The forest is quiet as the wind blew in the trees, sounds of animal life can be heard in the forest. In the belly of this forest is a single, lonely village, there seems to be very few people in this village, however they seem to have enough people to help each other. 

Sometimes a traveler will come through the village since it is a rather nice stop off for weary travelers. When this happens, the villagers will either treat them as one of the community, or drive them out. The villagers are friendly enough, but are always cautious about anybody that would bring trouble to their village. 

The houses of which the villagers live in are made of wood and stone. Here they are humble in their everyday task of either harvesting or gathering food for the whole village. Then there are the others that build, and repair the houses of the village. 

It would seem they have no currency, but work for each other, trading skills to pay for what they want or need. The village seemed almost like a ghost town now as the snow falls to the ground, the doors to the homes are shut, but the door to the village inn stays open.

A single light was hung low by the doorway showing the entrance into the Inn, it almost seems to be inviting those who are still traveling to come inside and sit for a spell. The night sky would slowly fall into the forest, as the shadows of the night seemed to be scattered among the buildings of the village. A light fog seemed to roll into the village from all directions making the light shine out like a beacon.

Sitting on the top of the Inn there would be a figure alone having its legs up to its chest looking closer it was a male alone. His clothing a bit tattered, but was still useable. His eyes a hazel brown looking out into the forest watching the fog roll in as it seemed to do every night. 

The snow seemed to slowly fall tonight as the roof was partly covered. His hair pulled back into a braid, with a hair tie at the end of the braid. The roof was a bit slippery here and there, but he was used to it being as much.

The wind was cold, as it blew around the area snow floating down from the sky like rain fall. His clothing & body being covered with the snow as it fell to the ground; his body would remain still as it was being covered in snow. His eyes looked as if glued open as he stared out into the forest, small puffs of white smoke came from his mouth as he exhaled. His eyes soon blinked; as he would lower the front of his head down to wipe off some of the snow. 

"Hmm."

'Might have to put some more logs on that fire…'  standing up from his seat in the snowy roof and shaking off some of the snow from his body.

The base of his braid would keep some of the snow on his head as it dangles behind his head, like a ball and chain of snow going from the back of his head down to his lower back. The snow was crunching under his feet while making his way to the small trap door into the attic. He would feel his front foot slip a bit, causing him to lean back, but he pushed himself forward catching himself with his other foot on a more sturdy part of the roof, taking a deep breath as he shook a bit.

Turning his head to look at the ground a bit let out a deep sigh at the distance from where he was and the ground below, grateful not to have fallen to a very painful and perhaps bone breaking fall. Before turning his attention back to getting back inside of the building.

Leaning down slowly as he pulled on the door, opening it up with it’s metallic hinges squealing from rust and rubbing against itself. It has been a long time now, and no word from any of the other villages that were around, he was beginning to worry he was the only one left in the area. Perhaps the villagers were gone as well, or perhaps it was something driving them all away. 

He didn't know, but he was staying where he was being born in this village he thought it may need him in some way. Closing the door behind him, while climbed down the ladder to the attic‘s floor, lighting a small light so he could see with a match he had in his good pocket. He could see a small hole here and there covered up with snow it was packed down for now keeping the air from coming in. 

He would sigh a bit rubbing the back of his neck, thinking he should perhaps fix this when winter is over and before the rains would come. Turning around feeling that his feet had touched the floor of the attic, and made his way to the door to the attic. Opening it as well and making his way down another ladder, to the third floor. 

He rubbed the back of his neck getting a bit of a cold knot out of his neck, while he went downstairs thinking to himself. The sound of his feet thumping into the wood stairs would creak here and there while nearing the ground floor. He would soon reach the ground floor of the inn, as the front door was blown open. The wind howled out as it blew the door open, jumping a bit out of the surprise of the door slamming against the wall. 

He would run over to the door, and push it against the wind, as he would have to lock it so the door wouldn't fly open again. Some snow had fallen into the inn, as he looked 'At least it is by the door.' He would leave the snow there to melt. His mind then went back to the villagers, and the day they left. He wondered what they were doing now, and if any would come back.

 He knew they wouldn't come back, even as he stayed and took care of the building’s and gathered food everyday. He would make his way into the lounge where the fireplace had one log still snapping and crackling as the fire was feeding upon the wood.

As he neared the flames his hands reached out to touch them feeling the warmth that came from the depleting heat of the fire in the fireplace. One of his hands reached to the corner near the fireplace and gripped a small stick, and placed it into the fire with the log. A part of the log fell into the ashes with a thud which puffed out some ashes along the floor near the fireplace. He would grabbed with both hands two more cuts of firewood, and placed it in the flames. 

Being careful not to burn his hand, watching the fire slowly move from one side of the pieces of wood to another part. The new food for the flames did help heat up the room and his cold body. 

'They didn‘t come.'

'They‘ll come.'

 'They will be back.' his body was warming up near the fire. Reaching out with his hands he grabbed a small broom, and began sweeping up the ashes that had been pushed out onto the floor in front of him, scooping the ashes up back into the fire. 

He placed the broom back at the fireplace’s side. His stomach growled, began whining to him being hungry. He rubbed his stomach with one hand while the other hung at his side. 

