After a few dozen more trips for wood, I am told to stop and take a break by some of the community.

“I am fine, let me keep helping” I reply.

“Just sit for a minute, you have moved the same amount of wood as half of the group, alone! And you are sweating!” The older man replies, concerned.

“I am fine, I just find it a bit warm at the moment”

“Warm?! This weather is getting colder! We’re bracing for possibly the coldest snap of the year!” He exclaims, and then storms off.

Unsure of what to do, I continue hauling wood, which is about as dense as hay or foam, and I am limited more by the bulk rather than weight. Eventually, I relocate all of it from the schoolhouse to the church, with a few stares of disbelief, concern, and some of disgust. I just take it and continue, grabbing a cloth bag and loading as many foods from Thallion and Lena’s kitchen and bringing it to the kitchen.

A few trips later, I am stopped and told to take the wood from Eldrin’s forge. Many of the members of the community are showing signs of slowing down already, and they tend to linger in the hall longer and longer before heading back out.

After moving about half the wood Eldrin has, I find the pile of charcoal, on my next trip I talk to Eldrin

“Do you want me to grab the charcoal as well?”

Eldrin looks at me in disbelief, “Nae, I donna wan’ ya ta grab tha’. ‘Tis expensive, or a lo’ o’ work ta ma’e. Bu’ there be a pile o’ wood beyon’ the shed as well. Near the burner”

Before I can ask what he means by burner, he heads off to help haul wood from other people’s houses.

Going behind Eldrin’s place, I see why he did not need to tell me what the burner is, as there is a large earthen ring on the ground, with remains of charcoal dust within. Passing that, I see the stack of logs that he was referring to, and I carry that in.

As night falls, I continue moving wood, but with fewer and fewer helpers. All of the children and elderly are inside, crowded around the iron stove in the middle of the room, along with a good chunk of the population. On my next trip out, I notice the temperature drop since my last trip, but push on to haul at least one more load of wood. By the door, Thallion grabs a hold of my arm and states that this is the last trip, and that they need everyone inside so they can count.

Nodding, I head out, and quickly deliver the wood. The temperature has dropped significantly, and even with my good coat, My hands are freezing and I am having difficulty feeling my nose.

Back inside, I approach the stove, and warm my hands near it, feeling its radiation warm the room.

“Drink up the hea’ as ya can, ‘tis gonna be a long’un.” Eldrin states, stoking the fire more, to the point where there are some flames licking up the sides of the chimney pipe where it meets the stove. “An’ get some food and wa’er inta ya, you look ‘alf dead!”

Nodding quickly, I head over to the kitchen, where others are serving stew and freshly baked bread. Accepting the offered bowl, I scarf it down, along with the bread, feeling better already. I ladle some water from the large basin and add it to the bowl and drink, as there are no cups. The water is room temperature, but after the amount of running I have been doing, it feels cool and invigorating. I take my coat off, and sit near one of the walls, enjoying my cool water, when one of the older ladies comes over to me, looking concerned.

“What are you doing?! Put that coat back on this instant! Don’t you understand that it’s cold?!”

As she approaches, she continues. “You’re sweating! That’s it, I want 3 of those cups of water in you immediately, and then you are sitting by the fire in your coat! Give me your shirt!”

I quickly take it off, and pass it to her, who hangs it on a line near the fire to dry.

“Now put your coat back on and follow me”

I quickly follow, and she has me sit on the floor with the other kids, right beside the stove.

After a few minutes, I am sweating profusely, as the temperature by the stove is closer to that of a sauna.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

Eldrin, who is still stoking the fire looks at me. “Cannae handle th’eat?”

I shake my head no, as the heat gets to me and makes thinking and talking too difficult.

Eldrin, seeing this, immediately springs to action and tries to drag me away from the fire. A few of the kids help, but I don’t get moved to far.

“Oi, ya been ea’in too much? Ya weigh more than a s’ack o’ wood!”

At this point, the old lady comes back over.

“What are you doing?! He needs to get warm!”

“Ma’am, this lad is already warm, in fac’, he is too warm.” Eldrin replies calmly, yet with stress.

“Too warm?! Not possible with this temperature, the other kids are just fine being there.”

