Almost all the leaves on the trees had fallen. Only a few remained, quivering in the cold autumn winds, and Saga dreamt of her mother and the boy.

She watched their interactions and saw how her mother had gained more and more of the boy's trust through simple means. Kind words, a bit of food, playing with him, and making him smile. Until he uttered a confession.

"I wish my mother was strong like you. He hits her, but she's the one apologising."

Saga's mother drew the boy in for a hug. He squirmed against it for a bit, but Saga saw how the muscles in his body relaxed by the comfort.

"She is doing what she can to protect you," her mother told the boy, and a few tears escaped his eyes, but he whipped them away.

"If she did, then she would leave him."

"And use what money to survive?"

The boy tore free from the hug to glare. "I'll work!" he exclaimed. "I'll earn money for us. I'll keep us safe."

Saga's mother smiled with pain swimming in her eyes. She placed a hand to his cheek.

"I'm certain you would. But try to remain a boy for as long as you can before the world forces you to become a man."

~~~~~

Frost covered the ground in all of Sinkbek. The rooftops glittered in the morning sunshine. Everything had slowed down outside while people bustled inside, making the last preparations for winter.

The cooks in the castle had finished pickling the vegetables so that they would last over winter. Meat hung to dry. Fish had been salted.

The maids spent the time sewing new clothes for both the knights and themselves. When Saga had nothing else to do, she would join them. Sit with them in comfortable silence and first work on the new clothes for Viggo, and when that was done, she moved over to help with the clothes for the squires. She smiled to herself, thinking about both Viggo and Kai keeping warm through clothes her hands had created.

But during the nights she dreamt of the hooded man. He would come now and then, sometimes into another dream of hers, at times alone.

He asked her again and again if she had figured out who the boy was, and Saga got more and more annoyed as the answer remained no.

The man also asked her questions about her magic and her mother. One night, he asked her at what age she had used her magic first. Another, when her mother had died. From the two answers he drew the right conclusion, but his reaction to it was quite the opposite of what Saga was used to.

"It is impressive for someone so young to hold such devastating power."

His words made Saga shudder and refute them, for her magic was not power; it was not impressive. It was a burden. But it also made her think of what Hrafen had said about ridding oneself of magic, that it was a possibility.

"Can one get rid of their magic?" she asked, testing the waters.

Since she couldn't see the man's face, she had no idea what expression he made, but from his tone of voice she imagined all his muscles were tensed.

"Doing so is dangerous and should only be considered as a last resort."

Last resort? That did not sound like the absolute no Hrafen had given her.

~~~~~

Saga sat by the window in the bedroom during the first day of snow. To start with, she had taken in the scenery, the beauty of the snow covered landscape. Though it had snowed in Fyris, it had never laid as thick as it did over Sinkbek. Often it had been a thin layer which disappeared as soon as someone walked over it.

But the snow in Sinkbek coloured everything white and made the cold and darkness feel worth it.

After a while of her taking in the sights, movements in the garden drew her attention. Looking down, she saw Kai throwing snow at Evind, who ducked and retaliated. The two squires played like that for a long time. Both hitting and missing the other in equal measure. Both laughing strong enough for it to slip through the closed window.

Saga smiled while looking down on them, her eyes following all of Kai's movements. A giggle escaped her when Evind hit him square in the face. Pride warmed her when Kai did the same to Evind.

Then Audun arrived on the scene. What he said, Saga couldn't hear, but from the two squires' downcast gazes, she guessed he told them off for playing. But then snow soared through the air and hit Audun's neck. As he turned to find the offending party, some more snow hit his face, followed by Kare's laugh.

Audun glared at the other knight, who moved closer to join the two boys' game, as he told him off before walking away. But as Audun reached the stairs to the entrance, he stopped, bent down, and retrieved some snow. It landed on Kare's neck, like the snow had landed on Audun's before. Then Audun slipped inside before any more snow could be fired his way.

Saga shook her head at the men's antics and fell asleep that night with a wide smile on her face. Reality also seemed to slip into her dream as she dreamt of Viggo sitting on a log in a winter forest. It looked peaceful, he looked peaceful, watching something Saga couldn't see with calmness in his eyes.

