Theras & Asolda V'inarakeh

Va - honorific
Inara - Their mother's name
Keh - child

Twinborn; their mother, Inara Va Tereikeh, is the daughter of the chief.  Lineage is traced through the mother's line, and it is Chief Terei V'andeikeh who currently rules Icelarch.  Terei is old though, and, at this point, rules in name only.  Inara is the de facto chief.  Their father is Lorcnal Dielakeh, the village's chief healer.

Asolda is a healer, apprenticed to their father.  She currently has her eye on Merron Ensorakeh but hasn't made a move on him yet.
Theras is a ranger.  Though he's supposed to work alone, Asolda is rarely far off.  He's known to prefer men, which is seen as something of a shame, since he cannot contribute to the village's future.
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	The day dawns bright and clear, with a sharp nip in the air. The first snowfall of the year has come early, blanketing the barren trees and sleeping earth in a good handsbreadth of fluffy white snow. It's no surprise to any of the creatures left this far North, they've felt the unusual chill falling on their home for the past month now, and know the winter will be a harsh one this year. The few birds that have stayed for the winter sing their morning songs as a bare, slender hand shoves at the carpet of snow blocking off the small hollow among the buckled roots of a great fir tree. A slender arm follows, bare to the shoulder, and then a blonde head pokes out, eyes squinting in the bright light in disbelief mingled with horror.
	Pushing his way out of the small shelter he'd found the night before, the slender elf stood barefoot and shivering in the snow, arms wrapped around himself for warmth, hands tucked under his arms (for the past few days his fingers and toes, even his ears, had begun to take on an odd sort of numbness, which was good in a way: he could no longer feel the sharp, biting pains in them), and thin cloak wrapped tightly about his shoulders. With a glance to the small cluster of white and black birds chittering cheerfully on one of the nearby tree branches (at least there was still life here, that meant he could survive, too, right?), he began trudging through the snow, headed due South.
	Not long after dawn, a broad-shouldered figure wrapped in white furs and brown leathers, with a quiver slung across its chest, drops to one knee in the snow.  A gloved hand rests a longbow on his other knee, the hood angled down at the tracks in the snow.  The hood rises to follow the trail and then the figure rises back to its feet.  It casts a faint look around then follows the tracks, being sure to step in the footprints.  Its free hand rests on a leather pouch on its belt, and it picks up its pace, moving silently.
	The birds never even stop their singing at the figure's passage.
	While the sunrise had been marked by clear weather, as the morning wears on the winds pick up, going from a chill breeze to a sharp wind with the taste of further snow in it. The sky overhead the blonde figure, now hunched over against the wind, eyes squinted against it and the sun's glare off the blindingly white snow, remains deceptively clear. With a distracted wince, he pulls one hand out from under his arm, sparing the numb fingers brief glance before tucking them away again and distractedly licking increasingly chapped lips. There was a snow-covered rise in the distance that he thought looked somewhat familiar, it was hard to tell now that the forest had been blanketed in this horridly cold white... stuff.
	The fur-clad figure spies the staggering man ahead of it, and pauses for a moment.  It moves quietly but starts going faster when it realizes what the man ahead is wearing - or rather, what he's not.  
	A second figure, slighter in every way but otherwise nearly identical, traces after the first.  The first figure stops and looks over its shoulder at the second, then the hood shakes.  The 2nd looks between the man in the obviously ill-suited clothing and the first figure, then starts to run.  The larger figure's hand shoots out and grabs the slighter one's arm, then continues its advance.
	The figure trudges on, the wind whipping his blonde hair about his head. He keeps his head bowed and eyes squinted, trying not to see his blue-tinged toes with each step. The snow and wind muffle his sense, the cold dulling him further. All he focuses on is putting on foot in front of the other, to keep moving, to get away from this wretched cold. He should have gone West from the Pine forest, not continued north. A terrible thought struck him then: what if the snow stretched on and on, farther than he could walk? What if he slowly succumbed to the cold before he could reach the edge of this place, or lost his way? Everything had turned white, his carefully remembered landmarks now hidden thoroughly from view. He began to walk faster, determined to get through this, refusing to stop now no matter how freezingly cold he was.
	The slighter figure thwaps the larger one on the shoulder.  The hood looks back at the smaller figure's hood, back at the man, then nods.  They take off running through the snow towards him.
	The larger one reaches him first and claps a hand to his shoulder.  A male voice, muffled by the scarf over his mouth, comments, "There are faster ways to kill yourself."  His words would no doubt sound thick, his intonation slower than the surely-freezing man would be used to.

Ajil'ij: -starts and nearly topples in the snow with the speed he whirls about to view the speaker. He frowns a moment at the strange intonation before he summons up his own voice, soundlessly moving bluish lips for a moment before managing to form words- I need to get South. Too cold too fast here.
Taller figure: You will not survive in this weather in these clothes.  Come with us.
<The slighter figure bounds up and grabs hold of the stranger's face with both gloved hands.  Green eyes framed by long lashes peer at him clinically from under the hood> The frost will eat you alive at this rate!  We have to get you warm! <Though still thickly accented, this voice is lightly and pleasantly female>
Ajil'ij: -frowns at this stranger touching him and tries to lean away, pale grey eyes flicking to the side as he mumbles- Can't be that far. I didn't walk that far...
Woman: Just pick him up and carry him.  <she lets go of his face> Knock him out if he struggles.  It's better than letting him die.
Man: <sighs and looks at the stranger> We do not mean you harm.  We only want to help.  It is winter now, and you may not make it past the snowline in your condition.  Please, let us get you warm.
Ajil'ij: -looks between the two of them with a faint frown before giving a small nod of consent, stumbling over the new word with distaste- Winter.
Woman: I'm going ahead.  
Man: I'll take him to my house.
Woman: <turns her head to look at him, then snorts lightly> Show off.  <bounds back the way they came>
Man: This way.  My house is far closer than the snowline.  <heading after her, but staying close to the stranger>
Man: Asolda V'inarakeh <nodding at the way the woman went> is my sister; I am Theras V'inarakeh.  
Ajil'ij: I am Ajil'ij. -trudging through the snow after him, shivering lightly and constantly now-
Theras: You have no family name? <he looks over at Ajil'ij and, seeing his shivering increasing, says> Hold on.  <he stops and stabs one end of the longbow into the snow.  He pulls the quiver off his back and pushes his hood back, revealing black hair and eyes of the same green as the woman's (Asolda).  His hair is tucked into the scarf wrapped around his neck and the lower half of his face, so it's hard to make out how long it is at present. 
He unfastens the toggles holding the white fur coat closed, revealing a thick brown leather vest over a knitted wool sweater.  He pulls the coat off and drapes it over Ajil'ij> Here.
Ajil'ij: -clutches the coat around him with trembling hands, tugging it closed and not even bothering putting his arms through the sleeves- Thank you... and my family is Ij. It's in my name.
Theras: Oh?  Interesting.  They do things differently where you are from.  <he points> Take this path here.  <There's no visible path on the ground, with all the snow, but there's something of a break in the trees, at least.  There are footprints in this direction, going both to and from where they are now>
Ajil'ij: I guess we do. -looks blankly down at the 'path' and starts down it without protest. His brief bout of resistance all but forgotten now-
Theras: We're almost there.  Can you still feel your toes and fingers? 
Ajil'ij: -clutches the coat a little tighter about himself- Not really, no.
Theras: <shakes his head> Well, Asolda'll get you fixed up.  There.  Can you see it?  <he points to a small house of pale cinnamon-colored wood far up the "path".  There's a thin tendril of smoke coming up from the chimney>
Ajil'ij: -frowns and squints at the house in the distance, nodding a little-
Theras: Okay, good.  So we're getting there.  You'll be fine.  Asolda's getting a nice fire going, and we'll bundle you up good, okay, Agiley? <mispronouncing>
Ajil'ij: -frowns a little, speaking his name a bit slower for Theras- Aj-il-'ij. Both 'j's are soft.
Theras: Aj-il-ij. <he repeats> So where are you from then? <the house is drawing close; "small" might be an understatement for the cabin.  Theras tries to hurry Ajil'ij as best he's able>
Ajil'ij: Berraja Jungle.
Theras: <his brow furrows and he chuckles sheepishly> That's so far away from here, I don't even know where it is!  I take it they don't get much snow in those parts?  <trying to keep Ajil's mind off of the cold>
Ajil'ij: -frowns a little- Is that what you call this unnatural abomination?
Theras: <laughs> Yes.  Snow.  If you weren't about to keel over from too much of it, I'd smack you with a snowball.  
Asolda: <As they approach the cabin, the door opens and she runs out with a warm blanket> I thought rangers were supposed to be quick.
Theras: I thought healers were supposed to stay in the village. 
Asolda: <ignores him, wrapping the blanket around Ajil'ij> Get inside!
Ajil'ij: -looks at Theras with a look of part horror, part disgust- I don't even want to know what a snowball is for. -is distracted then by the arrival of a warm blanket and sibling banter. He smiles gratefully at the warm blanket-bringer- Thank you.