“Look Maerwen, this lad ‘ere is nae a kid. ‘Es a man, an’ a mel’in’ one a’ tha’.” Eldrin replies, his jaw clenched, and looking ready to drop me and throttle the old lady.

I am too groggy to respond, due to the heat.

“Definitely not! He’s short, and just about to fall asleep!”

“Aye, he be shor’ and sleepy, but tha’s caused by the ‘eat! He’s ‘bout to pass out”

“None of that! Just prop him back up by the fire! He’s just falling asleep by being warm.”

At this point, Eldrin lets go of me to look eye to eye with the old lady, whose name seems to be Maerwen.

“Look, this one, ‘es no’ from ‘round ‘ere. Been ‘old tha’ ‘e came from the wes’ afta a long ‘ravel.”

At this point, I can no longer hold myself in a sitting position, and fall backwards onto the floor, narrowly missing one of the kids. My eyes close even though I fight to keep them open.

“An’ ‘ere ‘e goes, right over. He needs to cool down, now! Seen this with a few other folks ‘round me forge. ‘Emps t’high for ‘em, and ‘ey pass ou’.

I feel a cold hand pressed against my forehead.

“He… he’s burning?! In this weather?!”

I feel myself slide across the floor, and then I fully pass out, hearing the fading murmurs of the room.

-----

I don’t know how long later, but I finally come to, with a cloth on my forehead, and Thallion sitting in a chair nearby, asleep. It is dark outside, but it is not quiet as the room rustles with light movements as everyone tries to sleep, but not very well. The glow of the fire is still going strong, and Eldrin is near the fire with his shirt off, tending it again. Looking my direction, he sees me awake and comes by, carefully walking around all those asleep.

“Goo’ ta see ya back up laddie. Gave us a good frigh’. I thin’ Maerwen will leave ya alone now, but be careful with ‘er, she may be old, but she be the ‘own gossip as well.” He whispers near my ear. Now get some sleep. Temperature is dropping again, an’ we may need ta close the ven’s if i’ ge’s much colda.”

Nodding and rolling over, I offer a thanks, and quickly fall back to sleep near the wall.

-----

Come morning, I wake up late due to the amount of effort I put in yesterday, and the heat exhaustion I had as well. I quickly down more water, which is still cool, but warmer than it was yesterday. Looking around, I find Thallion just seated on the floor near the back wall. I join him with my bowl of stew as well, and just sit with him. He looks tired, moreso than the average person, and his red, bloodshot eyes has me concerned, but I don’t want to ask until he is ready.

A few thick minutes later, he states: “You missed the count last night. Everyone is here except for two. A young kid named Rynar, who you would not have met, he is 4 and would start school in the spring. And Lena, who went out to look for him.”

Thallion curls up and hugs his knees. Silvra joins a bit later, and just sits silently with us, seemingly knowing of this info already. Eldring passes by, and nods knowingly at me.

I get up, grab my now dry shirt from the line and put it on. I start putting on my coat, and boots, and stealthily, I head for the back door behind the kitchen, which is empty at the moment.

“Where are you going?!” Someone behind me says. Turning, I see it is one of the kids, looking terrified.

“Rescuing Lena”

“But you’ll freeze!” the kid replies stubbornly and now blocking the door.

“You see Thallion back there?” I whisper to her, crouching down to her height. “It’s his sister that’s missing. Thallion is a great teacher, but Lena is everything else for him. I don’t want to see him break.”

At this moment, a rather large woman wakes up and begins crying. “Oh Rynar! Where are you?! Why did I let you go out and play today of all days?!”

Many of the other women swarm her and try to comfort her, as they too grieve, accepting the loss of both of them already.

“That, right there is what I am trying to prevent Thallion from feeling.”

“You’ll be alright?” She asks sweetly.

“Yes, now let me try and help”

Nodding, she lets me pass.

“Thanks, and don’t tell anyone”

Going through the airlock style doors, I exit into the frigid morning air, and start looking for Lena and Rynar. Taking a deep breath, and staring at the fog cloud as I breathe out, I stoke myself, pull the tuque and mittens from my pocket, and begin walking over the freshly fallen yet wind stripped snow.