Broken Glass - Taekook

70

As we exit the Prahzik Forest, and descend into the Breskevan Valley, something cold and wet lands on my hand, and I jolt at the unexpected sensation. Taehyung glances over at me, from where he's standing beside me. "Are you okay?" I nod quickly, and then a shiver runs through my entire body. 

"Yeah, sorry. I just felt something cold touch my hand, it kind of freaked me out a little. I don't know why. It was probably just a fern or something." 

As we stand there, looking at each other, I notice a faint white blip in the air, which slowly coasts down before landing squarely on the very end of his nose. His body goes entirely still, his eyes widen, and then he brushes at that spot with his hand. "That wasn't a fern." 
"No, and I think I saw something in the air," I agree, holding up a hand to the others. They slowly come to a stop around the two of us, concerned. 

We're all used to this by now: if one or two of us notice something, the whole group goes still and silent, waiting for something to happen. In the awkward quiet, my gaze drifts away from the others, shifting to focus on the landscape that lays before us.

It's probably an hour until sunset now, and the world feels slightly darker The way before us is cloaked in shadows that stretch out long and elegant over the cliffside, over the grassy part at the centre of the valley. The river itself is a long silver ribbon that glints in the fading light, twisting and turning every few metres. In various places, wherever they can get a place to anchor their roots, small alpine flowers are growing, offering splashes of bright colour to this odd, desolate terrain. 

Ahead of us, the Wolkata Range takes over the entire horizon, the craggy faces outlined in deep orange light. For a moment, they seem to take on a almost human quality, turning into wise old men that stare out over the world around them with a careful stare. And then that image fades away again, and they're just mountains again. 

We're following a small animal track that Jimin pointed out a few days ago when we were in the centre of the Prahzik Forest, one that leads down into the valley in front of us. It's just a tiny, centimetre-thick band of earth that cuts through the grass and shrubbery around us, but it's the only guide we have. Animals are well accustomed to this place. It makes sense to follow their common trails, and trust in their instincts, especially when the sun is partially blocked by coniferous tree needles.

And then my gaze drifts up, to check how far the sun has yet to set, and I realise that the sky is almost entirely covered with a thick blanket of pale grey clouds. There, in the air around and above us, more white dots are slowly coasting down, everywhere I look. 

This is no attack. This is not a threat, though it could've been a sign of failure if we hadn't gotten this far already. This is just the first proper snow of winter. 

The sun is still shining, high up, the glow faintly visible through the clouds and the haze. The air is relatively still, but not to an unpleasant degree, and it's bitterly cold. A small smile grows on my face. "False alarm, guys. Just snow." In the corner of my vision, I see Taehyung's expression shift in a similar way to my own. Amusement replaces concern, and the tension in his shoulders releases a little. 

"You made us stop to see the snow?" Namjoon asks, the bubble of a quiet laugh breaking the silence of the others. For a moment, we stand there, staring out over the valley before us, watching the gentle snowfall. The amused expression on his face softens into a wry smile. "Beautiful, isn't it?" 

I glance round the group, see the look of awe in Jimin's eyes. The pixie's wings are fluttering a little in the gentle winds that are picking up around us, in this exposed little section. As we begin to slowly move on again, I can see him holding out his hands to catch as many of the snowflakes as he can. He catches me watching in the corner of his eye, and stops immediately, biting his lip and avoiding eye contact.