The market sat at the foot of the mountain, nestled between two low hills where the snow melted just enough to allow small gatherings of people.
Anna pulled her fur-lined cloak tighter around herself as she stepped into the modest bustle of activity.
For Ivnell, this was considered a "crowd" — a handful of merchants shouting half-hearted deals, a few bundled villagers bartering goods, and the rare sight of dwarves trading blacksmith work for food and cloth.
Compared to the vast cities she'd once heard about, this was little more than a scattered village fair.But here, amidst the cold and stone, life still stubbornly clung.
Anna moved gracefully through the stalls, her boots crunching lightly over the frozen ground.Her violet eyes scanned the marketplace, alert yet calm.
There were dangers here — the armored forms of templars occasionally wandering between the people, their tabards marked with the symbol of the Church.
She lowered her gaze when passing them, feigning the meekness expected of a young village woman. Inside, her blood simmered.
'If I wished...I could erase you all from existence before you even understood what happened.'
The templars were careless, casual in their patrols. They had no idea what walked among them — a demoness cloaked in mortal flesh.
Anna's lips curled slightly before she smoothed her expression. Azel would be upset if she drew attention.
Pushing such thoughts aside, she approached one of the sturdier stalls at the center of the square.
"Good morning, Ronald."
She greeted warmly.
The shopkeeper — a tall, broad-shouldered man with a thick beard and laughing eyes — smiled wide when he saw her.
"Anna! Here for the usual?"
She nodded shyly.
"Yes. Just some food for my husband."
Ronald chuckled as he bent to sort through his goods.
"Beef and potatoes again, eh? That man must have the heart of a bear to eat the same thing every day."
Anna laughed softly, the sound delicate like chimes in the breeze.
"He likes simple meals."
Ronald handed her a wrapped bundle of beef and a sack of potatoes. His large hand dwarfed hers as he passed them over.
"He's a lucky man. Not many women around here would walk through a snowstorm just to bring home a good meal."
Anna flushed, smiling nervously. She shifted the basket on her arm, her heart warming slightly at the praise.
"If it's for him... I don't mind."
Ronald leaned closer conspiratorially.
"You're still newlyweds, huh? That explains it."
Anna gave a shy nod, though inside she thought 'Even if we lived a thousand years together, it would never be enough.'
As she prepared to leave, she hesitated. There was something else she needed.
"Ronald, do you happen to have a newspaper?"
The man scratched his beard thoughtfully.
"Newspaper, eh? That's rare around here. Merchants sometimes bring them from the south. Wait a moment..."
He rummaged under the counter and pulled out a slightly crumpled sheet, yellowed at the edges.
"Got this one just yesterday. It's old though — probably twenty days out of date."
Anna accepted it eagerly, slipping a few silver coins into his hand.
"Thank you!"
She said, clutching the precious paper to her chest.
Even outdated news from the mainland was valuable. Any sign of the Church's movements, any shifting in the tides of power — it could be the difference between safety and danger.
Bidding Ronald farewell, she left the market, careful to weave through the crowd without drawing attention.
The templars were still patrolling lazily, none the wiser. But some where glancing at her with lust.
She kept her pace steady until the market faded behind her, swallowed by the endless white of the mountains. The cold stung her cheeks, but her steps were light.
For a demon, a few miles were nothing.
The small house came into view after a short climb — a lonely shape perched near the cliff, smoke lazily curling from its chimney.
She pushed the door open quietly, stepping inside. The warm scent of woodsmoke and iron greeted her.
Her gaze immediately found him.
Azel lay sprawled on the simple couch near the fire, fast asleep, one arm dangling loosely off the side.
His black hair fell over his forehead in soft strands, his breathing slow and even. In the flickering light, he looked impossibly peaceful — a rare sight for someone who had carried so much pain for so long.
Anna's heart ached.
Carefully, she set the basket down by the kitchen and approached him. She knelt by his side, resting her elbows on the couch, simply watching him.
For a long moment, she did nothing. Just drank in the sight of the man she loved more than anything in this cursed world.
Softly, she leaned over and pressed a gentle kiss against his lips.
Azel stirred slightly, murmuring incoherently, but did not wake. Anna smiled and brushed a lock of hair from his face.
"If not for those damned Churches... we could be living somewhere warm, somewhere safe. Somewhere where he wouldn't have to keep looking over his shoulder."
Her black eyes dimmed as she stroked his hair, fingers trembling slightly.
'They took everything from him. His family, his freedom, his peace. And now they want his life too.'
No matter how far they fled, the Church's shadow reached after them. Even here, at the edge of the world.
Anna clenched her jaw, pushing the dark thoughts down.
Today was a good day.
From the window, she caught sight of Whisker lumbering after the two yaks outside.
The massive polar bear was batting at the slow-moving beasts with a huge paw, herding them playfully across the snowy yard.
The poor yaks mooed in protest, plodding away from the mischievous bear, but Whisker only flopped onto his back and rolled around, kicking up sprays of snow.
Anna chuckled quietly, covering her mouth to muffle the sound.
Even amidst all this danger, these small scenes of life — of stubborn, ridiculous joy — still bloomed.
She turned back to Azel.
Her hand found his again, small fingers threading through his calloused ones.
"I love you."
Her voice cracked slightly, but she didn't care.
"I love you more than anything else. More than the world. More than myself."
Tears pricked at her eyes, but she blinked them away. She pressed her forehead against his, closing her eyes.
If she could freeze this moment — this tiny, fragile peace — she would forever.
No matter how long the world gave them, even if it was just another day, she would treasure it, protect it and fight for it with every drop of blood in her body for him.
Outside, the snow continued to fall in soft, endless silence.
Inside, two souls clung to a fleeting dream of peace.