The crunch of her footsteps on the snow echoed in the white silence that enveloped the hill and the surrounding woods. The heavy snowfall from the previous night had covered everything with a blanket about half a metre deep. The snow reached Nene's shins and threatened to get inside her boots. She was sinking with every step, and the warm fur coat Oto had lent her made her feel very heavy, making her sink even more. The warmth her body produced was pleasant, despite the freezing breeze that whipped across her face, each gust like a series of invisible blades cutting across her skin. Quiet reigned all around, a placid and peaceful silence fallen together with the snow, claiming everything, sweeping away the rustling of leaves, the sounds of animals and human activity.

As she descended the hillside, she admired the tree that housed the sanctuary of the Cloud Folk, and wondered if it had lost its foliage, and if those who still lived up there were suffering from the cold, given their apparent aversion for wearing clothes. The cold wave had caught Kumhar off guard: that morning she had received a visit from a city guard sent by the mayor to make sure everyone was safe and sound. The guards were also organising an emergency network to provide firewood to those who needed it. She had taken the opportunity to ask the soldier for directions as to where the farm of which Nila had suddenly become the owner was. The guard had begged her to tell Nila that the mayor was waiting for her at the manor, as he foresaw a wave of ailments, and was hoping to rely on her medical skills to try to contain it.

Given the possible gravity of the situation, Nene felt a little guilty about being so enthusiastic. Not only did the snow remind her of some of the most pleasant moments of her childhood, spent playing at the dormitory with Elora, but she was thrilled at the idea of visiting Nila's new house. Furthermore, she couldn't get out of her head what Nila had said to her the previous evening: she was finally convinced that her feelings were reciprocated, so she was curious, and perhaps a little scared, to find out how things would have evolved from that moment on.

Ignoring the cold and containing her instincts to jump out of joy, she descended from the hill to the fields surrounding the city walls. There, numerous farmers were busy, some digging snow, others carrying materials and tools, as they rushed to prepare for the winter that had arrived so suddenly. She asked for directions, mentioning the name of the co-owner of Nila's farm, Ghiormar, and was directed away from the walls, towards the edge of the forest, not far from the ancient ruins from which Kumhar’s masons quarried rock to build the city's defences. There stood a large two-storey farmhouse, made of dark beams, and not far away a smaller building, with a circular base, on a single floor, a thatched roof, which resembled a large hut made of stone walls. Between the two structures, an area of land was fenced with sticks, and next to it was a small unused stone hovel.

She approached the two-storey building as it was the closest. The gabled grey stone tile roof was covered in occasional drifts of snow. The dark facade was marked by light wooden load-bearing pillars that outlined its edges, and small square windows closed by heavy shutters, held in place by large, rusty hinges and latches. There was something sinister and abandoned about it, to the point that it gave the impression that its interior was even colder than the snowy fields. She reached for the front door, which was surprisingly in good condition. She knocked.

She couldn’t get any response, so she looked around. In the distance, near the stone hut, she saw a figure, too massive to be Nila, peering at her. She raised an arm to greet what she assumed was Ghiormar, but he didn’t budge. The figure started walking again after a while, and disappeared inside the hut.

A creepy creak brought her attention back to the heavy knocker door, which opened very slowly. Nila's face appeared from behind it. She greeted her with an embarrassed smile.

«Nene! Come inside or y-you'll freeze»

She went in as she was told. To her surprise, the warm air inside the building felt pleasant, along with the scent of burning wood. She was enchanted by observing the interior, to the point that she almost didn't notice that Nila, feet pointed on the ground and hands on the door, was struggling to close it.

«Wait, I'll help you», she rushed.

They pushed together against the heavy, creaking door. With no small effort they succeeded, and Nila breathed a sigh of relief.

«There's a lot of things I need to fix», she explained.

«I see. At least it's warm»

«Yes. L-luckily the old owners insulated the house with pitch»

Nene looked around. They were in an enormous rectangular hall, about fifteen metres long and ten metres wide. In the centre stood an enormous hearth sunk into the floor, on a stone base, and topped by a chimney from which the wind was howling. The flame crackled satisfactorily and illuminated and heated the entire room, even more than the fireplace in the Emissary's house did, despite Nila’s place being significantly larger. To her left was a wooden staircase leading to the upper floor.

