Everything was cold...

Which should have been obvious, given the amount of snow currently covering over Winterhold.

But this cold was different...

It settled deep within the bones...

She expected to be trembling and shivering from the cold. To be freezing, even as she lie nestled within a snowdrift near the edge of the road.

But she wasn't...

Odd, how once the warmth of one's life essence left the body, cold was no longer a thing... She could feel it, but not.

Her bones and skin were cold, but she did not notice.

The trembling she did feel, was from the final stages of fear.

She had not really wanted this... She just wanted the pain in her heart to go away.

She thought this was the answer, but now she wasn't so sure.

She kept her free hand pressed to the oozing wound upon her wrist, trying to summon forth enough mana to heal the mistake she'd made.

By now, the pure white of the snow around was stained crimson, the heat of the blood causing the frozen crystals to steam and melt around her.

Her magic would not work and now, feeling her eyelids grow heavy, did she truly begin to panic.

No...nonono!

She'd fucked up...

If she lost consciousness, she wouldn't be able to keep pressure... If she couldn't get her magic to work...

She'd just end up in an unmarked grave, and onto who knew what afterlife.

Sovngarde wouldn't open for cowards such as she... Unless she died gloriously in battle, and this was not that...

Tears slowly began to fall from her eyes as she continued wasting her energy on useless mana...

She wasn't sure how long she fought for until the void of unconsciousness won over. The only thing she remembered was hearing the crunching of snow, and then something warm envelope her...

Three days.

Three days she would just lie there, wrist bandaged and wrapped in many layers of warm blankets.

Despite her near comatose state, every so often her face would briefly contort in either discomfort or pain, or both.

She'd been deemed physically all right after numerous checks. Her mind, however, may have been broken. She would need rest and help to recover fully... If she was able to.

When the small woman finally awoke on the even of day three, it was with a fearful gasp as she sat bolt upright, chest heaving as a cold sweat drenched her brow.

Where was she?! What was this place? It was so warm and... Familiar?

Her hands fisted in the blankets as she adjusted to her surroundings.

"Dear Gods, she's up!" A voice caught her full attention and she snapped her head in the direction of the voice. "Hang on, I'll go get the wizard are whoever!" The voice belonged to a rather scrawny looking Breton that was hurriedly leaving the room.

...

The woman's breathing slowed as she realized where she was.

She was likely in Winterholds inn. Or a temple? Judging by the noises coming from the open door, an inn was the more likely choice.

She'd...lived?

The woman then would suddenly feel a pain with her wrist, and look down to the bandaged limb.

...

So...she had survived.

A heavy sigh would escape her.

Guess the voices within the darkness were right... She could not even die properly. Not even they would welcome her into the sweet release that was death and darkness.

No one was alive to care for her anymore, and when she tried to join them...

Not even the Gods wanted her damaged soul.

...

Where then, did she belong?

Back in the world where everything brought pain and suffering?

Or should she-

"In here." She heard the voice returning and looked towards the door, seeing the scrawny Breton and... yep, Winterholds court wizard.

She did not speak as the wizard fussed over her. She instead stared at the Breton.

He had saved her?

...

Perhaps...

The world wasn't so terrible, after all?

Perhaps she just had too much happen at once? She needed time.

...

After three more days, she was free to go. The wound had been healed, yet left a scar.

The scar soon was covered with ink. A reminder.

Don't do this again.

Be for others what he was for her.

The world sucked, but she could help others.

Heal them.

Heal herself.

Make a difference...

Yes, that was what she would do.

She could bounce back from this. She didn't have a choice. She wouldn't give herself a choice! She would get better! She had to.

She didn't feel like she would ever be able to thank the stranger enough, but an agreement was enough for him, it seemed.

Get better.

Take care.

Stay alive.

She only hoped she could live by that and not lose her way again.

She doubted she would be so lucky a second time...