It was dark. The land was dark, the sky was dark, the air itself seemed dark. Despite the fact that it was well into the morning, the sky was still black as pitch, for it was the day before Mid-Winter, the shortest day of the year, a time when the sun would not rise above the horizon, keeping the entire 'day' in darkness. Today would be the last day the sun would rise this side of the solstice, but even then it would only peak its head above the horizon for a few minutes before sinking back down.
However, slowly making its way through the gloom shined a light, illuminating the surrounding area. The light came from a lantern, held aloft in a man's hand, outstretched to light the path ahead. The other hand held onto a leather strap that was wrapped around his torso, pulling a sledge along. The man glanced around, keeping a watchful eye for any sign of predators or threats in the darkness. On the sledge, a moan could be heard. The man turned his head, looking back at his heavily pregnant wife. She lay on her back, a pillow under her head and clothes covering her body, but her swollen belly was still visible under the clothes. Padding alongside were two wolves, both of them barely older than pups, letting out low whines and occasionally licking the woman's face. One of them turned to the man, letting out a whine.
"I know," he replied, turning his head forward, "I'm worried too."
Orion, formally known as Lucas, trudged on, reminiscing on the past. It had been a year since he had met Emily at Coastal Highway when she had been adrift in a small boat.
He thought about the journey they had made to get to Milton to reunite her with her parents, only to find they were a month too late.
He remembered the adventures they had taken after that night, living together in his cabin, doing odd jobs around the island for the different communities, training Emily, who took the name Artemis, in the skills of archery and tracking, and growing closer together as a result.
He thought about the two wolf pups they had found, their mother dead, and the orphaned pups close to it. He remembered finding someone who was willing to have the pups fed by their husky until they could be weaned off the milk. He fondly recalled their wedding day, held in the spring, with the large gathering that had come out to witness and celebrate the marriage of Orion, the greatest hunter on Great Bear, and Artemis, the wolf-mother.
He remembered the shock of discovering Emily was pregnant, then the joy of realisation, then the fear and worry for her wellbeing. He remembered Evelyn telling them that the first pregnancy was the hardest, and this, more than any bear, wolf, or spirit, scared him the most. The idea of losing her. So once her labour had started, he loaded her onto a sledge and headed off into the darkness to the one person he thought could ensure her safety. An old woman who lived by herself deep in the woods, alone in her shack with only a murder of crows to keep her company. Many people called her a Witch, but it was well known that she was a skilled midwife, as well as an expert in natural medicines. If anyone could ensure the highest chance of a safe birth, it was The Witch.
Orion pressed on, his footprints running between the twin tracks of the sledge's blades, with the footprints of the two wolves accompanying them padding along beside them.
The light from the lantern illuminated a hunter's blind, the old wooden structure built near the bank of a pond, now frozen over in the winter cold. The soft crunch of boots sinking into the snow changed to the hard tak of boots walking across ice. Orion pulled the sledge across the ice without hesitation, confident in the safety due to the cold weather freezing over all but the very bottom of the pond. However, as he pulled it up the opposite bank he paused as he heard the caw of a crow. Lifting the lantern up, Orion just managed to see the light reflecting off the eyes of the corvid in the trees before it launched itself from its perch, flying away.
"It seems we'll be expected," he murmured as he continued on his journey.
Mounting a hill, he saw the glow of lights coming out of windows, as in the distance a cabin could be seen, the front porch swept clean of snow and the lights from inside indicating that the house was occupied. Coming closer to the cabin, Orion heard more chirps and caws, realising that there were crows in the trees around him as well as on the roof of the cabin and on the railings of the porch.
The door to the cabin opened, and holding a rifle in her hands, out stepped an old woman. Her back was bowed from age and her hair was sterling white, yet her eyes were sharp and fierce as she levelled her rifle at Orion.
"Who goes there?" she called out, chambering a rifle round for good measure.
"It's just me, ma'am," Orion called out, drawing close enough to be seen clearly.
The Witch let out a sigh, lowering her rifle. "Damn it all," she scolded, "you couldn't have chosen a better time to pay a visit?"
"I was in a hurry," Orion explained, untying himself from the sledge and picking up Artemis in his arms. "She's gone into labour, and I need your help."
"Alright, come in," The Witch nodded. "And you might as well bring in your wolves, heaven knows they'll break down my door with all the scratching they'll do if I don't let them in."
Orion walked inside, Artemis in his arms and the two wolves, Pitch and Amber, trailed behind him.
