Winter Guardian

Lenna trudged through the snow. Her aged bones stiff with cold, her weathered arms laden with firewood. In the distance, rose the thin wail of a child.

She paused, staring in the direction of the high-pitched sobs. What would she do if she went there? Gawk at the poor thing in pity? It was better to keep moving.

She knew what date it was. The child was a sacrifice to the winter goddess whose pet snow beast would feast on the young one’s flesh. If Lenna removed the child then the goddess would curse the land with a deadly winter.

Even so…

She sighed. Poor thing. She followed the heart wrenching sound. She found the trembling child at the bottom of a hole. The girl looked up at her with red-rimmed eyes. A white-gray speckled cat sat next to her. 

Lenna clucked her tongue. “Stop your fussing. It’ll be over soon.”

“Please,” the girl’s hoarse voice cracked. “Help me.”

Many years ago, Lenna’s own son was snatched from her arms by the villagers as the winter sacrifice. She tried to save him, but the snow beast got him first. She exiled herself as penance.

Lenna shook her head. “They’ll kill me.”

“They’ve already killed me.” The girl slid down wrapping her arms around her knees.

Lenna had rescued children from the pit many times over the years. She’d led them to a town far over the mountains where they had a nice orphanage. She left an animal for the snow beast and goddess to sate their bloodlust. Six years ago, the village council caught her. They threatened to kill her if she ever interfered again and sliced her cheek open as a warning. She’d stayed away ever since.

A bone-chilling wind whistled between the icicles dangling from the tree branches. The cat stretched up against the shivering child’s leg; its pink tongue licked the exposed skin of her wrist. A small comfort before her death. Lenna’s heart twisted.

“I-I suppose you could use a bit of warmth.” Lenna sucked in a long breath. “Can’t get heat out here. What do they call you?”

The girl lifted her head. “Sasha.” 

That was her son’s name. Lenna nodded, resolving herself to it. “You’re coming with me.”

Sasha leapt to her feet. Her dark eyes filled with hope.

“You’ll carry my firewood. This ain’t charity.”

“Yes ma’am.”

That was that. Lying on her belly, she held a long, thick tree branch down the opening. Sasha jumped. Once, twice, third time she grasped the branch. She was an older child and heavy. Lenna had lived alone in the forest for three decades. She was tough, but she was getting old and not as strong as she’d once been. They struggled, yet somehow Lenna dragged the girl over the lip of the pit.

“We made it.” Sasha stroked the cat’s furry head. “This cat found me not long after they threw me in. She’s my guardian.”

Lenna huffed. Guardian? It wasn’t the kitty that got her out of that hole. Still, she was glad to see it. The cat was always with the children. It trekked through the mountains with her after she rescued them. Then vanished once the children were safe.

“Get the wood. Sun’s setting. Don’t want the snow beast to find us… or the council.”

Wide-eyed, Sasha gathered as much wood from the pile as her short arms could handle. They made their way toward Lenna’s hut in silence. Only the crunch of snow and cloud of breath marked their passage through the forest.  

They were halfway there when a stick snapped nearby. Lenna stopped, holding up her lantern. Her heart pounded against her chest as she surveyed the cold, dark surroundings.

Just as she brushed the sound off as an animal, two hooded men stepped out from behind a tree.

“We warned you,” the bearded one, head of the village council, said. 

Lenna pushed Sasha behind her. “She’s just a child.”

“It’s what the goddess requires.” He snapped his fingers.

Sasha screamed. A third man grabbed her from behind. Lenna moved to help her, but was restrained by another.

“We’ll be honoring the goddess with two sacrifices tonight.” The head councilman grinned. “Take them to the pit.”

The cat stood in their path and hissed. The air around the kitty vibrated and shimmered. Snow swirled around the cat. In the middle of the vortex, the animal morphed from a feline into a tall woman. Her pale skin and curls shimmered in the moonlight. She wore a regal gown the color of fresh snow. On her head sat a silver crown.

“The winter goddess.” Lenna whispered.

“Goddess.” The high councilman kneeled. “We’ve brought the sacrifice. Please bless us this season.”

“These sacrifices were started by villagers who didn’t want the burden of feeding hungry orphans during winter.” The goddess said. “Not by me.”

Lenna clenched her fists, anger boiling hot in her belly. “Why didn’t you do something?”

“I did. I am the snow beast. Once the villagers leave, I take the children to my kingdom where they live in peace.”

They weren’t dead? Lenna’s legs trembled with weakness. Her son…

The goddess frowned at the councilmen. “You knew Lenna was rescuing the children and that with or without a sacrifice the winter does as it must. Yet, you did not stop.”

“The people expected–“

“The sacrifices gave you more power and wealth as parents bribed you to spare their children. You showed no mercy and neither will I.”

The council pled with tears and bargains. The goddess waved her hands. Snow blew around them. Lenna gasped as the council shrank into three white mice.

“The children they’ve sacrificed will decide the fate of the village.” She turned to Lenna and Sasha. “The villagers will blame you when their leaders don’t return. Please, stay in the winter kingdom.”

Sasha clapped her hands while jumping up and down.

Lenna’s throat throbbed with held back tears. “My son?”

“He eagerly awaits his mother, the guardian.”

The End

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A/N: Nov/Dec entry for the Monthly SimLit Short Story Challenge. Theme: Winter; Words: 1,000/1,000 (exactly!); Pictures: 12/15.

Please read all entries. Then vote for your top 3 faves (there are only submissions to the Veteran categories this time). VOTE HERE by 7 January PST.

Thank you so much for reading! Have a wonderful New Year! 2021, finally!