Looking into the frozen river, all she could do was stare. Brown hair covering her matching eyes, tears went down pale checks. She could believe, no, she wouldn't believe it. It had to be a trick, her mind playing games with her.
Part of her imagination, or even a nightmare. Either way, she was going to close her eyes and when she opened them, she would be looking at her snowy roof.
"Lily!" she shouted. Lily was too smart, so it had to be fake. Her little sister wouldn't do something this stupid, she valued her life too much. Walking on any river was life-threatening, and Lily wasn't a hunter. She didn't know this, to her and everyone else, ice was deadly.
She could only look at the hole, thinking about others who had gone out the same way. The same way she was going to. Ice was cracking at a fast rate, but she didn't move.
She let Lily die, neither Hunter or Dylan were going to be happy with her. Her safest bet was to join her sister. For her, it would be a lot safer then going back.
"Winter!" someone shouted. It wasn't Hunter or Dylan, no they wouldn't want to talk to her, let alone sound worried.
Turning around, she didn't get a chance to see who was calling her, the ice cracked under her feet, and she feel through.
--
"The hell?" Winter asked herself looking around her small house. It was just a dream, and now she had to face the person she thought was died. "This is turning out to be a great bell ringing."
She could only look at her roof. She had to get up, the bell was ringing, which meant that she would soon need to leave. She had been hunting since she was in her tenth cycle, the Seasonal Tribe was one of the five tribes left on this land, some tribes having around five hundred people. There were others, but they were either killed on sight or left alone, depending on what they were doing. There was enough land between each tribe that they weren't at war with each other, but she knew that tribe leaders would meet and lay out their borders and those borders would be taught to those who needed them.
"Winter!" a voice said from her 'door'. Only those who were married had wooden houses, and said wooden houses were usually passed down to the oldest son. Either from the father's or mother's side of the family, sometimes even both. However, Winter knew that in those cases the two oldest would get a wooden house, while any male younger then them would have a house built for them. "Come Win, I ran in front of Mummy and she won't be happy that your not out yet."
Winter only rolled her eyes as she finished getting dress and left her house, only to look into her little sisters brown eyes. "Lily, Lily. You know neither mother nor father are happy with me. Father might be happy if mother bore him a son, but their are only small favours in the world."
"Win, you know they love you."
"Let's leave the topic. How are you dearest sister?" Winter asked. She knew better then to argue with Lily, it did no favours for her in the long run, not with the way both her parents doted on the younger girl.
"I'm a bit scared."
"What is wrong?"
"Can I tell you something?" Lily asked looking around. She had lied, neither mother nor father were ready. She told them she would wait at Winter's to make sure she was up, so that they didn't have to wait for her. "Something that you can't tell mother or father."
"Lily, what in the heaven's is wrong?"
"You have to promise."
"You know I wouldn't tell them."
"Really?"
"I promise, walk the seasonal river if I lie," Winter told her, putting her hand over her heart, while other girl's in her cycle were becoming adults with their 'bleeding', she stayed the same. Her body not changing. "Now come on Lily, you have to tell me."
"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.
"Luna, dear," Dylan said as she walked up to her daughters. She had seen Lily ask Winter a question, but it seemed that Winter hadn't answered. "I wasn't expecting to see you here. We walk passed Winter's to get to the training area. Lily likes to talk to her sister, even if Winter hardly ever gets a word in."
"It's fine Mrs Imani I was walking past," Luna said smiling at the village leader's wife. "I love talking to my students, Lily is one of the best medics. At least what we've seen with the rabbits. She won't move onto people until she's a bit older."
"Of course not, dear. Wouldn't want newbies killing anyone, wouldn't we?"
"No, especially none of our hunters."
"Yes, not many want to hunt these bell rings. There's to much of a risk," Dylan said looking at Winter, who hadn't said one word. "Standards are high as well. Hunters have to be fit."
"I can walk Lily to her training. She might want to ask me a question."
"Of course." Dylan kissed her youngest daughter's checks, wrapping her arms around the thin girl. "Now Lily be good. You know you'll do well in any path you pick."
"Bye Mummy," Lily said walking with Luna to the area put aside for Medic training. Once the two were gone, Dylan looked at Winter.
"Why you couldn't be more like her?" she asked. Luna would do well finding a husband, but no one in their right mind would want to marry her oldest. "Is being more like a lady hard?"
"Who? Lily or Luna?" Winter asked. Dylan had once asked her why she couldn't be more like Lily, so she didn't know who she was talking about. "And you know I'm not like them. I don't think it's possible to be like them, it's the reason everyone loves them."
"Why must you talk the most when your being a little wise ass?" Dylan hated the fact that her daughter was more of a son, then a daughter. "Why can't you try?"
"Try what?"
