Minus 12

Erend didn't know why anyone would live in the Cut. He wasn't even entirely sure why he had agreed to come except that it was Aloy who had asked. Around him, the snow fell thick and fast, reducing everything to blinding white. Erend struggled to push through the tall drifts, some high as his knees. Despite the layers of fur under his armor, the wind seemed to cut straight through him and he was losing feeling in his hands and feet. Behind him, Aloy was doing little better, her hands tucked into her armpits and her head down.

At last, Erend caught sight of jagged rocks through the snow. He headed toward them, hoping for a cave, a crevice, anything to get them out of this wind. At last, he found what he was looking for, a small nook in the rocks. Tugging Aloy's arm to get her attention, he pointed to it and she nodded. It definitely wasn't much, barely big enough for both of them, but it did block the wind.

Erend sighed in relief. "It isn't great, but maybe we won't freeze to death."

Aloy hunkered down next to the rock, shivering. "No complaints here. Won't be able to keep a fire going though. Too much snow."

"You got a blanket?" He started undoing the buckles of his gambeson.

"What are you doing?"

"Taking off my armor."

"Why?"

"Because we'll be way more comfortable without it." He couldn't really feel his fingers, but he still managed to get his armor off, piling it neatly as he could. Aloy eyed him, blanket in her arms. Sitting close beside her, he opened his outer layer of clothing. "Come here."

Aloy hesitated, but shifted closer. He tucked her under his arm, pulling his fur lined outer tunic around her as best he could before burying them both under his and her blankets. Holding Aloy in his arms felt absolutely perfect. After a minute or two, she stopped shivering and relaxed a little against his side.

"See? This isn't so bad."

She hummed and he could hear the smile in her voice. "You're enjoying this too much."

"I've got a beautiful woman in my arms, what's not to enjoy?"

"Do you flirt like this with everyone?"

A witty response was on his tongue, but something, perhaps her closeness, made him swallow it. "Everyone isn't you." Like most of the dumb things he said, it sounded better in his head. He opened his mouth to cover it with a joke, an apology, anything, but Aloy spoke first.

"Thank you, Erend."

"For what?"

"For being here. It's been nice having company. Your company."

He hugged her a little closer. "Anytime."

They fell asleep like that, huddled in each other arms beneath the blankets, Aloy curled against his chest and Erend's cheek resting against her head.