Snowfall

We watched the farm. My brother seemed to think it was a miracle sent from God, I heard him talking to my mother one night and they were speaking of it. He said that it was because I was God\'s servant that my family was being taken care of. He said that he bet I prayed for them every night just like he prayed for me.

Amar found me staring at the cottage some time later and came to pull me silently away.

\"Mon Trésor? What is the problem?\"

\"He prays for me, Amar, my little brother that I\'ve never met prays for me.\" I shook my head and leaned against him. All this time I felt like the unwanted child. I set myself up to be this holy martyr and the truth was that my family did care about me and wonder what happened to me. Perhaps my father was never proud but my mother and my brother seemed to be. Now it was too late. I\'d never be able to see them. I had no way to explain why I was here to them without destroying the falsehood I told to Father John. As the years went on, I would not age. The time was rapidly dwindling in which my youth would appear normal to them. Had I just asked or given them a second chance.. things could have been different. I could have known my brother and perhaps all my family. Come to visit from time to time. It was not until this moment that I regreted what I had become.

Still, I had Amar and he was my family now. I would take care of my birth family the best that I knew how but it was Amar that I clung to for acceptance. This he gave willingly, We worked on the farm together many nights. It turns out he really was a noble\'s son and working a farm was something new to him. I had many a laugh at his learning and we both would sit in the early night and listen to the quiet talks from my mother and brother. I think they became very dear to Amar as well. We got to know them, far better than I ever had as a child.

Though Amar did not know how to farm, he did know plenty about herb lore, he didn\'t cultivate them.. he just gathered them. When my mother grew ill and he heard her cough, he went into the woods and found several plants. It was going to be hard to explain to my brother who could not read what to do with the plants. I set about using my scribing skills to draw him pictures. The leaves on one plant.. the roots of another. Boil them in a pot. Give them to her to drink. All in little pictures. This we left on the doorstep and hoped that he would understand. Amar wanted to leave him the whole plants so that he could go find them again if she needed more. He said that the coughing sickness that she had affected her lungs and that it could last a long time. We could not be here every night.

My brother seemed to have done what the note described, mother sounded better the next night. Her breathing was less labored. Amar brought him some more plants. We left another note with a drawing of a scratch mark and a picture of the sun. Alin would know the scratch mark for one and hopefully understand that she should take this once a day.

We left for a night or so before coming back. Mother was still coughing but it seemed that Alin was making her the medicine once a day. The air turned cold again and her condition went from better to worse. I feared for her life and my brother\'s well fare. If something happened to my mother, what would happen to Alin?

Mother began to choke one night. We could hear it from where we were speaking quietly outside about the fields. Amar looked at me a moment before making up his mind. Before I could say anything, he had walked over to the cottage and opened the door. I stood still, partially in shock. What was he going to do? My imagination conjured wild things and I stayed still in horrified fascination. Would he bite her? To kill her or to save her?

I heard him speaking quietly to her and my brother.

\"Shh, there is no reason to fear.\" He spoke calmly his voice so smooth and gentle. \" I\'ve been sent to help you. Will you trust me?\"

\"Did Albin send you?\" It was the voice of my little brother.

\"Yes, your brother worries about you both. \"

\"See mother, he knows Albin. He must be telling the truth.\" I cringed where I stood. Such faith in me, it was undeserved in my opinion.

\"Do you have some of the plants we\'ve left you?\" Amar could be heard walking about the small cottage. I felt the tension in me loosen ever so slightly. Perhaps he had not meant to harm her if he were discussing the plants.

\"Yes, I picked some more. Once for every sun. Right?\" The sounds of my brother were heard as he lugged a large pot over to the fire.

\"That\'s right. More might harm her but unlikely. Once a day to be safe.\" I could hear the chopping of herbs and I knew that it was Amar who was preparing them. Such things you are able to hear with keen senses. His cuts were sure and quick, just a little too quick for a human. I wondered if he were doing such things on purpose. Strange for a man who always seemed to want to hide who he was. \"Can you fetch me a cup, Alin?\"

My brother scurried off to do as he said and then I caught a scent, clear to my nose even over the aroma of freshly cut herbs. My interest was piqued and I was certain now that Amar did not plan to kill my mother. I waited until he\'d finished and said his goodbyes to them both.

\"Can you tell my brother thank you and that I pray for him too?\"

\"Of course I can. He\'ll be happy to know it, Alin. You\'re a fine brother.\" Amar quietly closed the door to the small home. He then walked away from the place and I fell in step beside him.

\"Why did you feed her some of your blood, Amar?\" I asked quietly when we were no longer near the farm.

\"Our blood has the power to heal others just as it has power to heal us.\" He looked at me solomnly. \"I would not have risked going in there if I felt that she could have survived without this aid, but she was sounding bad, Albin, I fear she would have choked in the night.

\"I do not judge you for what you did.\" I smiled at him. \" Without you she would not be alive. I can\'t be upset with you for that, instead I\'m grateful.\"

He smiled and hugged me as we walked. \"It is just that I\'ve cautioned you so many times. I know you would love to see them and to talk to them. I hate doing so when you could not.\"

\"You saved them. That\'s what matters.\" I think I felt too much shock to feel jealousy and then it was all over before I could feel more than relief.