if he is not more careful and doesn't dress more warmly but he never truly felt the chill of winter like everyone else. Was never cold or gotten sick.
She always said he was special.
Her special little boy.
A squeal made Eldred look away from the blanket she was making to see her son managed to roll over on his stomach and was reaching for the cat that sat in front of the hearth and cleaned itself. The feline wasn't interested in the tiny human that was far too loud at times. That is until he managed to raise himself on his knees, and crawl slowly towards her.
He shrieked in protest, as arms sneaked around him and he was lifted off the floor, just as he was about to finally catch the hairy appendage that swished left and right and taunted him all the time.
After seeing who it was that lifted him Lael giggled and started to wave his arms and legs.
"Bothering the cat again, aren't you?" Eldrid asked with a small smile, "You are lucky she likes you, she is far less tolerant of your aunt."
The mention of her sister brought tears to the woman's eyes. She missed Briita and it's been barely a month since she left their village to seek a better life in Hedeby. Their little settlement provided no opportunities for a better life.
She briefly considered leaving her cottage behind and traveling with her sister but the little boy in her arms would be safer here.
There were less chances someone would find out how different... how special... he was, in this small community than in the city as large as Hedeby.
A thud outside of the front door made Eldrid sigh.
The snow caught them by surprise this year. It arrived much sooner than expected and covered their small village with a thick white blanker during the night. The next morning the air was filled with the sounds of grumbling by those who were cleaning it from their front doors and the laughter of children who ran between the houses.
She already cleaned in front of her entrance but from time to time the snow would fall down from the roof and make more job for her. She suspected it wasn't the weight of the snow that was responsible for it, but the brothers that lived on the other side of the village, since she saw them throwing snowballs and rocks on the roof this morning, to cause the snow to fall down.
She sighed again.
Telling their mother would do her no good. The woman had always disliked her and was the first person who approached her after the death of her husband, but not to offer condolence. She came to inform Eldrid she knew it would end this way, that the Gods would punish her for marrying a foreigner.
It was Briita who threw the rude woman out with few well aimed barbed words.
And then her sister did that again several months later when the same cruel woman dared to enter their home and scold her for the name she gave her son, calling her arrogant and saying she will bring the rage of the Gods upon them for it.
Eldrid took a deep breath to clear her mind and looked down on the boy in her arms that observed her with interest,"Will you help me clean the snow away?"
She doubted he understood her but his shrill cry made her believe that perhaps he knew what she spoke. After all he wasn't a normal human child, something she needed to remind herself from time to time.
Before she left Briita spoke to her regarding Lael. Informed her she suspected the little boy is far more developed they believed, for he was far too observant of his surroundings for a baby that was less then a year old.
It was then that she admitted to Briita she suspected the same thing and much more.
She admitted that one morning while she was drinking tea and holding her little boy he pushed her arm suddenly and few drops of scalding hot tea landed on his little leg. And while any other child would get burned and cry out in pain he merely screamed once and that was it. There was no trace, no mark on his leg, apart from the wetness.
Briita was in awe when she learned that. And quite worried for their safety. She even briefly considered staying, but Eldrid wouldn't even hear about it.
While having help in ensuring their secret remains hidden from everyone would ease her worries a bit, she wasn't selfish enough to allow her younger sister to throw away her better future.
Lael was a good babe, he would not cause her troubles.
She tied him to her chest after wrapping both of them in warmer clothes and exited the cottage to clean off he snow that fell from the roof.
It was fairly easy to ignore the giggles coming from behind the corner of the neighboring cottage when her little boy played with fluttering snowflakes. Eldrid couldn't help but giggle herself after a single snowflake landed on his nose and he sticked his little tongue out in attempt to lick it.
It was later that night, when she was getting Lael ready for bed, that she gasped and stepped back from the cheerful baby boy in shock.
While he was cheerfully kicking his legs and left hand his right one he held in front of himself, with his tiny fingers clenched into a fist. And from between the fingers Eldrid could see a weak blue light glowing.