Asolda: <smiles back at him and hustles him in.  There's a large hearth that serves as cookfire as well as warming the place.  There's a large double bed made of pine (like most of the furniture).  There's no nightstand - a dinner table is pushed over near the bed, and there's one chair on the opposite side of the table.  There's another longer, thinner table pushed up under the single window, which is covered with a flap of leather; this one has various scraps of leather and fur on it, and another chair.  A bearskin rug covers much of the floor.
Asolda practically shoves the stranger at the bed> Get your shoes off, I need to apply this salve to your feet and hands and ears and nose...
Theras: <shuts the door behind him, setting his bow and quiver (which he picked up again and has been carrying, really) down by the table under the window and starts pulling off his gloves> 
Asolda: Theras, see to the tea, will you?  <the kettle is on the hearth>
Ajil'ij: -stumbles on numb feet over to the bed and sits, lifting one leg up to rest ankle on knee, rubbing at his numbed and frostbitten foot- 
Asolda: <grabs his hands> No, no, no, don't do that.  You can't do that.  Mustn't do that, sir.  We have to be very careful here, okay?  <she smiles at him.  Like her...apparently twin brother, she has stripped out of her coat and gloves.  Her hair is long and raven black, and what she's wearing is all the same as her brother's, 'cept her sweater is dyed a rich purple-red>
Theras: <pulls his scarf off and tosses it by his gloves on the table.  Freed from the scarf, his hair is just past his shoulder blades.  He has his back to Ajil'ij as he tends to the tea as instructed>
Ajil'ij: -frowns at her, eyeing her worriedly- Why not? What's wrong with that?
Asolda: Your skin is frozen.  It is turning to ice.  You don't want to break it.  <she goes back over to the hearth, where there is a pot of...something.  She brings it over to the dinner table and reaches in to fish out a roll of warm, oddly-scented bandages> Now these are soaked in a special salve, and we're gonna wrap your hands and feet in 'em, so give me a foot, hm? <smiles>
Theras: <pouring tea> You want a cup too, 'Solda?
Asolda: Oh, he's learned courtesy. <she chuckles without taking her eyes off Ajil'ij> You just need to forgive my brother, he thinks he can get away with being a mannerless cur. <big smile>
Ajil'ij: -doesn't catch anything beyond the words 'frozen' and 'break'- My skin is -frozen-?! -he staors in horror at his numbed fingertips, glancing to his foot after a moment- 
Asolda: More or less.  <just takes a foot firmly in her hands and wraps it up carefully in the bandages.  They're warm, almost hot, but not burning>
Theras: <sets a steaming mug on the table within easy reach of Asolda> There's his.  Yours is behind it. <as he sets another one down>
Asolda: Thank you.  Help him drink, will you?  He can't hold a thing right now.
Theras: Oh.  Uh.  Right.  <picks the first mug back up and sits next to him on the bed> Here, be careful, it's still pretty hot. <placing an arm around Ajil's back and pressing the mug against his lips before he starts to tilt.  The concoction smells strong and bitter>
Ajil'ij: -sighs softly at being talked about, but he's not about to say anything now when he's getting warmed up and out of that hideous cold. He tilts his head slightly and sips carefully, shuddering lightly at the heat of the drink-
Theras: Go slow on it, and I'll try not to drown you. <smiles, rubbing Ajil's far arm>
Asolda: Careful there. <she finishes wrapping up and tying off the first bandage and moves on to his other foot> 
Theras: I'm being careful.
Ajil'ij: -shifts carefully to bring up his other foot for Asolda to wrap, still sipping carefully at the mug of tea. He brings one hand up as if to aid in holding the mug (the taste leaves something to be desired, but the heat of the drink is well worth it at the moment), but hesitates, remembering the lack of feeling in his fingertips-
Asolda: You can wrap your hand 'roun' the mug but don' try to hold it, okay? <without looking up from the foot she's wrapping>
Theras: <pulls the mug away> When was the last time you ate anything, Ajil?
Ajil'ij: -reaches after the mug to wrap his hand around it, the warmth of it only vaguely felt at this point. He thinks for a moment, trying to remembr when he had last eaten- I've been eating when I find food, it's been a few days since I've found any in any real amount though.
Asolda: <tsks and shakes her head> Let me wrap your hands and I'll go get some stew.  Father should've started cooking by now.
Theras: Thief.
Asolda: <she sticks her tongue out at him> Do you want more tea, Ajil?  My brother is slacking off on his tea-helping duty, which is hardly a surprise...
Ajil'ij: -eyes the pair of them carefully, and holds out the hand that isn't partially wrapped around the warm mug- Yes, I do.
Theras: <sticks his tongue out at Asolda briefly, then lifts the mug back to Ajil's lips> Well, we can't very well ask him questions and expect him to answer them if he's drinking, now can we?
Asolda: <grabs another slathered roll of bandages and starts wrapping the proffered hand> Now you're going to need to stay as still as possible.  I know you'll have to get up to use the chamber pot...
Theras: <clears his throat>
Asolda: <stops what she's doing to look at him> Oh, Theras, now really?
Theras: What?  There's an entire FOREST around me.
Asolda: <sighs>
Theras: I did *just* finish this place; I hadn't really thought of that.
Asolda: <resumes wrapping Ajil's hand> Okay, I'll bring a clean chamber pot, too.  Honestly.  What if a blizzard were going on?
Theras: I'd stay close to the house.

	Ajil'ij frowns a little as he drinks tea, trying to focus on not burning his tongue as well as understanding the different intonations and odd, new words the pair of 'snow elves' (as he's mentally taken to calling them) are using. His feet and now his hands have begun to warm again thanks to Asolda's salve and the warmed mug, and a pleasant warmth is spreading through his belly and chest from the hot tea. He hadn't been this warm in weeks, it seemed. 
	Asolda clucked her tongue reproachfully.  "Is there anything else I should be bringing over?  Have you stocked your cellar, at least?"
	Theras rolled his eyes.  "No, I thought I'd starve myself to death slowly over the course of the winter.  It seems like ever so much fun."  He carefully pulled the mug away from the stranger's lips again.  "Hold on, have to switch hands," he pointed out, as his twin was nearly done with her current task.
	"So, as I was saying," as she pulled out the last bit of salve-slathered bandages, "as little movement as you can get away with, okay?  Especially of your hands and feet.  You need to keep yourself warm, so we'll be getting you some decent clothes," she eyed what little this "Ajil" was wearing, "and I hope you don't mind sharing my brother's bed.  He practically radiates heat, and you need it badly.  I'm mostly sure you can trust him to keep his hands to himself." She switched her gaze back to her brother, who sighed heavily.
	"I'm not some lecherous pervert, 'Solda, but thank you for insinuating it."
	Ajil'ij frowns faintly at this thought of starvation, not entirely sure if this was some strange sort of Northern humour, of if Theras really was planning on starving. With further thought he found it was likely humour, otherwise he'd've been left to die in the cold rather than of starvation, right? He hoped so, at least. His frown deepens a little as he loses his tea again, and he switches out his hands quickly enough and tries to urge the tea to come back with his bandaged hand, only giving the most cursory of nods to Asolda, clearly not really paying much attention beyond Hot Beverage That Is Making Me Feel Better.
	Asolda started in on wrapping his other hand, as Theras lets him resume drinking tea.  He pats Ajil's back reassuringly.  "We'll get you well.  And ask nothing in exchange but a story."
	"Oh, leave him be, at least for a little while," she chided her brother.
	"You mean don't let him tell the story if you're not around to hear it?"
	"As I said," she replied with a smile.  She eyed their visitor.  "I'll bring over some of my sweaters; yours would be far too big for him.  But I don't think my pants would fit him."  She looked back at her brother and commented with a beatific smile, "So he'll have to get into your pants instead."
	"Ha ha."  He play-kicked at her from his spot on the bed next to their visitor.  "My sides, how they hurt from the laughter."
	Ajil'ij drinks his tea gratefully, gray eyes flicking between the pair of Northern elves. He wasn't entirely sure why these two had decided to help him when the villages to the South had turned him away and politely requested he not stay in their lands, but they had. He made a mental note to find someway to thank them for their kindness when he was better, and dearly hoped that he wouldn't be too long recovering. A story wasn't enough, in his opinion. A slight frown creased his forehead, both at their banter (he was sure he was missing something in what they were saying, but he hadn't a clue as to what), and at the hand on his back. It warm, yes, and he didn't want to offend, but he wasn't entirely sure -why- Theras was touching him unnecessarily.
	Asolda finished up and rose.  "Theras, there's some salve left in the pot; dab it *carefully* on his ears and nose, will you?  I'm going to go get that chamber pot and some FOOD."
	"I *DO* have food, you know," he sulked. 
	"Yes, but it'll take time to cook; I can steal some from Merron that he's already got ready.  You know he makes more than he needs every morning anyway.  Besides, your pot seems to be full of salve at the moment." She smiled at Ajil, then turned to start bundling herself up again.
	Theras pulled the mostly-empty mug away and set it on the table, standing to dip his fingers in the pot.  "You can have more tea in a bit, okay?  Let it settle on your stomach some, hm?"  He dabbed a bit of salve on the end of Ajil's nose.
