Changed Future

“From here on, we will quicken our pace.” Lady Hiwaga informed everyone. The number of times she addressed disciples could be counted on one hand, including this one.

The others paused briefly before their hands busied again. Everyone was wrapping up the site, some removing traces of their trail, others burying the fire in the earth and some collecting water while others distributing provisions. Everyone was busy except him.

Having just finished practicing, spitting more and more venom on the crystal, his senses seemed too sensitive, especially his olfactory ones. The smell of stale air was thicker now that they were closer to real snow compared to the slippery, melting one they had been following for a few days. Sevir’s constant smokiness dampened under the stillness.

Sevir had offered his fire to a disciple who was going around warming everyone’s water collected from the nearby cold river.