A Jaunt In the Woods [Kaiko]

[Tailen]

A Jaunt In the Woods

Glade 10th, 123rd Year, A.o.S.

Though the season had finally marked the end of a continuous winter, the northern lands themselves were only steadily thawing out with hardly any sign of color returning to the hills and trees. The boreal woods throughout Karnor were often littered with evergreens, aside from those, however, many of the other trees remained dormant or even damaged from excessive ice accumulated over the year.

It was a bad omen of the times that the world was slowly recovering from, yet even so, life would always continue onward as it was known to do. Critters came out of their hiding holes in search of newfound food, predators roamed territory long since treaded in hopes that their food might've returned to the hills and meadows. Make no mistake life was returning to the world here, but, the residual Frost left behind would challenge nature in new ways yet.

Treading through the sheets of packed snow wasn't easy for Tailen, due to the fact they were on a hunt for whatever creatures they could find. It wasn't hard trying to keep warm with the fur-padded gear that both boys had on, although, it was certainly hard to keep quiet when every step they made met with a muffled crunch beneath a boot. Tailen could tell that his older brother was getting irritated by it, as sound only remained their enemy when it came to approaching animals in the vicinity.

They had already spent a day coming out to this part of the wood, and from the looks of it, they were going to head back with little in return. "Hey, brother?" The younger sibling chimed quietly as Byron slowed down in front of him, twisting his upper body so that he could look back at Tailen with a raised eyebrow. "Do you think we should just collect other resources instead? I know we were hoping to bring home game, but at this rate, I don't think we'll even find herbs or edibles to forage..."

The look in his younger brother's eyes was enough to lead Byron to quietly exhale through his nose, a faint plume of moisture that was still visible to the naked eye no less. Tailen wasn't entirely wrong though. The best they could hope for was to find berries or other local vegetation that handled the winter better, and even then, their chances remained slimmed what with the prolonged exposure throughout the year. The boys had at least a couple of days worth of rations to tide them over, but neither of them was well-versed in the art of making traps either.

"If we don't find anything soon, or can't sneak up on it without scaring it off... then yeah." It became a burning realization in his older brother's gaze, as Byron's indirect stare shifted from the ground back to his younger sibling a moment after. "Yeah, we're likely better off just to scour the place for wood. I know the village has been scraping with that for the past few months."

As Byron nodded to the notion Tailen quickly agreed, giving his older brother a soft nod and warm grin to lift their spirits. "I'm sure they'll appreciate whatever we can bring home." He enthused with soft vibrance to avoid causing too much noise in the forest, his older brother softly chuckling a bit as he turned to continue leading onward. It's been such a rough year for everyone, what with the cold and darkness haunting the village. The younger sibling thought to himself as he reflected on the difficult times behind them.

Lady Frey had lost her husband to the cold, and both her son and daughter-in-law were taken by the shadows. Not to mention Ilakai the blacksmith there, whose wife also went missing for the same reason. Old man Crokan also lost a lot of stock over the last few months of the year, so naturally, that also hit the town hard when food stock dwindled that greatly. Even the horses had unfortunately frozen to death, but that was all in part of surviving out here in the Wildking's Forge.

Even if we can't bring back food a lot of food, just keeping everyone warm with firewood is enough. He hoped with a steady march after his older brother, as Tailen treaded carefully to place his feet flat on the ice beneath him. Just a little bit longer, and hopefully, the woods will flourish with new types of flora and fauna we can look for. Nature would heal in it's own time, it had to after all, if they had any hope of surviving the harshness of the North.

"We'll go together."

[Kaiko Marina]

So far the trip has been uneventful. Most everything looks the same. Snow. Ice. Tree. At first the snow was interesting. This white powder crushed under her weight. Even more interesting is that it would turn to water in her hand. Yet this solid water was not something she could swim in. 

But that was before she spent most of 5 days hiking through the cold stuff. Though finding some rope on day two and the chance to fish a little on day three was great. She still had 4 fish hanging from the rope on her shoulder. As it was still cold enough to keep them good even though they were dead.

As she walked she would sing small verses of many different songs. Mostly staying on the cheerful upbeat songs that would correspond to the speed she walked. After a bit she stopped.

Kaiko would look up at the sky checking her direction again. She would give a nod. Yes she was still heading in the right direction. But she had no clue where she was in regards to the map. But she did know this walk was a lot longer than she had expected. She also knew that if it was not for the otter fur she had grown through Animus she would be freezing as her clothing was not meant for the cold weather. The shirt and skirt are both a thin yet durable material that was meant for the hot sun and sea work down south. She would continue forward her thoughts now on her attire and the hat that the captain gave her.

