Ryder looked back into the cart where Elliot was sleeping.

“Heh funny kid.” Ryder laughed to himself as he turned back to look at the road.

The night before after their “escape” from the magic beast, Ryder told Elliot many stories until the first rays of light broke the veil of darkness.

Elliot hadn't slept for more than a full day, but he still listened to each of the stories with deep interest, even asking questions once in a while making it even more engaging.

For a moment Ryder even thought that he chose the wrong job and should have chosen to be a traveling bard instead, but all that were just thoughts.

Currently, Elliot was soundly sleeping in the cart, something that he wouldn't do in the past because of some fears and uncertainties but now he trusted Ryder enough to do so.

The carriage was slowly moving on a small path through the forest. The snow was barely noticeable here, most of the patches of snow had big holes of dirt in them, it gave a refreshing smell of soil, the same smell that came after the rain.

“It should be around here.” Said Ryder to himself as he looked at a bad drawing on paper.

In the vicinity, you could see signs of human activity. Some cut trees here and there, some footsteps in the snow under the trees. It showed that a settlement was nearby and Ryder was looking for it.

“Here it is.” A smile appeared on Ryder's face as he started to see a wooden fence in the distance.

The village of Arden is a small quiet village near the mountains, that's how its inhabitants would describe it if someone would ask. From a bird's eye view the village is indeed peaceful there are more people walking down the streets than in the last village, even some young adults who weren't taken to the war.

Although the village was indeed calm you still could see despair, sadness, and hunger in some of its inhabitants.

Ryder brought the cart to the main gate of the village and was stopped momentarily by the guard, but after showing the guard some kind of bronze plate he was immediately permitted entrance.

“Well, now I just need to find a place to stay.” Ryder looked around for an inn but he knew that there wouldn't be one in such a secluded village, even if there was it would mostly be closed because of the war.

But just as he was about to ask a few people for a place to stay a gentle voice came behind him.

“Are you looking for a lodging residence?”

***

Elliot was in a world of white sitting on a chair in front of a canvas while holding a brush. He was painting a painting of a hero holding a sword that was pulsing with light, cutting a world of darkness into two.

For some reason, Elliot could see even the smallest details of the painting and even his hand would add a new perfect detail once in a while. It was so surreal because Elliot never held a brush in his life.

After giving the painting a finishing stroke Elliot sat in front of it absorbing it from every direction, looking at it as if he was looking at the most important thing for him in the world in complete silence, afraid to even breathe and interrupt the process of memorizing this moment.

But the silence was broken by a gentle voice of a female from behind him, “You know that heroes are not real…” Elliot turned around to meet this person face to face but all that met him was a blinding light as he woke up.

***

“He is so cute and white just like a bunny, do you think he has red eyes too?” A little girl with a brown ponytail asked while smiling and looking at Elliot that was on a bed.

“I don’t know, why you don't see for yourself when he wakes up.” Smiled at a young woman that had a lot of similarities with the little girl.

“Oh their blue…” Said the little girl with surprise.

Elliot looked around confused finding himself in a completely unknown location, laying down on a stranger's bed. He immediately tried to hole up in the corner of the room which was connected to the bed as if a scared little animal that woke up after getting picked up from the streets.

Seeing how cute Elliot was behaving the young woman released a small laugh as she closed her mouth with her hand.

She gently smiled as she spoke, “Good morning Elliot, oh actually it's already lunch but it doesn’t matter. Don’t be afraid, my name is Ruth and this is Nina. We take care of this residence, Ryder has rented this room for some time.”

“Nice to meet you.” Said the small girl as she smiled showing her teeth in the process, completely oblivious to her two missing teeth.

“Where is Ryder…?” Elliot asked with a whispering voice.

“He went out quite a while ago to buy merchandise, or at least that's what he said. He should be back any moment now. Oh right you must be hungry from all of the travelings here, I brought you both some soup, I know it's not much but it's all we have.”

Elliot looked at a small table near the door that had two bowls of liquid on it, as usual, the soup was almost see-through, but it was nothing new for Elliot.

“Thanks…” He answered, still a little bit wary.

“We will be downstairs if you need anything, come on Nina let's go.” Ruth said as she exited the room.

“Come and play later.” Said Nina to Elliot as she jumped around after Ruth from behind.

As the door closed behind them Elliot jumped off the bed and looked outside. What met him was a view of a small unknown village.

It was a lot busier than the last village although there was still little movement. You still could see people walking here and there once in a while and even some kids were playing in the snow.

Elliot quietly looked out of the window looking at people living their lives, it gave him a calming and peaceful feeling. He hadn't even noticed how time passed before the doors opened and Ryder entered the room.

“Oh, Elliot you are awake.” Ryder entered the room and sat on a chair with a tired sigh.

“Where were you?” Asked Elliot.

“Merchant business bought some merchandise for our next stop, we are going to make it big.” Ryder's eyes shone with greed and Elliot could swear that any second now they would turn into gold.

“Ruth brought some soup.” Elliot pointed at the table near where Ryder was sitting.

Ryder looked at the two cold bowls of soup and said, “You should have eaten when it was hot.”

