Pathfinder

10 - Touch

She didn't remember when or how ago she'd managed to fall asleep, only that it was still dark by the time she'd woken up again, quivering like a leaf at the mercy of the cold winds that had somehow managed to pick up throughout the nigh. Only it wasn't this that had awoken her up. No, before that had been an insistent hand on her shoulder...Damitri's little hand. She heard her voice urging her to get up. Quietly whispering. "I'm cold..."

She leaned into the touch. It made her numb cheek prickle with warmth. However as soon as she did it suddenly withdrew and when she reached for it once more her sister's hand was no longer there. Instead trapped within the sluggish hold of her cold fingers was a bigger one: Its palm lightly calloused...and tense. 

She let go as suddenly as if she'd just held onto hot steel. Eyes immediately wide-open and aware, as she found herself staring directly at him. The confusion written on his freckled face just barely illuminated by the cold light of the half hidden moon. 

"I'm sorry." A faint shaky, whisper misted the cold air before she even knew she'd said those words.

He in turn looked as if he wasn't quite sure how to reply. The hand that had just moments ago been within hers was now out of sight. Until he  averted his gaze and it crept back, this time to silently point at something at her feet. A pile of broken branches and dried out moss. 

"Snows's falling sooner than expected. You should start a fire."

Kirsha nodded silently, and began stabling some of the makeshift firewood up in a small tower. She could feel his eyes once again resting on her, now that she wasn't looking.  Staring at her hands, as she whispered that little incantation and a spark was born between them.

It took a few attempts, to start the fire, due to the wind, but for all of it he had made no sign of wanting to move away. She supposed, despite handling the weather better he might still be cold too. Or simply just find it pleasant? It was hard to read him at times like these. Almost as if he made himself hard to read on purpose. 

"You knew about the snow?" She eventually asked.

"Not this soon."

"What?"

"I meant, I hoped it would fall later...or not at all."

"Oh..." 

"Will make tracking your sister down harder."

"Oh." He was right. The snow would bury the scent, and the moment it melted it would wash most of it away entirely. She felt something in the pit of her stomach sink. Following the main road up until this point had been easy, but further east they got the more roads there would be.

"We have to-" She began, only to be interrupted.

"We're not moving."

"What do you mean we're not moving? You've had time to rest!"

"If we move in the dark and the weather picks up we're only likely to wander off course. " 

Her heart sank. She hated having to admit he was right. "Then, what are you suggesting?"

"We wait till morning and then we see." He looked up at the sky. The first snowflakes were already falling and melting against his cheeks. "I don't have a good feeling about this cold..."