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Featured: Winter (The Wind Can Be Still)

Stardew Valley

This is my favorite winter track from the game. Winter and Autumn are always my favorites. Both are beautiful.

Literally, at one minute into this track, it gives me goose bumps and really shows the harshness of winter while also showing its beauty. Hope you enjoy both the tune and this part.

[I wanted something to go with how Merric is feeling in this part.]

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~Two years later

I follow close behind my brother as he happily explores Ylisse Castle. This is the first time we have been inside the Castle. The King, who looks just like Pa, invited us inside for a reason that was not said. Papa looked a bit worried about something and he found Papa Greil in a hurry. Papa asked me to stay with Lance and that was that. I just assume Papa will take care of it and everything will be okay.

I look around the large room in the center of the Castle as my brother excitedly runs around me examining everything he sees. Long blue drapes hang from the ceiling covering the tall windows and large round columns stand around the corners of the room. There is a large spiral staircase in the center of the room leading up to a balcony. This is a spitting image of the Castle that Mama takes me to when we visit Ma and Pa. If Lance and I play hide and seek, I will not tell him I already know all of the good places to hide.

It will be my little secret.

Faint sounds are heard off in the distance, disturbing sounds that sound like more war is happening still. But Vladimir ran off and the fighting stopped, right? We did win, right? Worried voices radiate from up the stairs and other sounds of hurried footsteps echo through the halls leading to the large room we are in.

None of this seems right. Why are we here in the Castle? We have never rushed here like this before. The last time we were here was when we were fighting to protect the Castle. We have never come here for visiting reasons. And why are there still sounds of fighting heard all around? I never heard these sounds back at home.

My brother finds the staircase, ignorant of everything that is happening around him, and happily starts to climb them, "Hey, let's go up here, brother Merric!"

He is nine now. He has gotten pretty good with a sword and keeps up pretty good with Papa now when they practice. He looks exactly like Papa now, more than he ever has, and the only differences are the height and clothing. Brother Lance likes to wear long, black trench coats over his black armor and blue jeans under his tall black steel boots a lot while Papa wears red capes and blue armor over his boots and shoulders.

I'm not entirely sure we should go up there unless we are summoned up there, but he is already rushing up the stairs, so I follow up them. Something stirs within me and nervousness bubbles up the further up the stairs I get. I look up to the top and Lance is waiting for me, smiling down at me as I climb them.

"—I—I don't know. It was violent and sudden. Will she be okay?"

Papa's voice softly reaches my ears from one of the nearby rooms and my eyes dart around as I reach the top of the stairs before finding my brother's gaze. He does not act like he hears anything and giggles before spinning around and running the other way. I stop at the top of the stairs and face the way the voices are coming from and listen.

"I—I am unsure, sir. I am sorry. Her fever is high and she appears to be unaware of her surroundings. King Chrom has ordered all of us to monitor her at all times,"

"Just... promise me you will do all that you can for her... and keep me posted,"

The concern in Papa's voice just then hits me hard. This is about Mama. Is she sick? Is this why we are here? To get medical help from the Castle's doctors? I feel the room immediately drop ten thousand degrees while shivers run down my spine then through my entire body.

"Of course, sir. I promise to do everything possible for her that I can,"

I get a sudden feeling that I should not have heard that conversation. I feel my brother tug on my sleeve as he peers around me to find my gaze. When he sees the concern on my face, his smile disappears as he glances down the hall towards where I was just staring, "Are you okay, brother?"

I look away and back towards the direction he wanted us to go earlier, "I—It's nothing, brother. Let's go this way,"

"O—Okay. There's something cool this way, brother. Come see!"

I follow him slowly in the direction he darts towards and I notice he is leading me to the balcony where Ma and Pa always sit to watch the town behind the Castle. The moment I walk through the arched doorway leading to the overhang where the sun is shining, my head throbs with a sharp headache.

I stifle a shout as I raise my hand to press against my forehead. Your mother cannot be saved, boy. She is fatally ill and you failed to save her.

