Snow.

Endless snow.

An infinite, featureless expanse of snow.

Snow laying on the ground, snow falling from the impenetrable grey sky.

Desperate, wayward stumbling through the snow, legs soaked up to the knees.

Futile scouring of the mountainside for the rest of the group, sworn to stay together during the travel south.

Growing numbness in the hands, feet and face.

Shivers.

Tears frozen to snow-brushed cheeks.

Collapsing snow.

Descent down the side of the unknown mountain, painful and uncontrolled.

A drop over the side of a small cliff, and a slow roll to a stop.

A cave, tucked under the edge of the cliff and leading into darkness.

Unsteady steps towards dry stone.

A stumble.

A rise.

Entry.

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Darkness.

Collapse.

Furs pulled tight, limbs curled up and held against a pounding chest.

Uncertainty as to whether the unfeeling hands and feet are even still attached to wrists and ankles.

Shivers.

A brief whistle of wind from the cave entrance, alone in the infinite silence.

Understanding of the path of fate.

Yearning for some way to change such a path.

Desire to finally be free of the snow and the darkness.

Desire to live free of fear.

Desire to live in warmth and comfort until the sun sets and does not rise.

Desire to be able to live without the worry of gathering food and water, or finding a place to sleep.

Desire for safety, for perfect guardians who give everything and ask for nothing. Not food, nor drink, nor pay, nor warmth, nor funeral.

Desire to live undisturbed, granted everything in life and share with nobody.

Desire for secrecy. For none to know of these gifts, for knowledge leads to power, and power leads to replacement.

Desire to have peace.

Determination.

Silent insistence that such a future is possible.

Insistence that cold and fear and death is not the only way.

Insistence that death need not be the eternal specter.

Insistence that death in a cave on an unseen mountain should not, is not, cannot be the end of all things.

Shivers.

A struggle to continue breathing in the darkness.

The sensation of the eternal specter stepping into the darkness.

A silhouette, real or imagined, standing in front of the iron-grey sky.

A nonexistent hand extended downward.

Understanding of the snow’s inevitability.

Understanding of the unbreakable path of fate.

Refusal.