[Aster]
It was a bright and crisp winter day, the kind that made the snow sparkle and the sky seem impossibly blue. If not for the snow covering everything around and the lack of warmth in the sunlight, it could've been mistaken for a pleasant spring afternoon. The kind that makes anyone want to build a snowman or play a snowball fight.
After days of cooping up in their small, warm hut, being outside felt like a blessing, even if the cold still made their noses and cheeks red. It had been almost a week since the snowstorm, since Aster's grand boar-hunting adventure, and the memory of that day still made his butt cheeks throb from the small, private spanking his mother had given him the day after.
For the entire week, they did nothing but eat, sleep, poop, and cuddle in their cozy den of ice and pine needles. Just resting, regaining their strength, and healing from whatever illness had hit them; they blamed the worm meat for that, or rather the lack of it.
Today was the first day they were strong enough to move on. And so they did, with the first rays of the morning sun, they packed their few belongings and began walking once again. Their hut was left forever behind, just another small, snow-covered bump in the forest that would eventually melt away and disappear without a trace.
Right now, though, they were taking a small break in the shade of tall pine trees, whose branches were so heavy with snow they almost touched the ground. Aster stood in knee-deep snow, a few steps away from the small campfire where his mother and sister were sitting, huddled together for warmth. A bright, wide smile plastered across his face as he watched one of his creations splatter silently all over the side of a big, rotten log.
Just like he always did when outside, he wore his old, dirty half-cloak around his hips—not a skirt!—along with even older leather boots that only reached his ankles, and nothing else. His bare chest glistened with a thin sheen of sweat despite the cold, his face flushed.
With every heavy breath he took, his lips and nose produced clouds of white mist that danced before his face, vanishing into the cold air moments later. Today, he wore no blindfold; his bright, golden eyes roamed freely, finally healed enough to bear the light of day without pain, though the world remained slightly blurry in the distance.
"Not bad. You're getting b-better..." Silvia murmured quietly from where she sat beside their mother, pulling her thin cloak tighter around her small, shivering frame, her knees pressed to her chest as she nibbled on a piece of roasted boar. Her long silver hair cascaded all over her shoulders, arms, and back, shimmering just as beautifully as the snow around her.
Quiet little sniffles kept escaping her small, red nose, making her look even more childish and adorable than usual. "...but you're still way too s-slow. I can cast two, maybe even three icicles in the time it took you to... make that oily thing, and I'm not very fast," she added, wiping her nose with her sleeve.
Next to the sniffling girl sat her mother, dressed in her usual patched-up yet still very ragged tunic and pants, sipping hot water from a bark bowl—just a rolled-up piece, held together by a bit of resin and prayers—in an attempt to warm up.
Her heavy breasts strained against the worn fabric of her tunic as she leaned forward to poke the fire with a long, thin stick and stir the embers. Without saying a word, Nivalis gave her daughter a little nudge with her elbow and a silent look of 'be nice,' her blue eyes flickering up to the boy a few heartbeats later.
Silvia instantly got the message and, with a soft roll of her eyes, quickly added, "B-but still, very nasty! Even if a little slow," Another nudge came, making her huff out an annoyed sigh, also sending a cloud of white mist into the chilly air. "I-I mean... nasty in a good way, for killing... stuff. Though it kinda doesn't kill right away, unlike my icicles, so I don't know..." she murmured, getting an even more intense look this time that nearly made her choke on her piece of meat. To silence herself, the girl stuffed her mouth with everything she had on her plate, her cheeks puffing out like a little hamster's as she chewed.
Letting out a quiet giggle, Aster muttered a breathless, "Slow down... or you'll end up coughing like you did yesterday," before turning his attention back to the frozen, rotten piece of wood he was using as a target. With a slow, deep breath, another droplet of liquid fire appeared in front of his palm, larger than any he had ever created, but also much less wobbly and far less stable.