	Ajil frowns after the mug, but seems to accept this. He watches Asolda as she starts to bundle up, somewhat fascinated by the sheer amount of clothing involved in her dress. At salve suddenly dabbed on his nose he flicks his eyes back Theras, murmuring a quiet 'thank you.' His voice already sounds much better, the hoarseness all but gone thanks to the tea.
	Theras smiles and, as softly as he can, spreads some more around the edges and over the tips of his ears.  "There we go.  Happy now, Asolda?"
	She turns to inspect his work as she gets her coat closed.  "That'll do.  Do you want anything else while I'm running around on your errands instead of being at my assigned work?"
	"Hey!"  He whirls on his sister and points a still-salved finger at her.  "You followed me out this morning of your own volition!  You're not blaming me for your own truancy."  He lunges forward and salves the end of her nose.
	"Hey!  Stop that!"  She scrunches up her nose as she wipes the salve off.  "Get me my gloves, and don't get salve all over them!"
	His response to that is to pick up her fur-lined leather gloves in his other hand and toss them at her, but she catches them easily (rather than letting them hit her in the face, as they would've).
	Ajil'ij musters a grateful smile of his own, turning his head slightly to aid Theras salving his numbed ears. His smile widens a little at the siblings' antics, and he snorts quietly when Theras throw Asolda's gloves at her, absently wondering how old these two were if they were acting like such children.
	Asolda winks at Ajil and opens the door.  Cold air rushes in briefly until the door closes again.  The cold settles in and slowly fades as the warmth of the fireplace overtakes it again.
	Theras turns to his new houseguest.  "Well, welcome to my humble abode.  Make yourself to home.  Oh, here..."  He hurries over and props up one of the pillows on the bed, trying to make things comfortable for his guest.  "Here, sit back against this, make yourself comfy." 
	Ajil'ij frowns again at the cold draft of air, but it settles quickly and he's left in this strange place with only one strange elf instead of two. He watches Theras out of the corners of his eyes, eventually turning his head to watch him when he moves to the head of the bed. He nods faintly, shifting in an effort to move towards the pillow. He moves as if to put weight on one hand, but remembers Asolda's words at the last second and quickly folds his arm to protect his bandaged hand, his elbow sinking into the blanket instead, his hair falling into his eyes with the sudden motion. He gives an aggravated sigh, "I hope I heal fast. I miss my hands already."
	"Asolda is learning from the best healer we have.  You'll be well in no time.  But, in the meantime, do you need some help?"
	Ajil'ij tries shifting again, only finding that he sinks into the bed, so unlike his own, far away in the jungle home he'd left. He gives up after a moment with another sigh, "Yes, please."
	Theras comes over and clears his throat.  "I hope you'll forgive me for being a little forward then."  He bends as if to hug him, and one arm does go around behind his back, but the other goes under his legs, just behind his knees, and then Theras straightens up with arms full of Ajil'ij.
	Ajil'ij frowns faintly, one arm looping halfway around Theras' back for support, "Why would I be offended for receiving something I've asked for?"
	Theras seems a little surprised and shrugs as best he can at the moment.  "Most guys wouldn't like being picked up and carried like this.  Not that we're going far."  Indeed, he takes a couple steps and bends to carefully place Ajil down on the bed, back against the pillow and headboard.
	Ajil'ij's frown deepens slightly at the response he gets. He shifts slightly once he's on the bed again to get as comfortable as possible, bandaged hands resting on his thighs, before looking back up at Theras, "I'd understand if I hadn't asked, but I did. It'd be a waste of energy to get offended for something I asked for, wouldn't it?"
	Theras chuckles.  "Oh, probably, but some do it anyway.  And I guess more would be on edge around here, knowing...well, um, nevermind about that."  He clears his throat.  "Let me get you a blanket."  He goes to the end of the bed and pulls out the large drawer.  Retrieving a woven blanket from inside, he nudges it shut with his foot and comes back over.  "We'll get you nice and situated and I'll start more spruce tea.  I was planning on eating out this morning, so I don't have any breakfast leftovers to offer, but Asolda should be back soon."
	Ajil'ij nods a little, licking his lips absently and wincing at the sting of them, cracked as they are from cold, and decides not to be rude and pry into Theras' life, "Thank you again. What is spruce?"
	 Theras starts spreading the blanket over his guest, but stops and blinks at him when he asks this question.  "Wow, you really *aren't* from around here, are you?  Um.  Spruce is a type of tree."  He points to the table.  "All my furniture is made from pine wood, and the house," he pauses to pat the sturdy walls, "is made of larch wood."  He beams proudly around at his cabin for a moment, then remembers himself and resumes getting the blanket up over Ajil.  "There're other trees around too: firs, some alder and birch a little south, closer to the snowline." 
	Ajil'ij looks about the room a little sadly, "No, I'm not. Barraja Jungle is South of the Merané Gulf, which is below Istha Desert, South of a lot of forest between, too. It's a long, long way from here. There's definitely never such a thing as... snow, you call it? It's horrible stuff. What -is- it, aside from cold?"
	Theras sits at the end of the bed to study his well-traveled guest.  "Uh, well.  It's like rain, only far, far colder.  Frozen rain is something different; snow comes from the sky in flakes.  We get a lot of it here, especially in this season.  You can melt it to make water though.  And fresh snow with cloudberry jam is nice."
	Ajil'ij sighs, looking forlornly out the window, "I shouldn't have come this far North. I know nothing of this land."
	"Yeah, I'd ask what you're doing up here, but Asolda's not..."
	At that moment, there was a thud-thud-thudding at the door, low on the wood.  Theras chuckles.  "She is the wind, and knows when we speak of her."  He shakes his head and rises to let her in.  
	Asolda's arms are near to bursting with things: blankets, a pack, and, of course, a chamber pot.  
	"Gods, 'Solda!  Is all of that necessary?!"
	"Of course it is.  Shut the door."  Theras was already doing so as she came in, though.  She sets the things down on the foot of the bed, mindful of Ajil's feet.  "Is my brother taking good care of you, sir?"
	Ajil'ij eyes Asolda's armful curiously, pushing away his darkening mood, "Is it really? I'm not sure if you could carry even another leaf."
	Theras laughs.  Asolda ignores him and starts unpacking.  Two sweaters (one undyed and the other a saffron color) and a thinner cloth shirt come out of the pack, along with a full waterskin, two large cloth-wrapped parcels, and a pile of rolled bandages.  She lays them out on the bed carefully.  She sets the chamber pot on the floor near Ajil.
	Ajil'ij watches her, head tilting slightly, "How long will the snow stay? It does -leave- eventually, yes?"
	It's now Asolda's turn to laugh.  Theras chuckles and answers, "Not for some months, now.  It's winter now, after all."
	Asolda smiles at Ajil.  "You can't go outside for a while yet anyway.  If you go outside again too soon, you'll lose your hands and feet, at a minimum.  So I'm afraid you're stuck with my brother."
	Ajil'ij frowns at this prospect of losing limbs and eyes the window's snowy view again warily, "There's no winter where I'm from, and it got cold so suddenly here. How often does it do that here?"
	Asolda takes the pot the salve was in and ducks outside quickly to get it washed up.  Theras answers his question in the meantime.  
	"Well, it starts to get chilly about halfway through the autumn; sometimes we get an early snow or two but they don't usually stick until about this time of year.  It'll snow off and on through the next few months, and then start to melt away.  Might get another snow in the spring, but they don't usually stick either.  So, how often does it snow?  Often, but only during one part of the year."
	Ajil'ij frowns and nods faintly as he listens, "And what is a... a blissard?" 
	Theras corrects him gently, "Blizzard.  It's a snowstorm, with lots and lots of snow and very strong wind."
	"Blizzard. Zzz. Odd sort of sound to put in the middle of a word, isn't it?"
	"Is it?" 
	Asolda comes back in, closing the door very quickly and heading to the hearth.  "I went ahead and filled it up with snow, in case you want to clean up later."  She set it near the hearth instead of on it.  She picks up the kettle.  "This'll work to heat up the stew, but let me get another couple mugs of tea...oh dash it, I left my tea here."  She swoops over to the table and pushes the mug towards Ajil.  "It should still be warm enough; help him drink it, Theras."
	Ajil'ij frowns, tilting his head a little and eyeing the pot of snow, "Do you get water from snow all winter, then?"
	Theras nods.  "It's the easiest way.  Shimmer Lake freezes over, after all."  He picks up the mug of tea and brings it over to Ajil, sitting on the edge of the bed and offering it to him.  "Do you think you can manage it, just sort of...pressing it between your paws there?  Or do you want me to help you with it still?"
	Ajil'ij frowns and looks over to Asolda, "Asolda said not to put pressure on my hands."
	Asolda looks over her shoulder at them from her spot by the hearth where she has taken the cloth-wrapped bundles.  "Theras, don't be lazy."
	"I'm NOT.  I just know that a man likes to do for himself and not be coddled."
	She rolls her eyes.  "Yes, well a man may like any number of things, but that doesn't mean he gets them.  Help him drink."
	Theras lifts the mug to Ajil's lips for a drink, but only after sticking his tongue out at his sister again.
