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A brisk wind sweeps across an open field while carrying flurries of snow. The whitened trees sway back and forth in response, their color matching the terrain around them. While most of these stand tall, several appear toppled in random places.
Hoshido’s king marches through the frosty environment with his eldest son in tow. While Ryoma can get away with a simple wool cloak, the small Shiro finds himself wrapped in several layers that have him waddling like a penguin.
Fitting the season at hand, Ryoma pulls a small wagon full of firewood along with them. He and his son scout for fallen trees that look suitable for keeping the family warm during winter.
“Hrrgh..” Shiro huffs, his vision hindered by the extra layers. He squints into the distance. “Daddy, I see one!”
“Hm?” Ryoma turns his head to follow Shiro’s line of sight. “Ah, good eye. You can see that far even with your auntie’s special cloak covering half of your face.”
“Heh, this is nothing!” The brown-haired kid puffs himself out with confidence, imitating his uncle.
“Really?” His father gives a playful grin. “A test then. Let’s race, shall we?”
Ryoma takes off toward their next destination, kicking up a plume of snow as he goes. Shiro’s smile broadens as he does his best attempt at following despite the hindrance of his attire. He’s about half a minute late to meet his father by the fallen tree.
The boy gasps, winded as he approaches. Ryoma gives him an approving nod once he makes it to the finish line.
“That wasn’t far from your usual speed. Well done.”
“Next time..! I’ll get here..even faster!” Shiro lets out an exaggerated exhale before turning toward their prize. “We’re gonna take that one home too?”
“That’s right. It looks quite healthy. This haul should last us a good while.”
Ryoma pulls the axe from their cart and sizes up his target. With powerful swings no ordinary man could replicate, he cleanly splits its trunk into segments with singular strikes. Awe-struck by his dad’s awesome strength as always, Shiro watches with a big grin and glistening eyes. A thought soon comes to mind that causes the smile to be replaced by confusion and curiosity.
“Hey, Daddy?”
“Yes?” He answers as another chunk is cleaved from the tree.
“Why are we out doing this stuff? The kings and princes in books usually leave this stuff to other people, right? I think it’d be way easier to stay home while some guys bring us the firewood.”
Ryoma simply gives his boy a smile while the last slab of wood hits the snow with a thud. Standing in front of the chopped up tree, he turns to look Shiro right in the eye.
“You’re right. It would be easier, but that’s one of the reasons I make sure to do this each year. Many like us don’t have the same luxuries we have access to. It’s very easy for anyone with a noble title to grow complacent and forget where they came from.”
The tip of the axe is planted on the ground in front of him, both hands resting atop of its handle.
“This type of lifestyle is part of what makes us Hoshidan. As its king, it’d be improper of me to let us neglect it simply because we can. Does that make sense?”
As usual, his father’s lessons easily snag his attention and keep him all the way through. It helps that Ryoma usually adapts some kind of cool pose like this one in the process. After he finishes up, Shiro replies with rapid nods.
“I think it does!”
Hoshido’s king lets loose a chuckle as he hoists the axe out of the ground with a single hand. The other one reaches over to crinkle the cloak atop of his son’s head with a pat.
“Good! Even if it may sound silly now, it’ll make more sense as you get older. Now then, will you help me load this last batch? We should have enough to last us a while.”
“Leave it to me! I’ll even pull it all the way!”
“Hahaha! Very noble!” Ryoma grins with an approving nod. “Very well. I’ll leave it to you, sir Shiro.”
Puffing his chest out with pride, the young boy happily collects the last bit of firewood with his father. Shiro soon learns that the cart is a bit above his current level, but that doesn’t stop him from dragging it along through sheer willpower.
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Inside of the family’s nicely decorated yet modest home, the other half of their household rests at a kotatsu near a crackling fireplace. A melodic hum sounds from Azura as her youngest child sits comfortably on her lap with a colorful book splayed open in front.
“The great prince held his radiant sword up high, the sunlight itself gleaming off of its steel.” The mother illustrates with her voice. “Realizing the threat to his reign, the evil wizard shouts as a sphere of evil power soars across the throne room. After a brilliant clash, the kingdom is blessed by glittery lights as the wizard is soundly defeated.”