The air around it distorted from the intense heat it radiated, causing the whole thing to flicker like a mirage, but in the cold winter air, hungry flames licked silently at its oily surface. Slowly moving his wrist to the right, the boy aimed it at the rotten log again and sent it flying with a sharp flick.
The wobbly 'proto-fireball' roared through the air in a wide arc, leaving a short, fiery trail in its wake before hitting its target with an unnatural, silent splash. No explosion followed, no loud bang or glorious burst of flames, just a sizzle as the oily mana devoured the old, dead wood.
A satisfied grin spread across Aster's pale face. "You don't get it," he finally responded to his sister's words, holding his breath as he watched flames lick the blackened bark and creep across the log's surface, smoke billowing up from it. "First of all, I really needed a ranged spell, and now I have one. And yeah, it won't stop a bear from charging at me. Or a boar. Pretty much anything bigger than a wolf would still run me over," he muttered with a sigh, his golden eyes never leaving the dying fire as he talked. "But there's one beast that this thing is perfect for. The most dangerous one out there."
That caught the attention of both girls, their heads tilting up in almost perfect unison. A quiet, "Hmm?" came from his mother, prompting him to continue.
Only then did his eyes travel from the burning log to them, his smile briefly disappearing as he murmured a simple, "People." His hands came to rest on his hips as he continued, "If someone ever tries to hurt us again, like those..." His gaze traveled to the rusty knife that his mother carried. He didn't finish that sentence; there was no need to. "They'll get a bit of 'foomp' from me. And even if a tiny drop lands on the skin, it will hurt. A lot. I just need to practice casting it faster."
The brief look of thoughtfulness on Nivalis's face at those words instantly turned into one of approval. "That's... actually very clever, sweetie," she hummed and gave the fire a quick poke, sending a shower of golden sparks into the air. "But let's not talk about things like that just now, okay? Come, sit. Your meat is getting cold." Putting away her stirring stick, she gently patted her lap twice, motioning for him to come over.
With a last glance at the now-dying flames, the boy started trudging through the snow toward them, his old boots sinking into the deep white with every heavy, tired step. He let out a grunt as he lowered himself onto her lap, his young buttcheeks pressing against her thighs. A soft hiss escaped his teeth at the contact.
Her arms immediately wrapped around him, her warm breasts pressing nicely against his back, with her nipples poking at him through the tattered fabric of her tunic. "How's your butt, sweetie?" Nivalis softly whispered into his ear as she reached for his plate near the fire, filled with a generous portion of meat, and placed it into his eager hands.
Taking the biggest piece and a large bite of the deliciously smoky meat, Aster mumbled, "It's okay. It still stings a bit when I sit," between chews.
"Let me see. Get on your belly," Nivalis whispered back, and before he could utter a single word of protest, she lifted him and shifted his body so he was lying flat across her lap, his face turned to the side toward the fire and his sister, his legs dangling in the snow. A soft groan escaped his full mouth, the rest of his meal almost falling from his hands when she did that.
Ignoring his grumbling, she pulled the back of his half-cloak up, revealing his well-spanked butt to the world, marks of her hand gracing each of his small cheeks, standing out painfully against his tender, pale skin, as young and smooth as any girl's. "Yeah, no... still looks terrible. I should've gone easier on you," she said in that motherly, worried tone of hers as her hand gently squeezed his right cheek, making him flinch and whimper ever so cutely.
Silvia chuckled at the sight of him being so adorable, earning herself a glare from the boy, which only made her giggle even more. "You should have. I kind of... didn't deserve it at all," he shyly muttered, feeling the weight of his mother's other hand settling on his lower back, her cup now on the ground beneath him.
A long, tired sigh left her mouth at his words, followed by a quiet, "The fact that you still don't understand why you got spanked makes me want to do it again." His small butt tensed instantly upon hearing that, a look of panic on his face that made his sister giggle even more. A few heartbeats later, his legs began to wiggle and kick weakly against the snow behind him as he tried to squirm off her lap.
