After the War's End

Chapter 30

His foot stepped onto the other side.

The ground creaked slightly, molding itself to the shape of the sole of his shoe. Avad lifted his foot, contemplating the imprint it left on the gleaming white floor. Then, he looked around, confirming that everything had this cold hue. The bare branches of the trees were covered with a frosty blanket, giving them a soft appearance. A cold gust of wind greeted them, freezing their faces. She took a deep breath, filling her lungs with the icy air, feeling at home again, and he huddled in his cloak. Aloy decided to give him a few minutes to get used to the weather before continuing their journey. Avad continued to look around, excited by everything surrounding them. The ground seemed so soft... he crouched down to touch it, surprised by how cold it was. He grabbed a handful of snow and squeezed it between his fingers, leaving the shape of his closed fist molded in it when he opened his hand.

"Is... Is it snow?" he asked in amazement, releasing what he had just grabbed because his fingers hurt. He rubbed his hands against his clothes to dry them and then between them.

"Yes." she responded, smiling. She was more than accustomed to the cold, and she had never stopped to think that there could be someone who had never seen something as simple and commonplace as snow.

"I never thought it would be so beautiful..." he continued to say as he crouched down to gather some more "Wow, it's so cold!" he laughed "It's incredible; I don't think I've ever touched anything so cold."

"Well, I can assure you that there's plenty of it here." the Nora laughed. Avad watched as the snow changed state and melted in his hands, dripping between his fingers and dripping onto the ground.

"Everything is... so beautiful... It's like you've transported me to another world." he felt that his face, his hands... his whole body in general was cooling, a sensation so different from everything in Meridian; even the smell was different from anything he had smelled before. She took his hand, almost as cold as ice from that first contact with the snow. He squeezed it tightly upon feeling her warm touch and turned to her "I love it." Aloy smiled cheerfully.

Minutes later, they resumed their journey. The hunter took a deep breath. She had missed the cold air of the Sacred Lands. They walked until they passed Two Teeth. Not far from there, there was a place with Broadheads, where they could easily get a mount to continue. Upon arrival, they hid in the undergrowth.

"If you want, you can wait here while I sabotage one." she suggested. He nodded. Agilely, Aloy crawled to one of the machines and, wielding her spear, tamed it. They rode for a long time at high speed along the paths, accompanied by the sunlight, until the night was beginning to set in. The temperature continued to drop with the diminishing light.

"Sorry, Aloy, is it much further?" the king asked, bewildered, realizing that it was getting darker and there seemed to be no place around to spend the night. Without light, he felt at the mercy of all the wild.

"To reach the Embrace, yes, but I know a place where we can spend the night without danger, I have everything under control."

"I thought we would have time to get there without problems... You didn't tell me anything." he expressed, confused.

"I know, and I'm sorry, but you seemed very nervous... In the place where we'll be, there will be no one, I didn't want you to get unnecessarily upset... Let's say it's not a very nice place, but it's safe, I promise."

"Where is it?"

"It's some ruins, the place is called Devil's Thirst."

"You're right; it sounds... cozy." he said ironically "Actually, it's better that you didn't tell me." he admitted, laughing.