SSO Winter Prompts 2020

26. Winter Outfit

The Kallter left soon after Rebecca went under the ice and found what the Keepers had hidden. She caught them as they were leaving, Nanook and Sedna giving her worried looks and glancing at each other before closing and locking the gate. Rebecca came up with numerous reasons why they might withdraw from the valley but she had no definitive answers.

What she did have was some wooden boxes and the spot where their stand had once been, and that was enough to work with. Despite their absence she continued to bring items for trade and gifts from beyond the valley. Plants, food, and things she found digging or crafted, every few days she would fill the boxes outside the Icengate. Each time the boxes were empty again, someone coming out in secret to take her gifts. She knew they were watching her, they had to know the gifts were from her, so she kept at it. Whether or not they would ever open the door for her or come out didn't matter to her. They had helped her and taught her, she had to repay them.

And then one day in late December a box appeared outside her stable in the night. She was confused in the morning when she opened the door to let the seals out, wondering who had delivered a package. More often than not she was the one doing the package deliveries, so this was an odd change. She hauled it inside and opened it, revealing a neatly folded long coat inside. It was made of leather and skins, beautifully crafted and detailed with light blue and carvings. The leather carvings were beautiful patterns, she wasn't sure if it was runes or a language or simply art, but she smiled.

"A coat to keep me warm," she murmured, remembering what Sedna had said months ago. Was this the same coat they had loaned her? They said they didn't want people to learn about it, wanting their magic to be kept secret, that's why she had to return the items they gave her. She slipped on the thick coat, closing her eyes and feeling the heft and fur. It was definitely warm, but she wasn't sure if it was because of magic or not. Either way she had the start of a new winter outfit.