It's Always Winter Here (DragonSong)

[DragonSong]

Josie nodded and untied the sling from over her shoulder, gently lowering Bay down to the ground. The baby fussed and wriggled, brow furrowed and the small sounds he was making threatening tears.

She sighed and murmured a few soft, "Shhh"s. "Yeah, he's wet. Needs changing." She set to work with that, using a strip of fabric from the hem of her new tunic as a loincloth.

"Alright, alright," she muttered as Bay continued to fuss. "I know, baby, I know, shh..."

[Marakai Trin]

Gaelio blinked. "I'd you tear too much of that off, you're not going to be wearing much again. Perhaps we should see about some other cloth we can use for that." He laid backwards, ignoring the pine needles digging into his scalp.

"Well, if he's not hungry, why not give him a bath? It shouldn't take long for the water to get warm. And you can use the other cloak to dry him." He closed his eyes as he said this, resting for a little.

[DragonSong]

"I suppose I could do that." She frowned a bit. "I just worry about him catching cold..."

Now only in his little shirt and makeshift loincloth, Bay seemed to be slightly happier. She smiled and tickled his belly, making him giggle and grab for her hand.

[Marakai Trin]

He cracked an eye open to peak at her, the blue and purple bands just visible.

"Well, you can dry him and use my cloak to wrap him up in. I'm not cold at all." He sat up and brushed the pine needles out of his hair, then took off his cloak. "Besides, it'll be warmer the further away from the mountains we get."

[DragonSong]

"Yeah, I guess that's true. C'mere, little man."

She picked Bay up and held him tight to her chest, using her own cloak to wrap him up and keep him close, waiting for the water to warm.

[Marakai Trin]

After a moment, Gaelio stood to inspect the water, dipping a hand in to check the temperature. He glanced at Josie and nodded. "It should be fine for him. I'll take the pot off before it gets too hot."

He tossed his cloak onto the sled, and lifted the handle of the pot, keeping his hand well away from the flame. He hefted it up, and carried it a short distance away.

"There... Bath time for the little guy."

[DragonSong]

"Alright, up we get." She hefted Bay on her hip and moved to the water, testing the temperature with a finger before she nodded and wrestled with the boy for a moment so she could get his clothes off and get him in the water.

Bay squirmed and protested heartily, pouting and threatening to cry as she scrubbed at him gently. "Oh, you hush. This is good for you," his mother informed him briskly.

[Marakai Trin]

Gaelio gave a hearty chuckle and sat on the sled. "It'll be over faster if you don't fight with your mom." He grinned a little, holding his cloak on his lap for when Bay was finished being bathed.

"Hopefully we can find a remote stream somewhere down the road. I could do with a bath, too. Freezing ponds only do so much for me."

[DragonSong]

"Ugh." Josie screwed her face up. "You don't even what to know how much I need a bath. Honestly, I'm surprised you could stand sharing a bed with me." She smirked over her shoulder at him as she gathered Bay up, then stood and moved to place the boy on the cloak in his lap.

"Here." She knelt and wrapped the edges of the cloak around him, tickling his tummy as she dried him off.

[Marakai Trin]

Gaelio let out a good laugh. "You? Josie, I've skinned and gutted a deer and two bears since you've shown up, with nothing to scrub the blood off but snow. I'm surprised you can manage to even be around me." He let out a good chuckle at that.

"Besides, you don't smell that bad. You remind me of the trees...if not a little like wet dog." He gave a crooked grin at that, and then prepared to defend himself.

[DragonSong]

The shifter growled, eyes narrowing, but she made sure to move a now tightly bundled up Bay off his lap before she pounced, jabbing her fingers into Gaelio's ribs.

"Watch yourself," she warned playfully.

[Marakai Trin]

"Wha-hey!" His eyes widened as her fingers dug into his ribs, but with his hands free he was able to grab her wrist and avoid another session of torturous tickling.

All she got out of him was a chuckle, but he wasn't about to let her go and let her continue. He grinned up at her. "Heh, you know I was only kidding. But before we start wrestling around again, how about we find some real water and clean off our respective filth, huh? I bet we'll be able to travel more comfortably if we get cleaned up."

He chuckled a bit, and looked down at her hand for a moment, and then looked up with one brow raised.

"Is it safe to let you go now?"

[DragonSong]

"Hmph." Josie quirked an eyebrow at him but settled back slightly. "I make no promises," she replaying, eyes glinting playfully.

[Marakai Trin]

He regarded her with his brow still raised, their looks mirroring each other. After a moment of this, he let out a small laugh, and let her go.

"Well, I suppose I'll just have to take my chances, then."

[DragonSong]

Josephine snorted and pulled her hands back, then bent to scoop Bay up and tousle his still damp hair. "Come on then, let's do this quick."

[Marakai Trin]

Gaelio stood and nodded. "Sounds wonderful. But...I don't sense any water nearby...at least not in large enough quantities to constitute a stream or a pond." He grinned a little sheepishly.

"So we may still need to do some walking. The only serious body of water I know about is the Matron, which is....East of here. There may be a tributary splitting off of it we can use."

He glanced at her and smiled. "East is a good direction, anyway. It'll take us away from Reijh and Uthlyn. So, let's be off, unless you've a better idea." He bent to pick up the strap again, and glanced to the east.

[DragonSong]

She shrugged and shook her head. "Nah, I'm following you here."