Shivering (chapter One) The wind brushed the trees into a warm embrace and the glitter rain continued to fall. All the animals had scurried away into burrows, but a few brave had their little heads seen along the road. A swan sat, as if asleep, on the glimmering lake. The country lane was sloppy making it a dangerous day to be travelling on the road, yet a figure appeared quietly from out of the darkness. A young girl of some twenty years was walking along the thin and windy country lane with her blond locks covered by a red hood. Fog covered over the lane and it looked as if she was walking on top of this. She continued to walk through this fog, which hung on her like a cloak. She stopped suddenly by the lake. The swan stirred and flew away suddenly leaving the place disturbed by the mysterious woman. There were no animals in sight and the trees tried to hide, trying to be more reluctant from the wind. The woman slowly lifted her hood off to reveal her blond ringlets, although her face was stern and unchanged by the weather condition. She looked across the lake, which shimmered like diamonds, to the shivering trees beyond. She spoke with hast. 'Do not be afraid. I will not hurt you if you leave me be'. The trees seemed to stop shivering slightly, though caught in the wind. The woman sat on the marsh and uttered the words, 'Come my sisters. It is time'. Suddenly, the wind hurled and the water made a hurricane whizzing shape and spat out in every direction. It had touched the beaver peeping out of the woods and the beaver dropped down stone dead. 'Now, now.' the woman said, obviously anxious, 'there was no need for such hast. The girl we need is actually where we need her.' The woman smiled cruelly and stood up. 'Can you yet get into human form yet?' The water spirit suddenly stopped still and dropped with a splash into the water. The woman waited there for a while, before turning to the wild#life, 'Go! Go! Leave us.' she shooed the curious beaver. Although the woman was hard-hearted she looked into the eyes of the beaver, looking down at his dead friend. 'I'm so sorry. It's so long since he's been above the surface. He can't control himself and his power.' She held eye contact with the beaver for a few minutes before realising the water was once again moving. She smiled at the beaver once more, before turning back to water. The water went back to its original position and the woman sighed. She looked as if she was giving up on this spirit, until she glanced into the water. The water was clear and even with the wind howling, the bottom of the lake could be seen. In the water lay a teenage boy, and if she didn't know better she would have thought him dead. For the first time she smiled. 'I should never have underestimated you.' She pulled the boy out of the water and took of her cloak to reveal a long dress. It waved down to the ground and hung to her figure perfectly. She lay the cloak on the ground and then lay the boy on it. She watched the boy for what seemed like forever. Eventually, a cough escaped his lips and his eyes opened slightly. 'Hello.' the woman said. 'Do you remember me?' 'Yes,' said the boy, 'Of course I do. It's been a long time.' 'Too long.' the woman said, kissing the boy softly on the lips.
