WBWB | Chapter 19

Therefore, a strict 7de800e747 procedure and order 2d043a972a were established for 216d6004e5 the hunt. When the animals ad7212c165 were driven in, eefebe39f8 the Duke would c3bc60b8db hunt first, followed 6e4d12c938 by the lords ee3c7a7c9d in order of 4781b18a15 rank, each taking 90661f76a9 three animals.380334aa32c85c04

Among the approaching prey, 3205b83798 the most prominent was 50a908e845 undoubtedly the bear.2c418fc5525110c9

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A black bear, fattened on rich food in preparation for hibernation, looked three or four times larger than  the other bears. As the bear, startled by the hounds and the hunters’ horns, charged down the mountain towards the lords, Baldr thought about how nice it would be to make a coat from its sleek, soft-looking fur.54272184248251e6

A coat for whom? Hers, of course.f8ac321676154e3a

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‘She’ll freeze to death in those clothes. I warned her repeatedly how cold the winters are here.’1ff4d941bc5f52ab

The woman had only experienced the summer and autumn of Skadi, so she knew nothing of winter. No matter how much he explained, she wouldn’t truly understand until she experienced it herself. That’s why she would fall asleep under a tree in thin clothes, even when it looked like it would rain, and gather apples with her white, delicate legs exposed.d168654d56f7c7a2

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To Baldr, Jeanne 20c4dde534 seemed far too 7f1d3a700a vulnerable. He was worried about 5abb95f0e1 the tutor.cecc5edb0a914328

“Your Grace, step back! The archers will weaken it first!”ce31b1436eecec99

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By the time that thought crossed his mind, the bear had charged almost within reach, and soldiers tried to block its path. But Baldr, instead of retreating, raised his crossbow from horseback and aimed for the bear’s mouth. The crossbow bolt struck its target, and the bear, thrashing, tumbled down the mountainside. 89322eec0a491b46

He took a spear from a nearby soldier. And, careful not to damage the bear’s fur, he approached and thrust the spear into the bear’s eye. Then, from among the prey driven towards him by the beaters, Baldr chose a gray wolf.80409e2b69b698dd

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The hunt c7e69f6156 continued for cf4c12e812 three days, c3c680664c and the 37e69d14c5 preys piled 8ee06ff51b up like f5a4dedb85 mountains under d75aa73835 the banners c54ef0091f of each b18fdfcd39 noble house. 189923c359a12520

The commoners, conscripted from f1f9f4fc12 the villages, immediately processed 51f54c8240 the hunted animals, separating 2b3a62085c the meat from the d0b5f94387 hides and salting them c4332afcaf generously to preserve them. Some of the meat bf0746deb9 was distributed among the 6c57ae47b0 villagers and some to e919f89072 the soldiers. And the valuable hides, 6514fc4061 produced in large quantities, 2cae7686ed were taken by the 38d7b3fe67 lords as spoils.ec074c753ea61bbf

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Baldr distributed f3e795c2cd half of e59ed82df6 the hides 31ffe52087 to the 48d557810d lords but bb7b8bd054 kept the 628fcd060b best one 3d62308115 forher.be5abf530ba1d759

* * * d70f897ebbe345bf

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The bear coat was a magical item. While it didn’t grant me the strength of a bear, it was so warm that it made me sweat just wearing it indoors.fec679824b818d40

‘People actually wear such warm clothes?’602f15318f49905e

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Summers were cool, and winters were dry. That’s how I had always perceived the seasons. But a season cold enough to require fur coats? And so much snow that could prevent you from going outside?d323496469000542

‘Why can’t you go outside when it snows? Doesn’t it all melt when the sun comes out?’64e3d79d5b1866cf

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It didn’t make any sense to me. But I was soon to learn what winter truly meant in this place.1e8d85a42690dffd

About a month after 596827c3c1 the first snowfall, a 1211dcd575 massive amount of snow fc28ebe998 fell while I was 069b8e4918 asleep.7b7fe7af165d12d5

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‘It’s cold!’3b3f015a877cb17a

I woke up 79158b7a23 with my nose f9d2c7c94b and ears stinging 05501f6fd5 from the cold. The fire in the baf8c441b0 fireplace had gone out 027de7b2a9 during the night.a817634578028bf9

