Lisbeth laid facedown in the snow for a long while. She kept her eyes closed until the spinning in her vision faded. Eventually, she pushed herself up, slowly finding her steadiness.
As she brushed the snow off of herself, she saw she had cuts and bruises all over her arms. She touched her face and felt the burn of a harsh scrape. She held a bit of snow against it for a few moments until the burning sensation faded.
"It'll be worth it," she told her sister. "Trust me."
She took a few minutes to tend to her wounds and catch her breath. For better or worse, the tumble had brought them a good length of the way down the mountainside. There wasn't far left to go.
Once she was ready, she trudged along with her sister at her side. Finally safe at the bottom of the mountain, she prayed thanks to the gods for the blessing of level ground.
She patted her pocket, feeling the cloth-wrapped clump of volcanic ash. She had the first step of her quest complete. This had been the hardest part. At least, she hoped that the rest of the quest would be far safer than this trip had been.
{end}
As she brushed the snow off of herself, she saw she had cuts and bruises all over her arms. She touched her face and felt the burn of a harsh scrape. She held a bit of snow against it for a few moments until the burning sensation faded.
"It'll be worth it," she told her sister. "Trust me."
She took a few minutes to tend to her wounds and catch her breath. For better or worse, the tumble had brought them a good length of the way down the mountainside. There wasn't far left to go.
Once she was ready, she trudged along with her sister at her side. Finally safe at the bottom of the mountain, she prayed thanks to the gods for the blessing of level ground.
She patted her pocket, feeling the cloth-wrapped clump of volcanic ash. She had the first step of her quest complete. This had been the hardest part. At least, she hoped that the rest of the quest would be far safer than this trip had been.
{end}
