Chapter Text
The snow fell in sheets over Moomin valley as a frigid breeze blows through the bare trees coated in ice and snow. Moominmama, Moominpapa, and Moomin, softly snore in their deep hibernation sleep. Little My, her sister, and Sniff do the same along with a few of the valley's other residents.
Some ways farther south Snufkin continues on his travels down a forest pathway. The trees oddly reminiscent of fall the further into the woods he moved. He surely noticed, it's just that he didn't care for now.
The road was silent even when the few beings there passed by him, not even glancing at him as he tipped his hat in hello. The bird song was almost nonexistent, every now and then chirping could be heard in the far distance. Snufkin of course didn't mind, not everyone was like the people of Moominvalley. He just continued on his way. It took 2 days before he started to grow somewhat frustrated.
“I should have seen something familiar by now, the witches forest isn't all that big” Snufkin muttered irritated as he re-shouldered his bag after packing up his cooking supplies. It smelled of fall here. Things like usually never bothered him, but… something was off here. That was for sure.
Huffing a little as he looks to the treetops seeing the sun starting to lower through the fall colored leaves. That part was starting to confuse him. He could have sworn at least some snow would have shown itself by now, at least a small frigid winter breeze. He was only 4 days from Moominvalley, it usually took him 10 to 12 days to get to warmer climates.
The sun haven lowered itself in the sky, the woods darkening making Snufkin have to light his lantern. He promised himself to set up camp in an hour or so at least until it got to dark for comfort. He continued down the dirt path humming to himself as he held his light up to illuminate his path, his eyes reflecting it eerily in the lanterns glow.
A soft rustling suddenly seemed to have caught his attention causing him to instantly still in place before turning to the source. He could feel his hidden tail and ears twitch in anticipation.
“WIIIIIRT!!!” A young voice yelled, as he felt something jump and latch onto his side, knocking him off balance. The lantern in some trick of luck, landed upright when it fell from Snufkin’s hand.
“Wirt Wirt Wirt! I can't find Penguin! I was trying to find a candy tree! But then it got dark and I couldn't find kitty! And the silly frog loves candy!” The child continued on about candy and frogs for a while, now sitting on top of Snufkin pinning him to the ground.
“Kid”
“ and he absolutely loves the red ones! I think.That's a rock fact!” The kid pulls out a rock with a painted face on it pushing it in front of his face, before continuing on rock still in hand.
“Kid” Snufkin tried again. Only to be ignored completely. Sighing he just laid there and accepted his fate. The path was at least dry and somewhat cushioned with leaves. Not the worst place he's slept before. The hours of travel seemed to suddenly hit him at once. The kid didn't seem to show any signs of stopping, and the air didn't smell of rain. After a yawn and shifting as much as he could with the kid still on top of him, Snufkin promptly fell asleep.
It was maybe 2 or 3 hours later, Snufkin awoke to the sound of movement from nearby bushes causing him to be wide awake. Ignoring the snoring child on him, he carefully moved both himself and the kid closer to the side of the road, the opposite side of the new noise. Snufkin’s lantern was out by now, the almost empty road only illuminated by moonlight.
“Greg?!” A voice whisper yelled followed by a deep croak. The kid now sitting on Snufkin’s side, shifted in unconscious recognition.
A older boy appears from the bushes crashing onto the road after tripping over a tree root. A agitated ribbit sounds along with ‘dangits’ from the boy in the red pointed hat. Said boy stands up shakily, dusty dirt off himself before picking up a large frog.
“Greeeeeg!?” He whisper yells again.
“Wirt?” The now named Greg mutters out sleepily as he rubs his eyes.
The older boy, Wirt, attention goes right to his brother only to see 2 seemingly large reflective eyes looking right at him, causing him to scream.
“Well hullo to you as well”
The two of them stared at each other the ,definitely not, girlish screaming died down quickly.
“Wooooah there's 2 Wirts!! Does that mean I have to eat twice the vegtib-vegetables?” Greg pulls out a piece of candy unwrapping it, then offers it to Snufkin, who he was still clinging to.
Snufkin breaks the eye contact and looks to Greg with raised brows. He gingerly takes the candy from the younger boy and sniffs it curiously. He couldn't say he's ever seen anything like this blue hard candy.
“If you don't like vegetables don't eat them then” Snufkin states before taking as test lick of the odd candy.
“Wow really?! Thanks new brother Wirt!” Greg cheers grinning up to Snufkin.
“U-uh? Greg yo-you're definitely going to have to eat your veggies! You're still a kid! A-an-and that stranger isn't Wirt! I me-mean me! We look nothing alike! We look as close as a book looks like a river feeding into the endless sea, both unknown till explored and… ummm sorry” Wirt fumbles out looking between his brother and Snufkin. Snufkin gives him a amused look.
“But you both have pointy hats and dresses on” Greg counters.
“It's a cloak not a dress!”
Snufkin mentally shrugs and looks up mid lick at Wirt. “He has you there”
“Who even are you?” Wirt asks irritated.
“He's Wirt!”
“Greg.. no”
Snufkin lets out a huff of amusement. He picks up the discarded candy wrapper from the ground and rewraps the candy and pockets it for later. Wirt gives him a disgusted look.
Quickly and carefully detaching Greg from his person, Snufkin moves to his previously discarded lantern.
“Hey! I asked who you are!” Wirt says a bit more bravely than before.
“That you you did” Was the only reply as Snufkin lights the lantern. He looks to the kids sizing them up. It seemed he was at least a few inches taller than the eldest, the other was at maybe around his hip.
Wirt shivered a little under the still nameless to him, strangers light reflective gaze.
