Found in Winter (Sergei Dragunov x OC)

The Inn

The green grass swayed and rustled, and the hung pots of flowers danced and bumped into each other when the strong wind made its pass. The glass windows with frames opened by the force, creating a sound that bothered the elderly customers in the lobby bar. A fair maiden with pale blonde hair quickly ran to the window and shut it close to stop the noise.

"It sure is pretty windy today, miss." Says an elderly woman at a table near where the maiden was. She smiled politely to the elderly and straightened her apron which was unkempt. "It's best for me to take out the laundry then, can't miss this wind."

Claudia Ivanov, the woman who owns the inn resides in the countryside in the mountains. The only inn for travelers to come across in the area, and despite getting little to no customers, the building and business were going well. The first story of the building was a lobby bar, the kitchen and laundry room were found at the back. The second story is where one can find the rooms for the customers to rest in.

Right outside the building is a garden of vegetables that Claudia uses for meals, and the meats were only bought from the three-hour walk to the market. A shed that a single old horse resides in, and a well was not too far from the inn. A little business that was barely enough for one person to run.

After serving breakfast to the elderly couple, she brought out a basket of wet laundry to hang to the cables outside. Her hazel green eyes drifted across the scenery, appreciating the beauty of nature. The smell of wet dirt and the sight of different shades of green that shone brightly from the sun were enough to be grateful for her life.

Claudia was a peaceful soul, a mundane life was all she could ask for. But a certain memory had kept her mind occupied, a memory that was too eventful to forget, and a man that she longed to see again.

~Flashback~

Claudia locked all her windows that kept on rattling from the strong winds outside. A few people were inside the inn, shivering from the cold blizzard that they had encountered in the dark night. Claudia went to the kitchen and readied hot cocoa for the cold people, "Here, there is enough for everyone. Blankets are upstairs and your rooms are already ready."

"Thank you so much, dear." Says a middle-aged woman in fur, the others thanked her as well. They were a group of hikers, three in total, who wished to reach the top of the mountain. They were confident to achieve it but did not anticipate the violence of the blizzard, hence finding a place to shelter themselves and the inn was the perfect place.

This was a common occurrence for Claudia when a blizzard storm raged in the area. She aids and welcomes anyone who is in need of shelter and warmth from the storm. Luckily, the food and other supplies were more than enough for the current people who were inside the inn.

"This is one hell of a storm." She murmured in her mind. She looked through the window and could not see anything but snow and darkness. But something had caused her to be in shock, a silhouette of a man, nearing slowly to the inn.

"There's someone out there!" She gasped and quickly put on a coat that was hung near the door. The hikers warned her to wait but she had already gone outside. The wind was loud and painful, the heavy snow slowed her movements, pushing her legs to the white powder just so she could move. The light of her flashlight had given her sight, leading to his way.

Her breath was shaky from the cold and her body started to shiver, but she could not compare herself to the man who was already half unconscious. She stopped and eyed the man, realizing he towered her despite slouching from exhaustion, white snow nestled on his body.