The world lay covered in the eternal embrace of winter, a vast canvas of white that stretched to infinity. The sky, perpetually overcast, hung low in a heavy shroud, casting a muted gray light across the land. Snowflakes danced in the frigid air, swirling around like ethereal wraiths, each one a fleeting whisper of seasons long forgotten.
Beneath the pallid sky, the forest stood silent and imposing. Gnarled trees, their bark cracked and frozen, reached out with skeletal branches, draped in thick sheets of frost. The ground was blanketed with thick snow, muffling even the lightest footfall as it rendered the landscape eerily silent. Here and there, remnants of ancient flora peeked through as shriveled once-vibrant plants encased in ice.
In the distance, jagged peaks of frost-covered mountains pierced the skyline. They looked like ancient sentinels, their summits lost to a swirling mass of clouds they churned ominously above. Occasionally, a gust of wind would sweep across the open expanse, sending a cascade of icy crystals tumbling to the ground and shattering into a million twinkling shards.
Amidst this beauty laid despair as the air charged with an unrelenting cold that seeped into the bones of a fragile life. In the frozen wilderness, a strawberry Frost Spirit wandered. His footsteps were one of the only things pressed into the thick snow, the frost clung to him as it bit at him. He was reminded of the fact that the very element that nourished his kin was hurting him.
He paused in his walking as he exhaled, crouching to see the prints of a deer in the snow. He shivered in the cold, but continued on. He had to continue or he'd lose his strength that night due to hunger. His bag thumped against his side.
He took a shaky breath as he held the axe in one gloved hand, getting up to his feet. Bringing down his hood to cover his head of leafy hair, he started walking through the thick snow.
His boots crunched into the ground as he followed the tracks that were getting fresher. A particularly frosty air made him freeze and look around, frowning.
He then felt a second pulse nearby, another presence besides his connection to the winds. He remembered the feeling of comfort the second pulse would bring him when he sensed his mother returning from hunting. Now? It just brought him dread.
Whoever was nearby was another Frost Spirit. Maybe two?
He focused deeply on the wind, allowing himself to sense who was nearby. No Frost Spirit should be this far out.
"We need to go back!"
"Don't worry Ginger! We're just getting some herbs for your mom!"
Herbs...
He shook his head to stop himself from sensing anymore. He ignored the way the voice took his breath away, finally hearing the voice of other Frost Spirits after thirteen years of nothing...
He really did try to ignore the naturally melodic tone, the warmth he suddenly felt as his heart beat faster and filled a part of him he didn't realize was empty.
He listened to the winds again, hoping to at least figure out who they were. One was named "Ginger", but what else?
Only to hear a high-pitched scream echo through it.
His body tensed, but he didn't think as he launched himself through the snow and towards the direction of the sound. His hands were tight around the handle of his axe.
He felt the cold dread envelop him, colder than the frosty air surrounding him.
He instantly saw the two Frost Spirits, both were slightly younger than himself he presumed. The female stood in front of the male, her only eye fiercely glaring at the large wolf growling at her with large bloodied teeth.
He swiftly ran and put himself in front of the female cookie-like Frost Spirit and the large wolf. A gasp escaped her as the wolf pounced and he greeted it with a slice of an axe.
The blood splattered onto the snow, painting it crimson as the wolf fell dead with a large cut to its throat.
Well, he guessed he got the food he needed...
He turned to the two Frost Spirits, their eyes wide in confusion but also fear. As the strawberry Frost Spirit locked eyes with the female, her eye widened in recognition.
"You're-"
"Are you two hurt?" His voice came out scratchy and it made his throat ache, realizing how long it's been since he last talked.
She gasped, "My cousin."
She gently lifted the other's arm and his brows raised when he saw the deep teeth marks on his forearm. The poor thing seemed to be in shock too.
He quickly scrummaged through his bag, bringing out a few ointments and a bandage.
He motioned for the female to bring the male closer. She, of course, hesitated but looked to her cousin with worry before bringing him forward.
He quickly got to work, efficient and confident in his abilities. He added ointment then wrapped the wound.
"Anything else?" He asked.
"No." She said.
"Okay." He said before starting to leave with the wolf's body over his shoulder.
"Wait!" She called and he froze, "Can I ask for the name of our savior?"
He paused, staring at her a long moment before his blue eyes softened as he answered, "Sprout."
She nodded once, "I'm Ginger, this is my cousin Cosmo."
She kept her cousin in her arms as Sprout looked at them.
"Get home quickly, don't stop. It'll be nightfall soon." He said.
Just like that, he was gone before Ginger said or asked anything else. He tried to ignore the ache as he returned home.
