The Ashbound guild hall had been built to last a full season out in the inhospitable mountain range, and it showed. Reinforced timber framing, insulated walls, proper plumbing routed from a portable water system the logistics team had installed during the first week. It was nicer than most apartments either of them had grown up in, which was a thought that Brittany didn't want to sit with for too long.
She sat on the balcony in cotton shorts and an oversized shirt, her legs pulled up to her chest and her chin resting on her knees. The mountain air was cold enough to raise goosebumps along her arms, but she didn't go inside. The cold felt appropriate.
Trisha sat beside her in a tank top and sweats, her hair still damp from the bath, her back against the railing. She was staring at the sky with the blank expression of a woman who'd run out of things to feel and was waiting for the next wave to hit.
