The storm raged outside the frail glass windows of the community cabin. Spores of snow danced in the gusts of rough winds. The town was yet again buried under a thick layer of snow, which was the only true foe the town had. The storm relentlessly battered the panes of the windows, so rough that the frames trembled, leading to the concerned faces of the elders inside the cabin.
"Cover them with the thickest hides we have got. We don't want the fire to go out," said the Town Elder, sitting by the hearth.
The wooden cabin was lit up with the soft golden glow of oil lamps, filled with the scent of burning wood, and echoed with the sound of crackling fire in the fireplace. Children sat quietly, wrapped in their thick fur blankets, circling the Town Elder, who was telling them stories about the world beyond 'Boreas,' their motherland, cursed with frozen soil.
"Where was I again?"
"Ruler of the world!" said Kael, an eight-year-old.
"Oh! I remember. So, beyond the boundaries of our nation, there..."
"Can't we just play the shadow game, Elder?" said Eugene.
"Yes! We don't want to listen to that story for the hundredth time."
Hans, a midget, grabbed a thick piece of bear hide and covered the trembling window. The storm still roared, striking against the few trees the town had. "Why is it so high?" said Hans, unable to reach the upper frame of the window. That's when Martin, another helper of the Elder, came and offered help.
"Thank you, brother," said Hans.
Martin moved the chair from the corner to under the window and gestured for Hans to climb and cover the window. "My pleasure, brother."
"Look, that's a bird!" Eugene called for everybody's attention, showing them the shadow her hands cast on the wall.
All the children looked at the wall in awe.
It was the monthly night stay of the children of 'Boreas' at the community cabin, where the retired head of the town told them stories about the far-off places on Earth that they had never even heard of.
"Such an absurd game!" said Tori, the eldest of all the children.
Her remark about the game pulled the glares of others in a hostile way.
"Nobody is asking you to join," Eugene turned to the Elder. "Why don't you finish telling your story to Tori-sis?"
"No thanks, I'm good."
"Yes! Tell us more, Elder," requested Kael.
"Shut up!" the children cried in unison.
The Elder let out a loud cough and gestured for the children to be quiet. "Let's continue from the part where..."
There came a sudden knock at the door. They realized that it had been ignored due to the little commotion that had broken out. Hans, busy nailing the hide to the window, peeked outside and squinted his eyes to take a look at the person standing outside.
"It's your mother, Kael."
Martin opened the door, and outside stood a lady of petite build. Her face, though pale, had a blue blush on her cheeks, thanks to the stinging cold she was standing in.
"Walk in, lady. Don't remain standing outside," the Elder instructed.
The lady, revealing her timid nature with every second she remained outside, glanced at the faces of the children.
"Kael! Come outside. It's time to go home."
"Yeah! It's time for the baby to go to his mama!" an anonymous voice from the children started a ripple of laughter in the cabin.
"He is a big boy now; he can stay the night here," said Hans.
"No, no! He is just a baby." Everyone laughed.
Kael rose from the ground with his head lowered in embarrassment, but his lips remained tightly closed, as he believed he would end up crying if he said something.
Kael's mother, Isabella, had never let him stay the night at story nights. She adored him too much to let him out of her sight for the whole night. But in turn, it ended up making him a subject of laughter among the other kids. What was special about him was that he never objected to his mother's will. But this time, Isabella saw what he had never dared to say to her.
"I guess you are a big boy now. Why don't you stay the night and come back home when the storm calms?" She smiled with her thin lips, which had turned purple from the cold by now.
"Hm! I will, Mother."
Kael didn't express the happiness he felt. His tightly closed lips came close to what can be called a victorious smile.
"I want to know more about King..."
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