The harvest was bad that season leading up to the winter. Our usual surplus of crops was severely lacking- everyone's was. It was already going to be a tough, grueling winter season without the lack of resources needed.

   Papa was, understandably, wracked with worry over the matter, but there was nothing to be done, worrying was in vain. Maman sought to alleviate some of the worry by planning out reasonable meals we would eat to survive the whole winter; even so, there was still the thought lurking in our minds.

   That year, we had no harvesting celebration, but rather a praying ceremony, praying to the Fates to preserve us through the winter.

   When the first snow drifted toward the earth, the battle began.

   The snow would keep us indoors most days, forcing us to dig our way out or stuff rags in the cracks. Papa kept the fire roaring continually, and our bed was often in front of the hearth most nights.

   I was indifferent towards the cold, due in part to my blessing, but my sisters, especially little Erinna, always suffered from the unforgiving cold. Even by the warmth of the fire, Erinna would pressing her shuddering body close to mine and I'd try to provide her with heat the best I could.

   Maman would protest and complain whenever I slipped out to practice my gift, but the harsh climate outside never fazed me for it was, in essence, part of who I was. Even though I was quite skilled in controlling myself- five years of practicing- I knew there was always something new to learn about myself, along with simply maintaining my gift. Papa was more understanding of my task, never hindering me from venturing out to practice.

   "She must use what the Fates have chosen her for." He would explain to maman. She would only shake her head, never responding.

   Some days, if the weather permitted, my sisters would follow me out into the frozen world and watch me practice. Afterward, we'd play in the ample amount of snow, flinging it at one another until our fingers were numb and stung.

   "If only snow were like food," Erinna commented in a dreamy tone one day, inspecting a handful of the powdery substance.

   "If only." Feria agreed.

   We were certainly feeling the strain of our low food supply. Maman wouldn't allow not even one crumb to be wasted or a single nut to be snacked upon- we followed a rigid diet. To help ease our low supply, papa would set up traps to capture small animals we could prepare. Papa wasn't a hunting man, so he created crude snares for the woodland creatures in hopes of capturing some. But winter was being cruel to even our animal friends as many were dying of the extreme conditions and the ones we were lucky enough to catch were sickly, disease infested ones that were of no service to us.

   The restraint on food was wearing on us all. Papa and maman wore haggard, gaunt faces, Feria's ever shining hair lost its luster and life, I lost quite a bit of weight, my body lighter than before, but Erinna suffered the hardest. Her rosy cheeks were sunken in, her eyes drained of energy and her mind in a constant fog. She began to lose strength even doing the simplest tasks, like helping set the table or sewing. Eventually, she became struck with such weakness she became bedridden overnight. That's when the fever stuck its claws in her.

   Every moment brought discomfort to her. She would cry out about how hot she was but shake violently as though she was chilled. She had no appetite nor thirst, though maman would make her eat and drink as best she could. Nothing issued relief to her and it was difficult to watch such a kindred spirit such as hers suffer in such a terrible way.

   Maman and papa were worried merely by such an ailing fever, but their fears were heightened when the fever kept hold for more than a few days- it simply never broke.

   In the nights, as Feria and I laid on the makeshift bed close to the fire, we could hear Erinna above, the lone occupant of our bed, cry out for water or shift continuously without rest. Maman was always scared Feria and I were the next ones to catch the horrid fever so she was Erinna's main caregiver. The lack of sleep she received was insufficient to caring fully for a sick child on her own, that paired with the lack of nutrition she consumed made it hard to decide whether that winter would claim both Erinna and maman.

   Feria and I would often step in to assist our sister if maman happened to doze, oblivious to Erinna's cries of discomfort. Feria was a much better, tender caregiver than I. She possessed a certain calming aura to her that not even maman seemed to have. Her cool, nimble fingers would glide gently across Erinna's cheek as she hummed in a low, sweet voice that would quiet Erinna's pitiful whimpering.

   By the fifth day of the fever, maman was finally at such a loss of what to do that she complied to papa's pleads that I run into town to the healer's house and ask for help. Maman's prior excuses were that it would be impossible for the healer to make his way to our house from the town and back again. She also had hoped the fever would break soon on its own, but our options- and time- were becoming few, so with a reluctant heart she had me bundled up, though the cold wouldn't pose any danger to me no matter how fierce the cold might become, and sent me on my way.