"No." she whispered and closed his little hand in her and looking at him seriously, his green eyes watching her closely, "Do not do that Lael. It's too dangerous for you. I don't want you to ever do that again."
She watched as he blinked her times and yawned before wiggling the fingers of his right hand.
The light was gone.
Sudden laughter startled all those standing around the funeral pyre, observing as the flames swallowed the member of their community.
Heads turned and instantly whispers began as the young man dressed in usual tan trousers and bright blue tunic with a red cloak that was moved back from his chest by the strong wind and didn't really shielded him from the chill of the winter weather.
Viggo was strutting down the narrow path towards the sands of the cove, a wide grin never leaving his face.
He was being disrespectful, and he knew it. And he enjoyed it.
Lael closed his eyes and looked away from the newcomer. He knew why he had came. It wasn't to pay respect to his mother but to provoke him into reacting. Into doing something rash.
But he was raised my a kindhearted Eldrid, the woman who taught him to ignore those who wished to make themselves seem stronger and more important by bringing others down. He was not going to fall on such a low level.
"It seems her God couldn't save the poor old Eldrid. Such a pity... that you didn't die with her."
Lael clenched his fists so hard his knuckles turned white. He knew it would be bad if he lost control now. The bastard's father was important enough it wold cause him trouble if he did to his son what he wanted, what he yearned to do for years now.
A smaller hand soddenly took hold of his larger one and Lael looked away from Viggo who stood few feet away from the gathered crowd. She stood by him the whole time, her silent support welcome even if he never said anything to her.
His oldest friend.
His best friend.
His only friend.
The first snow started to thaw when she arrived to the world, loud and demanding. The little girl with a puff of golden hair on her head and clear blue eyes like all infants.
She arrived early in the morning, with the light of the dawn. But for her mother it was a long and dark night, a night many doubted she would survive. But to the surprise of the women present who were assisting during the birth she fought back death; and proudly held her daughter in her arms when her husband was finally allowed to enter their room.
He announced her name to their village.
Signe, the new victory. A first female child born in their settlement in almost a decade.
Her father knew she will have many suitors, many will approach him asking for her hand. But he was no fool. To receive his girl's hand one must be worthy of it. Earn it.
He had no idea how fast the first boy will recognize her beauty.
Eldrid was struggling with the weight in her arms but a smile never disappeared from her face. She was happy for her friend, for the woman she grew up with. Raine had become a mother and the whole village rejoiced for the wonderful gift of life.
Lael, who was strapped to her chest, babbled words only he understood as she walked down the street to the cottage where the youngest member of their settlement now lived in. And every time someone walked by them he would giggle and wave at the person.
Raine welcomed her friend with open arms and instantly ordered her husband to take the wooden crib from Eldrid's arms and place it in their room. Lael outgrew it by now so she no longer needed it anyway. So giving it away made most sense.
"Where is the little one?" Eldrid asked with a wide smile as she took off the warm cloak from her shoulders. Lael instantly started to wave his hands again.
"She's asleep. But I suspect she will be awake and demanding milk soon if what I was told is correct."
"Oh, it is. I remember well Lael waking up every two hours during the night cause he was hungry. Briita was constantly grumbling in the morning about not getting enough sleep." the mention of her sister whipped the cheerful smile from Eldrid's face.
Instantly Raine placed her hand on her friend's, "How are you holding up without Briita?"
"I miss her. But I know it was the best choice for her. Beside, I have Lael. Taking care of him will keep me occupied for years to come."
A loud wail startled them and Eldrid had to laugh at her little boy jumping in fright at the unexpected sound. He instantly looked up at his mom and when he saw she was calm and not scared of the sudden noise he calmed down too.
Something Eldrid, who was always aware of her son, instantly noticed.
And if Raine noticed it too she didn't say anything.
