[Aster]
One quiet, awkward conversation later, and they were all five trudging through the snowstorm, towards the hill that no one could see in this swirling darkness. Towards a small village behind it, one they knew nothing about beyond its name, towards a warm home and a hot meal promised by people they had just met. Nothing about it felt right.
And yet, they still went. Still chose to believe. In good people, in kindness instead of a trap waiting for them at the end. Words couldn't describe how scared they were, hearing someone knocking at the door in the dead of night, and then opening it to find some strangers standing there.
Now, even more so, following the tall, dark figure of Hagen walking ahead, breaking the trail for them in the deep snow, a man so large that he could probably snap any one of them like a twig without much effort. But there was someone who wouldn't let him, a skinny boy in a dress and with an adorable bun bobbing on his head.
Not once did the gold of Aster's eyes leave him, that wide, black-clad back, watching every move of his in the snow and just waiting for a single wrong one. His chest hurt terribly from all the mana he kept at the ready, aching with that familiar warmth that was ready to turn into flames the very second he needed it to. A thin, tired, and yet so very fierce protector.
A mere step behind him, Silvia did the same with Margaret, constantly looking back at the kind-looking woman, checking if she was still there, if she wasn't getting too close, or planning to do something sneaky. And just like her brother, she too had her mana pooling in her chest, her body trembling more than any of the five. One hand was in her mother's larger one, fingers intertwined, while the other was in her dress pocket, where she had a bunch of small icicles tucked away.
As for Nivalis, she walked between them, right behind Aster, looking tense beyond words and just a heartbeat away from picking them up and darting into the woods on either of their sides. On her head, the headscarf flapped wildly in the wind, a faded-brown thing she tore from the cloak that was their bed, matching the one Silvia wore. Braiding would take too long, and this was the next best idea she could come up with in that terrifying minute they had to hide their pointy ears.
The walk was as miserable as one could get, with the wind whipping snow into their faces and fluttering every last bit of clothing they wore. "Almost there, girls," and "Just a little further," Margaret kept saying to them over and over again, a lantern in her hand casting a warm, wobbly circle of light on the snow. And each word was another one they trusted... even though, more and more, it felt like there would be no village ahead.
But there was one, much to their silent surprise. Shapes began to appear from the swirling snow ahead, rising from the ground—houses. Made of pine logs and roofed with straw that barely showed under the white, there were dozens of them, each one with a chimney and a shed or two at the back, and most of them dark and asleep at this hour. The snow-covered streets were empty, not a soul wandering about except for them.
The sight of it all made the three of them relax a little, enough to continue following the two through the quiet place and towards a small house at the edge of it. One of many, with the same straw-covered roof, the same darkened windows, and a fence that had seen better days. A shy, quiet place that brought smiles to their tired faces.
"Come on... get inside," Margaret hushed as soon as they reached the front door, and Hagen pushed it open; she couldn't stop frowning with worry at how much Silvia shook from just a few minutes of walking.
Aster was the first to do so, right after the man himself, through the doorway and into a dim living room that was also a kitchen, with a table, chairs, a fireplace, and a bunch of furs thrown about every which way. The last of his suspicion vanished at the sight of a bit of a messy, simple home of simple people. Nivalis and Silvia joined him a heartbeat after, both letting out sighs of relief at the warmth of the place.
Margaret was the last to enter, and the door closed with her, shielding them from the night beyond. She let out a quiet, "What a storm. The ancestors must've fought again." Nodding towards a small bench by the door where boots were already lined up, she gestured for everyone to put theirs off, and so they did. "Come, come, sit down. Get warm," she hushed the moment coats came off, gesturing toward the fireplace.
Three shy shuffles of knitted socks against floorboards echoed through the room, followed by a quiet, "Thank you," from Nivalis, and they were sitting on a soft fur in front of the fireplace. Aster let out a quiet, tired groan when his butt met the warm and comfortable thing, and the girls weren't any better, their faces melting into the same silly expressions. The hour was late, so they were quite tired, and the fur was just so very soft.
