A Cold Dawn

Characters

**Description:** Sunlight breaks over the snowy mountains of the north. One lone girl begins her journey across the hills towards the port station on the arctic water's edge, unaware of the shift in Remnant.

**A Cold Dawn**
High above the mountain peaks, dawn began to break across the waking sky. The sunlight did little to warm Micarah from the icy winds. She brought her hands up and breathed on them, hoping to return some feeling to her fingers. They remained cold.

She glanced across the open plain as the glittering light danced off the snow, blinding her slightly. Her eyes squinted, hoping to catch sight of the next town over. The white horizon convinced her otherwise. Reluctantly lifting up one boot, she continued her trek onwards.

At the very least, it wasn't snowing anymore, she thought to herself. The previous few nights consisted of freezing storms and gales, making it feel like a bright summer day in comparison. The ice caked into her coat's fur and mittens became a near permanent layer of frost, but did nothing to keep her warm.

Micarah reached into her pocket and pulled out a small satchel of red dust. She poured a dash into her open palm before packing it away, and rubbed the fine grains between her hands. She relished in the soft burn emanating from the powder, bringing her cold bones back to life. Micarah made a note to herself to thank Brom for the gift. She felt tempted to use more, but the journey was still far from over. Once she made it to the next inn, she could rest in warmth and peace.

Her boots crunched against the snow after each step. Everytime, the snow rose to her ankes, threatening to break under her light weight. She silently prayed that it would hold, and shuddered at the thought of sinking far beneath the surface, where the icy darkness would envelope and consumer her with no one ar-

She shook off the thought and took a deep breath, renewing her resolve.

After what felt like hours, she caught sight of smoke floating above the horizon. She sprinted forwards across the hillside, nearly tripping into the cold ground. A smile broke out across her face as she saw the village. Micarah raised her arms and yelled out in excitement. Her joy quickly turned to embarassment as the gleeful shout echoed back across the canyons. Silently, she hustled towards the welcoming signs of civilization.

Micarah burst into the inn's den, and the icy winds shut the door behind her. She breathed in relief as the cabin air filled her lungs and hugged her cold limbs. The wooden walls and blazing fireplace lifted her spirits, welcoming her to warmth. Her appearance surprised the innkeeper, who looked at her with raised eyebrows.

"Hello there, can I help you?"

Micarah fumbled around her pockets as she approached the front desk. Her fingers managed to wrap themselves around her wallet as she pulled out a couple notes of Lien.

"Yeah, I'd like to stay a couple nights here if that's alright."

"Sure thing! Go ahead and wait by the fireplace while I get things set up." The receptionist gently took the money and disappeared through the office door behind her. Her head peaked back in through the frame as she winked and added, "Feel free to grab something warm to drink. It's on the house".

Smiling, Micarah took her offer and brewed some cocoa by the desk and sat in front of the flames. Her eyes traveled around the lodge, taking in the furskin rugs and mounted heads, trophies from the hunts. Though she was alone in the waiting area, Micarah could hear the sound of laughter and commotion coming from above the stairs, and assumed there was a small pub, deciding that she'd have to stop by for food later. She sipped on her cocoa, and let the rich chocolate fill her mouth. Eating nothing but cold rations and bread for the last couple days made it all the sweeter.

The receptionist returned after a few minutes and led her up to the third room. It was a cozy place, with a red carpet over the wooden floor and a desk next to the washroom. She peeked at the window outside, and watched the snow howl on. The sudden change in weather caught Micarah by surprise, but she was glad to finally be out of it. Laying her bag on the ground and hanging her coat on the wall, she leapt onto the bed an sunk into the covers. It was still a long way to the port of Alm, with plenty of snowstorms and long nights on the way, but the warm inns and kind people in between were welcome.

With that thought, Micarah let herself drift out of consciousness and into well-deserved sleep.