Cinder sat by the fire, nursing her bruised shoulder. Noah sat across from her, cleaning his rifle. He looked up at her, the harshness in his eyes finally softening.
"You shoot straight," Noah said quietly. It was the closest thing to a compliment he had ever given her.
Cinder offered a small, exhausted smile. "I had a good teacher."
Noah paused, his hands resting on the iron barrel of his gun. For the first time, hearing Elias's name didn't make him flinch. "Yes. You did."
He stood up and walked over to a small wooden cupboard. He pulled out a folded piece of fabric and walked over to Cinder, placing it in her lap.
Cinder looked down. It was a beautiful, thick woolen blanket, woven with intricate geometric patterns in deep reds, blues, and blacks. It was a Native design, warm and heavy.
"Your dress is ruined," Noah said, his voice rough but gentle. "And my shirt is too big. Wear this."
Cinder traced the patterns on the blanket. "Thank you, Noah."
Noah returned to his seat. He looked at the fire for a long time. "When the spring comes, and the passes are clear, I will take you to the northern settlements. You will be safe there. The soldiers will not follow you that far."
Cinder looked at him, wrapping the heavy blanket around her shoulders. She looked at the small cabin, the fire, the vast, dangerous, beautiful wilderness outside, and the man who had pulled her from the jaws of death. She had lost her old life entirely. The woman in the crimson dress had died tied to that pine tree. The woman sitting by the fire was someone entirely new, forged in ice and ash.
"And what if I don't want to go to the northern settlements?" Cinder asked softly.
Noah looked up, surprised. His dark eyes met hers, searching for the meaning behind her words. He saw no fear, no hesitation. Only a quiet, resolute strength.
"The winters here are long," Noah warned her, his voice low. "And the world is still cruel."
"I know," Cinder replied, pulling the blanket tighter, feeling the profound warmth it provided. "But I have learned how to survive the winter. And I know how to shoot."
Outside, the wind had completely died down. Through the small window, the first rays of the setting sun painted the snow-capped peaks in brilliant shades of gold and pink. The deep freeze was far from over, but for the first time in weeks, the ice was beginning to melt.
Noah watched her for a long moment, a faint, almost imperceptible smile touching the corners of his mouth. He nodded slowly, picking up a piece of firewood and tossing it into the flames.
"Then we will need to gather more wood," Noah said.
The fire flared higher, pushing back the shadows, as the two survivors sat together in the warmth, waiting for the spring.