FD: Birth of a Wishing Heart

1. The Promise

It had been stormy for the past few days. The ground was covered in damp pine needles and leaves as the trees rustled violently, warning visitors about the storm that was on its way. Most families knew the danger of these types of storms, but the extremely poor had no choice but to look forward to it as it meant the forest was empty. Sections of the forest had already been cut for firewood, while many of the remaining trees that weren't too deep in had been cut up or scratched for resources. This meant that finding the right tree with edible bark to eat, tended to be a very time-consuming journey. The only souls to be seen were a woman currently climbing a large tree, her two young daughters, and a man running to them from the distance.

Grizelda, the youngest daughter sat down and leaned against a tree stump. She combed the grassy hair of her doll, which was made from sticks and leaves. "Mamma, do you think we're going to find something today?"

"Grizelda dear- "she grunted, her long dress making it hard to climb. If Nicholas were here things would be so much easier. "Momma needs to focus."

Adiscordia, Grizelda's sister older by a year or so was close by, helping her family look for edible nuts and herbs. She looked back at her sister. Hope wasn't something she had, at five years old she had already seen corpses lined up in blankets. The fact that she was still alive was surprising to her. She decided to help her mother. "Gri! Here, now."

Grizelda smiled as she got up and rushed to her sister. "It's hard to find the right tree. Some trees have good bark to eat, some don't. Mamma needs focus to find out which tree won't make you sick."

Grizelda looked down and nodded. "Did the other people eat bad bark?"

Adiscordia was still focused, kneeling on the ground looking for nuts when she heard a noise. Her eyes darted to the side hoping to see her father but instead, she saw something that made her heart beat quicker. It was meat.

Grizelda's face softened as she smiled. She had never seen a squirrel before, it was cute!

Adiscordia's hands silently rummaged through the ground, her eyes not losing focus. She picked up a rock as slowly as possible, if it saw her, she would lose it. She raised her hand, aimed, and then-

"Adiscordia Hex!" The squirrel looked up into the tall tree to see a human before rushing off. Katherine quickly used the branches and climbed down the tree before hopping down. She rushed to her daughter who had dropped the stone and looked at her mother in surprise. "That is not good behavior. I understand your hunger, believe me, I do but- "

In the middle of the correction, Nicholas arrived, having only barely caught his breath.

"Did you find one?" He had a bag with tools in hand, perfect for collecting edible bark, cutting off branches, and anything needed for finding their food for the day.

Katherine quickly looked up at him pointing to the tree she had previously climbed. "I need to take a break for a moment, it's time we told them."

Nicholas didn't respond. He looked at his wife with hurt in his eyes. Their children were too young to burden with the truth. He took a deep breath before observing the marks his wife had made. That same youth only made them more vulnerable to it. "It won't make it any easier if we wait."

Both girls were confused, looking at each other wondering what they meant. Katherine soon laid a gentle hand on their shoulders and brought them to a small clearing in the forest where the three of them could sit down. "Girls, this is of crucial importance. More important than our meal for tonight itself. I need you to listen to me, do you understand?"

Grizelda was frightened, nodding quickly while Adiscordia gave a gentle nod, still upset for having lost their potential dinner.

"First, Adiscordia, these woods are pure woods. It is said that the gods love and look down on each of their creations. Some of those creations suffer heavily, are mocked, and yet still live pure blameless lives."