She started to wonder if she could use her Animus ability on her clothing as a nice warm otter fur coat sounded rather appealing but she would never kill an Otter for it. And if she ever performed again the green leaf-like things from her seaslug form would look rather cute. Not to mention the hat. Could it do stuff? Did it keep her location? Did it read her mind? She would snort and shake her head. That was a ridiculous thought. A hat reading minds. That was unlikely. The hat probably was just a hat. A gift from the captain that probably meant as an I'm sorry or just a gift. 

Kaiko would stop when she started to hear voices. She would turn ever so quietly and listen. The voices were two quiet to understand. And so she would lose the fur that would not be hidden by her clothes and would start towards the sound. Finally she caught the last few words, something about the lack of food. Firewood and new things to forage. It was quickly obvious the voices were from local people. Ones that knew the area and likely could help her find her exact location on the map.

She was not quiet as she approached them but that was only half on purpose. She did not want to get shot simply cause she spooked someone but also she was not good at being quiet in the snow. Once she could clearly see them she would stop and wave. Besides clearly not being dressed for the weather, her sea slug marks would be showing on her arms and neck. 

[Tailen]

A Jaunt In the Woods

Glade 10th, 123rd Year, A.o.S.

The two brothers had started onward again for several feet after where Tailen left off, the younger sibling did his best to imitate the older as they each considered careful steps in the icy snow. For Tailen this was almost difficult since he walked through layered snow that stopped below his knees. Luckily his brother created a literal trail for him to walk in, making it rather easier for Tai to follow in delayed tandem in their trek through the wood.

It did not seem like they would get much farther though, before a sudden stillness crept into Byron from his shoulders on downard. His older brother had noticed something, that much Tai had ascertained from the shift of posture, what he failed to notice though was the source of the reaction. It had been an unusually mysterious girl, at least, someone young enough to be around Tai's own age actually.

What made her unusual to Tai though was the way she physically appeared to them. Sure he had met a few Beast Folk and a couple of other different races, heck there was even Ilakai, their local blacksmith who was also one of them Synnekar Avialae. The girl was rather bluishly pale compared to what usual complexions they'd find on a mortal, so much so that Tai nearly wondered if she had gotten frostbite.

She was in... Hang on. The boy's brow furrowed a bit in suspicion of her appearance, for what kind of mortal wore little for less clothing in the heartland of the North? Part of Tai wondered if she might be a kin of the Fey, come from the mythical Winter Court that was read about in the stories back home. No. She couldn't have been.

The girl was something else entirely and yet still a strange arrival, one that did not sit well with his older brother after he'd noticed her. Byron's gaze on her was phlegmatic, but he made his lack of trust clear when he'd knocked an arrow from the satchel on his back, the arrow pointed downward but his two left fingers on the drawstring. His older brother looked all the more in his element to Tai now, a flicker of admiration in his eyes before he remained fixated on the new girl.

Her arrival remained so mysterious, as she didn't say a word but merely approached slowly and steadily. It was hard to tell what motives this creature had, but in noticing the fish she carried over her back, he thought it auspicious that she might actually bring food with her. Could she have been a traveler? A lone wanderer? Or perhaps a Winter Fae indeed? The latter seemed to really stick with Tai, he almost wanted to bet that she'd offered them food as a red herring.

"Can we help you?" The older sibling remarked plainly with small regard, clearly he was unsure of what to make of the girl in front of them.

"Fishing!" Tai then cut in with sudden enthusiasm, as it finally dawned on him after seeing half the girl's weight in fish. "Why didn't we think of that?!" The question merited a general reaction from his older sibling, as Byron raised an eyebrow at him momentarily before looking back at the girl. "Golly! You must be a pretty clever young lady, if you're resourceful enough to catch fish under all this ice!" Of course Tailen wasn't being literal about the ice around him, that was just soil, but the rivers and even the lake itself remained frozen.

There was no telling how long before the ice caps would finally shift and rupture, but still, the idea of ice fishing wasn't entirely so bad at all. All they'd need was a pickaxe, fishing gear, and camping supplies to bunker down for a few nights. If Tai suggested it enough times then his brother would've agreed, and they'd talk their mother into letting them go on another trip after getting home. But the younger sibling was getting ahead of himself in the moment, right now, he needed to keep his brother at ease and engage with the girl in front of them.

