The Winter Born [COMPLETED]

Chapter 11 - Promise

" Ethan, I demand you to get down from the bloody tree this instant, " I say, with a strict voice while looking up to Ethan who is sitting on a branch with his legs dangling down teasingly to me. His lips are twisted in a sly smile as he kicks down an amount of snow from the branch. The snow falls down and hits me in the face, and the cold shoots through me as I grit my teeth.

I hear his laughter from above as I wipe the snow off of my red face and I shout out " Well if you're not coming down, I'm going up! " I easily climb up and in no time I'm already halfway to him. He doesn't bother to look at me and instead just lets out small chuckles.

He's not too far up but it's enough for you to look down and wonder if you're falling or still standing. I put my hand on the branch he is on, after seeing that it is strong enough for the both of us, and swing my legs up. The winds up here are stronger than the ones on the ground and it brushes the stray hairs from behind my ear.

Ethan sits at almost the end of the branch and I steady myself on the wooden trunk, grabbing on other branches from nearby for support.

I walk to him with steady feet, happy that the years of climbing trees helped, and with his back facing me I whack him in the head with my hand. He lets out a yelp and rubs the spot I hit while his other hand finds support from a  nearby branch.

He winces as he watches me make way to next to him. " What was that for? "

I give him a glare. " For being an arse, " I say, sitting next to him and shifting a bit closer to each other to find support. The branch is big enough for us to sit next to each other I could just sit behind him but we both know that we are more comfortable sitting like this. He gives me a chuckle and shifts a little to give me room for me to sit.

We stay there for a while as we feast our eyes at the spreading forest before us. The once green trees had turned to white but it will change again as winter is coming to an end. I hear Ethan lets out a sigh, white air coming out from his mouth and he looks at me. Without looking at him I say, " What? "

" Nothing. I'm just glad you're not thinking about the Winter Born anymore, " he says with relief in his voice.

It took a while but Ethan somehow convinces me that I'm not a Winter Born. He said that it was just a folk tale and after a few times, I wiped it from my mind.

I smile at him. " Thanks to you. "

" So now I'm not an arse anymore? " He grins.

I roll my eyes and pulls out a few peppermint leaves for him. His smile widens and he takes the leaves and puts them in his mouth. I smirk. Him and his peppermints, I thought and I let out a heavy sigh and shudder as a strong wind blows through us. Ethan notices and takes my hand gently with his, rubbing it and creating heat. My cheeks redden and somehow I know it's not from the cold.

I like this. These moments of peace with Ethan. Not that I don't have any peace before in the forest but I learned that it is better with someone. Ethan likes to do this too, randomly taking my hand and squeezing it if he noticed that I'm cold or unhappy, knowing it will comfort me the way I comforted him before.

I let him continue to rub my hands as he keeps his eyes on my hands. " Your name day is tomorrow, correct? " He says.

I sigh as I remember that. " Yes, but I wouldn't be here. " His eyes immediately comes up to me with a clear shock as his burrows furrow together and his hands stop. I give him a sad smile. " We don't work on the Winter Festival. As poor as we are, tomorrow is the day to be happy. And the people can't know about you, " I explain. He opens his mouth to say something but no word comes out. His face looks frustrated and my chest aches. I really want to spend tomorrow with Ethan but it would be too suspicious.