Chapter 3: …and Also the First

The houses - well, houses being a bit of a broad term - of the village were built on the sides of the trees with some decent separation from the ground. This was a precaution against the beasts that roamed during the warmer parts of the year - since they were ground creatures, simply living above their reach made defending against them a simpler affair.

“Doesn’t it make it easier to clear snow, as well?” asked Samuel.

He was perched on Lianna’s shoulders, as she was walking him between the different places in the village. It wasn’t his idea, mind you - Lianna was being particular on having him not walk on his ankle.

“I guess? I suppose finding a place to put it is easier if you can simply let it fall to the ground, but it’s not like we’d be clearing the entire forest floor anyway,” Lianna answered. “You don’t need the entire ground cleared to get around, after all,”

“Huh, yeah, that makes sense…” said Samuel.

The two were crossing one of the various bridges between the trees the village was built around. Some semblance of structure had been attempted when it was originally constructed: a lot of the gathering places were “central” compared to the housing arrangements for those who lived in the village.

Their next destination was one of those gathering places - a communal eating hall, which had been built out of a hollowed section of tree. The sun was shining down, though it was currently fighting through clouds that were moving in.

“Say, have you seen a snowstorm before?” asked Lianna.

Sam looked down towards Lianna’s head.

“I don’t remember any. I grew up on the move a lot, with my mother,” he said.

Having spent his life up to this point below the regions where snow happened, this was more than understandable.

“Oh, you’re in for a treat, then. Looks like it’ll snow later today,”

They reached the round walkway where the entrance to the hall was. They also reached a face Lianna knew annoyingly well. A woman waiting outside the hall noticed the two approaching.

“Oh, hello, little sis! You brought the interloper here,” said the self-proclaimed older sister.

Lianna scowled at the interjection to her tour.

“His name is Samuel. And don’t call me little sis, Freyja. I have a name,” said Lianna.

Freyja laughed at her red-tailed sibling’s annoyed retort. She then turned her attention to the boy atop her shoulders.

“Don’t pick up my sister’s habits. She’s too… shall we say, exact? I’ve heard your story, or at least the short version. Bold one, you are.” she said.

Samuel, caught a bit off guard by being put on the spot, stammered some form of reply.

“H-hi,”

Freyja didn’t seem to mind the unconfidence of his voice in the slightest.

“Well, let’s not wait outside in the cold. You were coming inside, I’m sure. Come take a seat, it’s almost time to cook,”

Freyja waved the two to enter through the opening in the side of the tree. The two followed after her, and inside was a candlelit space with several tables accompanied with seating. In the back was the apparent cooking setup - less of a kitchen and more of a collection of things used for cooking acting as one. There were no fire-related cooking implements inside, though a second entranceway to the outside was present.

“Here, take a seat,” she said.

She gestured to one of the tables closer to the entrance, at which four chairs were placed. Having been leading Lianna and Samuel, she took a seat on the far side of the table. Lianna picked Samuel off of her shoulders, and put him down on one of the chairs facing Freyja, and sat between the two on his left.

“So, how old are you, anyway? You seem to be on the short side.” Freyja asked.

“I’ll be 15 in a bit over a month,” Sam answered.

“Oh, so your birthday’s soon, then?”

“It’s two-five on the first month, yeah,”

Lianna and Freyja both gave Samuel a look of confusion. Samuel got confused at why they were confused - as far as he knew, this was a perfectly reasonable thing to say. 

“Two-five…?” said Freyja.

“How do human calendars work?” asked Lianna.

Samuel, having little experience with non-human peoples, suddenly realised what was going on. The Foch of this village were not versed in the human calendar. Still, he asked:

“You don’t use it?”

Freyja had a sheepish look, if a shrug was turned into a facial expression.

“No, we just kinda… um, go with the weather.” said Freyja.

Samuel closed his eyes and inhaled. He accepted that he would have to explain how it worked. Opening his eyes again, he explained:

“So, there are three hundred and sixty days in a year. We divide them into nine months, each with eight 5-day weeks. Any particular date is simply the week, followed by its day, in a particular month. My birthday is the fifth day of the second week in the first month.”

“Wow, you’re pretty smart there! Look at you,” said Freya. “What’s today’s date, then?”

