[Monthly Prompts] Arianwyn

3. Cold temperatures are best endured by a warm fire.

For a mare with a blood disorder and poor circulation, the cold weather of winter presented a significant problem. In the hollows of Namarast, nestled on the edge of the jungle, no amount of magic or heating seemed capable of fending off the deep cold that permeated through the community. No room or hallway ever seemed quite warm enough to Arianwyn; walking outside to get anywhere felt like trekking to the peak of the nearest mountain. She simply could not handle winter.

Over the season, Arianwyn would find herself very well acquainted with the warm fireplace in her residence, and a pile of thick blankets. Only when nestled near an open flame could she manage to banish the chill from her bones. During the winter months, she would spend many long hours of reading and study by her hearth, and find many excuses to avoid needed to travel much of anywhere outside. Only class and professional obligations were enough to make her brave the cold, though even these were met with an uncharacteristic grumble. Going outside for social occasions was off the table entirely; thankfully or not, she did not have many friends to call her out for a trip to a tavern.

Any time she stepped outdoors, the cold permeated her skin, her blood, made her feel ill. Physically, she knew she was safe from sickness: though the winter often brought infections through the ranks of gathered mages, she was safe, protected by the same silvered blood that harmed her so. However, she was still not safe from the cold—hypothermia was an arch nemesis, a constant threat. More than a few minutes in the snow and she would lose all feeling in her limbs and could only stumble to the nearest warm fire in hopes of finding relief from the prickling pain of poor circulation.

Winter was a particularly tough time for poor Arianwyn; and the warmth of spring brought no small relief to the spotted mare.