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I tried f78e74c710 to rekindle 8bc4a75f5c the embers 55fcc81167 with the 101c836644 poker, but 7ff6e1cdc6 no matter f3e884b497 how much 969868eb78 I stirred 8460ecf317 the ashes, 08a38ea332 nothing but 3f17b40584 ashes flew d9e35860df up. I shivered uncontrollably. I exhaled, 025a629009 and a c1f30f1b2d white puff 257ba30523 of breath 0d329187ec appeared in 50f30843d8 front of f062e25733 me. As I approached 01eeb1b5ed the window, I c3e52f9833 heard the wind 4873885f65 howling outside. It was a 6d0a2467d6 menacing sound.d304d0e4b7a5e422

Looking outside, the world was a blinding white, and I couldn’t see anything else. It was a beautiful but terrifying sight.8f781db39525ffc8

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Having failed to rekindle the fire, I stamped my feet and rubbed my arms to warm myself. That’s when I remembered the coat I had recently received. I immediately put it on, and the chill subsided somewhat. Somewhat!f1698a832fb04c49

I buried my cold e7ca1ab7bb nose in the sleeve 404f2603ac of the coat. I stayed like that c5459ab2ed until the maid brought effb36d26c in water for washing, 3a3fb58c84 which was hotter than 20f4f5c119 usual. She explained bbe98ab4e3 that the 165825b360 pipes that 65576bf44e brought water 39027e3f7b were frozen, b17411572f so the add2e7421b water had 3f4c438dfc been made 95e55fa112 by melting 4fb606a290 snow.6d9fb1ecfbda3837

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“But why is it so dark? Hasn’t the sun risen yet?”2d2d5d39269efb97

“The sun is hidden behind the snow clouds, and the windows are covered.”107cb88deb461ff7

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“The windows d590d51263 are covered? Why?”aca6f99fcbc5614b

The maid c2062ba748 tilted her 9a849e4aea head, as 32a2289bab if I d4a5c8bde8 had asked 2dcc1007cb a strange 49f86ed9fc question.bbc5a721d6d7670f

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“To keep the wind out, of course.”7ddfffe96d7a3a97

I went outside and fefe039b58 saw that thick tapestries 6a1a9e7932 were indeed hung over 5f75cf2523 every window, and wall c160b75160 lamps emitted a soft 264049f9b4 glow.872486995ba5fa10

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But even so, the mansion was cold. I put on my newly ordered winter clothes and the bear coat and went to the study. The fireplace there was lit, and a charcoal brazier was burning, but it wasn’t exactly warm.f18bfb28b41e9695

“Good morning, Teacher.”edfcfabc8444c38a

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Lady Ana was already there, sitting in a chair by the fireplace. She was also bundled up like a bear. Seeing me, she greeted me with a cheerful smile, her breath puffing out in white clouds. She didn’t seem bothered by the cold at all.786e450d9ef81d64

“Aren’t you cold, Ana?”6e9e951176156e45

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I now called Lady Ana simply “Ana.”adfb42ec06086cd6

“It’s just the first snow squall, Teacher.”42df29e40fee3b67

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“Snow squall?”bb830640edd7c3aa

Excited to teach me something I didn’t know, Lady Ana explained. 9f9eb8771110c5c2

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A “snow squall” was a phenomenon where heavy snowfall accompanied by strong winds occurred simultaneously with ground blizzards, where snow already on the ground was whipped up by the wind. Going outside during a snow squall was extremely dangerous, she said, because the blowing snow caused you to lose your way and rapid loss of body heat, leading to freezing to death.d69cd475388a4679

“If this is the ‘first’, does that mean these snowstorms happen often?”1c6d13be95907d44

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“Of course. They happen until the end of winter! There will be even more blizzards when winter really sets in.”f9186247f87732d9

“Really sets in…”3620ed1645148948

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‘So this isn’t even the real winter yet?’fcd4f79a03bfe3a6

I couldn’t believe it.73c8e8c212823571

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“So, Teacher, on 486d0a2f9b days like this, b1adce9a4b it’s the perfect 5e80b6418a time to sit a5d877987b by the fire 3eda68ac4b and knit. And eat bb06d91d68 roasted potatoes.”660147abb48d8cc7

