Time Stamp: Late at Night on the 35th of Fall Location: A few days' travel from Avanthal Tessa stood in the lee of a snowdrift at the edge of the caravan’s camp, the three wagons drawn into a rough circle and scanned the land around herself again. Still all quiet, quiet was good. The cold however, wasn’t. She curled and uncurled her toes inside her boots to keep the blood flowing, reassured that she could still feel them. Gods it really was cold up here. She’d heard stories about it of course, but even so she hadn’t been quite prepared for the reality. At least the spot she’d picked was out of the wind, and there was a bit of a break in the near constant snowfall they’d had for the last two weeks. The smouldering fire looked particularly appealing right now, off in the centre of the camp with her watch partner crouched by it, but she resisted heading towards to it. Luke’s words of advice were still there in her mind, his gruff voice echoing away, “Never be close to the fires. It gives someone a better chance to put a shaft in your pretty chest.” just as it always did on the nights she was on watch. She wasn’t quite sure what he’d make of this though, he’d probably curse a lot. Then again, would it be so bad to spend a bit time at the fire? She couldn’t imagine anyone desperate enough to be a bandit up here in this weather, and apparently they were only a few days travel from Avanthal itself and those giant ice bears that kept watch over it. She sighed, her breath misting in front of her face thickly and shook her head, a little cold was better than getting a knife in the back, and for all she knew maybe there were people up here who lived out here, some sort of snow people who wore animal furs and hunted with weapons made of their teeth? Or she could be being silly, the latter was more likely. She had to grin though as she looked around again, who’d have thought she’d come so far? For all the cold it was glorious out here, everywhere she looked, for as far as she could see was the same pristine glittering white, the cloudy skies about an odd pinkish yellow colour that she’d never seen anywhere else. Still, she was glad to know they’d be reaching the city soon, if nothing else she could buy some warmer clothes there. She was already wearing practically everything she owned, including the nightshirt she’d picked up at the Bazaar in Syliras. She’d chopped some lengths from her blanket too, wrapping her hands and feet in them in sort of makeshift socks and gloves. True it made her boots a little uncomfortable, but better that than her toes going black and falling. She still wasn’t quite sure if she believed the guard who’d told her that, Povril she thought his name was, but what with how cold it was she wasn’t about to take that chance. But even with all of that and her now shortened blanket wrapped around her shoulders like a shawl it wasn’t enough. She’d thought about bringing her bed roll out with her and standing in it, but then she’d not be able to move were something to happen. Well she would, but she’d end up falling on her face and lying there like some sort of great woolly slug. A warm woolly slug maybe, but slugs weren’t exactly useful on watch, were they? At least she only had another couple of bells ‘til her spell on watch was up, and then she could crawl back into her tent and get about as warm as she could up here. Though if that letch offered just one more time to help keep her warm at night she’d…. she’d… ahhh who was she kidding? She knew she couldn’t do anything to him, not without upsetting her employer, and given that it was his good graces she was relying on to get a decent wage out of this trip she had to keep him sweet. So she’d just have to put up with him for a few more days, and then be glad to see the back of him. Maybe if the Gods were good to her they’d grant that she’d never see him again. It was a cheering thought to speed the night on by, all that time to come when she’d not have to see him and his irritating smile, or tolerate the sheer amount of time he spent staring at her chest. You’d think he’d have gotten bored of it by now wouldn’t you? She wriggled her fingers and toes again, lifting the former to her lips and blowing on them before shoving them under her armpits and clutching tightly to herself. Just another couple of bells to go, and then she’d be warm again. It wasn’t that long to wait was it? |