Two days before

Elena checked the basket for the third time that morning, making sure it had all the necessities that her godmother would need. She cold seeped through the wood, sending shivers up from her bare feet and looked out the crooked window. The snow was thicker now, covering the roots of the forest in its icy powder. She followed the softly falling snow with her eyes, trailing it across to the other wooden houses edging along the thick trees. She turned back, tucking a blanket over the goods and searching for her worn pair of brown boots. A cry broke through the wood and Elena ran towards it. She gazed down at the screeching babe, swaddled in furs, trying to keep the winter at bay.

"What's all this noise then?" She smiled, clutching the baby close to her and shared her warmth. The baby instantly calmed, staring up at her with those similar pale green eyes. "See, all just a bit of fuss." Elena leant down, giving her child a soft kiss on her temple and taking a deep breath of her new smell. "If only you could stay like this forever." She whispered into her first fluff of hair.

The baby kicked her arms up and clipped Elena in the jaw. She only smiled down at her. "Now, be good for daddy. Mummy won't be too long."

She gently placed her back down, wrapping the soft furs even tighter around her, those similar eyes looked up at her before slowly drooping shut again. Elena glanced over at the man lying on their straw bed, his black, snow trodden boots, hanging off the edge. She smoothed back his black hair, peppered with grey streaks and gazed down at his sleeping face.

"Be back soon." She whispered into his ear and kissed his cheek.

He groaned in his sleep and she quietly laughed to herself, before shoving her boots onto her feet, grabbing her tattered cloak, the wicker basket and heading out into the snow storm.

The snow crunched beneath her feet as she trudged through the forest, Elena's godmother was a sweet old woman who lived far into the forest. During the summer it was surrounded by a beautiful meadow filled with yellow flowers, but in winter it was near impossible to get to and the snow had meant that her godmother wouldn't be able to make it into market for a while. Elena continued her walk, listening to the sounds of the forest, the leaves rustling with the slight wind and the branches groaning with the strain of movement. She looked out for the x's she'd carved into the trees as a little girl. On her first solo adventure to see her, she remembered her mother cautioning her about staying on the path but she didn't. When she got lost, she had carved the x's knowing it was her way of always finding the way back. The snow fell, escaping through the breaks in the tree to cover her trail. She wrapped the faded red cloak tighter around her, trying to keep the chill out of her bones and continued on, determined to make it back before the sun set.

The smell of roast beef stew hit her before she saw the lights and the winding smoke curling out of the stone chimney. She rushed towards the door, carved out of an old tree that used to stand where the house was. She knocked, the solidness of it rattling against her knuckles and she waited, the damp having crept into her boots and her feet slowly freezing.

"Jillian." She called out, knocking again. "It's me."

The door opened, the smell of old spices and fresh meat hitting Elena in the face before drifting off into the gathered clouds.

"Come in dear." Jillian's weathered face was stretched into a grin. Her wrinkles couldn't contain the light in her steel grey eyes as she fixed her glasses and took in the girl in front of her.

Elena meekly walked into the room, she had always felt insignificant in front of Jillian. Jillian had stories from her travels around the world, her brush with death in the sandy desert or her riding adventure with the prince of some far away country. While Elena had never left the village. She set the basket down on the hand carved table.

"I brought some food, the snow looks like it's only going to get worse. It will get you through the next few days." Elena removed the cover, displaying the assortment of baked goods and ingredients underneath.

Jillian shuffled her way across and gazed down at the basket like a pot of gold.

"Dearie, you shouldn't have. I would have been fine." She smiled, kissing Elena on the cheek.

"I know. I just wanted to make sure." Elena smiled back, accepting the love she always got from her godmother.

Jillian looked her over. "You're freezing. Go sit in front of the fire. I would like you with all your fingers and toes." She shooed her.

Elena sat down in the patchwork chair, hanging her cloak along the back of it. She let the warmth of the flames spread throughout her body, sparking the flame she kept inside her. Jillian tsked as she picked up the tattered cloak. "I don't like how that boy treats you."

"He can be an absolute sweetheart." Elena rolled her eyes, ready for the conversation she always had when she visited.

"A sweetheart who lets his wife walk around in a thin cloak and shoes with holes in them." She pointed to the seams splitting on the side of Elena's boots. She tried to cover them with her other foot but they only had a bigger hole.

"Money's been tight."

"Not tight enough that he misses out on going to the tavern." Jillian mocked. Elena shot her a look. "People talk. Even this far out."

"He's allowed to relax."

"And not care about his wife." Jillian scoffed.

"There's enough for Greta and that's what matters." Elena said, desperate to change the conversation.

"We'll see. I've warned you of that boy, far too many times and yet you have a child with him." Jillian sat opposite her, passing over a bowl of stew to Elena.

"It will be good for both of us." Elena tasted the stew, letting the spices blend and melt down her throat, filling her body with memories of the past.

"That boy is a wolf in sheep's clothing. You wait." Jillian cried, pointing the spoon at her, stew slowly dripping off.

They ate their stew in silence, the crackling of flames their only companion.

Elena tied her cloak back on and headed for the door. Ready to go home and see her little miracle once again.

"Wait." Jillian called hobbling after her. "I've got something for you."

Elena turned, her chestnut curls swaying with the motion. "You don't have to."

"I'm still allowed to." Jillian said holding out a red package wrapped in a blue ribbon.

Elena smiled down at her godmother, inside she loved being spoiled by her, it filled her with a sense of pride for this woman who constantly gave to others without thought of what it meant. "Thank you." She put the package into her empty basket.

Jillian huffed in the doorway. "Open it now child."

Elena reluctantly pulled it out and undid the ribbon. Two boots dropped, sinking into the soft floor. She picked them up, gazing down at the hard leather, lined with grey fur. She ran her fingers across the fur, feeling it curl around her fingers in a comforting hug.

"It's wolf fur." Jillian smiled. "It wandered too far to my home."

"Did you kill it?" Elena asked shocked.

"Of course. What stew do you think we had?" She laughed.

The meat chunks rolled in Elena's stomach as she realised what her godmother had done. She took off her worn boots and placed the new ones on. They felt like slippers as she made some careful steps around the room, trying to break them in. Elena picked up the ribbon and went to push the red wrapping into the basket.

"Open it." Jillian pressured.

"There's more?" Elena quizzed.

She shook out the red wrapping, it fell down to the floor, the same grey fur snuggly underneath the shoulders and hood. She pulled on the soft red cords tied at the neck.

"It's beautiful." Elena sighed, almost ripping off her old cloak and letting the soft material envelop her, the fur sitting close to her neck, ensuring the wind chill would finally stay away. She looked down, the bright red trailing along the ground.

"No one will lose you now." Jillian laughed. "But it matches the fire in you." She gently poked her heart. "No one can take that from you. Now run along. Greta will need you."