The Wendigo's Eternal Pledge
Wendigo shouldered Skadi and dashed through the forest. Naturally, he adjusted his speed for her sake, but...
'F-Fast! Too fast!'
No matter how much he held back, Skadi had never experienced such velocity with human senses before, so it was bound to feel blisteringly quick. Terrified of falling, she clutched at Wendigo's antlers—a gesture she would normally deem rude and self-reproachful.
Wendigo noticed her state from the odd sensation on his antlers.
'I didn't know they were sensitive... Guess this is how I find out.'
Sensing her tension, he gradually slowed down. Only then could Skadi relax and take in the surroundings.
Trees draped in moonlit mist shimmered like silk, while dew-kissed leaves sparkled like stars fallen from the sky.
'Beautiful...'
Skadi gazed in awe at the dreamlike forest. Those stunning sights streaked past like beams of light. Intoxicated by the glow, she set aside her recent worries and burst into bright laughter.
Mindful of her, Wendigo took not the shortest path to the mansion, but the most scenic route.
And perhaps because of that...
"Wendigo-nim! Look at that moon over the valley! My mother used to say the night valley enchants women—maybe she was right!"
"Heavens, white trees... Are they all frozen?"
Skadi's chatter, absent lately, poured out like a torrent, drumming against Wendigo's ears. He nodded silently, leading her onward.
Her reactions were certainly entertaining, but...
"That white tree we just passed had some potent mysticism infused in it... Shall we collect some on the way back?"
"No. Leave it unless it's essential."
"Such a shame..."
Was it her innate shaman's instinct, or occupational hazard? Skadi mulled over the beauty they'd passed and inevitably tied it to sorcery.
Truth be told, Wendigo felt a twinge of disappointment.
'Just enjoy the view for once...'
Even to Wendigo, who lacked an appreciation for scenery, these vistas warranted awe—yet her takeaway was 'That could be useful for spells?'
Still, her excitement was plain, so he brushed off the regret. If she was happy, the stroll's purpose was fulfilled.
By the time she suggested building a cabin by that first moonlit valley, Wendigo decided to head for the mansion.
The mansion in the woods. It was a place steeped in memories for Wendigo and Skadi alone. No grand events or discoveries had occurred there, and precisely because of that, it was Skadi's most comfortable, happiest sanctuary.
'There, she can shed her mental fatigue. And if I ease her anxieties, she'll find peace...'
"Wendigo-nim..."
"Hm?"
Wendigo snapped to attention at her faintly trembling voice. She covered her mouth, pointing ahead with quivering fingers.
He looked—and froze.
There stood the mansion.
But not the one he remembered...
A vibrant flower garden enveloped it in splendor.
The day Skadi and he first discovered the mansion.
Wendigo had thought it beautiful then: the faint woodsy aroma blooming softly, the mansion's shadows playing under sunlight, evoking a painting that warmed the heart.
'I thought no mansion could surpass it... I was wrong.'
Wendigo stared blankly at the scene. Flowers of every hue bloomed gorgeously, twinkling like stars under moonlight, while fireflies danced like a Milky Way in the air. Amid the pitch-black night, the mansion shone alone in beauty.
Wendigo carried Skadi inside, stepping carefully lest he crush a single petal. In the front yard stood the cross he'd erected.
Gently setting her down, he watched as she approached it cautiously. White roses entwined the cross.
Skadi caressed the blooms with wistful eyes.
"Mother would have loved to see this..."
"Beautiful. I never imagined flowers blooming so vibrantly in this chill."
Honestly, Wendigo was flustered. He'd hoped the sight would restore her calm, but not something this extraordinary.
'Should I be thrilled... or troubled...?'
He approached her side. Skadi looked up with a smile.
"Perhaps... your mysticism influenced nature, Wendigo-nim. The power you used burying the nameless shaman seeped into the soil, creating this..."
"A pleasant coincidence."
They sat by the grave, admiring the flower field. In that moment, Skadi cast aside status, worries, and fears, immersing fully in the beauty.
Wendigo inhaled her scent: clear, refreshing purity—the aroma of true peace. Now might be the time to unburden her troubles.
"...Skadi. You've seemed troubled lately."
Her eyes widened at his opener, but realizing she couldn't hide from him, she offered a bitter smile.
"You've seen through me. As if I could conceal anything from you, Wendigo-nim..."
"Truth be told, I wouldn't have known. If Isaac hadn't told me, I might still be in the dark."
That unexpected name made her pupils tremble. Head bowed in guilt, she fidgeted with her wrist.
"I'm so sorry to him. Overworking others to compensate for my shortcomings... As your shaman, I can't..."
"Skadi."
She flinched and turned. As his hand approached slowly, she squeezed her eyes shut.
