51th of Summer, 516
Nemori watched as the storm started to hit. Snow was piling up and the wind whirred loudly through the building. She could hear the rattling of shutters and loose wood. It was obviously going to be a big one, she had lived in the area long enough to identify the signs. She thought for a moment as she watched it from the doorway, ignoring the biting cold as she thought. Purple etched into her eyes as she started to prepare some bundles of food. Mostly dried fish with scatters of anything else she could find. These were left by the door before she retreated inside once more, grabbing any loose or spare blankets that she could find.. Her actions were rushed, forcing herself to be ready as quickly as possible. Nemori stopped by her room and bided goodbye to Whisper, knowing she would be safe and cared for in the Hold itself. She strapped her backpack and short spear to her back, no sure what would be waiting for her in the coming days. Her family was nearby, they would check on Whisper, she would be perfectly safe. Whisper seemed slightly disturbed by the noise from outside but remained mostly quiet. Nemori rushed back downstairs, finding the front door and checking the fastenings on her coat. With a bundle of cloth and food between her arms she started to traipse out into the cold. The snow started to pile onto her almost immediately as she stepped outside. It was coming down faster now. The wind whipped painfully against her face, dragging flecks of snow with it. She could feel her face was slightly numb but she ignored the sensation, burying herself more into the blankets in hoped of reducing it at least. She was thankful that it was only a short walk, anything longer could have been problematic. The vast, clear space in front of the White Elk Stables was, for once, free of any animals. It seemed strange to approach the stables without being interrupted or greeted by the larger animals. They had already taken shelter from the oncoming storm. Nemori had spent all her life in Avanthal and she took the preparation in her stride. She had to force the stable doors open with her shoulders but was immediately thankful to be inside once more. They were a few candles already set up, casting their light onto the walls. The stable was a chaos of noise with the combination of whirling wind and piles of animals bleeping or stomping in their sections. She dropped the items in her arms, turning to shut the door behind her, it resisted, shudding against the wind, but eventually she managed to shut it. It cut some of the noise from the wind out but she could still hear it. She used a few of the blankets to stuff around the door, keeping out some of the snow that was piling up outside. After she had completed this task she gathered up the rest of the blankets and the food, moving towards the back of the stables. She did not need to see to move around, the stables were so familiar to her. A few animals peeked to look at her. They was a small section of the stable at the back which was free of large animals. Some clean hay, firewood and animal food were stored here. The blankets were piled into a corner, she could attend to them later. The roughly wrapped food packets were hidden nearby, she did not wish for any of the animals to find it easily. The stable was warm, the combined heat from all the animals mixing into stale, warm air. She wondered how long till this storm would pass, the atmosphere was not pleasant and would only get worse, but still someone needed to be here to look after all the animals. She started to organise the blankets slightly, creating a basic sleeping area. It would be uncomfortable but it was sufficient. Occasionally she could hear creaking as the wind buffeted the building.
