The days before Riox became more and more tiring as he continued the training with Lok and Mira, and also learned from Dreng. The old smith gave his heart and soul to teach everything to Riox.
The winter has slowly knocked on the door of the village. The first snow has fallen and the village became more silent as no one really liked the winter itself. It was just a period of the year when people could relax a bit more.
The barn was filled with firewood, the granary with food too. As the winter's coldness landed on the village, Riox and Ayla's training to improve their mana sensing, no ... to even sense mana were restricted inside the house. Their progress seemed to get a bottleneck without any sign of growth.
But the hunting senses of theirs skyrocketed drastically. As they learnt the difference between the summer and the winter, their adaptation skills seemed unexpectedly high and rose even further, as the kids had some kind of instinct and talent for it at the same time.
Mira left with no other options to teach Riox and Ayla. She decided to teach them something that maybe more capable of, what made many veterans and experts left in sweat. And with the result they provoked on the hunts, she thought they could instruct them to learn about their self-control through meditation.
The training method was absurd as the only thing the kids should do is keep their calmness while Lok tried to disturb them in any means. He made noises, talked, screamed, even spilled water on them.
At first, Riox always opened up his eyes whenever something happened. Ayla's reaction for these methods were a bit more radical, like when Lok just shouted at her, she immediately slapped him in the first place as much the house echoed with the sound of slapping. For 4 days, a mark on Lok's face left with the form of Ayla's palm.
But slowly, the also got used to it, and their growth without knowing it, just grew. The days of the winter seemed like this. Indoor training with Mira and outdoor training with Lok. Also when Riox was at home, he spent his afternoons at Dreng's workshop.
Riox learnt the methods of forging steel, using the different metals such as the common iron and steel, the white iron, the white steel, the meteorite iron and the meteorite steel. He also learnt the methods of forging handlers for blades and weapon heads, also he made arrowheads with success on his first attempt, leaving Dreng in a speechless state.
As the days went by, the ice melted, the coldness of the winter slowly wandered away. The first warm shining rays of the sun brought the pleasing spring with themself. As the snow melted and disappeared, the first plants blossomed.
*So this is the sight of the slowly waking up spring in a different world. I need to accept it ... it's breathtakingly wonderful!*
Life in the village began to move again. The farmers took their hoes and shovels and went to the land to remove the weeds and plant the spring sowing. The miners went to the small mine near the village, everyone started their routine again.
Also, many people got into the preparations for the spring festival. The children carved masks and little figures made of wood and clay. The adult women mostly started to gather the ingredients for the feast of the festival. The men with the thinking of charm brought the barrels filled with beer and wine, also the benches and the tables.
The uproar was high or even more than the previous year.
- Aunt Mira, why do you people hold this festival each year? - Riox asked about.
- Oh my world!
Mira was just shocked about what she heard and got her hands on her cheeks immediately. She stepped before Riox and hugged him tightly.
- You finally called me aunt! I'm so happy!
Mira's hug was as tight as someone tightens a rope around it. But the hug was filled with love and happiness.
- I ... can't ... breathe ... - Riox hardly coughed up the words as he will die soon if Mira not let him go.
- Oh, oh, oh! Sorry dear! What was your question?
*So Mira's attention was focused around that 'aunt' calls? My dear world ...*
As Riox reclaimed his ability to breathe properly, he asked again, but now with a stance ready to run if Mira jumped on him again.
- I asked why the people hold this festival?
- Umm ... that's something I don't even know ... Since we arrived here they have celebrated the springtime every year. It had some meaning to it but it became a good habit, they said. - Mira answered the best as she could.
Later, Mira and Lok also joined for the preparations, and to don't stand out too much, Riox and Ayla also joined with a little discouragement. They helped peel the vegetables and fruits for the feast. Ayla sometimes put down the knife and ran around the village to stretch her limbs a bit, while Riox sat on his chair and just peeled the vegetables without taking a break.
Mira, as she looked for Riox, she finally found him.
- Riox, come! The chief will give a speech! Come, Ayla is already waiting for us!
- But the veget-...
Mira didn't let Riox finish his sentence, caught his arm and grabbed into the centre of the village.
The villagers already gathered there to hear their old chief, who stood up before the crowd as a youngster and raised the glass bottle he held tightly in his hand.
- Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemens ... or evening? It doesn't matter, right? - he spoke with a pleasant yet deep voice.
His presence emanated a calm and cheerful atmosphere around him.
A manly but kindly laugh left his throat.
- We celebrate the arrival of a new spring! We lived many years in this tiny village, especially me! Hahaha! And more are waiting for us! Even if this is just a little community, our numbers are still increasing! Our old children, who arrived here 18 years ago, still are well! - he waved his hand to silence the crowd.
- But now, we have some new residents who have lived here with us since the autumn! Please, clap for them, for Mira's and Lok's dear nephew and niece, Riox and Ayla!
The crowd turned their faces towards them and clapped together, as they all greeted them this way. The old geezer Dreng also stood in the front of the crowd with a bright smile on his wrinkled face.
-- I have a present for you! Come to the workshop tomorrow! - he whispered to Riox.
The kids just stood in embarrassment with a red colored face, even Riox too. As the people around them stopped the clap they turned their attention back to the chief, who continued his speech.
Riox and Ayla left the centre and walked back in embarrassment. They felt they could sleep at any moment.
- Wait, dears! - Mira ran after them.
Panted as she rushed to catch the kids before they live. Mira felt herself a bit dizzy because she already drank a bottle of beer, but her speech was clear.
- I prepared this ... huh ... for you!
Mira drew 2 strange things under her sleeve.
- These masks … were made for you! Ah ... it's special! - she panted out a few other words.
The kids looked carefully at the masks. In Riox views, it seemed like he touched it made from plastic, and also the mask didn't have any string to keep on the face. He was puzzled because of it.
- It's ah... huh ... a special mask, if you put it on, it will remain on your face until the moment you decide to take off!
The mask on this festival had a deeper meaning. The masks symbolized the fact the villagers didn't care about the people's origin who they met, but only their heart.
- Thank you auntie! - Ayla burst out in a happy cry and jumped in Mira's hands.
- Thank you ... auntie! - Riox also thanked as much emotion as he could show.
A small smile formed on Riox's face and stepped next to Mira for a hug that she gladly gave.
- Even if you are not my real children, I will always take good care of you till the last day! - Mira said this with tears in the corner of her eyes.
- Go and have a good rest, dears! I will come soon too! - and with that they parted.
Riox and Ayla went back home while Mira walked to the centre of the village to enjoy the festival. The kids slept fast as they were on their feet since morning.
The next day was nice, waking up as the birds were singing. Riox sat up in the bed and stretched his arms with a yawn.
*It's strange. Mira always wakes us up ... She was still drunk because of yesterday for sure. Let's greet her and Lok.*
He opened the door of their room. The kitchen was empty. Riox wondered where Mira should be. He walked to her room's entrance, but the door was wide open without a trace of her.
*Where would she be? She didn't do anything like this before ... maybe outside?*
Riox stepped before the door, and noticed it was not closed. He slowly opened it. His eyes became wide open.
- Riox ... where is auntie? I'm hungry ... - Ayla woke up too and walked next to Riox.
As the sight unfolds before their eyes, Ayla let out an unbearable loud scream while Riox's heart dropped a beat ...