"So uh, hi there!" He chimed a chuckle to bare down on his sudden anxiousness.

"We'll go together."

[Kaiko Marina]

Kaiko would stop. It was cold and her arms were cold. She would look at the two brothers. First at the one holding a weapon. She would give a friendly smile. She was not a threat at least not on land and not with the current diet of non stinging fish. He well, he could be. He had a weapon. He knew the area. Probably was good with his bow too, but he seemed more cautious. After all she was a stranger and he had someone to protect. She would start to answer before the younger brother noticed and started to talk about the fish. The younger one seemed excited. Even gave her a compliment. He seemed kind and curious. Many questions. 

”um. Hi.” she said with a wave to the younger brother. ”I am Kaiko. A southern sea Rathari” she said hoping that would let the older one understand why she was the way she was. She would look at both as she talked. ”I'm not very clever. I simply lucked out. I found some ice that was not deep frozen and went fishing. Most of the fish are not really moving much right now due to the water being so cold. But that was a few days ago and I have not seen any water since” she said. Her hand would rub her arm in hopes to warm back up a little. She had no clue what ice fishing was but hunting like an Otter was fun even If it was cold. Crazy thing she realized is that the otter fur is water resistant. Keeping her dry below the ice. It was also rather easy to fish here compared to the warm southern waters as the fish here were slow due to the cold. Some kind of ice survival thing if she had to guess

 ”As of help. I um. I am a little lost and a bit unprepared for my adventure. I think I'm still heading in the right direction but without landmarks I have no clue where I am. I have a map and a small hope it is leading me in the correct direction.” She said. Sure she had a map but she wasn't taught how to read a land map.  She also thought that she should have seen this arie of the map named Crystal forest by now. But she was still in the woods surrounded by snow. 

”I um. I may have heard you two talk about having trouble finding food for your village. I am a good fisher, and if we can get a hole in the ice I can help catch fish. And for the fish I would be appreciative if you can get me something warmer to wear.” she said. 

Yes the fur was working mostly but there were down sides. Using her Animus magic for too long was dangerous and she knew it. It also would not help if she was not using it and she did not use it when she slept. Yes it had helped her this long. But if she had actually become a little more prepared she would not be so cold right now. 

[Tailen]

A Jaunt In the Woods

Glade 10th, 123rd Year, A.o.S.

The boys were both quite observant of the girl when she approached, her standstill a sign that she understood their stance regarding her presence within the wood. Truly, Tai had inclination to think her some mythical creature, when in fact she was only of the Beastfolk from somewhere south. Far, far south by the sound of it.

Tai still smiled warmly as she reciprocated the greeting though, his eyes widening a bit when she'd mentioned the 'southern sea' region she was from. Another Rathari though. That would sort of explain her physical appearance at least. The Beastmen Tribes within the hills north of Hanz Villa were often kind folk, some of them herders who were all to happy to do a bit of trading with the village.

But Kaiko was alone though and that perplexed Tailen, which given the fact of that observation, was also probably why Byron felt so cautious toward her. Survival and hunting skills were one thing, traversing the wilderness alone was another entirely. "Really?" A look of wonder washed over Tai's face at the explanation, as he was baffled by the fact she'd found not only thin ice to puncture through, but a way of fishing out a good haul within the cold here.

Given how thick the ice must be everywhere, she really would've had to been lucky then. He contemplated as the younger sibling could only assume the challenge they would have, but then he smiled a bit bigger before finishing from his surprise inquiry a moment ago. "Well, good for you! I can only hope we're that lucky when we try ourselves." When it became clear that Kaiko actually did need a bit of help from them, Tailen glanced to his older sibling a moment, as Byron didn't quite look settled on trusting her just yet. Not entirely.

But if she wasn't lying as he suspected she might, then who was to say that they could actually genuinely help her? "A map, huh?" So she was trying to get somewhere? Well that was fascinating to figure out, especially given the fact she was already lost even with it. Navigating wasn't for everyone, of course, and there was also the fact maps didn't always have every fine detail of the region either. "No problem, I'm sure we can give it a look over and point you in the right way!"

