𝙰 𝙲𝚘𝚕𝚍 𝙴𝚖𝚋𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚎 (wlw)

Chapter One

The sudden squawks caught her attention, drawing curious eyes to the dark trees. A murder of crows leapt into the evening sky, their silhouetted frames adorned the magenta and orange clouds like a gift from the retiring sun.

Ignoring the birds' sudden departure, the woman turned back to the damp ground. Numb, quivering hands threw several pieces of freshly chopped wood into a bucket.

She hurried over to the moss-covered, aslant house poised like a forgotten treasure between the wood and mountains. A cold breeze fanned against her, rattling her to her core, leading her to question the efficacy of the coat she wore.

The moment she stepped into the quiet house, another gust of wind came, slamming the door behind her, and separating her from the cold.

Approaching the fireplace, Emese stacked the fresh wood onto each other. With her hands-free, she pointed them to the fire. At the feel of the comforting warmth crawling up her fingertips, then her palms and up her arms, her eyes slipped shut and a hum vibrated in her chest.

The whole world felt right at that moment. Although brief, that was the first time since sunrise she allowed herself a moment's respite. Her day consisted of arduous tasks like tending to the animals, selling in town and making sure all else was in order. The forthcoming winter promised no mercy; it was evident in the sharpness of the wind—that was why she'd been working extra hard those days.

In the respite, Emese realized the extent to which she was covered in the day's grime but paid no particular heed to it because there was still more to do.

Moving to the cooking area, she washed her hands in a bowl of water. Before attending to anything else, she approached the child who had been ardently playing with a wooden toy horse all this while. Rustling her hand through his dark curls, a smile tugged at her lips. Emese gazed at him a moment longer, overwhelmed by his ability to find joy and comfort in the smallest of things.

Eventually, she turned away from him; preparing supper was her immediate priority. That evening, it was a simple meal of hot boiled potatoes and leftover stewed beans from that morning's breakfast. Their suppers were often modest, never lavish but always sufficient for sustenance.

Night approached as Emese bustled about. Despite this, the birds' shrieks persisted and although she was accustomed to their cries, an unsettling feeling stirred inside of her.

Amid the anxiety, she turned her attention to her brother, noting how he continued to play with abject oblivion. Envy sprang from the depths of her soul like a hot spring; to live without fear or worry was something she wished for again. She longed for the time when she, too, was free of responsibilities, but life had intervened, imposing its demands upon her.

Because of life's uncertainties, she became a motherly figure to her younger brother. Coupled with that responsibility was the burden of destitution. Life was hard, but living in poverty was even harder. Emese worked tirelessly, saving what little she could until she had acquired enough to fund her and Tamas' migration to a place that didn’t remind her of how alone and disadvantaged they were. That place was a precarious province called Obscure in the Kingdom of Ashea, and the semblance of opportunity she'd hoped for was found there.

Incessantly working her way around the small space, the woman kept an eye on the frisky boy dragging his wooden horse across the floor. “Be careful,” she warned. He heeded her, steering himself elsewhere.

Tamas giggled to himself until his sister reached out and took the toy from him. Many children his age would have protested the confiscation of their enjoyment, but he didn't. Tamas was well-composed and disciplined for his age, and his sister admired that about him. Rarely did she ever have to scold him, and when she did, it was never with vitriol or violence.