I was freezing. The temperature was dropping rapidly, and there was a good chance I wasn't going to survive the night. Animals were out hunting, and I had no heat source. Worst of all, I left my bag back at the medical center. Meaning I had no food, water, or even an amber stone to help me keep warm. All I had on me was a small knife to protect me. But even then, I was wounded, and I couldn't do much.
I pulled my body close together to keep myself warm, but that only helps for a bit. I started to shiver a bit with the slight noise of my teeth cackling. Desperate, I rubbed my arms up and down to create heat that only helps so much. I even start murmuring some prayers to the god of life to help me survive.
I wonder if Ael and Amiel have gotten back and realized I was missing. What would they think? Would Ael come looking for me? Amiel would probably be against that idea. Amiel was not a friend; he was just someone who was tagging along—a relationship made out of necessity. I mean, heck, he still believes that Burr was the one who set him up. If he were to find out it was me, I'm sure he would kill me in an instant. Just look at what happened to Burr.
"Shit." I can start to feel my fingers and toes get numb. My temperature was dropping. The stitches that held me together were making it hard for me to keep in any heat from my body. If I was going to stay out here, I had to do something and quickly.
Still on the edge of the forest, I get out where there were a few yards between the forest and the veil. Looking around, I step back a couple of feet from the tree and start using my hands, clawing through the ground, making a hole. I was going to create a fire. It was one of the basic things they taught us here at this academy for survival.
I should have done this earlier, but I didn't, trying to be careful of my stitches. But my stitches wouldn't matter if I were dead. When clawing out of the hole, my body temperature rises a bit, but my hands stay numb. I was going to get frostbite digging through this snow with my bare hands, but right now, that was better than dying out here in the cold.
When clearing the small area of snow until I hit dirt, I stop. I got up from the ground and started taking the small branches from the trees. After that, I needed to get some tinder. Typically, you would use leaves, but since it was winter, all that was gone. I look down at my heavy cloak made from clothes we gather in the bunker. I was going to have to trade one source of heat for another. I only plan to take a small portion of it, still leaving me with a good amount of warmth.
I gathered all the materials around the hole and set everything up properly. The last thing to do was start the fire. It took me about twenty minutes to do all this, and soon the temperature was going to hit its low. I had to move quickly.
Looking at my hands, they were pale, more than before. Blood was no longer flowing into my fingers. It was frostbite. I try to not let it bother me and continue forward.
Just then, I started to sit down next to the hole where the fire was set up. I take one of the extra sticks and time each end with a shoelace. In the middle of the string, I make sure to loop another stick, parallel to the first one. That is when I take some tinder and start moving it back in force, creating friction to start a fire.
"Come on, come on," I say as I move the stick back and forth. A minute passes, and nothing. I keep going, knowing I have no other options.
After five minutes, I started to get frustrated.
"Dammit!"
My arm gave out. I could feel it start to swell up from the constant motion of moving back and forth. Falling back into the snow, I start to accept my fate. The cold was a cruel killer. Slow but quiet.
Just then, light comes from in front of me. The cloth I was trying to ignite came aflame.
"Yes, Yes, Yes!" My face stretches out into a smile.
Quickly, I toss it in the campfire I made, catching the rest on fire.
"Thank the gods!" I scream out of relief. I was going to survive the night.
I began to put my hands up to the fire to warm them up quickly before the frostbite became worse. I could start feeling heat seep into my body once again. I have never been more thankful in my life for fire.
The crackling of the fire rang out like a muse to me. It was singing out the song of life to me—reminding me that I was alive and had nothing to worry about.
***
The night quickly came and went. The fire lasted a bit, and I was able to sleep peacefully after warming up a decent amount. My fingers are still numb, but they will heal. Might not be what they used to be, but it was better than losing them.
Getting up from the floor, I can hear the bell of the clock tower ring.
"Wow, even from out here I can hear it," I said.
I always knew it was loud, but I didn't think it was that loud. Must be annoying for wildlife living out here.
Even though I find it annoying, I smiled; it was a sign I made it through the night.
Getting up from the floor, I started to make my way back to campus.