Mavka was a Corporalnik like no other, a theif like no other, and a little sparrow among a murder of crows.
Her safe haven was with the boy with the cane and the pretty eyes, despite the two seeming like opposite ends of a live wire, and now they h...
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The longer they trudged on, the more jealous Mavka was growing of Kaz Brekkers leather gloves.
Her body was warm enough under all the layers, but the fingerless gloves were doing little to rid her fingers turning red and stiffening, the joints almost going numb. It was the exact reason she kept practicing with her swords, her daggers, to keep them working, passing the hilt between her fingers expertly. The others had periodically seen her randomly holding a sword or dagger and begin casually twirling it or working it through her stiff fingers to thaw the cold working its way into her joints and muscles. It kept her alert, it kept her hands working properly and in danger, would mean she would not be taken by surprise by the conditions affecting her movements. But the freezing effect was almost instant the moment she put her weapon away.
"You should do your coat up before Nina sees."
Mavka had felt comfortable walking at the back of the group, and it seemed Kaz had joined her most likely to avoid any form of conversation up ahead. Nina and Jesper were the most liable to chat nonsense. Neither her nor the boy next to her, only just a step or two ahead, were fit for that and so the natural flow of the groups formation was set out.
Mavka rolled her eyes. She knew he was being sarcastic.
So far it was latched at the space in the centre of her chest, no higher, no lower. It allowed the fabric to fall around her knees loosely to allow for a wider range of movement. The thought of being so restricted made a different kind of chill creep up her spine, though that part she wouldn't let anyone know.
Still, as a light fluttering of snow began to fall she tucked the lower half of her face into the tall fur collar keeping her neck warm. It would save her lips turning blue.
It was growing to the point where she could see everyone's breaths in the air turning to mist. Mavka was sent back to a trivial time after her mother had been taken; her father had locked her outside their house overnight and she had nearly frozen out in the Ravkan winter, but when she awoke from passing out on the porch, a bundle of shivers and extremities burning with an unforgivable numbness - she remembered the distant giggles and screeches of kids her age playing. The white snow a blessing rather than a curse. They threw snowballs and formed little men out of the snow, skidded across the ice just to see how far they could go without falling.
She felt that now. The childlike urge to pick up a handful of snow, bunch it into a ball and launch it at the back of Jespers head was overwhelming. All of this despite the effects the temperature was having on her body, reminding her of things she didnt necessarily want to remember; not ever and certainly not now.
Again, a blessing and a curse.
Mavka's eyelashes were growing heavy with flakes of snow. She could see it in her hair, the strains in her face dotted with white dots. Ahead, everyone else had the same look. The snow made everyone appear less cold, ironically. Even Kaz.
