Dragonsoul

Chapter 30

Cold wind swiping through the trees, chilling everything their frozen fingers touched had been all the warning Amitola and Leonie needed to know that winter was closer then they thought. Something had changed, something had made the time of extreme cold and bareness suddenly accelerate, and all they could do was try to prepare for it as fast as possible.

Every year, winter snuck up swifter, which made Amitola fear that one year it might surprise them and carry them away in its cold embrace. The thought terrified her, not for fear of dying, after all, she has lived a long and happy life and would not mind joining her husband, but she feared for her children.

Amitola's greatest fear was that she would fail to protect them now that she was all that they had left. Thus, the moment they finished their meal, they all started preparing more firewood and sealing in doors and windows.

When Rim came back from the hunt, he was more than happy to join in, knowing that it would ensure the safety of his new family. It gave him more strength and determination than his developing body had. Leonie and Rim made a great team working hard and doing their best to leave less work for Amitola and Nald.

When they took much-needed rest a few hours later, both Leonie and Rim were exhausted, but the house was ready for the freezing winter that was but a step away. At least they prepared it as much as they could, having in mind that every winter was more cutting than the previous one.

No one knew why that was. Some thought it was nature showing its wild side to scare people into following its laws, while others yet thought it was the path weaved by the Fates to judge worthy from the unworthy ones.

Whatever the case might be, as Leonie drank her warm cocoa, she could not help but worry about what was yet to come. Winters could be cruel, and she was afraid that at any moment, the sneaky touch of winter could take away the rest of her family.

Then it occurred to her that she might not be able to see Rim the whole winter, and the mere thought terrified her. The portal to his cave was outside, but sometimes they were trapped by the icy cage for days. One winter, they could not even take a peek outside since the snow was as high as their front door.

Just as she was about to start panicking, there was a loud knock on the front door. It snapped her out of her dark revery in a matter of seconds. 

Being the closest one to the door, Leonie was surprised to see that it was the person she needed more than anyone else at that very moment. It was Toras, and Leonie knew that if anyone was to offer her a solution, it was the great Mage.

It felt as if she had been lost in the middle of the forest, unable to find her way back, and there appeared a light, Toras, that she could follow home. Being the one who created the magical portal, Leonie knew he was the only one able to offer her some answers.

"Leonie, may I come in?" Toras asked, amused that she just kept staring at him.

"Yes, yes, of course," Leonie said hurriedly.

She opened the doors widely and let him in. It was shocking to her that he would appear in that exact moment when she struggled the most, but she thought it was just her good luck.

As Leonie led Toras to the living room, Amitola heard the commotion and joined them.

"Toras, what brings you here?" Amitola asked.

"I wanted to warn you that winter is coming very soon. I wouldn't be surprised if tomorrow everything freezes over, preventing any communication with the outside world." Toras said.

"Yes, I've noticed the signs," Amitola said.

It was clear from her tone of voice that they both knew that was not the only reason the Mage decided to visit Hunter's widow. The occasions on which the Mage did so were rare and mostly limited to death and birth.

"Ah, yes. I forget that she taught you well, even though it is against the rules of nature for a mere human to know so much." Toras said.

Amitola looked at Toras, then at Leonie as if begging him not to share yet another secret. With a strange little smile, he slightly nodded his head and went on to talk about the second reason for his visit.

"I am here for the girl, Amitola, I had a feeling she had a few questions for me. Since I am about to go on my winter vacation on my sunny island, I thought this was the last chance for me to help out if I can." Toras said.

"How did you know I might need you?" Leonie asked.

"Let's just say it's a Mage's intuition," Toras said, subtly winking at Rim.

"Whatever it is, I am glad you are here," Leonie said.

She tried to think of the best way to word her questions without sounding as dense as the Verawood forest. After all, she was just a young girl, and she did not know much about magic and all its possibilities.

"I was thinking about the portal. Last winter, our door was blocked by the snow, and we couldn't go out for days. What if that happens again? I won't be able to see Rim for a long time. Won't that be bad for both of us because of the bond we share?" Leonie asked.

"Ah, my dear Leonie, you might as well be as wise as your father. That's an excellent point and one of the main reasons I came today. As ancient as I am, sometimes I forget things, especially when I am as busy as I was these days, helping people for the oncoming storm. Yes, it would be a big problem for the two of you to spend such a long time separated." Toras said.

"Then, what can we do? Is there anything you can do about it?" Leonie asked, as Rim gently nudged her hand in comfort.

"Is there anything I can do about it?" Toras asked in shock.

It was as if the very idea that she would ask such a thing insulting to him. He acted as if it was the most absurd question anyone had ever asked him.

"Of course, I can do something. After all, I am a great Mage. I can do the impossible," He said proudly.

"So can you move the portal or what can you do about it?" Leonie asked.

"Can I move it to your bedroom?" Toras asked.

"What if I get up to go to the bathroom and suddenly find myself in the cave? That would be frightening." Leonie said pensively.

"How about the basement?" He asked.

"That sounds good. Mom?" Leonie asked.

"Yes, that does sound like a good idea. There is one part of the basement which is out of the way, and there won't be any chance for someone to accidentally go through the portal. We never use that space, so I think it's just perfect for what you had in mind." Amitola said.

"We better get going then," Toras said, excitedly.

As Toras headed towards the basement, Leonie and Rim accompanied him, but even Nald joined them, eager to see the grand Mage in action once more. Amitola decided to let them have their fun while she made some finally arrangments for what was bound to be the longest winter in the village's history.