As Tai walked a few steps closer to Kaiko he politely reached forward in hopes that she'd provide him with the map, as he was curious about her destination and why exactly she wanted to get there. Byron seemed to ease up in his shoulders finally, enough to relax the string of his bow completely, and place the arrow back into his rucksack while he continually observed the exchange. "So you wouldn't mind helping feed the village a bit just for some warmer clothes?" He inquired with an eyebrow slightly raised to her, curious as to her motivations as they seemed as simple as Kaiko herself was.

"We can probably ask a few of the villagers if they wouldn't mind." He reasoned after a moment of consideration, which led Tai to briefly beam at him before focusing on Kaiko once more.

"That sounds like a great idea!" He then enthused as he still waited patiently for her to show the map. "Surely we can help each other out then! Where are you trying to get to?" The younger sibling inquired with a tilt of his head, curious to learn more about this mysterious southern sea Rathari before them.

"We'll go together."

[Kaiko Marina]

Kaiko would start to hand the little brother her map. But quickly got distracted as the older brother asked a question and put up his weapon. At the older brother's question she would nod. Her skin would darken a little at the relief of the older brother putting up the arrow. A small jester that meant he was starting to see her as less of a threat. And to her that was always welcome.

“Yes, I would be willing to help. a simple trade since I don't have coins. I was raised on the idea that you either traded for it or you worked for it. Since I don't have the money for it then I should work for it. And since your village needs food and I'm a good fisher I figured that is work I can do for it.” She said. It was true all she had on her was a trifold captain hat, simple sailor clothing, the map, and an ivory staff. ”but to help I will need a hole in the ice.” getting below the ice was rather hard even the thin piece she found had been hard to break. She would give a nod and appreciate that they would at least ask around.  She would watch the two interact and it seems the younger was much more sure about and willing for the trade then the older brother. 

”I'm heading from the port city of Kalzasi to the hills of deception.” she said, opening the map and handing it over. It was an old and rather basic map that looked like something someone drew in a hurry in a tavern complete with a tea stain. On the map the hills of deception were circled. True the information was a few days old, given to her by a stranger that woke her with water and it was backed on very limited information but it was a start to a hope in finding the friend she was looking for.

”Captain of our ship sent me to find a friend. She had been missing since before the winter and he heard that she was near Kalzasi and so he sent me to find her. After a lot of asking around I was finally given a map with those hills circled. Told I could find someone matching her description there and immediately started the hike towards it ” She said. ”yea hindsight I should have prepared for the trip a little better but yea planning ahead is not my strong suit” She said 

She had been very lucky to find the rope and thin ice she knew that and If she had not had the fish she would not have had the energy to keep the fur which in this cold would have killed her. She would look at them “so um who are you two. And were are we” She finally asked. She had introduced herself but had yet to find out who they were. 

[Tailen]

A Jaunt In the Woods

Glade 10th, 123rd Year, A.o.S.

Tailen appeared to reach out in an effort to accept the map, however, when it seemed that Kaiko had become distracted in the process he refrained. The young lad simply smiled and remained patient with her, and figured she'd present it once she felt ready to share the parchment with him. They were in a discussion in regards to her involvement after all, and if Kaiko was going to contribute to their village, then it was only natural that they in turn reward her with whatever they could provide.

Warm clothes and directions to her destination would simply be icing on the cake, especially if she could really provide the village with some hearty fish like she said. "Well, lucky for you, coin doesn't mean a lot out here in the wilderness." His older brother quipped when he regarded her comment on money, Tailen quickly chimed in to highlight the aspect his brother mentioned of course.

"Well, apart from merchants passing through, we don't really have storefronts or shops in our town. Everyone just helps everyone out!" Which was actually true given that Tailen had grown up seeing such generosity among his neighbors. Everyone in Hanz Villa always went out their way to support one another, proving the benefit that came with growing up in a close-knit community such as this one.

And while times had fallen hard over the years recently, that hadn't stopped those who remained from preserving that sense of kindness. Truly, it was an inspiration to Tailen, one he never wanted to see himself lose or fade away with time. When Kaiko mentioned she'd a hole within the ice to help, the younger sibling could only chuckle in response to the statement. "Not to worry! Thick as it may be, there's bound to be plenty of fish in the river near our settlement. We can grab a pickaxe or some other kind of tool and break a hole for you that way!"

When Kaiko finally revealed the parchment she held and handed it over, Tailen accepted the map graciously before averting his gaze to ponder the design before him. Byron still held his bow in his right hand but angled it behind his waste, so that he could lean in over his brother and observe the map as well. "The Hills huh?" If she'd really came all the way from the big Jewel then she had made quite the journey already, as the Crystal Forest carried on for acres before she'd reached the western end where they were.