The room was full of junk, stacked furniture, piled up tools, all covered in a generous layer of dust and cobwebs. At the bottom of the building were some old shelvings, while next to the entrance rested some straw beds, far too big for humans. Around the hearth were some cooking tools, a kettle, spoons and the likes, and a worn-looking sofa, which had been cleaned of the dust.

«I think you could use a hand here», Nene noticed.

Nila looked down. She held out her arms, gesturing to her to handle her coat. She gave in, rather uncomfortably, as in doing so she revealed that she had once again put on the blue dress belonging to Oto's mother. She had spent the entire morning struggling with the dilemma of what to wear, her practical spirit at odds with new feelings she barely understood, the need to brave snowy terrain struggling against her desire to look pretty to Nila.

«You can sit by the fire», Nila suggested. «I-I'll make some tea»

«Thank you»

Nila accompanied her towards the sofa. She had finally found her smile again, and she proudly began to tell her about her plans for the farm.

«The animals used to sleep there», she explained, pointing to the beds. «The o-old owners shared the house with livestock. And they kept the grain over there»

«What happened to the animals?»

«They s-sold them to pay off some debts. I want to clean everything up and make my own laboratory»

«Do you want to continue your studies?»

«Not really. M-master Ezio taught me some formulas. They’re artificial fertilisers. I hope to use them in the fields»

Nene sat on the red-covered sofa and nearly collapsed. It was old and battered, still she let herself sink in its padding. Nila left her coat on a rickety chair, then plopped down next to her with a satisfied look. having worked hard that morning to reclaim that little corner around the hearth from the dust.

«For the time being, it's a mess», she admitted. «B-but I've mostly been busy arranging the upstairs quarters. Luckily they were in a better state…»

She poured water from a bucket into a teapot, and placed it next to the hearth. Her gestures were stiff and her gaze fixed on the flame. Nene knew her well enough by then to guess what was on her mind, so she dared to ask.

«Is something the matter?»

«I-I haven't told Ada yet, but... From today I will live here»

«Will she stay at the inn?»

«I think so. You heard her, yesterday...»

Nene watched the flame, for a few moments. Was it right to pry into their affairs? After all, there was no harm in sharing her opinion with Nila.

«Maybe you should tell her as soon as possible»

«Yes. Y-yes, that's true... She'll come here tonight. I'll talk to her»

«And if she decides to stay at Sevika’s... you will have more space for yourself», she joked.

Nila smiled. She came close to her, shoulder to shoulder, took off her cloth slippers and brought her knees to her chin. Then, she leaned into her, dropped her head onto Nene's shoulder, and sighed.

«I feel guilty. In truth… I would be happy if... if... if she decided to stay at the inn»

«Do you?»

«Yes, I w-well... I love her, but... Sometimes it's suffocating. Sometimes I feel like I have to take care of her. Sometimes I-I want to stay away from her, to live my own life»

Nene reached out and wrapped her arm around Nila while she was showing her vulnerable side. She caressed her arm, hoping to be of comfort.

«Makes sense. You're not abandoning her anyway»

«No, of course not!»

«Maybe it will be good for her too. She could take care of herself if she tried, don't you think?»

«Yes. M-maybe we have been relying on each other too much, lately»

«Maybe, or maybe you needed it. But things have changed now»

Nila smiled. She caressed her face, forcing her to look into her eyes. Nene felt insanely hot, especially when she realised she was getting closer.

Without saying a word, Nila rested her lips on hers. Nene, unaware of how to behave, didn't move a muscle and even held her breath. That contact set her face on fire, or rather, her entire body, but it only lasted an instant. Nila retreated and laughed nervously.

«Sorry, was it too much?»

«No! I mean… Yes? I mean... I'm sorry, I've never done it before...», she admitted.

«It doesn't matter. It's okay», Nila said, snuggling against her shoulder.

«No, seriously... So, could you... explain it to me?»

Nila laughed again. She sat up and picked up the teapot. She took some leaves from a pouch at her waist, dropped them into two small pewter cups and poured some hot water into them.

«Here», she said, handing her a cup.