“Though he may return one day, they knew the evil wizard would never triumph. The great prince soon announces his marriage to the people of the kingdom. They rejoice in their newfound peace and live happily ever after. The end.”
The book closes with a soft thud. Shigure rocks back and forth in her lap, invigorated by the tale.
“Yay!” Shigure gives an applause, his smile stretching wide as his mother softly giggles.
“Hehe. I take it that you enjoyed the story?”
He responds with rapid nods of his head.
“I remember the bad guy won last time and everyone was really sad. I want them to be happy!”
“That’s right, that was the ending for the previous book. The prince’s wife was the Sky Knight from the very first chapter too, remember?”
“Yeah! Like my horsey?”
“Mhm, like your horsey. She rode it through the air to defeat all of their foes.”
Shigure looks down at the plush pegasus squished between his small hands. The thought of being able to ride one of these creatures through the sky filled him with awe. He couldn’t help but picture the woman from the story as his eldest aunt.
“What was it like, Mommy?”
“Hm?”
“The..” He mumbles under his breath, trying to string words together. “M…mar..um, mari..”
“Marriage?”
“Uh-huh!”
“It was likely a very grand ceremony with a lot of knights and family attending. There was probably a banquet and a ball among other exuberant activities. I imagine the entire kingdom showed up.”
“Ohh, like the Prince and Dragon story!”
“Exactly!”
Azura brushes her hand along Shigure’s blue hair, sharing a smile with him. The child cranes his head back to rest it against his mother’s stomach while looking up at her.
“Was yours like that, Mommy?”
“Goodness, no. That’s much too excessive for both me and Daddy. Our private ceremony was in a beautiful sakura-filled garden with family and close friends. Given his status there was a big celebration for Hoshido, yes, but it was more or less a formality.”
“Wow! How many aunties were there?”
“How many..?” Confusion surfaces on Azura’s face before realization hits. She rubs the top of his head with a low chuckle. “Hehe, just the normal amount. It’s not a garden full of aunties, I meant the tree.”
“Ohh..”
As Shigure stares forward in deep thought, the door to their home creaks open. Cold wind spills in following the return of Hoshido’s king and the eldest son.
Shiro proudly marches into the warm home holding a cluster of logs larger than himself. It throws his balance off enough for him to thunk against a few walls on his way forward.
“We’ve got logs!” He exclaims as Ryoma brings in a substantially larger bundle and shuts the door.
“Careful. You’ll damage the walls by bumping them like that.” He warns.
“Sorry!”
Their oldest son carefully meanders his way across the house to move into the backyard. Both Azura and Shigure watch them transport their haul and refill the large racks outside. The youngest child observes as if they were heroes returning from a great battle. Once finished, they simply re-enter the home and slip off their fur-lined boots near the shoji door.
“Welcome home, you two. The amount is..a little more than usual, isn’t it?”
Azura comments as they begin to hang up their winter gear.
“It is.” Ryoma nods. “I recall hearing you mention the imminent winter is going to be fierce this time around.”
“Oh, I suppose I did. It must have slipped my mind.”
“The idea of you acknowledging how rough the cold season can be is a frightening one, after all. I just had to make sure we’d be fine if the snow traps us for a long while.”
“The foresight is very wise, my king. Excellent work.”
Azura gives him an exaggerated bow of her upper body paired with a playful smile. He chuckles and steps a bit closer.
“Thank you. Perhaps a reward is in order, hm?”
“Hehe, I didn’t forget. I was just waiting to see how long it’d take you to ask.”
Having gone through these motions countless times, Ryoma leans down enough for Azura to share a quick kiss with him. Their faces light up with a bigger smile as they always do once they separate.
The attention doesn’t go unnoticed, however. Shiro stands next to his mother with an expectant gleam in his eyes. She shares a similar smile with him in response.
“Of course, who could forget your efforts, brave soldier? Thank you for securing the safety of our home.”
Azura then leans down to give her son a kiss atop of his head. He beams with joy and puffs his chest out in pride.
”Nothing to worry about with Shiro on the job!” He proudly proclaims.
”It’s true! I couldn’t feel safer with you protecting me. Thank you very much.”
Shiro happily lunges onto his mother’s lap, practically tackling her. She simply captures him in her arms and adjusts her son into a comfortable spot with his brother.
Taking a seat next to them, Ryoma gives the storybook a glance.
