It's Always Winter Here (DragonSong)

[DragonSong]

"O-Oh, I-" She looked at the flute like it was a snake that might bite her, but shrugged and mumbled, "I can try."

Settling herself on the ground, she drew the blanket she'd been using to cover herself tighter around her body and lifted the instrument to her lips.

She only knew a few, basic tunes, and it had been a long time since she'd really practiced. The music she produced was a little vague and reedy, but at least it was a melody.

Bay suddenly sat back and through his head back, howling in a high, piercing little voice. Josie drew the flute away from her lips, flushing. "Alright, alright, I know I'm not very good," she told the pup, wrinkling her nose.

[Marakai Trin]

Gaelio moved to his knees, and laid a hand atop Bay's head to attempt to quiet him.

"Well, you can play a melody - you just have to get the soubd right. Okay, that's actually the easy part. Relax your lips just a little bit so you're not blowing such a thin stream of air, but make sure to keep up the same pressure. If you do that, you should be able to get a better sound." He smiled broadly.

"That was pretty good, though. You obviously used to play, at least for a little while. I'm impressed."

[DragonSong]

Jo's blush only deepened and she ducked her eyes. "My, ah, my father taught me when I was younger," she murmured. Bay twisted and yapped, craning his neck around to lick at Gaelio's hand.

Carefully, she lifted the flute and tried again, keeping the mage's advice in mind as she did.

[Marakai Trin]

"Well, with some practice, you could be really good. It's honestly only the basics that are the hard part." He allowed Bay to lick at his hand, smiling a bit as he petted him with his other hand.

When Josephine started again, he smile grew. She sounded much better this time, the sound much more broad and even. He nodded emphatically to her, not wanting to speak and interrupt her.

[DragonSong]

At his nod, she continued playing, eyes falling closed as she tried to focus, to remember what she'd been taught.

Until Bay started howling again, head tossed back as the reedy little sound poured out of him. She stopped playing, a half smile curving her lips. "I think he wants to join in," she chuckled. The pup barked at her, tail wagging as he looked between the adults.

[Marakai Trin]

Gaelio chuckled a bit, and patted the pup on the head. "Well, maybe we both can. I've never actually tried this before, and I have no idea what itll sound like...."

He pulled his hand away from Bay's head, and closed his eyes. Making ice this way was harder, as he had to pull moisture from the air rather than from outside, but it was doable.

He held both hands up palm first. Actually putting it together would be easy - he was almost intimately familiar with the instrument, and knew exactly where everything belonged. Slowly, it would seem as if a fog would rise from his hands, cold and pale as he rapidly cooled the air touching his hands. Slowly, the long tube would form, holes in all the proper places.

He brought the ice flute to his lips, almost unaware of the ice, and attempted to play the scale.

It sounded wonderful, but a little solemn.

[DragonSong]

"Oh..." Josephine stared, a small, wondering smile tugging at her lips. Absently, she drew Bay into her lap, petting his head in a distracted sort of way as he huffed and flopped down to sprawl over her legs.

"That's lovely," she murmured. "Please, keep going."

[Marakai Trin]

Gaelio had pulled the flute away from his lips for a moment, inspecting it thoughtfully. When she bid him continue, blue and purple eyes looked up at her through jet black hair.

He gave a bit of a smile and, still leaning forward, began to play, adjusting his airway as he'd suggested she do earlier and completely changing the sound.

It was almost as a sirens song, long, low and sweet, a melodious sonata. As he played, small flakes of snow seemed to materialize from the very air near the ceiling, despite the fact that the air was quite warm. The flakes of snow swirled around a bit, and then began spinning around the confines of the room, and then circling slowly around Josephine and Bay. Wisps of the snow moved and danced in tune with the melody, bright and glittering in the firelight.

When the melody neared it's end, the flying ice crystals came together in front of Josephine, individual flakes flying together and building a shape, slowly coalescing into a crystalline rose.

When Gaelio finished and lowered the frozen flute, he opened his eyes, glowing blue, and smiled brightly. He kept his focus on the rose as he waited for her to take it.

"...sorry, it's more fun that way. I hoped you enjoyed it."

[DragonSong]

Josephine stared with wide eyes, a wondering smile curving at her lips. Bay sat up and snapped lazily at a few of the snowflakes and she stroked his fur absently.

Once the rose had formed, she glanced from it to Gaelio and back before hesitantly reaching out to touch it.

"It's beautiful," she murmured, gently turning it over in her hands.

