Chapter 28: Winter

Winter started with slight hail and rain showers. The air was humid and the atmosphere had light fog floating about. It made vision range to the distance extremely hard. The temperatures dropped beneath freezing levels in the nights and mornings. The few hours of sunlight was the only time Mikaela could endure training in such weather. 

He persistently swung his sword, after which he would drink a cup of warm ginger and honey tea to drive off the cold which also worked as a remedy for colds and fevers.

Mikaela remembered that last winter was laid back and he didn't have to endure the coldness. He only did a few minutes of swings and helped in hunting. He was ever dressed warmly. 

This winter seemed colder than the last. 

Waking up in the morning was hard enough but having to do the morning routine training was torture to his young body. His Father, Mitchell would spend a good deal of time coaxing him out of the warm embrace of his fluffy fur blanket.

Regardless, he held his sword every morning, swung it in focus, and struggled until he was done with his sets. He would do the same in the early evenings. 

His toes would end up frozen in cold, his ears red with frostbite, and his face paler than usual after his practice. His hands and fingers were in worse condition, only short of turning purple. 

Mikaela did a warm-up jog to keep his body from freezing for over half an hour. Sometimes, he would jump and at times do random dances which varied with his mood. This was in line with advice from his Father.

The new sword was perfect. Maybe due to its ebony beauty, it had a striking contrast to the snow-covered fields. He loved it so much. 

It resembled a real sword so much, at least in comparison to the swords he had seen. It even had a sheath, and was sharp and durable. 

Swish! Swoosh!

It made a cutting sound that Mikaela found very interesting. Best of all, the grip was perfect. His tiny arms could still hold the hilt despite the larger and longer size.

"Your center of gravity is improving. You will soon learn more sword tricks," said Mitchell, from a distance away while holding a mug of hot chocolate. 

He was amazed at his son's body. It had great endurance to the cold, great stamina, and adept strength. At least compared to his peers, he was invisible.

A smile formed on Mitchell's lips and was glad that such a talent was his son.

'I will mold you to be the best, Son,' he thought.

His eyes blazed in intense motivation. 

Mikaela's eyes lit up at the news, but his focus remained on swinging the sword. It had become second nature. A chill went down his spine but he ignored that as well.

Even in such weather, drops of sweat run down his back. His body was drenched.

His hands had now formed calluses from the tear and wear of his skin and bursts of blisters. He had endured the pain for so long and now the light at the end of the tunnel was lighting up. With such good news, his motivation peaked once more. 

He improved daily. His strength increased more as the sword in his hand felt lighter by the day.

A small smile remained at the corner of his lips until the strenuous end of his sets. 

With a towel over his head, he walked to the bath. He took a warm shower and changed his clothes before having a warm drink from Lucien's home.

He found a brunette woman seated, reading a paper with a frown on her lips. Her slanted eyelids dropped with helplessness. She didn't even notice his presence as usual. 

"Auntie…," he called out.

"Oh, you are here, Kaela. Here you go," she said, passing a mug of warm tea made of ginger, and honey.

"Thanks, Auntie."

He took the mug and sat at the table waiting for the drink to cool a bit.

In the awkward silence, Bianca drifted off to her thoughts while Mikaela fidgeted, trying to come up with a topic of interest.

"Is something wrong Auntie? Can I help?" trying to make small talk, he asked.

Bianca lifted her crystal ocean blue eyes and was met with a pair of bright scarlet eyes filled with innocence and naivety. 

She smiled and stood up. 

'I shouldn't be preoccupied in a child's presence. I forget they are sharply perspective.' she sighed in her heart.

"Nothing is wrong, Kaela. Would you like to help me in the kitchen?" she asked.

Mikaela's eyes lit up and nodded profusely. 

He had always wanted to learn more about the kitchen, where wonderful meals were made, and the place magical sweets came from. His eyes lit up in delight and rushed to finish the mug of tea, not minding the strong flavor.

He breathed out hot air after gulping the drink in one go. 

"Come on," Bianca motioned.

They both walked to the kitchen. 

Many ingredients were either hung on hooks on the wall or placed in a basket. Some condiments sat on the shelves in closed jugs and containers.

There were several compartments where plates, cups, forks, spoons, knives, and other utensils were placed very orderly.

The fireplace was under a chimney where all the meals were cooked. There was not completely burnt coal in the fireplace leaving the room warm.

His eyes traveled left and right trying to take in as much as he could. He aspired to be the best helper in the kitchen.

Fufu~

Bianca laughed at the child's simplicity.

'Anette, your child is doing well, still full of curiosity' she thought.

O.O