Hagen gave them a smile at that as he came with an armful of firewood and, without saying a thing, he tossed everything into the fireplace. A few pokes with a stick later, and the flames roared back to life, bright enough to cast dancing shadows all over the room and reach even the windows, wooden shutters of which rattled softly from the wind.
Nivalis gave another "thank you," to which he simply nodded before sitting down nearby to warm up as well, not too close to them, but not too far either. Unlike before, he wore no furs and instead had on incredibly thick woolen pants, with a cozy-looking sweater awkwardly tucked into them. Dark, sweat-soaked hair clung to his forehead, with a bit of snow still melting in it.
"Tea would do you all some good," Margaret said in a hushed voice, coming from the kitchen side of the room with a pot full of water and wooden cups in her hands, a caring smile on her face. The pot quickly went over the fire, and the cups, each with a few dried mint leaves in it and a spoonful of honey, found their places on the ground before them. After that, she came and sat with them by the fireplace, at her husband's side, their clothes matching each other's except for the socks.
No one spoke. All five of them just sat there, with the fire crackling and the wind howling outside, and waited for the water to boil. And it did so, a few minutes later, with a pleasant bubbling noise.
As she poured the steaming water into the cups, Margaret's eyes caught Aster's scarred, pale hands in the firelight, a flicker of worry crossing her face before she quickly looked away. "There you go," she hushed again as she handed out the drinks, one by one.
Small sips, quiet sighs, and a few mumbled thanks followed. The tea was heavenly—sweet and minty—and Aster couldn't help but smile into the cup as he held it with both of his hands. It had been a while since they last had honey, before the tunnels, before the dark forest and running from the goblins... what felt like a lifetime ago. 'Back at the hidden hot spring, I think...?' he wondered to himself.
Silvia mirrored him, pressed against their mother's other side, and sipped happily, while Nivalis just watched the two of them with a soft look on her face, her blue eyes reflecting the dancing flames.
It was only after they were all half done with their drinks that Margaret broke the silence. "What happened, dear? How did you end up out here in the cold?" she asked Nivalis, her brown eyes full of genuine concern. Hagen didn't look at them, but with how he stopped drinking and just sat there, it was clear that he was listening as well.
Nivalis hesitated, looking into her cup for a quiet moment, the tea swirling gently as she did. The same story she had given not too long ago to a stranger, who was just as kind as the couple sitting in front of her, slipped from her lips. "It's a long story. But in short, my... husband," she said the word with a slight distaste, "he wasn't a good man. One day, I-I... I couldn't take it anymore, and we... well, it's just us ever since."
At the mention of an abusive husband, Margaret's eyes immediately went to Aster's hands once again, to those old, ugly scars that no child should have, and her mind instantly drew the most logical, the most horrible of conclusions.
Hagen followed her gaze a few heartbeats later, his face darkening at the sight. "What a cunt, do that to his own girl..." he muttered under his breath, gripping the cup so tightly that his knuckles turned white. A calming squeeze from Margaret on his arm stopped him from saying anything more.
Noticing their glances, Aster shyly pulled his hands into the sleeves of his dress until only the fingertips were visible. A slight misunderstanding that was, but neither of them said a thing as it was better that way. Haldor was a bastard, anyway, and it was much easier just to put the blame on the man rather than try to explain how he truly got these.
Margaret's brown eyes got a bit wet as she said, "What a... what a horrible thing. I'm so sorry." After a brief pause, she managed a small, sad smile, "But you're safe here. Lonecandle is a quiet little place, a bit boring even, but it's safe. No one will find you here."
"...and if he ever does," Hagen quietly added after her, "I'll give a man a piece of my mind, on what fatherhood is all about." He then gave a confident nod to the boy in a dress, to which Aster had no idea how to respond, so he just hid his face in the cup and took a long sip of the sweet tea. "Where are you from? If it's somewhere close, I know folks who could visit him, and..." he tried to ask, but didn't get to finish.