	Ajil'ij smiles a little, "A man also doesn't want to damage his hands anymore than he already has." He leans forward a little to drink, lifting on bandaged hand to 'guide' the mug.
	 "There, see?" Asolda says in triumph.  The cloth parcels disgorge all kinds of food: one of parcels was apparently a small lidded crock of cold stew that 	Asolda is carefully transferring to the kettle.  The other one has a number of long thin slices of something golden and crisp, and half a loaf of bread.  She sets the kettle on the stand over the fire and brings the other cloth and its contents over to the table.
	Theras, careful to keep the mug at Ajil's mouth steady, reaches for a golden slice and bites into it.  It crunches pleasantly, and he "Mmm"s happily.  "Oo, these are the good ones."
	"Merron knows how to get the best part of the bark, doesn't he?" Asolda beams happily.
	"You ought to just hurry up and propose already, 'Solda.  Don't let some other girl snatch him up."
	Ajil'ij eyes the golden slice curiously, it looks something akin to the edible parts of inner tree bark from the jungle, but he's happily distracted by tea at the moment. His bandaged hand rather insistently keeps the mug near his lips, drinking this cup faster than he had the other as it's cooler and less apt to burn his tongue.
	Theras asks him, "Do you want one?  While the stew's heating up?"  He picks up another slice and offers it to their guest, but doesn't move the mug yet.
	Ajil'ij takes one last swallow of tea before pulling his hand away and nodding slightly, "If I could?"
	Theras nods and pulls the mug away.  He sets it on the table and puts the strip of crispy bark in easy biting range of Ajil.  Meanwhile he picks up another one for himself to chew on.
	Asolda stirs the kettle's contents and asks, "Do you have any preserves or jams?"
	Theras nods and shoves his mouthful of bark to one cheek to reply, "Mom set me up pretty good when I moved in; down in the cellar.  Cloudberry, cranberry, and some bilberry."
	"Where they at down there?  Next to all the beer?"
	Theras doesn't answer that.
	Ajil'ij leans forward to take a careful bite off the strip of bark, chewing it slowly as the flavour of it comes out. He tilts his head thoughtfully as he chews; it had a hint of something he thought he might have tasted before back in the jungle, but just that hint. Overall it was quite tastey, and his stomach gives a growl as he swallows the small bite he'd taken. He leans forward for a more normal-sized bite in response to his stomach's sudden demand for food.
	Theras grins at hearing the stomach growl.  "Don't worry, stew won't take too long, since it's just being heated up."
	Asolda rolls the rug up a little and reveals a trap door in the floor; a little notch in the door lets it be lifted up.  She lowers herself into the opening.
	While this is going on, Theras comments, "You know you're going to have to tell us your story over stew, right?" with a friendly smile.
	Ajil'ij swallows his mouthful with a faint frown, "It's only fair after all you two've done for me, though I fear it's not much of a tale."
	 "We're looking forward to it," Theras assures him.
	Asolda's hand puts a small jar half-filled with an orangey-red jam and covered with a cloth up on the floor, followed by a jug of something.  Then both hands grab hold of the floor and push!  She comes up to sit on the floor, legs dangling into the cellar, before pulling them up as well and closing the trap door.  She picks up the jug and jar, sets them on the table, then puts the rug back down. 
	Since I forgot to mention it: either side of the hearth are two sets of doors: one tall set of doors that takes up about 3/4 of the distance between floor and ceiling and then another pair of shorter doors to fill that last quarter.  Asolda opens the tall doors to the right of the hearth and there are dishes in there; she pulls out a stack of three bowls and brings them to the table.
	Ajil'ij's frowns only deepens a little, "If you insist." He turns his head to at the clunking of Asolda's hand putting up the jar and jug, followed be her re-entry into the main room. His head tilts slightly and he voices another question, this one sounding a tad sheepish, "So, what exactly is 'stew'?"
	They both blink at him.  
	Asolda asks, "Where are you *from*?"
	Theras just answers, "It's meat and vegetables in...um..."  He's not sure how to put it, but then Asolda comes to his rescue.
	"...in a very thick broth.  It's very filling."  She goes to get the kettle off the hearth and brings it over the bowls.  "Normally you don't cook it in a kettle, but the pot's occupied, and my brother didn't think to get more than one pot.  Doesn't even have an oven in here."
	"I didn't plan for guests, I admit."  Now it's his turn to sound sheepish.
	Ajil'ij's lip curls and he leans away from Theras, looking between the two in distaste, "You eat meat? Why would eat -meat-?"
	They both blink at him again.
	Asolda offers weakly, "Well this has fish, not really meat..."
	Theras replies instead, "Why wouldn't you?  If you need the fur and skin anyway, why would you waste the meat?  We smoke it or keep it cold, and it lasts a long while."
	Ajil'ij counters right back, "Why live so far North you need those things?"
	"Because this is where our village and families are?" Theras responds.
	Ajil'ij frowns and glances away, twitching his fingers idly as they start to itch faintly, "It just seems pointless to live so far North if it freezes over for months at a time and you have to kill to survive. We only ever kill in self-defense in Berraja."
	Asolda, having finished dishing out the stew, points out, "You don't know anything about us and the way we live."
	And Theras tacks on, "And, frankly, the way we live is the reason you're still alive.  So how about you tell us why you're so far north if you hate it so much and are so unprepared for it, hm?"
	Asolda adds, "And would you rather I get the fish bits out of your stew bowl?  I'm sure Theras'll take them."
	Ajil'ij winces and slumps back against the pillow a little, "I didn't know it would do that. When I realized how cold it was getting I tried to turn back, but it froze over so quickly."
	Asolda shoves the stew bowls towards the boys.  "Feed him first, you glutton.  He needs it more."
	"I know, I know."
	"And don't feed him fish unless he wants it."
	"I know, yeesh."  He picks up a bowl and spoon and looks at Alij.  "So why were you traveling?"
	Asolda chimes in, "Ooo! Are you an adventurer?!  Some mystic hero like in the old tales?!"
	Ajil'ij groans a little, "I'd rather not have fish, please. And I'm not really an adventurer, either. For one, I'd think I'd have been better prepared for the North. Or at least not foolish enough to travel so far into it."
	Theras digs around in the stew bowl and digs out all the fish bits, dumping them in his own bowl.  "So, what's your story then?"
	Asolda pouts, disappointed in the lack of adventure or romance promised.
	Ajil'ij shrugs a little, "I left the jungle and travelled, but other villages turned me away, the few that I found. I knew I needed to learn about a new forest, but the most I got was a few tips here and there and urged away again." He sighs, "I guess I thought if I walked enough I'd find someone eventually. Perhaps I should have set out South from Berraja instead of North."
	Asolda asked, "Why did you leave?  Were you not happy in Berr...in the...jungle?"
	Theras comments, "A jungle is...a type of forest?  I'm guessing?"
	Ajil'ij frowns, "I left because of foolish Ancient Ones unable to accept that accidents happen." He glances at Theras, "And a jungle is forest, but it's different. Those trees you have with all the needles? There aren't any of those, all leaves. Only much taller than any that I've seen here, and with far larger leaves." He seems to warm to his topic a little, a smile touching his lips again, " And it's hot, humid, it rains often. In the wet seasons it can rain for weeks at a time, heavy downpours, too. We live in the canopy, in the leaves and treetops. And there are so many animals, too, and plants and colour..." He trails off with a sigh and glances at the window, smile fading at the sight of snow.
	Asolda looks over at the window and back at Ajil, but her mouth is full of stew, so she says nothing.
	Theras lifts a spoonful of stew towards Ajil's lips.  "We have color.  Just...not right at the moment, unless you like white and brown."
	 Ajil'ij frowns faintly, glancing back to Theras, "What is... Audumn? You mentioned it earlier. That it gets colder here in Audumn." He opens his mouth for the spoonful of stew.
	Theras puts the spoon in his mouth for him, waits a moment, then pulls it out slowly. "Autumn.  Does a jungle not have seasons?"
	Ajil'ij doesn't make a bad face at the stew, but he does seem to have a hard time deciding if he likes it or not. The fishy bits might be gone, but the pungent flavour of fish still permeates the broth and in the end Ajil'ij just swallows the mouthful just to avoid trying to puzzle out this new flavour. "Of course it does. There's the rainy season and the dry season. It's nearly the rainy season there now. It'll rain nearly everyday, all day. The nights get colder as well, but not nearly as cold as it is here."
	Asolda asks, "You don't have spring?"
	"I would guess not," Theras points out.  "Want another spoonful of stew or more bark?"
	Ajil'ij blinks, "Spring? How many seasons do you have here?" He glances to THeras, distracted by the offer of more bark, which was decidedly much tastier than the stew, "Yes, please."
	Theras grabs another strip of bark and holds it out where he can bite it.  "We have spring, summer, autumn, and winter, in that order.  Summer is the opposite of winter: warm and dry.  Spring and Autumn tend to be rainy or maybe a little snowy.  Spring is everything waking up again after winter sleep and Autumn is everything bedding down for winter.  Summer is...well..."
	"Playtime," Asolda comments with a smile.