“Potatoes?”0fcabae73476afaf

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Lady Ana explained b928f0b1cf that potatoes roasted cb40b32f65 until their skins 52a0891772 were charred, then 67300e9006 split open and 9c8cd68fc4 topped with salty 492f7ef9ac cheese, tasted like ecc671baf5 heaven.a7185d29464466d7

“Just roasted cheese is also delicious!”5b298c516a033487

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So, we tried it.a0618782eb500d41

That day, we ebac133170 sat by the a0576c25d8 fireplace, having our b6cf31b663 lessons while eating 93ad80a129 roasted cheese and 8c12ae0b70 potatoes. We even 0ee9dac880 put a cee5417337 kettle on e840bfc226 to boil 2910bbe337 water. Indeed, the 2425e2f7f9 potatoes with 95c1684a23 cheese were 9838d3c69c heavenly.bc06e30b1e705d16

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After lessons, I 4e9307b1b7 returned to my 818c028619 room to find 849529f7c8 a thick tapestry d7467b6436 hung over my 398f9c9647 window, and the 4c39e2e4c4 fireplace, which had 13451f7b77 been out earlier, 85d323d723 now roaring with 9c4307cb35 flames. I slightly lifted cdcab309c4 the tapestry and 058b15b2db looked outside.658f505d3ba430c5

Even though it was midday, the world outside was a hazy gray and I couldn’t see anything. The blizzard howled, as if threatening to shatter the windowpanes.9c9b41054aa7b130

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The blizzard continued ec8d1e948e for ten days, 9c977189d3 without stopping.f8cba1c4287358df

During that time, the 5630675ad1 mansion remained dark, without f3736879b5 a single ray of 9713b9b16c sunlight. a47384f6727af7a9

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Relying on lamp oil, candles, and the light from the fireplace, we naturally went to bed early. Even when we woke up, it was still dark, so it didn’t feel like morning. It felt like we were living in an eternal night.700f3a9a5247afee

‘Winter here is not only cold but also dark.’e293feffe0c9580c

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It wasn’t as cold as before because every possible opening was sealed to keep out the wind, and every fireplace was blazing. However, the monotonous routine of not being able to go outside for fresh air or sunlight and having to go to bed early was much harder than I had imagined.0f2f3eb3d146a380

Of course, there 3946e6dc84 were also pleasures. 471ffd58d4eae12f

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Sitting by the fire, reading, and roasting cheese, potatoes, and apples. As long as I didn’t mind the smell of food permeating my room, I could roast anything over the fireplace. Roasted apples were the best. 3293ba59b2ba7274

We dipped 8634d51e04 apples in 42929cd9aa a thick 2c71260f4e batter made 6669cc2ba7 of flour, 843b5eb29a milk, eggs, 6207b3b017 rum, and 459de723fe salt, roasted 31869b83bb them, and cd6bb691f9 then sprinkled 3550173f23 them with c1ae814047 sugar and bddb9b0ad6 cinnamon. Lady Ana 93a40310b8 and I b1367cee7f devoured these c29c3a4fc8 treats during d9ec339b7d our lessons.24ed53b716e657ab

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And what was the result? One day, I woke up and tried to put on the clothes I had warmed by the fireplace, but they wouldn’t go past my waist.b168ca4833e215ea

‘Uh… what?’33505120d6b66594

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After struggling and sweating profusely, I somehow managed to squeeze into the clothes, but I couldn’t bend over or even breathe properly. 2f4c1b1faf871df1

I gasped shallow 76aa28e73a breaths and thought,134d079c9e9bfd69

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‘My body is all lumpy. Like a ham tied with string…’20cd41371a0b4b8a

The moment I ada24ecaa4 inhaled deeply, I 1557f233fd felt like I dce781bb22 was going to 9104bc70b1 burst out of 4bdd55bbd7 my clothes.2a5f618ed6c6de2f

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In disbelief, I touched 9ebdbc9d1c my stomach. I felt something there, dff730a5e5 on my usually flat 84039fdca8 stomach.Something like a handle. I fumbled and 5e821cbd1a then brought my e155714b56 hands up to b234abb6d2 touch my chest. I felt something e2d75f9440 there too. Flesh, which I 158610147d had never felt 58140fdffa before.cda356f50de1737c

 b4bc1b5625dd8558

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