Nivalis shook her head at him, and after a sip of her tea, she said, "Far away. We came from the northwest, from behind the Hollow Forests. I doubt he'll ever find us here." She paused, her blue eyes finding the fire, watching the flames dance and consume the wood. After another long sip, she added, "And I'd rather not talk about him. It's... in the past."
Both Margaret and Hagen nodded in understanding. "That's... that's quite the travel, especially with the girls. Takes forever to get around the woods, through the northern mountains, and then..." the man mumbled to himself, looking at the three of them, bony and pale as they were.
With that, the conversation died, and everyone just busied themselves warming up by the fire and drinking their tea, with the occasional crackle from the fireplace breaking the silence.
A bit later, after the tea was gone and toes became all wiggly near the fire, Margaret pushed herself up from the fur with a soft groan. "Alright, first things first," she breathed, reaching over to lift the pot from the flames, "we need to get you three washed up. You stink a little, no offense. There should be enough water in here for a quick bath."
The three of them frowned at her words and, as one, began sniffing themselves—and just as one, their noses wrinkled at the smell of old hay and sweat that clung to them. It was bad. "I'm so sorry," Nivalis whispered, looking up just in time to see Hagen coming in with a small wooden tub in his hands, cold water sloshing over the edges as he went. They didn't even notice him getting up.
Margaret motioned for him to set it on the table, and he did, after which she poured the still-hot water from the pot into it. "Don't be, dear. It's not your fault," she whispered from behind all the steam that rose into the air, a soft, reassuring smile on her face. Once the last of the water was in, she stirred it with her hand to test the temperature. "It's not the warmest, I'm afraid, but it will do."
A soft breath of words escaped Nivalis, "That's... very kind of you. Thank you," as she got up from the fur, with Aster and Silvia in tow, movements clumsy and tired. All three of them just stood there for a moment and watched Margaret bustle around the room, fetching soap and clean rags, as well as a small candle that she lit up right away.
"You are very welcome," Margaret hushed back once everything was ready, gesturing for Hagen to pick up the tub. When he did, barely struggling with the weight of it, she turned to the three and motioned at the curtain that divided the main room from the rest of the house. "After me, girls. Just try to keep it quiet, please; our Tobi is already asleep," she whispered to them, leading the way towards the dim, quiet part of their home.
A narrow hallway greeted them when the curtains were pushed aside, with doors lining the left side and small windows on the right. "Your son?" Nivalis asked, ever so quietly, as they shuffled after her towards the very last door, their steps making the floor creak and groan.
Margaret hummed a soft "Mhm," and quietly opened the door to a small but incredibly cozy-looking bedroom, then ushered everyone inside and placed the candle on the nightstand. "The bathhouse is too far away in this weather, so our bedroom will have to do," she whispered as she helped Hagen with the tub, putting it in the middle of the room. "Try not to make a swamp out of it, alright?" Three shy nods answered her words.
With the tub dealt with, Hagen's part in all this was over, so he just turned around and, after giving a little nod to Nivalis, left the room. Margaret, however, didn't and turned to the closet in the corner instead. "I don't have anything for the girls, but for you..." she started, rummaging through the drawers and pulling out a few pieces of clothing, "...these should fit you just fine."
Nivalis tried to protest, to say that it was just too much, but Margaret was having none of it. "You'll take it. I don't fit into these anymore, anyway," she hushed, placing a folded-up dress, a long-sleeved tunic, and a pair of pants on the bed, all of a much nicer quality than what Nivalis wore. Then she turned to Aster and Silvia, a thoughtful frown on her face. "As for the girls... well, I'll pop over to Tessa's across the street while you're washing up. She's blessed with three daughters, so they should have something to spare."
