III A Stranger

I woke up after a while of lying helplessly in a pile of snow. Apparently I had fainted after falling. A gust of wind from the west that was so cold made me suffer. My body was shivering in the cold amidst the returning snow. My dark brown hair was slowly turning white from the snow.

Amidst the silence of this unfamiliar place, a man in a thick black coat walked towards me and stopped. Without knowing who it was, he knelt down and extended his hand to me.

"Who are you?" I asked half trembling, not from fear but cold.

"It looks like you're hurt and need help. I'd be happy to help you. By the way, my name is Elgar." His voice sounded soft and his smile was warm. He had a calm demeanor with his shining blue eyes and dark hair that swayed in the wind.

"I..." my lips felt heavy to speak. I didn't know what to do. It's definitely not okay to carelessly accept an offer from a stranger in the middle of the forest like this. He might not be a good person, and worse, he might be a wizard in disguise.

Ah, no way! I said as I slapped my cheek. Only the strongest witches with the violets' magic are capable of that. They were wiped out in a bloody battle three years ago.

The man became curious as he saw me slapping my own cheek.

"Are you alright? You must have thought of something. Come on...I'm not a bad person. Come to my house so I can help you heal your wounds." He kept trying to convince me.

I had no choice but to accept his offer. After observing him, it seemed like he was a good person. Let's hope he doesn't mess with me.

"Alright!"

He extended his hand and I greeted him softly. Not only did my arms and head hurt, but my legs didn't allow me to walk back to York.

"Thank you." I said as I brushed the snow off the surface of my coat.

"What's your name?"

"Jenna. Well, what can you do for me?" I asked.

"I can treat your wounds, and you can stay at my house for a while until things get better."

"No, thank you. I have to go back as soon as you treat my wound. I have a lot of things to do." I said.

"Please Jenna, you need to rest first. I don't know how you ended up in this place, but I'm sure you need help! You can trust me." She looked at me with her blue eyes that matched her fair skin. Her smile seemed genuine, and after those tense moments I felt much calmer.

"Alright," I nodded and walked after her. It turned out that the terrain was not easy, the snow was thick and the road was downhill. The grass was lush and tall. We held on to each other to avoid falling. Luckily, in front of me was a large sloping land and the difficult terrain had passed. It looked like this place was a lake that froze in winter.

As I started to step on it, there was a quiet "krakk" sound from inside the lake. Every time we stepped foot, the sound continued. I was worried that the ice sheet would break.

CRACK...CRACK....

"Elgar, it looks like the ice is starting to break up, we could end up in the lake!"

"Take it easy Jenna. The ice is thick enough and strong enough to hold people walking on it."

We walked faster and kept looking ahead. The horror was starting to get to me. I didn't want to look at the bottom of the lake which looked scary with its deep blue water. But I knew Elgar had been staring at my rifle ever since.

"Are you, um... a hunter?" asked Elgar.

"Yes. You can tell by the weapons I carry."

"Witch hunter?" I was shocked like a scorpion stung in the neck. I looked at his eyes sharply, as if warning him not to say that again. Then I just fell silent. He didn't say anything either. I couldn't just tell my identity to someone I just met.

"You don't have to hide it from me. I know all about you hunters, and I respect you as protectors." He paused for a moment, then added "Of course I'm on your side."

His words put me at ease even if he was lying. Still, I couldn't trust him one hundred percent.

"Well, your guess is very correct."

"But how did you end up in this place?"

"I fell down a steep slope."

"After going on a mission?"

"Of course." I answered briefly.

After passing through the frozen expanse of the lake, a village filled with plants came into view. Because it was winter, the plants were covered in thick snow and made them seem almost dead. Smoke billowed from almost all the houses that were quite far apart. Elgar took me into one of the houses that was so beautiful. It was made of ordinary bricks with no ornaments, but the hundreds of roses planted in front of it made the small house cozy.

"Come in Jenna. This is my house." Elgar opens the door and invites me in.

I walked in and instantly my body felt warm. There was a fireplace in the living room and wooden chairs were placed in front of it in a semicircle with a bronze table in the center. I sat down and put my weapon down. Then a young woman appeared carrying a box. She was tall, slender, and her brown hair was tied up in elaborate braids. She paused to look at me for a moment and then went back in through the other door. She seemed to be only a few years older than me.

"Perhaps this tea will warm you up." Elgar placed the tray on the table and handed me a chalice of tea.

"Thank you Elgar." I drank the tea and it tasted really good. There's a hint of mint that makes it feel fresh in my throat.

"Now show me your wound Jenna."

"Okay." I opened my torn sleeve and showed Elgar the wound. My hand looks so stiff and almost blue.

"Your wound is quite bad and needs to be treated immediately. My brother is very good at it." Elgar got up from the chair and went back inside to call him. Not long after, Elgar appeared with the girl I saw earlier.

"Jenna, this is my sister Kathleen." Elgar introduced her to me.

The girl carried a medicine box and sat in front of me. "I'll treat your wound." Her voice sounded soft and friendly.

Kathleen made a potion from herbs and put it on my arm then wrapped it with a bandage.

"It's done! You just need to rest."

"Then, I'm going home. My friends will be looking for me."

"Your friends?" Kathleen looked out the window as if searching for something.

"I haven't told you yet. Jenna was a witch hunter, she fell down a steep slope when I found her."

"Hunters? Witch Hunters? Wow, that's cool!" Kathleen was very interested in my profession. "Welcome to Cornwall Village."

"Thank you. You guys are very nice, but I can't stay here for long. I have an errand to run." I declined her offer.

"I know. But look, the weather outside is terrible. It's snowing non-stop, not to mention you have to cross difficult terrain. Stay for a while, at least until the weather gets a little better." Elgar pleaded.

I thought about it for a while. Elgar was right too, the air outside was very cold, the snow pile was so thick and difficult to pass through. Moreover, the risk of meeting enemies on the way is not impossible. Yes, I'd better comply with his request. Although I didn't fully trust them, at least I had more energy to take care of myself.

"Alright, if you want this." I replied as I picked up my teacup.

Kathleen took me to look around the house. It wasn't very big, but the atmosphere was warm and cozy. The walls of the living room had wooden carvings and a silvery chandelier that looked antique. Then we headed to the right wing of the house. In this section there was a fireplace room and a kitchen, so there were two fireplaces in the house.

Kathleen invited me into the fireplace and my eyes were immediately drawn to the objects adorning the walls. Above the fireplace were three swords arranged in a row. On the right and left walls were bows and arrows hung amongst oil paintings.

"You collect these things?" I asked, pointing to one of the swords.

"Yes. We like collecting weapons. After all, we can get two benefits at once. Aside from being a decoration, I can also use it to fight off enemy attacks." Kathleen replied with the enthusiasm of a tour guide.

"Your hobby is quite challenging. Um..has this village ever been attacked?

"No, of course not. Cornwall is a safe place, you don't have to worry about anything. Elgar and I only live here together, so we're very happy to have you!"

"You only live together?" I asked curiously.

"Yes. As you can see."

Actually, I still wanted to ask why they only lived together in this house, and where their parents were, but I felt bad for Kathleen.