Finally, after nearly an hour of half-dressed protests, misplaced mittens, and the slow process of waking up an entire house full of tired students, we stepped out into the snow. The door shut behind us with a muffled thud, and for a moment, the world was silent.
The sun was high and bright, gleaming across the white landscape like light off porcelain. The snow was thick and sticky, squeaking under our boots with every step as we followed Arthur, single-file, through a narrow trail in the woods. Our breath came in little clouds, the air sharp and clean and almost sweet. No one spoke - maybe too cold, maybe too tired, maybe just unwilling to break the silence.
The forest opened up suddenly, revealing a clearing at the edge of the trees where the snow was undisturbed and deep, and where su