However, instead of bringing her palm down on his tender behind like the boy expected, her fingers began to knead it gently instead, her warm fingers sinking into his soft, sore flesh. "It wasn't for hunting, silly. For that, I'm grateful, despite my worries," Nivalis muttered calmly, each word accompanied by a soft squeeze that made his butt relax more and more. "It was for lying to me when you promised to stay. You gave me your word and broke it right away, and there is no excuse for that."
Aster could only mumble a quiet, "Sorry, Mom..." before slumping under her touch, a guilty look crossing his face as he glanced at Silvia, who could only give him a sympathetic look back. After an uncomfortably long moment of silence, he finally glanced at her and muttered much quieter, "...Won't happen again." His eyes watered slightly, and his voice trembled as he added, "I'll give you a massage later tonight to apologize, for as long as you want. Okay?"
"I need my boy to be honest with me. That's all I ask," she said with another squeeze before letting her hand slide down to his upper thighs, giving them a little rub before moving back up, his young flesh jiggling under her touch. "But... I won't say no to a massage, though. If you offer it so nicely," she added with a hum and a soft little smile.
That made the boy smile, too, as well as his sister, who stole a piece of meat from his plate when he wasn't paying attention. His golden eyes narrowed at her in suspicion when he noticed her cheeks were suddenly all puffed out again. The sight made his mother quietly chuckle, the sound vibrating through her arms and into his lower back and butt. "Better, sweetie?" Nivalis then asked, bringing his attention back to her. "Your butt, I mean."
— "Mhmm," he hummed in response, finally taking his next bite from his plate and chewing slowly, enjoying the tender, smoky meat while her fingers kept kneading his even more tender, red buttcheeks, a soft, happy sigh escaping his lips.
It was pretty awkward eating while being bent over her lap, face down, butt up, but he managed. That is, until she spread his cheeks to inspect what was hidden between them, his tight little hole clenching instinctively as the cold air hit it. "Mom!" Aster yelped, almost dropping his plate again.
"Shush. Just checking whether you clean yourself properly," Nivalis said innocently as she watched his little hole twitch under her curious gaze, as if being shy. Despite not seeing anything dirty there, she still ran her thumb between his cheeks a few times, feeling the soft, puckered skin twitching at her touch. All the way down to the base of his little sack, then back up, to his boyhole. "All good. Very clean. I'm proud of you," she added, pulling his definitely-not-skirt back down and helping him sit up properly on her lap. She then took her bark bowl with hot water from the ground and took a sip, as if nothing weird had just happened.
A very long, heavy sigh left the boy's mouth, steam puffing from between his lips as he sat there, staring at the food in his hands, his cheeks as red as his well-spanked butt. "...I'm not sure you deserve that massage anymore," was all he managed to mumble before resuming eating his meal.
Nivalis let out another chuckle at that and kissed the top of his head, whispering, "Alright, alright. I'll behave," before taking another sip. "My little butt-boy," she added in that quiet, teasing voice that only he could hear, making him groan adorably and turn to glare at her with that 'You promised not to call me that' look.
It took Aster a whopping five minutes to forget about the whole thing altogether—right until he finally noticed two more pieces of meat had vanished from his plate, and Silvia was suspiciously quiet.
...
The hours slipped by quietly, marked only by the steady crunch of their boots in the snow and the occasional murmurs shared among the three of them about everything and nothing. There was no rush in their steps; for once, nothing chased them, and they had nothing to chase after. Just a slow, peaceful walk through the beautiful, snow-covered forest, with as many stops as they wanted, for however long they wanted. It was nice, if a bit tiring.
Despite still having a whole bag of food that Nivalis carried on her shoulder, they did try to hunt along the way. Mostly to decide whether they should ration the meat, but also because... well, to prove they could. And it resulted in one poor bird getting burned and hit with ice at the same time, and a crying-while-eating Silvia, just like she did with that fat rabbit once. Then, in a very tired Aster, who had to cheer her up for the next hour.
