ti: Fimbulwinter

  Location: Vilge of Aplos

  I still remember over a decade ago when my father id disease-ridden in his bed, with both me and my brother staring at her from a distance.

  “Father please don’t go.”

  “I am so sorry I ’t be there for the both of you. But never fet even if you don’t have me, you have each other; if you ever get sad and doubt yourself please be there for each other, you’re a set for life. Aea, Alis both of you be happy.”

  A little bit after Orb and Willow became Warriors.

  Φ Staring from a distahe young warriors of the vilge look at Orb with repulsed expressions. But regardless of their opinions all they do is just stand and watch them.

  -Break-

  Location: Buloke house

  Shoving wine down her mouth, my sister Aea breaks the mug on the ground shattering it to pieces.

  “That was a solid wood mug!”

  “The monstrous strength of Aea the beast still remains!”

  Grabbing the head of Banya, Aea says, “Hey did you just call me a beast!”

  As Aea is about to beat him, Coco says, “Have this,” While her another drink.

  Taking it from his hands she shoves it down her mouth, thes out another scream of happiness, with the others partying around her shout with her.

  As my sister shoves more wine down the back of her throat, I see Buloke scowling in the back, so I ask, “Are you alright?”

  With the same angered expression, he says, “This isn’t right, that intruder shouldn’t be allowed to wear the same clothes, or have the same bracelets as us.”

  Everyone who hears Buloke’s words immediately stops partying. Seeing the mood drop I say, “What a buzzkill, you know the reason artying is to drink away our disfort about Orb, yet you still choose t down the mood.”

  “Hey, don’t ask if I am alright if you don’t want the truth!”

  “I asked out of courtesy because you were being a wet b. You know it is that same attitude that makes Jute not like you.”

  Angered Buloke sms his head into mine and says, “Someone forever alone like you has nht to judge me for shit.”

  Smming my head against him, I say, “e at me bitch!”

  As we are about to start a fight my twin sister Aea es and puts her hands around both of our necks, and pletely wasted she says, “Orb is a warrior who passed the test so it is not like we could stop him if we wao, and besides nobody even likes him except Willow so he will probably leave soon.”

  “But then he will tell people about our existence.”

  Looking at Buloke, I say, “Unless you want to either rip off his tongue or kill him, I suggest you get over it.”

  “You know that might be the answer.”

  Seeing the gears turn in his head, I say, “It was a joke you uand?”

  “Alis you’re sense of humour sucks just like usual.”

  “I don’t want to hear that from a drunk oaf like you Aea.”

  “Well whatever, in all hoy, we are looking at this backwards, if we want Sequoia to kick him out of the vilge all we o do is show he is untrustworthy, so basically stalk him until we find some dirt on him.”

  Buloke thinking says, “That’s a good idea.”

  Behind her, Banya says, “Did getting so drunk made Aea grow a brain?”

  Turning around, Aea throws her jug right in his face.

  “I guess the only thio do is figure out which of all of us will be stalking Orb,” I ask.

  “Well, we will need multiple people, preferably two with great coordination.”

  “They should also be well acquainted with Orb to uand his weirdness.”

  “It will also have to be people who Orb would let his guard down against, preferably two idiots.”

  “Now where are we going to find a duo like that?”

  Suddenly I notice all the eyes in the room staring at me and my sister.

  -Break-

  Φ Piering my head over the er of a house, I look at Orb and say to my brother, “Target in sight.”

  Whining behind me, Alis says, “Why do I have to join this stupid mission anyways?”

  “Shut up, you’re being too loud.” Notig Orb about to turn his head, I grab Alis and move away from his sight.

  After a moment I look again to see that Orb has vanished. “Target lost.”

  Grabbing Alis I start to run around looking for him, but I ’t find him anywhere. “AHHHH, where did that brat go.”

  Sighing, Alis says, “Maybe we should ask around and see if anyone has seen him.”

  “Good idea, let’s go look around for clues to solve this mystery.”

  “You’re enjoying this far too much.”

  “Whenever else do we get to do something as fun as this!”

  Interviews with the vilgers.

  (Cedar Wodok, assistant chief of the vilge)

  “What I think about Orb?”

  “That’s about it oldy, any strange behaviour you have noticed from him, You’re usually at the Rians household for meetings so anything at all.”

  “Well, the boy is incredibly . The household has been incredibly spotless since he came, it is actually rather pleasant to see something so , especially since my dy wife has died my house has been rather messy, and lonely-.”

  “Shut up, no one cares. Tell me something more sacious!”

