Chapter Text
An idiot.
That's what she was, an idiot, a mess, a complete failure. It didn't prevent her from doing even more foolish things though.
As soon as the young girl pulled her head out of the water, she gasped desperately to fill her lungs with air. The flow was forcefully dragging her and the unconscious boy, who she was gripping so tightly.
Her goal was trying to reach the coastline, unfortunately, that was indeed challenging. On one hand, she was moving against the flow to avoid dying by crashing into hard, pointy rocks on the river and on the other hand, she was striving to prevent their heads from being buried in the water and drowning.
She had no doubt, this was the way she was going to die. There was no way she could survive, she couldn't swim the coastline, she would fall from the waterfall with the boy who she still was stubbornly clasping and then they would both perish.
Why did she jump into the river to save that foolish, reckless boy in the first place? She didn't know, her damn instincts acted faster than her logic and mind.
Thankfully, she did catch the glimpse of her chance to save herself and the boy. Yes, she was still refusing to abandon him to die.
Her last hope was a long branch.
Not only did the tree branch extend to a small part of the river, but the height between it and the river was within a distance that the girl could reach. She immediately eliminated the probability of her assumption being false, the fact that maybe she was deluding herself. She had to give it a shot.
Just before she came to the branch, she raised her left arm as high as possible, she felt a sensation of satisfaction and victory when she felt herself grasping the branch tightly. Her upper body was out of the water now, however, the unconscious boy was still fully inside the water, no matter how much she tried to pull him towards up, she simply couldn't. She didn't have enough strength and soon, she knew, her right arm would get weaker and she would eventually slip him away...
Her lucky number came up once again.
The fourteen years old sighed in relief as she watched the blonde-haired little girl running towards them. Soon, the little kid was snatching the slim boy with her tiny hands to drag him to the ground. She also offered a hand to her, but the girl kindly declined it. She was now clutching the branch with two hands, therefore, she could easily land on the grass.
For a few minutes she laid motionless where she was, her chest was coming up and down quickly, she was gathering as much oxygen as she could. Meanwhile, the little girl was trying to bring the boy back to his senses. When she did, the platinum-haired girl's lips moved vaguely.
"S-Sophie." the boy stuttered out weakly.
"Jamie! Are you okay, big brother!?" the child cried out with a high pitched voice, immediately after, she burst into the tears.
The boy, Jamie opened his mouth to answer, but the words on the tip of his tongue disappeared when he peeked at the girl, who has just stood up. She was approaching him silently.
The boy seemed a year or two younger than her and that gave her the chance to patronize him.
"What were you thinking? If you don't know how to swim, then stay away from the water!" she claimed with an unexpected loud voice and then, she smacked at the boy's head lightly.
"Ow!" the boy screamed in pain, in her defense, he was exaggerating, she didn't hit him that hard.
"Why were you there in the first place?" she continued to interrogate him with a scolding manner.
"I didn't jump by my own will, I fell! We were playing and-"
"You must go home." she cut him off rudely, but due to her stiff and reserved tone, neither Jamie nor Sophie made a comment about her arrogant attitude.
The girl let out a tired sigh as she bobbed her head. She grabbed her dry cloak that was laying on the grass, she swiftly checked the pocket, when she sensed the hard gem, she breathed out in relief and swiftly grabbed it.
Thankfully, Sophie brought this along with her while she was following them. Without letting herself mull over, the girl threw the cloak at the boy, whose teeth were chattering, his lips were purple. He was going to get terribly sick if he didn't warm himself up.
Jamie eventually stood up, his sister immediately caught his hand and he held her tight as a response. Then, he rested his brown eyes on the girl with a ponderous and firm glare. "What about you?"
"Just go away." she murmured without looking at him, her apathetic features were implying that she was no longer paying attention to him.
"You are cold too-"
"Get lost."
"Jamie... Let's go." Sophie pleaded to her brother as she pulled the cloak on him at both ends.
Jamie lowered his head so that he could stare at his sister's eyes, he seemed hesitant to accept her request. Ultimately, he nodded a little so he turned around to make for home.
"Thank you." a low murmur escaped from his lips while he was walking hand in hand with his sister.
The stranger did not respond.
Her fingers slipped into her dress' pocket, they were caressing the diamond gently. She could turn it into cash and could buy everything she wanted... No. That diamond was the only thing that linked her to her past, it was a reminder of who she was used to be.
Cold.
She was so cold, in addition, she was absolutely starving. She couldn't even remember the last time she had eaten properly, now that winter had started, she couldn't grab fruits from trees or steal the crops of farmers.
The wind was blowing wildly, the snow was falling inexhaustibly and the air was getting colder and colder. The winter was harsh, fierce, it showed no mercy.
The fourteen-year-old girl didn't even have a blanket to cover herself, let alone a coat. All-day long, she did nothing but wander on streets, where she was striving to suppress her hunger. Sometimes, she would dig the soil and search for worms and some other little insects that she could find, then eat them without hesitation.
