Every time Amber let out a breath of air, she could see the misty cloud that would form and then vanish after a few seconds passed. Intrigued by this discovery, she started to giggle in excitement and made her way through the snowy mountains.
She was truly exhilarated by the mystic wintry environment she was in. The dark clouds from up above filled the once clear sky, fitting perfectly like a puzzle piece.
Mondstat was not a place where she'd be able to experience the freezing temperatures as often as she wanted to. And whenever she was able to get the chance, she would sometimes take a trip to Dragonspine by herself and enjoy the gorgeous scenery there.
Though that mainly consisted of steep hills, very large mountain peaks, and many enemies that were anticipating a good fight.
But defeating enemies wasn't really on her agenda at the moment. The only thing she wanted was to relish the fact she could experience being within a chilly climate that was ready to be explored at any time.
It was ironic that a pyro holder such as herself was drawn to the cold air more than a blazing fire itself. But Amber didn't seem to mind that at all.
The Outrider took a sudden pause when she noticed a shadowy figure appear within the depths of the fog in front of her. Though they were a distance away. The goggles she was wearing began to get cloudy, so she began to take them off, allowing them to hang around her neck.
She proceeded to squint her eyes to try and see who the person was, taking a few steps towards their direction.
"Hey- You over there!" She called out to them loudly.
It seemed as though she had alerted whoever the particular figure was because they immediately disappeared from her sight.
Amber's brows furrowed in confusion. Anxiety slowly crept onto her all the while she looked around in a frantic motion.
Was she being spied on by someone?
Then out of nowhere, she felt a light tap on her shoulder, causing her to jolt. She let out a quick yelp as she pulled her bow and arrow out of reflex, swiftly aiming it towards whoever had touched her.
Her fingers gripped the weapon she held in her hands with anticipation, yet uncertainty.
"Is this some sort of new greeting you came up with?" A familiar voice spoke out to her with composure and ease.
Amber widened her eyes when she finally realized who the mysterious being in front of her was.
"Eula! Geez, you frightened me." She let out a sigh of relief.
"Oh? I guess I should figure out how to make a proper entrance next time," the seemingly cold woman replied.
Amber lowered her bow from her friend's face and subconsciously moved in close to her.
"What are you doing here? I assumed you would be busy trying to take revenge on uh... Jean, with a cup of tea and such," she muttered near the end of her sentence.
"Well, I'm sure you are aware that the Acting Grandmaster is always occupied, considering the work she's being handed is constantly piling up."
Eula then proceeded to walk little by little, beckoning the other lady to also start walking with her, to which she complied.
"However I too can also get quite busy. And today is just one of those days where I am."
"What are you busy with exactly?" Amber questioned as she looked up at her, filled with curiosity. "You know I can gladly help you out with whatever it is. After all, I am free!"
The Spindrift knight tilted her head to the side, thus making eye contact with the other. She then smiled, showing the appreciation she had towards Amber's generosity before answering.
"Busy spending time with you of course."
That most definitely caught the other one off-guard, since her rosy cheeks slowly began to redden. "Wow, that's sweet of you to say, Eula. I'm quite flattered," she responded to the light blue-haired lady with astonishment.
"However I did also come here to take my revenge. So do not expect me to hold back on that Amber," Eula added.
Amber simply chuckled at Eula's humorous words and nodded in acknowledgment. "Then I'm prepared for whatever you have in store for me."
As they both walked alongside each other, she felt the faint cold breeze flow through her smooth dark brown hair and her bunny-like headband sway to the side.
The fog from earlier had thankfully lifted, leaving them a visible path for them to stroll, though she didn't know exactly the destination they were heading to.
She usually had some sort of an idea or a plan when it came to situations that required a strategy, however, this particular situation was an unexpected one.
Before Amber could speak up, she felt a hand grab at her own, slithered fingers moved in-between hers and had gently interlocked them.
Her breath instantly hitched.
"Something the matter?" Eula asks her, noticing the bewildered look on her face.
Amber shakes her head rapidly. "No no, of course not!" She intertwines her fingers with Eula's a little more.
"I'm just stunned you reached out to hold my hand."
Eula shrugs with an amused expression. "You are usually the one holding my hand first, I figured I could exchange the favor."
Amber's face grows even redder, her pale complexion gone at that point. "I'd like that," she mumbles softly.
If it weren't for her dear companion's presence, she would've been all alone on her snowy trip, alone with her thoughts, completely savoring the solitude she would've had.
And yet here she was, holding hands with someone she genuinely admired for so long. The one who showed up on her frosty journey.
The two continued to enjoy their time holding each other's hands and discussing different topics with one another. Unfortunately, it had come to an abrupt stop when a loud intangible noise was heard coming from afar.
Eula scowled due to this disturbance and protectively pulled Amber close to her. She didn't even hesitate to sweep her right off her feet, effortlessly carrying her in her arms as if she was as light as a feather.
And as soon as she had done so, the pyro woman latched onto her in surprise.
