The Groves - Winter

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Winter was the second to allow us into her Grove. I was particularly eager for my turn and begged favours to move up the queue. Alexei had warned me to prepare for the cold but what I found was something else.

"Gggggood....llllorrddd"

"Are you too cold?"
"Cccccc...."
"One moment"

Winter closed her eyes and was silent for a few moments.

"Is that better?" She asked
"Why, yes! Much better! I can speak again!"
"I asked the Grove to be kind, she has borrowed some of Summer's warm air and will keep it around you whenever you visit" She smiled softly "I do not wish you to be uncomfortable"
"Thank you, Winter. I appreciate that." I said "Wait...she?"
"Yes. When I talk with the Grove, I feel a very strong female presence."
"You actually talk!?"
"In a fashion." She said "It is more like a song in which we both form the melody and words"
"Extraordinary!"
"Think of it like a mother and daughter sharing a lullaby."
"I don't understand"
"The words don't really mean anything, it's just a silly lullaby. I could be singing about what I had for dinner or which shoes I wore today. It is the act of sharing the melody, or being one within the song." She paused for a moment, her brow creasing slightly "It is a deep, instinctive bonding and...I'm sorry I am not used to talking like this. It is very difficult to describe."
"That's ok, I won't press you. It is not really my forte to nut these things out anyway."
"Yes. What is your saying? Not your style?"
"Essentially. I am better at documenting the physical rather than theorising the metaphysical."
"I like that about you."
"Pardon?"
"You don't see us as something magical or supernatural. Nor as a mystery to solve or a puzzle to decipher. You see as for what we are more than what we represent."

She shuffled around in the snow, feeling it with booted feet which seemed to be her only real acknowledgment of the conditions. The cape she wore rustled and shifted around her body glittering with gold and dusted with snowflakes. I was entranced and waited for her to continue.

"We are special, yes. We are blessed by something that is more ancient than our own people. We are gifted with things no others have and we have the Groves. I can't deny any of that." She said "But you see the other side of us, the women that existed before our awakenings. Those women are still there though I admit at times it is hard to tell. We are not deities. We don't sit around in temples while people pray at our feet. We love and laugh and value friendship and family. We can be hurt like any others. We are not removed from our old lives. We have simply had them enhanced. You see that and I thank you."

"I see both sides" I admitted "Perhaps I am simply more able to separate the woman from her position. I value what I see and what my camera can see. It is hard to explain"
"A thing we share today, it seems."
"Indeed. Let's just say I want to learn of the true Winter, that woman you speak of. What she thinks, how she feels. It is only by doing that I can truly see. You have power, yes. I can feel it whenever we are together and  more and more when we are not but I don't believe all of that is from whatever has caused your awakening and made these Groves. I believe there is much of you, the woman, within that power. I believe you would be special even if you had not awakened."

I stopped talking. Winter was looking at me with wide eyes. I could see the blue and violet hues shifting in that way only her eyes did and I felt a surge of pressure that seemed to come from every angle. The temperature around me plunged and I thought I had overstepped and was forming an apology when it warmed up again. Winter moved closer to me.

"The Grove also likes you." She said "She...We want to share something with you."
"Something?"
"It will get cold again, I'm sorry, Summer can't be here for this. Listen."
"Listen?"
"Shhhhh," She stepped right up to me and reached up to place a hand on my cheek. She spoke softly "Listen."

I stayed silent and did as she asked and tried to listen. Her hand was warm as it moved across my cheek to my ear and touched it. I felt the temperature again drop.

"Close your eyes." She said as her fingers lightly rubbed my ear "Can you hear it?"

At first, I heard nothing and the rapidly falling temperature started to worry me. It was getting very cold.

"Let the cold move into you. Do not fear it, it is her nature. She won't harm you. Let it into your blood." She said so softly it was almost a whisper. "Take strength from my touch. I will keep you safe. Listen"

I could feel her body against me and almost jumped as her power mixed with the cold. I was numb in every place apart from where her body touched mine. Having her so close made it difficult to concentrate but I listened harder.

"Relax. Listen to the Grove. Can you hear the song?"

