A/N Here you go with a new oneshot dealing with Natasha's Red Room experiences. If you look closely at chapter 5, you will find that Arina was already mentioned there, so for those of you who wondered who she was, here is the answer ;) It's inspired by a deleted scene of Captain America: Civil War, where Natasha mentions this experience to Steve. I just took the liberty to emebllish it a little.
Oh, and by the way, I worked over the previous chapters and corrected the punctuation. I'm still a little embarrassed by this mistake...

Invader Johnny: No, she definitely won't like it and that's just what makes it so much fun :D

Romanoff1: THank you very much, I'm glad you like it! Of course there will be more chapters with Nat at the farm, the next one probably chapter 12, if everything goes according to the slim plan I have ;)

Title: Snow (Prompt #19)

Characters: Natasha, Arina (friendship)

Word count: ~ 1660

Natalia watched the jet vanish behind a cloud and pulled her coat tighter around her. Her gaze wandered to the other girls that stood with her in the midst of the tundra. An icy wind blew every warmth from their bodies and snow crunched beneath the soles of their boots. It was going to be a rough night, Natalia could already tell.

One of the girls with brunette curls stepped up to her. "We're having a problem," Arina whispered and nodded to the bags lying in the snow. "Madame B. said it would be a two weeks' march from here back to the facility, but there is only supplies enough for one of us, not fifteen. The others wouldn't let us take it voluntarily."

"They aren't intended to do so," Natalia answered just as low. "That's just another test. But you and I, we are better than the others. We can make it back. We share the supplies; wouldn't be the first time we go to bed hungry."

Arina nodded. "What about the others? Are we just leaving them here or-"

"We have to kill them." Natalia's eyes were cold as the environment the girls were standing in. "Otherwise they could come after us. Or they die of starvation. I wouldn't want either of it." Natalia watched the other girls for a moment. Some already seemed to flock together to make plans of their own, others looked around as if not knowing what to do now. All of them were around her age, none of them older than thirteen. Natalia knew their strengths and weaknesses as she knew her own. Only few were able to pose a danger towards her. "We cannot risk an open fight. Not if all of those hold together. We need to single them out and we need to be fast about it. Let's get started."

Natalia slipped away, seemingly not caring what Arina was doing. She wasn't good at friendship, never had been, but the brunette was the only one of the girls with whom she had some sort of connection. They slept beside each other in the big dorm, trained together and shared their meals. And sometimes they even talked about their thoughts. Natalia trusted no one blindly; her handlers had taken care of that. But she knew that Arina would not sell her out if it could be avoided.

Five of the girls were out cold only moments later with no blood to soil the snow. Without regret Natalia looked down at them. If they were too weak to survive the training, why should she spare them? Only the best would survive the Red Room, that they already learned at a very young age. While Natalia had taken out the first few rivals, Arina had already secured the supplies and warded the other girls off who tried to get a hold on them. Natalia knocked two more out before joining Arina.

"Back off. Now!"

"Those are supplies for all of us. We need them to get back to the facility." A black haired girl stepped forward and pointed to the few bags demandingly.

"You did realise that there are only supplies for one of us, right?" Arina gripped her knife tighter. "What kind of training would it be if our only challenge was the cold?"

"Good. Then I'll be the one who makes it back," the black haired girl announced and took a step forward, but was held back by another brunette.

"You're kidding us, right? Why should you be allowed to survive?"

The black haired girl smirked. "Because I'm the best." A blade flashing up in the sunlight, red drops scattering on the snow. The brunette dropped to the floor. In the next moment, the other girls surrounded the black haired one, seemingly completely forgetting Natalia and Arina.

Natalia observed the situation only a second, then nodded towards Arina who grabbed two of the backs, slung them over her shoulder and started to run. Natalia took the remaining bags and followed her, quickly moving out of earshot of the fighting girls. Just in time. A snow storm was already forming.

-#-#- -#-#- -#-#-

The two girls huddled closer beside the little fire they had managed to get going, although it gave off more smoke that heat. Outside the little cavern they had managed to dig into the dense snow the night lurked. Neither of them wanted to sleep in case some wolf thought them to be an easy kill. Both Natalia and Arina only ate half rations to make sure they would last until they reached the facility, but Natalia doubted it to be any good. They had already needed more time than anticipated to reach this point.