«Thank you…»

«You're welcome»

Nene took Nila by hand when she saw her fidgeting with the fabric of her brown dress. Her clumsy behaviour was the cause of her discomfort, so she almost panicked. She was a mess, had ruined everything, but she tried not to listen to her dark thoughts.

«Nila, I... Forgive me, but I really need... to be guided, here»

The woman sighed but ultimately smiled at her. She took a sip of the infusion, and after a moment's hesitation, nodded.

«Would you like to see how I arranged upstairs?»

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

Nene instinctively looked towards the staircase. She wondered what could be so interesting up there, but Nila's amused look made her realise that, once again, she was being dumb. The implications of that proposal startled her, made her shiver. At the same time she was devoured by curiosity and other feelings that perhaps she was learning to recognize. Her imagination offered her suggestive scenarios that would have made her die out of shame if she had ever told them to anyone.

She figured that she was staring at Nila in silence, who was waiting for her response.

«I…», she stammered.

«You don't want to?»

«Er…»

She cursed herself and her awkwardness. Nila was making an effort to put her at ease, to be kind, and she was reciprocating with ambiguous silences and uncomfortable questions. She took a breath.

«Okay. But I don't know how to», she explained.

«Me neither», Nila giggled, her face red. «Never have I ever... n-not with a girl»

«So... what do we do?»

Nila left the cup on the floor. Nene instinctively imitated her. The young woman held out her hand and invited her to stand up. She pulled her towards her, wrapped her in a hug and caressed her face.

«L-let's go find out, shall we?»

Nene tried to keep her rampaging imagination in check. Every corner of her body was out of control. She felt one step away from starting to act recklessly. She contained herself and returned the hug, but in doing so, she became aware that she was breathing heavily and shaking slightly.

«Okay. Fine»

«Are you s-sure?»

«Yes», she replied.

Nila accompanied her to the stairs, telling her how she had renovated the quarters, but Nene couldn't pay enough attention to remember her words. Her thoughts were stuck in an unprecedented way. Her mind, unable to formulate coherent thoughts, overwhelmed by emotions and desires, was unmanageable and anxious. She followed Nila along the steps, towards the darkness of the quarters, towards unknown experiences.

----------------------------------------

«Neneeeee!!!»

The Emissary jumped at her, looking desperate. She roughed her up thoroughly on the doorstep, not even giving her time to close the door.

«It's cold», Oto lamented.

«My Lady, what's going on?»

Jiriel dragged her inside and slammed the door. She was on the verge of tears and wouldn't let her breathe. Oto was sitting at the table, mending a pair of tights. He waved to her, then went back to business with needle and thread.

«Where did you go?! I was so worried! I wanted to go and look for you but... but Oto...»

«I told you she was fine», the boy grumbled.

«I'm fine, My Lady. Forgive me if I made you worry for no reason»

«No reason? You spent the night out! I thought you had frozen to death! Are you ok? Lemme check your toes»

«I didn't... spend the night out...»

«Huh? Where have you been then?»

«Um… at Nila’s place»

«Oh. So I was worried over nothing?»

«See?!», Oto said.

Jiriel let go and got to her feet. She looked at her for a few long moments. Nene felt like she was peering into her soul, that she could see everything that had happened the previous day, including the outburst Adanara had had when she had found her at the farm, and her second outburst when Nila had informed her that she had decided to live there from that day on.

As if to confirm her suspicions, the Emissary spoke.

«Poor Adelyn. Will she ever get over it?»

«What? My Lady, you... did you read my mind?»

«Huh? You silly! It’s impossible to “read minds”», she laughed. «But I see it in your soul that you are worried about her. It's easy to guess the reason behind it»

Unconvinced by the ambiguous explanation, fearing that at that rate the Emissary would "guess" other much more intimate and embarrassing details, Nene headed to Oto, to get out of the way. The boy was mending a pair of tights. His inexperienced hands were doing a rather poor job at it. Nene sat next to him.

«Can I help you?»

«Do you know how to sew?», he asked.

«I do. They taught me at the monastery. Each cadet must keep the clothing that Mother Superior lends them in decent shape»

«Thanks»

Oto handed her a needle, thread and thimble. Nene grabbed the tights and bit back a sigh, as Oto's clumsy attempt had made things worse. She had to undo what he had done and start over again.

