Morning came all to soon for Aliana. She was woken up by Iora just as the sun was rising above the treetops. Like every other morning, the fire was extinguished and the cabin was filled with a definite, biting chill. As Aliana rolled over and opened her eyes, she tried to get her eyes to adjust to the dim lighting.

"Wake up." Iora shook her roughly.

Aliana tried to swat at her. "I am awake. Now let me go back to sleep."

The princess felt Iora shifting next to her and sitting up. "Come on, sleepy head. We need to go check on traps and try to fix up the shack."

"I thought you said that once we get here we'd be able to relax?"

Iora climbed out of bed. "I lied." She nudged Aliana with her boot. "Now get up. If we relax too much we'll be freezing to death pretty quickly. It is winter after all."

The princess huffed and groaned, but complied nonetheless. "I won't risk freezing to death with you around, that's for certain," she mumbled under her breath.

"What was that?"

"Oh, nothing."

"Mmmhmm. Well, let's get the fire going and some hot food in our bellies quickly. It's a long ride to town, so we need to leave soon, but we want to be warmed up beforehand."

"Of course," replied Aliana sarcastically with a low curtsy, "right away."

Aliana groaned, but managed to find the strength to roll out of the bed and climb to her feet. She stoked the fire as Iora prepared the same meal for breakfast that they had for dinner the night before. While it heated, they moved the table and chairs they had strategically placed in the doorway the night before so they and their horses would be able exit the abode. As they did so, both women pondered to themselves about how exposed their cabin would be while they were away and the danger that could be lurking herein upon their return, the hoofprints being firmly in their minds. The sense of safety they had once felt in the isolated mountains now turned to a sense of dread that had firmly planted itself in the back of their minds.

"We can't leave it like this," Aliana stated, deciding to share her thoughts. "It looks lived in. What if whomever left those hoofprints behind returns?"

Iora nodded in agreement. "Yes, I was worried about the same thing myself." She briefly pondered for a moment before finally pointing at the fireplace. "After breakfast, we need to dump a hefty lump of snow atop the fire and pack it down tightly, like it was when we arrived. It'll be a pain to clear out tonight when we get back, but it'll make the cabin look abandoned."

"And we should scatter the blankets and such as they were before as well," the princess helpfully suggested.

"We should also scatter some snow on the floor and remove the coverings from the windows. Right now it's obvious that someone's been living in it."

Aliana gestured to the table they had left leaning against the wall. "Let's leave the table on its side. We can also knock over the chairs."

"Good thinking. We'll take the lot of our food supply with us, so it's not left to be seen, nor is it left for the animals. We'll bring with us what supplies we can carry and hide the rest of it under the bed." She got to her feet and clapped her hands together. "Let's get started. We should probably hurry."

The duo set to rearranging the cabin, practically destroying all the hard work they had done when making it look nice. Blankets were scattered across the frozen ground, snow was kicked in from the outside, the meager fire was extinguished, and the pot they used to cook they meals was haphazardly tossed on its side.

The work didn't take long. Within twenty minutes, the woman had completed their task. They stepped back, admiring their handywork.

"You know," Aliana mused, "I'm going to be mad if, after all of this, those tracks turn out to be nothing and we completely destroyed our house for nothing."

Iora chuckled and jokingly draped her arm over Aliana's shoulder. "When we get back, I'm going to make you clean it all up."

"Thanks a lot!" The princess tried to kick her, but Iora quickly dodged it.

"I'm kidding. I'll help you." She ruffled her short, matted hair. "Are you ready to head into town?"

"Yeah, I guess. What all do we need to get?"

Iora, leading their horses outside, answered, "I'm mainly concerned with finding hinges so we can put a door on the cabin. We have barely any money left, so we're going to have to operate on a very tight budget. We'll also need some nails, and I'd like to get a few more blankets. Whatever we can afford, we'll buy. On the way down, we'll stop by the snares I set yesterday. If we caught anything, we'll trade it in town for materials. Dead animals are practically currency in these parts."

"Do I have to watch you kill them?" Aliana inquired as she mounted her horse.

"Don't tell me dead stuff makes you squeamish."

She rolled her eyes. "We've been together for over a month. You know that eating dead animals doesn't bother me. I just don't want to have to watch you kill anything."

"I promise not to make you watch, but they may already be dead." Iora stuffed some of their food and supplies into the saddlebags of her steed before climbing on. She took the reins into her hands. "Ready?"

"I guess. I'm just nervous leaving the cabin alone. What if someone finds it?"

"You're acting like it's a child. We'll just be gone for a day; don't worry. I'm more worried about the people in this area finding us. Besides, we messed it up pretty well."

