The steaming brew warmed the cold bones of Sister Aria, her nose wrinkling as the bitter flavor hit her tongue. She savored the taste, relishing this small moment of peace in the monastery's common room.

"From the new shipment of leaves from the Jade Mountains, I take it?" Sister Iona asked, lowering herself into the chair across the table.

"Aye, fresh as they come," Aria replied, taking another sip. "Ain't much to be had this time of year, what with the trade routes cut off and all."

Iona nodded sagely. "War does have a way of making the simple things precious, doesn't it?" Her eyes drifted to the window, where a light dusting of snow had gathered on the sill. "I fear it will be a long and cold winter indeed."