«In the meantime, I'll go get some water from the stream», the boy said.

«Wait, your coat»

Nene returned him the fur coat. Oto put it on, grabbed the bucket and ran out, slamming the door behind him. Jiriel stood in a corner, unusually silent, looking thoughtful. They were alone, and she kept glancing at Nene, which was starting to get on her nerves. She decided to break the silence.

«My Lady, allow me to ask»

«I did nothing wrong!»

Her response left her surprised. The angel of God had a guilty conscience and her ability to hide it was less than that of a child, caught with their hand in a cookie jar.

«Why was Oto trying to sew by himself, even though he doesn't know how to?»

The Emissary sat next to her and watched as she knitted.

«Because he is a smart boy. Maybe he didn't succeed the first time, but you'll see...»

«That’s not what I meant. Would you be able to mend this?»

«Sure, easy thing»

«So why didn't you do it for him?»

Jiriel lay dramatically on the table, stretched out her arms, and wrapped her fingers around the opposite end. She collapsed as if desperate, huffing like a bellows.

«’Cause it's boooooooooring»

Nene held back a fit of rage. The Emissary was behaving like a spoiled and inconsiderate child, at Oto’s expense. She took a deep breath, forcing herself to stay calm.

«In that case, why didn't Oto turn to the seamstress in town? I thought they were on good terms»

«Because I forbade him!»

Jiriel sat upright in her chair. Her voice was full of anger, her flaccid air gave way to a fierce and determined look.

«You... Why did you do it?»

«Because… Because… That seamstress… She's dangerous, Nene! The looks she gives him! As if he were a... a...»

«Are you jealous of the seamstress?»

«What?! Nene?! Don't you trust my judgement?»

«Since you sent me to the sanctuary of the Cloud Folk, with little and mostly inaccurate information, I have serious doubts about your judgement»

The Emissary whimpered as she rose to her feet. She walked around the table, positioning herself in front of Nene, got on her knees, placed her elbows on the table and rested her head on her clenched fists. Her exaggerated pouting failed to move Nene, who was determined to knock some sense into that empty head of hers.

«You meanie! Everyone’s against me! I’m telling you, the seamstress is evil. Oh… Oh no!», she gasped loudly. «What if she’s a witch? Perhaps the Evil One himself!»

«Don't even attempt it! You can't fool me that easily!»

«Anyway, I started warning as many people as I could in town»

«What?! What have you done?!»

«Why are you yelling at me? I just told some of the villagers what I know about the seamstress. They have to know, they need to be on their guard against her!»

«You... defamed an innocent woman, just because... because of... your stupid jealousy?!»

«Don't call me stupid! When she looks at Oto, I feel… bad»

«God, give me strength...»

«What does Yave have to do with it now?»

Nene put down her sewing tools. She had just finished untangling the mess Oto had made, but her hands were trembling. She needed to calm down before proceeding with the task.

«You should go to the seamstress, and apologise. And to all the people you talked to. Explain that what you said was false»

«False? I tell only the truth!»

«If you don't, I'll take care of it!»

Jiriel pounded the table with her fists and rose to her full height.

«Why won’t you believe me?!», she thundered.

Her commanding voice made Nene flinch. Her annoyance vanished in an instant. She came to her senses and realised what absurd folly she got into: how had it occurred to her to preach to the Emissary of God, to question her words? She bowed and began to tremble, fearing punishment for her actions.

«Forgive me, My Lady, I don't know what came over me»

Contrary to her expectations, Jiriel looked at her disappointed. She started poking Nene’s cheek.

«Wait… Come on, don't act like that. Let's keep arguing»

«I'm sorry, My Lady. It wasn't my intention to disagree with you»

«Oh, come on! For once we were arguing as equals! As friends»

«Friends?»

«Yes. Sevika taught me. She says that if two people never argue, it means they don't care enough about each other. That’s why Adelyn and I argue all the time»

Nene took a moment to compose herself. The thought that she and the Emissary could consider each other equals was beyond blasphemous, yet it was Jiriel's own will. Unsure what to do, she started sewing Oto's tights again, just to avoid the conversation.

«Later, I will go to this seamstress to verify your suspicions», she said.