[Marakai Trin]

"Thanks. A rose seemed appropriate, seeing as how I already made Bay something." He stood from the chair, admiring the flute of ice in his hands. "Could use some work, but it'll pass." He set it on the table, and stretched a little.

"Well. When you're ready, we can head onto the village and trade yesterday's hunt for a sheet and some other things. It's not far."

[DragonSong]

"It's amazing." Carefully, she laid the ice rose up on the mantle above the fire, then paused.

"Um..." She glanced down at Bay, then at herself, wrapped in a sheet. "Well, alright. Ready whenever you are, I suppose."

She dropped the sheet and fell forward onto four paws as she did, a sharp huff and a shake of her head settling her into wolf form.

Bay yapped delightedly and bounded up to her, nuzzling her chin and licking at her nose. She snorted at him and gave him a few licks, tail wagging slowly.

[Marakai Trin]

Gaelio watched as she transformed, a smile on his face. "That's just amazing." He gathered his sword, cloak, and bow and placed them all appropriately, and grabbed his sled again, moving towards the door. He pulled it open and stepped out, dragging the sled out while holding an arm inside to keep the door open for Josephine and Bay.

[DragonSong]

Josie huffed bashfully and grabbed Bay by the scruff of his neck, padding out into the snow. She looked up at Gaelio and whined quietly, giving a jerk of her head in a "lead on" sort of gesture.

[Marakai Trin]

With a nod, Gaelio shut the door, and went to the corner of the house to undo the rope, allowing the hide-wrapped bundle to fall to the ground. This he placed on the sled, and then resecured the rope.

"Let's be off then." He looked to the two wolves beside him with a smile, and started down the path, dragging the sled behind him.

He followed the path he had cleared earlier that day for some distance, before turning at a large boulders. He stepped into the drifts, and the sled began moving much more smoothly.

[DragonSong]

As Josephine started after him at a steady trot, Bay began to wriggle and bark in protest at being carried. With a huff, she relaxed her hold on him, allowing him to bound around her and Gaelio's legs as they walked.

[Marakai Trin]

Gaelio bent down once to scratch behind Bay's ears with a chuckle, and shortly after stumbled over something in the snow. He caught himself, with a laugh, and shook his head.

"See what you made me do, Bay?" He chuckled a bit again, and continued on, moving up a hill.

"There we are. Down there is Yuske. Mostly people like me...hunters, not mages. I'm the only mage. But survivors, anyway."

He looked down to Josephine, his face serious. "Are you going to be okay with coming with me? As long as you're with me, you should be fine, but...I want to make sure you're okay with it."

[DragonSong]

The wolf huffed, then nodded sharply. She circled protectively around him and the pup, then took up a stance at his side again, Bay safely tucked under her belly.

[Marakai Trin]

Gaelio nodded, and smiled. "I'm glad. Just stick with me, and lets see what happens."

Below them was a small ring of houses, with a large firepit in the middle. Most of them were of lower quality than Gaelio's cabin, but those that weren't were nearly extravagant.

Gaelio pulled the sled down the hill, and went towards one of the better looking buildings, banging a hand on a door marked 'Trading Post.'

"It's Gaelio. I have some meat and an elk hide."

The door opened a crack, and a thin old man poked his head out, with a grin missing several teeth. "Welcome, lad. You bring in some of the best - and you've got some pets with you, too? What have you been doing up there, boy?"

Gaelio blanched, raising a hand to the back of his head. "Err...well, they were outside my door yesterday during the storm. They're friendly, they've been keeping me good company since they showed up."

He glanced to Josephine with a questioning look. He hadn't thought this meeting out, or discussed it with her. Socially, Gaelio was typically inept. He also happened to be a horrible liar.

[DragonSong]

All of Josephine's natural instincts screamed at her to grab Bat, turn tail, and run back to the cabin.

But Gaelio's look told her she was going to have to sell this. So she barked in as friendly a way as she could manage, tail moving in broad sweeps as she moved forward to sniff the stranger's hand.

Bay whimpered quietly and shrank back against her legs, obviously nervous to be surrounded by so many new sounds and smells.

[Marakai Trin]

Gaelio gave a sigh of relief, bending down to pet Bay, hoping to reassure him.

"See? No problem." He looked back to the elderly man with a small smile. "Anyway..I was wanting to know if you've got a spare sheet, and maybe some vegetables I can trade for."

The thin old man nodded. "I'm sure I've got something you could use, lad. Just a moment." The elderly man patted Josephine on the head - Gaelio cringed - and then disappeared back inside.

Gaelio looked down to Josephine apologetically. "Sorry..." he whispered.