Fire and Frost

[Ramon]

Drest remained unimpressed as the three surrounded him. Yeah, they may have been taller and more fit than him, but he had dealt with guys like this before. He wasn't intimidated at all by them. And besides, he had an advantage they didn't. At least, he didn't think they knew any magic. Time to find out. "I think you should stop thinking of your sister as infallible." he shot back in return, tugging off his mitts. No, he wasn't preparing for a fist-fight, unless one of the triplets wanted to start one. He just didn't want to singe his mitts.

Generating a small fireball, he began to toss it from hand to hand, ignoring the brothers. "I admit, she's a great shot, but she's only human. People miss sometimes." he commented. "Lucky she did, because if she never missed like you claim, she would have been bringing a dead body back to camp instead of a dead elk." Drest glanced up at one of them and smirked, adding. "I doubt I'm as tasty as that elk, anyway."

[GoblinFae]

Zurna arrived for Drest's tail-end of the argument and was therefore able to stop her brothers from continuing their current intimidation efforts. "I'd be careful if I were you with statements like that. These three will eat just about anything, and I mean anything."

Shouldering her way through the boys, she was able to finally reach her guest and hand him the wineskin. Zurna pulled it back right before Drest was able to grasp it. "I warn you, this is very strong and very smooth. I advise you to drink it fast and only drink a little bit of it. Believe me, you wouldn't want to look like those idiots," she teased, jutting her thumb behind her. "Unfortunately, their condition is permanent. But still, I would hate for you to suffer that even temporarily. There is no knowing how short a time period it takes before you are stuck that way for life."

Smiling, she at last handed him the skin and not a minute too soon. In retaliation for her earlier jibes, the triplets tackled her to the ground and began to mock-wrestle about. Despite the odds, Zurna did hold her own, especially when the boys began to turn on each other. Wiggling her way out of it, the boys oblivious continued rolling about.

"Well now that you have met the craziest members of my family, how would you like to come inside by the fire and meet the eldest?" Zurna pointed back towards the large main tent. "As soon as Yotar is finished cleaning up the elk we can begin cooking. It won't take long before we eat, you are more than welcome to join us if you are hungry," she invited him warmly.

[Ramon]

"Good thing you missed, then." Drest replied with a light smirk, letting the fireball sputter out. The mitts remained off since his hands were still plenty warm, and it would be easier to hold the wineskin that way. He took in Zurna's instructions with a silent nod, smiling faintly at the glares her brothers were shooting her once the insults started. His family would never joke around like this, so it was fun to be around people who did. "Short and fast. Got it." he said, accepting the wineskin with a wider smile.

Backing off a little as a mock-fight broke out, Drest raised the wineskin to his lips and took a very short sip. Even with swallowing quickly, the drink burned in his mouth, taking his breath away and making him cough a little. Yep, it was indeed strong. Nonetheless, he took another drink, telling himself he would get used to the taste. Hopefully. He had earned this, after all.

"Sure." he agreed with a nod. The triplets were nice and all, but some more normal people would definitely be welcome. "Just tell me where I can put my stuff and I'll come in." The tent looked huge, but bringing his sledge and pack inside was probably a rude thing to do.

[GoblinFae]

"Ah, don't worry about that. We have a place we keep our packs and things. I'll show you where you can put your stuff before we head in," she told him already leading him towards the large family tent. Sure enough as they approached an overhang to the left made itself more visible. Underneath it a few other packs could be seen. For the most part it remained pretty empty. "Most of my brothers are still out on the fishing boats," was her explanation for the space.

Zurna dumped her warm wrap off once she was inside. Her eyes adjusted quickly revealing the large family fire in the center of the tent. The spacious tent had several sections to it where different family members were congregating. The elders were currently sitting to one side, the women mending nets and the men smoking their pipes and talking of the past.

She was just about to introduce her guest to her family a pair of twin squeals came at her from the left. "Aunt Z!" Aliyah and Cara raced over to their aunt. Zurna laughed, hugging each close. "Who's he?" Aliyah asked pointing at the stranger. The more wary one, Cara, hid behind her twin, nervously peaking out.

"This is my new friend Drest. Say hello girls." Cara stuck her hand out waved it slightly and then quickly retracted it, still refusing to come out of hiding. "I'm Aliyah!" the other twin said brightly, "and that's my sister Cara. She's a baby though so don't 'spect to be talkin' to 'er." From the girls deteriorated from excited politeness into squabbling.

