Alex slammed the door behind him in order to try and shut out the cold. It didn't work. He took off his thick jacket with its fur collar and hung it on the coat peg near the door. Snow fell from the coat and onto the floor. Alex also took his snow boots off and made his way over to the fire. In no time at all, the fire was blazing and filled the room with a soothing heat.
The house was small, just one floor, with a neat living room where the over crowded wooden bookshelf stood out among the tidy furniture. An archway within the far wall revealed a small kitchen and two doors on the adjacent wall hid away two bedrooms. Alex hadn't been into his mother's room since she had died, but his room proved to be as neat as the rest of the house.
With the fire now roaring happily, Alex made himself up a small supper and packed up some food for his journey to the city the next day. He also folded up some clothes and such for his small leather pack. The pack was water proofed, good against the constant snow, and could be easily worn over his thick coat. He didn't pack anything else, he would only be in the city for a day and stay the night before catching another lift home. Perhaps he should have been wiser.
Alex started to settle down for the night, changing into his nightwear and curling up under the blankets in his bed. As always, he took the book from his bedside cabinet and read the elegant curl of his mother's handwriting. He knew the words off by heart. He had reached the page about carnations, with its beautiful watercolour of the flowers in all their shades. He fell asleep with his fingers resting on the pink carnation. The book stated its meaning as: "I will never forget you."
As the muted sun rose behind the suffocating snow clouds, Alex was up and ready. He was just tightening the straps of his pack when he heard a knock at the door. When he opened it, he found Isabelle, the youngest of the merchant's daughters. Even with the anxious lines in her caramel skin, she was still easily the most beautiful girl Alex had ever seen. Her dark curly hair was braided beneath her hat and her deep brown eyes were wide with worry. Alex noticed what she held in her hands. "For you," she said as she thrust the small posy at him. Alex examined the small purple flowers. "Verbena," he said "They represent protection against evil."
" Where did you even get these?"
Isabelle fiddled with her fingers nervously; she refused to meet his eyes. "I found them this morning, growing outside my bedroom window. The first wild flowers I've ever seen. I knew it had to mean something and so I thought to give them to you." She finally looked up at him. "Papa is ready to leave now. Please be safe Alex." Alex gave the girl a small smile. "I will, I promise."