Page 8 of A Winter Crush
ChapterSix
Making his way through the valley, Ori spotted several oreads climbing up a cliff. He smiled as he saw his brother amongst them, too busy with his friends to notice his older brother. To think for years after their parents died, his brother had clung to Ori. Now he didn’t need Ori at all.
When Liney was only a couple of years old, a strange illness had swept through the valley. Blackspot, it had been called, as it started with sore black spots appearing on the skin, usually on the hands and feet. Gradually, the spots spread all over the body, and the individual developed a cough. In more severe cases, this was followed by a high fever and seizures. For some of those who developed the severe cases, blackspot resulted in death.
Liney and his parents had fallen sick, the black spots spreading over their bodies, but whilst Liney had recovered, his parents and several more from the valley had left the earth. Ori had been just twelve, almost ten years older than Liney. Afterwards, Liney never left his side, as if worried Ori, too, would disappear. Ori could barely get a moment to himself.
His brother reached the top of the cliff and turned back, looking down at the others still climbing. He laughed and leaned over, calling out something that Ori couldn’t quite hear.
Ori stood watching Liney laughing and playing with his friends. Unlike others in the valley, Liney had taken a while to recover from the illness, perhaps because he had caught it so young. But in time, he had grown healthier and stronger, able to play and keep up with his peers. Now there was no sign of the illness.
He didn’t even have faint marks from the spots that some in the valley still had. In the past year or two, Liney had started to go off on his own.
The others reached his brother, and they turned and disappeared into the trees at the top of the cliff. Ori stayed staring at the spot where they had been for a few moments before continuing. It was a good thing that his brother was becoming more independent, but honestly, since his brother had started pulling away, he’d felt a little lost. He’d always been so focused on Liney and his well-being. Now he had to focus on himself and what he wanted. And he wasn’t sure what that was.
An image of Wareth at his pottery wheel flashed in his mind.
“Ori,” a voice called.
Sinoe, the healer of the valley and his friend, walked toward him. “Where are you off to today?”
“To Ores.”
“I’ll walk with you a bit.”
They walked up a steep rocky incline, their bare feet stepping on the snow.
“Your brother is looking well,” Sinoe said. He suited the role of healer perfectly, what with his caring nature. Sinoe had been too young at the time to treat Ori’s parents.
“He is, isn’t he?” Ori smiled. “Where are you going today?”
“I met someone in the forest,” Sinoe said, voice soft.
“You met someone. Who?” Ori asked.
“A human.” Sinoe stared ahead. “He interests me.” Ori was going to ask more about the human, when Sinoe asked, “And where are you going in Ores?”
“To the pottery studio,” Ori said.
“Why are you going there?”
“You know the potter?”
Sinoe nodded. “I’ve come across him in the forest a few times. What about him?”
Ori shrugged, his cheeks heating.
Sinoe tilted his head. “You’re interested in the potter? I’m surprised.”
“Why? What’s wrong with the potter?” Ori said defensively.
“Nothing’s wrong with him. It’s just that he is a bit older than you.”
“That doesn’t matter!”
“And what does matter?” Sinoe asked.
Ori’s brows furrowed as he tried to put it into words. “When I watch him at work, it’s just he seems so focused, so steady. It makes me want him to focus on me like that.” He laughed self-consciously, glancing at Sinoe.
