Class TFL

Chapter 1

The morning was as crisp as a usual 5 am morning. The ice dusting the grass crunched beneath the feet of Julia, watering the dipping roses that had only just survived the harsh winds that had battered the village the night before. She felt it was a miracle they'd made it through in comparison to the dying branches scattered around the garden. Julia would need to ask around later today if anyone would be willing to help uproot what remained of her spruce tree. While on most days she'd be more than happy to involve herself in the sweaty labour, today she didn't have the time. This was definitely a first.

Returning into her creaking cottage, she rested her watering can on the counter and went to get her mop. As much as she wanted to relax during the quiet daylight hours, she knew she couldn't risk anyone injuring their feet on the glass.

The birds were up and about as the sun had passed the horizon. The owls had long nested back into the tree hollows, curled with their young similarly to a small bundle of duvets, clumped up in the centre of an old wooden bed. During early mornings the small attic room would chill more than the wind outside, so the young toddler had no choice but to cocoon himself. The wind had been thrashing the thatched roof, threatening to snatch the child up in his sleep. Or so he'd told Julia at least when she'd questioned the deep shadows under his eyes. His cheeky toothed grin only further arose her unspoken suspicions.

After packing the boy full of hearty meat, the boy set of to explore the village. The stoned streets remained fairly clear despite the hours shifting further towards afternoon. The young boy preferred this however as it allowed him to adventure without any fear of complaints. Not like the complaints ever deterred the trouble maker.

Whether it was climbing the rooves, getting stuck in chimneys, sneaking into houses and breaking into fights, he saw the village as a castle waiting to be conquered. In the eyes of the working population however, he was more of a ferret. Sneaky, sly and everywhere he shouldn't be. They'd come up with a saying that if there was a place you wanted to keep secret, you would find him there. The boy lacked any sense for personal space. Should he have some, he certainly hid it well. Poking his nose where it didn't belong and playing devil's advocate took up the entirety of the child's day.

This day was different however. Not to the boy's knowledge of course. Unbeknownst to him, Julia had a completely different day ahead of her. Her usual, catering to his needs before reading or sewing up torn clothes, had been replaced with a long hike. Julia had never had much interest in exercise. So much so that not even her love for nature could succumb her to hiking, conceding to her potted pretties instead. The only prospect that did appease to Julia was that the debris her left in the garden for her made useful walking sticks.

Upon reaching the halfway point on the winding mountain pathway, Julia crouched down on the ground. Her biggest issue with mother nature, cleanliness. She made absolutely sure not a single part of her skirt touched the trodden down dirt. Hundreds of pairs may have walked this road and to get that bacteria on a part of her, well, let's say that fire is the only solution.

Once her muscles were refreshed with much needed supplies of oxygen, the carer resumed the torturous hardships. Watching the pebbles tumble down into the luscious abyss below, Julia found herself questioning her entire resolve for the trip. Nonetheless she had to push on as she'd passed the halfway point. If you were going to do something, might as well do it well or so her grandmother had told Julia. Then again her grandmother had dropped out of many schools. Seems like a reliable source.

The older woman felt a breeze brush by her cheek upon her final ascent. The last few steps being both the hardest and the easiest. A push upon reaching the end mixed with the dread of descending. Of course, Julia would have more than enough time to regret her life decisions at a later point. She needed to make the trip worthwhile.

Reaching into the small pocket settled in the top corner of her shirt, she picked out a more crumpled than folded sheet. Her stick clattered to the ground as she fumbled with the paper, the forest echoing her shivering breath. The paper crinkled at the touch of her hands. Julia wished even more so that she'd spent time to fold the paper properly. Being up so high turned her hands to jelly, not very effective against a ball that's thick enough to use but thin enough to loose your catch on.

Her accomplishment was short lived as despite having an open paper, the winds almost blew the sheet right out from her wrinkled hands. She clung onto it with her talon nails in her vicious efforts to view the photo printed in shades of black and grey.

Julia realised a sigh she hadn't noticed she'd been holding in. She'd found it. Lowering the paper, her misty aquamarine eyes met with the rash and wonky architecture resting amongst the mountain's wilderness. Her grip tightened as her parch lips uplifted into a smile. It obviously wasn't perfect but she didn't need it to be perfect. Everything had to start somewhere. And this would be the perfect start needed to shape Aiden's life. No longer would she be held responsible for stolen goods or bruised toddlers. No longer would she dread the evenings he returned, bursting with his stories of horrors and galore.

It was time Aiden learned how to live amongst those around him. And who best to teach the younger generation than those who have lived the longest and experienced it all.