The conditions were severe and it was necessary to do everything to survive. However due to her stubborn and extremely proud nature, she never pleaded anyone for money, she never thought of making money by getting into a man's bosom, even though she knew she would earn quite good enough, this was simply out of the question.
Pickpocketing was a decent profession anyway. She wasn't the best bag snatcher out there, but she was still skilled enough to snatch wallets from random pedestrian's pocket on the sly.
Regardless, it didn't mean that she could always get away with it. Ultimately, one breezy winter morning, she got caught.
When the middle-aged man plucked her wrist, she snarled dangerously as if she was an animal who was ready to eat its prey. Unfortunately, in this situation, she was the prey.
"You petty brat! You were trying to steal my wallet!" the man declared to the other pedestrians on the street, then, he yanked her towards himself as she was fighting to make him let her go.
She couldn't succeed however, the man was too strong. Her blood boiled in hatred, she couldn't stand it when people indicated her that they had power on her, she absolutely loathed being patronized.
"Let go of me!" she demanded with a peevish way, then, she placed her teeth mercilessly on his arm and bit him as hard as she could.
"You little bitch." the man growled and jerked her hair, then he raised his free hand to slap her.
Her breath hitched when his thick palm met her skin. As soon as the calloused hand left her cheek, it was throbbing with pain. She shut her eyes down, she was waiting for another slap to come. Either way, she was not going to sob or beg for mercy.
"Stop." a smooth, strong and rough voice commanded calmly.
The platinum-haired girl opened her eyes in puzzlement, she eyed at the man... no, the boy in front of her.
He was wearing a long, brown, thick coat, she glimpsed the sheep's wool in the interior surface of the coat. The coat was definitely high-quality, first-hand stuff, so was his brown boots. His trousers were covering his legs delicately, they were navy blue just like his cowboy hat.
The stupid man was still holding her but soon enough, he had to let her go when the young cowboy silently lifted the side of his coat to reveal that he was also wearing a leather belt... He was carrying a gun, probably more than one.
"Good, now, go away." the cowboy continued to order around with his composed posture.
The elder man sent him an annoyed glance but he did not say anything, soon, he turned around to storm off, his legs were quivering as he walked.
"Are you okay, my lady?" the boy approached her, she immediately took a few steps back, her arms were wrapped around herself.
She finally took a real look at him. He had cobalt blue eyes and pale, white skin. She couldn't detect his hair colour because his hat was masterly hiding it. He seemed a couple of years older than her, maybe two or three. Still, he had this strong and confident composure, his characteristics were well-shaped, sharp. The boy was remarkably handsome, additionally, his clothes were spotlessly clean and ironed.
She couldn't prevent herself from blushing madly, her cheeks and ears were burning. She felt so ashamed, his looks were humiliating her.
She was the complete opposite of him. She had dark purple circles under her eyes, a messy hair that was so dirty, no one could understand she had platinum blonde hair. Her skin was too pale and it was a sickly one, her lips were chapped and bruised. Her ripped apart, patched dress completed her scrawny, worn-out body.
Pathetic and hideous, that was the best way to describe her.
"I could take care of myself." she spat out rigidly instead of showing her gratitude.
Yes, she did appreciate what he had done for her, but she would never admit that aloud. She knew, he didn't help her out because he was a good person. No... If someone helped her, it meant that they wanted to use her for their benefits.
She wasn't a toy, no one was allowed to play with her to please themselves.
"I am sure you could, my lady. But it still wouldn't hurt to defend you. I only wish to help, nothing more, I promise." the boy claimed with a hint of a smirk on his lips, as if he has read her mind.
The girl raised her chin and fixated her posture, then she eyed at him suspiciously.
"You seem hungry." the stranger announced.
"That is none of your concern." she replied snarkily.
He sighed, he was probably tired of her attitude. When he rested his gaze on her, he also narrowed his eyes, he seemed determined. "Look, I didn't save you from that jerk to take advantage of you, you are a poor homeless girl. Just let me help you."
She didn't accept the hand that he had extended to her, but she managed to swallow her pride a little, so she began to follow him from his behind.
They both ignored the judging stares when they entered the saloon, she thanked him with a barely audible whisper when he opened the door for her.
The cowboy requested a menu from the bartender, then handed it to her. She mumbled that she wanted black beans because it was the cheapest meal. The boy then asked her if she wanted a beer, when she declined it rather with a harsh voice, he ordered themselves two plates of black beans and water.
They took their plates and headed to a table. When they sat down, the girl went to eat her food in no time, ignoring etiquette, she was putting a spoonful of beans in her mouth hastily like an animal. She swallowed food quickly, almost without chewing it.
Before long, she had wiped her plate and when she pushed it gently, she finally glanced at the young man who was slowly spooning his food, he hadn't even eaten half of it. Despite this, the youngster suddenly straightened out and left the table without saying a word. When he came back, he had a whole plate of meat and mashed potatoes.