	Theras nods and spoons some of his own stew - with generous amounts of fish - into his mouth while he's holding out the bark for Ajil.
	Ajil'ij leans forward and takes a bite of the offered bark, trying not to watch all the fish chunks go into Theras' mouth. He chews his bark and swallows before speaking up again, "So Autumn is for getting ready for Winter, then?"
	Asolda nods and takes over, since Theras is busy eating (and still holding out the rest of the bark).  "Yes.  You just missed Autumn.  The trees that aren't evergreen change to reds and golds.  It's quite beautiful!  But then they fall off the trees."
	"And then get covered with snow," Theras says as he swallows his stew.
	Ajil'ij frowns, "The leaves all die and get buried though. All at once? That's a bit... depressing." He leans forward for more bark, tearing off another mouthful to chew on.
	"Well, not *all* at once; it takes a few weeks," Asolda says before spooning more stew into her mouth.
	"And the trees get new leaves in the spring," Theras tells him.  "I guess your trees don't do that?"
	Asolda says, "Oh!  Bread!"  She reaches for the half a loaf in the middle of the table.  "I brought up cloudberry jam for them, I hope that's okay?" she asks Ajil.  "Or do you not have cloudberries where you live?"
	Ajil'ij shakes his head in answer to Theras' question, clearing his mouth in time to answer Asolda, "I've never heard of a cloudberry before."
	"Well, give it a shot.  If you don't like it, I have cranberry or bilberry jam also," Theras says.  Asolda is already cutting off chunks of bread and spreading them with the jam.  Two slices get practically slathered with it, but on the last, she just spreads a little bit over one part of it, just in case.  She hands this piece to Theras, who, in turn, offers it over to Ajil'ij to bite.
	Ajil'ij leans forward to nibble at the edge of the bread without the jam first, tearing off a small chunk and chewing thoughtfully. He swallows and moves to take another bite, this time with jam. He smiles his approval and clears one side of his mouth, "It's good. I was worried nothing sweet grew this far North."
	Asolda pipes up happily, "Want me to put more jam on it?"
	Theras is shoveling stew into his mouth while he's not talking, still holding the bread out.
	Ajil'ij nods, his smile widening a little, "Please. It's very good."
	Theras shifts the bread back over to Asolda, who takes it and puts more jam on.  "We found something you like!  Besides bark.  You should try the cranberry or bilberry jam later!  And he's got fireweed honey down there too, but he's being selfish 'cause it's his favorite."
	"'m noth!" Theras protests around his mouthful of stew.
	Ajil'ij perks up a little, "You have honey, too? I haven't seen bees in awhile, I thought maybe they didn't live this far North."
	"I guess not *everything* is different, hm?" Asolda hands the slice back to Theras, who duly holds it out for Ajil to nibble on again.  He's busy with his own slice of bread.  She says, "I'll talk Dad into making honeycakes and bring some over."
	Theras clears his mouth quickly and comments, "Dad? As in the same 'Dad' you're supposed to be studying with at the moment?"  She sticks her tongue out at him for that.
	Ajil'ij eagerly takes a bite of bread and cloudberry jam, eyeing the pair of them with a smile. He swallows his mouthful and speaks up, "You two act like children with each other."
	"He IS a child," Asolda says at the same time Theras says, "She IS a child."  They laugh and continue eating.
	 Ajil'ij laughs softly and tears off another bite of bread with jam, watching the two of them as he chews.
	Asolda stands; somewhere in the midst of all of this, she'd finished her stew.  "Can I trust you to clean up?"
	"YES," he sighs.  "Go on."  He waves a dismissive hand towards his door.  His sister just laughs and comes over to kiss his cheek.
	"Don't let my brother bore you too much," she says to Ajil.  "And make sure he feeds you enough."
	Ajil'ij smiles a little, "Don't worry, I'll keep him from falling."
	She giggles.  "I don't think he knows *how* to fall."  She re-bundles herself quickly.
	Theras spreads more jam on a new slice of bread and when she turns back to say her final good-bye, he's holding it out to her.  She grins, bends to pick it up with her mouth (so as not to jam up her gloves) and bounds out, being sure to close the door quickly to keep the heat in.
	Ajil'ij frowns a little at this response, but just takes another bite of bread instead of saying anything.
	"So," Theras says once they're alone again, "what was this 'accident' your 'Ancient Ones'," he sounds unsure about the term, "refused to accept?"
	Ajil'ij scowls, swallowing his bread and moving to take another bite without answering the question.
	Theras pulls the bread away.  "Look, at least look me in the eye and tell me whether or not you killed someone." The way he holds the bread indicates that there will be no more until this is answered.
	Ajil'ij jerks his head up to glare rather viciously at Theras, "I didn't kill anyone, or hurt anyone, either."
	Theras nods.  "Okay, that's all I need to know."  He puts the bread back within eating distance.  "I didn't mean to insult or offend you, but I have to know that my family and friends are safe."
	Ajil'ij leans back against the pillow with a huff, scowling up at the ceiling and ignoring the bread, "No, it's understandable. Strange elf just wanders in, people ask questions, they assume things. Too risky to take in a stranger that got driven out of his own forest."
	"Wouldn't you do the same, if our situations were reversed?"
	Ajil'ij flicks gray eyes back to Theras as he quietly replies, "Yes, I would. But that's what got me kicked out in the first place."
	"They kicked you out because you took in a stranger?  That seems a little harsh."
	Ajil'ij sighs and straightens up just a bit, "Not exactly. I helped a human child out of the jungle. She was near the edge anyway, and I knew where her family's farmstead was. I was leading her with hints and clues, it was all a game to her. I almost had her back to her home when one of the humans out looking for her saw me." He frowns, eyeing Theras, "Which is embarrassing enough, being caught like that."
	"You've seen humans?!"  He blinks and then asks, "What were they like?"
	Ajil'ij frowns a little, "I only ever saw the one family of them. They'd built a small house, a bit like this one, only on stilts. Clever of them; it floods frequently in the wet season. They were... at first glance you could almost take one for an elf at a distance. But the ears are wrong, their builds much broader. They're taller, too. And I don't think they see or hear quite as sharply, either. The Ancient Ones... they're the oldest of us. They stay in Mistleaf and teach the young, for the most part. But they remember a time when humans came and destroyed part of the jungle with fire, and they were furious that I'd helped one, and even more so when two of the humans actually came into the jungle looking for me." He sighs, looking back to the ceiling, "So I had to leave. But I don't think I did something wrong, not like how they made it out to be."
	Theras is quiet a moment, eating the last of his food.  "You helped a child.  There's never anything wrong with that.  Or shouldn't be, anyway."
	Ajil'ij sighs, "I think it was more 'getting seen' and 'humans invading the jungle' parts that angered them so."
	"But it's not like you were inviting them in and showing them the best places to burn."
	"No, I didn't. But they acted like I had."
	Having nothing to say to that, Theras instead asks, "Had enough to eat?  Want more of anything?  Tea?  I see my thoughtful sister brought up a jug of beer."
	"Maybe the rest of that slice of bread. And you actually have beer this far North? What do you even make it with?" 
	"Any number of things.  This is spruce beer.  If you like the tea, the beer's even better." He holds out the remaining slice.
	"It's... different from what I'm used to, but it's good. We don't often make teas, usually only for medicine, or in particularly cold rainy seasons." He leans forward and tears off a bite of bread, leaving only about a mouthful left in Theras' hand.
	"Well, I'm glad you like it.  And the bread and jam.  And the bark, too, it seems like?  What do you normally eat back home?"
	Ajil'ij shrugs a little, swallowing before speaking, "Bark, fruits, there are many, many, many types of fruit to choose from. Nuts and seeds, too. And sometimes I'd go down to the forest floor and gather mushrooms, usually when I was getting ingredients for medicine, or poisons." He goes for that last bit of bread in Theras' hand.
	Theras pops the bite of bread into Ajil's mouth for him, and licks his lips subconsciously.  "Okay, lemme get you another drink or two of tea and then I gotta clean up.  You let me know if you need to use the chamber pot and we'll...um...figure something out."
	Ajil'ij licks his own lips, sweeping up a dab of jam and a few crumbs. "Yeah. That's going to be an adventure in itself."
	He reaches for the mug of tea and brings it to Ajil's lips again.  "At least you know I won't be far, in a place this small, hm?"  He smiles.
	Ajil'ij smiles a little and reaches up for the mug, speaking around the rim of the mug before tilting it slowly to take a sip, "If I can't see you, should I assume you're hiding somewhere?"
	"Heh, don't really know where I'd hide in here.  The cellar, maybe, but the rug would be a dead giveaway."  Watching the mug carefully to make sure there's no spilling or drowning going on.  "If you can't see me, I'm probably outside, but I won't go far until you're better, promise."
	Ajil'ij frowns a little, turning the cup fully upright again. "I think I'll probably be okay if you go farther. I don't want to be anymore of a burden on you and Asolda."
	"You're not a burden.  The worst you are is a handy excuse for Asolda to make jokes at my expense."
	Ajil'ij frowns down at his hands, twitching his fingers again as that irritating itch returns, stronger this time, and with just the barest hint of a burn, "I just want to be sure I'm not one. At least I know you're unlikely to turn me out into the snow, though."
