Solo or RP Format
Counts as 5 RP growth Points
Solo word minimum is 750, RP post minimum is 7

As the year comes to an end, an abnormal cold snap has taken over Tendaji. The mountains of Zena are covered in a blizzard, and even the desert of Oba is feeling a bit of an abnormal chill.

[ What do you get up to during the cold? Do you find a place to warm up, or check up on a friend? ]

The bitter winds seemed to have come from the farthest reaches of Zena with how the cold penetrated right through her thickest fabric. That was certainly what it felt like. Uro had a big shawl pulled firmly around her shoulders as she hurried from the shop with a scarf around her head. Her large carry pack bounced against her back, and the bottles and jars inside clinked gently through the thin wrappings around them. Spirits, she wanted nothing more than to be up in her bed with her blankets and a hot drink where the walls of her home held the heat of a fire in place.

Others in the village were not as lucky as she, though. Their hut walls were thin. Their beds had a single blanket. Their lungs were tired. Their bones were worn. Their bodies were frail. She could not sit cozy and warm during such a time. Not when she was needed.

Her first stop was a home that would normally be comfortable. Recently though, a branch had broken from above and gouged a hole in the wall on its way down. Yet to be fixed, the long hole was now mostly covered by a blanket and a weaving of leaves. Inside the home, an elderly couple sat by a fire and worked together on another weaving.

The elder man looked up and smiled. “Ah, what are you doing out in this cold?”

Uro smiled back and rolled the door back into place. “That is my question, Miko! Why don’t you and Reta go stay at the inn where it is warm until this weather passes?” She ducked her head as she set her pack on the floor. She knew the answer…

Miko chuckled and lowered his gaze back to the weaving. “Now, now, Miss Urosangylea. We’re too old to be throwing our money at a fancy inn. We’ve been here for fifty years, and no chilly wind is going to chase us off.”

Reta looked up and smiled sweetly. “Thank you for your concern, deary. Once we get this last bit finished and in place, we’ll be cozy warm in no time.” She looked back down at her work and furrowed her brow with a sigh. The knuckles of her hands were swollen with arthritis, making her part of the weaving less secure than her husband’s. Then her cough started up.

Uro hesitated for only a moment. “You elders are a stubborn lot,” she observed affectionately as she dug through her pack. She pulled out a jar filled with a thick, green salve and opened it. The salve was one of the stronger pain relievers that she had available. “Reta, here. This balm will help protect your hands from the cold.” She turned an eye to Miko’s hands. They showed their age, but were nowhere near the state of Reta’s. Still- “You should use some, too.”

Reta’s eyes watered with frustration, but she still nodded with appreciation as she reached for the jar. “It’s so kind of you to consider us for your time. I- oh!”

Miko had reached out faster and nabbed the jar before his wife could. He took out a scoop of the salve and gently took his wife’s hand. With understanding and love on his face, he began massaging the salve into both of their hands with obvious focus on Reta’s.

Uro couldn’t help but to watch the pair for a moment. This… this was the partnership of dreams. Her grandmother had often spoken with such a look in her eyes about Uro’s grandfather, who had passed before Uro was born. The exact partnership her own parents sorely lacked. She let the pair have their moment and silently helped herself to the weaving they had been working on. She tightened any loose weaving and was able to quickly finish the remaining length. One day, her hands wouldn’t work as well as they do now… That was why her work was important! She wasn’t certain she could prevent it, but she could delay and reduce the severity of what pains might be to come with age.

Once she and Miko had secured the last patch into place on the wall, they sat and warmed their fingers by the fire. Ah, but she hadn’t just come to give a little balm. “Here, I actually came to drop this off as well.” She reached into the pack and pulled out a small baggie filled with herbs and spices. “I put this blend together this morning. It will help keep you warm from the inside in a cup of tea.” Once the jar of salve was secure again, she tied her pack and pulled it on. “I’ve got more to hand out. Please send someone to the shop if there’s anything else I can help with.”

(( Word count: 802 ))