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It's Always Winter Here (DragonSong)

Started by Marakai Trin, December 25, 2016, 05:02:41 PM

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Marakai Trin

Gaelio nodded, stood to rummage through a pile of assorted cookware beside the fireplace. He set up a...(one of those contraptions you hang a cook pot from by a fire, wtf is it called? >_<) and hung a large, cast iron pot from it.

"....yeah. Why not? It's freezing outside. I can hunt enough for the three of us...to be honest, when we get heavy snow, sometimes I hunt for the whole village. The snow and ice doesn't bother me...though I suppose that's obvious."

He stood up from the fire, walking over to the door and opening it just a crack. With a subtle motion of the hand, a continuous stream of snow flowed inward, moving straight to the pot to begin filling it, quickly melting to form water.

He latched the door, and moved back to the fire.

"I'm afraid I'm no chef, though....I can make a stew if I've got the vegetables, but...well, you've seen it out there. So its either fried or boiled. Sorry about that. But you can stay as long as you're comfortable....if you wanted to, I suppose you could move into the village instead. Up to you."

DragonSong

[Haha, usually called a "spit"]

Jo tilted her head as she watched the snow fill the pot, absently trying to wrestle an over-eager wolf pup back into her arms. Bay kept trying to leap for the floor and make a dash for the deer.

"Really, any food is appreciated. Thank you." Sighing, she gave up and let Bay hop to the floor, where he shook himself and darted forward to sniff curiously at their host's feet.

"We really only need to stay a few days," she added softly. "I wouldn't want to impose..."

Marakai Trin

(I knew that, I swear! XD)

Gaelio didn't understand kids - however, he did understand animals. He reached a hand down to Bay, a small smile curling his lips as he patted the pup on the head.

"If you only stay a few days, where would you go?"

Pulling a hunting knife from his belt, he began cutting the meat into strips, dropping them one by one in the slowly heating water.

"And the.snow here is nearly year round...you were half froze to death earlier, and if you get lost...well, you know...you wouldn't be imposing anyway. I'd just...need to find another bed, is all."

DragonSong

"I..." Josephine started to protest, but her voice trailed off as she watched Bay yip happily and butt his head against the man's hand, then pawed at his leg when he began curing the meat, obviously begging for attention. She smiled a bit and sat on the floor, dragging the pup into her lap.

"I suppose... if you really don't mind, we could stay a while. Thank you."

It seemed safer than heading out into that snow again, at least. And perhaps this place was remote enough that they could remain hidden for a while.

Marakai Trin

"I don't mind. It gets lonely sometimes...usually I'm not one for talking, bit it's still nice to have someone there." Gaelio finished cutting the meat into chunks, dropping them all into the rapidly heating water. He then wrapped the bundle back up, hefting it and moving toward the door.

"I'm going to hang this up outside...I'll be right back."

Holding the bundle against his chest, he turned the latch and pushed it open with his foot.

Just outside, there was a rope and hook attached to one corner of the house, connected to a pulley on the roof. He set the bundle on the ground for a moment, and untied the other end of the rope from a hook set in the wall, allowing the bigger hook to fall to the ground.

He pushed the hook through the hide that was wrapped around the meat, and then heaved on the other end of the rope, pulling it upwards and out of reach of any of the nights scavengers.

He again secured the loose end of the rope on its hook, and made his way back inside.

DragonSong

Josie kept Bay in her lap as the pup tried to follow him outside. "Stop that now," she murmured, resorting to half wrapping him in the sheet with her to keep him still. He whined and blinked up at her with wide eyes.

"Oh, don't give me that look." She dipped her head to press a light kiss between his ears and he yipped, tail wagging slightly.

Marakai Trin

The door crashed open once more, and Gaelio stepped inside. He immediately went to the fire, heedless of the snow caked in his hair and all over his skin. He dropped a couple more logs into the fire, stirring it with an iron poker.

"I meant to ask...you said before you thought the mountains would be safe..."

The flames climbed a bit higher, tongues of heat licking the bottom of the cockpit.

"...safe from what, exactly?" He leaned the poker against the wall, and stepped over to one of the only two chairs in the cabin. He turned it about and sat, facing the two.

"If you have someone after you...I should probably know, if you're going to stay here."

DragonSong

Josephine stiffened. Bay sensed his mother's tension and whimpered, ears flicking back to press against his skull. Her heart lurched guiltily and she quickly picked him up to cuddle him against her chest, despite his wriggling protests.

She glanced up at Gaelio as she let the pup jump from her arms, shaking himself with a huff. "His father," she replied quietly, glancing at her son. "I- I'm not sure he even knows Bay exists. But if there's even a chance that he does..."

She swallowed and shook her head, eyes turning to ice. "I won't let him hurt my baby."

Her shoulders hunched a bit, jaws set as she looked back up at him. "So. I understand if you want us to go." Honestly, she expected derision or disgust, maybe a lecture about her immorality or an order to return to her "husband". Her hands curled into the sheet, knuckles going white as she prepared to grab Bay and run if need be.

Marakai Trin

Gaelio arched a brow, but nothing more. The boys father...was he so bad, as to drive off a pretty woman such as this? He may have come from a good family, but he wasn't stupid. He knew how some people were...

It was part of the reason he was out here, after all.

"...if you don't mind saying, why? Why does Bay need protected from him?"

He stood up, and moved to sit beside them. He settled a hand on her shoulder, a rare show of comfort from him.