      "Yeah, that'd be a waste," he comments, setting the mug down on the table and standing.  "Oh, we should get you into some of these warmer clothes."  He looks over at the sweaters his sister brought over, and goes to the drawer at the end of the bed.  "Let me get you pants and some socks to go over those wrappings..."
	Ajil'ij stares at Theras, smiling a little despite the persistent itching in his fingers, "Socks?"
	Theras looks up at him.  "You really just go barefoot everywhere?"
	Ajil'ij just blinks, "Yes?"
	He pulls out the drawer and finds a pair of socks, tossing them onto Ajil's lap.  "Those are socks.  They go on your feet to help keep them warm.  Then you put your boots on over the socks to keep the snow and rain and mud off them, because they're not really very waterproof."
	Ajil'ij rather clumsily picks up one of them in bandaged fingers, eyeing it curiously, "That does make sense. We don't really need to protect our feet from the weather down South. And anything we might step on... well, being barefoot helps greatly when you're running through the canopy of the forest, well, not slipping far outweighs the risk of stepping on the rare thorn."
	Theras winces at the thought of stepping on a thorn.  "It sounds incredible, living up in the treetops."
	Ajil'ij smiles, dropping the sock back into his lap with its mate, "It is. The foliage is so thick, hardly any light gets down to the forest floor, most of the life of the forest is in the treetops. Its like an entirely different world in the canopy, all of it high above the ground. It's odd, being on the ground all the time now."
	He stops to consider that, smiling at the thought.  Then he gets back to what he's supposed to be doing, pulling out a pair of soft cloth pants.  "Here; these won't be quite as warm, but you'll be inside the whole time, and they'll be far more comfortable."
	Ajil'ij tilts his head slightly before nodding. He brings his bandaged fingers to clasp over the right side of his chest and slowly, carefully, starts working at unbuckling it. After a moment's careful work it falls open, his delicately embroidered and painted vest falling loose about him. He easily unwinds the strap of embroidered cloth from his shoulder and begins tugging off the vest, and pulling one arm through, hand bent carefully to shield his fingers from getting bumped or brushed against. He copies the motion only with the other arm, tugging the shirt out from behind him where it had fallen and laying it across his lap, leaving him barechested, but with his forearms still covered by his bracers. He nudges one of the sweaters with his foot and debates with himself if he should lunge forward for it, or just ask Theras.
	Theras looks up as he finishes getting the drawer shut...and then double-blinks.  "I..."  He clears his throat.  "You should've said something; I would've helped you with that.  I mean...'cause, your hands..."
	Ajil'ij glances from his deliberation of the sweater and offers a somewhat apologetic smile, "Sorry. You can help me get into one of those, though." He points at the foot of the bed, to the sweaters.
	 "Oh sure.  Hold your arms up."  Theras looks between the two sweaters.  "Which one you want: undyed or saffron?"
	Ajil'ij cocks his head slightly, "Saffron." He lifts his arms dutifully to aid in sweaterness.
	Theras nods and picks up the saffron sweater.  He carefully slides the sweater over Ajil's arms and head, and once the wrapped hands (and his ears) are free and clear, he tugs it the rest of the way down.  The wool is very soft and warm, not itchy at all.  "That was easy enough.  The pants are gonna be a trick though."
	Ajil'ij straightened up, having tilted his head back to aid in getting his head through the neck hole of the sweater, only to look down at the thin but resilient cloth of his pants. He sighs regretfully and looks back to Theras, "I'm not sure I can get mine off without help. I probably shouldn't try, should I?"
	Theras shakes his head.  "No.  You shouldn't have done the shirt without me.  I know it's...well, awkward, but better a little awkwardness now and fingers later than not, yeah?"
	Ajil'ij nods, "Yes, I like having mobility in my hands." He glances briefly down at his legs, then back up at Theras, "Any ideas on how we're doing this?"
	Theras clears his throat.  "Well, getting the pants off is the easy part..."  He pauses and turns around to face away from Ajil while he thinks.  He half-turns back to look at the pants he pulled out for Ajil on the bed.  "Okay, I think I have an idea, but you're not gonna like it."
	"You know, this is going to be one of those phrases I end up hating, isn't it?"
	"Probably."
	"Well, what's your idea?"
	Theras clears his throat again.  "Getting you out of the pants is easy: unfasten, pull.  But getting you into the others, the only way I can think to work it is to get the pants up over your knees a ways, then I'll lean down.  You loop your arms behind my neck and I'll straighten up.  I'll still be holding on to the top part of the pants, and I'll be essentially lifting you up, hopefully enough that I can tug the pants the rest of the way up.  Fastening them shut is easy after that; you won't even need to still hold on to me.  Though you should probably let me lower you back down instead of just letting go."
	Ajil'ij frowns as he listens, glancing down at his legs again, "Okay, that would work. And I don't have anything better, so," He gives a resigned sigh, "Let's just get it done with, then."
	Theras nods. "So, first things first, I gotta get your pants open.  Any tricks I need to know about?  I don't know how you guys do it down South."
	Ajil'ij gestures to the small, carved wooden clasp at one hip, "That holds the loincloth on, it should just slide right off. Underneath is a woven belt, and that also just unbuckles, then the pants can just slide off. But first, the shin guards have to come off. There are lacings at the back of each ankle, partway up the shin, and at the back of the knee."
	Theras blinks.  "Right."  He bends to his task, black hair cascading over his shoulders as he labors on loosening leg lacings.
	Ajil'ij watches Theras as he works, turning his leg to help with the removal of the guard while he eyes the Northern elf's hair, "Do all of you Northern elves have such dark hair?"
	Without taking his eyes from his work, Theras replies, "Most of us, yes.  Mostly blacks and dark browns; sometimes a redhead."  He looks up from the shin guard he's getting off to grin at Ajil'ij. "They say a child born with any color hair lighter than dark brown is gonna be trouble."
	Ajil'ij blinks at this, a frown creasing his brow, "No on in the jungle has such dark hair. They're all blondes and light browns. Sometimes there are redheads; they're considered lucky, with hair coloured so closely to the Illawarra Flame Tree. They bloom just before the rainy season, and on years they bloom in excess, we know it will be a long season, heavy with the rains that give the forest life. After a good rainy season, the dry season is prosperous."
	"I'm guessing there's no way black hair could be considered lucky, hm?"
	"I've never seen a Jungle Elf with such dark hair. It's as black as the frogs whose venom we use for our poisons. Which would likely be considered unlucky, despite its shine."
	Theras nods.  "So I'm unlucky for you, and you're trouble for me?  Man, that doesn't sound good."  But he chuckles amiably.  "There, shin guards off.  Next is the belt or the clasps?  Or does it matter?"
	Ajil'ij chuckles softly and shakes his head, "The clasp first. And I wouldn't say terribly unlucky, that would be unfair after all the help you and your sister have given me."
	"Good to know we're an exception to the rule."  He takes a step forward (as he's standing next to the bed) and leans towards the clasp.  "Clasp, then belt.  Then off with the old pants and on with the new, hm?  They're still cloth, just thicker than these, so they shouldn't be *too* uncomfortable for you."
	Ajil'ij glances away as Theras leans over him, struck with how intimate having someone undress him suddenly seems. He clears his throat softly and speaks up, "Be careful with the belt, the pouches have some rare things in them. Well, probably unheard of things in the North."
	"Oh?  Such as...?" Theras fishes for a topic of conversation as far away from pants (the getting into thereof) as possible.
	Ajil'ij frowns in thought, mentally taking stock of what was left in his pouches, "Well, the red-dyed pouch on my hip is medicines. There are leaves from the Quina tree, they're most helpful in curing certain serious diseases, along with most flus. Dried petals from the purple flute flower, they're good for calming the heart. There are some poppy seeds, you can grind those and mix them with liquid, usually a certain nectar from a jungle flower, but water can work, too, to make milk of the poppy, it's... a really powerful drug that relieves pain. It also clouds the mind and makes you sleepy. I have some Coca leaves left, they're good for drowsiness and headaches." 
	Theras stares at him for a moment.  "You should go over this with Asolda and Dad.  They'd be fascinated.  Not that I'm not!" he adds quickly.  "Just that...y'know, they're the healers, so new medicinal herbs and such would be really helpful for them."
	Ajil'ij nods, "Yes, maybe when I have my hands back I can go through them and see what I have, and tell Asolda about them. I'm not really much of a healer myself, but there are so many medicines and dangers in the jungle that it's foolish not to learn what you can."
	"Sounds like 'Solda's type of place.  It's probably not just around the bend though, is it?"
	Ajil'ij smiles a little sadly, "No, it's far, far away."
	Theras clears his throat and makes himself focus on his task.  "How long were you walking?" he asks as he starts unbuckling Ajil's belt.
	Ajil'ij carefully doesn't look at Theras for this, jumping on the question as a distraction, "Months. Many months. Six or seven, perhaps."
	"Your feet must be worn out!  Good thing 'Solda said for you to take it easy.  You can just lay back and let me do all the work now, okay?" His hand slips on the buckle when he says that, and he clears his throat again.
