A Winter Courtship

Prologue

“Come on, Ulrich,” Elias called back.

Ulrich dashed through the forest, trying as best as he could to keep up with his older brother and their friends Damur and Gideon.

They sprinted through the forest, along the dirt path that wound through the trees and shrubs. They reached a river. Whilst the other three jumped and cleared the water, Ulrich didn’t quite make it. His feet splashed into it. Stumbling, feet drenched, he ran onwards, following them. But no matter how hard his legs pumped, the distance grew bigger and bigger between Ulrich and the group.

Dirt stuck to his wet bare feet. The path grew rockier and sloped downwards. Brothers, Damur and Gideon, with their oread heritage, had no problem climbing and scrambling down the rocky path. And Elias, two years older than Ulrich, moved so much faster than him. He’d always been lithe and quick.

At the bottom, Damur and Gideon paused briefly, waiting for Elias to catch up before continuing.

Wait for me.

But the group ran on without him, completely forgetting Ulrich and leaving him behind.

Ulrich’s toe impacted with a rock. He bit his lip as sharp pain caused him to cry out. But he pushed through, limping onwards until he reached the valley.

But the others were so far ahead. They didn’t even glance back as they disappeared amongst the trees. Panting, Ulrich collapsed on a boulder, staring after them. He lifted his foot and looked at his reddened toe. He dropped it back to the ground.

Why couldn’t they have waited? Why do they never wait?

A group of reindeer moved through the valley. He sat watching them, shoulders slumped.

A light, melodic voice spoke.

Ulrich startled, turning towards the voice. Behind him on the boulder stood a nymph. His long white hair flowed around him. He smiled at Ulrich and spoke again, head tilting.

“Sorry,” Ulrich said. “I don’t speak Nymphish.”

“Hello,” the nymph said.

“Hello,” Ulrich said. “I’m Ulrich. What’s your name?”

Then the nymph was off, chatting away in the nymph tongue.

It was odd. Ulrich didn’t think he’d ever met a young oread who couldn’t speak the human tongue before. Unless the oread was very young.

Ulrich couldn’t tell if the oread didn’t realise Ulrich couldn’t understand him. Or if he just didn’t mind if Ulrich understood him or not.

The oread pointed. Ulrich looked in that direction. The oread jumped off the boulder and said something. He laughed, and even though Ulrich didn’t understand, Ulrich laughed too.

Then the nymph rushed off, Ulrich watching him go.

Guess he didn’t want to be around me either.

The nymph turned and stared at Ulrich. “Hello!” he yelled. He gestured for Ulrich to follow.

Ulrich’s face broke into a smile, and he jogged after him.

Side by side they darted through the trees. They reached a large pile of boulders on the other side of the valley. The oread started to climb. Ulrich swallowed as he faced the rocks.

He’d seen some of the other human children climb this before. But Ulrich wasn’t that nimble or good at climbing. Not that it was a cliff or anything like that. It was a pile of rocks, much shorter than what he’d seen oreads climb. Still…

The nymph glanced back at him. He smiled and gestured for Ulrich to continue. “Hello!” he yelled again.

Ulrich bit his lip and started ascending, hands gripping the stone as he propelled himself upwards. His heart pumped. He’d never attempt such a feat if this strange oread weren’t leading him. He clambered and scaled the rocks, following the oread slowly.

Ulrich kept expecting the nymph to take off. He could easily have left Ulrich behind, but instead, his new friend kept glancing back at him, waiting for him to catch up.

Then Ulrich made a mistake.

He looked down.

His stomach plummeted. He’d climbed higher than he ever had before. He didn’t think he could go any higher, but he didn’t want to climb down either. He pressed himself amongst the rocks, away from the edge, squeezing himself within a crevice. He closed his eyes, fingers digging into jagged stone. His pits and hands sweat.

How was he going to get back down?

“Hello!”

Ulrich opened his eyes. The nymph dangled beside him, a frown on his face as he stared at Ulrich in the crevice. He held on to the rock with only one hand. His other dangled mid-air.

Without thinking, Ulrich snatched the nymph’s free hand, worried he might fall. Which was ridiculous, of course. Oreads never fell. They could scale the tallest mountains with ease!

The texture of the oread’s hand was rough in his. Ulrich stared at the grippy dark-grey texture. Hands made for climbing. But Ulrich’s own were soft, sweaty, and shaking. Not good for climbing at all.

Why had he even started climbing?

Because the nymph had beckoned. That was why.

The oread looked at their joined hands. Then he placed Ulrich’s hand on a rock, holding it there until Ulrich grabbed onto it. The nymph climbed down with ease, like a spider. He pointed to where Ulrich should put his other hand, then clambered down. He gently lifted Ulrich’s foot, placing it where it should go. Then he did the same with Ulrich’s other foot.

His skin brushed against Ulrich’s as he flowed around him, showing him where to hold and how to move. Anytime Ulrich got nervous, the oread pressed against him or held Ulrich’s hand firmly against the rock, anchoring him.

Then suddenly Ulrich reached the top of the boulders.

He’d done it!

They stood side by side. Adrenaline flowed through his veins. Ulrich burst out laughing. The oread laughed too as they stared out.

“I’ve never climbed like that before!” Ulrich said. “Thank you.” It was the most exhilarating and terrifying experience of his life! And he owed it to this nymph.

He stared into the nymph’s face. Such a lovely face. Ulrich felt like he could stare at him forever. Then the nymph turned away and ran off.

“Wait,” Ulrich said.

The nymph turned back. “Hello!” he yelled and once again gestured for Ulrich to follow, which Ulrich did.

On the other side of the rocks, a path led back down into the valley. It was much less challenging than the way they’d just climbed. The oread spoke, a continuous flow of words that Ulrich didn’t understand. But it didn’t matter; Ulrich hung off every word.

They spent the afternoon in the valley, but far sooner than Ulrich would have liked, the sky started to darken. They stood by the boulder where they’d met earlier in the day.

“I have to go home,” Ulrich said. “Otherwise, Father will be mad.”

The oread tilted his head, expression puzzled.

“Home. Ores.” Ulrich pointed back towards where Ores lay.

The oread looked in that direction. “Home,” the oread repeated. “Ores.”

Ulrich couldn’t tell if he understood or not.

“Home,” the oread said again. He stared at the ground for a moment. “Tomorrow,” the oread said in a thick accent. Then he pointed at the boulder. “Tomorrow.”

Ulrich smiled, excitement bursting in his chest. He nodded. “Yes. I’ll come back tomorrow. I promise.”

The oread smiled too.

Ulrich started walking backwards. He waved. The nymph smiled. Then Ulrich turned and ran. He couldn’t wait for tomorrow and to see his new friend again.