  With his full force, my brother smacks me on my head and says, “Use your brain your idiot.”

  Grabbing me and walking away, Alis says, “Sorry for her rudeness.”

  (Ewen Shaker, head of all stru in the vilge)

  “What do the two of you want, I am busy preparing for the Aroniaival.”

  Alis says, “Hey, we are just asking a question?”

  “It is already mid-day, you should be actually doing something instead of pying. Have some shame!”

  “You’re just a mean old bully, I ’t wait till all your children will grow up and hate an old fart like you.”

  “My 5 precious little angels will never be anything like you zy bums, they will be more like that brat Orb.”

  My sister immediately regains her pets up close to Ewen and asks, “ you eborate on that?”

  “Well Orb is always up super early, and active so I have lots of respect for that boy. Though retly I have seen him walking with cloth from the chiefs in the m.”

  Staring at Alis, I say, “What could he be doing with that cloth?” With delight.

  Pridefully Ewen says, “Probably getting into craftwork, every young man reaches that poiually in their lives.”

  In unison, me and my brother scoff at Ewen, who then yells, “GET OUT OF HERE YOU BRATS!”

  (Throne Beak, the head chief of the vilge)

  “About Orb?”

  “Anything at all will be helpful.”

  “Sorry, I don’t know anything, because, in all hoy, I have been avoiding him.”

  As Throarts to shake, I ask, “Why?”

  “Because he is strange, he looks and speaks the same as us, but I know he is different. I ’t tell what he is thinking, so I only imagihe worst of him. I ever be at peace as long as he is around and have to watch him with the eyes of a hawk to feel safe.”

  Alis says, “I know what you mean. Whenever him and Cole were speaking their strange nguage, it makes me feel rather unfortable as if he is pnning something behind our backs.” Smag his chest, Alis says, “But don’t worry since all of us warriors are s that if something happened, we would take care of it!”

  Cheering up, Throne says, “Thanks, guys. You take some bread with you.”

  (Maple Rian, the chief)

  Mung on our bread, and walking through the vilge we hear Maple scream, “I WILL NEVER SUBMIT!”

  Looking over to her we see she is still hanging right in the ter of the vilge. Turning to her Alis says, “Hey Maple, how do you relieve yourself all the there?”

  With all the force I muster I kick my brother directly in his side knog him to the floor, “Don’t ask such a young dy that, have some tack!”

  Staring directly at us, he says, “You two beasts don’t qualify as young dies.”

  As Maple starts to give him a fierce stare, I say, “Now you have do.”

  Taking a moment to clear her throat Maple starts to sing the following, “Oh how no one uands this sad soul of mi hurts so bad, hurts so bad. Will this darkness ever fade, will I ever find love…….”

  “What the hell is that awful song.” Turning my head, I see Alis making an embarrassed face.

  Φ No, no, no, no, no, no. That is one of my songs from my dark era when I used to sing them at night. How the hell does Maple even know that!!!?

  Staring into each other’s eyes, me and Maple unicate without words.

  “How do you know such a thing!?”

  “You fet I was hung up during all those nights Alis, I know not only this o the remaining 108 songs of the Sun god colle.”

  Φ Beside me Alis buries his head into the ground, and says, “Sorry Maple, I regret all that I have said!!!”

  “Where did this e from!?” I say fused.

  “If you want my favour, e feed me some of that bread.”

  “Yes, my queen,” Alis says as he runs to her side.

  As Alis feeds Maple his bread, I ask, “So have you noticed anything strange about Orb?”

  “Yes, I have. Sometimes I have seen him making hand-crafted sculptures and talking to them reg stories and whatnot.”

  “See Alis the boy is talking to dolls; he must be crazy.”

  “Or he could be reg an a curse to kill us all sister.”

  “I am fihe bread now get away from me you twin fools!”

  (Jute Iza and friends)

  Seeing my friends, I run up and say, “Jute, Juniper, Holly, Acadia, I missed you guys.

  Grabbing me and giving me a hug, they all say, “We missed you too.”

  “It’s almost like I never get to see you guys.”

  “Well, you were the one who decided to bee a warrior, and leave all of us behind,” Jute says.

  “But if I didn’t my stupid brother would have gotten himself killed!”

  “Speaking of your brother.”

  Turning my head, I see my brother in full flirty mode talking to Holly and Acadia. “Hello, fine flowers I am here to pluck you and make you all mine.”

  Laughing, Acadia says, “Oh how funny you are, only my little brother make me ugh like that.”