	Ajil'ij flushes faintly, determinedly looking up at the ceiling and Not At Theras, "I will feel lazy, though."
	"I think you've earned a rest.  Seven months of traveling?"  Gets the belt unbuckled and stands up.  "Okay I'm going to go to your ankles and just pull the pants straight off.  You're gonna have to sort of lever yourself up with your elbows when I do it."
	Ajil'ij nods, finally looking back to Theras as he readies himself to lever onto his elbows, "It wasn't straight travelling, I stopped a lot."
	"But still, that's a long way to go.  I mean, I guess you had no choice, really, but you're still long overdue for a sitdown and relax."  He's been moving to Ajil's feet as he talks and he takes hold of Ajil's pants now.  "Ready?"
	He nods, ready to push himself up onto his elbows when Theras gives the word, "Just tell me when to move."
	"Now!"  Theras starts pulling the pants towards him.
	Ajil'ij rises onto his elbows and shoulders, torso and especially hips lifting in one smooth, graceful motion as he tries his best to aid Theras in his pants-removal.
	Theras, of course, was pulling very hard, so when the pants are free to slip off, they do so at great speed.  Theras falls over backwards.
	Ajil'ij slumps back into pillow as his pants go make the trip to the floor with Theras, only to spring unsteadily up again to peer over the edge of the bed with a barely contained grin. He shifts and twists about so as to kneel, mindful of his bandaged feet, and rests his forearms on the footboard, hands dangling off of it. "And Asolda said you didn't know how to fall." He shakes his head slowly, ignoring for now that he's kneeling in just his underclothes (a wrap of green-dyed cloth that wraps snugly about him from just over his hips to a third of the way down each thigh) and a borrowed sweater. "You might not do so well in the jungle canopy."
	From the floor, Theras comments, looking up at the ceiling, "I think I'd be okay so long as the jungle's not wearing pants."
	Ajil'ij snorts with laughter, unable to hold it in at Theras' reply.
	Theras props himself up on his elbows to look at his guest and, with a (mostly) straight face, says, "I guess I overdid it."
	Ajil'ij grins down at him, "Only slightly. At least you're not hurt. I doubt I could do much for you with my hands so bundled up if you were."
	"Nah, I'm fine."  He gets to his feet and eyes the pants as if they had been plotting against him.  "You clearly just have vicious attack pants."
	Ajil'ij laughs again, "And you wanted to help me with the vest. It might have tried to smother you."
	"Do all jungle elf clothes so violently resist being separated from their owners?" 
	"Actually, they probably just object to the method of removal. At least, -I've- never had a problem with them."
	"Well, no.  They LIKE you.  I mean, I'd think they would; they spend all that time on you."
	"I did make them, too, that's also in my favour. And did you ever think of trying to charm the pants, perhaps they'd treat you better if you were nice to them?"
	Theras blushes lightly but is still grinning.  "I'll keep that in mind for next time we have to attempt this little manuever."
	Ajil'ij smiles and nods a little, "For the best, I think. Can't have you falling all over yourself just for my pants."
	"Not a word of this to 'Solda, please?" he asks, trading the vicious jungle attack pants for the much more docile pair he has laying out for his guest.  "I can hear her now: 'Oh, you mean you COULDN'T charm someone out of their pants?! Why, Theras, what will become of your reputation?!' "
	Ajil'ij chuckles softly, cheeks flushing faintly, "Well, to be fair, the pants were the vicious ones, not I. Though I'll take pity on you and keep quiet about it. For your reputation." It hard to tell, but there might be a teasing lilt to his voice that he's trying to hide.
	"I don't know, I think this particular reputation could stand being tarnished a bit, but I will appreciate your silence regardless."  He pauses a moment and adds, "And here I thought I'd have to bribe you with bark..."
	Ajil'ij snorts, "While gift-giving is a good start with a Jungle Elf, bark is just a bit cliché. Overdone. Lazy, maybe that's the word I want."
	"Well, you seemed to like it.  Should I bribe you with bread and jam instead?"
	Ajil'ij tilts his slightly, "Perhaps. Bread is good; we don't have it in the jungle. We don't bake much at all. It's very different up here. Everything we need to survive, the jungle gives us. We don't need to build much, or cook." He frowns, "Or kill."
	Theras sighs.  "That's really a sticking point with you, isn't it?" 
	Ajil'ij's frown deepens and he slouches forward so his legs are tucked underneath him (mindful of his feet) and his chin rests atop his crossed forearms, hands still dangling off the footboard. He speaks softly, "Wouldn't it bother you, if you went your entire life without killing for food or clothing?"
	Theras shrugs.  "I can't imagine such a life, so I can't answer that."  He thinks a moment.  "Bundle up; I'll be right back in."  He tosses the pants at Ajil with a smile and goes for his coat.
	Ajil'ij sighs, his frown now hidden by the pants that Theras had tossed at him and which are now draped over him, one leg flipped up over his head to fall over his face, the other draped over a shoulder, "Try not to fall."
	Theras chuckles.  "I am safe from pants outside."  He goes to the cupboard to the left of the hearth and pulls out something that looks like a horn on a strap.  "I'll just be a moment."
	He sighs and straightens up, pushing the pants from his head and shoulders, letting them fall to the bed. He shifts again, twisting about on his knees so he's once more sitting on his butt before lowering back to his elbows, back propped up against the pillow once more before he reaches out to try and pull the blanket back up. He pauses befor he can close his hand on it, once more remembering just in time that he's not supposed to be moving his hands and fingers. He calls over to Theras, "Hard to bundle with no hands here."
	Theras pauses at the door and looks back at him.  "Oh, right."  He doesn't move for a moment, looking over Ajil, then makes himself go and tug the blanket up over his legs for him.  
	Ajil'ij offers a small smile, "Thanks. I'm sorry I'm so demanding."
	"It's not your fault."  He tugs playfully on one of Ajil's plaits and turns for the door again.
	He sighs, whether at Theras' words or plait-tugging is hard to say, "It somewhat is. I should've known better, somehow."
	"How would you have known better?  You couldn't even conceive of snow."
	Another sigh as he turns his head to gaze back at the ceiling, "I just feel I should have, somehow. I feel like a fool."
	Theras looks back over his shoulder at him.  "Seriously, Ajil, you couldn't know.  Anyway, just be a moment."  He opens the door and slips through rapidly.
	True to his word, he's outside a minute at most, and then the door opens and quickly closes again as he zips inside.  "It's warming up a little, but that snow's not going anywhere."
	Ajil'ij is, unsurprisingly, still tucked into bed. He glances over when Theras comes back in and nods somewhat listlessly, glancing sadly at the window again.
	"So!"  Theras rubs his hands together - he didn't wear his gloves outside for such a brief trip, "let's get you into some more gentle and peaceful pants, hm?"
	Ajil'ij looks down at the lumps that are his blanket-covered feet, cheeks flushing lightly, "I uh..."
	Theras's brow knits together as he pulls his jacket off.  "Hm?"
	Ajil'ij licks his lips nervously, only to wince lightly at the sting in them, "I've gotta piss, drank so much tea..."
	"Ah.  Well, here's where it gets interesting, yeah?"  He tosses his coat over the back of a chair.  "Well, I can help steady you and you could sort of...aim by nudging.  Sort of lift with the side of your hand?"
	Ajil'ij nods, still not looking at Theras.
	Theras comes over and arranges the chamber pot in a good location.  "Think you can hit that mark?" He asks, turning back to Ajil and pulling the blanket away.
	Ajil'ij swallows and glances down at the chamber, nodding slowly. He moves to swing his legs over the side of the bed, as always mindful on his bandaged limbs.
	Theras eyes Ajil's undies with a frown.  "Do those open easily or do they have to come off?"
	Ajil'ij groans a little, "Normally it's easy to just slide between the folds, but I can't exactly do that right now, so they'll have to come off."
	"Well...here."  He goes to pick Ajil up again.  "Now I'm going to lower your feet to the floor real careful-like, okay?  But just lean back against me.  I should be able to push these down enough so you can get done what you need to that way, and you'll already be 'in position', as it were.  And don't worry, I doubt I'll be able to see anything with all of this...," smiling and tugging again on one of the braids, "in my way." 
	Ajil'ij nods a little, cheeks flushing deeper in embarrassment, and he loops an arm carefully around Theras' back for support. "Yeah. I guess I'm ready then."
	"Okay, we can do this.  Easy does it..." as he lowers Ajil's feet to the floor.  He straightens up right away to steady him, hands on his arms.  "You okay?  Not about to tip over?"
	Ajil'ij shakes his head, standing only a little unsteadily thanks to Theras holding his arms, "For the moment, no."
	"So far, so good, then."  He moves his hands to Ajil's hips and unconsciously turns his head towards his guest's ear as he closes his eyes.  "Can they just be pushed down, or are there more clasps?" he asks quietly.
	Ajil'ij flushes deeper, resisting the urge to squeeze his eyes shut with embarrassment as he needs to see for this. He mumbles, "Pushed."
