Chapter 12

Everything is so clear! Blindingly clear! She can make out every detail to an almost painful degree! Even as she runs as fast as she can, everything remains crystal clear before her eyes!

Matilda watches in awe as Winter runs around and around the house at a speed that looks impossible for any normal person to attain. Speeds like these could only be found in storybooks of heroes.

"How can she move that fast?" Matilda asks herself, dumbstruck by the utter speed that Winter sprints with. "Not only that, but she's so agile!"

Easily, almost as if it isn't hard at all, Winter was sprinting around any twigs or stones on the ground, careful not to step on any and hurt her feet. Without thought, her body twisted and turned, avoiding all the low-hanging branches without so much as brushing a single one. She was even jumping over bushes that were planted in her way, easily clearing them and landing safely.

"How can anyone move like that, let alone a little girl?"

Nothing can stop her! She can do anything!

Despite all of the speedy running, careful stepping, artful dodging, and skillful jumping, Winter hasn't broken a single sweat.

"It's childs play to her. Literal childs play," Matilda says, finding it harder and harder to hide her shock.

Not once has she, Paul, or anyone else in the village seen such an amazing display of speed and movement. It was otherworldly in comparison to them.

"With skills like that..."

She could be a professional adventurer. Just like Paul once was.

No, she could be better. So much better.

Matilda shakes her head at the thought.

"No, I won't let her go down that path. She doesn't need to go through that kind of danger like Paul once did."

Matilda had a firm, determined look on her face.

"She will live an ordinary life with Paul and I."

What is Matilda talking about?

Winter absently listens to Matilda as she talks to herself, unsure what exactly she means with her words. At the same time, she has already grown bored of running and is now climbing a tree, and with great ease.

"Winter, what are you doing up there, you could fall!" Matilda shouts, spurred from her thoughts by Winter's sudden accent.

Fall? Why would she worry about falling? Well, if Matilda says so...

Not wanting to upset Matilda, Winter jumps down. From the very top of the tree.

Matilda's face pales with horror.

"WINTER!"

Winter falls towards the ground, quickly picking up speed with each passing moment, but no fear is within her at all. Somehow, she knows she will be perfectly fine.

Reacting reflexively, as if she had done it a thousand times before, her body easily braces for the fall. The moment she touches the ground, the exact instant, she redirects her momentum by pushing forward with her legs, rolling forward.

When her body finally comes to a complete stop, she doesn't even feel a sting from the landing. This was second nature.

"OH MY GOD, WINTER!" Matilda screams, running over to Winter as she sits on the ground. "ARE YOU OKAY!? ARE YOU HURT!?"

Matilda searches all over Winter, her eyes praying they don't find even a bump or a bruise.

Somehow, almost miraculously, Winter is completely unharmed. Not one little cut, nor one little bruise. Nothing. She was perfectly fine.

Matilda can't stop the sigh that escapes her lips.

"What were you thinking!?" she yells, her hands placed firmly on Winter's shoulders, shaking her slightly.

Did she do something wrong? But she did exactly what Matilda told her to!

Winter looks confused and shocked. Why was Matilda angry at her?

"Why would you jump down from a tree like that? What if you had been hurt!?" Matilda yells once more, squeezing Winter's shoulders uncomfortably tight.

Is Matilda mad? Is she going to hurt her? She doesn't want to be hurt!

Winter's eyes start to narrow. She starts to hyperventilate. Her skin starts to pale. She's afraid.

Matilda recognizes this and pulls in the reigns of her anger. She immediately calms herself and pulls Winter into a hug.

"You can't do things like that dear, you nearly scared me to death," Matilda explains, stroking Winter's hair as Winter shakes in her arms.

S-she's sorry! P-please d-don't hurt her!

Winter sniffles in her arms, shaking where she sits on the ground, horribly afraid that Matilda is going to hurt her. Before she realized it, she was crying in her fear.

"I'm not mad, I'm sorry," Matilda says, unsure exactly what she should do.

She's never had kids before. She doesn't know the first thing about scolding or comforting. Not only that, but Winter is a special case. She has been through so much, and it haunts her, yet she doesn't even know what it is she went through.

Winter still shakes where she sits with no sign of it stopping anytime soon.

"Okay, let's go inside. We can both calm down while I read a book. Does that sound okay?" Matilda asks, still holding Winter.

Read a book? What are books like?

Winter stops shaking, her fear settling down and her curiosity rearing it's head. She no longer sniffles, and her tears are gently wiped from her face by Matilda.

"Come on, I'll pick a fun one we can read, just the two of us," Matilda says, a small smile on her face.

Winter timidly nods, and together, the two stand up. Matilda leads Winter back inside, gently holding her hand as they walk.

Once inside, Matilda sits Winter down on one of the chairs by the bookshelves. She then looks at the many different books on the shelves, seemingly searching for one specific book in particular.

"Hmm, where is it..? Aha, here it is!" She exclaims, pulling out a rather large book, one much larger than the rest of the books on the shelves.

Matilda then sits down on the chair opposite to Winter, and opens up the book to its first page.

"This is a book of heroes, people who were praised for the good things they did. I think you might like it," she says, smiling at Winter.