Zurna just rolled her eyes. "They're Yotar's little ones. Cara is shy and Aliyah constantly teases her for it. We get some but not many visitors here." She shrugged as if to say, what can you do. "My mother and father," she pointed out, "Minali and Trafford. And of course my grumpy eldest brothers Atenteben and Birbyn?." She turned away and in turn introduced her family to Drest.

"Welcome young man," Minali greeted, a smile crinkling her weathered face. "I hope you will be able to stay and share our hearth for a meal. It is too cold to just pass through so quickly. Winter is quickly approaching you know. Autumn is too quick a season here," she jested, the family chuckling along knowingly.

[Ramon]

Drest followed Zurna towards the family tent, taking it in with interest. It was nothing like the home he had grown up in, but he supposed it suited this family's lifestyle. "I see." he muttered, taking in the empty space with a glance. Choosing a spot where his things would be out of the way but hopefully still accessible should more people come, he maneuvered his sledge into the space and balanced his pack carefully on top of it. "Ahhh, much better..." he breathed, stretching his arms about his head and rolling his shoulders.

Entering the tend behind the young woman, Drest took in the scene, glancing curiously around at everything. When the twins approached, he gave them both a hesitant nod of greeting. "Nice to meet you both." he responded politely. Ah, sibling fights. Another rarity in his household.

He nodded and murmured a greeting to each person he was introduced to, doing his best to be polite and not show his nervousness. "Thank you for allowing me into your home." he responded, giving Minali a warm smile. "I would love to stay and enjoy a meal with your family." Stepping back, he took another quick drink from the wineskin, doing his best not to wince as the taste hit. He smiled at the comment about a quick fall, knowing that if he was surprised by the weather now, he would be shocked once winter hit.

[GoblinFae]

Zurna smiled to herself at the way Drest treated her family and picked up Cara to tickle her, much to the young one's displeasure. Putting the girl down again, she was just in time to notice the stranger's partaking of the wineskin again. "Careful with that," she quietly warned. "You don't want to be getting sick."

She walked over to the pot hanging over the fire and stirred it a few times while peering within. "Ah good, dinner should be ready soon. Just waiting on the meat now." The young woman sent a pleased smile in Drest's direction before sitting down on a pile of furs near the fire. "Why don't you come sit down. We could talk a bit while we wait," she motioned to him and patted the spot beside her. The moment she was down though the twins converged on her, each fighting for her lap until they were comfortably settled. "So Drest, where were you headed off to when I found you? Anywhere in particular?"

[Ramon]

Drest grunted in response and decided to simply hold onto the wineskin for now. Zurna was right, there was no sense in making himself sick. He could always have water or some other drink if he go thirsty. he awkwardly shuffled after her as she moved to check the pot, still looking curiously around the tent. Some of her family members were examining him as well, but he supposed that was natural - how often did they see a red-haired and golden-eyed young man out here? Probably not too often.

Grateful for something to focus on, the young mage quick settled beside Zurna, giving the twins a hesitant smile. "I was actually headed for this camp when you found me." he admitted, switching his attention to the young woman. "I had heard this would be a good place to stock up on supplies and get a rest before heading out onto the tundra." No, he wasn't about to admit he had gotten slightly lost along the way. He had just taken an alternate route, that's all.

"I'm an adventurer, you see, and I came to Hyoite with the intent to explore as much as I could. I want to see the world, and I figured coming here first was a good place to start." Drest said with a touch of pride in his voice. His father and older brothers had never left Serendipity, so travelling was one way to prove he was just as good as they were.

[GoblinFae]

"Ah I see," she replied softly. "Although, if you wanted to see the world, I don't know why you wanted to start here. You've seen this, you've seen it all." Zurna motioned to the doorway that led back outside. "I'm sure somewhere like, oh I don't know, Essyrn would have more beauty and culture to it than Hyoite. There is nothing to do here but freeze."

Cara giggled before hiding her face once she realized she had drawn attention to herself. Zurna smiled softly and petted her hair. Aliyah on the other hand was blatantly staring at Drest. Her large child's eyes trying to almost see through him as she took in his strange hair and eyes.

