The Warmest Winter

chapter 2 The cold

Thank you to every one who has read the story. Don't forget i'm entering this in the Watty Awards so please, please, please vote

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“Daniel?”

James heard her rough voice and quickly looked over to see her looking around puzzled.

“ma’am?” he whispered quietly. Her head flew around to stare at the intruder.

“what are you doing in my house? Where is Daniel?” she asked while her eyes darted around for an escape.

James saw she was scared and didn’t know how to calm her down enough to tell her what happened to the child.

“ma’am please calm down and I will tell you. I am sorry but the child was dead long before I got here and you were on your way to the same fate”

She didn’t speak, just looked at the man. Dead. Daniel was dead. Grief took over her body as she collapsed back down onto the ground and found the darkness once again.

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James sat and waited for the woman's reaction and jumpped to his feat when he saw her faint and went to her side to check for any injury. He could only imagine the grief she was feeling. He didn’t know if the child was hers or maybe her brother, but he could tell she loved him more than anything. Letting out a sigh her put some more wood on the fire and went to the window to check the storm. The wind had eased but a thick layer of snow covered the ground and small flakes were fluttering gracefully to the ground.

He spent the next couple of minutes searching the cottage for anything useful he could use to burn or keep warm. In a plain trunk he found clean socks and a woollen shirt which he changed into and a pair of old boots that may come in handy. There were also two bonnets and one other dress very similar to the one the woman was wearing. Neither were bright or new. They were both stained and well worn and the colour of dying leaves. He took out the dress and laid it over the woman.

“ i really must find out her name. “ he thought to himself. He would have to leave soon. There was no food in the house and The girl looked like she hadn't eaten in days. First things first he thought, the child.

***

Sara sat up slowly and winced from where she ahd hit her head. The events from earlier came crashing down on her as she looked around in the hope of finding Daniel. Just as she was about to get up the door opened and she looked up to find the man from earlier shaking snow from his dark hair. As he walked in the opposite direction she took him in. he was tall and muscular. Maybe a farmer or a builder. It didn’t matter. What mattered was what he was doing up her on the mountain. She cleared her throat to get his attention. He sprung around quickly and looked at her.

“Are you all right?” was all he could think to ask. And all she did was nod in response.

"where is Daniel?" she asked looking him in the eyes. he had no doubt she remembered what had happened.

"i buried him" James whispered as he turned away from her. she was trying to keep her emotions hidden but her eyes betrayed her, showing so much sadness he couldn't bare to see it anymore.

sitting near the fire he look at his hands as he asked;

" was he your son?"

"no, he was my best friends. she died last month of a fever. we both lived up here and with none else to care for him i became his mother." she explained. James did not know if that fact would make loosing the child any easier on her.

"could i know your name ma'am" James asked softly.

"Sara" she said simply

"James" was all he said in return. they sat around the fire for sometime as James told her why he was up on the mountain.

"Sara i know you don't know me well but you can not stay here with no warmth or food, please come home with me"

she knew he was right. so first thing in the morning they would set of down the mountain. or so they thought.

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so like i said before please coment and vote!

from the writer xxx