The Witch instructed him to place Artemis down on the sole bed in the cabin while she busied herself with collecting different herbs and plants stored in their own vials and jars that were placed on shelves.
"So," she asked, turning towards Orion, "shall we discuss payment?"
Orion looked at her with a glare. "We'll discuss payment when you save my wife and child, not before."
"Alright, alright, even I'm not heartless," she mumbled to herself as she came next to the bed where Artemis lay. Brushing aside her blond hair, The Witch placed the back of her hand on Artemis' head, feeling her temperature.
"Needs some birch tea," she muttered to herself, walking around the cabin, searching for something.
Orion watched her go about her business until a voice caught his attention.
"Lucas," Artemis groaned.
"Hey, you're alright, you're going to be alright," he assured her, holding one of her hands in both of his. "How are you feeling?" he asked.
"I'm so over this," Artemis huffed. "Where are we?"
"The Witch's hut," he answered. "I figured she's the best option we have for a safe delivery."
"Alright," Artemis nodded, sweat lining her forehead. "Let's hope she doesn't charge too high of a price."
"Ah, good," The Witch said, walking over to the couple, "you're awake. This will make it much easier. Drink this."
She handed over a cup filled with green liquid that steamed in the cold air.
"What is it?" Orion asked.
"Birch tea, very good for the body. How do you think I've lived this long?"
Orion carefully placed the rim of the cup on Artemis' lips, allowing her to slowly drink the tea.
Once she had finished the drink, a second cup was placed next to Orion on a side table.
"Should she drink this one as well?" he asked.
"Not yet," came the answer from The Witch, her back to him as she worked at a table. "That drink is Rose Hip tea. It's for when the pain starts to kick in."
"What do you mean? She's already-"
A cry came from Artemis, full of pain and agony. Her hand clenched Orion's as her teeth gritted. On the floor, Pitch and Amber both whined at the sound of their adoptive mother crying out in pain.
"Oh good, the labour is truly starting," The Witch said, seemingly ignorant of Artemis' cries of pain. "Come along Orion, help me get her clothing off."
Orion assisted The Witch with much trepidation as they stripped off the two outer layers of pants, then the two underlayers, and finally Artemis' undergarments.
Bending Artemis' legs, The Witch started to instruct the expecting mother.
"Alright dear, what you'll want to do is start pushing with all your might. Hopefully, this won't take long at all."
"How long can it take?" Orion asked, holding Artemis' hand tight with both of his own.
"Oh, sometimes minutes, sometimes hours. For her sake, I hope it's the former."
"Anything I can do to help?" he asked, concern filling his voice.
"Stay as you are, you'll get in the way otherwise."
And stay like that he did. He held onto Artemis' hand as if he was holding onto her life itself, refusing to let go. This was only interrupted when The Witch instructed him to help Artemis' take a sip of the Rose Hip tea.
As the sunlight of the short morning started to stream in, Artemis' gave one final cry, before her voice was joined by the cries of an infant.
"Well would you look at that," The Witch said, holding the newborn child in her hands, "it's a girl."
Looking behind her, The Witch noticed the orange morning light of the barely risen sun. "How poetic," she smiled as she wiped the child down with a warm, wet cloth and cut the umbilical cord, swaddling the child in furs. Her smile was quickly wiped away when Artemis continued to cry in pain.
"Oh gosh," The Witch muttered, "I wasn't expecting this."
"What? What's wrong?" Orion worried.
"Nothing's wrong, not really," The Witch said to the couple. "It's just that you weren't feeding for two. Instead, you were feeding for three."
Orion's eyes widened at the realisation while Artemis gasped, both in pain and shock.
"You mean I'm having twins?" she panted.
"Exactly, dear girl. Now get that tea ready Orion, it isn't over yet."
Orion held onto Artemis' hand as she continued to cry in pain, The Witch continuing to encourage Artemis to push. Finally, minutes later, accompanied by the setting sun, a second newborn cry could be heard throughout the room.
"This one is a boy," The Witch said, handing over the swaddled, crying infant to Artemis.
The two parents sat next to each other, a child in their arms, leaning against each other for comfort on Orion's end, and support on Artemis'.
The infants calmed down after a while, sleeping quietly as their parents consulted each other on the names. There was a back and forth, however, they soon settled on a name for each child.
"Dusk," Artemis named, holding the infant boy in her arms with all the care in the world.
"Dawn," Orion declared, holding the eldest child of the twins, the infant girl born with the morning light.
Pitch and Amber both barked at their feet, seeming to sound their approval of the names.
