Dawn is barely breaking over the mountains that nestled Songak. Predawn light casts a rosy glow on the outer cluster of palace buildings, leading to the garrison tower of the East pass. A smaller huddle of men in midnight blue of Kangs stand by tower gates - preparing their horses for the journey ahead. Seo isn't among them.
The autumn dawn is cold enough to make her fingers tingle for the mere moment Seol removes her hands from the handwarmer to pull her collar tighter around herself. The fur is lined thick, unlike what they commonly wore at Songak. The embroidered hand warmer is lined with fur as well - giving only a glimpse into what winters at Shinju were like.
Min Ha standing at her shoulder did not look thrilled at the prospect. The cold mountains never agreed with her, and the court lady kept her silence out of duty rather than any particular sentimentality towards Seol's preference for mountain air.