Elliot shook his head slowly.

Ryder chuckled and said, “Well I guess you met Ruth and Nina. Cute due, especially Ruth shame she doesn't have *cough* big horses.”

Elliot gave Ryder a judging look, Ryder could only cough in return and change the topic.

“*Cough* Well it doesn't matter, come let's eat.” Ryder took a spoon full of soup into his mouth, immediately his face froze and changed color a little bit.

Elliot jumped off the bed and came to see Ryder unmoving with a spoon still in his mouth.

“What's wrong?” Elliot asked.

“I always knew that your cooking is good but now I have a comparison.” Ryder swallowed the soup in his mouth and made a disgusted face as if he had just drunk dirt water.

Elliot wasn't that picky and just ate the soup without a problem. In his opinion, it was really not that great, many ideas on how to improve it came into his head the most obvious one is to heat it.

“I saw Nina sitting on the porch, I think she was waiting for you to come and play.” Ryder said as his face turned sour again because of the taste of the soup.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

Elliot paused and didn't really know how to reply, as long as he remembers himself he never really played, just read journals, and did what he can in the house.

Ryder smirked and thought that Elliot is shy. “Common Elliot, don't be shy. How will you get a woman when you are older if you can't even talk to them when they are kids.”

Elliot looked at Ryder judgingly once more.

“I am joking, jocking.” He raised his hands in defense.

“But really you should go by the looks of it. She has already been waiting there for a long time and it's always nice to make a new friend.”

“Friends? But what do I need friends for?” Asked Elliot making Ryder completely speechless.

“...Um to …not be lonely? To laugh with, share stories, compare interests and share happiness with, I guess.” Answered Ryder not completely sure what to say as he never really thought why one should need friends, for him and everybody else it came as obvious.

“I see.” Said Elliot after thinking for himself a little bit, then he finished his soup with a few gulps sighted and went out of the room.

He knew that today a big challenge awaited him and it was making “friends”, something he had never really done in the past.

Elliot went down the stairs, passed a small kitchen, and opened the front door to the house. As he did a chilly wind blew in his face, it was cold but not the bone-deep cold he used to, it only showed that he and Ryder were slowly but surely moving away from the mountains.

Before even making a step forward a small hand caught Elliot’s sleeve and pulled him out of the house.

“I knew you would come.” Smiled Nina with a bright smile that resembled sunshine.

“Well I heard you waited for me, how could I not come?” Answered Elliot still without showing any emotions on his face.

“Well let's go play.” She pulled at his sleeve again but then suddenly stopped.

“Oh, what do you want to play?” She looked at him with innocent eyes.

“I don't know, I don't usually play much, how about you? What do you usually play with your friends.”

The little girl looked down and said sadly, “I don't have friends.”

“Why?” Elliot asked, completely obvious that he could hurt Nina in the process.

“Why would I be friends with liars!” She shouted angrily and became completely quiet almost crying, taking Elliot completely by surprise.

After a few moments of just standing there and not moving Elliot noticed a snowman not so far away, so he asked, “Do you want to build a snowman?” Elliot thought that he asked the wrong question and tried to ask for forgiveness but as soon as he opened his mouth Nina’s face became happy again and she started to nod intensely with eyes full of anticipation.

Elliot was a little bit astonished that the little girl's emotions can change so fast, but he could only shrug his head and follow the little girl to a pile of snow.

Two hours passed in a jiffy, Elliot and Nina made at least dozens of snowmen, in all sizes and shapes, from small to huge, from human-like snowmen to animals like bunnies.

After working up a sweat Elliot looked up at his and Nina's creations, it was quite astonishing what two kids can do while having nowhere to vent their energy.

Although Elliot was already getting tired, the little girl in front of him was only getting started as if a machine with no end to her energy reserves, she ran through the snow making ball after ball for the snowman army.

But as everything good it always had to come to an end. Elliot was holding his legs trying to get a breather, when he looked up at Nina and said, “I think we should end it here.”

“What?” Nina looked at him as if a little sad bunny.

“It's getting late I think we should go home…” Elliot murmured while looking down as he physically couldn't make eye contact with those innocent eyes. She looked at the sky and her eyes filled with surprise as she didn't even notice how the time passed.

“Ah alright, but can we make just one more snowman though?” She lowered her head and innocently looked at Elliot, begging for him to accept with her puppy eyes.

How could Elliot refuse something like that, even the strongest man would crumble against that innocent peek especially a child like him.

“Ah sure…” Elliot gave an immediate answer.

“Then let's make it the biggest snowman ever.” Nina said with a big smile as she gave her a great idea.

“Eh, alright but just one…” Elliot looked at the biggest snowman they built and was pretty sure that they can make another before sunset.

“Alright.” She held her coat collar while nodding her head furiously, afraid that Elliot would change his mind.

Elliot could only sigh as he looked around at the empty snow piles around them.

“Start making the small balls here I go and make a big one from there.” Elliot pointed further ahead.

Nina nodded just agreeing to anything Elliot said just that they won't leave. After Elliot left she went to make small snowballs while singing herself a small song.