"Ahem," The Witch coughed, "this is sweet and all, but I didn't do this for free. I will be needing payment."
Orion handed Dawn to her mother, Artemis now holding each of her children in her arms.
"For saving my wife's life and ensuring the safe birth of our children, I'm willing to give you anything you want," Orion promised, bowing his head in gratitude.
A wicked glint appeared in The Witch's eyes.
"Anything?" she echoed. "You should be careful about saying you'll give a witch anything she wants, boy. Are you sure you don't want to take back those words?"
Orion hesitated, taken aback by this change in attitude, but he steeled his resolve.
"I meant it," he affirmed. "If it is something within my power, I will achieve it for you."
"If I asked you to collect something?"
"I would find it for you."
"What if I asked you to kill someone?" The Witch probed.
"Then I would hunt them down and bring you their head," Orion promised.
"If I asked you to travel far over the horizon?"
"I would take my family and make a journey out of it."
The Witch smiled, a toothy grin. "Then what if I asked you for one of your children?"
The room went silent, Artemis, who had been singing softly to her children, stopped short and Orion held his breath.
"What do you mean?" he asked, unsure of the question.
"Exactly what I said," The Witch explained. "If I asked you for one of your children, would you give them to me? After all, you came here expecting your wife to give birth to one, and you're here with two."
Orion hesitated, glancing over at Artemis, both seeming to communicate through their gaze.
"For what purpose would you ask for one of my children?" Artemis hesitantly asked. "What use would they have for you?"
"Look at me," The Witch said, gesturing to herself, drawing attention to her bent back, her pale skin and her white hair. "I'm old," she admitted, "very old. I know every plant and its uses on this island, as well as the uses of other plants found on other islands. I don't want my knowledge to die with me, so I need an apprentice. Someone I can teach my arts of medicine and herbology."
She leaned forward, looking both parents in the eye.
"I want someone to teach the uses of all plants and fungi. Someone to teach them to listen to the crows and birds and interpret their calls. Someone to teach the ways to find mushrooms in the winter, or lichen in the spring. What I want," she whispered, "is an heir. Someone I can pass my inheritance onto."
Orion and Artemis looked at each other, worry lining their faces.
"Well-"
"Oh don't worry," The Witch interrupted. "I fully plan to have you two raise the child. I'm in no way capable of raising a child, nor willing. However, when the child is old enough to tell the difference between plants and tell me their uses, that's when I'll want them. You'll still see them, after all, there isn't room in my home for two, at least not for the long term. Think of it less like me taking the child, and more like me taking them in as my student, coming over for classes that could last the day, maybe days, maybe a week at most."
Orion and Artemis thought about this, and when The Witch moved away to give them space, they discussed their options in lowered voices.
"How old will they be when you make your decision?" Artemis asked, causing The Witch to halt her grinding of herbs in a mortar and pestle.
"How long is a piece of string?" The Witch asked back, turning to them. "When the time is right and their natural talents in life emerge, then I'll make my decision."
"Alright," Orion said. "When the time is right, we'll give one of our children to you as your student."
The Witch grinned. "Very good," she smiled, "I'm glad we could come to an agreement of payment we all consent to."
She started grabbing blankets from various places around the house, changing the sheets of the bed Artemis lay on after getting Orion to help her up. She then placed the remainder in a corner, creating a nest of cloth and fur.
"You two can share the bed tonight," she said after tucking herself in her bundle of blankets. "Then in the morning, you can head off home. I'll pop in a few weeks from now to check up on you and the children, Artemis."
The young parents fell asleep, holding each other as their children lay swaddled on their chests, protective arms holding them. Pitch and Amber lay on the floor by the bed, staying as close as possible to their masters.
All in the house slept for many hours, partly due to the absence of the sun, but also because of the stress and exhaustion from the day prior. It wasn't until Dawn and Dusk started crying for food that the residents awoke. After feeding the children and gathering their things, Orion and Artemis, flanked by Pitch and Amber, set off, with Orion pulling the sledge once again, this time with Artemis sitting up, with both Dawn and Dusk held against her chest, covered with thick furs from the biting, unforgiving cold.
The Witch watched them depart in the darkness, smiling to herself as she absentmindedly preened a crow sitting on her shoulder.
"Children born with the rising and setting sun," she spoke to the crow. "I wonder what kind of children they will become. What their temperament and personality will turn out like."
A toothy smile stretched across her face as speculation danced in her mind about the children's futures, and wondering which one would inevitably become her heir.
"What fun."