The first snow of the year had long been eagerly anticipated, and with it came joy from the surrounding houses. Everyone ran out to the town centre, lured by the appeal of selling their wares and services, Yasmin’s family included. She set out the cloth they used to showcase her mother’s jewelry and watched the chaos. It was mostly older women and the older children showing their wares, bright trinkets and food exposed to lure wandering children and couples enjoying the festival. Most of the men were warriors, her father included, and were needed at the Asu So ceremony. The children giggled as they raced past the stalls, eager to join the first dance of the winter. Yasmin would have liked to join the children up in the mountains dancing as the snow fell thick around them, but even at 5, she felt the heavy hand of responsibility. Her mother couldn’t sell it all by herself, and they needed the sales to build the extension to their house she’d heard her parents discussing while they thought she was asleep. She wanted to help out.

  A steaming hot bun suddenly appeared in front of her face, and she followed it up to see her mother’s smile. “What is my little shadow worrying about so seriously? That’s how you get wrinkles, you know.”

  “Mama,” Yasmin wrinkled her nose in what was supposed to be a glare, but actually came across as a very adorable pout on her baby face. “We can’t afford it.”

  Her mother laughed, bopping her nose. “That’s for me to worry about and for you to enjoy the fruits of my effort.”

  “But-“

  “No buts, Yiqao. Now take this bun and go have fun! it’s a festival for crying out loud.”

  Yasmin’s glare was valiant but in fell in response to her Mother’s smiling face. There was a wrinkle slightly forming on her forehead, and the last thing she wanted was to worry her Mother. She could go for a few minutes then double back with an excuse and help out. With that decision, she took the bun with a grin. “Thanks Maman.”

  “Anytime, Qaon.”

  But she had barely taken a step before the smell of smoke drifed across the breeze. Yasmin stilled, concerned. Flames during the day of the Asu So ceremony was considered bad luck. They made do with hot stones and layered clothes. She turned to her mother, the question on the tip of her tongue and it died there as she saw the expression on her mother’s face.

  She was staring past Yasmin with a look of horror and fear so stark that Yasmin felt the fear rise up in her as a response. “Maman-“

  If you come across this story on Amazon, it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.

  And then the screams started. Her mother grabbed her by the arm and started running. She wasn’t the only one, around them people had left their stalls umanned and the place in chaos, not the bright chaos of the festival but the dark, scary kind that came from fear. Yasmin was too little to see what had caused so much panic, but the smell of smoke intensified and with it an acrid, metallic smell she had never smelled before.

  Her little legs pumped as fast as they could over the uneven ground, but still too slow for her mother as she grabbed Yasmin up to her shoulders without even breaking stride. The new added height gave Yasmin the perspective she had lacked, a perspective she wished she had remained ignorant of.

  Behind her she saw an army. Soldiers, clad in gleaming metal, the sun reflecting off their golden armour bright enough she had to squint though they were still a while off. As she watched, a spear made of searing light appeared in the hands of one of the soldiers and he threw it at one of the running villagers. The villager screamed, as they went up in flames, adding to the chaos that had broken out. The acrid smell grew stronger.

  Yasmin buried her face in her mother’s hair, not wanting to see any more. The soldiers had come from the hills, where the children had been playing. Her friends, her neighbours, Zitsu- Her mother’s hand went up, and Yasmin grasped at it gratefully. She wouldn’t cry, she had to be strong since her father wasn’t here.

  The run home felt like ages but in reality it was probably only five minutes till her mother barged into the house, throwing herself against the door. She set Yasmin down, pulling her deeper into the house to the room her parents slept in. As she watched, her mother pulled the bed away from the wall, and started scrabbling at the tiles. Yasmin’s lip wobbled even as she forced the tears in, the screams were getting louder. She did not want to think of whose screams they were, which of her neighbours had been chased down by one of those soldiers. But finally, the tile was pulled away exposing a small space where Yasmin knew her parents kept all their savings and treasured items. Her mother’s wedding dress, her father’s Yubei, the money they had saved up for the extension. Without an ounce of hesitation, her mother began pulling everything out of the hole. When the hole was empty, she finally turned to look at Yasmin.

  “Yiqao,” Maman’s smile was wobbly. “You have to hide.”

  “But what about you?” Yasmin was brave but she didn’t want to stay in such a small space alone. She wanted to be with her mother.

  “I’ll hide too.” Maman promised. “But for now, you have to be brave and stay hidden.”

  “But-“

  The screams sounded like they were coming from her neightbour’s house now. Maman’s eyes looked stricken with fear but she still pulled Yasmin to her chest in a warm hug. “What did I say, Qaon? No buts. Hide for me, please.”

  Yasmin nodded, the tears running freely down her cheeks now.

  Her mother pulled her away from her chest and gave her one last smile. “Be brave. Stay Quiet.”

  And Yasmin entered the hole. She looked up to see her mother still smiling down at her. “Stay Quiet.” She repeated, before the tile came down, shutting her in complete darkness.

  Silence.

  Then she heard her mother scream.

  Notes:

  Yiqao (Yi-ka-wu): Little Shadow

  Maman: My dear Mama or mama mine

  Qaon(ka-wo-n): My dear Shadow or shadow mine

  (-n is a suffix used by the people of Dehya to express endearment and fondness. Is also used to express possession of a treasured item.)

  Asu So: Ceremony to welcome the first snow and also honor the long nights, and short days.

  Yubei (You-bay): A ceremonial garment warriors wear during their coming of age ceremony upon manifesting their powers.