Umji entered the house. Yuju had already started cooking. Umji was surprised because she didn’t see any meat on her plate when Yuju served her. Yuju noticed it.

• I didn’t hunt anything today. 

• Oh really, said Umji. It is the first time. 

• Yeah I know, I am sorry. But I could find any animal to hunt. I don’t know if it is because I was unlucky or animals had moved to another place of the forest. 

• Don’t be sorry. It happens. said Umji as she looked at the soup in her plate. I am not that hungry anyway. 

Yuju wanted to ask why but then she  understood. 

• You still think about that stranger. 

• Calm snow was not a stranger. 

• Yes she was. We knew nothing about her except that she had suicidal thoughts. You should forget her.

Umji just couldn’t even if she wanted to. Not after that kiss. Not after having realized her feelings for the girl. Call her weak or whatever for falling for someone that quick. She couldn’t help it, she was in love with that girl. Although Yuju was right: that girl was indeed a stranger. Umji wouldn’t be afraid to claim it: she was in love with a stranger. 

Yuju had finished her meal, she exited the kitchen. Umji looked at the windows, she sighed and then whispered: 

• Calm snow, where are you ? I miss you …

…

SinB’s heart had never beat that fast. 

The guards were still there. 

• I know no one whose name is SinB. answered the woman. 

• What does she look like ? ask the man. 

• It is a young woman whose hair is black. She has black eyes and white skin. one the guards described. 

The description matched perfectly with SinB. Yet, the guards resumed:

• Well, no one looks like this here. So, we will leave. they said as they left. 

SinB was shocked. She didn’t understand what had happened. 

The woman turned towards her and smiled at her. 

• So, what was your name ? 

SinB looked at the paper and while doing it she noticed her hair. The color was blond ! Now she understood why the guards couldn’t recognize her. She felt relieved.

She decided to write her new nickname. 

• Calm Snow oh … it is beautiful. It is quite unique too. I mean I have never heard of such a name before. Now tell me about yourself, your family, where are you from ? 

Suddenly SinB just didn’t know what to write. She knew nothing about the villages here. It wasn’t her kingdom after all. 

• My parents died. I live alone in a village near here. read the woman. Oh I am sorry for you … Then, if you want to stay here, me and my husband welcome you. 

That woman was so nice. It had been a while since SinB had felt like wrapped by a kind of maternal affection. She wrote thank you on the paper and then she looked at the woman with sparkling eyes. 

The woman smiled even more widely. 

Days passed and SinB started to get used to this new life. The woman and the man were both so nice towards her. They treated her as if she were their own daughter. Nonetheless, the villagers had ambiguous feelings about her. They were like intrigued by SinB for some of them it was fascination for others mistrust. Sometimes the stares were too strong it felt like they were killing SinB. The woman had noticed it. So one day while they were at the village market she told SinB:

• You know I never had children. I can’t. I don’t know why. Maybe I am cursed, well, that’s what people say. So your arrival feels like a gift from god. Ignore those glares they are just from jealous people. 

SinB nodded with a shy smile. She had completely forgotten her suicidal ideas. She let life guided her to wherever she was supposed to go. 

She was helping them with business as they were shopkeepers. That’s why everyday she would be helping them to sell their products at the village supermarket. SinB liked that activity because it was filled with human contact. And all those years being alone in a dungeon had made SinB urge for it. 

Of course, it was quite difficult at first because she wasn’t used to it anymore. And also because of those stares: the fear and the mistrust in some eyes. The gossips which were swept swiftly through  the village because of old women who had nothing else to do with their lives. SinB felt watched, and at that point it kind of remind her of that feeling in the dungeon. The eyes on her that she couldn’t see but she could still feel. It was like she had never escape from it and that thought alone was bothering her « peaceful » life. There were also those eyes … mostly men ones which were suggesting another thing. She didn’t feel safe alone in the street that’s why she was always spending her time indoor in the house. She felt like she couldn’t trust anyone. Anyway, she was known to be mute so maybe that was what was triggering all those stares. Some wanted to take benefit of it. But SinB knew better. Indeed, she decided not to go out as part of her newly adopted no-risk policy.

Two days had passed since her arrival in the village. It was the evening and they were eating some food freshly cooked with love. SinB missed good foods like this. After years of only eating tasteless leftovers, her tongue was finally rediscovering the true foods taste. 

• You were so hungry. pointed out the woman. 

SinB nodded.

• Well, serve her some more darling. said the man. 

• Yes you’re right. Plus, you’re so skinny so you should eat. I am glad you like my food. 

SinB smiled while she let the woman served her again. 

• Speaking of food. The neighbor said he struggled to find what to hunt in the forest. 

• Oh really ? 

• Yes … so I fear the price of the meat will increase in the next days. 

• Maybe it is because of the season. Most animals hibernate in winter. 

• Yes but even the big ones which don’t, were nowhere to be found. 

SinB was too tired to listen to the rest of the discussion. She took the paper and wrote « I am tired can I go to bed ?  Thank you for the meal it was delicious ».
The woman interrupted the discussion and read the paper before replying:

• Of couse, you can. You know where is your room. Good night Calm Snow. 

SinB nodded with a smile. She went to her room. She was lucky it was warm in there on the contrary of the temperature outside. She went in the bed, took the fur duvet and covered herself with it. Even if the room was warm. This time it was even hotter. But the truth was that it wasn’t the room nor the duvet but her own skin that was warm … even burning. Nonetheless, she was too tired to notice it. Indeed she quickly drifted into sleep unaware of the burning presence in the piece, or rather inside her. 

-------

Chapter 8 done 

I know things tend to go slow in that story but I don't want to rush the storyline to make it look more "real". Again if you think it is too slow, that it is boring tell me in the comments. I accept any complaint ;)

Also, Happy new year dear readers !!!! I'm wishing you all the best. 

Thank you 

xoxo