A Sunny Day in Winter

[Alice Tex]

It had been a hard Winter, no doubt about it. Bouts of rain and snow and bone-chilling wind had left everyone in Haven feeling a bit gloomy and ready for Spring. Cabin Fever seemed to set in, with tempers running a bit higher than usual. Unfortunately, it wasn't just tempers running high. Colds, fevers, and some sudden bouts of pneumonia left her Winter medicinal rations running dangerously low. Honestly, Alice was ready for Spring, but Spring didn't seem to want to show.

In truth, she'd been wary about forging ever since the Black Blade incident, but thanks to Dallid and several others, that problem had been dealt with...for now. Now that Dallid was gone, she worried about her currently stable state, but didn't take it for granted. There were people who depended on her smithing skills for supplies, armor, weapons, etc... Her friends depended on them. And she wasn't going to let them down. As she worked and the bitter morning chill bit at her apple cheeks, she thought about the warmth of summer and basking in the glow of the sun.

She paused her smithing only when she saw someone heading up the lane. A little girl with insanely curly black hair, pale skin, and big brown eyes was coming up the road. Alice shook her head and cursed, setting down her smithing hammer, and removed her smithing bib. "If I've told you, I've told you a thousand times, Little One!" The girl only frowned in response, dragging her dirty wagon behind her. Alice sighed and met her half way.

The orphan insisted on traveling the Road alone and without an escort or friend or anything. She was very brave...or incredibly foolish. Alice couldn't figure which one. But something had made her come into Haven with such a crestfallen face, and Alice was going to find out what the matter was.

"Now, Alaynna, you know how dangerous the road can be, especially in Winter, with hungry predators about and desperate bandits watching the road!" Alaynna, with tears welling up in her eyes, only produced a tiny, almost hairless, kitten from her dirty robes. "Please...help him..." she replied with no care for Alice's scolding.

Alice stared at the girl, worried. Alice had clumsily and unexpectedly delivered the kittens not two weeks before. She blinked, all motherly scolding and tongue-lashing now gone. Alice looked at the kitten in he child's hands with great concern, "What's the matter with him, Alaynna?"

Alaynna's tiny pink lip trembled, "Momma Cat won't feed him! Every time he goes to drink her milk, she kicks him away! She's starving him! And I'm afraid he's going to--going to--!!" She couldn't even finish the sentence. The girl sobbed in earnest.

Alice knew what the problem was immediately.

//Her grandmother, the Grand Witch, had had a fierce cat familiar. This familiar had given birth to kittens one night, and Alice and Terra had been thrilled to see the tiny beings come into existence. But something was wrong. The tiniest kitten of them all had been singled out. Each time the kitten had gone to drink her mother's milk, the mother cat kicked her away. "The Runt," as her grandmother called it. Alice cried for days, worried that the kitten wouldn't live, would starve to death and not even it's own mother would help it. Luckily, one Elven sorceress had stepped forward and saved the kitten by taking it in...and that kitten lived to bring that sorceress much joy for many years. Months later, Alice asked the sorceress how she'd kept the kitten alive without it's mother's milk, and the sorceress had told her to use "Glop", as she called it. A mixture of goat's milk, egg whites, and yogurt. It provided enough nutrients for the little thing to not only live to adulthood, but live a good long 13 years. Extraordinary for a cat, especially a runt.\\

Alice smiled at Alaynna and took the kitten, wrapping it in her robes. "Come on, let's get out of the cold," she said, leading the child into the Inn for warmth. Once inside, she wrapped Alaynna in a thick blanket and explained to her the situation, comforting the girl and wiping away her tears. "I need you to listen to me very carefully, Alaynna. It may be a tiny life, but it is in your hands now. Your kitten will be fine. You simply need to become his new mother." She handled the kitten back to the girl carefully, making sure the girl held it gently. Alice continued, "You must keep him warm at all times. You must try and keep him as close to you as possible for comfort. And most importantly, you must feed him carefully every 2-3 hours." Alice found a clean dropper from her Healer's bag and handed it to the girl. "Wash it in hot water after each use to keep him from getting sick. For the milk substitute, use a mixture of a little egg whites, a little yogurt, and some goat's milk." She smiled warmly at the girl, "And if you need any help, you know where to find me."

Alice went to the bar, handing over some coin and exchanging it for two steaming cups of hot cocoa. She handed one to the girl and kept the other for herself. Sitting next to the girl, she beamed, "I'm so very proud of you...for saving him." Alaynna only giggled gratefully, taking a swig of her hot cocoa and wiping her upper lip on the blanket. The kid had the makings of a great Animal Healer, thought Alice.

As they talked, the mid-day sun broke through the clouds and brought with it a hint of Spring.