[centre][h2][color=7ea7d8]Lauren Jones[/color][/h2]
[@HecateProxy][@Wolverbells][@LetMeDoStuff][@QT][@Ambra][/centre]

[color=gray]After a timeless age of trudging through a blinding blizzard they had arrived at the plateau where their cabins were.  The snow flurries had eased up a little, allowing them to see the glow from lit fires just up ahead over the final crest, giving them the final spurt of hope and energy they needed to roll exhausted into the camp.  In her excitement, Mora fellow over into the snow but got herself up easily enough and made it in first.  The other group appeared to have arrived not long before them, Olivia revelling in the lighter snow fall now that she had a warm place to retreat to.  She waved at Olivia as she passed, too intent on getting into the warm before she could converse with anyone else.

Inside the cabins she slipped her pack off of her shoulders, the weight loss making her stand up straighter and immediately feel taller.  The warmth was almost uncomfortable on her face, thawing her clothes out and water dripping off as snow and ice melted, but she still felt better for it and everyone else looked to be in similar condition.  She saw Jade yelling to two of the boys from the other group, her mind working a little faster now that she didn't have to focus on just keeping going.  Looking around the main cabin she saw a fire pit with a cauldron already bubbling over above it.  Heading over she held her hands out to the heat, gloves now off, and sniffed the liquid inside.  It wasn't food, that was for sure, but if she had to guess it smelled like nettle tea or something similar.  Warm and energising, just the sort of thing they'd all need.

After she had full control of her hands and fingers again she grabbed a few tankards and ladled some of the drink into them and began to distribute it.

[color=7ea7d8]"Need to warm up from the inside as well as the outside."[/color] She ordered those she came across, heading outside and thrusting a tankard each into Jade and Olivia's hands.  [color=7ea7d8]"And make sure you put something dry on before long!"[/color]  Her orders given out, she scurried back inside to the warmth and sat near the fire in the centre of the room.

She looked down into the green coloured tea in her cup, her murky and distorted reflection staring back up at her.  Now that they were here, safe in the cabins, her mind was drifting back to the matter of the days and nights ahead and how she would cope.  Doubts were beginning to assail her about whether she should burden someone else and if it was even healthy to try and confront her troubles yet.  Was she ready?  Already she wanted to just avoid the matter, get through tonight by not sleeping and then sourcing some alcohol to keep her going.

Somewhere inside her she knew that it couldn't go on, though.  She had had the opportunity to top up her reserves, there were plenty of crooked older soldiers back at the main training camp who wouldn't bat an eyelid at her returning with drink.  Some would even get some for her, after she had patched up the occasional injury or provided a tonic for a cold.  The last six months she had refused to do so, knowing that if she continued on there would come a time when she would need to fight, or her healing skills would be required, and she would be too inebriated to act.  People would die, either on her behalf or because of her weakness, and that scared her just as much as having to face her fears.

So she steeled herself, gripping her cup tightly and looking up around the cabin, planning how to broach the subject with her friend.  Mora would hate her, she was sure of it.  How could she not?  Lauren hated herself for what happened but for some reason her friend laid no blame at her door and that hurt too.  She would have to tear open those wounds to move on, she would probably have to give up what she had realised she wanted if she were to be honest with her friend but that was surely only fair and just?[/color]