The Flower that Bloomed in Winter

A New Beginning

Their entire lives had been packed into a single suitcase that sat in the middle of the floor. "Ready?" Her Mother asked, holding up her wand. 

Cassia nodded, but she was not so sure. "Ignius!" Her Mother cried, fire leaping from the tip of her wand. Acacia ran, grabbing the suitcase in one hand and Cassia in the other. She swept the child off of her feet, Cassia watching as her home ignited, quickly consumed by the jowls of a hungry flame. 

Her Mother ran, not daring to look behind her. She was lucky, Cassia thought, she would not have to see their village burn. 

However, if Cassia had looked at her Mother, she would have seen the tears that welled up in her eyes, having to leave behind the people she had come to know and love. 

Acacia did not slow until they were across the meadow and over the stream, deep in the forest. Only then did she place Cassia down on her feet, her tears having long since dried. "My daughter, my wonderful, beautiful child." Acacia knelt down, hugging her. She squeezed Cassia so tightly that the child thought she could not breathe. They stayed there for a moment, wrapped in one another's embrace as the warm spring air caressed their clothing. 

"My sister's home is not so far." Acacia reassured her when she was ready to move again. "We will walk until nightfall, then rest." 

"I can walk through the night." Cassia piped up, recalling her nightmare from earlier. "You might be able to," her Mother pinched her cheek, "but I certainly cannot." Cassia shook her head, trying to shake the pinch away. "Alright, but we should make sure we are not being followed." Cassia grumbled, rubbing her cheek. 
"I have already set up a spell, if we were being followed, I would know." Acacia winked, stopping beneath a rather large willow tree. "Here, this will be a perfect spot to rest for the evening." Cassia went through their bag, pulling out the blanket she had shoved into the bottom. Her Mother leaned against the trunk of the tree and Cassia against her Mother, spreading the blanket over the two of them. 

The child closed her eyes, but sleep did not come. Every whisper of wind made her jump, every brush of the bush set Cassia on edge, weary that a soldier might appear at any moment and execute them both. Behind her eyes, she could still see her Mother's cavernous chest, leaking like a waterfall with an empty space where a heart should have been. 

Somehow, Acacia managed to doze and Cassia sat beside her, watching her Mother, clutching her wand as though she could be of any help if someone did come to kill them. 

Acacia stirred at first light, looking around with bleary eyes. "Did you sleep well?" She asked, stroking Cassia's purple hair, her eyes full of love for her child. "I slept enough," Cassia lied, rising quickly. She began to bundle up the blanket, shoving it back into their bag. "We should find food," Acacia dusted herself off, picking the bag up in one hand and taking Cassia's small hand in the other. "Yeah," Cassia agreed, her steps a bit slow from her fatigue. 

"I would like some bread," warm bread with a big pat of butter, that was all Cassia desired. "I am sure that when we get to my sister's, she will have plenty of bread." Acacia smiled, the birds serenading them with their morning song. 

They walked until nightfall, grazing on berries that Acacia identified were safe to eat. They drank from the river, following its stream until it emptied into a lake and then they skirted around the edges of the water, Cassia jumping in and out of puddles until dusk. They slept beneath the trees again, this time in a small clearing far away enough from the water where the bugs would note bite them. This time, Cassia managed to doze, but anything louder than the wind roused the child, who would cling to her Mother and shiver with fear. 

After two days of walking, they arrived at a village by sunset. "We will need to go around it," Acacia whispered, her daughter's stomach grumbling loudly. "Are we almost there?" Cassia asked, rubbing one of her eyes, exhausted. She did not have the energy to walk another step. "Yes, my sister lives just beyond here, this is her fiefdom." Acacia promised. She lifted Cassia off of her feet, skirting around the edges of the village until they reached a large, silver gate. 

Cassia did not know what a fiefdom was, but she assumed it meant that her Mother's sister was probably famous. 

A guard stood at the front of the gate. Sitting atop it, made of the same silver medal were two doves facing one another with olive branches in their mouths. Despite the sign of peace, Cassia stiffened at the sight of the knight. 

"We need to go back," she whispered. "This is a bad idea-" 

"Shush," Acacia silenced her, placing Cassia back on her feet. "Who goes there!" The knight shouted in their direction, pointing his spear at them. "Hello," her Mother smiled pleasantly, trying to show they meant no harm. "My sister is the-"

"We do not allow beggars to enter the mansion."

"I am no beggar, if you could please listen for just one-"

"You will need to return to where you came from."

"I am asking you to please lend me an ear. My sister is-"

"Go back, before I call for the rest of the knights!"

"Baroness Ludis is my older sister!" Acacia snapped, losing her temper. The guard looked them up and down, then laughed. "That was a funny joke, now, run off before I-"

As if by magic, the gate opened, slamming into the guard, who cried out in pain. Behind it stood a woman with purple hair, much like Acacia and Cassia's own. Only, instead of golden eyes, like the mother and daughter, this woman had silvery ones.

This must have been Ludis. 

"Sister!" Ludis cried, throwing her arms around Acacia in a tearful welcome. "Ludis!" Acacia too, welled up with tears. Cassia watched them from behind, holding onto their bag, trying to figure out what to say. "Oh my, is this your child?" Ludis broke free from the hug and knelt down to Cassia's height, brushing the little girl's hair back behind her ear to get a better look at her face. "She looks just like you. Tell me child, what is your name?"

"C-Cassia," Cassia stuttered nervously, looking up at her Mother for guidance. "Come in, come, you must tell me all about why you are visiting. It has been years!" Ludis, in her excitement, lifted Cassia off of her feet, cradling the child as if she were her own. Acacia followed her, the two sisters chatting away, the gate shutting behind them.