   The weather wasn't as cruel as it had been lately and the sun had even melted some of the snow on the path, allowing me easier travel. As I already knew, the cold had no effect on me so the only obstacle deferring me was the amount of snow covering my path. Since winter was my gift, I had very little to fear from it, I thought constantly of my weak sister who needed medical care immediately; the thought of her drove me forward.

   Papa gave me almost all we had left of our funds from that poor harvest. He was desperate for anything or anyone to cure Erinna; he prayed to the Fates without cease for intervention.

   As I approached the edge of town, I thought of going to Minryn to inquire what I should do. She was wise in those matters and would offer her assistance for free, no charge. But I thought not to waste any time and continued on to the healer's house.

   Knocking on the door, I stood back and waited for someone to answer. The healer was a hunched over old man with failing hearing and a groggy voice. He lived with his sister whose posture wasn't much better than his, but her hearing was ten times clearer so she played as his ears. They were a kind pair, but slow moving so I waited patiently for one of them to answer the door. It was when a few minutes passed without an answer that I grew worried and tried again.

   "Could they be out?" I thought to myself.

   It was unlikely the elderly siblings would both be out, especially in conditions like such. So I tried again, knocking hard and with more urgency. But again, there was no answer.

   "What do I do now?" I asked myself, panic setting in. Erinna needed something, anything.

   Moving away from the door, I walked along the side of the house, pushing the mountains of snow aside with an absentminded wave of my hand and peered into one of the frost covered windows.

    Looking inside, I could see nothing. In fact, it was strangely dark inside, not a single fire going. I then became alarmed that something might be amidst inside the house. Hurrying to the back where the garden was covered underneath the mounds of snow, I looked through the windows, dismay passing over me when I saw no sign of life beyond.

   With few options left, I hurried over to the house next door and hoped the occupants were home. Thankfully, after knocking urgently, the door eased open and an older man with a peppered beard looked down at me. I was breathless by the time he asked me what I needed.

   "I'm sorry, sir, but do you happen to know the whereabouts of the healer or his sister?"

   He readjusted the spectacles on the bridge of his nose, frowning down at me, an apologetic tone in his voice.

   "The healer? He left to go west all winter, learning more remedies or something like that."

   "And his sister?"

   "She left a day ago to help a young boy a town over who sounded to be on death's door. The town lost their one and only healer so she went over there. It's a two-hour journey to the town, I don't think you'll have much luck in tracking her."

   We missed her just by a day, a single day.

   I clenched my teeth so hard they ached. The situation was dire for Erinna. I couldn't, with good conscious, go back home without anything to relieve my sister. There had to be another solution.

   Thanking the man, I hurried off in the direction of Minryn's cottage, making haste. I wasted no time on polite knocking, but barged in, searching the room for her. She stood up, startled by my noisy, unannounced entry, closing the chest she was digging in.

   "Goodness, child!" She made her way to me, surprise still on her face. "What has you so riled?"

   "Erinna." Was all I choke out. I was winded and panicked.

   Minryn guided me to a chair then hurried to prepare something for me.

   "What are you doing out here in weather like this? You'll catch a terrible cold."

   Not correcting her false statement, I couldn't relax while my sister was at home burning up with fever. Minryn noticed my agitated, anxious behavior and a puzzled, concern expression crossed her face.

    "Aelita, child, what's the matter with you?"

    Finally, I caught my breath.

   "Not me, my sister, Erinna. She's very ill. The fever's had her five days now and papa sent me to town to find the healer, but neither he nor his sister are home. I don't know what to do, Minryn, she very sick."

   Coming over to me, she embraced me, allowing a few, lone tears to slide down my face. When she pulled back, she looked me in the face, a saddened expression on her face.

   "You say it's a fever?" She inquired. "Five days and it hasn't broken?"

   "No. Maman's getting worried. She's scared and it scares us. We need medicine, we need something to help her ease the pain."

   Her mouth was pressed in a white line, a sign she was in deep, troubled thoughts. Wordlessly, she walked over to a wooden coffer with faded carvings inscribed on it and searched around inside until pulling out a small vial with a green substance inside. She offered it to me. Inspecting it, I was unsure what it make of it, looking to her for an answer.

   "It isn't much, but I pray it might help. Anything should at this point."

   I waited for her to explain what it was exactly, but she never elaborated, instead pushing me along to the door.

   "Now go, child. Your sister is in need."