"You gotta eat more." he explained, then shrugged nonchalantly.
After they finished their meals, the boy gestured her to go upstairs, when she raised an eyebrow skeptically, he told her that she must take a bath.
She was so glad that she complied. Feeling the warm water on her skin, the wonderful odor of the soap was replacing that disgusting stink... She felt refreshed and that was all could she ask for. It was so good to be clean, not being covered in dirt.
When she was about to leave the bathtub, she heard a soft knock.
"Miss?" a woman, presumably old due to her tone, called out for her. "A young fella wanted me to give you these."
Wrapping a towel around her body, she approached the door and left it ajar, she thanked the old lady as she grabbed the... clothes.
When she finished dressing, she looked at her reflection in the mirror. She was wearing a grey shirt, brown trousers, boots and most importantly... A navy blue coat that was a bit too big on her.
She averted her eyes away from her reflection, she whirled around to yank her old dress, she rapidly grabbed the diamond and tugged it into a random pocket.
After then, she opened the door swiftly. The young boy was there, he was leaning his back to a wall, she couldn't see his face because his hat was disguising it.
"Figured you would like it more than a gown."
When she gave him no reply, he raised his head to stare right into her eyes. His jaw was clenched, but for some reason, his features softened a little, a small smile was tugged to his lips.
"Your hair is soaking wet... Do you have a comb?"
"What do you think?" she retorted and gave him a blank expression.
He let out a low, amused chuckled. "A lady and a gentleman must always carry a comb." he mumbled as he pulled out a comb from his coat's pocket.
They entered the room together, he politely instructed her to sit down. Without losing more time, he began combing her platinum blonde hair. Although he was attempting to be as gentle as possible, it still sometimes hurt because her once soft and silky hair was now as hard as a rock and really messy.
From the bottom of her heart, she despised when people touched her hair, she never liked physical contacts and feeling someone's on her hair was the worst. However, this boy... As he was combing and drying her hair, he never lingered his touch, he didn't make a single gesture to make her feel uncomfortable.
She had to admit, he was indeed a gentleman.
"May I braid your hair?" he inquired softly. "It would be easier to deal with your hair in that way."
Reluctantly, she nodded her head in agreement. She shamefully didn't know how to braid.
"How did you afford my clothes?" she popped out a question while his fingers were gently doing their job, she wanted to avoid the contact by talking.
"I am a cowboy, my lady."
"Do you kill people?"
"What is your name?" he hastily asked instead of answering, for once, his voice was not smooth, it was nervous.
So he did kill people.
"Doesn't matter." she huffed grumpily. "It is not like we will see each other again."
They don't speak afterward, they simply enjoy the soothing silence until his hands left her hair.
When she sensed the boy behind her slowly pulling back, she grabbed her long braid that was dangling from her shoulder, she couldn't help but stroke it. As she looked in the mirror... The 'petty brat' who spent the last few months on the streets was gone.
She looked like an entirely different person now due to her appearance. She didn't seem like the girl who used to be in her past, she was also not the girl in present. This reflection... This person was entirely someone else, she seemed cool, elegant and most importantly, strong.
"So... Do you like it?"
"Not bad for a boy. What type of braid is this?"
"This is a French braid."
"Have you done it before?"
"Once, I tried it on my friend but honestly, it didn't suit her that much. But on you..." his voice trailed off, she whirled around to dart her gaze at him so that she could indicate him to continue.
His blue eyes were bigger now, they were... they were so intense that she couldn't help bit shiver a little. No one has ever looked at her like that before.
"Beautiful." he whispered with his deep, rich voice.
She knitted her eyebrows together due to her bewilderment. "Okay?"
"Ahem," he coughed a little and averted his gaze away from her, "Anyway, I–I gotta leave the town." he informed her, the awkward tension between them dissolved, now it was almost... heavy.
"Good." she eventually said as they were leaving. Without looking at his eyes, then she added, "I'll pay back to you someday. I vow on my honor."
"You said we will never meet again. Plus, you don't have to."
She did not respond.
They walked to the stable, where his horse was, in absolute silence. The boy tossed a coin to the stableman, then he gently dragged his horse along with him by holding the halter. When they were on the main street of the small town, he hopped on his horse.
Nevertheless, he refused to move.
"Look... I... Don't let anyone tell you what to do, alright?" he gave her a piece of advice, his eyes were narrowed, he was dead serious.
"Okay." she replied bluntly.
Then, something unexpected happened.
The boy removed his navy blue cowboy hat, revealed his captivating snow-white messy hair. He reached out to her and plainly placed the hat on her head. She blinked while she was trying to grasp what he has just done.
"The name is Jackson Overland. Goodbye... Snowflake." the boy mumbled under his breath, without showing her his face. After that, he urged on his horse to hit the road.
The petty brat watched the young cowboy go away, she was snuggling closer to her coat.
For the first time in months, Elsa felt warm, safe. She felt like she was home.