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Snow danced through the air, falling slowly towards the streets of Akii. Overcast and gray, the sky hung over the city, shielding the land from the sun's light.
Dimitri stood on the edge of the street, sheltered by the awning of the roof. He peeked out, staring into the dark sky overhead. A bitter wind came howling through the buildings, causing Dimitri to shiver. He pulled his cloak more tightly around his body, in an attempt to stifle the cold settling into his bones. The snow whirled down, falling faster with each passing minute. Dimitri knew he had to hurry. A blizzard would be upon him if he didn't move.
Taking a deep breath, Dimitri darted out from the protection of the roof. He was immediately hit with an onslaught of snow and wind, which buffeted him sideways. He gritted his teeth and ran across the street in an alleyway. The wind lessened slightly, enabling him to navigate his way without much trouble. Right, left, right, straight. He rounded a corner, and dashed up the street.
He knew he was almost there. Against the wind, he raised his head, to see a door opening. A white viscet with red and gray hair staggered out into the cold, looking around. She looked in his direction and caught sight of him staggering towards her. She gestured for him to hurry, worry filling her face.
In the span of a few seconds, Dimitri had crossed the threshold of the house, bringing in a whirlwind of snowflakes. The viscet at the door heaved it close, making the wind mercifully cease. She rounded on Dimitri, who was brushing all the snow from his soaking body.
"Thank goodness you're alright!" she said, throwing her arms around his neck. "I was worried you hadn't been able to leave the castle fast enough, or that you were caught in blizzard!" She hugged him more tightly, and Dimitri wrapped his arms around ehr in return.
"It's fine, Natasha," said Dimitri, laughing. "You don't have to worry."
Natasha extricated herself from his arms and studied him with concern. She suddenly gasped.
"You must be starving!" she said quickly.
"I'm not that-"
Dimitri stopped abruptly when Natasha looked at him skeptically. He cleared his throat.
"I'll get you some borscht," she said in a low voice that told Dimitri he was not to argue. She swept into the next room, leaving Dimitri to seat himself by the fire roaring in the stone fireplace.
A few minutes later, Natasha drifted back in from the kitchen, holding a tray between her paws. Two bowls of soup sat upon it, with a large loaf of bread, and two steaming mugs of black coffee. Dimitri's stomach rumbled as Natasha laid the tray out in front of them. Dimitri dug into his food, sighing contentedly.