As the afternoon slowly but surely gave way to evening, the sky transformed from a pale, wintry blue to soft pinks and warm oranges, about to be consumed by purples and deep blues. "It's getting late. Let's find a place for the night, alright?" Nivalis said eventually, stopping to look up at the sky, her face bathed in the colors of the setting sun. Without waiting for a response from her two exhausted children, she used her Blessing to search for a suitable spot nearby—a fallen tree, a boulder, anything that would make building another ice hut easier.
A soft murmur of agreement came from both Aster and Silvia, their tired faces turning toward their mother expectantly, small clouds of white mist escaping their lips as they waited. It was a long day, and their young legs were sore.
A few breaths later, Nivalis clapped her hands loudly, the sound echoing through the quiet forest, giving her a clear picture of the surrounding forest, hundreds of steps in any direction, all in shades of gray. Her brows furrowed almost instantly at what she saw.
Another clap, another wave of that familiar buzzing in her mind came and went as the surroundings sharpened for a split second. Her brows furrowed even more at the same view. "Huh," was her only reaction when her eyes fluttered back open, the colors of the sunset mixing with their usual blue. Her expression betrayed a touch of dizziness that only came with using her Blessing.
"Is... everything okay?" Silvia asked quietly as she slid her icy hands beneath Aster's armpits, seeking warmth, her voice soft and concerned. Her half-a-head-smaller frame was pressed snugly against his from the side, their silver hair blending so perfectly together that it was difficult to tell where his ended and hers began.
"Yeah, it's just..." their mother responded, distracted, her gaze fixed on the darkening forest ahead of them. "Follow me. Something is a bit weird over there," she added, and without further explanation, she started walking forward, her legs sinking deep into the untouched snow. The children exchanged a confused look before trudging after her, a single line through the white.
The forest floor began to slope downward, and the trees and bushes grew denser. So much so that at some point, they had to practically fight their way through the thick vegetation—it was everywhere. "Mom, are you sure...?" Aster tried to ask, more stumbling than actually walking, but his voice was cut off when Nivalis suddenly stopped, resulting in him bumping into her.
Giving him a little pat on the head, she gestured ahead of herself and whispered, "Look," before parting a large branch covered in snow with her arm, only to reveal a sight that stole the breath from all three of them.
Before them, through a natural break in the trees, was a huge, perfectly circular lake, entirely frozen over, stretching so wide they could barely see the other side. Around it, tall, ancient pines stood guard, mirrored in the dark, glassy surface of the ice. Wind swept across it, picking up loose snow and whirling it through the air in playful, ghostly dances. "Whoa, it's..." Aster whispered in awe, clutching his sister's hand a little tighter.
"...huge. Yeah..." Silvia finished his sentence, stepping with him through the branches and onto the snow-covered shore of the lake, right after their mother. Her big golden eyes darted left and right, taking in every single detail with quiet wonder. The setting sun made everything look beautiful, as if it were a painting rather than reality.
After a minute of just standing there like three idiots, staring, Nivalis cleared her throat. "Remember our last time near the lake?" she asked, and that instantly snapped both children back to reality. They almost died back then. Huffing warm air at her hands, she continued, "Let's find a place nearby where we can hide the hut, but not too far from the water. We need to be very careful while we are here. Got it?"
Silvia and Aster nodded in unison, their gazes snapping away from the mesmerizing, frozen lake before them and toward the dark forest at their backs. Aster's golden eyes narrowed as he looked around, almost as if daring someone, anyone, to try anything stupid with them this time. They would regret it dearly. He would make sure of that.
Seeing him being so serious, Silvia tried to mirror his expression, pouting her lips and furrowing her brows into something dangerous. The result was... underwhelming, but utterly adorable. So much so that his stern look cracked into a grin against his will.
'Wait, am I this funny when I do it?' Aster suddenly wondered, making him scrunch his nose and try again, this time serious-er. The look his mother gave him from the side made him give up on that almost as fast as he started. "Not a word if you want that massage tonight," he mumbled, earning a quiet snort from her, right before the three of them disappeared among the trees.
...