Digging out first started with the entrance. Ruwe had her watch as the three of them used fire yi to melt the snow, and then water and wind yi to shift it away. They took turns, working in pairs. Pia manned the fire, only coming close to watch them work when she was sure the fire was going strong. As the snow blocking the entrance decreased, light and wind began to trickle through. The light was more appreciated, the soft light from sigils was no replacement for natural light.

Watching the men work with yi always fascinated her. As she added another log to the fire Pia watched the tri working yi. She could tell they were being intentionally obvious with yi, so that she could watch how they pulled it in and directed it. In Dwelling, most martial artists tended to work with one or two elements the most. Whatever they had the most affinity with and the element that enhanced that one. Yet these men seemed able to use all the elements with ease. Pia didn’t have a fraction of the control they did. One day, she’d find a way to see them use yi in a real fight.

It took the three men only a couple of hours to unpack the entrance. By the end, Ruwe, Haojie, and Yijun were soaked through with sweat and melted snow, but they stood unconcerned in the open front, looking out over the land. Curious, Pia got up to join them. Carefully avoiding stepping in the piles of snow that had fallen inside, Pia stepped up beside Ruwe, and looked out.

Incredible. The entire landscape outside the cave was an enormous portrait of glistening white. Even in the grey light of day, with no sun, the ice crystals seemed to sparkle with pride. Pia couldn’t blame it, the snow had conquered the entire landscape. The air was frigid and snappy, but it felt mild compared to the previous night.

Looking away from the entrance, Pia looked from face to face of the men, trying to gauge their thoughts. Sometimes it seemed like the three had a way to communicate solely through secret thoughts. Like now, they all gave each other a look and then nodded. The three men turned away and left her standing there, gawking. Sometimes she swore they did it on purpose.

Pia watched them walk back to the fire to warm up feeling utterly baffled and mildly affronted for being left out.

“Great conversation. The logistical planning was on par with the greatest of sages,” she grumbled under her breath.

A flick of air on her forehead made her yelp. Ruwe’s ears really were too sharp!

They stayed in that cave for two more days. On the morning of the third day, they woke at dawn and broke camp. Once more, Haojie and Ruwe took care of the tents, while Yijun and Pia took care of the horses.

Yijun showed her how to rearrange the horses’ tack when going through deep snow. The girth was shifted back a bit to allow the front legs room to stretch. A leather strap was secured to the back of the saddle, it went down the horse’s rump and looped under the tail, and then returned to the base of the saddle.

Giving Yijun an innocent look, Pia asked, “Does that help them poop easier in the snow?”

Yijun gave her a flat look, though she saw the corners of his lips twitch.

“You’re spending too much time with Haojie,” he told her, as he tossed a thick saddle pad over Wine’s back. “It helps keep your saddle from tipping forward. We’ll be covering the last trek today. There’re some steep hills and the snow won’t help.”

“That was my second guess.”

He rolled his eyes and passed her an odd-looking animal pelt. It looked like sheep skin, but the hair was long and thin.

“What’s this for? What is it?” Her fingers trailed over the long black and white hairs, curling her fingers through them.

“Yak fur hide. It goes over the saddle,” he demonstrated, tossing it over Pia’s saddle. He tied leather straps to the front and side and slid the stirrups through a slit on the sides of the hide. Now the pad would lie beneath her seat and under her calves. “The longer fur keeps warmth in, but it allows the water to slick off easier. It’ll stay lighter than sheep fur, which gets heavy when sodden.”

“That’s ingenious,” Pia said, running her hands along the pelt. It amazed her how in-depth their knowledge was. Something as simple as this could make a significant difference during a long ride in bad weather.

“Help me with the others,” he said.

The two saddled up all four horses while Haojie and Ruwe finished dismantling their camp. When she finished, Pia put herself to work. The extra firewood went back on the pile. Tying a bundle of long stalks of straw together Pia swept the hay and straw back into a circular pile.

Once done, she looked around the cave. Yijun was refilling some of their supply bags and Ruwe and Haojie were securing the packs to the horses. Each horse carried a portion of their supplies. Tudou’s pack often carried the tents and blankets, tied into a thick roll behind his saddle.

Part of her felt anxious about returning to the snow. That last ride had been hellish. Today, the weather outside seemed calm in comparison, but dread still left a heavy weight in her belly. The rice balls and dried rabbit meat felt like rocks in her gut.

Ruwe finished fastening a pack to Tudou’s back and his gaze locked onto her. “Come here,” he called out, waving to her from across Tudou’s back.

When she went to him, Ruwe surprised her by tossing her up onto Tudou’s back. Once she was on, he began to wrap her legs with thick fur covers. They stretched from her upper thigh to her ankle, hanging low over her heel.

“Why?” she asked, watching the way he lattice tied the leather across the furs.

He looked up at her and frowned, seeing her bare head, braids hanging freely over her shoulders.

“Where’s your cowl?”

Pia’s hand flew to her head, not realizing she’d forgotten to put it on.

From beside Wine, Haojie called out, “Oh, I’ve got it,” and pulled it from his robe and tossed it to Pia.

She pulled it on while Ruwe checked the ties on her leg covers one last time.

“We’ll be in deep snow. It should help keep them from going numb and freezing,” he told her.

Leading his horse, Yamo, and Pia’s Tudou to the front of the cave, Ruwe gestured for Haojie and Yijun to take the lead. Outside the sky was grey and dismal, and the whole world seemed to lack color. Pia wished the sun would come out.

“Watch them carefully. Follow only the path they make,” Ruwe instructed.

Pia watched. Yijun went first, then Haojie. The snow was up past their bellies and the horses shouldered powerfully through. Pia thought Yijun and Haojie must be using yi to help weaken the snow for the horses. Their horses were sure footed in the snow, but she watched as their bodies heaved up and down from the effort. Biting her lip, Pia watched until they were almost out of sight.

Ruwe looked up at her, saw the anxiety on her face. He smacked her back, jolting the breath from her lungs. Startled, she exhaled sharply and realized, only then, that she’d been holding her breath. Giving him a weak nod of thanks, Pia straightened up.

He patted Tudou’s neck and then released her reins, saying, “You’ll be fine. Just watch your balance and give Tudou his head.”

A bit of bravery filled her, and she said, “That’s how I always ride.” Then hastily nudged Tudou forward before she got a smack for her retort.