But then Saga noticed spots in the surrounding snow. Tiny drops of red, of blood. Panic flooded her, but before it became too much, Audun appeared by Viggo's side. He sat down, looking as calm and at peace as Viggo. They both smiled at one another, and Saga felt at ease knowing that wherever Viggo was in the dream, he wasn't by himself.

~~~~~

Everything was quiet. Winter had taken hold, making everyone huddle up inside. Only those with duties which forced them outside left the shelter of walls and fireplaces. But when the knights gathered to eat, it was as lively as always. Almost even more, as the energy they would have used in training was pent up inside of them.

They laughed and talked. Shared stories of glorious battles. Saga sat and listened to it all, the warmth of their company chasing away the coldness of the outside.

But the coldness of the outside found its way into her dreams. In them, streets filled with people's screams, houses crumbled as massive claws scraped on the stone, a never-ending stream of slithering figures tore through fabrics and flesh.

And in one dream, she found herself cornered. All around her were high walls. The only protection against what was coming was the knife in her hand, the thin knife she had received from Astrid.

~~~~~

Without as many things to tend to, Viggo found time to teach Saga how to ride. It was a wind-free day when she sat on a horse on her own for the first time. The sky was clear, the sun warm enough that the biting cold diminished. Saga could even imagine taking off her jacket to bask in the sunlight.

But instead, she was on top of a stallion. A brown one, which drummed the ground with his hooves and snorted.

"He can sense that you're nervous," Viggo pointed out. "Take a deep breath and relax your muscles."

Saga followed the suggestion. A deep breath in, feeling the cold air travel to her lungs. Then out, and with the exhale, she relaxed her muscles.

The horse neighed, and Saga tightened her hold on the reins again.

Viggo stepped closer, placed a hand on the horse's muzzle. He whispered some words to him before looking back at Saga.

"You can relax again."

She shook her head, but anyway took another deep breath. This time, the horse continued to stand still as she relaxed her body.

"Try to make him move like I told you before," Viggo then said and backed away a bit again.

Taking another deep breath, Saga pressed on the horse with her legs. He moved forward.

"Good," Viggo encouraged her. "Try making him turn to your right."

She looked to the right and loosened the hold on the right side of the reins as well. The horse followed her movements. Then, without having Viggo tell her to, she straightened her posture and took an even hold on the reins. The horse followed suit by moving straight again.

Without instructions, she tried turning the horse here and there, creating a snaking path in the snow as the horse changed direction from the smallest of changes in her hold and posture. She even managed to come to a halt right next to Viggo while fighting hard to not have the giggle building in her over her success spill out.

"You did great," Viggo complimented her. "You are a natural."

When she was down from the horse, she patted his muzzle and gave him the carrot Viggo handed her. The horse's tongue licked her hand as it took the carrot from her, and the laugh escaped from her. A soft laugh as she petted the horse some more. He really seemed sweet compared to how dangerous most horses seemed.

"Did I tell you his name?" Viggo asked.

"No," she shook her head and looked at him.

"Magni."

She turned back to the horse and mumbled, "Magni."

The horse gave off a little huff, then nudged her arm.

"He doesn't have a rider," Viggo went on. "Unless you want him to be yours."

Her eyes widened as she looked at Viggo again. "Mine?"

"Yes, which means you will have to take care of riding him now and then so he doesn't get bored in the stables."

The sun's rays warmed her from inside her heart as well as on her skin. "I think I can manage that," she answered.

That night she fell asleep thinking about all the wonderful things she had got since marrying Viggo. The safety and belonging she felt. A place where people enjoyed her company and even sought it at times. And she didn't feel as unworthy of it as when she had first arrived. She even felt as if she held value which contributed to the place.

With those thoughts, she fell asleep to dream the most awful dream. She had dreamt it before, of the ruined city.

Kai's hand took hold of hers, and he shouted that they needed to hide. But, like before, there was no time before the earth shook and the wraiths rose. They surrounded them, and Kai fought to keep them both safe. His wounds grew in number and depth, however, and Saga felt her magic building inside of her. It built to the extent that she had to send some of it into the storage stone even as she woke up. Her mind was a scrambled mess, but it was clearer than last time she had dreamt the same thing.

She had no idea where the ruined city was, had never seen it apart from in her dreams. But as long as she and Kai never set foot in there, then Kai would remain safe.