Very nice. I particularly liked the phrase “cold as the snow on the ground and hard as the rock under it.”

Vasily is involuntarily used by Katya. I figured that that would be the case. I think that you handled that well. My inclination was to be a bit more brutal.

Cool, just cool!

Like: The voice that answered was older, more authoritative, cold as the snow on the ground and hard as the rock under it.
and Using my mind, as a surgeon or a pianist might use their instruments,