Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
•• ━━━━━ ••●•• ━━━━━ ••
THE WEATHER WARMED, the ground thawed, and for the very first time, the land around them could truly be described as beautiful. With time, the air felt more crisp than freezing; the snow something to be adored, not something dreadfully inescapable. Still, the landscapes did nothing to soothe their boredom.
Days had passed since they were attacked by the drugged Grisha soldiers. Two or three, Lianna wasn't sure anymore. Matthias and Nina had buried the bodies and returned changed people completely – they didn't fight anymore, rarely even spoke to each other. After all of their insufferably loud arguments, it was strange how annoying the silence devoid of those shouts became. Lianna was sure the endless cycle of waking up at dawn, walking (tripping in the snow and almost getting lost) until dusk, setting up the camp and sleeping until they had to wake up at dawn again would eventually lead her to insanity.
"I wish I had appreciated our card games more," she said. "Winning got boring after the hundredth time, but nothing could be less exciting than this endless walk with our Fjerdan guide."
Jesper and Wylan were walking in silence on either side of her, had been for a while. Somehow, the three of them always managed to end up a little behind the rest, often earning themselves words of disapproval and threats from Kaz, though such words didn't worry Lianna anymore.
"You heard that, Wylan?" Jesper's long arm extended above Lianna's head to pat the other boy. Wylan only grunted in response. "I never would have hoped to live to the day of Lianna Andersen being nice to people out of the blue. Thank the mercilles northern air for making you soft and nostalgic."
"This is exactly why I don't ever compliment you," Lianna answered.
"I feel the same as you, Lianna," Wylan said. "Had I known this would be our reality I would have loved and appreciated every second on Ferolind."
Lianna nodded. "I'd rather go back to looking at the sea all day long and barely catching any sleep at night due to the waves."
"One thing that stayed terrible is the food." Jesper made a gagging noise.
"Saints, I miss pancakes," said Lianna.
"The alcohol," Jesper responded.
"Fresh water," added Wylan.
"Let's all take a moment to think about how glorious our lives had been before Kaz walked into them." Jesper faked wiping a tear away. "And how tragic it is that we'll never again know such simple existence."
"Because we'll die before getting a chance to?" Lianna said.
Jesper looked at her with mock disappointment. "Because we'll go back as millionaires, Lianna. When will our ill fated optimism finally infect you?"
