Children Of Frost (Book 1: Spirit Tales)

Chapter One- Winter and Lily

"Something's going to happen."

"What's going to happen."

Lily looked at her, a frown replacing her smile. Winter knew why people loved her sister, she was a ray of sunshine in the ever snowing land, she was the village's snow angel. No one liked seeing her sister upset. "Win, it's not going to be good. It's going going to chance the world as we know it. You need to be careful."

"Lily if I need to be careful," Winter said thinking back to her dream. She never believe a word River said, despite the fact that she was one of their villages elders. The oldest of the five. "So do you."

"Why do I need to be careful?" Lily asked smiling at her. She knew her sister didn't believe that dreams could be warnings. Warnings of things to come, she didn't believe Elder River.

"I don't know. Why should I?"

"A dream."

"A dream?"

"Yes, sister a dream," Lily said while spinning in a circle. She had training today, she was going to be a healer, something most women don't pick. Others would chose other chores, such as gardening, collecting wood or how to raise children.

"And here I was worried."

"Win, you know dreams have meanings behind them." Lily looked at her sister. She knew that Winter didn't believe Elder River, if she didn't have to, she would avoid talking to the grey haired women. "You know she's the elder."

"Still old and nutty," Winter whispered rolling her eyes. She didn't know what was wrong with that family. But Spring never left her alone. "Like the rest of the family."

"You can get into trouble."

"You wouldn't tell on me, would you little sister?"

"Win, you need to respect her more."

Winter knew the reason everyone respected Elder River, she was the one who knew when everyone was born, who knew what cycle everyone was. She was the one who kept records. The very few who could read and write.

Death was a part of their lives, wither they liked it or not. They were taught at young cycles that death would forever breath down their necks and walk behind them, waiting to pull them into eternal sleep.

"You should. You know she only wants the best."

"Winter, Luna," a voice said, causing both Imani sisters to look around. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"It's fine Luna," Lily said looking at her sister. She knew that Winter wouldn't talk to Luna. "Are you going to the training field?"

"Of course. I'm in charge of training the next generation of healers," Luna told her, her blonde hair going to her hip. Like most girl's in their tenth and up cycle her hair went to her hip, only getting it cut once a cycle. "So I'm guessing I'll see you in class, Miss Imani. What about your sister?"

"Win's going to hunt with father," Lily told her a smile on her face. All fear that Winter had seen a few moments ago, gone. "She always hunts, or gathers wood. Sometimes she finds fruit."

"Fruit is very hard to find. Does she share."

"With me."

"She doesn't give them to Hunter?"

"He doesn't want them. He just wants the meat she caught," Lily said. She loved her sister, but sometimes she worried about Winter. "Isn't that right, Win?"

Winter only looked at her sister. Sure, female hunters were rare. Since they had to protect females. Most women didn't make it through childbirth, to make up for this each male could take up to six wives. If they had six and one of them died during birthing, he could take another wife.