  Holly, says, “Well since he is Aea’s brother he might as well be our brother as well.”

  Seeing despair overy brother's face as the two girls ugh, I turn my head away; I know you will succeed one day Alis!

  “So, what brings you here?” Juniper asks.

  “We just wao ask have you seen Orb do anything strange, or more like what is your opinion of him?”

  Jute thinking says, “I don’t really watch him that mu-.”

  Holly jumps in and says, “I think Orb is super cute!”

  Alis says, “What?”

  Then Acadia says, “I agree, unlike most of the other men in her he has such a pretty face. It is a nice difference.”

  Holly says, “Not to eveion his little brother aura.”

  Juniper says, “I know what you mean, it sort of makes you want to protect those clear i eyes and hold him close. Unlike Alis who you just sort of see as a snotty little brother.”

  Acadia says, “And he is good with kids, my little sister in Pines csses always tells me how he pys with all of them after css.”

  “Beautiful, strong, good with kids, intelligent. Truly a good man.”

  Looking at Jute, I ask, “Do you think the same?”

  “While all those qualities are good, the type of man I like has giant muscles and is simple but also kind. Strong in body, but is als in mind, and wants to be with me more than he wants to be alone. Will never let their pride stand in the way of our love and loves others as much as they love themselves, and is faithful to the end.”

  Juniper says, “Doesn’t Buloke sort of fit that description?”

  Getting flustered, Jute says, “No he doesn’t. That idiot who is afraid of itment isn’t the type of man I want.”

  “Then what was that expression?”

  “It was nothing Aea, I am doh this versation,” Jute says walking away.

  “Oh, how wonderful it is to be a maiden in love,” We all say as she walks away.

  As I wave goodbye to Holly, Acadia and Juniper, I say, “Well Alis let’s go forward.”

  Looking at Alis I see he is seething with rage, and as blood es out of his hand from his tight grip, I hear him whisper repeatedly, “I will never five you Orb, I will never five you Orb, I will never five you Orb.”

  (Hazel Shaker, Ewen wife)

  Grabbing Hazel’s new baby, I say, “How cute this little boy is!”

  “Thanks, but I think this is the st one I am going to have, 5 is enough.”

  Holding child 4, Alis says, “Didn’t you say that when the sed one was born.”

  “Hey I mean it this time, I don’t think my body keep up anymore.”

  Suddenly through the door, child 1 to 3 appears and scream, “Where back!”

  Looking at them we see they are quite dirty, and then we see Hazel jump up and say, “What happened!?”

  “Oh, we where just pying and doing something with the others.”

  “Now what would that be?”

  “Nothing,” The you of the 3 says.

  Giving them a death start, Hazel says, “You have till the t of 5 to tell me. 1,2,3,4.”

  “We were helping Orb!”

  Running up to the kids, me and Alis ask, “Where?”

  “It’s a secret!”

  “We are no rats!”

  “I will bring you a treat ime we meet.”

  “He is that way!”

  Throwing the babies towards Hazel we say, “BYE!”

  -Break-

  “Aea that’s him.”

  “Be quiet Alis or he will hear us.”

  Seeing Orb kneeling down on the floor, I say, “We strike in three.”

  “Two”

  “One!”

  Jumping from our hiding space, we tackle Orb. “What are you two doing?”

  “Be quiet, we caught you red-handed!”

  “It’s time to die you dy mag!

  “What are you two on about!?”

  Stopping for a moment, I look around us ahat Orb is knitting clothes, so I ask, “What even are you doing?”

  -Break-

  In unison, both me and my brother say, “You’re pnning a py!?”

  “Yeah, that’s why I have been taking cloth to use as es, and I have been training the kids to be actors as well.”

  “You call those es your craftwork is garbage.”

  “No, it isn’t! It is just that my arms are injured due to all of that psychopath Piraining. She is extremely tuff on me for no reason, especially after I became a warrior it is like it intensified.”

  Feeling something stir in my soul, I say, “I know what you mean!!! She is alig on me for no good reason, like don’t treat me like I am a sve.”

  “Exactly she o calm down, and stop being so mean.”

  “If you two have such a problem with her, why don’t you take it to the chief.”

  In unison, we say, “WE ’T”

  “Why?”

  “Because she is just so cool!!”

  “Like it hurts really bad.”

  “But she really is just so awesome.”

  Grabbing me and takio his side, Alis says, “You are fetting our mission.”

  “ht.” Turning around I say, “Why are you even doing this?”

  “Well Willow and the kids liked my stories so I thought if I showed them to everyo the festival, they would also make them happy.”

  fused I ask, “Why would you care about our happiness?”

