Challenge Submission Veins of Winter

[ZAlcyoneus]

Spoiler: Notes

This story is set in my world Jewels of Falaindale series during the copper age period, Years 0-100.

Fuyu-Winter (2nd season)

Alkharf-Autumn (1st season)

Ethereal-Dawn; when the sky is just beginning to lighten, early twilight hour to sunrise

Year of the Turtle-the 13th sacred animal and last year of the 13-year cycle on Xaythea

Each season is 4 months and there are 5 seasons.

Souls are cash money and are made of metallic gold paper. Souls range from
1 to 1,000 soul and coins range from Vicla to Iso. Crescents are a coin made of silver (Has a X to show its worth). Crescent has a six-pointed star surrounding a crescent moon etched into it.

Ice Moon, Travether, Year of the Turtle (Year 8)

Fuyu's bitter chill swept across the planet, bringing a clear start to the day as the twin suns glowed with a pale light in the early hours of Ethereal. The temperatures had fallen to near freezing over the night and the miners huddled under blankets in small cabins, body heat packing making it somewhat warm inside the wooden structures while the horses were penned in a small barn above ground though there were others penned below. There were also the werewolves who could help pull the carts where the horses couldn't for the mine didn't have just humans working it. Yet with the rising of the suns came the shouting of the foreman's voice, ordering everyone up to begin a new day.

In one of the cabins, a young miner piled her Io once copper hair, now a dusty color due to having lost its luster due to the dusty tunnels below. Putting her hair up, which had been cut when she set out on her journey for a change, she grabbed a cloth and began to wrap it around her breasts before pulling on a wool shirt and pants before pulling on some socks and boots. Wrapping herself in a heavy cloak, she gathered her belongings and made her way outside, no longer Maeve Stone but rather Puvis Pometti. As she had since Alkharf. For women did not work in the mines and thus, she had to disguise herself as a man.

The air was cold as it blew through the mining camp, cutting through the miners' clothes. It was only the second month and yet the winter had been harsh so far this year yet there were still two moons to go. An arm slung suddenly across Maeve's shoulders as a cheerful voice echoed beside her. "Puvis! Thought thou were off duty today?"

"Taking an extra shift Zuriko," said Puvis. "We more short hand since Matthias got injured."

"Aye. Well the temperature will surely be warmer underground then above."

"Easy for thou to say Zuriko, given thou a wolf."

"Sure, but thou art good as well for being a dhamphir. Not very strong though."

"Dhamphir art not as strong as our vampire parentage. Nor as strong as a werewolf."

"Who be the vampire in thou family?"

"Mine father."

"Yet thou seem to get along with me so well."

"Aye. Thou be a good friend Zuriko."

"Considering I know thou not really a man. Thou too feminine despite thy disguise. So what be thy real name?"

"Thou art mistaken. Perhaps thy time in the mines hath dulled thy sense of smell."

"Doth not insult my race nor senses," said Zuriko. "I am no elder or ancient wolf."

Maeve stared at Zuriko, annoyed and scared, something the wolf could smell which only confirmed his belief. "Well? If thou worried about my telling the foreman, I won't. I hath no need to get in trouble either for knowing."

"Let's get some breakfast before we start our day," said Maeve, making her way to the mess tent with Zurino following. Entering it, the friends grabbed tin plates and made their way to the line to get some grub and a pail which contained their lunch and dinner for the day.

"Would it help if I told thee that thou my mate?"

Maeve turned her gaze to him as he said such a thing. "Thou jest."

"Nay. I hath known it for some time but found it strange. So, who art thou re…"

"I doth not hath time for this," said Maeve angrily, forsaking her breakfast and grabbing her lunch before heading to an opening in the hill and heading into the tunnel. Luckily she knew where she was going to and could see easily, being dhamphir had night vision. She headed down into the darkness, her steps fading the further she got from the dawn light. Yet her mind was troubled. She had never spoken of nor revealed she was female.

That was not the only thing that bothered her. Mate? She knew what mates were of course but she had not expected to become one, let alone to a werewolf though she didn't have problems with them. Lost in thought, her feet took her by memory to where she should be, her stomach rumbling yet refused to turn around and go back into the biting chill above. It was a relief when she got to the tunnel she was meant to work within, the mine holding tons of coal and gold.

Setting her pail down, she lifted her pickaxe over her shoulder and swung it down, the metal blade swinging into the rock with a solid thud. Knowing she would be here awhile on her own, it would allow her to get some work done in peace as everyone else was likely eating though she had seen some fellow miners tending to the horses. It was cold but not as cold above ground, being located on the continent Zualbone.

It was a tedious job, mining, yet also backbreaking and dangerous work. Yet it paid 10 Souls a day for digging coal and 30 Souls and 5 Crescents a day for gold mining. It was due to be a long day of dredging deep underground and loading it up into wagons and carts to be hauled away and sorted, washed and processed. That happened elsewhere in the mine, above ground, and Maeve was as glad she didn't have to do that. It was dangerous, even for a race that had regenerative healing like dhamphir did thanks to their vampire blood.

The pickaxe again swung through the air, hitting the rocky earth with a resounding thud once more as it arched over her shoulder. Soon the axe was swinging in a rhythm overhead, the only sound within the mines until half an hour later she heard the sound of horses, wheels and boots. The steady thump of the boots and clopping of hooves, 'twas sounds she had become used to in her time underground. It beat the dull monotone chatter of her tribe when she had been a basket weaver. There was more danger yes but also more excitement and adventure, a chance to make money and perhaps open a grocer or inn when she got the funds. Perhaps one day and so she continued to swing her axe, unaware her life would change. Unaware a blizzard was brewing, a storm of fate and change in the veins of Fuyu.