The cold chilly air stung Aria’s skin as she began walking down the trail. Snowflakes fell around and blanketed the world in silence. Each step she took crunched the snow audibly. The trail ahead to the market curved downhill. She was still close to Lucien’s cottage, but she could still hear the sounds coming from the market. The closer she got to the market, the more sound she heard. By the time she was at the end of the trail, she could hear the murmurs and the loud banters from the traders. She could even spot a couple of unblooded kids running around the market with smiles on their faces. Every clawhold’s market was always alive, even in the dead of winter. Last night’s snow storm might have been bad, but it definitely wasn’t bad enough to dampen the enthusiasm that every trader