«You're no fun», the angel whined.

«You often tell me that. I'm sorry»

«Uff… you don't need to go and check…»

«What?»

«There's no need to check the seamstress. She's not a witch. I made it up. It was just a joke»

Jiriel became sulky and resigned. She lay her face back on the table and began drumming on its surface. They remained in an awkward silence for a few moments, until the Emissary raised her head and looked around.

«Oh», she whispered.

«What now?»

An idiotic grin appeared on Jiriel's face, a harbinger of misfortune. Whatever was going through her head was probably going to give Nene yet another migraine. It was mandatory to clarify the defamatory rumours spread by the angel as soon as possible, before her Lady could come out with her next silly lie.

«Nila is coming», she gloated.

«Really? How do you… Are you sure?»

«Of course. She doesn't have a strange soul like yours or Adelyn's, but I've learned to recognise it»

«Oh… um… I wonder what she might be up to»

Nene began knitting feverishly. She felt nervous suddenly. The idea of seeing Nila again after the events of the previous day caused her an uneasiness that she couldn't explain. Additionally, she was desperate at the prospect of the Emissary finding out about their relationship. There was nothing wrong with it, yet, even though Jiriel had explained several times that she did not agree with many tenets of the Church, she feared her reaction.

Jiriel, on the other hand, leaned towards her, her dumb smile even more pronounced. Soon she was within an inch from Nene’s nose and was barely holding back laughter.

«Aren't you gonna open the door?», she teased her in a slow, dumb tone.

«Yes, Ma'am»

She got up and headed for the entrance. She opened it an instant before Nila could knock, thus finding her with her arm raised and a surprised expression.

«Hello»

Nila was wrapped in a yellowish raw wool cloak, which looked warm and soft, but also old and worn. Noticing that her face was red from the cold, Nene hastily invited her inside.

«Lemme see! Lemme see!» Jiriel exclaimed, running towards her.

«G-good morning»

The angel rushed to Nila and began to examine her cape. She looked at it fascinated as if she was in front of a historical relic or something extremely precious.

«So fluffy! Nene, touch it! It’s fluffy!»

«My Lady, it's wool. That’s just how wool is»

«Nene has been scolding me all morning!», the Emissary whined.

«Oh no. W-what did you do to make her angry?», Nila asked.

«Me?! Nothing...», she replied, unconvinced.

«Come, warm yourself by the fire», Nene said.

They ignored Jiriel's tantrums and took seats in the armchairs close to the fireplace. Nene contained her agitation by avoiding meeting Nila's gaze, who, however, after taking off her coat, stood in front of her.

«Is everything okay?», she asked her.

«Uh? Yes, of course»

«No it’s not!», the Emissary interjected. «I don't deserve to be treated like this!»

«Jiriel, could you... l-leave us alone for a moment?»

Nila's sudden request made her shut up. She immediately stopped her drama, turned very serious and nodded. After retrieving the sewing tools and tights from the table, she disappeared into the cellar, locking the door with bolts from the inside.

«You ran without saying anything this morning», Nila said. «I got worried»

Nene hunched her head between her shoulders. She was so ashamed of her actions, but she had felt overwhelmed by her emotions and ran away from Nila's farm. She had partly done it to avoid waking her, but to claim that was the main reason would have been a lie. She sighed.

«Sorry. I felt the need to... be alone for a bit, I think»

«Oh… I understand. Did I… d-do or say something that hurt you?»

«No, absolutely not!», she exclaimed. «Yesterday was… Very difficult for me. But I'm happy about it! I mean it. Thank you»

«So…»

Nila sat on the arm of her chair, thus finding herself towering above Nene. The redness on her face had not diminished at all, but it seemed of a different nature. She smiled and rubbed her shoulders for a few moments before continuing.

«... So it's settled?»

«Yes. You... I like you, Nila»

Having finally expressed her feelings out loud caused Nene to giggle silly, which made her feel intensely uncomfortable. Nila, however, did the same, before grabbing her hand. Her skin was freezing and clammy due to the outside weather, her fingers were purple and her movements were stiff from the cold.

«I like you too, Nene. In fact, I-I came to ask you if…»

«If?»

«If you wanted to move in with me»