Moments in Time

by jorvikzelda

Summary:

Midwinter is different here. You are used to the snow, the long nights, the cold, harsh wind—and yet, this is not the same winter as the one you know so well.

An exploration of what the main character’s arrival and adventure on Jorvik might feel like first-hand, told through short glimpses into their journey. Follows the main story up until Saving Anne, and thereafter diverges somewhat (though not all too wildly).

Originally posted to @jorvikpov on tumblr. Chapter 52 and onwards are beta read by and sometimes brainstormed with @shiroselia on tumblr (big huge thanks!).

Chapter 1: Of New Beginnings

Summary:

(4th of January)

Midwinter is different here.

You are used to the snow, the long nights, the cold, harsh wind—and yet, this is not the same winter as the one you know so well. Perhaps, you think, it may simply be the distance from everything you used to have, but that’s hardly enough to explain it; even trudging through deep snow up a hill feels oddly comforting.

The sun is beginning to rise over the sea, slowly but surely working on its low arch across the sky. You yawn, still tired after your long journey yesterday, and stop for a minute to wonder at the colours. (Jorvik, some would say, looks as though everything is coated in a filter that makes everything a little more vibrant. The sunrise agrees, filled with purples and pinks and oranges in shades you feel like your eyes have never seen before, and it almost makes you feel like the world before has been muted or faded like an old photograph—that this is how everything truly looks.

Down at the stables, things are becoming more lively: kids getting ready for the first riding lessons of the day, parents chattering about, stablehands trying their best to keep everything calm and organised. It wakes you up a little bit more and, with one last glance at the sunrise, you turn to walk back down the hill. You’ve got boxes to unpack, after all.