Vivian was confident enough to be able to say that she had survived. Survived on her own, survived exile from her home, and survived against the odds of the cruel nature. It's been at least weeks now, probably even a month or two since she last received the doctor's help at the start. She wouldn't want to ask anything of him, not just because there would be a large risk, but she also wanted to prove she can continue on her own.

In her time, she has been managing the isolation rather well. Food is incredibly sparse, slow and thin but very few crops growing in makeshift pots and displaced soil, fresh water and warmth. Wood may be difficult but that was where most of her time was being spent. Taking off on the long trek into the woods, to the farthest area from the village, to scrape off bark, and smaller branches she can climb up to reach and to catch both what falls down and any small animals that would get caught in a simple snare.

Time was kind, the summer was long but summer can’t last forever and this was a prime opportunity to catch as many animals as possible, that was her priority because just like her, the animals would also be looking for food to store for the cold months.

Vivian had only set out after the sun had already come out, not before, but if she had set off any earlier she would have seen the occurrence of a wonderful phenomenon. In the earliest hours of day, as the sun rose, a drop of gold light seemed to have departed from its warmth, streaking across the atmosphere and disappearing somewhere out of sight.

That day was a bit off, sleep was hard and the exile was too easily lost in her own thoughts as she headed out. That week, catching food was growing more and more scarce in the area she had been hunting, so the time to move her scavenging location was approaching. There wasn’t much forest to the North, although further west had more, it also had its risks. Her path was to  travel from the south east which kept her safe but that’s mostly because the farthest northern area becomes barren. 

-

Iglaceas wasn’t the only world in which a grand phenomenon had happened. All across the many stars a blessing had been given back to the many worlds. Streaks of gold fell across countless skies in a holy light. 

-

Vivian was far too lost in her own aimless thoughts as she walked, not tracking as she went and deviating quite a way to the North. While she never saw the gold light in the sky, something else caught her eye, checking her back to reality. In the distance, a gold light flashed its heavenly radiance before growing dimmer and dimmer. There was no snow blizzard or anything malicious about this light in the distance, and taking the risk, Vivian decided that it was something worth investigating. It could be warmth, it could be other people, it could be another opportunity to start a new chapter in her life.

Reaching the top of the slope, before the lone survivor was a vast lake, frozen over with the exception of a massive break point in the center. The water still sloshed and churned, splashing through the cracks and large slabs of ice that rocked on the surface. Whatever the light was, it shined through the ice, sinking deeper into the water, occasionally flashing in gold light. 

Approaching even closer, she could see what emanated such light, fading deeper, was a child, small and hardly even 8 years old. There wasn’t any moment to spare as Vivian immediately pulled off the heavy layers of her attire, slipped out on the ice and reached the impact point. The slabs of ice were finally settling back down as the waters calmed but at the first moment she could, Vivian grabbed onto the edge and pushed with all her might. The ice slap resisted the shove but she was more resilient, flipping it onto a neighboring piece. Following through with the motion, she fell into the freezing dark waters.

The cold hit her body hard, immediately freezing up her muscles in the dark cold depths, making it difficult for her to adjust to the sudden change. The child was easily able to be seen, the short locks of golden hair glowing as she descended like a dying beacon. Her heart was pounding in her ears and her lungs burned with the need to gasp for air, but that had to be pushed aside, fighting herself for control of movement and began plunging deeper into the water. 

Treading the depths, her body ached in such harsh conditions, losing strength and making seeing through the cold so much harder. Pure adrenaline had taken over by the time she reached the child and grabbed onto her. For just being able to reach her did not mean they were both out of danger yet as Vivian needed to be able to pull the both of them out. Each action, each pull, each step to saving them both now took a massive toll on Vivian's constitution, each motion felt as if it would be the last, just until she pushed forward again.

Reaching the surface was a slow climb of physical capabilities of the body versus the cold, one that Vivian was determined to win, not for herself but this lone child. She didn’t deserve to be condemned from such a grim fate. She needed to get home where it's safe and warm with her family. 

Vivian didn't know anything about where the child was from but it didn't matter. As soon as they reached the surface the child was out first on the ice and pushing her away from the edge next was Vivian. It was only just by the sheer luck of the situation that Vivian crawled out onto the ice herself when the slab she had flipped grinded across back into place. 

She began pushing water out of the child's lungs, center of the chest to stimulate the heart back into motion. Attempting to put air back in the child's lungs until finally there was a convulsive response as she threw up the water she had swallowed. This gave the girls enough time to return back to the small shed that Vivian stays in, wrapped in the dry cloak, together fighting off hypothermia.

Once returned, Vivian did not spare any wood necessary to make sure that the room radiated in warmth. With enough clean snow collected in a bucket, Vivian positioned it above the fire to bring to a boil, not sparing any expense of the carefully collected resources she had to make broth, then a soup. Once the soup was finished she spent the rest of the day slowly nursing the child back to health.

While she knew that her efforts were genuine and she would be able to make some progress on her own, she also knew she wouldn't be able to do it alone with her limited resources. This girl needed proper help and better care than what she can provide in order to get home.

That night Vivian left the safety of the recovery station and made her way as silently as she could through the snow with a path lit by only the moonlight.

The Village was quiet that night, there didn't seem to be any kind of activity on the streets. It wasn’t yet time to have the winter festivities but that time continued to approach by evidence of the chilling winds. It looks as if nothing had changed since she left, that was to be expected, but the reality that life, time, people and loved ones will just move on in a way… hurts. In every home was a family, young and old, older caring for the new and the newer caring for the old. In such a close village, it seemed there was no one left who cared about her, maybe Yahoshua but it’s been some time since he’s seen her either, she might even be a ghost to him. 

