A Song for Winter: Family Portrait

    With everything that had happened in the last few years, Violet, William’s wife decided they needed to have a family portrait commissioned. Artists were summoned from worldwide and portal networks to paint the family portrait. For weeks painters were interviewed with their samples critiqued to the point that William considered just picking one at random. After a certain point, the examples started to look the same. Abstract artists were eliminated right away as William didn’t understand it nor would it work for a family portrait. Anything super stylized or cartoony was next on the chopping block. With just the realistic painters left, William and Violet deliberated on the choice for a bit until finally, they picked one. A young white tigress named Sasha whose artwork was infused with magic which gave the painting that extra touch of life to art.

    William never thought he would have a family portrait after what had happened to his parents and first wife. However now he had a family again. Jaina his half-lynx daughter whose black spotted grey fur was reminiscent of his first wife, Julia, but sported a fox-like tail like William didn’t like that she had to sit still for hours for the portrait. She’d much rather spend the time being trained in combat or on how to better control The Wintersong. One day Jaina would grow into a great and powerful warrior witch but it was going to take time. William hadn’t told her yet but she was the Allfather’s chosen one to banish the darkness. Jaina didn’t need to know that just yet but the time would come for her to stand against an encroaching darkness.

 

    Violet was a lioness harvest druid with tan-yellow fur and purple eyes who was set to become archdruid once her father stepped down from the position. William and Violet had been friends/rivals since they were children. Each year at the harvest festival they would end up in the final round of the youth fighting tournament against each other. Sometimes one would win and sometimes the other would but no matter the turnout it was always the most difficult fight for them. William married Violet not long after they found out she was pregnant with his second child. Jaina and Violet had already formed a relationship after William sent them through a portal together to protect them.

 

    The newest addition to the family was Liam, William and Violet’s son. He was only a few weeks old but already very lively. Liam had his mother’s purple eyes with his father’s grey further that had tan-yellow fur tufts that sprouted from the top of his head. One day the tufts of tan-yellow fur would be a glorious mane but for now, they just looked like a miniature mohawk. Much like Jaina, Liam had trouble sitting still for the portrait but he was only a few weeks old so it was understandable. After several days of long hours of painting the portrait was finally finished. Long would it hang in William and Violet’s house.