But the chances were she didn't notice anything because in that moment her husband returned with a small baby wrapped in a soft red blanket. He handed Signe to his wife's waiting hands and Eldrid leaned in her seat to get a better look at the newborn.
Lael, who was in his mother's lap, leaned forward too and she smiled at him and kissed the top of his head.
"She is lovely, isn't she." Eldrid told her little boy.
Seconds later her eyes widened as her son said his first word, "Pretty."
A loud scream pierced the chilly night and woke up the villagers from their slumber. Instantly they were all out of their beds and putting of warmer clothes before leaving their cottages to see what was going on.
But one among them didn't need to bother with such a thing. Lael was out of his home, where he now lived alone, and out in the autumn air before everyone else. He was dressed only in breeches and a thin shirt, his feet bare, but as always he didn't feel the coldness.
He could hear yelling, now much quieter, and rushed in the direction of the cottage he knew well. A cottage where Signe lived with her mother.
He heard their voices much clearer with each step he took. And he wasn't surprised when he realized who was making such noise. But the female voices among several male ones made him speed up.
"My husband made it clear Signe will decide for herself!" Raine protested but the older man in front of her refused to even look at her. Instead he was focusing on his son who held a young blond woman by her wrist and was pulling her away.
"What is going on?" Lael asked as he came close enough to recognize all present people.
"Look who it is..." Viggo mocked, "The pathetic little orphan."
"Let her go." he warned the young man who tormented and provoked him for years.
"Why? So you can have her? What can you offer her when you don't even have shoes?"
"I left them behind to see what was going on!" Lael pointed out, his green eyes showing the anger his face didn't reveal, "Now let Signe go!"
"No. She dared to refuse me before but once I claim her she will have no other choice but to marry me."
Raine gasped in shock and tried to reach for her daughter when Viggo's father pushed her back, making her stumble over the hem of her thick woolen nightgown and fall on the hard ground.
Lael instantly reacted and before anyone had a chance to act he punched Viggo, makng his senior stumble back and in the process let go of Signe's wrist. But when Lael reached for her she pulled back, her eyes wide as she stared at him.
More gasps followed as the villagers finally arrived to see what was going on. And they had much to see.
Raine managed to get up from the ground and now held her daughter close in her arms, Viggo on the floor with his father helping me up. And Eldrid's Lael...
He stood in the center of it, frozen like a statue. He had lifted his left hand, and watched in shock as the unnatural shade of light blue slowly vanished, leaving behind a pale skin he was used to seeing.
"Monster..." he heard someone whisper but didn't care who it was. Didn't care for anyone's opinion but hers.
But Signe looked just as shocked as everyone else. And Lael, who knew her from the moment she was born, saw something else hidden in her eyes. He wished the moon would vanish behind the cloud so he can no longer see it.
For nothing hurt more than seeing a woman he loved for years looking at him and feeling disgusted by what she saw.
"Monster..." someone repeated.
"Signe." he gently called her name and reached for her but pulled back when she flinched away from him.
She shook her head and looked away. She didn't have to say it, he understood he was now to her what the same thing he was to the crowd that gathered around them.
"Monster!" Viggo shouted and attacked, punching Lael in the face.
And that was only he beginning.
The young Jotun, who didn't know who or what he was anymore, stumbled in the cave he by some strange twist of fate managed to find in the darkness with only the moon to illuminate the ground below his feet, and fell down to his knees, bitter tears rolling down his dirt stained face.
Seconds later he started to cough, the smoke he inhaled burned his lungs more then the exertion of his run. Of his escape. Lael tried to wipe away the tears but his fire singes shirt sleeve only made his face appear dirtier than it was before.
His mother was dead.
His home a ruin after he tried to take cover in it from the angry mob that eventually set it up on fire.
He was now truly alone.
And a monster.
Deep inside the maze, somewhere behind the large cave where Lael found safety, a cube like object like no other suddenly woke up and cold blue light illuminated the darkness of it's resting place.
The Casket of Ancient Winters woke up.