Her face grew a smile with excitement.

“Eight-one, in the eighth month.” answered Samuel.

“So in four days, it’ll be a new month in the human convoys…” said Lianna.

Samuel turned to look at Lianna, who seemed to be staring off into space.

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“That’s right,” he said.

Lianna’s focus returned to the people actually talking at the table. After an awkward pause, Freyja added an abrupt interjection:

“Don’t tease her Nia, she’ll get mad at you,”

Samuel suddenly looked around in confusion. As far as he could tell, no one was teasing anyone - not to mention he didn’t see anyone named Nia.

“What?” he asked.

Lianna and Freyja looked at each other, now having their turn to wonder what was so unreasonable. It was only a brief moment before they figured out what had happened.

“Oh, we were talking with Philas and Nia,” said Lianna.

Samuel's confused look continued. Evidently, this was not an adequate explanation. Freyja caught on to the actual confusion.

“Nia, Philas, show yourselves?” asked Freyja.

Philas appeared into view around Lianna where he wasn’t a moment ago. At the same moment, a red fox appeared around Freyja. Samuel worked out that this red fox must have been the previously-mentioned Nia.

“Sorry,” began Nia in a smooth female voice, “we aren’t used to humans being around.”

Samuel looked at the red fox.

“Do you not usually reveal yourselves, or something?” he asked.

He had questions about this previously, but did not feel strongly enough to ask them.

“More or less. Unless you’re already related to the land spirits by some means, you can only see us if we allow it.” answered Nia.

Samuel nodded. His face then grew into a more noticeable smile, as let out “cool…” without thinking about it. Nia turned to face Freyja.

“I like this kid, he’s a good kid,” Nia said.

“I think you’re right, I do too. Can we keep him?” added Freyja.

Samuel reigned in his emotions quickly, apparently under the view that he’d made some form of mistake. Nia looked at the now-embarrassed Samuel. Lianna turned her attention to Freyja, and started in on her sister:

“Don’t be so brash-”

“But he came out here on his own,” retorted Freyja, “it’s not like he doesn’t want to be here. And even if he was forced to come here, why would he want to go back to a place he got kicked out of?”

Lianna didn’t have a good counter for her older sister’s point. So far, the only reading she could figure out herself is that Samuel did want to be here. The question in her mind was then why. Freyja seemed to have other priorities:

“Well, besides. I know you wanted to be an older sibling, so as an older sibling, I suggest you take the opportunity. Why not?” added Freyja.

Lianna, flustered by her sister’s sudden addition of a personal angle, didn’t know how to answer the question.

“I’m… sorry for broaching the topic,” said Samuel.

The four of them turned to face Samuel, not expecting the apology. Nia was first to go at the sudden apology.

“What are you apologising for? Don’t blame yourself. In fact,” she began.

Nia moved under Samuel’s nose. Samuel looked at the eyes of the encroaching fox.

“I forbid it. You’re too good of a kid to be blamed for something that is out of your control,”

Nia moved through the air back to Freyja’s side. Freyja, having her complaint stolen from her by Nia, instead moved to reprimand her sibling.

“You shouldn't be so distant to him, Lianna. It’s not good for him, I think.” she said.

Frejya gave a good stare at her younger sister. Nia also gave her a similar look.

“Well, I have to start cooking food for the scouting team. Can’t have ‘em going hungry out of the village!”

Freyja got up and started walking over to the cooking ware in the other part of the room. Before catching up with her, Nia gave some parting words to Samuel:

“You probably haven’t been able to notice but… the spirits here are quite fond of you. They were the ones that tipped the people of this village that you were in the area and in need of help, after all. Be yourself a little more,”

Nia trotted off through space to catch up with Freyja. Lianna and Philas looked at each other, both realising they had made some error along the way.

“By the way,” Freyja called.

She was standing halfway out the back door of the room. Sunlight was lighting her figure from behind.

“It’s gonna be good today. We got some meat handy today, so expect some good cookin’. I expect you to come! Don’t let your big sis down.”

Samuel perked up at the sound of meat. He looked at Lianna expectantly.

“...That sounds fine. She’s a better cook than I am, so I hope you’re hungry,” said Lianna.

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