the winter solecist

Total darkness. That is all I see. Under the new moon is a vastly different world than what you so under any other lunar moon. Something is always lurking beyond the light of the fire. Trying to keep it alight is difficult. We have been travelling for just over a week trying to get to a town called Saint Marsh. From what we learnt in the week is that we are not in a world that is of our own. Magic and mythical creatures await us at every corner, we just must stay along the road. Fern and I ran into the room at Blackman library. It was full of books on things that we thought did not exist. At once I was going to study them to try and win an academic scholarship. And I would have gotten it too if I presented them as theories. Only if Fern did not open that book to that map, but God that was a cool map if we did not get sucked into it.

Once we got our bearings – SNAP- when I quickly jumped into action.

“who’s there?” I hesitantly called out.

“It’s just me” Ameila said. Noticing my tense stance “It’s the forest, isn’t it?” I sighed in relief knowing I was not the only one.

“Yes, it is” I told her “It gives me the creeps.” As I watch her put the sticks next to the fire

“Is that why you’re not asleep?” as she puts them on one by one.

“Partly the reason” I say “the other part is I’m not really trusting of you” as she finishes and comes sits beside me.

“I will not hurt you nor your friend.” Amelia said, “Anyways I’m used getting the suspicious looks from others.”

Amelia stares into the fire as I study her face. Her sharp jaw line, piercing grey eyes as well as how well her golden honey hair sculps her face-

“So how did you guys get here?” Amelia asks curiosity lacing her soft voice bring me out of my mind.

We met Amelia at the old – we guessed it was an old castle of some kind – and she had a bow and arrow aiming at us. What I great start

“We -uh – we – uh” I stumbled a bit searching for something that was not there.

“We traveled through a map” Fern said sitting up. She glances around into the darkness. Amelia and I understand her suspiciousness of the darkness.

“Really?” asked Amelia in disbelief.

“Yeah Really” Fern confirmed. “We don’t believe it as well do we Nora.”

“Not at all” I say.

“Yeah, when you asked me where we were when we first met, I was confused on why’d you ask.” Amelia said. It was quiet as we looked around into the darkness. “This is one of the darkest nights of the year.” She paused. “It is closing into the middle of the winter solace.”

“Is that why you’re going to this saint Marsh?” I ask.

“Yes and no.” Amelia replied. “The village I grew up around was suspicious of me after my family’s death.”

“Right so that is – what uh - Kings Watch right?” Fern asks.

“Yep, named after the old kings of the world” Amelia confirmed. “That ruin we met in was one of the many castles they had.”

“Does it usually get this dark during this time?” I ask, staring out into the darkness.

“Ah yes that is why travelers need to stay in villages or the capital.” Amelia said.

“Why?” Fern

 “There is a legend about a girl who went for a walk on winter solace and went missing. There is another that is relating that the mad king cursed the darkness when his wife passed at midnight the same night 100 years or so ago” Amelia said, “It’s a cautionary tale about the dangers of the darkness.”

“Right so how long is it to the closest village?” I asked nervously.

“Tomorrow.” Amelia said. “that’s if we only stop for lunch and leave just before dawn.”

“Do you believe the curse and about the girl?” I ask.

“I believe about the curse but not the girl.” Amelia said solemnly. “My parents died on a night like this, but it was thunder storming. I have now got a slight fear of thunderstorms.”

We pause, watching the fire. It is getting low. Amelia gets up. “I am getting firewood; the fire is low.”

Fern watches her leave. There is a spark in her eye when she looks at her “what do you think about where we are?” I ask.

“Well, it seems like a good place to be. I don’t know about the people though seeing we’ve only met amelia” Fern replied.

“You seem pretty smitten with her” I say. Fern blushed.

“Something is there for her, but I don’t know what it is” Fern said.

“You like her, don’t you?” I ask.

“I’m not so sure” she said. “I do distrust her seeing we just met her, but I think we can be friends>” I laughed. “don’t laugh” she protested.

“Sorry, so sorry Fern” I said through my laughing. “You are so optimistic about it” she sat thinking “you always seem to be so uh” I lose the words,

“No, no you are right I am not usually the one for optimism” she joined in my laughter “but seriously though, maybe if we can’t make it out, lets actually make something of ourselves here.”

“Alright lets.” I say calming down. “Will we try not to lose ourselves through it all?”

“Well, we may lose each other if that’s alright with you in that Prospect” she replied.

“Can we make a promise about it?” By this time Amelia came back.

“Uh just letting you guys know if you make a promise, you can’t keep there is a terrible fate” Amelia said.

“Right so we can’t then” Fern said

“what’s the terrible fate?” I ask

“uh it depends on the people making the promise as well as the intent behind the promise.” Amelia said. “the promise itself is judged as well. One like yours wouldn’t be so terrible but based on the intent behind it. One could potentially intend to do evil against the other. Then both fates will be terrible if the other is pure.”

We sat in silence for a little while. I noticed the world was gaining light. I suspect Amelia noticed too as she starts to pack up her things

“time to go. We have a long way to go.”