Not to mention any other ruins or newly developed settlements in between, as word had reached Hanz Villa of that other location that'd magically developed practically overnight. While Tai would've loved to head on over eastward to see such sites, there had never really been such reasons or motivations to push the brothers that far. "Well, you're in luck then, if your friend really is there." Byron weighed in with a thoughtful glance to the blue-skinned girl, as he used his left finger to point out the Hills of Deception on the map.

"Gosh, she must be very special if you're having to search for her. What fortune that you'd actually find them north of our little village!" Tailen then cheered as he flipped the map around for her to see, a finger pressed where the exact location would be. It wasn't often but the brothers sometimes made trips to the Hills, whether it was for hunting or foraging purposes, they'd sometimes do a bit of bartering on behalf of the herbalist in their village.

"Hm?" His happy-go-enthusiastic expression vanished when he realized what Kaiko had meant, when the Rathari had inquired on their names and where they currently were. "Oh! Silly me! I totally dropped the ball there, huh?" The younger sibling chuckled warmly when it finally sank in, having forgotten to introduce himself or the older brother present behind them. "You can call me Tailen! And this is my older brother." He shared with a nod of his head toward Byron, who still watched Kaiko plainly but at least gave her a slight nod.

"Call me Byron." He introduced himself with a brief glance at their environment, prone to answer the other half of her inquiry for the younger sibling. "We're in the westward section of the Crystal Forest, and in just a few miles out that way, there'll be a lot of tundra visible." The older sibling nodded toward the direction that both brothers had trekked from, their tracks still fresh in the icy snow that'd crunched beneath their feet prior to their arrival here.

"We're just about a day's walk from the village, but it took a couple to get here due to the abundance of snow and ice." Tailen remarked with the map presented back to Kaiko, since they'd now revealed the destination's location on her map. "Since we're all going the same way, maybe you can camp with us until we get there!" Part of Tai felt he might've put the cart in front of the horse at that point, as he guessed Byron would've been a bit apprehensive of the idea, but at the same time they really were all going the same direction.

So, why not spend a couple of nights together by the warm fire, and share stories of their travels as well as tribulations from the Black Winter.

"We'll go together."

[Kaiko Marina]

Kaiko would give a nod. As long as there was a way into the water she would be able to fish. She would need to get more fish for the trip soon anyway. She would nod again when the older one confirmed that she was going to the hills and pointed them out. “Special or not she was part of the expedition and I was sent by the captain to get her. So I am.” She said. Leaving out that captain was a god or something like that. But to her that fact really didn't matter. He was captain and leader of the group and therefore she would listen. Even if she was still slightly mad at him and the others for Leaving her behind.

Kaiko would look at the map and the spot the older brother pointed to. Seemed she had done rather well in her attempt to navigate to the mountains and that they were not that much farther away. She would smile looking at the spot as she started to mentally calculate how much longer the trip would likely be.

She would look at the two as they finally introduced themselves. “Tailen and Byron. Nice to meet you both.” She said. ”not quite what I imagined for a crystal forest. she said as she looked towards where he pointed. “then again with all this snow and ice I guess most of it would be hidden.” still not what she had imagined. She thought it would have been large crystals sticking out of the ground or maybe just a patch of crystals somewhere. Or maybe trees made out of the colorful clearish rocks but this was definitely not any of those. She would take the map back. She would look at it for a few more moments before she would refold it. Putting it back up.

Two days to the village seemed so long a walk but it was in the right direction. She would give a smile. “I would not mind the company.” She said to Tailon's statement. “That is if your brother doesn't mind.” She said then looked at the older brother a bit hopeful. Honestly it would be nice to have others around for a bit. Something to make sound besides creatures she swore were trying to give her a heart attack. There was also safety in numbers. Well all that and to walk the same direction just a few steps apart seemed ridiculous.

[Tailen]

A Jaunt In the Woods

Glade 10th, 123rd Year, A.o.S.

The boys would share a similar look of interest at Kaiko, particularly when she seemed to express her quest in locating this mysterious girl. Special or not? Expedition? These just bled into more curiosity for Tailen, his mind nearly about to jump ahead of himself before he had even really gleaned any real valuable information. "Oh, I see! She was a part of your crew then." He quickly surmised since this other girl seemed important to seek out, though, Tailen couldn't fathom the extent of what this expedition truly was.

