One More Step

The light from the window fell on Kyra's sleeping face and made her wrinkle her small face in discomfort. She slowly opened her eyes and saw Anna's bed empty. ''She is already awake?''

Confused about Anna's early wake she stood up and in her sleeping attire opened the other door. She saw Anna looking curiously at the crate that Kyra brought the night before from their cellar.

''The work is already done. You told me when you wake up and we take care of all the work you will tell me what is inside.'' Kyra once wrote something and gave not to the store owner. Before the last time came they gotten the crate and just brought it down in the cellar.

Kyra just mysteriously smiled and told her they will open crate at the new year eve. So she was quite excited. Trough day they would or lazily sit n their chairs or go out and make strange shapes of animals outside from snow, play snowball, cook food, enjoy their days.

They had food to eat and not one day was boing. Kyra would always find a way for them to have something to do. Now lately they learned how to sew small things on their clothes. Kyra now could sew small butterflies that looked like one while Anna was better in that.

But today the girls wanted to open the crate. Kyra slowly took out the small key, opened the lock and saw Anna's pouting face. ''You trust me this little?''

''Hm... You are quite curious by nature. Earlier or later you will get in trouble because of that. So all I can do because your curiosity is to lock it and show it to you when the time comes. And today is a day. This is present for both of us to start a good year.'' She took off the lock and opened the crate.

The crate was big so fist she could see were many different compartments.

Kyra opened one small compartment in the corner and gave it to her. ''Open it up.''

Anna nervously opened the cloth and inside was strange-looking needles. Just hair width in different sizes and thicknesses. Kyra smiled while Anna touche them carefully. ''I spoke to medical Ling. She said you are profound in medicine. So she sold me a new book for you. The winter is long, you will then have enough time to learn.''

Anna looked at her with shine in eyes. ''But how is this present for both of us?'' She then confusedly said.

''I heard people with profound medical knowledge can bring someone back to life. In case I am in mortal danger isn't it better if you can save me?'' Kyra joked around while she took another cloth package.

Anna carefully put the book down and the needles and curiously looked at the other package. ''This is something I will do when you learn.''

She uncovered the cloth and she saw a set of strange looking knives. ''What is this?''

Kyra smiled. ''We will live here for a while. So I plan to make this house beautiful. These are carving knives.'' She put them slowly down and picked up a huge long package into Anna's hands.

This is something I give you as a present. I ordered it long ago as I know that somehow you wished for this. She stuffed the long thing in Anna's eye sand with big eyes stared at her face to see how she will react.

''Ohhh, you are making me nervous. Stop staring at my face... Uhhh, what could this be?'' She was nervous and the form was somewhat familiar.

The moment the cloth was open she literally opened mouth and her eyes almost didn't pop out.

''Wait...What? How did you know I wanted this?''

She stared at the bow made for her size. There were ten arrows made of pink feathers. She started laughing. ''Where did you find pink feathers?''

Kyra joined her laughing. ''HAHHAHa. It was in a foreign shop by the door. It was made for duster but I found it cute and bought it off while you were outside for a moment.''

Anna was seriously surprised and happy. Suddenly he felt sad. ''I have nothing for you.''

Kyra thought about it. ''Then I will order present for me from you.''

''Just say it. If I can, I will do it.'' Anna, of course, was happy about it.

''I saw that there seem to be many foxes in the forest. You can hunt the white fox and make with your hand's a hat for me. But you must know, the fox is a smart animal. And white foxes are rare.''

It was not an easy task. If she wanted to live up to her promise she would need to hunt in forest for days, alone. From one side she felt scared and from the other side, her pride was in question.

''Whit foxes you can see only close to winter and in wintertime. In summer I will learn how to shoot and will check their trails. Before the next new year, I will give you the white fox fur hat.'' Anna was determined but she was realistic.

The snowstorm made the storm rise almost over their heads. If she even tries to funt fox by this kind of snow it would be pure suicide. She is not dumb. But her plan is any way to first learn how to shoot before ging for hunt.

''I promise I will show myself worthy of this bow.'' She gently stroked simple bow and arrows. The pink on it was so funny that she started chuckling. ''Pink.''

Days indeed passed. The snowstorm was this year very extreme. They lived to see such a big snowstorm that it almost reached their rooftop. At that moment Kyra chooses to go out and clean the roof.

The thick clothes they ordered were perfect for this wheater. It was but hard to walk inside. But she still succeeded. Bit by a bit of snow was showered down on big hills and when the last part of snow fell off the roof the girls sighed in relief. But Kyra's eyes suddenly started getting gloomy.

In the hurry, she got down from the roof and rushed towards the barn. luckily the barn roof was easy to clean so she rushed back after adding one more thick piece of wood and going back to close the glass windows and shutters.

Anna stood outside and was in worry .''What is it now? Snowstorm? Ice storm?''

Kyra shook her head. ''I wish we could warn the town somehow. It seems big wind is coming and rain. Cant, you feel warmer air?''

Anna just felt the wind that luckily didn't pass the clothes. ''I can't feel it.''

''If it starts now to rain... the consequences might be really horrible. I need to let the city know. I will ask the noble next to our house do they have maybe a way to send a message.'' She looked around and found straw. She started waving strangely shaped things that looked like a flat pan.

She finished one and then made another one. ''What is actually this?'' Anna asked looking at the ugly thing Kyra waved.

''It's called snowshoes. I will explain later on when I have time. Now I need to rush. See you later.''

Luckily it was hard snow so she could walk like duck over the snow. It took her quite some time when she arrived at the gates where she knocked multiple times.

A freezing looking woman opened the gate and saw Kyra standing there. ''What?''

''Just quick question. Does your household have bird messengers? It is important. I need to sen a message to town and if I don't something really bad might happen soon. And it won't b good for anyone.'' She spoke in a rush as she saw the young woman's lips turning blue.

''I will tell our master. Sorry, you have to wait out here. I will hurry back.'' She closed the door and you could hear how she run fast towards the house.

Actually it was quite cold, but Kyra was already prepared. Not long after she heard someone rushing back and one man cam outdoor holding a pigeon. ''Hurry. It's so cold. Let's hope it survives this coldness and comes back home safely.''

Kyra patted the pigeon and smiled at the young man. ''Thank you. I already wrote a note so I hope the poor animal will be able to reach its destination. Thank you or your help. Say to your master that I am more than grateful.'' She smiles brightly and bowed deeply.

He released the pigeon that flew straight down the town. Kyra thanked one more time and tried to walk back. But how can that be so easy? It was easier to go down than up.

It was not even so far, but she still needed quite a time to come back home. She took her clothes off, refreshed herself a bit and then cuddled by the fireplace into a thick blanket looking like a croissant.

The fire crackled in the oven and she slowly closed her eyes.

''You must have been quite tired, I will put water for tea. '' She smiled at cute looking Kyra and sat next to her with her blanket as well.

The two children enjoyed the warmth of the house while in the city big alarm resounded. ''Flood is coming. Let's prepare.''

The moment the pigeon brought the message to town few servants brought it to the restaurant and that went to crown princes estate. After he saw the message he burned it and went straight to the palace to warn everyone.

Actually note was simple. ''Feel the warm wind. Very possible rain.'' Those two sentences could be some simple lines, but it was a clear warning.

The weather is hot, it means snow will melt fast. Rain possible, that means if rains start falling the snow will start melting and it will bring disaster to town.

But Kyra and Anna just warmed themselves near the fire and enjoy warm tea while listening to the rain that started falling. They sent a warning, everything else is unrelated to them...