Ice Always Melts

Chapter II

Their lessons were often broken up...

Two months after Luna's 12th birthday, which she celebrated with a picnic with Lilly Eve, her father ran once more. He promised to be back in a week's time, the job not being more important than what he usually faced. That one week turned into two...and then three. Meriel started to worry, Luna could tell, even though her mother hid her worry when she was around the children.

Her father's absence didn't stop Luna from practicing her skills. She would go out into the forest every evening, once Melody came to take Lilly Eve back home. Luna showed her best friend what her father had taught her, and made her swear not to tell anyone, including Melody, that she was learning magic too. She didn't care what the kids thought, but her mother said if people got too angry, they could be kicked out of the village or worse. Meriel didn't know Lilly Eve knew though, so the secret had to be kept. Her skills were steadily getting better, even without her father's lessons, but she soon started to wonder when he was coming home to teach her more.

It was a full month before Merrick returned.

Meriel gasped at the sight of her husband, and Luna instantly peered out the window. She had never seen her father so injured before. His tattered clothes were stained an ugly red, and dirt and soot covered his face. He walked with a limp, one of his arms clutched against his side in pain. His bag slung over a shoulder, as he slowly made his way back to his home, grunting a bit with every slow step.

"Luna Rose! Get a bucket of water and some medicinal herbs!" Meriel cried, racing out to help her husband. Luna did as she was told in a rushed manner, her mother using her middle name meaning this was important. Benjamin, who was playing with a wooden toy soldier, looked up at Merrick as he walked indoors. "Pa...Papa..." The boy said, quite confused, making Merrick smile despite his injuries.

Luna's father laid on his bed, Luna bringing in the things her mother requested, not speaking. Her father took his shirt off, a giant red gash staining his side. Her mother took a towel, and started to wash away the blood. Luna grabbed her little brother, and stood in the doorway. Her dad yelled in pain as her mother tried her best to help clean the wounds. Luna couldn't remember the last time her father came home with more than a scratch on him. How in the king's name did he get this hurt.

"I told you not to take the job!" Meriel said as she worked, scolding her husband like she scolded their children. She sounded more scared than she wanted to let on.

Merrick let out a breath of air, which must have been a pained laughter. With his eyes shut, he smiled. "Ah, love, I couldn't have said no...we needed the money. And..." His voice lowered, his smile wavering. "It wasn't the...the job... I... I was attacked."

Meriel froze. "What do you mean you were attacked?"

Luna's father opened his blue eyes, locking gazes with Meriel. Luna then felt his gaze rest upon her and Benjamin, and he did his best to smile at them in a lovingly matter. Luna was terrified. Nothing she had faced before had scared her then seeing her father in such pain. "Come here, Luna Rose." Merrick said weakly.

Luna walked across the creaky floorboards, to her father's bedside. Her mother taking Benjamin, giving her father an expression as if to say 'What are you doing?' Luna's father took her hand shakily. Luna tried not to flinch. His touch was ice cold...He was never this cold, despite having ice magic. "Sweetheart, have you been practicing?" He asked.

Luna nodded eagerly, and her dad let out a long breath, followed by a coughing fit. "Good..." He squeezed her hand softly, and Luna felt tears well in her eyes. "Listen to me Rose. There are people are out there who don't like wizards. And I don't mean people in our village either. Magic is dangerous, Luna. And people are scared. Your gift," he looked into her eyes, all humor lost, "is dangerous. People will try to stop you, sweetheart, but you mustn't let them."