   Remembering myself, I nodded, closing my cloak tight around me. I paused before heading out, turning around to embrace my teacher once more. Once we pulled back, she loosely held me, whispering in my ear.

   "Stay brave, Aelita. Remember to always be brave. No matter what, be brave."

   I stared up at her, unwavering. "I will. Of course I will."

   With that, she sent me on my way. I rushed all the way back home, not bothering to catch my breath once, clutching the vial with a death grip. Her words, though strange at the moment, repeated again countless times in my head.

   I arrived back home, uncertain how maman or papa would react to my mixed news.

   It seemed in the time I left, Erinna only seemed to have worsened. Pale and gleamed in sweat, her breathing had become shallow and her eyes swollen shut, with a bitter blister forming on the side of her mouth.

   "Aelita," Maman ran over to me, anxious to see if I came back with something. "Where have you been? Did you get what we sent you for?"

   I couldn't help staring past her at Erinna who laid so limp, it seemed Death was standing over her, waiting patiently for the deed to be finished.

   "Aelita." Maman's sharp voice interrupted my thoughts.

   Remembering myself, I held out the vial which she took with question and confusion, looking between it and me.

   "The healer wasn't home," I explained quietly. "So I went to Minryn and she gave it to me. She said it might help, but that was all she told me of it."

   She held it up to the light, clearly perplexed by the news I brought her. Unfortunately, we were in no position to choose what medicines we wished for. She hurried to Erinna's side where the girl was moaning in a hoarse, low voice. It was only once leaning closer that I understood her moaning was her voice; it was weak, more delicate than the puff of the dandelions in the summer breeze.

   "Water, maman, water." Her little voice usual so full of zest broke. I couldn't keep my eyes on such a poor, sorry state.

   Maman smoothed back her hair, wincing at the burning heat the child permeated.

   "Papa is getting you water, my little one." Her voice was tenderly low in a whisper, but it could have been her containing the emotion evident in her brimming eyes. She uncorked the vial. "Aelita went out and got you something, something for the fever."

   After a coughing convulsion and wheezing, Erinna turned her head toward maman, the mere effort wearing her out. I could tell her swollen, half-opened eyes were roaming about searching for me. I stepped forward some but kept my gaze on the floor.

   "Will it stop the pain?" She croaked.

   Maman nodded, on the verge of collapse but she remained strong. All she could do was nod with a weary smile.

   "I pray it will."

   She helped her up in a sitting position to drink the substance, cradling her like a baby as she set the vial to her lips and gingerly tipping it into her mouth. She did so with care and patience, never rushing her. As it seemed she was about to give her the whole bottle, maman thought better of it and pulled back with half of the substance still remaining. Gently, she eased Erinna back down, readjusting the covers for her and wiping the stuff off her lips.

   Just then, the front door swung open and papa appeared, looking disheveled and frantic. He hurried to the bedside, next to maman, never bothering to shut the door. It seemed, from the gusty breeze, that a new storm was on the horizon, ready to disturb the peaceful atmosphere we'd been experiencing.

   While papa offered the drink to Erinna, carefully assisting her, I went to close the door. Feria came in, then, surprising me as I didn't recognize her prior absence. She carried firewood in her arms, pausing to watch the heartbreaking scene of maman and papa around the bed. We only gave each other a grim, stoic exchange, but for us, it told all we thought. I helped her bring in the remaining firewood.

    The storm blew in quicker than I'd expected it to. It assaulted the house as we laid there in our makeshift bed on the dining table. Thankfully, we had already plugged up the gaps and cracks so no snow could blow in and no warmth could escape.

   Inwardly, I was secretly grateful for the high growling winds, it helped muffle Erinna's wretched groans of pain and discomfort that so troubled me from resting. Tonight, though, even with the angry winds I could very little coming from near the hearth.

   In the dead of night, with the fierce storm going on around us, maman remained vigilant, kneeling on the cold, hard ground next to Erinna's bedside. She would drift off at some points, resting her head on the bedding, but most of the time she would watch the brief rise and fall of our sister's chest, smoothing her hair out of her moist face, or aiding in giving her a sip of water. Papa, though in his bed, would remain up most of the night as well. Periodically, he would get up to set more logs in the fireplace or go to the pitcher to refill the small cup of water. Sometimes he would coax maman into leaving Erinna's side and lying in bed for a while as he took over, sitting on the edge of the small bed, watching over his sick child- some nights he couldn't convince her to leave the bedside so he'd just let her be.