Aliana sighed. "You're right. I guess I'm just living in a constant state of paranoia. Let's just get going."

They set off into the forest, leaving behind the safety and protection of their cabin and entering a dangerous world full of the unknown. The day was pleasant enough, with the sun happily shining down on the white landscape. A new layer of snow appeared to have been deposited the night before. A thick blanket of silence hovered over the land; the air was devoid of any sounds. The sky above them held only a few wispy clouds, but, in the distance along the horizon, a thick line of grey was forming. A storm was brewing and would be there soon.

Aliana, eyeing the sky, finally voiced her concerns. "Do we have enough time to go to town and come back before that storm hits."

Iora eyed the horizon. "We should be fine if we hurry. That looks like a nasty blizzard, which makes it all the more important that we get the supplies needed to repair the shack. A simple blanket isn't going to stop ten inches of snow from coming in."

"I don't know how people manage to survive out here," she murmured, shaking her head. It feels like death is always a few feet away and staring intently at me."

Iora shrugged. "We survive out here because it's the only thing we know. Northerners are made of something else. We're born with a sort of stubborn resilience that allows us to wake up each day in freezing weather and go about our business."

"I don't know how you do it." Aliana pulled her cloak tightly around herself and tried to protect her frozen skin from the sharp winter wind.

They descended the mountain as quickly as the snowy ground would allow them too. Along the way they stopped at a thick cluster of berry bushes. Iora made them stop so she could climb off her horse.

"What are you doing?" Aliana questioned, shifting nervously in her seat. She suddenly felt uncomfortable standing still in the forest.

"I set a trap in here. Hares are likely to frequent berry bushes during the winter to find food." She disappeared inside the thicket, the tall bushes quickly swallowing her up. It wasn't long before she returned with a large, dead white hare which must have weighed a good nine pounds or more. "This should fetch us a good price. But we'll check another trap or two to be sure. We need all we can get when we go to town."

Aliana eyed the hare with amazement. "How were you able to even find this trap? This area looks just like every other part of the mountain."

Iora stashed the animal in one of the cramped saddlebags. "You only say that because you're unfamiliar with this land. I spent my childhood tracking prey and setting traps. I may have spent over a decade in the capital training to be a soldier, but this is where I truly belong."

There was a longing in her voice that made Aliana sad. She could see an emotion in her companion's eyes that she could only describe as sadness. Iora, with a temperament as icy and harsh as her homeland, was meant for the Frozen Lands. She seemed as wild as the mountains and strong enough to challenge Mother Nature. Her time spent training in the royal guard away from her home must have been excruciating for her.

Of course, Aliana did not voice her opinions out loud. She simply nodded at Iora and the duo set off again. Along the way they stopped at one more trap Iora had set, but it was, unfortunately, empty.

They arrived in town less than thirty minutes later, both with flushed cheeks and chapped lips. The wind had picked up and Aliana's already ratty hair was even more of an unruly mess.

"Remember," Iora advised under her breath as they passed the first building, "if anyone asks, you are my brother Allan."

Aliana nodded, gulping. She had forgotten she was supposed to be a boy.

The town thankfully seemed to be busy. The few people that were out ignored them.

Iora directed them to the building they had stopped at long ago when they first arrived. She directed Aliana to stay outside with the horses as she took the hare and their coin purse from the saddlebag. Then, without a word, she went inside the building.

Aliana practically clung to her horse, doing her best to avoid looking at her surroundings. She was terrified that she would turn around only to come face-to-face with the assassin. She knew it was completely irrational- they had ditched the killer long ago- but the lingering fear refused to ever fully leave her.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Iora exited the building. In her arms, she held a single blanket and on her face was a wide grin.

The princess recognized the look on Iora's face; it was the face of a woman who had done something she probably shouldn't have. "What happened?" Aliana asked, concerned. She half expected the store owner to come running outside, with a dagger impaled somewhere on his body, ready to murder them. She placed a hand on her horse and got prepared to jump on quickly.

"Oh nothing," Iora giggled, tossing the blanket to Aliana. "Put this on to keep you warm."

"Should I be concerned?"

"Not at all." Iora mounted her steed. "I got us hinges to put on the door and even a small loaf of bread." She proudly gestured to her satchel.

Aliana also mounted. "Oh no," she groaned. "We did not have enough money for all of this stuff. What did you do?" She wrapped the blanket, which she was assuming Iora had gained through unethical means, tightly around her, grateful for its warmth. It was only a little smelly.

Taking the reins, she turned her steed in the direction of the mountain and together they set off. "I may have threatened the owner's life, but only a little. I mean, he did try to scam me."

"Iora!" Aliana groaned.