Book 12.2: Chapter 3
Preparing things for winter was an arduous process. After that afternoon, the few of them began to busy themselves.
The temperature gradually dropped, making it harder and harder for the elves to wake up. Vyvyan hugged Elizabeth tightly every night and wouldn’t refuse to hug her that way every day if she could.
For elves, Elizabeth, who could maintain her warmth in the cold was, essentially, a fireplace. That was why Elizabeth didn’t feel so comfortable at night with Vyvyan clinging to her octopus-style. It did cause breathing difficulties, after all… However, being hugged that way made her feel somewhat cosy. It was impossible for Elizabeth to sleep together with somebody so intimately. As a result, she considered it a very new and unique feeling to be hugged tightly when sleeping.
Elizabeth escaped with an ambition. She wanted to experience the life she had never experienced. She was a playful child, so she craved the idea of living together with friends. She didn’t know what life with friends consisted of. She presumed that sleeping together and holding each other tightly as the girls did was the first step as friends. As such, Elizabeth didn’t refuse Vyvyan. She accepted Vyvyan coming up to her whenever she wanted to ask for a hug.
Inard wasn’t as fortunate as Vyvyan, though. He couldn’t hug Elizabeth. He very much wanted to, but it was not possible. Elizabeth quite liked Inard, but that didn’t warrant her letting a man hug her. Inard had to quiver alone next to the fire. He enviously watched his sister snuggling up with Elizabeth to keep warm.
During the day, Inard and Lorana went to look for wood daily. They’d drag the wood back and place it on the ground to dry. They’d also prepare small branches and all sorts of wild teasel in order to ensure that they could start a fire. Elves needed to prepare more wood than humans in winter to be able to get through winter without struggling. In the meantime, Vyvyan and Elizabeth would search for food.
Vyvyan was reassured when she went out with Elizabeth, since Elizabeth’s swordplay was extremely advanced. The two of them searched for food in the forest. However, Lorana soon realised how idiotic her arrangement was. Elizabeth stepped into a trap previous; Vyvyan was a kid who never lived inside the forest. It would work if Inard and Elizabeth went to search for food, though, as Inard was capable of finding food in the forest. If the two girls went, however, their desire to play around would soon take over their goal. Thus, Lorana looked at the small pile of food the two brought over and pondered earnestly.
Elizabeth and Vyvyan sat next to the fire and looked at Lorana with guilty and fearful gazes. It was a very awkward scene. Lorana looked at the mushrooms the two gathered and threw a few into the fire. She said, “Ladies, if you do this, we might starve to death in winter. It’s pointless to pick berries. We need animals. Meat. We can marinate the meat before winter comes to preserve it. Of course, we’ll have mushrooms, too. However, these mushrooms you picked are inedible, poisonous mushrooms. Ladies, I hope I’ll see enough food tomorrow. You must bring back what you owe today, as well; otherwise, we’ll all starve to death in winter.”
Lorana stood up and gave the two girls a rub on the head before walking off to her room. Inard yawned then walked up to Elizabeth. With a smile, he said, “So, Elizabeth, you need my help? If possible, I’d be very willing to go with you in place of my sister.”