He'd never really gone out far beyond the forests near his own home, the furthest having always been the Shemashk in general, though the Hills of Deception were sometimes more frequented in his case. When they were finally kind enough to provide an introduction, Tailen remained friendly with a warm grin as the older sibling kept his arms folded over each other. "Yeah, this is actually the furthest we've traveled on our own. If only because resources have been a bit more scarce lately." The younger brother admitted with a hint of weariness in his eyes, his spirits clearly a little dampened by how challenging their hunting venture had remained.

"Believe it or not we're better off avoiding the forest, especially when all this ice finally melts." Byron then remarked with a considerate gaze to the scenery, as he eyed the trunks of trees that seemingly had ice clustered all around them. Although, now that Tailen recalled a little about it, Byron wasn't wrong to hint at that little fact. Once the snows had finally melted and the wetter periods of the season finally settled in, travel through here wasn't as safe as it currently was now. All the sugar deposits that were bound to dissolve and melt into a syrupy cesspool...

Just the thought of it intimidated him even now. "Holy cow, you're right. You certainly picked a better time to travel through, miss Kaiko!" Tailen agreed with a thoughtful glance from his brother to the bluish Rathari before them. When she came to agree that she would not mind the company, Tailen's grin beamed a little brighter in response to the remark she had made. "I don't think he'd be too troubled by it. Would you, brother?"

When Byron received that inquisitive look from his younger sibling, he raised his eyebrows momentarily before slightly chuffing to himself. "She's agreed to help provide the village with some food, so I've got no qualms about her coming back with us." He looked from Kaiko to Tailen then with a considerate gaze, pondering the best course of action to carry out since they were going to share company for at least a couple of nights. "It'll be slightly quicker to pass Shemashk but we could try and sell a bit of wood there on our way through. So, why don't we gather as much timber as we can on the way back."

"Good idea!" Tailen eagerly nodded before he shifted his attention back on Kaiko. "We can collect some wood while we're here, that way we'll have plenty to setup for when we we camp out tonight."

"First things first, we'll need to find a spot we can bunker down in for shelter when we build a fire." Byron quickly added in as he turned to start wading through layered snow. "Should be easier to find any fallen branches or twigs that are near the surface of the snow, until then let's focus on the immediate obstacle and tackle that in the meantime."

"Got it!" Tailen quickly nodded as he could tell his older brother was getting stir crazy, likely ready to find a place where they could secure warmth before nightfall. The younger sibling looked to Kaiko then, an encouraging smile provided as he thought to reach out to her, but rather waved his hand for her to come along instead. "Let's get going then! Nothing like a bit of team work to help each other survive, huh?"

The chuckle that came from Tai was playful in the end, as he felt sure Kaiko would find it more interesting accompanying them. Regardless, now that the three had met the brothers would see to it that they were on their way, and after handling the immediate tasks needed to handle the bitter cold, they'd be on their way back to the village at first light.

"We'll go together."

[Kaiko Marina]

Kaiko would nod. Yeva. She was part of the crew. And a friend of the lady who decided to make Kaiko part of her family before she, like the rest of the expedition group, vanished. Though she saw the interest in the brothers. The curiosity and excitement of someone ready to hear a good story. She would smile more than happy to tell the tale. But the loss of her instruments still hurt and without them she did not want to sing.

”I love to travel and see the world. There is so much out there to explore. So much to see and do and taste. Personally I don't stay in one place long. Though I do prefer to stay near the sea. Though i also never traveled this far north as i'm not a big fan of the cold” She said. talking of which, she did not know how scarce food would be on the sea since she had not fished that kind of stuff in over a year. She did wonder how her ship was doing but also feared she knew the answer to that. She would shake the terrible thought as she could deal with the ship later.

“what happens to the forest when the ice melts?” she was not aware that the ‘crystal’ was suger. Or that the plants here were made of it. She would look around wondering if there were beasts that were waiting to wake for the snow to melt. Maybe the weather got worse?

The younger brothers' comment on this being a good time to travel caught her off guard. She was not liking the snow or cold but it surely was worse the days before their ship got here. ”it's not exactly safe to travel in the snow for me but it beats a storm I suppose.” She said and was still amazed she had made it this far.

Shelter was a good idea at least for the night and thought she was Slightly afraid of fire she was more than ready for its warmth. She would start to follow as they trekked through the snow. Glad to no longer be lost and glad to have a guide.