The wind picked up, scattering the snowflakes that clung to the trees.

From a distance, it looked like a world built of ice and snow, beautiful as a painting.

Arnold Simmons came over and pulled Hannah up from the snow, brushing off the flakes clinging to her.

Still full of excitement, Hannah bent down to grab a handful of snow to shape into a snowball.

Meanwhile, Gregory Lawrence was still clamoring for another snowball fight with Hannah.

Proposing that Solitude be the referee.

Solitude, holding a sword, stood to one side, not offering them a single superfluous expression.

Then he took a snowball thrown by Gregory, right in the face.

It hit him square in the forehead.

His expression soured even more.

Gregory was quite amused and Hannah also laughed heartily, stretching out her hand to throw a snowball at Gregory.

But Arnold stopped her, "Your injuries."

"They’re all healed, all healed," Hannah touched the spot where her wound had been.

Worried that Arnold wouldn’t believe her, she even started to lift her clothes to show him.

Arnold quickly caught her hand and said in a lowered voice, "We are outside."

Hannah looked at him with her eyes curving, tilting her head, "Arnold, your ears are turning red."

He paused, then look down and lightly brushed the snow from Hannah’s sleeve.

He admitted candidly, "Yeah, they’re red."

His direct admission somehow made Hannah at a loss on how to tease him further.

"Go rest over there, I’m going to play."

Gregory had already started "fighting" with Solitude.

Gregory was no match for Solitude, who was precisely targeting each throw.

Like a weapon loaded with ammunition, Gregory was often forced to dive into the snow to evade.

Hannah announced her intentions to leave, but Arnold still didn’t let go.

She turned to look at him, blinking, "Want to join?"

Arnold said, "Alright."

Eventually, the snowball fight that began with two people grew to include four.

Arnold was very protective of Hannah, not retaliating even when she hit him several times.

Gregory was so annoyed he hopped from foot to foot, "No fair, you’re cheating!"

Hannah suggested, "How about you and Solitude team up, and Arnold and I will be a team, what do you think?"

This way, no one could accuse them of cheating.

Because now Arnold had a perfect excuse to openly guard Hannah.

Gregory thought about it and nodded in agreement.

Solitude didn’t say anything, which counted as consent.

When the fight began, Gregory ended up being ganged up on by the three of them.

Poor him, dodging everywhere until he finally took cover behind a tree — and got hit by a large chunk of snow that fell from it.

He was completely turned into a snowman.

Even Solitude couldn’t help but smile.

His smile was faint, lingering only at the corners of his mouth.

"Solitude, are you laughing at me?"

Gregory was seething.

But he couldn’t beat those three.

Solitude was strong, Arnold was also strong, and Hannah, even stronger.

He was just a weakling being carried by the big guns.

*

The nights on Mount Walters were exceptionally long.

Even with clear skies full of stars, cold wind and snow would blow.

The later into the night, the heavier the snow would get.

Gregory, who had been happily playing in the snow during the day, now couldn’t help but start to complain about the cold.

In such wind and snow, even finding shelter couldn’t keep you from the cold.

Gregory sneezed for the twenty-seventh time, his nose rubbed red, "When will this snow stop?"

He had wrapped himself up like a bear.

"It should continue for a while," said Solitude, who had just returned with firewood and was feeding the fire, "I went out to check a moment ago, no mutant beasts in the vicinity."

In this weather, even mutant beasts with their thick furs could hardly bear it.

Arnold took out a map and began replanning their route.