Snowland Ballad[]
This is a story circulating in Northland, though no one knows if it's true, but a minstrel wandering the Northland collected it in an anthology... Two blond Aurorian orphans from parts unknown met in a Northland village and form a solid bond through mutual aid and acceptance. In addition, we will also get a glimpse into the daily life of Northland Aurorians in the story.
Introduction[]
On their way home, the siblings aided an Aurorian who fell in the snow. The Aurorian stayed in the village, but in the middle of the night, a blizzard caved in the Aurorian's house, forcing the Aurorian to ask the siblings for help once again.
Volume II: Blond Aurorian[]
On the way home, it started snowing again. Darkness began to fall, with only a few loose dim lanterns about. Not too far from the house, Cruz ran toward it but tripped. He looked up and saw a shadowy figure lying in the snow. Dorothy followed Cruz's scream to find the figure coughing and struggling to get up. After making sure it was an Aurorian, albeit someone unfamiliar, she called for her brother to help the stranger up. They took the Aurorian to a shed storing firewood a few feet away. The Aurorian thanked them in a hoarse voice, slumped against the wall and fell silent. Under the faint light nearby, Dorothy could see the smattering of dry, blond hair peeking out of the Aurorian's hood, swaying to her rhythmic breathing.
It was normal to help out Aurorian strangers, so Dorothy and Cruz quickly forgot about it... Until the next day, when the news of a new resident to the village broke. Out shoveling snow, the siblings noticed the door and windows were shut on the old, dilapidated house next to theirs, with smoke rising from the chimney into the icy blue sky.
Cruz pointed to the tub-sized hole in the roof of that house and asked his sister, "How can anybody live in a house like that?"
Dorothy grabbed him by the collar and yanked him away.
That night, a blizzard hit. The siblings were wrapped in blankets, sleeping to the sound of howling wind and flying twigs. Suddenly, there was a loud boom, followed by a litany of crashing noises, as if something had collapsed. Cruz shuddered in his dream, while Dorothy was roused wide awake, sitting up and surveying nervously.
Shortly, it was silent again, save for the low groaning wind through the window crack. Dorothy rubbed her eyes and plopped her head on the pillow again. She woke sometime later to knocking at her door. She carefully got out of the bed so as not to disturb her brother's sleep, tiptoed up to a window with a lantern in hand and checked. A teetering figure stood outside, covered in a thin blanket, the cold wind battering her curly blond hair.
Dorothy recognized her immediately, but she didn't open the door, just holding the lantern and poking her head out. "What happened?"
The blond Aurorian pointed at the old house. "My roof caved in... Would you mind me staying with you for a night?"
Dorothy paused for a long while, looked into the darkness and replied, "I think it's better that you see the elder."
The Aurorian nodded, gripped the blanket on her and turned to leave. Dorothy then realized the blond was walking bare foot in the snow. She gritted her teeth and hesitated, before finally opening the door and calling out to the woman in a subdued tone, "You... can come in."