A mother's embrace

Your savior

(Haiiiiiiiiii so sorry if this is lame asf this my first time writing something outside of a scholastic context. Also sorry in advance if I literally never write about this ever again 🤷)

You are alone, cold, desperate and destitute.
The remnants of your home are no longer safe and neither is this village. The only thing you took with you is the fleece blanket wrapped around your shoulders.
You had to run, you had to leave, the footsteps, the blood curdling howls and the scrapping of metal against the rotting facade of your home at night.
You were in danger and no one would come to help.
You knew no one would come to help, you had nothing to your name, no money, no food, no family , why would they bother?
Food was scarces enough in these months, no one in their right mind would burden themselves with you.
The humid streaks of your tears sting your cheeks as the wind whips again your face, a blizzard would be the death of you.
Your feet burn as you struggle to walk through the seemingly endless snow covered path,now shaking uncontrollably, any cry for help wouldn't make it far past the painful clattering of your teeth.
Not a soul in sight, all tucked away in the warmth of their homes, with their families.
How many times had you wis- lost in thought, a concealed patch of ice makes you lose your footing and twist your ankle.
Slipping off course you fall to your knees in a mound of snow on the side the road, the frigid snowbank engulfs you instantly, freezing you to your core, the shock knocking the last bit of fight you had in you.
It's so cold, you're so tired, so so tired, what if you closed your eyes just for a little bit?
You've been walking for a long time so... You must've lost whatever was stalking you.
Surely it'll be alright.
The biting sensation in your finger tips is replaced by...warmth?
Cozy and comforting, it's slowly creeping up your arms, your legs and your face lulling you to sleep.
It's okay, it's safe.
.
.
.
And then, a step.

The unmistakable crunch of snow...agonizingly slow but getting closer at an impossible rate.
An unnaturally long stride.
That made you jolt, adrenaline tempted to intervene, you take a deep breath and your lungs burn as you can only hope whatever that may be won't pay you any mind.
Oh how wrong you were.
It stops dead in it's track and waits.
.
.
.
You can feel eyes burrowing into your head, even in your delirious state the fear gnaws at your gut, as if it would lunge at the slightest movement.
Your breath stuttered...you feel a hand under your chin, a massive gloved hand.
Forced to look up, your eyes trail up the endless figure, unnaturally tall figure , you lock eyes with...a woman?
She towers over you, her bright yellow eyes still fixated on you, her long crème robe almost makes her look like an envoy of death.
She's dangerously underdressed for this weather but so are you, although it doesn't seem to bother her as much as it does you.
She seems to scrutinize your every feature.
Finally, she speaks "Can you walk?" Her voice is strong, booming almost, piercing the howling winds, directed right at you.
And yet, you cannot comprehend what she could possibly want from you, the exhaustion and delerium clouding your mind over, you simply stare at the woman dumbly.
She frowns but doesn't repeat herself, instead she offers a hand and speaks again "Come now child, I can offer you shelter, you will work form me in Castle Dimitrescu".
Her voice is cold and curt, it was an order,devoid of any empathy one might have when talking to a half dead woman but...it somehow makes your heart flutter.
Whether it be cause of the fever or lack of blood circulation you couldn't care less.
Hope flares in you chest, someone is helping you.
Someone wants you.
This frightening woman, who is a complete stranger to you, is saving you.

Your savior.

At a loss for words, you stare up at her almost adoringly, you can't help it, being infinitely grateful as well as absolutely bewildered by...Her.
You muster up everything you have left in you to offer her your hand.
Anything for her right?
She's saving you after all.
Through a blur of pain,strain and struggle, you vaguely remember her introducing herself as "Lady Dimitrescu" and insisted that you address her as such.
Of course you would.
Anything for her.