Immaculate
Copyright© 2025 by Daelyx Len Auphydas
Chapter 4: Winter
The next day, and indeed the next weeks, are quite the bore for young Alunya. As the oldest male in the household, Antares is quite busy doing chores and working on the farm, leaving his little brother once again without his playmate.
It isn’t all boredom for the younger boy, though; he is now getting old enough that Reia starts putting him to work, and he would help scrub dishes, make meals, and even mend clothes, freeing up Reia to spend more time tending to their plot of crops and putting food on the table. It isn’t play, of course, but at least Alunya got to feel helpful. Besides, if there is one thing Alunya isn’t, it was “lazy”. He put his all into every task, whether it was for fun or just work that needs to be done.
But it isn’t long—even though it feels like an eternity to Alunya—before the harvest season tapers off. With less work to be done, Antares has more free time once again, and Alunya can spend time with him. The changing of seasons is first felt as a chill breeze in the air, and then...
“Snow!” Antares exclaims, rolling out of bed with renewed energy. He’d had enough rest by now to stop feeling sore from all the labor he had had to do last season, and is ready for the new season. “Alunya, wake up! It’s snowing!” Antares pops his head up over the edge of the top bunk where his brother is sleeping, smiling excitedly.
Alunya blinks and rubs his eyes sleepily as he sits up, but all semblance of tiredness vanishes as soon as he sees the blanket of white covering the ground outside. He springs up and rolls out of his bed ... On the top bunk. Antares yelps in fear as his brother falls from the top bunk, and without even thinking, Antares dives down and reaches his arms out, catching Alunya as he lands with a heavy thud right into Antares’s open arms.
“A-Alunya! Be careful!” Antares scolds as he sets Alunya down gingerly. “Heavens, sometimes I wonder how you haven’t broken every bone in your body...”
“It’s alright, I knew you ‘d catch me!” Alunya replies smugly, dusting himself off before racing over to the window. “Woaaah, there’s so much already this year! C’mon, let’s go play outside!”
“Not so fast, you two!” Reia chides from the doorway where she had appeared, evidently attracted by the ruckus. “Neither of you are going anywhere till you’re properly dressed and finished your breakfast!”
Breakfast is a much less extravagant affair than during the harvest festival. The perishable leftovers from the festival have all been used up by now, and while there is still some salted meat from the old guanaco leftover from the festival, that is a rare treat that Reia was trying to make last. That leaves just freeze-dried yams and cornmeal, the typical staples of the village.
Despite that, the brothers still eat with gusto, if for no other reason than because they want to get outside before the snow lets up. Fortunately for them, and unfortunately for most everyone else, the snow shows no sign of letting up; for the first snowfall of the year, it is really quite the impressive showing.
As soon as they finish eating, Reia has the two of them bundle up in the warmest clothes they have lying around; a thick wool tunic and trousers, Alunya additionally wearing a cap with ear flaps while Antares has to settle for a simpler hat that just wraps around the ears.
Alunya races outside into the snow, feeling it crunch under his feet as he runs around, almost slipping but managing to stay upright. When it’s snowing, even just being outside is fun! He holds out his tongue, hoping to catch a snowflake...
... And instead catches a snowball in his face, the cold powdery ball coming undone as soon as it strikes him, leaving him with a mouthful of snow which he promptly spits out, rubbing his face clear to see Antares already packing another snowball, a crooked half-smile on his face.
“Got you!” Antares proclaims. Alunya narrows his eyes competitively, and when Antares lets loose another projectile, Alunya dives out of the way to the side, rolling in the snow and covering himself in the white powder, the fine-grained snow cushioning the force of impact. As he rolls, he scoops up a handful of snow and flings it at Antares; it is not properly packed, and mostly just scatters in midair, but some of the snow still lands home as Antares brings his hands up over his face to shield himself.
“You got more snow on you from dodging than you would have if I just hit you, you know.” Antares teases dryly, as he runs back behind the side of the building where he can pack his snowball in peace.
Alunya takes advantage of the reprieve to pack a large handful of snow together. “It’s the principle of it, Ari! You don’t just let your opponent hit you!” Alunya calls back, holding the snowball back and ready for when Antares finally comes out. Antares glances out from cover for just a split second to hurl his own at Alunya, and Alunya fires back, but by the time the snowball reaches Antares’s position, Antares has already ducked back under cover, while Alunya gets another mouthful of snow for his trouble.
“Alas, I’ve been stricken down!” Alunya bemoans, reaching his hand out for the heavens before falling onto his back dramatically, sticking out his tongue and closing his eyes to mimic being dead. Antares peeks out from cover.
“Aw, I didn’t hit you that hard!” Antares protests, as he leaves his hiding spot. Alunya spies one eye open, smirking.
“True!” He suddenly slams his hands together over his head, collecting another snowball, sitting up and hurling the snowball in one motion. Antares, startled, isn’t able to react before receiving the massive projectile straight in the face and falling back, though Alunya isn’t sure if he had actually struck him harder than he had meant to, or if Antares is just playing it up like Alunya had.
“Woe betide, I have been brought low by my perfidious foe!” Antares laments, while Alunya stands up and strides over to where Antares is, offering a hand. Antares accepts it and pulls himself up, shivering.
“It’s not per ... Perfidi...” Alunya struggles with the word before giving up and just shaking his head. “It’s just called being cunning! Like a good hunter!”
Antares rolls his eyes. “Uh-huh, sure.” He sticks out his tongue at Alunya and pulls down on his eyelid.
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