Standing up the girl looked him intensely in the face before declaring quite loudly for all to hear, "you're weird!" Her aunt's head shot up to stare in both disapproval and shock. "Oy! Pint-size, settle down."

"But, Aunt Sir, he is! Look at him his eyes are all shiny."
"Aliyah, don't be rude," the other twin joined in. "I think he's pretty." Blushing heavily, she smiled at Drest shyly.

[Ramon]

Drest shrugged and didn't reply at once. He had his own reasons for coming here first - it was far away from his family, and his fire magic would prove to be an advantage here. So what if it was cold and barren. He'd had enough of trees and tall buildings for now. "It's different here. I want to experience new stuff, not the same thing wrapped in a different culture." he muttered at last, more to himself than his audience.

Aliyah's stare did catch his attention, however, and he stared right back at her. Clearly, she wasn't afraid of or bothered by him, unlike her sister and relatives. Which was good, he supposed, depending on what she did with her life. Her comments made him smile, and he shook his head towards the aunt who spoke. "No, it's alright. I'm not insulted." It was a natural reaction after all. A faint blush appeared on his face at the sister's words, and he sat back and coughed to cover his embarrassment. That he hadn't been expecting. The young man shot a quick glance at Zurna to see if she had reacted at all to either statement, then stared at the wineskin in his hand for a moment.

Recovering slightly, he looked up and smiled at the twins. "Gold eyes run in my family." he explained. "My father and eldest brother have them too. My hair colour comes from Mother's side of the family, though."

[GoblinFae]

Zurna did not like her niece's discriminatory comment one bit. It reminded her too much of the girl's mother, a woman who had countless times discussed her distaste for Zurna and others based on appearance and status. However, her heart was gladdened by Cara's sweet chastising of her own twin sister.

The young woman ran her fingers through the child's hair and hugged her close. "I agree Cara," she softly stated as she looked Drest in the eye. "He is pretty." From her place, Aliyah squawked and began to throw a temper tantrum. One look from Zurna though sent her to her bedroll on the other end of the tent.

"I'm sorry about that. You should not be treated so poorly by a child no less for being different. Her poor behavior is learned from her mother, who in many ways is just as much a child as she." The woman shook her head and sighed. "They just don't really understand I guess. I'm sorry."

Cara slipped out of her aunt's lap and to the surprise of the woman firmly plopped herself in Drest's. "If your brother's and daddy have shiny eyes like you Mister Dwessed, what color eyes does your mommy have? Are they pretty too?" she asked in her child's voice, looking up at the man in awe.

The normally painfully shy girl seemed right at home cuddled up with the stranger. While the rest of the family did not seem to notice or really be concerned with it as they continued their business, Zurna could not help the smile that was twitching at the corner of her lips. "What magical power is this that possess kind stranger that you have taken our little mouse and made her into a lion? I have never seen Cara leave my side when with strangers, let alone sit in their lap and willingly start a conversation. You are amazing indeed!"

[Ramon]

Drest's cheeks went red again at Zurna's comment, unable to break eye contact until she looked away to deal with Aliyah. She thought he was pretty! That was...well, it was unexpected yet wonderful to hear. Realizing that the young woman was speaking again, the mage quickly focused his attention on her. "It's fine, really. I'll probably be getting lots of comments like that when I travel to other places." He paused a frowned slightly, thinking. "As you said, it was something she learned from her mother, so she really doesn't know any better. I can't be upset at her for that."

The frown quickly disappeared when Cara settled in his lap, caused Drest to freeze in shock for a moment. What was he supposed to do now? He had never really interacted with children much growing up, so had never learned how to act around them. Thankfully, the child's question saved him from doing anything embarrassing. "Um...blue. Blue like the sky." he answered, smiling sadly down at her. The memory of his mother's sparkling blue eyes and ready smile was a bittersweet one, but there was no need to tell Cara that. "And yes, they are very pretty. Just like yours!" he added, tapping the girl gently on the nose with a finger.

Relaxing enough to hold Cara in a loose embrace, Drest smiled back at Zurna. "That is a question I'd also like answer to!" he joked in return. He was just as surprised that the girl was so comfortable with him, someone she hadn't enough known half an hour. Still, it was rather nice to have a child on his lap like this, even if it was a rather strange feeling to experience.

