𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐇 | the darkling & nikolai lantsov

₁ | OUTLANDER

[𝐘𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐍𝐀]

***

THEN

Yelena took her time on the way to Serdtse's main square. She knew to enjoy her solace while she could as, despite her living on the outskirts of the village with only her father as company, she still managed to feel suffocated.

Was it possible... to feel both painfully alone yet also overwhelmingly crowded?

She supposed it was because that was how she felt. Her only companionship was that of her father, yet even on the best days, the dark-haired girl longed for a reason to venture outside of their small hut for one reason or another. Typically, she managed to kill time by gardening or foraging. Even hunting occasionally. But the trips into town she could stretch to last all day—an entire day of freedom.

Her hands gripped the strap of her canvas bag protectively. It was quite the walk into town and the woods were an unpredictable place. There could be animals lurking in the brush, dangerous if she spooked them. Or possibly even a rogue hunter or thief, taking cautious steps among the fallen branches and dried leaves.

It was growing colder every day as winter approached with icy fervor. Winter was always the most dangerous time for her and her father. When the crops would die off, the villagers would branch out to search for food and they would wander closer to her home. If she was normal—an otkazat'sya like them—then she would have no reason to worry. But, the small Lebedev family relied heavily on her gift to sustain them through the bitter months.

The hunting parties that could happen upon their home—and thus the garden that lay not too far from the rickety, wooden hut—would question why the plants continued to grow despite the frost covering the ground around them.

Yelena and her father had already survived one witch-hunt. There was no guarantee that they would survive another.

The minutes passed like hours as she continued toward the town, not that she was complaining. The woods silent around her. Even the chirping of the birds was scarce as they started to migrate south. Soon, she wouldn't even have the animals to turn to in her times of need.

However, eventually, the silence of her morning stroll was interrupted as the bustle of town took its place. The people of Serdtse were early risers. They had to be. Their community was relatively small and most of their business came from the small port that was set up on the Sokol River. It was a frequent stop for ships bringing supplies to and from the True Sea to inland Ravka at Ryevost. But, the merchant ships would never stay long before continuing on their journeys.

Yelena would sometimes dream of sneaking aboard, hiding among the cargo as a stowaway until the ship would carry her somewhere far away from the life she lived. But, those were dreams for a child, dreams that were abandoned just as quickly as they were thought up. She had responsibilities, to herself and to others. If only it was so simple to just run away.