𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 <> a𝐫𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐨 + 𝐟𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐜

I

It was dark and there was nothing in sight except for the nocturnal beings that stalked the night. The moon was the only source of light in the harsh and bleak climate of Snezhnaya and yet it provided no warmth or feeling of safety. There was only the scent of snowfall, the billowing of wind and heavy blankets of snow to accompany the darkness and bleakness of the winter night.

For miles, all that could be seen were the stars and the white sphere that occupied the sky. She always loved the stars, it reminded her of her mother and father; but they were just a distant memory at this point and she knew not to think about them. Dwelling on such tragedies would only bring heartache and a melancholy that nothing could heal.

She continued walking with only a single lantern to light her way, it was hardly enough to be considered sufficient. There were many dangers to be wary of at night but especially in the eeriness of Snezhnaya. For example, everyone tells the women to be careful at night because there are always risks of human trafficking or being kidnapped, but what anyone should look out for are the wolves and the bears. It's much easier to fight off a human, with a brain and more cognitive understanding and potential, rather than an animal with predatory instincts to hunt and kill. Humans have the potential to think and be manipulated by others emotions, or so that's what she kept telling herself anyways.

There was a stony building standing tall in the night, it had at least two stories and the lights were still on. It was surrounded by a large wall made of cobble and stone and there was an iron gate, which was much taller than her small figure. She headed towards said gate, shivering slightly as she tried to open the gate.

It was locked with an obvious padlock, larger than a human hand, situated near the handle. How was she supposed to enter now or get help for that matter?

Sadly, her lantern slowly died too. It was a pitiful candle lantern and the girl knew the flame would dissipate sooner rather than later but she thought herself lucky that it lasted her the journey to this building. Looking up, she read the sign on the gate: 'The House of the Hearth'. Hearth meaning fireplace.

'Unoriginal choice of words...' She simply thought to herself, letting her eyes wander to the side of the gate where a bell lingered.

The bell lingered on the wall, held up by its hook attached to the wall, and there was a string hanging from it. She rang the bell, hoping it would alert somebody of her presence because she wasn't sure how much longer she'd like to be out in the cold for.

The crunching of snow reached the child's ears and she looked up. A figure in a black cloak approached and they were holding a lantern with a strong flame, they looked the child up and down before unlocking the gate with steady hands. They seemed to want to ascertain if there was a threat outside or a third party watching before unlocking the gate.

Once the gate was open, she entered with the figure's guidance and she disappeared through the grounds, the gate closing and locking behind her.