[GoblinFae]

The little girl flushed and giggled in joy as she curled up in Drest's lap. "Did you hear that, Aunt Z?" she whispered loudly. "He said I have pretty eyes!" The child laughed again, covering her face with her hands shyly while Zurna just smiled and shook her head. "Aye, I heard."

Looking up to Drest she shrugged. "A mystery it will have to remain. I see no harm in it though. If she bothers you just let me know and I can take her. I don't want her to become burdensome." Even as she said it the woman reached to take the girl as if thinking better of it.

She was interrupted though as Cara peeked out. "Z what color are my eyes?" The woman looked down and raised a brow. "Well how can I tell if you hide them? Or are they so pretty that only pretty people can see them?"

"Only pretty people can."
"Oh I see. Well Alyiah's are brown so I suppose yours are too."
"Brown!" the girl squawked, dropping her hands. "Like the swamp? What's pretty about that?" She scowled and crossed her arms over her chest. "I don't love you anymore," Cara declared, turning her head to the side. "Mister Dwessed is better." Zurna had to fight to laugh as she clapped a hand over her mouth and watched for Drest's reaction to her little niece.

[Ramon]

Drest couldn't keep the smile that spread across his face hidden, despite his best efforts to hide it. Cara seemed like a joy, and he was pleased that she had opened up to him. Puzzled, but pleased. "Don't worry about it, I'm fine." the young man replied, shooing Zurna away with a wave of his hand,  "Sorry, we're fine." he corrected, glancing down at the girl in his lap and smiling at her.

Less than a minute later, he was trembling with the effort to contain his laughter. Yes, he was probably causing the girl on his lap to worry about him, but the conversation between Cara and 'Aunt Z' had been both adorable and hilarious. Zurna's own reaction wasn't helping him calm down. His conversations at home had never been like this, even when Mother was alive. So Drest was finding it hard to keep a straight face. "Now...now..." he gasped, coughing a few times to catch his breath and prevent himself from laughing. "There's plenty of pretty things that are brown!" he eventually managed to say, grinning down at Cara.

"That elk that your aunt killed is brown. The soil in the land where I come from is brown as well, and lots of different crops are grown in it. Also..." he paused, thinking. "I know there are some pretty gemstones that are brown. So if you don't like to compare your eyes to the colour of the swamps, why don't you compare it to something else in this land that is brown? There must be lots of things that are that colour, right?" he asked, looking over at Zurna for some clarification. She knew the area better than himself, after all.

[GoblinFae]

Cara scowled and slouched in Drest's lap. "Just because brown is useful doesn't make it pretty! All brown things are stupid and ugly." The child continued to pout even as her youngest aunt pursed her lips in thought. "Well," Zurna began, "I can think of one thing that you love that is brown."

The young girl looked up suspiciously. "I doubts it." Zurna smiled and raised her brow in challenge as she reached into a crate beside her. "Oh then I suppose you won't be wanting any then. More for me I guess," the woman replied as she unwrapped a block of brown chocolate.

Small eyes widened as a tiny mouth opened in awe. "Chocolate!" she squealed, bouncing up and down in her seat. "Would you like some Cara?" The child looked around as if to see if anyone was watching and then bobbed her head excitedly. "Well don't tell your parents I gave it to you."

Zurna broke off a large piece for the child and handed it to her. What surprised her though was how the child then paused in thought, before taking Drest's hand and placing the favorite treat in it. "There," she softly exclaimed, "now Mister Dwessed and I are besties!" The child beamed up at the man, never seeing the way her aunt's face smiled in awe at the innocent declaration.

[Ramon]

Well, he had tried, although apparently he wasn't knowledgeable enough about the world to convince a small child. Biting back a scowl at his failure, Drest instead focused on Zurna, half-curious to see what she had in mind. What brown thing did Cara love so much?

His eyes widened a moment later at the sight of chocolate. How did that get all the way up here? He had assumed it was only a southern treat, unknown to people in the far north. Clearly, he had been wrong. Realizing that his mouth was hanging open, the young man shut it with a snap and flushed. He must look like a fool right now. Thankfully, the child on his lap chose that moment to place a piece of the delightful treat in his palm, giving him a distraction.

"Oh...Thank you, Cara!" he replied softly, touched by her kindness. Nibbling on the chocolate, he noticed Zurna's smile and returned it. Her neice was truly a joy, and she should be proud to be Cara's aunt.

