Chapter 75 — Worst fears

Chapter 75 — Worst fears

[Aster]

With the arrival of spring, the snow that had brought hunger and suffering to the Silverfrost family finally melted away, revealing the forest's beauty again. For the first time in many months, they could breathe freely, see the sun that would warm their skin, and feel the gentle caress of the wind on their faces. It was the best feeling in the world.

Thanks to Aster's efforts and determination, the family no longer had to worry about their bellies growling in pain or the horrible headaches caused by constant starvation. Every three days, the boy would go out with his two spears and a net to catch as many fish as possible and return home to feed his girls, who awaited his safe return.

Silvia and Nivalis looked much better now, no longer as gaunt and sickly as they used to be. Their pale skin no longer had that greyish hue, and their bones no longer protruded from under their skin like before. Aster couldn't feel happier when the rosy color returned to their faces, making it worth all the effort.

Aster also began recovering, though a bit slower than the two, still being a bit on the skinny side. After all, his trips outside the cave were exhausting beyond what he thought possible. But at least he didn't see those strange, plant-like creatures he witnessed on his first trip outside anymore. Aster tried his best to avoid the northern parts of the river, so maybe this is why.

However, even though the snow was gone and it became so much easier for them to find food and survive, dangers they never forgot about were lurking in the shadows — goblins. Although the silver-haired family had not spotted any goblin tracks around their cave yet, they knew it was just a matter of time before these vile creatures would find them.

The place Aster spent all his life in became too dangerous for them to stay longer. After countless discussions and careful planning, the family finally decided that this was the time to leave — to find a new, much safer place to call home.

The sun still hadn't peeked over the horizon, hours away from it; the gentle wind played with the branches and leaves, creating a calming rustle that filled the otherwise peaceful and quiet forest, only sometimes interrupted by the distant hoots of owls. The grass below the trees glistened with dew, each blade a tiny mirror reflecting the cold moonlight.

"Hey, Asty?" Silvia whispered, her soft lips barely moving against Aster's neck as she lay right on top of him. Their naked, petite bodies were pressed together like two fitting puzzles, like two spoons in a drawer. Their silver hair tangled together, covering their shoulders and making it impossible to tell where his ended and hers began. The flickering flames of the nearby fire cast shadows that danced across their skin of the same pale hue.

Aster hummed in response, his sleepy eyes fluttering open slightly. "Yes?" he breathed out, his fingers gently caressing the curve of her spine, slowly tracing up and down, stopping just above the little roundness of her buttocks.

Silvia shifted, lifting her chin to look down at her brother, her pointy nose brushing against his cheek. She smiled and pecked his soft, slightly parted lips, tasting the remnants of their breakfast on them. "Mmm," Silvia hummed, smacking her lips together. "Are you nervous?" she whispered, her golden eyes locking with his.

— "Terribly," Aster admitted, brushing a strand of her hair behind her pointy ear. "Are you?" he asked in return, his fingers gently tugging at her delicate earlobe, which the girl completely ignored.

"Mhm," Silvia nodded, leaning down to nuzzle into the crook of his neck again, her voice muffled by his skin. "What if something goes wrong? We don't know what could be there. Anything could happen," she sighed, wrapping her arms tightly around his chest, squeezing him as hard as her tiny muscles allowed. Her little toes wiggled nervously, getting intertwined with his.

— "We've been preparing for this day for months. We practiced our magic. We have a lot of supplies. We'll be fine," the boy reassured her, trying to keep his voice steady and confident despite the butterflies fluttering in his stomach this entire morning. "Once we get into the dark forest, all we need to do is stay quiet until we find a way out," Aster added, gently massaging the back of her delicate neck.

"Okay," Silvia nodded again, turning her head at the nearby fire, only to notice their packed leather backpack and two smaller, handmade, ugly-looking ones beside it. A long sigh escaped her lips as she felt a sudden wave of anxiety wash over her. "You're right. We'll be fine," she mumbled, trying to fight the feeling.

— "Exactly," Aster smiled, kissing her silver hair gently, bringing a smile to her pink lips.

"What's my little lovebirds chirping about?" Nivalis chuckled at her own words, turning to face her children. She lay on her side, her head propped up on her palm, her long silver hair cascading over her bare chest, which seemed larger now that she had regained some weight. A soft smile played on her lips as she gently caressed their young faces.

"Just being anxious," Silvia admitted, smiling weakly at her mother. "And Asty was comforting me."

Nivalis's blue eyes softened, her lips curling into a satisfied smile. "Good. Now let's catch a bit more sleep, alright? There's still time," she whispered, covering them with the blanket and earning some more nodding from them.

Silvia hummed in response, her head tilting slightly to look up at him, her long eyelashes brushing against his cheek. "Tell me," she breathed, a soft smile on her puffy lips that looked just like the smaller version of her mother's.

— "Remember, uh... how we used to drink mom's milk all the time?" Aster whispered, his cheeks flushing a soft pink, his golden eyes flicking to his mother's chest. Her breasts lay there, big, plump, and milky-white, with nipples that looked irresistibly inviting right now. "What if we pretend she still has milk?" he asked shyly.