The doctor and saint’s house was closer to the center of the village, meaning it wouldn’t be so easy to reach his home without being noticed. But if she just waited for the night to go on till there was no one awake in the late hours then it should be safe enough to make her way through, so that’s what she did. She waited behind a mound of snow on the outskirts, up on the slope high enough to see most of the pathways but not enough to be too far so that making her way to the village would be a time costly endeavor.

-

It felt like hours that she sat there in the snow but eventually, when all the candle lights in the homes were put out, the streets were empty and bare, she left her hiding position in which she almost fell asleep. Quietly making her way through the streets to Yahoshua’s house, her biggest worry was that he may be asleep already. She was set on whether he was awake or asleep that she needed to talk to him, regardless.

To her good luck there was a small light coming from one of the rooms of his house, just enough to be a candle light. The doctor was at his desk, dividing some herbs for some people’s medications. Vivian knocked on the window rather gently and startled him from his work. Out of reflex, he looked to where the sound had come from. Their eyes only met for a moment and she could see that joy sparked behind his old withered eyes before falling away, tired and passive as if he hadn’t just seen her. He Bundled the small plants, stood up and took the candle with him into the other room, where Vivian ran around to the back to where he was going and reached his bedroom before he had. She vigorously knocked on the window this time insistent to get his attention to which he persisted to ignore her, placing the candle onto the night stand. She begged and waved her hands in further attempt for him to just acknowledge her but he only sat on the bed and pinched out the light. 

She needed his help, this child needed his help. Fear of being found and with urgency, she began trying to force open the sealed closed window, putting her weight into prying it open but the window gave way. The latch was opened and on the other side, she could see the heartbroken saint with nothing separating them now. 

“Vivian pleas-” “It’s not for me, it’s for a child” she interrupted with a loud whisper. “I don’t ask for anything, only that you see this child and make sure she’ll be ok. Because I…” her rising fear began to choke and claw at her. She couldn’t let someone lose their home, their family or their life, just like she has, might as well a child so young. Those were the words she wanted to get out but all she could do was cry. “This will be the last time and I’m only doing this for the child.” He sounded more alert, stern but focused as he closed the window.

Taking the good sign that it was, Vivian left in a hurry back to the place she left the girl, fled the dangers of being found, and made sure she was ok till the doctor could come.

Yahoshua turned away from the window with more questions than answers like, “Who is this child?” “Where did this child come from?” “Was his diagnosis for Vivian wrong?” “Is this her child?” “If not, where did this child come from?”.

All this swirled through his mind as he threw together a quick bag of spare supplies that wouldn’t be missed or noticed if they were in need. Standing in front of the front door he closed his eyes, sending out a small prayer to Selene to guide him, stop him if what he was about to do was wrong or should she send him on his way. As he stood there for that brief moment, his blood ran cold with adrenaline and the same kind of fear that surged through Vivian, an urgency that an imposing danger would not wait for time to pass. At this, he sprinted out into the snow with disregard to even cover his tracks on his way out, only to deal with on his way back.

Arriving closer to the place that he has known, that has been passed down from generation to generation and now served as a sanctuary to a girl who he sees as no different to his own daughter, he could feel that there was a difference. He could see, even at a distance, that it looked warmer, lived in and cared for but he could feel an extra presence about the place. For a reason he couldn’t place as to why, he found that he could feel the presence of the goddess closer in this building. Her aura was present, strong but also feasibly fading at a constant gradual rate that would fade away completely within hours. 

Yahoshua didn’t wait for any kind of welcome as he threw open the door and set the light bag down on the only available floor space. He paid no mind to anything else besides the child that lay in the bed where Vivian sat next to. He did not recognize her in the slightest nor anyone else who had her rather distinctive features. Golden burning hair flickered with the light of her small life, but the child's light was faded and still fading, so he began work quickly, healing her by both magic means at first, but given it wasn’t enough for how far she had regressed, he also worked by physical means as well, neglecting neither techniques. 

That first hour was Vital. In complete silence did he work and Vivian simply had to watch from a small distance, making sure the room was warm and that she did not impede his work. But once that hour had gone by, they began very small talk, not quite looking at each other yet.

“What happened to her?” he began with a whisper. “She fell into a frozen lake..” “How?..” he paused and Vivian whispered back “I don’t know…”. He could feel the presence of his followed goddess no longer fading from this place and the life from the child no longer faded away either. 

She was out of danger, but this child wasn’t the only one in danger. Vivian had grown much thinner since he or anyone had last seen her at all. She didn’t seem to appear in a condition with significant problems but it's clear to see that it won't be long until she will face risks to her health. Looking around the small place briefly he could see how much she was trying. Makeshift pots with small sproutlings and very young plants being tended to. Her own small bits of food, patches of skinned fur and any kind of reserve could all sit upon a single wooden plate all together. 

The saint and the outcast sat in reserved silence while watching over the young girl through most of the night. While he wanted to bring them both back with him and take care of them, they were both realistically aware of how it would be only a useless folly. While refusing to mention much about herself or situation, Vivian had insisted upon dedicating herself to a plan that she wasn’t going to wait for his approval. His only choice was to accept this, and left before the first hunting party would set out.

Once the child is healthy enough, Yahoshua will find a torn piece of cloth tucked into the windowsill. This will let him know that the child is now back into full health and that Vivian will be finally gone. There was not enough food or resources to feed them both and survive the winter, so Vivian will dedicate all that she has left for this child to have the life she lost. A cruel exchange of one life lost to give another a fighting chance. Once the child would be declared found, it would be up to the village to find her real hope and family.