“Hm? Were you reading this to him?”
“I was. It’s one of my favorites.”
“Of course, I remember. It’s pretty verbose if I recall.”
“The plot is simple and conveys some nice messages. Shigure’s already picked up on words you may not expect from someone his age. ”
“Heh, that’s not surprising. Seeing how he has your eyes, it’s no shock that he has your wit as well.”
She smiles sweetly at her husband and leans against him.
“Hehe. Getting your determined nature likely had a hand in it too, you know.”
“Hmm..” Ryoma’s arm wraps around Azura’s back in a not-so-subtle fashion while he pretends to think. “Maybe so! He and his brother are alike in that way.”
The father’s other hand reaches over to pat the heads of each child, both of which are more than happy to accept when they get their turn.
“That’s true!” The mother dotingly rubs their faces as she speaks. “Watching you two enter with snow-covered gear reminds me of the winters from when I was very young. You couldn’t go very far in the cold season without seeing walking snowmen.”
“Snowmen move over there?!” Shiro’s head cranes up to look at her with excitement.
“Some of them do. The ones I played with were pretty standard, though. I’d always roll up mountains of snowballs and decorate the snowmen with different rocks. They were used in fights most of the time, however.”
“Wha?!” The older child recoils in shock. “Mommy, you can fight with lumps of snow?”
“Hehe, yes. It’s not any kind of real combat, it’s just for fun. We would also lie down and move our arms and legs back and forth to create people-like shapes on the ground. I sometimes got caught playing with icicles like blades too.”
“Whoa! Can we play in the snow too, Mommy?! I want to make ice swords!”
Shiro’s announcement seems to invigorate his brother all the same.
“I wanna play, too!”
“Heh, seems like the danger of it all only inspired them.” Ryoma chuckles. “I suppose it wouldn’t hurt, right?”
“Hm.” She ponders that question only for a moment. “It won’t be safe to play outside when the snow storm comes rolling in. Let’s take advantage of what we have now. I’d be glad to demonstrate a few things I used to do.”
“Yay!!”
Both children cheer in their mother’s lap, squeezing her with an excited hug. She gently strokes their heads before lifting them up to get them suited up for a unique afternoon for their household.
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The family of four soon arrives at their large backyard, where they’re greeted with a wide stretch of snow. Frosty fluff covers what’s usually vibrant grass, giving it an entirely new atmosphere.
The kids look around with vibrant, gleaming eyes, ready to make the most out of the season. Azura leans down to gently set them down in front of her.
“This snow looks like plenty to work with. Is there anything you’d like to do in particular?” She asks, looking between them.
“I wanna build a snowman!” Shigure chirps, hopping up and down.
“Let’s do stuff with ice!” Shiro goes shortly after.
“I’m simply content observing. It’d be silly for a king to play around with snow, after all.” Ryoma comments as he crosses his arms. His wife looks his way with a small smirk, then returns her attention to their children.
“Alright, noted. Looks like there are plenty of icicles hanging from the roof we can break off to play with. Make sure you have your gloves on, Shiro.”
“Okay, Mommy!”
He shuffles next to her, ready and waiting. Azura gives another glance to Ryoma.
“How about you work with Shigure to make a snowman?”
“A sound idea.” He gives an approving nod as he offers a hand to his youngest son. “Come, Shigure. We’ll make the mightiest snowman of all!”
“Yeah!” The blue-haired kid eagerly grabs hold of his father’s hand. “Can we make it extra big?”
“Of course! Let’s get to rolling, there’s much work to be done.”
The father and son duo move deeper into the yard while the mother and the eldest kid stay closer to the house instead.
Azura guides Shiro over to the nearby eaves where large chunks of ice hang. A sight that would intimidate most, the two admire the dangerous-looking assortment of icicles in a variety of sizes.
“It looks like we have plenty of options.” She reaches down to grab the small Shiro and hoists him above her head toward their impromptu ‘toys’. “Pick whichever one you’d like.”
“I want…this one!”
He swipes one of the long, thin icicles with an especially pointy tip. It easily breaks free from the rest of the ice and rests in his gloved hand. Azura inspects it for just a second before giggling.
“Oh, I don’t think you do.”
“Huh? Why not?”
