The carriage rolled past the outer gates, carrying Eilika and Roman toward her father's estate. Inside the cabin, Roman's small legs swung as he hummed the opening notes of a verse.
Softly, Eilika joined his voice, blending the cadence of the song with the steady clatter of the horses' hooves against the frost-rimed road.
"Over the hills where the white snow falls,
While autumn departs and the winter draws near,
Through forest and meadow, on ice-bound streams,
The winter wind awakens a quiet white dream."
As the final words faded, Eilika reached out to adjust the thick woolen muffler wrapped snugly around his neck, offering his rosy cheek an affectionate pat.
Roman looked up at her, his eyes bright with eagerness. "Mama, shall I tell you the meaning of this poem I learned?"
Eilika smiled, pulling him slightly closer. "Do tell, my little scholar."