Silvia giggled, her body squirming against him, a playful spark in her golden eyes. "This is so stupid, Asty. I like it," she whispered back with a chuckle, then paused, considering the idea. "How should we do it?"

— "Just... act like she still has milk. You know how much she loved it when we were little. If we pretend to drink it, maybe she'll play along," Aster suggested, his hand moving to give Silvia's butt a soft, playful slap, making her giggle even more. Aster could tell she loved an idea.

— "Yep. Let's do this," Aster said, forcing a reassuring smile onto his face before covering his face with a cloth.

"Great. Then let's go," Nivalis said, pushing aside the vines and stepping out into the morning forest. Her children were close behind, and both carried spears of the same height.

As soon as they left the safety of their cave, a strong gust of wind whipped against their cloaks, causing them to wave and rustle. Without exchanging a word, the mother and her kids began moving south, trying their best to be as quiet as possible. Their boots had a soft cushion of twigs and leaves attached to the bottom, allowing them to walk almost silently and leave little to no tracks behind.

The forest around them was alive; birds chirped, squirrels darted up and down the trees, and the fresh spring grass swayed gently in the sunlight, glistening with dew. The breeze carried the sweet scent of wildflowers, tickling their noses as they walked.

Despite the beauty surrounding them, the trio couldn't shake off the constant dread that gripped their hearts, making them beat wildly against their ribcages. Their stomachs churned in knots, and their mouths felt parched with fear. They knew all too well that goblins could lurk anywhere, hidden in the shadows, ready to ambush them at any moment. Every snap of a twig or rustle of leaves made them freeze, their heads whipping around as they searched for whatever caused the sound.

Aster kept stealing glances at his mother, her blue eyes constantly scanning their surroundings, searching for any sign of movement. He could see the tension in her shoulders, how nervous and worried she was, and how tightly she gripped her bow, making her knuckles turn white. Even though the wound on her leg had healed during the winter, a small limp was still noticeable whenever she put weight on her left foot.

Silvia clung to Aster's side like a frightened kitten, not wanting to let go even for a second. Every sudden noise made her whole body tremble like a leaf in the wind. She would squeeze his hand tightly, her breath coming in rapid gasps, her golden eyes darting everywhere in fear.

Silvia and Aster froze in place, their bodies stiffening in shock. The girl's eyes widened, and her breath hitched as she pointed at a nearby tree with her spear. "There!" she whimpered. A small grey creature stumbled from behind the tree, its red eyes locked onto them. Its sharp teeth were bared in an open, grinning mouth, and a dark drool dripped to the ground.

When Aster heard her words, his legs began to move as if on their own, dragging Silvia along with him, his heart pounding like a drum. He heard the twang of another arrow loosed from his mother's bow, followed by another goblin's scream. "Mom!" he yelled, glancing back.

As they ran deeper into the forest, the goblins' screams and cries grew louder and closer. Aster felt like someone shoved a molten rod into his chest; the pain from having his mana ignited was almost unbearable. However, the fear of them getting caught by those creatures was much stronger, driving him to move forward despite how much it hurt.

Silvia, however, was in even more pain than her brother. While she had a lot of practice holding the freezing mana inside her, Aster simply had grown more to the pain during his fishing trips. Her entire body uncontrollably trembled as they ran, her legs struggling to carry her. "I-I c-can't..." she whimpered, tears welling in her golden eyes.

Nivalis scooped up the girl without breaking stride and threw her over her shoulder. "Hold tight, sweetie. I got you," she panted, sprinting behind Aster. Well, "sprinting" might be too generous a term for how she ran, but she did her best.

Time seemed to blur as they jogged; it felt like they were making a three-hour trip in twenty minutes. Aster continuously checked behind him to ensure his mother and sister were keeping up, and they did. The boy cast one spell after another on himself, strengthening his body and lessening the pain in his chest simultaneously, and damn it was a good feeling. At some point, he heard Silvia using her magic as well, launching icicles at the goblins behind them, the spell making an impressive amount of noise.

Aster glanced back again, only to see her little butt moving up and down on Nivalis' shoulder, trembling visibly from using her magic way too much. She must have used all the ignited mana and began casting spells normally. Her thighs were wrapped tightly by their mother's hands, ensuring she wouldn't fall off.

Soon enough, Aster could see the river glistening in the distance through the gaps in the trees, and relief washed over him like a warm blanket on a cold winter night. A tired smile appeared on his face as he glanced behind, "Look! We're almost there!" he yelled, sprinting faster, his heart pounding wildly.

The forest opened up, revealing the wide river. Without hesitation, Aster grabbed his mother's hand, and they dove into the ice-cold water with a loud splash, submerging themselves completely. The horrible feeling of cold pierced his skin, and not even his mana could help much. He held his breath and swam underwater, kicking his feet frantically; his small hand never let go of his Nivalis' as she swam alongside him, still carrying Silvia.

But when he turned his head to the side, expecting to see his mother smiling back at him, he witnessed something far worse than any goblin or monster could ever be. Nivalis was crying on top of Silvia, holding her tight, her body shaking with sobs. The girl did not move; her lips were blue, and her skin was pale as snow.