“It might look especially sharp, but that one’s very thin and brittle. It’ll break at the slightest bit of pressure. Did you notice how easy it was to snap it off?”
“I thought that was just because I’m super strong.” He boasts with a proud smile.
“Hehe, that’s part of it. Grab this one.”
His mother gestures to another icicle that takes on the shape of a more defined cone. Broad at the base with a sleek transition down to the point at the opposite side, it already looks multiple times sturdier than the other one.
Shiro drops the one he had picked out, letting it crack in two upon hitting the ground. The boy grunts as it puts up a lot more of a fight, making his face twist in effort while he tries to rip it off the eaves.
Eventually, it snaps off with a loud crack, letting him grab hold of the icy weapon. His eyes widen as its weight catches him off guard and makes him lean forward a little.
“Great job, Shiro! Always make sure it has a sturdy base so it doesn’t break too easily. Let’s set that one down and grab another one.”
“Guh..Got’cha!” He lets out a heavy exhale as the ice drops to the floor with a heavy thud. A similar effort to before is put forth as he manages to wrench a second one free to fall next to the other.
Azura puts the boy back down, not missing the opportunity to rub his head afterward. Her arm wraps around one of the broad icicles and easily lifts it by her side. Her son, on the other hand, has to coil both limbs around his. It only takes a moment for him to adjust into a stance vaguely resembling a traditional spear fighter’s.
“Okay, I’m all ready! Let’s go, Mommy!”
She gives him a broad smile and replicates the battle pose, hers being much more refined.
“Very well! I accept your duel!”
Shiro begins by charging at her, swinging and thrusting his newfound spear with glee. Azura is easily able to match every strike he throws out, letting them knock their ‘weapons’ against each other with loud clacks of ice.
Occasionally, one of his attacks thumps against her leg or waist, prompting her to let out an exaggerated ‘oof’ each time. She retaliates in kind to prompt a similar reaction from her son, who lets out a battle cry each time a poke or gentle thwack makes him stumble.
As their battle continues, the other half of the family engages in a much calmer activity not too far away. In an ironic contrast, Ryoma and Shigure simply push a small mountain of snow together, collecting the hardened fluff into a large mound for them to use.
“Let’s make friends for horsey!” The child cheers as his father prepares dozens of tiny spheres. Ryoma sets each one neatly in front of Shigure, who eagerly starts trying to stack them atop of one another.
By the time Ryoma turns his head to check how he’s doing, he spots a ‘snowman’ with four segments piled up high. Though not very large to the king, it’s more than enough to tower over Shigure’s head.
The small child creates what looks like a big stick out of bundled up snow, smoothing out the edges of it in an attempt to look blade-like. In the end, it just ends up resembling a crooked club. Finally, Shigure draws three dots and a curved line in its head to give it a face. A chuckle and a grin follow as Ryoma observes the process.
“This one seems quite tall. What did you make next to it?”
“This is the guard! He has a big sword to help the horsey fight bad guys.” Shigure explains. “Can we have a mage next?”
“Of course! Allow me to help.”
This time, a figure is created out of just two snowballs. It’s a bit lopsided, but it appears to be steady enough without falling over. They mold together a triangle to set on its head and create a curved stick similar to the first one. Now the two snowmen stand side by side, showing off drastically different proportions.
Ryoma crosses his arms and admires their work as his son does the very same.
“Excellent! They look like a fine duo.” He turns to address Shigure. “Am I to expect a shrine maiden next?”
“Yeah! If the horsey, the guard or the mage get hurt, the lady can help them.”
“Haha, it sounds like you’re putting together an entire kingdom for them.”
“Yep! The horsey and friends built it and they’ve gotta protect it from evil guys.”
“In that case, let us work to complete it. What’s a kingdom without the castle?”
“We’re gonna build a castle?!” Shigure’s eyes glisten with awe, absorbed by the mere idea.
Instead of a direct reply, Ryoma shovels out a huge portion of their snow mountain and begins hammering it down with his hands. Once it’s sufficiently packed in, he sits and starts sorting it into sizable bricks. He gives his youngest son a glance and gestures for him to join in.
Shigure is quick to run over and grab one of the bricks. He sets it down in a seemingly random spot, then picks up another to put next to it. The father and son continue their assembly line, letting the castle’s foundation build up quickly.