   That night, though, I heard no stirring or fits of coughing or hacking from her. It should have brought me some comfort or relief, but instead, it riled up my worry and fears that Death was already claiming her as its own. I refused to let a single tear shed, for I knew that lying right next to me, Feria was also awake and in the glint of the firelight she would see my glistening trail and I knew she was already on the edge of breaking. I would send her over that edge, so I held the tears threatening to spill out.

   "Aelita?"

   Slowly I turned to face her. I could see it made no difference whether not I cried, her face shone with wetness, her bottom lip quivering.

   "Yes?" I kept my voice low and steady.

   "Do you think the Fates will take her?"

   I glanced over at maman then back at her petrified face.

   "I don't know, that's up to them."

   She sniffed a little, wiping her face though tears continued to stream.

   "Do you think it's a nice place where they take people? Do you think she'll enjoy it there?"

   "Don't say those things."

   "Aelita, aren't you scared?"

    For once, I felt as though I carried the burdens and responsibilities of the eldest. Feria trembled like a meager young child, not nearly the thirteen year old she was soon to be.

   "I'm scared for her, but myself, I try not to be scared. I'm going to be brave."

   She watched me for a minute before finally settling down, looking up at the sagging ceiling where, above, the wrath of winter raged.

The next morning, the storm had passed, though it left behind great mounds of snow that barricaded us in.

   Maman knelt by the bed, her head resting and her breathing steady as she slept soundly, for once. I turned to notice Feria already up and changed, moving about, preparing breakfast. Papa remained in bed, resting in tranquility.

   I swung my legs out of bed and made my way to Erinna's side, careful not to disturb maman.

   At first glance, I was sure she made no improvement, her skin still gleamed with sweat, her eyes still puffy and red, her open mouth breathing shallow and raspy, but upon further inspection it seemed there was a slight improvement in her condition. Before she used to throw quite a violent fit of discomfort, which was the reason why maman could never fall asleep next to her, now she laid so perfectly still yet not as though Death rolled over her, but more the normal way one would peacefully lay in sleep.

   I asked Feria if she noticed this change and she replied she did. I could sense the hopefulness trying to bloom within her, as was customary for her, but she fought, unsuccessfully to suppress such wishing thinking, not wanting her spirits to be crushed if her hoping proved vain.

   By the time maman awoke, she was amazed at the improvement and noticed even further change. Her excitement roused Erinna, who sleepily opened her eyes, wider than yesterday, and looked around more cognitively than before; she seemed in a better state than the previous days. Even with this promising signs, there was caution to hold off celebration as the fever still was present and the familiar aches and pains would visit her every so often. Even so, I could tell maman's spirits were uplifted by this. While papa credited it to the work of the Fates, maman was quicker to believe the remedy I'd obtained from Minryn was responsible. She wasted no time in giving the rest of the substance to Erinna, who seemed to have an easier time swallowing it.

   Then we waited and prayed.

   Our prayers were finally answered in full.

   The fever abandoned its cause in my sister, finally breaking one morning on a light snow fall. The only remnants of her previous stroke with Death was a frightening cough and a general groggy demeanor which weighed her down for weeks after. But she was alive, the Fates had heard our cries.

   Unintended prayers were also answered when it seemed the worst of winter had passed and we were left with manageable, light flurries.

   Papa and maman's faces shone with joy the day Erinna was about to starting walking about, regaining the energy to do things again- though she continued to tire out quickly. Her eyes shone once more with that familiar, merry glimmer I had dearly missed. Her cheeks, though still sunken in by lacking nutrition and recovery, were pink once more. But more importantly, she brought laughter back; a jaunty, high ringing sound which revived in all of us a hope. I realized then, when we were so close to losing her, that Erinna was our joy, our happiness when all else seemed gloom.

   Eventually, as winter's power weakened to spring's coming reign, we moved the bed back into our little alcove, the three of us sharing a bed once more.

   As soon as I could, I ran all the way to Minryn to express our inexpressible gratitude for the physic she gave me. I embraced her before she had a chance to register my presence, letting tears of thankfulness trickle down my face. I remember as we hugged, she whispered quietly in my ear.

  "Did you stay brave?"

  I pulled back, letting her see my shining, wet face.

  "I was. I will always be."

  So it was, spring was approaching, hope renewed, my sister's life spared, and the Fates proven to be as merciful as spoken about.