"Yoosung."

Saeran's voice chased away Yoosung's dream of Elizabeth, Jumin's snow leopard, chasing after him. 

"C'mon, we gotta go." There were no good morning kisses or cuddles today.

"I've already showered. Be quick, and then meet me outside. Your pack's by the door." Saeran spoke quickly, softly to Yoosung, who was suddenly wide awake. 

Saeran squeezed Yoosung's hand, then walked briskly out the door.

Just like Saeran had instructed, Yoosung showered quickly, towel drying his hair as much as possible before walking to the dresser. He and Saeran had decided on clothes the day before, finding the warmest, toughest fabrics for their treks. 

Yoosung wore semi-thick, soft, stretchy leggings, then heavy sweatpants, and then snow pants: thick, water-resistant pants with padding and stuffing between the two layers of fabric. 

For shirts, he wore a tank top, a thick sweater, with a heavy down jacket on top.

Yoosung pinned his hair back with barrettes and then pulled on a hat down over his ears. He laced up his boots, grabbed his pack, then walked out, locking the door behind him.

...

"Friends," Saeran called over the crowd. Heads turned. "I thank you all for joining us today."

He stood on the same crate that Yoosung had the previous night, Yoosung standing on the ground to his right, Vanderwood on the left. 

"We've been waiting too long for this. As a precaution, this is going to be dangerous... extremely so, so I will not judge you if you walk back inside now." No one moved. "We'll walk to Aithne until noon, then rest until sundown, then strike the city. We'll be given entrance by our safeguard, Zen. You do NOT trust any other guard beside him. We'll break in a few hours."

With that, Saeran hopped off the crate and began walking East, towards the speck on the horizon. 

...

Yoosung walked next to Jaehee, trudging through the snow at an even pace. Some people wore snowshoes, but Yoosung didn't mind walking without them. No one talked, trying to save energy and breath. Saeran was still in front, keeping an eye on the shackled prisoner they were planning on returning. 

Saeran looked calm on the outside, but Yoosung knew that he was thinking about his brother. Yoosung hoped that he had listened to his advice and was thinking about giving Saeyoung a second chance. 

...

The sun was directly above them when the group stopped. Yoosung felt light sweat on his forehead as the group halted. 

"We sleep in the shifts I talked about earlier. My group, take first. Everyone else, start making those walls."

...

Yoosung lay behind a small wall of curved snow, compacted into a tiny space that would keep him cold and hidden from any scouting enemies from the kingdom. Even though he wasn't very tired, he rested, knowing that he'd need all the energy he could, as they would be walking, fighting, and running all night. 

Saeran had been serious and leader-y and strict the whole day and hadn't paid very much attention to Yoosung, who was feeling like a spoiled child begging for attention, but the lack of interaction made his heart throb. He turned away from the open side of his wall and closed his eyes, blocking out the light of late afternoon. 

...

The sun was setting around camp, and some members crawled from their walls to grab dinner from their packs. Yoosung heard Saeran shift in the space next to him. Yoosung had slept restlessly, as he was sure most of the others had too, his nerves on edge. 

They were about 3/4 of the way to Aithne, and when he peeked around his wall, it's huge, towering dome sent shivers down his spine. He was anxious. The whole Cold was. But they were also excited. Their energy showed through their bright, alert eyes, muscles flexing as they prepared for the mission they had been training for, for so long. 

Finally, as soon as the sun had set, and Yoosung had slept a bit more, Saeran called out, "Cold! We leave in five!"

The group slipped quietly through the darkness, stepping in each other's footprints, as to not make too much noise. Yoosung saw tears in a few members eyes as they drew closer to the home they had once belonged too. Some still had families that remained here. Saeran's eyes were hollow as he steadily tried to picture his twin brother.

Yoosung could clearly see the door now as they approached, it's dark outline cut out fro the metal of the wall. 

Before approaching, Saeran turned and faced his people, letting out a deep sigh. "We go from this entrance to the border of the East district. We cross over, towards the middle of the city, and pass through Mortem Avenue to get to the central square. It's not likely that anyone will be up, but be inconspicuous and please, for the love of God, be silent. We enter the castle head on, through the North District. If anyone sees us, do NOT kill them, but knock them out quickly. I will lead the front, Vanderwood will take the back. Stick together, and good luck to you all. I couldn't have asked for a more hardworking, strong, hilarious group as you, and I'm proud to be your leader. L'chaim!" 

Yoosung remembered the word from his lessons... A toast, from an old, lost language...

"L'chaim!" The Cold whisper-yelled in return, their voices echoing up to the night. 

Saeran turned to the door, knocked once, then twice quickly, then once again. The door was silent for a moment, and then swung open to a guard. His body was fit, muscled, and his jawline was sharp enough to cut. 

His pale skin was made ghostly illuminates as he, like all of the other citizens of Aithne, had never been exposed to sunlight. His long white hair was tied back and trailed down his back.

Zen's red eyes darted over the crowd and he let out a low whistle as he took in the immense number of eyes staring back at him eagerly.

"Shit," he said softly, and grinned at Saeran.

"Hey, Zen," Saeran shook Zen's hand, "Thanks for helping us so much over the past years. We owe you a lot."

"Don't mention it. I'd love to see Mister Trustfundkid in the dirt where he belongs." Zen's face lit up when he saw Jaehee, who smiled shyly at him, blushing. 

Yoosung rolled his eyes. Was this dude all it took to turn Jaehee from a fierce warrior soldier to a blushing, giggling teenage girl? 

Saeran noticed too, and he caught Yoosung's eye, winking at him. 

Yoosung's heart fluttered at the first sign of attention he had gotten all day, and he smiled at Saeran reassuringly.

At Saeran's signal, the Cold began filing into Aithne. 

...

Ayyye~ 3 more chapters left!