Winter's Child

Chapter One~Elodie Remley

Elodie let out a heavy sigh as she packed up her math books. She hadn't finished. She knew that her mother would be annoyed if she found out. She planned on finishing later though. Perhaps her mother would give her some grace. Seeing as how it was her birthday and all.

Eighteen. The years had gone slowly but at the same time, they had flown. It seemed to her that she had wasted her entire childhood wishing to be older. Wishing for Jack to come and visit her again. She hadn't seen him since he gave her that necklace. She still wore it, although her hope had faded substantially since she was six. It was gone now. Worn down by the harsh reality that this was real life and he wasn't. How foolish she had been. Holding onto something that her six-year-old mind had probably made up. But, something inside her still told her it was true.

Elodie paid no mind to her two, younger brothers running around the house and yelling profusely. She had grown used to it over time. However, it still distracted her and she knew she would never be able to get any work done, which was another reason why she was packing up.

Jonathan and James, who were both four years older than Elodie, had long since left home. They attended college now and were nearly done. They had girlfriends and Elodie assumed that they would both be married before long. When she was eight, her mother had had another child, Elias. Jake arrived four years after Elias, being the last baby of the five. Jake had been the surprise child. And what a nice surprise he was. He was six now and Elias was ten.

"Ellie?" a young voice asked beside her. It was Jake. A smile lit up her face in an instant. He was the least obnoxious of her four brothers and hence, her favourite. He was sweet and innocent, quite unlike the other three.

"Yes, Jake?" she answered in the voice she only used with him, which was about a pitch higher. She had a soft spot for little Jake in her heart, as the rest of the family did. He was small and meant no harm in whatever he took part in, not to mention he was adorable.

"Will you come outside with me?" he asked sweetly. Who could say no? Elodie smiled down at the little boy. She enjoyed going for walks herself, especially when winter came around. Everything was always so beautiful. She loved the way ice froze to the slim branches of the trees. The way the chickadees sang and the way the wind blew around never failed to make her smile.

"Yes, I will."

The two quickly bundled up and went for their stroll. They wandered off into the woods, where Elodie often walked Nova, her silver and white Siberian husky. They went through winding paths, layered with freshly fallen snow. It was certainly chilly out, but the two were bundled up well and could hardly feel the biting wind. How beautiful the winter months were. If one knew how to enjoy them.

Elodie watched with a smile as Jake ran around and laughed, throwing snow up into the air above his head. She loved watching him play in the snow. She had never seen more joy in someone's eyes before. If only everyone knew how to enjoy the simple things like a child did.

Elodie's thoughts began to wander as she glanced around the forest. She studied the wildlife around her. The birds tweeted and fluttered around the trees. The squirrels hurried about, gathering what little they could find in the snow for their homes. Suddenly, Nova, who was held back by a leash, began growling and barking. Elodie looked down in confusion, wondering what had her upset. Nova didn't often growl. Elodie studied the forest around her, not seeing much of anything besides the odd small animal. Nova had seen plenty of animals before, but she had never made this big of a fuss. Finally, Elodie spotted something she didn't see very often. She doubted anyone did.

A pure white stag magestically stepped out from behind a tree, slowly turning towards her and giving a simple dip of the head, as if in greeting. He had massive antlers with about five prongs on each. Elodie's lips parted in surprise at the sight. She had never seen anything like it. She knew that these animals were extremely rare, especially where she was from. She kept watching, however, as the animal slowly started towards her. She had heard things about people who had messed around with a buck. And, those antlers looked like they could do some damage.

"Jake," she whispered urgently, then noticing that her brother's delighted laughter had ceased. "Jake, go. Go back to the house, okay?" The stag continued to move steadily towards her as she tried desperately to alert her brother while keeping her eyes on the beast. She released Nova's leash and the dog backed away from her. She was still worried about Jake. Did he run or did he stand there, motionless with fear? She couldn't help it. She took her eyes from the deer and turned her head, searching for her brother. To her relief and somewhat confusion, Jake was gone. Strange that she hadn't heard him run.

Elodie's head snapped forward when she felt heavy, warm breath on her face. Her eyes widened when they fell upon a wet, black nose in front of her. She froze in place, closing her eyes, resisting every urge to run. She needed to be submissive. That's all this beast would accept. Her father had told her that at a young age. He had always worried about the wildlife around their home, causing him to study them all the more.

Elodie dared not breathe nor open her eyes as she felt the hot breath slowly fade away. She opened one eye just a crack to see that she was staring at white and blue silky robes. She looked up into the face of a man. But he was unlike any other man she had ever seen.

His features were sharp and refined. His face seemed old and wise but at the same time, ageless and perfect. His eyes held years of wisdom but he was young and elegant. He had long, straight hair that was pure-white like the snow. His eyes were a cold blue that pierced one's soul to the core. On his head, he wore what looked like a crown of ice. He wore long robes like Elodie would picture a king to wear. Who was this man? He was elegant and regal, cold and superior. Yet, at the same time, he looked kind.

Elodie let out a shuddering breath, realizing how long she had been holding it. Her breath crystallized in clouds in the air before her. Her eyes flickered over the man's face nervously, as if she was unworthy to be in his presence.

He offered a small smile as he lifted a hand and with his long, slender fingers, brushed the light-blonde hair from her pale face.

Elodie found her voice in that moment, as if his movement caused her own. She took a step back from him, plagued by explanations of who he might be. None seemed legitimate.

"Who...who are you?" she asked. Her voice refused to rise above a whisper. "Why are you here?" He didn't answer as the wind picked up around them, causing his perfect hair to shift slightly. The wind quickly sped up and was soon whirling around the both of them, hiding him from her view.

Elodie pulled her hood over her head and squeezed her eyes shut until the wind stopped. When it did, she kept her eyes closed, for someone was whispering in her mind.

It was a small, soft whisper. But, at the same time, it caused her to listen for every word. The sounds of the forest faded away until it was all she could hear.

"I am the one who controls the winter. Everything it represents. Snow and ice." The voice seemed to be moving all around her but, she knew it was only in one area. Her mind. Whoever that man was, he was speaking inside her mind. "Cold. Solitude and death." The whispering continued and she could not tell what his voice actually sounded like. "I am the one called North."

And then, the voice was gone.