If there was one thing the people of Winthrop marveled at, it was the Hunter.

The Hunter was actually a young boy, he didn't have an actual name. He lived alone in the woods, and that was all anyone knew about him. He didn't speak to anyone, any gifts given to him were found back at the doorsteps of the previous owner the next day, untouched.

He lived on his own, and was fine with that. He made a life for himself away from the village and liked it better that way. Some thought he was cursed, others didn't believe he really existed, some thought he was a spirit or a ghost.

He wasn't, he was just a boy. He was a human, just like everyone else. Until a nasty winter came in from the north, like a cat upon it's prey it seemed to play with them at first. It snowed all night and in to morning people could barely walk. They were scared, the winter was early. They didn't have enough food, the winter killed all their crops. The door to the storehouse kept freezing and it took hours before anyone had food. People were dying, the Hunter seemed to have disappeared.

He didn't, he was right there, tying to help them, they just didn't notice. He was filling their storehouse with his own food, even though it was just as scarce for him.

He knew the winter wasn't natural. He had seen it, or rather him. Winter had been sitting on a tree limb as the Hunter was bringing more food to the poor starving people. Winter was laughing as the people tried in vain to clear the ice away.

"Why are you doing this?" The Hunter had asked Winter.

Winter sneered at him. "No reason, and all reasons, it's a test, but you must fail to succeed."

The Hunter didn't say a word. Winter flew off. For one day there seemed to be peace.

Then the blizzard hit.

The skies turned dark, the winds scrapped at the ground with long cold fingers, snow flew everywhere. You couldn't see much less obtain food. The people ran out of meat. More funerals. The Hunter kept giving until he had nothing left. He was only a boy, he did not know selfishness. He never saw Winter again, but the blizzard pushed on. He hadn't eaten in days, and he was taking the very last scraps of his own food to the people who had none.

He was too weak. He collapsed in the snow and lay there until in had completely enveloped him. The food basket forgotten. He was cold, and tired, and was starting to get sleepy.

In his dream-like state, a girl appeared before him, she seemed to be glowing. The look on her face told him she was happy for him, yet incredibly sad at the same time.

"If you could wish one thing to happen, what would it be?" She asked him.

"For the people to live." He answered without missing a beat. He didn't have a life worth saving, but they did.

Her smile grew wide, and something sparkled in the corner of her eyes.

"You would sacrifice your life for people you barely even knew?"

He nodded. She reached out and brushed a tear from the corner of her eye, catching it in her palm and handing it to him. He took it, and she disappeared.

Another figure appeared too him. Just another boy. he threw dust on him and smiled like the sun was rising.

"Sweet dreams my friend." And he too, disappeared.

He waited for more people to appear. What was the point of this? He had died. He had failed to bring to the people what mattered most. They were all going to die and winter wasn't over yet. In fact, in was only the end of October. As if answering his question, he suddenly felt he was rising. he was no longer encased in the dark chrysalis of snow, but he still felt so tired.

I sat up suddenly and shook off the loose snow from my old clothes. My mind was blank, what had happened yesterday, in fact I couldn't remember anything, only one thing came to surface when I tried desperately to recall anything. My name was Raven. That's all.

I stood, gazing around at my surroundings which seemed so familiar but I couln't place it. I looked at my hands, they were pale, like I had spent an eternity without sun.

I wearing all black, like I just come from a funeral. I had arms and feet, and... a pair of large black wings. I flexed the experimentally, feeling along the shiny feathers. It was cold out here, for some reason I expected my breaths to come out in puff of cloud, it took me a few seconds to realize I wasn't breathing at all.

I could take in air if I wanted to, but it was such a hassle it was probably better not to. There was a lake nearby, it was frozen over. I walk up to it, my reflection shined back me. I nearly jumped back in horror.

I reached up and felt my face, I could feel skin, cold, lifeless skin. My hair was long and black, but it didn't look that way in my reflection.

Staring back at me from the depths of the glass-like surface was a teenage body, but from my shoulders up was the scratched and pale white surface of a human skull.

What was I?

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Happy Halloween! This a little blurb of me testing out the characters for my upcoming series, The Secondary Guardians, the first book is, Raven's Gift. Enjoy!