It doesn’t take long for the walls to get too high for Shigure to properly build atop of, however. He stands at the tip of his toes but fails to get a steady place to put his next building block.
“Here, allow me.”
The voice of his father comes from behind as he’s suddenly hoisted upwards. Shigure, now sitting on one of Ryoma’s broad shoulders, smiles broadly as he’s lifted higher than he usually is.
“Thank you, Daddy!”
“It’s no issue. Now let us continue for the sake of our new kingdom!”
“For our kingdom!!”
Following their shouts of enthusiasm, the two continue their project with Ryoma leaning down to give the boy access to the higher portions of the walls. Albeit crooked and misshapen, it ends up large enough to fit Shigure himself inside.
Next, a small seat is crafted within the center. It isn’t much more than a horizontal and a vertical square sat next to each other, but it still adds a nice finishing touch. Once their creation is finished at long last, they step back to admire their handiwork. The two snowmen stand tall in front to complete the look.
“We’ve certainly outdone ourselves!” A proud laugh comes from Ryoma. “Shigure, let’s give the owner a grand entrance.”
“Mhm!”
The tiny child scampers a short distance away to pick up his plush pegasus. He holds it in both arms as he delivers it through the ‘gate’ of the castle and moves inside the snowy structure. Then, the toy is promptly sat upon the throne where it belongs.
“Huzzah!” Shigure throws a cloud of snow forward to sprinkle on the toy to function as confetti. He doesn’t expect a second wave of frost to rain down from above moments later, blanketing him in its chill.
“Huzzah!” Ryoma mimics, having tossed a clump of snow inside to follow suit. The snowy-haired Shigure giggles alongside his father’s laughter, both of their smiles one and the same.
Just as they celebrate their creation, however, a boisterous voice shouts from further away.
“Hahaha! That castle’s gonna be mine! Face my super spear!”
Shiro emerges, holding his icy spear covered in snow. He points it toward the newly formed castle, ready to seize. Azura’s quick to gently pull the weapon from his hands and replace it with a cold wad of snow.
“Ahem. Super snowball, Shiro.” She corrects.
“Oh.” He glances at the far less dangerous object before looking back to the icy structure. “Face my super snowball!”
“Never!”
Shigure crawls out of his castle and reaches for the pile of snow he and his father made. Like his brother, he aims to arm himself with several clumps of snow to defend his new creation.
The mother glances between her children with a growing smile.
“Before our battle starts, let me show you how to make them properly.” Azura collects enough to fill both of her hands, then claps them together. “Make sure your palms are full with snow, then you do this. Push down from both sides to give it a nice rounded shape and make it compact. Don’t do it too hard, or else you may squish it by accident.”
Briefly setting aside their sudden conflict, the two pay close attention. Shiro grumbles a little as his attempts crush the snow gathered in his hands, forcing him to try again a few times. On the opposite side, Shigure doesn’t apply enough pressure and the entire thing falls apart as soon as he separates his hands.
Both being fast learners, however, it only takes a few minutes for them to consistently create snowballs. A pleased smile crosses Azura’s face.
“Very good! Just like that. Now we’re ready to begin. May the victor claim their prize!”
She’s the first to open fire by launching a snowball toward her eldest son’s shoulder. His eyes widen in surprise as the sudden cold splats against his body. The boy’s smile broadens as his snowball then flies from his hand and impacts her leg as she retreats.
More of the cold powder hits Shiro’s side while his attention is on Azura. The culprit, a giggling Shigure, scurries away to form another projectile from the large mound. The brothers soon begin exchanging a barrage of attacks, although most end up hitting the ground.
Azura’s, on the other hand, are swift and precise. She enjoys watching them sling snowballs back and forth as her kids do their best to copy her technique. The ones that land bring a proud smile to her face, causing her to reflect on days like these long in the past.
Ryoma observes from a distance with his arms crossed. He seems content enough watching the rest of his family playing together. Standing next to the snowy castle with the wind blowing his hair back and forth gives him an unintentionally majestic look.
That is, at least, until a snowball collides with the side of his head. The king blinks several times in confusion as he looks for the source. His wife meets his gaze with a playful smile, giggling while she prepares another.
“Is it a bit too cold for you, my king?”
“Hmhm..” He chuckles, brushing the snowball off of his face. “It simply caught me off guard. A little snow is nothing to me.”
