Outside the window of a cabin in the woods, a green hummingbird hovers. It dips its slender beak into the pink blossoms in a pot on the windowsill, before vanishing back into the surrounding trees. Inside the cabin, a little boy sits in the cushioned window seat, his face expressionless. Dark circles under his eyes make it clear that he has not slept properly in days. His brown hair is a mess, matted from the many times he has turned over in his bed. When the door to the room opens, he does not turn his head. He does not need to. He knows who it is, even before they speak to him.
"Orion? Uncle Rowan says breakfast is ready if you want any."
Orion doesn't answer. He continues to stare out the window, aware of a heavy feeling in his chest that seems to be growing worse by the second. He knows this feeling. It is grief. Terrible, all consuming grief that leaves one cold and immobile, almost unable to breathe. The girl steps backward. Though she too is only six, she knows already that there is little to be done. She quietly leaves the room, feeling tears in her own eyes. She wipes them away with the oversized pink sleeves of her sweater, heading towards the kitchen.
When she enters, she finds her great uncle Rowan sitting at the table, drinking the strong black drink the girl knows to be coffee. She sits down at the table, her small face just barely visible over it. Rowan looks at his niece, his brow knitted in concern.
"Not hungry again, is he?" he asks.
The girl shakes her head, and suddenly she feels fresh tears run down her cheeks. She sniffles, hiding her face in her oversized pink sleeve. Rowan leaves his seat, walking over to his niece. Without a word he lifts her up, supporting her against his broad shoulder as she sobs, unable to stop herself. Rowan lets Mabel cry, his heart aching with each step as he walks back up the stairs.
He can hear Orion crying long before he reaches the twins room. Rowan says nothing, walking closer until he is beside his nephew. With the utmost care, he lifts the small boy up, cradling him against his other shoulder. And there he stays, not speaking to his niece and nephew, but providing comfort with his presence, grounding them in the present.
"I'm here..." he says to them. "I'm here... your Uncle Rowan is here. You're safe..."
YOU ARE READING
Orion Runewolf
FantasyAfter losing their parents in a tragic accident, Orion and Olivia are taken under the protective wing of their Uncle Rowan, who lives in a cabin located just outside of a small town.
