Chapter Text
Anna Maria would be in deep trouble if her parents knew she was in the mill gears. She wasn't supposed to be in there, it was dangerous according to all the adults. But the worst thing she'd seen in there is mice, maybe a fox or cat occasionally. But everyone but Grandfather were currently out hunting the wolves that had killed their sheep earlier in the fall. Grandfather had fallen asleep in his rocking chair by the fire, snoring so loud she could swear she heard it outside. It was the perfect time for her to check on the little nook she had built in the corner before her parents caught her sneaking in there. She could hear if anything went wrong inside, or if Grandfather woke up.
She found her nook already occupied by a large shape. The mass was under the rough blanket she had taken from the sheep.The mice that lived in the mill gears had all pilled on top of it, nestled in a little burrow they had made. She walked closer, as quiet as she could, worried for a moment that it might be a wolf or some other large beast. It was hard to see, the pale light of the moon barely reaching the doorway. The fire inside provided the rest of the light, but the slats in the wall were only so big. She thought maybe she should turn around and leave before the thing woke up, but she had been drifting closer while she thought. Right as she had decided she should go back inside her eyes adjusted enough for her to see that what she had originally thought was fur was actually a jacket. The blanket barely covered half of the shape, so she could see that there was moss on it, growing up the back as if it were an extra spine. It took huge breaths, the shape rising and falling with it, the mice adjusting to the change. Looking closer, she recognized the shoes on its feet, the pants the same ones they had left for the Spirit of the Forest. Did this stranger take their offerings? Did it anger the Spirit? Was this the spirit itself? Finally she stood over the stranger, and with a deep breath she leaned down and lifted the blanket from the side opposite the feet.
Huge eyes stared up at her, one normal and one that looked more like a cats. The light from the slants in the cabin wall reflected off of it, making it burn orange. It was a man, at least Anna thought it was a man. He looked cold, his skin mildly blue in some places. When he slowly sat up, his fingers on the blanket carefully pushing it off of him, gently moving the mice, she saw that they were tipped black, and she gasped. She didn't know what this person was, who they were, but she knew what frostbite looked like. This man was dangerously close to losing his fingers, if it wasn't too late already. She reached out and grasped his fingers, and he startled but didn't pull away. He was freezing, and he made a little whining noise in his throat as Anna tested how much his fingers could move.
"Can you feel that?" She asked, trying to remember what her mom always asked dad when he came home from a long day of hunting. The man watched her pulling his fingers back and forth before nodding slowly.
"Feel." He repeated, and she noted the hesitation in his voice, the slight tremor. She was fairly sure that also happened when you were too cold.
"We have to get you inside where it's warmer. What's your name?" Anna asked. He looked at her with wide eyes for a moment before repeating with a stutter,
"N-name?"
He drew out the vowels like she did sometimes when she wasn't sure of the words. His voice was scratchy, and even though he was a stranger (a spirit?), he needed to get warm. Now.
"Come with me." Anna tried to sound like she was in charge, like her mom always did when someone got hurt. She grabbed his hand and began to walk towards the doors that led out of the mill house. He didn't resist other than a confused sound. He flinched when she burst through the doors and stumbled as they emerged in front of the house. He only seemed to dig his heels in a little when she opened the door, already feeling a little warmer from the fire that burned by her grandfather. She left him in the doorway and went to her grandfather, shaking his arm until he snorted and jumped awake.
"What is it, Anna Maria, hm? You shake me like the house is burning."
"There's a stranger here, he's really cold. I think he's frost bitten."
She looked back at the man, who was looking up at the rafters as if he had never seen a ceiling before. If he was the spirit of the forest, maybe he hadn't. But then, why was he so cold? Did spirits get cold? He walked closer to the fire, looking a little afraid of it, holding his hands out in front of him as if to keep it at arms length.
"Hello Stranger, please forgive me for not standing to greet you. Where is it that you come from?"
The man came closer and stood over Anna, looking confused. He didn't answer, so Anna did.
"I found him in the mill gears."
"Anna Maria you aren't supposed to be in there."
"It's a good thing I did, he could have froze in there!"
"I suppose we can keep this between the two of us. Ah, three. Come closer, let me see you." Grandfather said, and the man walked closer. He was huge, having to kneel down to be at eye level with Grandfather. Slowly, Grandfather reached out and traced the man's face with his fingers, touching the hair that grew in many colors from his head, tracing a few scars that were on his face. The man jumped at first, but soon settled, even leaning into the touch with something close to a smile. This close to the fire she could see him better. His skin, like his hair, was many different colors. It made sense for a spirit to be made of many parts though. His skin reminded Anna of a tree with the bark stripped off, ready to be made into something new.