I hold back an angry scream and dart my eyes around the balcony. The only things I see are bright sunshine, luscious leafy trees and a peaceful town square below. My brother holds the railing as he looks down below with a large smile on his face.

That voice. He has spoken to me before.

My eyes widen as I force back even more tears. My feet immediately carry me back towards where I was just listening to the voices and find my way into the room where Mama is lying on a bed with many surrounding her. I have never seen her like this before. She looks to have a pained expression all over her face and she looks to be sweating. Her face is red and her hand that is not hidden is gripping the covers violently. She squirms around in the bed, causing the blankets to fold in strange ways. Soft moans of pain escape from her lips as Papa anxiously stands next to her, fidgeting around. He doesn't look like he knows what to do. His face looks extremely worried and faint streaks of wet are beneath his eyes.

"M—Mama?"

A tear finds its way out and slides down my face as I start to rush over to her. Many try to stop me and Papa spins around to my voice. He gives me a pained expression, like he feels like he should be able to fix anything. I can tell he is fighting against feeling helpless. When I rush up beside him to try and reach for Mama's hand, face, anything, Papa reaches out and stops me, pulling me to him instead.

"I—I'm sorry, Merric,"

His voice sounds defeated, weakened and brittle. I have never heard Papa sound like this before. Tears fill his eyes when I look up to him as tears fall from mine as well. I do not try to get to her anymore and wrap my arms around Papa instead, unsure of what to do or think.

"I'm sorry I did not tell you. I did not know how serious it was. It suddenly hit her. She was fine one moment then she fell into this the next. No one knows what it is or where it came from,"

He pauses, "I was hoping I could fix it bef—"

"I—It's okay, Papa. I understand,"

Papa just holds me as soft sniffles fill the room. Many nurses rush around us doing many different things while two more stay by her side constantly. Some come and go from the room, bringing more things in and out.

As I study Mama closely, I notice a fine outline is surrounding her, a dark purple outline. Dark Magic? Could this be because of that spell that Vladimir hit her with? No... the Dark Lord... not Vladimir. No wonder no one knows what it is. Dark Magic cannot be healed by any normal means. Is there some kind of spell that can help? I wish there was something I can try to learn to heal her.

Another sharp pain shoots through my head. Gwahaha! Nope! Sorry, boy. She is at my mercy now and there is nothing you can do but watch her as she suffers.

How is he speaking to me? It's because I am a dark magician isn't it. He's defeated Mama with his little games and will now torture her before taking her.

He was chasing her then, not me. But I am probably next since he is speaking to me now. He was probably speaking to her all this time, taunting her. He probably tricked her into this trap, using her gentle heart against her. Mama warned me of his little tricks.

I blame myself for not realizing what was happening. I probably could have done something to prevent this if I had known. But he did everything he could to stop me from reaching Mama's side. I probably could not have done anything anyway. I am not strong enough to stop him. Mama is the only one and now she will die.

Honestly, I would have been too afraid to try. What if he just looked at me differently and sent me flying backwards? Knowing what kinds of spells I can do with ease, the Demon Lord has to be much stronger than that. If he has been chasing Mama all her life, how would I even compare to him?

Maybe this even isn't my fault at all. Maybe the Demon Lord is too smart and had this planned even before Mama even told me about him. I was probably helpless before I even learned how to control my magic.

I hold up my hand, deciding if I should try and touch her or not, "W—Wait, Merric. Don't touch your mother while she is this way,"

I pull my hand away and silently continue watching her without looking up at Papa, "Her fever is dangerously high and it may harm her if we touch her... whatever she has may harm us if we touch her,"

Papa added that last part in a whisper. I wish I could tell Papa everything, but I don't want the Demon Lord to come after us if I say he is speaking to me. I am afraid of him and I don't want to make this worse. I can tell Papa is very distraught right now. The only thing I want to say to him is I can heal her. But I cannot.

I feel just as useless as he does. There is nothing we can do. She's gone.

My poor sweet Ike. And my poor sweet Merric.

Please don't blame your mother, Merric.