"I don't know how to thank you for all this," Nivalis breathed, her blue eyes fixed on the clean, warm-looking clothes before her, her hand reaching out to touch the fabric. Soft, not coarse like the ones they had now. "You and your husband are... you're very kind."
"It's nothing, dear. Now get washed before the water gets cold, and try not to drown," Margaret whispered to them, then with a final, warm smile, she turned and left the room, closing the door quietly behind her.
Nivalis stepped over to it and pulled the small latch that was there to make sure what happened at the tavern wouldn't happen here. The wood clicked softly into place, and with that, it was just the three of them.
All alone in a warm, candle-lit room. They just stood there for a moment, in the quiet of a stranger's bedroom, and looked at each other. Then at the tub, and at the pile of clothes on the bed. "They seem nice. You think... maybe they won't mind about our ears?" Silvia asked, her golden eyes going to the rags they wore on their heads. "It doesn't feel right to..." she murmured, but trailed off when Nivalis gave a soft sigh and shook her head at her.
With a quiet, "No, sweetie. Remember what happened at the inn? We keep them hidden. Always." Nivalis knelt in front of her, her blue eyes looking directly into her gold ones. Then, she gave Aster the same long look to make sure they understood just how important it was. He gave a small nod, as did Silvia, and with that, the matter was settled.
With a soft kiss on the forehead, Nivalis helped Silvia undress for the wash. Socks slid off her small feet, then the dark grey pants, the dress, the tunic, everything, leaving her naked and goosebumpy in the candlelight. Not a single hair to hide her pink bits, not a shadow formed by curves, just her flat, childish chest.
Aster was halfway done with his clothes when she turned to him, so it didn't take long for her to strip him down as well, revealing a skinny boy hiding under all that girly disguise. Pale thighs matched his sister's in every possible way, but everything in between was all boy, pink shaft hiding in wrinkly skin and a small sack beneath, all hairless and delicate.
Then it was her turn. The dress, the tunic, the pants, the socks, all went into a small pile in the corner, leaving all three of them standing there naked in the faint candlelight, with Nivalis's full breasts casting soft shadows onto the walls. Without another word, they got closer to the tub and knelt around it.
Dipping the tips of her fingers into the warm water, Nivalis muttered a quiet, "A bit cold, but not too..." to which Aster smiled sweetly and dipped his hand into it next to hers. His eyes shut as he focused, and after a few slow, deep breaths, he did to the water the same thing he had done to the stone back in the tunnels—pushed his mana into it and willed it to burn, to heat.
A moment later, his golden irises showed again, and he was greeted with the sight of steam rising from the tub. A little smooch on the cheek and a soft "...thank you, my love," was his reward, and he needed nothing else.
After that, bathing happened. Just them on the wooden floor, with a lot of awkward kneeling over the small tub, they scrubbed at each other's skin with soap and rags, removing days of filth and grime that clung to their tired bodies. Shoulders, backs, legs, and tummies... even in places that made Aster and Silvia blush and squirm, were all cleaned until their skin was pink and glowing in the candlelight.
Hair was next, and the hardest part. They took the rags off their heads and let their long, silver hair down, all messy and tangled beyond belief, and took turns leaning over the tub to wash it. First went Aster, who groaned and whined the entire time Nivalis combed the knots out with her fingers. Then went Silvia, who was a little better about it and only wiggled her pale butt a little when things got a bit too rough. Last went Nivalis herself, with the two children carefully lathering her silver with soap that had a weird smell to it.
Just as they began to dry themselves with the second rag that Margaret had left them, a quiet knock came from the door, followed by her muffled, "It's just me, dear." With a worried glance at her children, Nivalis took a deep breath and, after a moment of hesitation, wrapped their towel around her head and went to unlatch the door.
Aster and Silvia stood nervously, naked, and watched her open it a crack and peek out, with one arm covering her pale breasts. As she did, the girl gently pressed her bum into her little brother's hips, hiding his boy bits from view. Just in case.
...