[GoblinFae]

A cool burst of air flooded the tent, making the flames dance as Yotar at last entered the tent with some of the butchered meat. The moment Cara saw him she was out of Drest's lap and flying towards the tall man. "Papa!" she squealed as Aliyah moved to join her.

Zurna turned, sending an ugly glare at the child currently in time-out. "Aliyah Sonet! You march right back to your bedroll. You have not been excused for your behavior earlier. Until you can behave as a polite young lady and apologize to Drest, you will not be joining the rest of the family."

The youngest adult brother of the family raised one brow in question as he scooped Cara up onto his hip and dropped the meat into the boiling pot with a thunk. "And what has she done that warrants such a fierce scowl from you, sister mine? You look about ready to rip my head off the shoulders it stands on!"

"It is not your head I want to be relocating but that of your wife," Zurna growled back. "It seems your daughter has picked up a certain someone's vileness to that which does not fit the norm."

Yotar opened and closed his mouth in realization before turning his attention to Cara. "Is there a reason your fingers are sticky?" The little girl immediately pointed behind Zurna. "Aunt Z gave me some!"

A small growl of "traitor" sounded from the young woman's side of the tent before she turned mischievous eyes on the child. "Just you wait Cara. I'll get you for that for sure," she teased, wiggling her fingers at the girl as if to tickle her from all the way across the tent.

Cara squealed, jumping from her laughing father's arms to hide behind Drest. "Save me!" she begged, wrapping her arms around his neck and burying her face in the middle of his back. "She is going to torture me!"

Zurna in turn looked at Drest, a silent question of whether he would play along, written in her eyes. She motioned her head to the girl behind him as if to say "whose side are you on" even as she got to her knees to try and wrestle the child out from behind him.

[Ramon]

Drest looked away from Cara as a brisk wind made him shiver, but the thought of fresh-cooked meat made him feel warm again. Food sounded like a great idea, considering that he hadn't eaten lunch and the long hours of walking across the tundra had tired him out. But the meat didn't appear to be cooked yet, so he still had to wait for his meal.

The young man looked at Aliyah as she moved back to the corner of the tent. She would have a long way to go to get rid of the attitude her mother had instilled in her, but she was still young. She could change.

Drest focused back on Cara and her father just as the young girl bolted from her father's arms to hide behind him. "Torture you, you say? In that case, I am honour-bound to protect you, my lady," meeting Zurna's gaze and smiling at her to show he would indeed play along. Spreading his arms, Drest stated,  "You shall not lay a finger on this child, vile huntress!"

[GoblinFae]

Zurna cocked a brow in challenge. "Is that so? And what makes you think you are man enough to stop me?" She moved close enough so that they were face to face with their knees touching. "Perhaps you are mistaken and I am the heroine and the two of you, the villains. What say you to that?"

Her eyes narrowed to thin slits even as a smirk tugged at the corner of her lips. A quick glance to the side caught Cara giggling and cowering behind Drest. "Get 'er Mister Dwessed! Kill the evil witch before she cooks us and eats us!"

The older woman gasped in mock hurt, her face a mask of shock. "Is this the thanks I get for feeding you chocolate, you little brat? Why that does it! Now I am going to get you," she declared, trying to reach past Drest to get at her squealing niece.

[Ramon]

Drest didn't flinch as Zurna came face to face with him, instead allowing a smirk to appear on his face. "Do you accuse me of being evil simply because I have the ability to perform magic?" he asked softly in return, summoning a small fireball with a flick of his wrist. Careful to keep the ball of flame away from anything that might catch fire, he added, "Surely you must have heard the tales of heroic mages defeating evil with their power?"

Shifting in an attempt to block Zurna as she tried to reach past him, the young man used his free arm to shield Cara. "Nay, huntress! You shall not pass unless you defeat me first!" Drest knew better than to threaten to use magic against her, surrounded as he was by a family of hunters, but other methods weren't out of the question. It all depended on how Zurna chose to respond to his challenge.

[GoblinFae]

"Defeat you? Well now I don't really think that's fair," Zurna pouted, sitting back on her heels. "I mean you don't even stand a chance!" Having received his approval of their forming game, the huntress promptly dived into her role and moved to tackle Drest.

From behind them Cara squealed, cheering on her potential savior even as Zurna continued to struggle to maintain the upper-hand. "You're not going to win this sir knight, not while I stand on home territory. Whatever shall you do now?"