“Oh, that’s good. We came to a little agreement that the king of the castle is the one in charge. That makes sense, right?”
“Yes..?” He replies in an uncertain tone, a bit confused yet curious.
A quick glance of his surroundings reveals his children surrounding him on two other sides. Shiro and Shigure hold a snowball at the ready, each of them grinning in excitement.
“Ah. I see.”
Ryoma closes his eyes and adjusts into a more rigid stance. Although he’d decided to pass on snowy activities like this for the day, seeing the rest of his family play made him more tempted by the second. The snowball glued to his face was the last straw.
“Alright then. If that’s how you want it..” He jabs his hand into the snow, pulling up a monstrous amount on just a single palm. It erupts into a cloud as his other hand slams into the other side, compacting it into an enormous sphere. “I won’t yield! Give me your best!”
His shout is joined by the sound of snow bursting across the area as the snow cannonball explodes across their group. The energy heightens as the four begin their battle anew, although it was more of a three on one compared to the free for all from before.
Azura, of course, is the one that always nails him with fierce throws. Despite being baked in snow from his attacks, she refuses to relent. Shiro and Shigure struggle to keep their footing from the barrage of huge snow cannons, constantly being knocked over in the process. They’re far from dissuaded, however, as each exchange grants them increasing vigor to succeed.
It’s difficult for them to keep up with how much time passes in the yard. As the family makes another memory, it feels like it comes to an end too quickly as the sun starts to fall. As delightful as their activities were, they don’t come without their slight drawback.
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The fireplace lights up their home with a soothing orange glow. Its comforting heat offers some reprieve to the two children bundled up in blankets and shivering. Most of their bodies are concealed beneath the kotatsu in their attempt to stave off the accumulated chill. Their father lies next to them, his teeth clattering as theirs do.
“A-Ahem..and remember, th-that is…why we do not play in wet clothes.”
“M-Makes sense..” Shiro nods in agreement, huddling in close to steal his warmth.
“U-Uh-huh..” Shigure clutches the blanket close to his body, wrapping himself completely.
Azura, unphased by their wintry day, walks over from the kitchen. A tray carrying cups of hot tea is set down atop of the family kotatsu.
“Today was very fun! I’m happy we were able to share a day like this together.”
“I-It was indeed. Although..” Ryoma looks at her with a bewildered expression. “A-Aren’t you cold?”
“Oh no, not really. Just a bit chilly after all of the snow got brushed off.”
“Unbelievable..” A bead of sweat trickles down his face. “How do you do it?”
“Do what?”
“Resist the cold as well as you do! I-It must be..some kind of technique.”
“Hmm.” Azura tilts her head in a display of pondering, even humming a little to go along with it. “I don’t really think about it. It’s just always been that way.”
“I..see.” The shivering Ryoma lets out a heavy exhale. “Perhaps more conditioning to the cold is in order.”
Shiro parallels him with a near identical breath of air.
“W-We gotta do more training, Mommy!”
“I’d love to! But for now, drink your tea. You’re shaking like leaves.”
Azura giggles as she serves each of them a warm drink, crouching to help them sip their beverages. Once they each get their fill, she sets the cups aside and buries herself inside to join them.
Shigure latches onto her side the moment she lays down. His brother practically leaps off of their father to cling onto their mother’s other side. Ryoma watches them flock to Azura as they always do, smiling warmly at the sight.
“Thank you for the drinks. Now’s not a bad time to warm up in the traditional way for a while.”
His arms capture the rest of his family and pull them close to share their heat in the enclosed space. Azura’s soft smile is similar to her husband’s as she pulls them close just the same.
“My pleasure. I can’t stay for too long, okay? It looks like I’ll be the one getting dinner prepared today, so you can’t keep me here all night.”
“How cruel! I suppose it can’t be helped.” Ryoma, supposedly wounded, leans against her with a chuckle. She gently knocks her head against his and rubs their cheeks together.
“I’ll just have to make us something extra warm to make up for it! Look forward to it, everyone.”
The promise of a hot, hearty dinner after the day they’ve had is like another blanket being draped over each of them. For the time being, the four cuddle together in a heap and simply enjoy the company and the warmth that accompanies it. Even as the day draws to a close, they’re all determined to make use of the joys a winter can bring.