"To be a lady. Care about your looks."
"You know that I don't care."
"Then start."
Winter only sighed. She knew this speech, it happened ever time she came back from dropping Lily of. She hadn't done anything, yet. But Winter knew that one day she would get frustrated, and she would be the one to pay the price.
"We should stop you from hunting before you get anymore scars."
"Mother, you know as well as I do. I'm plain." She was plan and boring. Dark brown hair and eyes, pale skin. The only thing she had, were her scars. Most of them healing over time, so it wasn't like she had a lot of them. But most of them were made by claws, not deep enough for the cold to get into her blood and kill her. So most of them were on her hands. "I'm not like Luna or Lily."
"Lily shares your colouring."
"Her hair and eyes are lighter."
"It's not just about looks."
"Luna has blonde hair and blue eyes."
"I'm going to talk to Hunter," Dylan said ignoring Winter, who just sighed. It wasn't like she was expecting to get anything from talking back. She was just lucky that Dylan was focused on something else, or else she would've slapped her. "You'll learn how to act like a lady. We'll find you a husband yet, your almost in your fifteenth cycle."
"You know I don't talk to Elder River."
"Don't you care about your cycle. You need to learn it for your other cycle."
"No,"she told Dylan. She never cared about her cycle, she looked the same even when she was in her tenth cycle. She only changed hers, when Lily gets to her own. She bounces her own off of Lily's. "Besides I have around two cycles to worry about. I haven't had my first blood."
"Dylan, sweetie, what's wrong?" Hunter asked. He was going to pick up Winter, since he knew his lovely wife would be talking to her, like very other bell ring.
"Hunter, take someone else," Dylan told him. Her eyes looking into his. "Please take anyone, just not Winter. She's not a man, she needs to get a husband. But no one remembers she female! I've had women asking me if she can marry their daughters."
"Sweet heart, I think they're joking."
"She's turning out like Rose."
"Don't worry. I'll ask Elder River if she can teach Winter how to heal," Hunter told her, taking her small hands into his larger ones. "She'll be around Spring, I'm sure that girl would love someone to help her with her work. Besides she's a bit older then the girls in Lily's class."
"That'll be good," Dylan said. She knew that given time, man would remember that her daughter was a she and not a he. She might also stop scaring some of them. "Winter?"
"Yes, mother?" Winter asked. She knew that she wasn't going to get a say in this, but they wanted it to look like she had a say.
"Do you have anything to add?"
Winter only looked at her. She never looked Dylan in the eyes, to the older women, it was a challenge. Besides, she could always follow June. The lake wasn't that far away.
"Winter," Hunter growled. She only had to say one word, nothing more and then they could go back to their lives. He could have to train someone else, since Winter was a natural at finding things, but he just had to live with it.
"No."
"No, what Winter?" Dylan asked a smile on her face. She was enjoying this, her daughter was going to get married, thus they could get rid of her. "Don't keep us waiting."
"No, Mother. I have nothing to add."
"Good. Now dear why don't you get someone to help?" Dylan asked her husband. Winter wasn't going to like Alex or Rose. Nor was she going to be like June or July. She knew that it was a bad idea letting women hunt.
Once you took it away from them, they wouldn't last long. Some of them did compete flips with their personality. Her cursed daughter was still young enough not to follow them, since they had to quit once they had husbands, so in their seventeenth cycle.
"Water's most likely," Hunter said. He was sure that Water would help, even if it was his bell ring off. Also, he was sure that Water had a younger brother. "His my second best hunter."
"Winter, go with your father and get Water," Dylan said while looking at her. She was still in her hunting gear. Pants, a shirt and jumper, all of them made out of thick wool. "Not before we get you proper clothing."
"Mother, this is all I have."
"Don't worry, dear. Your Lilies size. I'm sure she won't mind." Dylan smiled wondering which dress and leggings to give to her. "She always wanted to give you her blue dress, and her white leggings."
--
"Hello, Water," Hunter said knocking on the wooden door. It looked like it would need to be replaced soon. They would use the old one for fire wood. He was in his seventeenth cycle, so he had been hunting for a one cycle and already he was his best hunter.
"Hunter," Water said before noticing the leaders daughter. He thought Lily was at her training session. He also never seen Lily with checks redden with either embarrassment or anger. "Lily?"
Hunter just looked at him before laughing. He tapped his daughter on the head, he didn't blame him. This was the first he had seen Winter in a dress, not since she was young. "No, it's Winter. Winter?"
"Hello, Water," Winter said looking at her new shoes. She still couldn't believe her feet were smaller then her sister's. She was also thinner, if the dress said anything. Dylan had to give her one of Lily's old dresses, one she hadn't worn in two cycles. Along with old shoes and what Winter called a jumper.
