Everlasting Dream

Chapter 12: Do not look back

[Nivalis Silverfrost]

Nivalis shifted her blue gaze towards the frosty window; a rainstorm of emotions coursed through her thudding chest as she waited patiently for Haldor to leave the house. Only when she heard the front door of their house creak and slam shut did she release a deep, relaxing breath. The sky was a dull gray, and a chill lingered in the room despite the tightly shut window. A cold wind whistled and moaned softly outside. It was bad weather for what she had planned, but it's not like she had any choice.

She glanced at her newborn son cradled in her arms, watching how he sucked on her nipple. His tiny nostrils flared as he breathed, and his bright golden eyes fluttered open now and then, returning the glance at her.

The next ten minutes felt like an eternity. But her tense muscles relaxed once Nivalis was certain Haldor was gone for good and wouldn't return anytime soon. She leaned back against the headboard, momentarily closing her eyes and whispering a happy, "He's gone."

Nivalis gently withdrew her swollen nipple from her son's mouth and carefully tucked it back into her blouse. Luckily, her baby boy remained quiet, not crying or fussing like she thought he might. Instead, he gazed up at her with his large, gold eyes. Nivalis smiled softly and stroked his chubby, rosy cheek. "You're such a good little mommy's boy," she cooed. "Let's get your sister and get out of here, okay, my precious?"@@@@

Without wasting any time, Nivalis moved swiftly through the house, making her way toward her daughter's bedroom. She quietly opened the door and peeked inside, her heart racing with anticipation.

The little girl was curled up in a tight ball, her face buried in the pillow, her long silvery hair around her. A quiet sniffle escaped her nose occasionally, her tiny, flat chest rising and falling with each breath.

Nivalis couldn't help but smile at the sight of her sleeping daughter. Quietly, she walked over to the bed, the floorboards creaking softly under her feet, and knelt beside the mattress. Brushing strands of silver hair away from her face, Nivalis whispered, "My love," while gently shaking her little body to wake her up.

"M-mommy?" Silvia stuttered in a sleepy voice, her big golden eyes blinking slowly as she looked up at her mother.

Even though it was only them in the house, it still felt wrong to talk in her normal voice. So, instead, Nivalis spoke in a low, urgent whisper. "Shhh, hush." She shushed with her hand, pressing her finger against her lips. "Your father won't be home for at least a day, perhaps two. You and I must try to leave and hide from him."

"Leave?" Silvia asked, her eyes going wide with alarm. She reminded Nivalis of a little deer spooked by a twig snapping in the forest.

Nivalis smiled reassuringly and stroked her daughter's cheek. "We're not safe here, you know it, my love. You saw how he is... Haldor is a bad man, truly is. We should try to escape from here. It will be just three of us from now on," she softly whispered, looking down at the little boy in her arms.

"Umm... Mommy? Where will we go?" Silvia asked, her lower lip quivering as she looked up at her mother.

— "As far from here as possible, my dear. Honestly... I'm not sure where exactly, just somewhere you can grow up and be free, far from here," Nivalis replied, gently caressing her daughter's cheek. "I will take you somewhere safe, my little bunny."

Silvia's eyes welled up with tears, a glimmer of hope flickering like a candle in the dark. "Are we really going to leave?" she whispered, almost afraid to believe it.

— "Mhm..." Nivalis nodded, seeing how it made tears stream down her daughter's cheeks. "It won't be easy, I'm afraid. Long journey ahead of us, but we'll make it. I promise, my love."

Silvia sniffled and wiped her tears with the back of her hand. "Okay," she said quietly, clutching her blanket tightly.

— "Good girl," she cooed before her expression turned serious. "Now, sweetheart, we need to be quick. Help me gather your things."

"Yes, Mommy," the girl replied, getting up from the bed.

— "That's my brave girl," Nivalis whispered, smiling softly as they began to pack, putting everything the little girl owned in there, even her favorite blanket. Her eyes constantly darted to the window for any sign of Haldor's return.

She then noticed that Silvia struggled to put on her winter clothes, the simple task proving difficult for a child her age. "Let me," Nivalis whispered, kneeling before her, helping her dress up, putting on a few layers of pants, tunics, and a warm coat.

"Thank you, Mommy," Silvia murmured, looking down at her outfit and fiddling with the hem of her coat.

