The Ashwell Challenge: An Anthology

Two Sisters

by T. L. Ashwell

Hawk stood on the top of a hill. In front of her, endless grass hills stretched to the edge of the sky. The early spring had not melted all of the snow. Her eyebrows wrinkled up just like the hills.

"Winter is getting longer. Even though we prepared much more food than usual for this winter, we barely survived it," she sighed deeply, then looked back, "Goose, Tell me about your dream."

Behind Hawk, a teenage girl was slightly shorter and thinner than her, "Sister, I saw the ice covered everything. The world was pure white. There was nothing but snow I could see," the girl stopped a moment then explained rushedly, but her voice turned quieter and quieter, "It could be just a dream...."

The worry made Hawk look older than she should be, but a smile appeared when she looked into Goose's eyes, "Goose, you have a gift of prescience. Don't let me have more faith in you than you do. The winter is also getting longer each year. We need to have a plan."

Hawk turned around and began to walk towards their camp. Goose followed her a half step back. She was always following her sister in this way since they lost their Mom. In the fire, the last sentence her Mom told her was, "Follow your sister. Run, Goose!"

As the last two survivors from their families, they only had each other for a long time. Hawk had a gift of magic to control fire. Compared to normal people, Hawk's gift was excellent in both accuracy and robustness. She was the only one who could hunt a moose alone with only her magic power as far as Goose knew. It all began when Goose started to see some random pictures. She thought there was a problems with her eyes. However, it didn't take long for her to realize that those pictures were the future. Sometimes, she could see more in her dreams. Unfortunately, her gift couldn't be controlled as her sister's. With their gifts, these two sisters' lives actually were not too bad. After they left their family's territory, they began to make more and more friends. Then, Hawk started to have followers. Later they had their new families.

Hawk walked into their camp. It was on the grassland which made it challenging to collect enough wood for a wall. So, they dug a circle around to protect their base. Six leather tents faced a campfire. Beside the fire, Oxhorn was cooking with his single arm. He was abandoned by his family after he lost his arm. Hawk accepted the poor old guy before he was eaten by wolves. Since that day, Oxhorn took charge of the care of the camp. Goose never saw him use his gift, but his knowledge and experience benefitted their group greatly.

"Mom!" a little kid ran toward Hawk.

"Be careful!" Oxhorn yelled to them, "Watch out for my traps, you little mo...."

"Little what?" Hawk asked with a joking smile.

"Nothing," Oxhorn spitted sputum on the ground. He looked at Goose, who was hiding behind Hawk, "Why do I feel you are closer to your sister than your kids? She is not a little girl anymore...."

Oxhorn looked towards the man on his left, Onestone. As he expected, this young guy's eyes were shining when he heard that. After Onestone saw Goose for the first time, he began following Hawk's group. Hawk tried to kick him out, but he never gave up. A couple of months ago, this young man finally was accepted, "To be part of the group, nothing more."

"My sister can do whatever she wants, and she is my sister," Hawk totally ignored Onestone, "We have something more important to discuss. I am calling a meeting after dinner."

The joking smile totally disappeared from Oxhorn's face, "Is it about the winter?"

"Yes," Hawk took a deep breath, "Also, about Goose's prophecy. Onestone, I need you to go back to your family and invite your Grandma here for dinner. What are you waiting for? Go now!"