I could. It was subtle but I could. A chime-like sound similar those we heard when Spring came back, but softer and gentler like the woman against me. The sound of forming ice and falling snow, of the cracking of sap in the pines and of frosted grass under soft feet. The song became stronger and I began to hear two distinct timbres, two voices. Echoing each other, call and response, mixing their own parts into one.

"We sing for you. This is our lullaby." She placed her other hand above my heart. "Your heartbeat slows, very slow. That is the pulse of Winter. Let it join the song"

I felt my self drawn into the melody, my voice adding to the others. I was like the bassist of a band providing the deep rhythm of a slow Blues piece.

"Winter was the first. She reaches deep, so very deep and remains even when the other seasons have the ascendancy. In the ground, in the water, in the great trees whose deep roots drink from it." Her voice was a whisper in my ear, her warm breath on my cheek. "Many see Winter as lifeless, a thing of only cold, snow and ice. She is not. She is unavoidable. She must come upon us so she holds life safe in dormancy. Blood and hearts slowed, resting until renewed. Like a mother holding a newborn as it sleeps. She can be harsh, yes, but that harshness gives birth to strength.  Listen to her song, drink from her like the trees. Let her heart become yours. Hold me."

I was the song, I could not separate myself from it now. I felt my whole body throb to the rhythm. I don't know how long we stood there, singing together. It could have been seconds or hours. There was nothing but the song and a feeling of immense strength and a sense almost...I can't really say, like being everywhere and in everything. Of holding all within a firm embrace as I did the small woman in my arms.

"Open your eyes." She said. "Look, she dances as well."

I looked down into her eyes, the hues shifting faster than I had ever seen before. I could barely focus past her face but saw snow swirling around us as if we stood in the midst of a blizzard. The trees were still and the sun shone in from above the walls but the snow whirled like a dervish cocooning us in the maelstrom. The song and dance of Winter.

"Come back to me now." She said "I will warm you again, keep me close"

I felt the temperature rise and the blood begin to flow back to my skin. The swirling snow stopped. My heartbeat quickened. The song faded but deep within I still felt that rhythm and could hear those dual melodies. After some time Winter stepped back but kept her hand above my heart. I could barely move so stood still, looking into her eyes, lost for words.

"You will always have that song now. For as long as Winter exists, even if I do not. Even in your own world. Whenever you wish, she will sing for you. It is a very special gift. I think you deserve it." She smiled.

"I...I don't know wha...Winter, thank you." I was truly humbled. I could not express what I thought and felt. This small, amazing woman and this ancient, massive power had given something of themselves so intimate and extraordinary I did not think that I was worthy of it at all. For simply seeing her as a woman? "I really don't think I...uhh...I feel a bit funny."

"Come, take my arm. I'll help you back to your room. You should eat and drink some spring wine then rest. What we gave you no one else has received before and the cold may have drained you."

We received many inquisitive looks from Elf and Human alike as we passed through the central courtyard and down the avenue of markets and apartments. We shared a light meal of bread and fruit, neither of us talking. I was still too stunned and Winter had reverted back to her usual quiet demeanor, speaking with those eyes or a smile. We ate and watched each other.  After a glass of wine, I felt the fatigue kick in and collapsed onto my bed. Winter sat on the edge and again placed her hand on my heart and smiled down at me.

"Rest now. We will sing you to sleep." She said

I place my hand on hers and lightly gripped her warm fingers and fell asleep looking into those shifting eyes and listening to her song.

Well, know you know what happened.

This took me quite some time to publish as I don't feel that the image nor the text does justice to the idea, if that makes sense. Winter is special and it is hard to convey. I also got a bit nostalgic writing this, recalling the sounds of my childhood. The cracking of the pine trees when it was going to snow, the soft sounds after that fall. I've not seen snow since the mid 1990s and I do miss it. Winter always did have a particular song to it, as do all seasons when you stop and think and listen and I am still far happier in the colder months than any others.

I've also still been rather unwell. Just so tired. Failing to keep up with things again. Slowly getting back up again and managing to get some things done but not a lot.

I won't say much else as despite editing the text still came out quite lengthy so I will leave you to enjoy whatever you can take from it or the image.

Now I have posted this, however, I can post the other Winter images I have been holding on to so they will come in the not too distant future.