"How's your leg?" Natalia asked and tried to keep her teeth from chattering. Only four days after they had managed to make off with the supplies, Arina had been attacked by a straining, starving wolf. It had managed to bite her calf and since then her leg had swelled and slowed them down, but Natalia simply refused to leave her behind.

Arina shrugged shivering. "Hurts more than this morning, but I guess I'm gonna survive it. Seems to be infected, but I honestly don't know." She looked into the fire for some time until her stomach rumbled loudly. "We don't have anything more, do we?"

"Not for today. Our supplies are slim as they are." Natalia pulled the collar of her coat closer to her neck to keep her body warmth from escaping from there.

"Pity." Again Arina kept silent for some time. "What do you think how the others are doing?"

Now it was Natalia's turn to shrug. "Depends. Those who haven't gotten themselves killed could survive some time if they find water and a place to escape the cold. We should have taken the coats from the girls I killed before the others tried to grab the supplies. Stupid not to think of that." She shot a glance to Arina, seeing the cold sweat forming on her forehead and the fevered gleam in her eyes. More softly she added: "Try to get some sleep. I'll wake you up if I need your help defending us, alright?"

"But really, wake me if there is something," Arina demanded already lying down.

"Sure thing."

Once the morning dawned, Natalia shook Arina to wake the girl; they needed to keep moving. "Arina. Arina, wake up. Arina!" She shook the brunette's shoulder, almost flinching when accidentally touching her fervid skin.

"I'm cold," Arina mumbled, pulling her coat tighter. "And my leg hurts."

"That's okay, we can take it slowly today, if you want to. Come on, let's eat something first, alright?"

"I'm not hungry."

Natalia gulped. Something she dimly recognised as fear coiled in her stomach when she stripped the sheeting off the dried meat. For the first time in a very long time she felt utterly helpless. No training in the Red Room prepared her for this situation. Of course. She was not supposed to save her teammates, since once she graduated she wouldn't have any teammates. She knew how to kill Arina in their little cavern in at least thirty different ways, but how to fight the fever in this environment or how to vet her calf properly with the things she had, Natalia didn't know.

Time went by and since Arina couldn't find the strength to sit up, much less to stand up and walk, Natalia stayed by her side. Noon came and went and Arina looked up at Natalia with something like desperateness in her eyes. "Just kill me already, Nat," she whispered hoarsely. "We both know I won't make it to the facility. You can't carry me and even so, I wouldn't let you."

"No." Natalia firmly shook her head. "You're my only… I won't leave you here."

"The supplies won't last long enough for both of us, but you alone have a chance. Please, Natalia. Just do it. For our friendship."

Natalia evaded her gaze, looking at the knife stuck in the shaft of her boot. She knew it would only be merciful to end Arina's suffering. If she couldn't walk, she couldn't be treated properly. Her fever would rise and eventually burn the life out of her. But Natalia couldn't do it. Arina was her only confidante after Sezja was gone and Natalia didn't want to lose her, too. With all of the Red Room's training sessions and attempts to wipe her emotions out, right now Natalia couldn't do cold blooded assassin.

Arina smiled softly at her. "I won't hate you for it, Nat. You'll be fine. You're the strong one."

"Thanks for being my friend," Natalia managed to get out, drawing her knife.

-#-#- -#-#- -#-#-

Natalia skidded and slipped on the way to the top of the hill. If her compass was working correctly, the Red Room facility should be directly on the other side of the hill. It better was, her supplies were almost non-existent anymore. The cold air cut into her lungs and her limbs were like lead. She didn't know anymore how it felt to be warm.

It still took her four hours more to reach the facility. Madame B. greeted her at the entrance. "We expected you almost two days earlier, Romanova. Go get yourself cleaned up. Your training will take place in twenty minutes. Don't be late."

"Yes, Madame," Natalia responded and stepped in.

"You have blood on your coat," Madame B. remarked with her nose scrunched. "Prepare yourself for a shift in the laundry and extra dancing lessons. You were taught to keep your clothes clean when killing. You will practice this more."

"Yes, Madame," Natalia repeated and tilted her head slightly. As she followed Madame B., her finger gently caressed the blood stain on her sleeve. Even if she showered and changed her clothes, Natalia doubted there would ever be a time when she didn't know it was there, right on her arm.

Well, what do you think about this? Honestly, I thought (and think) it quite a cruel way to seperate the wheat from the chaff and I can't believe Natasha never had any friends before Clint. I guess only after this episode she really decided that love was for children.