— "Celebrates. He did so when you were born, too. He won't be back for at least one more day, perhaps two. That's why we must move quickly, get as far away as possible." Nivalis replied, glancing over her shoulder, afraid he would appear any second. But the only sounds were the wind's mournful howl and the crisp crunch of snow underfoot.

Reaching the barn, Nivalis opened the creaky door and led her children inside, her thudding heart beating like a drum. Her sharp eyes scanned the interior, searching for any signs of danger. Yet the barn remained silent and empty.

"Silvia, come here and have a seat," Nivalis whispered, walking to the back of the barn and pulling out an old wooden sled. She guided her daughter onto it, and the girl nestled in, her tiny arms cradling her baby brother. Despite being old, the sled was tough and reliable, with a robust wooden frame and securely fastened leather straps built to endure the harshest winter weather.

— "Now, let's get everything ready," Nivalis mumbled out loud, hurriedly walking around the barn, revealing her hidden supplies. Some were under the hay, while others were cleverly concealed behind wooden panels and even under the ceiling.

One by one, she loaded the sled behind the little girl with food, extra clothes, tools, and other must-haves, all evenly distributed. The last thing she needed was for it to become unbalanced, slowing them down or even toppling the whole thing. They need to be quick.

Her fingers almost danced as she worked, deftly tying the ropes around their supplies, securing them with tight knots. She double-checked each one, feeling how her heartbeat only got faster from fear, but her face showed none of it. "Alright, I think that's everything we'll need," she declared, stepping back and examining the loaded sled with a girl still sitting on it.

Silvia, her cheeks pale from the cold, shivered under the layers of blankets that her mother covered her in. "A-are we ready, Mommy?" she asked, her voice quivering.

— "Almost, my sweet," Nivalis whispered, her eyes landing on a bow hidden in a corner, along with a bunch of deadly arrows. 'We'll need this for sure,' she thought, bundling the bow and arrows together and securing them tightly to the sled.

Next, she found a rope and fastened it to the front of the sled before wrapping it around her thin waist, tying a tight, secure knot. Her body was still weary from giving birth, but she paid it no mind. There was no such thing a mother wouldn't do to save her children from that sick human. "I'm ready..." she nodded, looking at the barn door nervously.

"Why do we need this rope, Mommy?" Silvia quietly asked, curiously so.

Nivalis smiled at her daughter, "I'll pull the sled with you and your brother so you won't have to walk."

"N-no! It's too heavy for you!" Silvia protested, trying to get up, but all the blankets made it hard. "I want to help!"

— "No, no," Nivalis said softly, gently pushing the girl back down and wrapping the blanket tighter around her shivering form. "I know you want to help, sweetheart, and I appreciate it, but Asty needs your help more than I do. I need you to keep an eye on him and make sure he's warm, alright? He's less than a day old, so even a little breeze could harm him now."

"Really?" Silvia mumbled in surprise, looking down under the blankets at the precious bundle of a brother in her arms before looking up at her mother again with a slightly panicked expression.

Kneeling before her daughter, Nivalis gently brushed away the strands of silver hair from her chubby face, planting the gentlest of kisses on her forehead. "We will be okay, my little princess. Everything will be okay..." she mumbled against her skin, trying to hold back tears.

Silvia kissed her mother's cheek back, nodding and wrapping, pressing the baby brother tighter against her chest. "O-okay, Mommy," she whispered, her tiny hand gripping the edge of the sled.

Nivalis smiled at her little girl, giving her cheek one last peck before standing up and grabbing the rope. With a long, tired sigh, she began pulling the sled. Her muscles tensed as the wooden frame creaked, her breath coming in short gasps. The sled slowly moved forward, barely so, all the weight of their supplies making it move like a snail.

However, when they reached the snow outside the barn, it became noticeably easier as the sled glided smoothly over the snowy surface, leaving two deep lines on its way.

Nivalis didn't dare look back, her eyes fixed on the forest ahead, her heart beating faster and faster. There was no turning back now; truly, there was no turning back. Their life will never be the same after today, for good or bad, but it will not.

"Ahhh... haaahh... haaahh..." She panted as she pulled them across the field, going faster than ever before neighbors could spot them. 'You can do it. Do it for your children,' she thought, biting her lip until it started bleeding lightly. Her body was shaking with exertion, her breath ragged. Rope dug into her flesh, cold wind stung her cheeks, and the sled weighed like an anchor behind her...

But it was nothing compared to what awaited her if she stayed here any longer. The air never tasted so sweet as when they reached the forest's edge.