Summary/disclaimer: Time for another chapter of Snowy Soulmates. Enjoy the 900-word chapter. I don't own VK, Sega, Ryutaro Nonaka and Shuntaro Tanaka do.

The soldiers scattered in different directions as they escaped the battle. All of them still headed in the same direction, knowing exactly what came next as they were sent to a rendezvous. They all knew their war would come to end sooner or later.

Still? They didn't know exactly what would come from then…. None of them could really know how this ended. Matias turned to see Minerva leading said group as the platoon slowly headed towards the frozen ocean.

"We're not going to make it there anytime soon." Matias pointed out as he shook his head. "Everyone try to keep bundled up, I don't know how long this will be until we're safe." Matias added while gnashing his teeth together.

He looked at Minerva who was busy trying to keep herself warm. He could only hope she was ok. If she wasn't? Then they'd be screwed. There was no way out of this blizzard without the woman leading them through it by herself.

"We shouldn't have tried to delay their forces." One of the soldiers said, gaining a look from both Matias and Minerva. "If we had stayed back at base? Maybe we could have held out long enough. Then they might have backed off." The soldier said to which both officers said nothing.

Neither could fault the soldier's fear, but neither wanted to have anything to do with it. They knew this war would be brutal and slow, there was NOTHING that could be done about that besides fight and hope for the best.

"Soldier, we make sure the enemy is taken down and go from there." Matias pointed out while sighing. "But I understand your concern. Having that much power? They'd crush us in a few weeks if we got lucky. We shouldn't be giving them ammo to try and kill us with. We have to crush them before they crush us." Matias added, pausing only to shake his head as he sighed and hummed.

Minera grabbed his arm and continued to led the Vinland soldiers down the ice-covered hills. Her knowledge of the area was limited, but she knew enough to lead them out of the ambush that they had left in their wake.

"How many soldiers do you think made it?" Minerva asked as Matias shrugged and simply pondered what would happen next.

"I don't know, but I know the ones who died didn't so in vain." Matias added, shaking his head as he sighed and looked around with a hum. "Still scares me to think they LIVE here in this type of weather. What does it say about people who wish to live in this type of climate? They don't even seem to be cold when it comes down to it… That's beyond human." Matias stated, checking his freezing gun as he did so.

Minerva was silent, knowing that many in Vinland had thrown their lives away to buy them time. She would do her best to honor them as much she could. Their deaths wouldn't be in vain as long as she lived, as long as there was life within her very body.

"There will be ships at the rendezvous…." Matias stated before frowning. "But we can't engage the Imperial army for quite some time. Their defenses will get stronger and stronger the closer we get to the capital. It might get to the point we simply CAN'T attack them openly without being sunk. Their defenses will be nigh impregnable currently." Matias pointed out which garnered a sigh from Minerva.

"Indeed, but we cannot give up hope THAT easily." Minerva added, pointing a finger at Matias who only hummed as he realized what this meant, still? He wouldn't submit so easily to the idea of the war being lost.

They continued further into the snow. The smoke from the battle and the smell of gunpowder coated the wind which nipped at their skin. Still? They didn't relent. They had a war to win and as she knew it? They'd be cutting down the enemy sooner or later. Things would slowly start to get worse when this came down to it.

Still? She could only hope that this slowly got better. Yes, the longer that she got better? The second the war would continue to rage.

"Someone tries and radio the others, tell them to get back to the docks." Matias ordered, rubbing at his arms as he did so. "We need to get out of here before the enemy regroups. They still outnumber them and a direct engagement is suicide." Matias added with a sigh as he paused to shake his head.

He shared another look with Minerva. Her eyes burrowing into his own. This retreat might be more costly then the very attack they had planned.

The cold would not cut them down. Matias refused to surrender to the cold.

Author notes

Phew. Another chapter done! I want to apologize for the chapter being shorter and such. Next chapter will be larger and such. Next chapter will be 900-1500 words and such. Next chapter will be in 2-10 months and will show another fight between Vinland and the Empire at the moment. Until then, Lighting Wolf out!

P.S: Riela is 900 words, Alliase 900 at the moment and other stories will come soon.