Krista was pushing through the snow. The blizzard was raging on, blowing a freezing wind right through every mountain, tree, or anyone unfortunate enough to face it. Behind her was a sleigh with her unconscious companion Daz. She was pulling the sleigh, carrying on despite the frosty weather.

"Krista" she heard her other companion speak up "the situation we're in is extremely dire. If we want to make it, we should think about leaving Daz…"

"No" Krista said firmly.

She could hear Dina sigh with resignation.

"He had no idea whether he could do it. He took on training he could never finish just to raise his score. This is as far as his abilities can take him."

Krista was undeterred in her actions.

'Just a little longer and I'll be able to make it' she thought as she went on.

"If we keep walking at this snail's pace down to the base, there's no way he'll make it. We'll be in danger too."

"What do you propose then?" asked Krista annoyed by Dina's persistence.

"We have two choices" Dina said "we leave Daz here and the two of us survive…"

"…or the three of us die together."

Krista sighed.

"There's a third choice" she said, "you can go ahead to safety, and I'll reach the base by myself saving Daz."

Dina was quiet for a moment. Krista grew impatient with her and said:

"Just go. If you stay here, you'll die."

"Why didn't you ask for my help?"

Krista turned back to face Dina.

"I'm way older than you, and despite my little frame I'm the stronger one here" Dina said, "it would be way faster if I pulled the sleigh."

The young girl froze in place.

"You're not planning on saving Daz, do you?"

Krista stood there with her mouth ajar. Dina continued:

"You just said that I would die… So, you must realize that you're going to die at this rate, too."

"You were thinking of dying here like this, weren't you?"

Krista had no words for her accusation. It was all true. Dina went on:

"You were thinking that I'd go and tell everybody about good girl Krista, who tried saving a fellow man, but died in the process."

"You're dragging him to his death, just because you want to be seen as helpful by others."

"That's something only a bad girl would do Krista."

The said girl gulped. Dina was always sharp, but Krista hoped that in a life-or-death situation she'd just try to save herself. Just like any regular human would do.

"Is everything about you just as fake?" Dina asked her.

This question startled Krista.

"Wha-what do you mean?" The girl asked with a shaky voice.

Dina looked at her with considerate eyes.

"It's you, isn't it?" She said "you're the illegitimate child, disowned by the family…"

Krista was stunned.

"How… do you know…?"

Dina closed her eyes.

"So, it was you" she finally said "I happened to overhear a conversation inside a church within the interior. They said they sent you to the training corps under a fake name."

Krista was deep in thought. Just how many people knew? She didn't know what to do. Dina was a mysterious woman who seemed distant, yet whenever Krista needed help, Dina came with her hand reached out.

"So, you joined the corps in order to find me?" The young girl finally asked.

Dina chuckled at that.

"Unlike you, I have my own goals."

Krista was confused.

"So why did you seek me out?"

Dina pondered that for a bit.

"Back in the church" she started "they said that you'd be better off if you had never been born."

"Something about it struck me" Dina said, "no one should stand between you and your freedom."

Krista was flabbergasted. She could feel Dina's sympathy. A warm feeling spreading around her body.

"So, what do you think I should do?" The girl asked the woman.

"Go after your own goals. Find your loved ones, maybe start a family or something." The older woman said with a smile.

"Stop trying to hurt yourself. And stop living under a fake name."

Krista looked to the ground.

"I can't" she said quietly "even now, there's no way that the three of us can make it back safely…"

Dina looked around.

"Actually, there is."

The woman strode towards the cliff.

"I can see the base from up here" Dina said, "it's right at the bottom of this cliff."

"We can drop Daz from here to down there. If he's lucky he'll land somewhere people can see him, and he'll be safe."

Krista jolted up upon hearing that.

"But he'll die if he falls that far!" She said in protest.

"If he stays here, he'll just freeze to death anyway" Dina walked over and lifted her up.

"Hey…!" Krista yelled at the sudden action.

"Just go on ahead! I'll do it!" Dina yelled as she threw Krista down the other side of the cliff.

The girl landed on a huge snowdrift.

"Ouch!"

She quickly got up and ran back. When she reached the top of the cliff, she saw that neither Dina, nor Daz were there.

'They're both gone' the girl noticed.

The only thing she could do now was to reach the base by herself. After a long walk down the cliff, she finally reached the wooden cabins at the bottom.

Krista saw Dina sitting by the door with a small lantern.

"Took you long enough" Dina said "I did something really stupid…"

"What about Daz!?" Krista cried out.

Dina stood up and opened the door. Daz was in bed crying, while other cadets tended to him.

"I don't understand…" Krista said "you didn't have any rope. How did you get Daz down from up there?"

Dina was thinking.

"Fine" she finally said, "I'll tell you."

The woman turned to face the girl.

"But you have to promise me…" She said looking Krista in the eyes "when I reveal my secret, you'll go back to living by your old name."

With hesitation, Krista nodded.