"Can you give me your hands friend?" Grandfather asked, and the stranger slowly lifted his trembling hands to place them in Grandfathers gnarled ones.
"You are terribly cold! Let's sit you by the fire, let you get warm."
"Fire?" The man looked over at the fireplace, shying away from it. "Dangerous?"
"Your afraid? Don't be. It's perfectly safe. This is a hearth. It keeps us warm."
Anna watched as the man slowly walked over, crawling on his knees until he was so close to the flames Anna thought his sleeves would catch.
"Child, can you come here?" Grandfather said, motioning in Anna's general direction. She walked over and stood beside him, taking his hand so he knew she had listened.
"Is he wounded? There are painful feeling scars on his face and hands." Grandfather asked. She looked over at him in the light of the fire. He did have scars, but nothing that didn't look healed over.
"They look old." Anna said in reply, and her Grandfather frowned.
"Poor lad. He must have been through something awful."
"I think he's wearing a soldiers coat?" Anna said, trying to be helpful. The man turned around and looked at her, and then picked at the collar of his coat, looking at it quizzically.
"That would explain it. Horrible thing, what men do in war. Well. He's safe here, for now. Let's do what we can do for him. Fetch him a warm drink, and a blanket. He's been in the cold long enough."
Anna kissed his cheek and then set off to do what he said, getting the kettle and filling it with water before putting it on the hook in the fire. The man watched her unblinkingly the whole time. She didn't let it bother her. Being the only house for miles, travelers sometimes stopped for aid or directions. Some of them were soldiers, and often they were quiet and far away. Stuck in the memories, her father would say.
As the kettle heated she pulled a blanket off of one of the unused beds, empty until the rest of her family came back. She walked over and carefully draped it over his shoulders, and he brought he rough fabric to his cheek and rubbed it softly against his skin.
"Thank... you." He said as she struggled to get the kettle off the fire. He watched her, squinting, before reaching in with his bare hand and pulling it out, placing it in her mitted ones. She stared at him in shock, at the burns on his hands as he wrapped himself tighter in the blanket and closing his eyes. She was about to run and get some cool water for them, but as she sat there she watched the burns got better, until they were gone.
"You are the spirit of the forest." She whispered. He opened his eyes and nodded before reaching into a pocket of his jacket and pulling out the flower she had picked for him. It was dry now, and a little crushed, but he held it so softly in his hands.
Anna threw her arms around his neck. He grunted, but then slowly raised his arm and hugged her back. He was careful, just as he had been with the mice.
"Thank you! Please stay as long as you want. Can we get you anything?" Anna felt like her brain was going to fast for her to keep up, but she was so happy that the spirit was pleased with them, that he had chosen them to provide shelter. She wished he had just come to the door instead of freezing in the mill house.
"Anna would you give him his tea and leave the poor gentleman alone?" Her grandfather said, chuckling a little at her. She pulled away from the man and walked over to her grandfather, knowing he couldn't see what she had, that he didn't know who this was. Only she had seen the spirit. She hoped he would stay long enough for the rest of her family to see him. So that she knew he was real if nothing else.
"Grandfather he isn't just a gentleman, he's the Spirit of the Forest! He's come to us! We must be special, he must have liked the offerings. He has the flower!"
Her grandfather took a deep breath and nodded. "Spirit of the forest eh? Well, spirit or not he needs his rest without you pestering him. Go on to sleep, I'm sure he'll be here in the morning. Right Spirit?"
The man looked at her grandfather and then her, nodding. She sighed before walking over and hugging him again.
"Thank you."
*
Anna waited until her grandfather was asleep again before she walked over to the Spirit quietly and lowered herself beside him, pulling her knees up and wrapping her arms around them. He was still staring into the fire, his eyes watering as he mumbled something to himself. She listened in the quiet for a moment and realized he was saying the alphabet, like she did when she practiced with grandfather.
"Are you learning to talk like us?"
"Am..trying. "
"You're doing great!" Anna said a little loudly, and then she ducked down a little, putting her head on her knees. After a moment the stranger reached into his pocket and pulled out a mouse, holding it out to Anna. She smiled and took it gently, it's whiskers tickling her palm.
"Likes... You." The stranger said. "Both."
"Both?" Anna asked absently, holding the mouse to her face and looking into it's little eyes.
"Mouse. I" he said, pointing first at her hand, and then at himself. Anna smiled wide enough that it hurt her cheeks.
"Thank you Spirit."
They sat together quietly, Anna fighting her sleepiness with huge yawns. After a moment she laid down on the rug, her head beside the man's leg. He looked down at her with his huge eyes before carefully resting his hand on her head like grandfather does, patting it gently.
"Thank you." He whispered right before she fell asleep, warm and comfortable and safe.