Opening her eyes, Astrid stared at the tall stone ceiling of her chamber. Her ears were ringing, and her head felt like it was sinking through the woolly hide she lay on. She tried covering her ears with an annoyed moan; it didn't help.
She rolled from side to side, trying to get even a little bit more rest, but no matter what she did, she couldn't fall asleep again. Finally, against her own will, she got up and sat on the edge of her bed. Her head spun in circles as she couldn't really focus on anything.
The room was dark and mostly cold. Only a little bit of outside light made it in through the lightly opened wooden doors.
'Did I forget to close them?'
She stared at the entrance, deep in thought, before her attention drifted back to her striking headache.
With a light push, she stood up. Despite the dizziness, she quickly found her balance and walked toward a seemingly empty corner of the cave. As she got closer, she could hear water dripping from above, collecting in a small pool slightly raised from the ground.
She lowered herself to her knees, almost falling over in the process. Reaching into the pool with both hands, she splashed ice-cold water onto her face, forcing her body awake. Hesitantly, she reached back into the cold liquid, gathering some in her hands before drinking it.
Feeling mostly refreshed, she walked straight toward the wooden doors, squeezing through the gap. The cold breeze made her shiver.
On both sides of the door stood a person waiting.
On the left was a tall, lanky man with short copper-brown hair, dressed in a light tunic. Opposite him stood a woman of average height with dirty-blonde hair cut into a bob.
"Good morning, Lady Astrid," the woman said, before the man repeated after her.
"You too," Astrid replied, looking ahead at the frozen lake as she yawned.
Even though it was so early, there were already about a dozen people walking around, performing different tasks. Taking a few steps forward, two more people approached her, holding a lit torch and a broom. They greeted her with a shallow bow before continuing into the giant gates.
Noticing them, the guards nodded and stepped away from the door, letting them in.
Astrid held her hand above her eyes, blocking the creeping sunlight while scanning the sanctuary for something. Thinking as she walked, she headed toward a small smithy.
As usual, the space was carved into the tall cliffs, with a few large stones supported by wooden foundations. Smoke was already rising into the air, and the sound of metal clashing pierced the ears of everyone close enough.
Silently leaning against the open entrance, Astrid asked, "Have you seen Sev?"
A small, hunched old man turned around, a grumpy look on his deformed face. Staring Astrid straight in the eyes, he sighed and pointed behind him toward a younger man with short blonde hair and glasses.
The boy jumped in fright before rushing over, bowing excessively.
"W—What brings you here, Lady… Astrid. Lady."
"I'm looking for Sev. I haven't seen him since I woke up, and I need to talk to him," she said with a smile, trying not to intimidate him.
The young man nodded, pointing toward another nearby building. "He… he went to the trainees to… to watch them. I think…"
Astrid nodded, giving him a warm look. "Thank you, Kevin."
The old man watching them scoffed as Astrid thanked his apprentice, continuing to tie a sharp piece of bone to a carved handle of charred wood. His stare spooked the young man as Astrid left.
Approaching another building—this one a smaller cave with an outside tent held up by thin wooden pillars—Astrid coughed to announce her presence.
"Has anyone seen Severin?"
Everyone who was awake bowed in unison, greeting Astrid with an oddly trained grace. Those who were asleep were quickly woken from their hammocks, jumping to their feet to greet the leader of the sanctuary.
A middle-aged man, who looked like he had earned the respect of those around him, stepped forward, scratching the back of his head.
"He actually just left; however, he didn't say where he was going. I'm sorry."
Astrid gave him a warm smile. "That's alright."
She turned to leave, then glanced back at the man. "Daniel, right?"
Dan's cheeks flushed red. "Yes, ma'am." He tried to salute, but seemed unsure how, instead looking like he was waving.
Chuckling, Astrid left to try again somewhere else.
She visited the community kitchen, but was only met with shrugs and confused looks, which made her irritated. She then headed to the watchtower at the gorge entrance—but still nothing.
It was as if Sev had vanished into thin air.
Defeated, she circled around the lake. Reaching the frozen waterfall, she climbed a ladder leading to a wooden scaffolding. She asked every person she met along the way until she reached a large open crack through the dark cliffs.
Strolling through casually, she reached the other end, where an incredible view met her.
Down below was a wide-open, flat plateau of white snow, sprinkled with dead trees and large rocks. She could see a few groups of lost souls led by their seniors. In the distance, tall peaks rose into the sky, beyond which there was only beautiful blue sky covered by a grayish fog far above.
The plain was a place where animals and monsters often passed by, making it perfect for hunting and training.
She descended the tall cliff using a path made of carved and natural stairs, along with a few wooden ladders. Waiting at the bottom was a squad consisting mostly of new arrivals, led by a blind man.
From a distance, he heard a shout. "Vero!"
The man didn't move. However, knowing he was listening, Astrid continued, "Have you seen Sev?"
The man smiled, acknowledging the irony. Not wanting to shout, he shook his head.
"Damn it. Where the hell is he?" Astrid mumbled softly, sounding slightly worried as white smoke rose from her lips.
She shook her head, grabbed the ladder behind her, and began climbing back up.
Suddenly, her ears pricked up, picking up an almost unnoticeable noise.
Footsteps.
"I heard you were looking for me."
The voice of a man whispered into her ear.
Astrid's frown turned into a smile so wide she was practically grinning from ear to ear.
"Sev!" Her voice rose to a slightly higher pitch.
She quickly scaled the cliffside, reaching the top and standing face to face with him.
"I wonder how many will make it back."
Astrid followed his gaze down to the squad of white-clad newcomers. Turning back to Sev, she said, "I'm sure they'll be fine. After all, Vero is with them."
Sev stood in silence before turning his head to meet her gaze.
"So, why was the fearless warrior and leader looking for me?" he asked teasingly, the words tasting odd as they left his tongue.
"About the conversation from yesterday—when do you plan to spread the rumor, and how do you plan on doing it? There aren't that many of us, after all."
Sev stared at her with a confused look. "I've already started."
"How?" she asked, baffled.
"I brought in a little help."
Astrid's ears pricked up again, picking up distant footsteps. They sounded light and short—like those of a child.
She turned her head toward the crack leading back to the sanctuary.
A young girl with light brunette hair and blue eyes emerged from behind the corner nervously twiddling her thumbs.
"Astrid," Sev said, a proud smile on his face, "meet Melody."