Chapter Two
Stonewald 10 YearsLater
River
With my handscovering most of my face, I ran towards our shelter. I wrapped my arms around my legs and lowered my head so my forehead rested against my knees. The wind blew stinging pellets of freezing rain against my cold body as I shivered. Merc had been right behind me. He pulled the burlap flap down to close the entrance to our shelter before he sat down next tome.
“Come here, River,” Merc mumbled as he draped the wool cloak aroundus.
Our clothes were soaked, and bodies ached from the freezing rain that had pounded against us. My teeth chattered as I leaned againstMerc.
“How long do you think it will last?” Iasked.
“I do not know. Hopefully, not all night. I am not sure our shelter will hold up through the night,” headmitted.
Ice thrashed against our burlap shelter while water dripped down on us from above us. I could feel the water hitting the wool cloak. I was so cold that my body shook and my hands were cramped and in pain. The rain was not showing any signs of lettingup.
“Merc,” I started to say and bumped his side with my hand. I quickly stopped my thought from leaving my mouth. He could not help this either. There was no sense incomplaining.
“Is it your hands?” heasked.
“Yes. They sting so bad,” I blurted since heasked.
He took hold of one of my hands and held it between his. Even though his hands were cold too, they were dry. Merc blew his warm breath over my hand a few times, and then he repeated it with my otherhand.
“Why can we not go to Derwin’s?” I took a chance andasked.
“Remember, we are not to go there unless it is a life or death reason,” Mercmumbled.
Merc and I were outcasts. We had something wrong with us, and very few people talked to us in Stonewald. I had even heard some people say that we were evil. We each had a father who hated us. We were hated so much that they had us cursed and banished us to thewoods.
Derwin was a warlock and had a shack not far from our shelter. Occasionally we were permitted into his home to warm up or dry off. Our time was always limited because Derwin could not be caught with us in his place. I wished we could be inside his placenow.
Our shelter was dipping on one side, and I knew it was just a matter of time before it caved in. Two, five-foot-tall tree trunk logs that were about five or six inches thick, held up our shelter on one side, while our burlap cover was tied around a larger tree trunk. Both of us looked up when one of the logs began to slide from theweight.
“Move, River. Get out,” Mercinstructed.
I scurried out from under the burlap clad shelter, and he was right behind me. I folded my arms across my chest, and Merc held the wool cloak over us. We walked towards Derwin’s place in silence. Thankfully, Derwin had left his door cracked open forus.
“About time you two showed up,” Derwin said and pointed to thefireplace.
Merc and I thanked him and hurried to the fire to warmup.
“Is it a mix of rain and ice still?” Derwin asked from thekitchen.
“Yes. Our shelter began to collapse. The weight of the water was too great,” Mercexplained.
Merc reached out and forced my hands open that I had balled up tightly. He pried my fingers straight and examined them. When I looked down, I was surprised to see the tips were bright red, and a few fingers had blisters onthem.
“Do they still sting?” Merc whispered as we knelt on the floor by the cracklingfire.
I nodded and looked at Derwin when he set two chargers down besideus.
“The drink is warm. Drink it, and it will help warm you from the inside out,” Derwininstructed.
“Derwin, his hands…I think he has the frost condition,” Merc said quietly and looked atDerwin.
“Frost condition? What is a frost condition?” I hastilyasked.