"Is there something you want to ask?" Water asked. Not many remembered that Winter was girl, not a long haired boy.
"Can you help father with this bell ring's hunting?" she asked using her hair to cover her face, she didn't want to ask, but Hunter thought he'd be more likely to accept hearing from her mouth then his.
"Don't you usually help on this bell ring?"
"Dylan thought it was better to start preparing her for marriage," Hunter told him after Winter looked at the ground, her face going to an even brighter red. He knew she had trouble talking to people, but he thought this was silly. "So she won't be hunting any more, Elder River has agreed to start training her to be a medic."
"I see. It's a shame that our best hunter had to be female," Water said. Many thought she was male, just because she as good as him. "However, I'm sure we can train another to be just as good as her."
"Thank you," Winter said. She didn't want to this, but Hunter had given her a whole lecture before they arrived. Dylan giving her the same one before she left the house. "I'm sure the others would love your help."
"It's not a problem. Who else?" Water asked. He had a brother, Raven was helping Jess since his wife was pregnant. While he was too young to go hunt, being around Winter's cycle, he was taking classes. He was sure Raven would find Winter pretty, dark eyes and hair, with pink soft looking lips.
"The usually. Summer, Autumn, Rain for example," Hunter told him. Summer wasn't going to be there now that he thought about it. Both Angel and Hay were sick, a medic was with them, but he didn't think they were going to live.
"Water, what's going on?" Jess asked walking up to the door. Raven was helping her keep her balance, and if needed, he was ready to get a medic. "Hunter... Lily?"
"No it's Winter. Jess, I'm just going hunting," Water told his wife as Raven stared at the girl. "Raven this is Winter, Winter is this my brother Raven."
"Umm, hey?" Raven said to the girl. His checks were going red, he liked girl's whose hair was darker, but still had pale skin.
"Hey..." Winter said only after Hunter tipped her on the head. Water only rolled his eyes, this was going to take awhile. "I best get going. Raven make sure you take care of Jess, you know she can't do much."
"Of course. It's practice for when I get married," Raven said looking at Winter as he said the last part. He could ask her, when he was older and was able to do a job for the village. So only one more cycle to wait. "Don't worry about Jess."
"Good luck," Jess told Water, her light hair falling into her eyes, as she looked at her baby bump. "Raven why don't we go and make him something to take?"
"Okay."
"Winter, go to Elder River's," Hunter told Winter who just nodded.
"Why is Winter going to Elder River's?" Raven asked looking at her. He was going to ask if she could help him.
"She's learning to be a medic," Hunter told the boy. He was sure that Dylan would be happy with this result. "Remember Winter, Elder River. And maybe, if she's finished early enough, you two can spend time together. If Jess doesn't have her baby, you'll have to help her."
--
The walk to Elder River's was short, but Winter wanted to go the longer route. She didn't want to spend time with River, or her god damn granddaughter. Spring was the last person anyone wanted to spend time with. But working with Spring Petunia was not her idea of fun. To her it fault more like a punishment.
"Winter, you're here," Spring said as the house came into view. Blonde hair flowing behind her as she ran to the shorter female, a giant smile on her face.
"How?" Winter asked before Spring pulled her into a hug. She hated, hated hugs, she wasn't going to chance now that Dylan wanted her to get married.
"Dylan told me. So I could stop you from running away."
Spring was happy that she was going to have someone help her with her work. Hardly anyone wanted to spent another ten cycles learning how to be a healer. Sure, training to be one was good for a lot of people, but she was learning to be in charge, so having someone else there took a lot of pressure off of her.
Not only that, she needed help making blankets and clothes. She was sure a few others made them, but they wanted nothing to do with her. So she had to put up with Winter Imani.
"Winter, you know your going to have to talk, right?" Spring asked looking at her with light blue eyes.
"No." Winter wasn't going to talk. Just because both Dylan and Hunter wanted her to. She knew that they hated her dislike for public and for others, but that was her business, not theirs.
"No? Guess you're still the same." Spring sighed. Dylan had warned her that this might happen, Winter didn't talk much. She was mostly in the woods or killing something. She spoke when she needed and it seemed that only Lily was the exception. "Come in, your going to have remove some layers."
"And the reason?" Winter asked. She wasn't going to do something, not if their wasn't a reason.
"We have a fire going."
"And?"
"Winter, it's bad for your health," Spring said. She was going to have to get Winter to talk more, before Dylan tried to take into her own hands. Most likely making the situation worse then it already was. "You can over heat. As a medic, you must look after your own health as well as others. You only need to wear one, two's pushing it."
Winter only sighed. This silly outfit had four layers, so she had to take off around three layers. However, Spring would have to tell Dylan the reason she overheated. Then Dylan would have a go at her for not listening and doing as she was told. "Fine."