But just as she finished making all of the small snowballs and were about to call for Elliot, a boot had squished one of the snowmen behind her.

“Look who we have here, isn't it the stupid girl.” A nasty snickering voice sounded behind Nina's back.

She looked back with fear, finding a “tall” boy and two kids around her age looking at her, he slowly squished the snowman with his foot while having a smile on his face.

“Hi, Eden… what brings you here.” Nina looked down at Eden's foot as her face was getting sour.

“Well you see I smelled this disgusting smell and had to check what it was and here I come to find you and suddenly it explains it all.” Eden crushed another snowman as he took a step closer to Nina.

“Ah don't…” She cried out as tears started to go down her cheek.

“Don't what?” Eden jumped forward and crushed two more snowmen in the process. The two other kids followed him behind kicking a few snowmen here and there.

“Please stop!” Nina shouted.

“Why should I stop? Because of your shitty mother, my dad *cough*” Just as he was about to finish the sentence a snowball went flying into his mouth and a moment later he was doing his best not to choke.

“*Cough* *cough* Who the baddy?!” Eden looked around trying to find the culprit.

But all he got is another snowball from the side. Eden looked to the left to find a small kid with white hair and clear blue eyes bouncing a snowball in one of his hands.

Eden didn't think much, he immediately took a snowman from the ground and threw it back at Elliot hitting him in the chest, but Elliot was unfazed and just took the snowball and sent it flying exactly in Eden's face.

“Ah, Theo, Jose, are you standing there? Help me.” Eden's friends jumped from behind each making snowballs and throwing them at Elliot, it hit him in the chest, shoulder, and leg.

Elliot continued to be detached as if the snowball hadn't even hit him. He just bent, made three snowballs, and threw them in succession, each of the snowballs hitting the kids right in their faces.

This kind of messy fight continued for a few minutes but no matter what each of Elliot's snowballs would hit the kids in their face, while their snowballs would go all over the place, many even missing their target completely. In the end, Eden was the only one who was left standing there, while his friends ran away.

Eden had a completely red face, a runny nose, and red teary eyes. On the other hand, Elliot was completely white from his head to toes, but still completely unfazed as if his body wasn't his.

“I will… I will leave it at that…” Eden pointed at Elliot while trying his best to hide his tears as he ran away not looking back.

*Sniff* *sniff* Nina cried at the side of the road, giving Elliot a few glances of guilt. Elliot only could sigh and slowly shuffled towards her.

He stopped a few steps away from her, picked up a pile of snow, placed it on his head, and said, “Why are you crying, Nina? Look, we made the biggest snowman as promised.” He opened his arms as if to show her “their” creation.

Nina stopped crying for a second, raised her head, and saw Elliot completely covered in snow, even without the snow that he placed on his head he could be confused for a snowman. As she continued to look at him a small smile started to creep on her face and just a few moments later she started laughing her heart out.

Elliot smiled lightly in his heart and thought to himself, “It isn’t hard to please children.”

Nina stopped laughing but still giggled once in a while as she helped Elliot get all of the snow out of his clothes.

“Why were they bullying you?” Elliot asked nonchalantly.

“I don’t know, I wasn’t really a friend of Eden but one day he suddenly started to call my mother a whore and tell lies about her. That she hit his dad and now his mom won’t let him sleep in the same bed or something like that.” Nina casually commented as she continued to hit Elliot here and there to make the snow fall off his coat.

“Oh…” Elliot didn’t know how to react.

“But all those are lies my mother would never hit someone and she is thin and beautiful so she can’t be a whore too.” Nina looked at Elliot with a firm look full of belief.

Elliot made a confused look as he heard her say that word and asked her, ”What is a whore?”

“What Elliot you don't know?” Nina snickered and then pumped her chest and proudly announced, “I didn't know either that why I asked her and it means a fat ugly woman.”

“Oh, I see…” Elliot only could look at the innocent little proud girl and not tell her the truth that he already knew the real definition of the word.

He even still remembers the red face of his smiling grandfather as he forced him to explain the real definition of the word that he didn’t understand in one of his journals.

Nina stopped cleaning the snow from Elliot's clothes and looked at his face.

“Elliot, why do you never laugh or smile?” She asked innocently without any malice as every child would.

She took a small pause, “Is it because you don’t want to be friends with me?”

The question took Elliot completely by surprise, “Ah, no. I had great time building snowmen with you and I already see you as a friend, but my face won’t react to it or to anything else as if it's not really mine.” He pulled his cheeks to make a smile but it looked more creepy than reassuring.

Nina laughed and said, “I am happy to hear that.” Then she looked to the side to see the sun already setting. “Oh, we should go home or mom will get angry.”

Elliot gave Nina a nod and started to walk but stopped as he saw that the little girl hadn't followed him, he looked back to see her standing a few steps behind him holding out her hand towards him.

“Friends should always hold hands no matter what.” She said with a small smile, Elliot took a moment before nodding and reaching out for Nina's hand without really opposing her logic.

Two kids were walking down a snowy road while holding hands, the girl had a big smile on her face while the boy had a big smile in his heart.