  “I am an outsider who threatens your very existence. Yet all of you have allowed me to live in this vilge with you and I ’t thank you enough for that, so I just wao give you all a special gift. Especially sihis festival is the anniversary of the pgue spreading through the vilge I thought you could use a fu.”

  Pig up the cloth and turning around, Orb says, “But it seems I am behind schedule, so I won’t be able to finish in time for the Aroniaival. An idiot like me should never have tried such a thing.”

  As Orb tio knit, I see how lonely he looks. All my life I have had Alis, but does he even have anyone like that?

  Grabbing the cloth out of his hand, I say, “You’re knitting it ineffitly.” Then I start to plete Orb’s design at high speed.

  Staring at me with eyes of delight, Orb says, “Whoa you truly are wonderful, such skill.”

  Alis says, “That’s a nice gesture Orb but that is one of the only girly things this monster do, as you see, she is a muscle monster.”

  “Say that again and I will bash in your face with my fist!”

  Orb says, “I don’t really see anything wrong with that.” Grabbing and caressing her arms Orb says, “Her muscles are nothing but pure dedication and effort, something I am truly envious of. Staring at the work and effort that went into building such a physique is nothing but utterly attractive to me, you truly are a beauty.”

  Feeling my heart flutter, I grab Orb and give him a tight hug. “AWW THANK YOU SO MUCH!”

  Struggling to speak Orb says, “Please let go, I only give hugs, I don’t take them.”

  Φ Giving Orb a death stare, I say, “It must be good to be so popur with the dies.”

  “Well, obviously a great man like you would know.”

  “Haha Orb so funny!”

  “I am not joking. You always look out for everyone in a group, and not to mention you’re funny and attractive I am sure any woman would love to be with you, and if they aren’t they must all be blind.”

  Moving close to him I touch him on the head and pat him repeatedly. Happy I say, “You really know your stuff Orb.”

  Φ Seeing the ty faces of the people arouhink bay versation with Capti.

  “Orb when it es to women, you have to find what they are extremely insecure about and make them feel great about it. If you use your beautiful i smile, then they will surely believe you.

  “What about men?”

  “They require a much geouch, you must make them feel great, without damaging their pride, but you ’t look too low to them otherwise your opinion won’t matter to them. And if you master this form of manipution, I am sure you will make a bunch of friends.

  Staring at both Aea and Alis's happy faces, I start to smile. Looks like I was able to make more friends! But feeling a wave of siess e over me I say, “Could you both stop toug me, please!”

  -Break-

  Φ Jute sitting beside me asks, “Hey Hazel, isn’t the festival over why are we sitting down here?”

  “In all hoy, I have no idea, not really. But more than that I am w where my three angels ran off to?”

  Stepping onto a stage in front of us, we see Pine who says, “All of the kids from my css will be putting on a py for you all, made by Orb.”

  Throughout the crowd, a bunch of people start to talk in disapproval of Orb, but then Aea and Alis say, “OHHHH I ’t wait.”

  “I am sure this will be fun!”

  The energy they give off calms the crowd down a bit, but Buloke stands up and says, “Why would I watything he had a part in I am leaving!”

  Pine oage staring at all of us, says “Now if anyone of you tries to leave, I will make sure to punish you thhly!”

  Hearing this Buloke immediately sits down, and Jute says, “That moron.” Then moments ter we see the man iion walk onto the stage.

  Sitting on a chair in front of the stage, Orb says, “This is the story of the king of the rebellion, Charles.”

  Then as Orb reads the stories, the kids of the vilge appear on stage in weird, but intriguing es and act it out. If I had to describe the py in one word, I would say it is simply fun.

  -Break-

  Φ As I finish the py I stand up and nervously say, “THANK YOU FOR WATG.” Then I bolt off the stage and go hide behind Willow’s house.

  When behind Willow's house, I throw up all the food in my stomach. “Oh god, that was nerve-rag. Did they like it? Did I stutter? did I get the story across well? Oh god, oh shit.”

  “He is over here,” I hear Alis shout.

  Turning around, I am grabbed by Aea who says, “Let’s go meet your fans.”

  “My fans?”

  Dropping me in front of a crowd of vilgers, they overwhelmed me with their voices.

  “That was amazing!”

  “I want to see that again.”

  “Do you have any other stories?”

  “I would love to hear them.”

  Looking at me Aea, and Alis say, “Looks like there are a lot of people who want to talk to you.”

  Hearing this all I do is just smile.