"No matter the reason, I won't run you out. I've got my share of secrets, too."

DragonSong

She blinked and almost flinched away from him, taken aback. "He- I-"

She cleared her throat and glanced over at Bay, then lowered her voice a bit. The boy was nearly talking now, and he certainly seemed to understand a lot of what she said...maybe she should keep her voice down.

"Bay is...special. For our kind. I'm afraid he'd try to use that." She sighed and rubbed at the back of her neck. "Thank you. For helping us."

Marakai Trin

Gaelio nodded, and stood up. "Of course." He moved over to the pot hanging over the fire, poking around in it with a long wooden spoon he pulled from his assorted cookware beside the fire.

Looking into the pot, he spoke.

"I'm on the run. From Connlaoth. I'm a mage... obviously. Killed a warden in the woods, and ran. Been here since then."

His words were short and clipped, devoid of emotion while he spoke, as if he were reading it from a book.

"I'll protect you. And Bay. Unless this man is a Mordecai, I can put an arrow in him from fifty yards. Just point him out."

DragonSong

Josephine stared at him for a few moments, completely silent.

Slowly, she nodded. "Thank you, Gaelio." Whether or not she took him up on that, or he actually needed to follow through, didn't matter. She appreciated the gesture.

After a moment, she stood slowly and Bay came bounding back to jump around her feet. "You're Connlaothian?" she murmured quietly, bending to lay a hand on her pup's head.

Marakai Trin

"Yes. My parents owned a small farm on the plain. Not far from these mountains, actually. A mage, born of Connlaothian blood. From a family that had no history of magic. I'm still trying to figure that out."

He turned around, holding two bowls full of steaming meat. "Sorry if it doesn't taste that great. You were warned."

DragonSong

"I'm sure it's fine." She took the bowl gratefully and sat again to pull Bay into her lap.

The smell of food was enough to get the child's attention, and between one breath and the next he was human again, reaching for the bowl.

"Hold on, it's hot," Josie warned him. She blew on the bowl and glanced up at Gaelio. "It happens more than you'd think. Magic cropping up like that." She shrugged. "Of course, there's always the chance an ancestor was unfaithful. There'd be no record of magic in your family then."

Marakai Trin

Gaelio moved back to fill a third bowl for himself, leaving some left for them still - he imagined they were quite hungry after the days events. Booted feet sounded on the floor as he stepped toward the chair, seating himself. He, too, blew upon his bowl, and it would almost seem as if crystals of ice were aloft on his breath, cooling the food rapidly.

"...if it's too hot, I can cool it for him. And there's plenty more in the pot."

He glanced up at her, at her mentioning of his family, and slowly shook his head. "No...all of the men as far back as records show were soldiers. They would have likely been found out. Even my father was a soldier, right up until I was born...they left Reajh to start the farm, in order to hide me. But...insofar as I can tell, my magic is unexplained."

He gave a shrug, then. "It really doesn't matter, though. I just keep on the lookout for Mordecai, or Connlaothian soldiers in general. If they're looking for me, they're not looking hard. It's been a few years since I found this place, and any patrol that comes in this area doesn't seem to be looking, rather just passing through to the tundra."

DragonSong

Josie nodded slowly as she helped Bay hold his bowl in his lap. Her son grabbed for the spoon and she tsked at him and adjusted his grip so he wouldn't be flinging stew everywhere. Once satisfied, she took a few quick bites of her own meal between helping him.

She was ravenous, but she managed to control herself from scarfing it all down in a few massive bites. A soft, canine sort of whimper rose up in her throat completely unbidden as she forced herself to eat slowly.

"I was running from them, too," she muttered after a few moments. "Before Bay. I was born in Connlaoth- I didn't change for the first time until I was a teenager, thought I had to leave to keep everyone safe."

Marakai Trin

Gaelio tilted a brow, looking at her questioningly. "But it seems you have rather good control...judging from you holding back right now, as well as when you appeared at my door...I apologize for that, by the way. Most time if I hear scratches at my door, it's actual wolves. My first thought was defense. I'm sorry."

He finished his meal, and set his bowl aside. "Well, as I said, you're welcome to stay as long as you need to. But...it's late, and I must sleep. You and Bay are welcome to my bed...I can make a pallet on the floor."

DragonSong

She chuckled wryly. "I have good control now. Believe me, that took practice."

She hissed slightly when Bay spilled a bit of hot stew onto her leg and shifted to better help him with his spoon. "See, this is why I want you to let me help," she muttered. The child wriggled and pouted, trying to wrestle control away from her.

She glanced up at the offer of the bed. "Oh- are you sure? I feel rather guilty for kicking you out of your own bed..."

Marakai Trin

"Nonsense. I can't put a woman and her child on the floor. It... wouldn't be right. Take it, and we'll work something out tomorrow." He took his bearskin cloak off the hook, now quite dry, and tossed it on the floor near the fire.

"I would ask though...and I'm sorry as you're using it for a cover, but could I have the sheet? You two can use the blanket, since I'll be near the fire..."

DragonSong

"Oh, of course." She twisted to put her back to him as much as she could and let the sheet fall from around her shoulders. "Thank you, really. So much."

As Bay seemed to be done with his food, she scooped the child up and moved toward the bed, quickly tucking them both under the blanket. Her child squirmed a bit, but evidently he was still quite tired, because he dropped off to sleep quickly enough.