Amber took notice of a small group of cryo hilichurls that was heading right in their direction. She then glanced at Eula, examining the stern expression she had on her face. Once the cryo hilichurls were close enough to them, she could feel the other tense up.
"Eula?"
"Hold onto me tightly," the Spindrift knight commanded. When one of the enemies made their first move, they attempted to tackle the two of them and let out a shrieking war cry.
But Eula was quick enough to dash to the side to dodge their opponent's move, almost as if she had just predicted it. She continued to bolt from one side to another without any of the hilichurls laying a single finger on them.
From Amber's point of view, it looked as if Eula was moving like she didn't have a single care in the world. She didn't even bother to attack any of the opponents, and yet none of them were able to land a single hit on her.
Two of the enemy cryo hilichurls rushed in to try and grab the girls, but Eula successfully darted away from them at the last second, which resulted in them crashing right into each other.
Eula smirked for just a second. She stopped moving just to kick the snow up towards the hilichurls' so they would be stunned, enough to give her time to escape with Amber still in her arms.
Even though she did fancy messing with hilichurls occasionally, she knew she could not avoid any of their moves for very long. She also did not want to attack any of them, since she wanted to show off her graceful skills to a certain confidant of hers.
When they both finally escaped from their enemies, Amber hopped right out of her arms and started to laugh with glee.
"I can't believe you managed to get us away like that. You're amazing Eula!" She beamed.
The light blue-haired lady folded her arms together and hid her prideful smile. "Hmph, it was nothing. Although one of the many qualities a Lawrence is blessed with is elegance, even in the face of a battle."
Both of them continued with their stroll, thankfully no longer encountering any more enemies. They only came to a halt when Amber randomly started a snowball fight with Eula since she was feeling playful.
Eula refused to participate at first until Amber hit her right in the face with one of the snowballs. It went on till they both were tuckered out and agreed on a tie.
They eventually made it past the Adventurer Camp that was just on the outskirts of Dragonspine, and once they decided to relax after walking for the day, Amber chose to comfortably sit on top of a small cliff.
She peered down at the view from below as Eula took a seat beside her and lightly brushed some of the snow off of her hair.
"Amber."
"Hm?" She hummed in response.
"This is rather out of the blue, but I wanted to apologize for foiling your original plans," Eula started. "I would never want to seem like a burden to you, and I already know you are more than capable of taking care of yourself."
She gradually clenched her fists.
"But I must admit, lately I find myself stressing over you and whether or not you are doing alright these days. Especially when we're not able to see each other so often due to our different schedules. I just couldn't keep still thinking about how we both might not ever get the chance to associate ourselves with each other anymore."
Amber gazed at her in awe.
"You could even get wounded, and I wouldn't be there to protect you," Eula tells her, the sound of her voice lowered.
"I'm pathetic for feeling this way aren't I?"
The two of them stayed quiet for just a fleeting moment until Amber interrupted it by leaning in to carefully hold Eula's cheek.
"I promise you I do understand where you're coming from. Whenever we're apart, I also tend to worry about you too. But I know that I don't need a savior to help me flee from any kind of conflict I'll eventually come across. We're the members of the Knights of Favonius after all," Amber explains.
As Eula listens to her, she relaxes in the palm of her hand.
"We were both taught and trained to be prepared for just about anything. There will be times where we can't be there for each other or check to see if either of us is okay." She flashes her a subtle smile.
"But I want you to know that I am and always will be by your side, Eula, no matter what happens to us," Amber spoke reassuringly. "And if you think you're pathetic, then I am too. So let's be pathetic together."
Eula hesitantly nods her head at her. After thinking carefully about what to say, she adjusts her seated position to a more comfortable one.
"It does mean a lot to me to hear you say that, so thank you."
Amber grins once more and lets go of her. "No worries! Although we could always ask Jean if she can assign us the same tasks," she suggests as she tucks a couple of her dark brown hair strands behind her ear.
"That won't be necessary, you'll do just fine on your own Amber," Eula reaffirms with her. "Even before we met, you were able to handle difficult situations that required your excellent fighting skills. You also have gone through a fair share of hardships in life. It's only my bothersome thoughts that are getting in the way, so no need to trouble yourself with them."
The Outrider laughs a bit out of embarrassment due to the other's praise, and then shyly looks away.
"Aw Eula! Haha well, I guess I do make a pretty tough foe. You should have seen me finish off a couple of slimes just the other day ago," Amber brags before casually scooting closer to her.
"Hmm is that so? Wish I could've been there to observe," Eula says with a sincere smile. "Shall I reward you on your achievement?"
"Huh?"
Amber began to turn her head in the other's direction, only to be met with the sudden warmth of Eula's soft lips brushing up against hers.
It only takes a few seconds for Amber to register what's happening before she melts right into the tenderness of the kiss. The two felt connected as they comfortably leaned in closer, their hearts beating as one.
It was certainly a day the pair would never forget.