Was he about to strike her soul?
...Of course not.
Wendigo had no intention of burdening the already strained.
Carefully, he stroked her hair. He'd done so before, but this felt different to Skadi.
'Warm...'
She'd always sensed chill from his body, yet today his touch felt warm. A gentle breeze stirred her heart, and Wendigo spoke calmly.
"You always call yourself the shaman serving Wendigo. Why is that?"
"Because! I'm serving you, Wendigo-nim..."
"Then it matters not. But if there's another reason, I'd prefer you didn't."
Exposed fear silenced her. Tears welled; Wendigo wiped them with a claw.
"Forgive me. But I had to say this."
"What... do you mean?"
She gazed anxiously. But his words blindsided her.
"Skadi. If you're worried I'll leave your side, I promise you this: if you wish, I'll never take another shaman."
"...What?!"
Shock eclipsed her anxieties; her eyes flashed. Wendigo merely stroked her hair, chuckling softly.
She shook her head frantically.
"No! You'll rule vast lands ahead—such a thing would be!"
"I don't mind. I'm not with you because you're a shaman anyway. Remember the day we met?"
She nodded. How could she forget? Her salvation, the moment she found reason to live.
"At first, I just pitied a poor woman and helped. Bonus if you taught this ignorant fool something."
"B-But back then, you, Wendigo-nim..."
"I was clueless. Ignorant of the world and myself. Truth be told, I still am."
Skadi sputtered denials, but Wendigo let them slide. That wasn't the point.
"Back then... you could have deceived me if you wanted. With skill, you could've ruled this land using my power."
"I could never commit such blasphemy! More than that... I don't want to."
Her firm reply delighted him.
"Exactly. I chose to stay because I liked that in you."
He'd judged her heart. Her talent sufficed to exploit a foolish spirit they'd chanced upon. Years of torment could've twisted her into cursing the world with evil—yet she hadn't.
"There are shamans more capable, wiser than you. But the one I want by my side isn't them. It's you, Skadi."
With that, he withdrew his hand. She stared up, dazed.
...
A single tear traced silently down her cheek.
Wendigo gathered mysticism in his palm: moonlight, petals, pure frost, verdant life. He shaped them into a ring.
He'd considered a necklace, but...
'She has the ice one already—ring it is.'
He offered it. The ring gleamed iridescently, infused with floral beauty.
"Think of this as my vow and token. As long as you keep it and your heart true, I swear to keep you by my side always."
Skadi glanced at the ring, then him. Her lingering unease had fled, but accepting felt too burdensome...
Thud.
"Ah."
As if shoved, she stumbled forward, grasping his hand. Startled, she looked back.
Nothing there.
Her eyes fell to the white roses on the cross. Coincidence? Or something more? A breeze rustled the petals.
She lingered on them a moment, then turned, clutching the ring.
"I... I swear to serve you forever too, Wendigo-nim."
At last, she wept.
"...And that's what happened!!!"
"Skadi-nim, that's already over ten times... No matter. Glad it worked out."
"It's all thanks to you, Isaac."
Days had passed since Wendigo and Skadi's lifelong contract(?).
Isaac endured yet another earful of Skadi's glowing Wendigo tales, ears practically bleeding. Recounting a long story verbatim ten times wasn't easy.
'Still, I benefited too.'
Her anxieties gone, his overwork ended. She even apologized with nourishing food and rest. Plus, in their relaxed chats, she shared knowledge respectfully, honoring his experience.
But learning her shamanism sent shivers down his spine—her level was so high, his prior dabblings mere trash...
"Isaac? Listening?"
"Of course, my dear. Still a lovely... ring."
"Right? It makes me smile every time. Hehe."
Reviewing spells, Isaac snapped back at her giggle. Skadi admired her ring today too, stroking it on her left ring finger.
That finger always made him sweat...
'Ring finger—in imperial tradition, marriage...'
He shook off the impious thought. He'd taught her that tradition himself.
Of course. Wendigo was a spirit, Skadi human. To a regular shaman(?), Wendigo's words weren't some blushing confession.
Absolutely not. She, a northerner, probably ignored imperial customs for comfort.
"Hehehe..."
"......"
Isaac popped three soothing berries from his pouch. Mind clearing, he vowed inwardly.
'Never think about that ring again.'
Staring into the abyss and getting hurt? His fault. Why peek into a quiet abyss?
When facing unbearable matters, avert your eyes properly...
"Oh right! Wendigo-nim wishes to thank you with a reward."
Skadi's bright announcement petrified him like a stone spell. He checked his pouch—about five berries left...
"Skadi-nim, sorry, but could I get ten more soothing berries?"
"If you want, I can get a hundred!"
Isaac barely swallowed his "yes, a hundred."