“Yeah…"

 'I know your hungry but we got to keep the food we have until winter is over.' thinking about the food that lay inside of the cooler, cabinets. He had enough food to last himself many months, days which he usually gathered food until all the cabinets and the cooler was completely filled.

Huffing slightly, before standing back up the crackling of his back would make his shiver a bit. 

Stepping to the side as he shook off the pain of his back cracking. Making his way out of the lounge, and through the hallway to the kitchen. His movement was sluggish, seeing he was in no hurry to get something to eat. The kitchen wasn’t far away, but as he pushed open the door to the kitchen he heard something he hadn’t heard for a long time. 

His eyes looked in disbelief while staying behind the door. Slightly opened as his eyes were staring at a figure with a knife cutting into a piece of meat that was from the cooler. 

His mouth was open slightly both wanting to greet the other in the kitchen but also didn't want to say anything of fear of scaring them away. The light would soon be seen to the other that was in the kitchen, their head tilted a bit to the side as they looked at the lights appearance against the wall of the kitchen. 

They froze as well for a second, before the knife would soon snap against the doorway of the kitchen door. Inches away from his head, making his head jerk back out of the doorway and close the door quickly in front of him. 

His body would hit the wall behind him in the hallway, soon scuffling his feet around and running down the hall frantically. Turning around for a moment at the end of the hallway to make sure that he hadn‘t been followed. Blinking for a few seconds seeing nobody in the hallway, relaxing a bit as he stood up a bit straighter tilting his head.

'What the hell!' panting a bit as his heart was pumping hard for once in a long time. 

He couldn’t help, but make his way slowly and carefully back to the kitchen both his curiosity, and hunger getting the best of him. He touched and leaned against the door placing his ear against the door to see if he could hear anything. Soft footsteps going towards the backdoor could be heard, slowly taking another peek into the kitchen. He saw immediately an emerald eye staring back at him, the black fur along the muzzle of the creature was close to the doors opening. 

He stared into the eyes, as they stared back, soon the mouth of the creature opened speaking out to him, “Do you mind."

 "I’m trying to eat." 

"Unless you want to be on course.” The pupils of his head shrank a bit as a soft smile stretched nervously across his face. 

"Oh.. No."

"No go ahead…"

"Didn’t mean to d-disturb you.” speaking softly, before closing the door back as he leaned against the wall behind him. His eyes were locked on the door, before listening as the footsteps wouldn’t be heard for a while. Then towards the table in the center of the kitchen they led to. 

He waited leaning against the wall in the hallway blinking a bit in disbelief not really knowing if he had just seen and heard what he did. On the other hand he was hungry as well, and it was his food that he had gathered. Huffing as he took a deep breath and pushed the kitchen door wide open and locked his eyes upon the creature leaning against the table, black wings spread out shielding the body of the creature from harm, and also from being seen. 

He blinked for a moment looking at the sight, before making his way to the cooler and cabinets to gather something for him to eat as well. Soon those emerald eyes locked onto his as he froze for a moment and huffed.

'Eat me if you want.'

"This is my food…” He grumbled before taking a deep breath and holding it, as the creature would stand up with its wings spread out. He gulped a bit but still gathered some food, in his arms. He watched as the creature would make its way towards him and he could see the creature more clearly, as some of the light had shown into the kitchen. 

Noticing the creature’s tail was fluffed a bit from the base to the tip, the wings were black. The hair on top the creatures head had a slightly purple tint to both the fur and wings; the rest of the fur was black. Also the creature’s hair upon its head was long going down to the shoulders, as its emerald eyes would glow slightly in the light. 

He would also then notice the creature was a female, or at least looked female to him. He was sometimes mistaken when looking at another, but the voice was feminine now that he thought about it. 

Her body was toned and would look much healthier than his body. She had a large wing span to cover herself and some of him as well if she wished to cover him with her wings. He didn’t want her to do so at the moment if she was planning on eating him, he would prefer if she would use her wings to cover him as well, if he needed such care. He stood his ground as she would soon be inches away from him growling in her throat, as he glared at her.

 “It’s my food."

'Eat me if you want'

"It’s my food so either be grateful for it, or get out of my kitchen.” 

He growled back at her whom his fear seemed to have left him for the moment as he took his food and turned his back to her making his way back to the door to the hallway. He had in his arms a few pieces of meat on a plate; he had carved up from a large roast he had carved up a while back before the snow had begun to fall. 

She stood there for a moment bewildered by the words he spoke, she had fear crawling up his spine for one moment. Then poof it was like she was a regular there as she huffed in frustration and made her way back to the table and continued feeding upon the food she had grabbed for herself. 

He had calmly walked out of the kitchen, made his way to the lounge which was still crackling with the sound of the fire in the fireplace. He soon sat down in front of the fireplace, and placed his plate down in front of him as well. His eyes looked at his food while the growling of his stomach would twist and shout to him. He had delayed his hunger for long enough, picking up a single piece of meat to his mouth. 

His teeth sunk into the meat as he began tarring away at it slowly at first, composing himself seeing he had a guest, even though they were not in the same area. His compose soon worn thin, as his teeth dug into the meat ripping and tarring it apart in his mouth. His hands gripped piece after piece of meat he had upon his plate.