	"Okay."  Theras hooks his thumbs into the top of Ajil's underwear and pushes down along his legs until he'd have to bend down to go any farther.  "Is that far enough?"
	Ajil'ij clears his throat, mumbling out an affirmative answer. He shifts a little, keeping the one arm looped about Theras for support as he uses his other hand to aim by nudging. After a moment comes the sound of urination into a chamber pot.
	Theras is about to say something smart-alecky about "good aim" but decides to let the man piss in peace.  Idly, without even realizing it, one thumb sort of strokes the piece of Ajil's thigh it's near.
	Ajil'ij takes a somewhat sharp intake of breath, definitely noticing Theras' thumb, even if the Northern elf doesn't. Fortunately he's just about done relieving himself so there's no risk of mess-making. He shifts a little, clearing his throat, "Okay."
	Theras nods and starts pulling Ajil's pants up for him.  He has been quietly contemplating the snow outside, and the ice that usually accompanies it, because it's better than thinking about the mostly naked guy leaning against him.  He tugs the undies back into position and asks, "All better?"
	Ajil'ij is a wonderful shade of red from embarrassment, and maybe just a touch from certain elf's stroking his thigh. He nods quickly, "Yes."
	Theras opens his eyes again; if he is surprised at his guest's sudden imitation of a cranberry, he doesn't say so.  "Let's get you seated on the bed again, and we can get some decently warm pants on you."  His hands are still on Ajil'ij's hips.
	Ajil'ij swallows tightly and nods again, determinedly Not Looking at Theras. "Yes. Back into the bed, then?"
	"Just on the edge."  He picks him up again so he won't have to walk even that short a distance, then turns and sets him on the edge of the bed for now.  "I still gotta get the pants up your legs, and it'll be easier this way."
	Ajil'ij nods, never once looking at Theras as he's carried back to the bed, his flush refusing to recede.
	Theras goes and picks up the pants again and unfastens them first, then kneels before Ajil'ij to start getting them up his legs.
	Ajil'ij helpfully lifts one foot a little higher for Theras, now suddenly struck with having the man kneeling before him while he's on the edge of a bed with not pants. He squeezes his eyes shut briefly, trying to will away this new train of thought.
	Theras is paying all his attention the pants and not the legs, or trying to, anyway.  He tugs the pants up and gets to his feet but remains sort of bent over.  He risks throwing a smile at Ajil as he says, "Okay, just like we talked about, and it should be easy."
	And that did not help Ajil'ij's attempts at banishing those thoughts in the slightest. He gives a nod to Theras, and even musters a faint smile, but inside he tries desparately to think of the freezing cold flood waters back in Berraja (or he'd always thought they were that cold, until he came North). Scratch that, he tried to fill his head with thoughts of how bloody freezing cold it is -here-.
	Theras watches his guest for a moment, then gently reminds him, "Arms around my neck, so I can lift you.  My hands will be full, I'm afraid." 
	Ajil'ij clears his throat, nodding at Theras but keeping his eyes fixated on a point over the other elf's shoulder. He lifts his arms and (freezing cold snow, frigid winds, frostbitten toes!) wraps them around Theras' neck.
	Theras clears his throat and gets his hands on the waistband of the pants - or tries to.  One hand fumbles and ends up on Ajil's thigh, but Theras moves it quickly with a mumbled, "Oops, sorry.  Not paying attention to what I'm doing."
	Ajil'ij only nods and mumbles, "It's fine." His mind is busy replaying his snowy trek and not paying any attention at all to how Theras' hand felt on his thigh, or the rich thickness of the hair that brushes over his arms. Or so he wishes it was.
	Theras stands and once again Ajil is leaning against him, only this time facing him.  As he stands, he pulls the pants up and over Ajil's hips.
	Ajil'ij swallows tightly, finding himself leaning against Theras' front, arms around the man's neck. The position is far from lost on him and he keeps his head slightly turned so as to not see Theras' face at all, eyes fixed straight ahead.
	Is Theras's breathing a little off, or is that his imagination?  "There we go, works like a charm," he says.  "Let me get you back on the bed, and I can fasten the pants closed, and we'll be all done."
	Ajil'ij gives a tight nod, shifting slightly but not removing his arms from Theras' neck. His words are mumbled and his voice weak, "Yeah. Almost done."
	Theras moves his hands to Ajil's waist to help gently ease him back onto the bed as he bends back down. "There are still the socks but those'll be easy."
	Ajil'ij's breath catches ever so slightly in his throat as Theras lays him back on the bed and he quickly tries to mask it by clearing his throat. He manages a quiet chuckle, "I forgot about those."
	"It's understandable; you've never had to use them before."  He stands up and lets go of Ajil, keeping an only slightly uncertain smile on his face.
	Ajil'ij released Theras' neck as soon as possible, reclining back against the pillow and looking pointedly out the window again. He smiles a little, "No, never. What do you call the ones that go over your hands?"
	"Gloves."  He collects the socks from the bed and goes to sit at Ajil's feet to carefully work them on over the bandages.
	Ajil'ij risks a glance at Theras while he's working the socks onto his feet, his flush finally starting to recede. "And the cloth that wraps around your neck and face?"
	"Scarf."  He is intent upon his task, lifting Ajil's feet by the ankles carefully to help get the socks up over his heels.
	"Scarf. Okay. Anything else I should know?" As he tries to keep his mind distracted.
	"Hood? Coat?  Um..."  There is an odd sort of sound at the door - like someone is knocking who doesn't know how.  "Moose," he adds as he finishes getting the last sock on.
	Ajil'ij looks over at the door, "Before you open that, blanket?" He glances over at Theras almost pleadingly, "Please?"
	Theras nods.  "Of course."  He stands and resettles the blanket over his guest.  "Good?"
	Ajil'ij nods, carefully settling his bandaged hands atop the blanket's folds. "Yes. Thank you."
	Theras smiles and goes to pull the door open.  Standing there is a large bull moose.  It eyes Theras expectantly.  "Hey, Acoose!"  He reaches out and strokes the moose's nose.
	Ajil'ij just openly Stares, mouth dropping open at the sight of strange animal legs, long and almost spindly-looking, given the great height of the animal, and the great, massive, oddly shaped head that's ducked down to peer in the doorway. 
	Theras grins.  "Acoose, this is Ajil'ij.  Ajil'ij, this is Acoose.  He is a moose."
	Ajil'ij mouths silently for a moment before forming words, "A-acoose the moose?"
	Theras nods.  "You got it!"  He turns back to the moose.  "That was it.  I just wanted to introduce you to Ajil."  He pats its nose again.
	Acoose snorts, nudges Theras's chest (knocking him back a step), and turns to plod off.  Theras turns to grin at Ajil.  "Be right back!" And ducks out without his coat this time.
	Ajil'ij just blinks at the closed door and sinks down into pillow. He takes a deep, shuddering breath and lets out it, slowing his breathing as the last of his blush fades away. He frowns suddenly, glancing at his bandagsed hands; Asolda had said not to rub at them, but now that the distraction of Theras and their awkward shuffle had passed, he was becoming increasingly aware that his hands, feet, and ears were all afflicted with a burning itching. He groaned softly, sinking back into the pillow a little only to sit up straighter the moment the tips of his ears brush against the fabric, increasingly the burning pain in the ends of his ears.
	Theras ducks back in, carrying the horn again.  He shuts the door quickly and goes to put the horn back where he got it from.
	Ajil'ij is staring at his bandaged fingers, as if willing them to stop their insistent burning.
	"You okay over there?" he asks as he shuts the cupboard.
	Without lifting his gaze, "Are they supposed to burn, or am I dying of some strange Northern illness?"
	"Yeah, that's pretty common. It'd be worse, but the salve should be helping.  They'll probably itch a lot, too."
	Ajil'ij frowns up at Theras, the barest hint of a pout sneaking into his expression, "They itch, too."
	Theras smiles wanly.  "We'll get Asolda to make more salve.  It helps, but it can't fix it entirely, sad to say."  He comes over and gathers up all the stuff still on the bed: waterskin, random other clothes, etc.  He puts the waterskin on the table and packs the clothes away in the drawer under the bed (including Ajil's jungle clothing).
	Ajil'ij spares a sad glance for his jungle clothing, "So, how long does it usually take for this to heal? Or at the least stop itching."
	Theras shrugs.  "I'm not the healer, so I'm not really sure.  I've seen it take anywhere from a week or two to months.  But Asolda's a good healer, and maybe she'll bring Dad in on this, too."
	Ajil'ij frowns and nods slowly, mulling over this for a long moment, before muttering somewhat sadly, "Bedridden for months."
	"Well, you're certainly not going outside any time soon.  Might as well make the best of it."
	Ajil'ij sighs and casts the window a dark look, "I'm still deciding if that's fortunate or terrible. Probably somewhere in between." 
	"If you ask me, you're best off just wintering here with us.  Once spring comes, we can get you to the snowline and back to where it's warmer.  But you're gonna be laid up recovering for most of the winter anyway."  He looks around his cabin.  "And it's not...SO terrible here, right?"  He looks back at Ajil.  "You're my first houseguest, you know."
	Ajil'ij slumps a little, casting his gaze listlessly about the cabin, "No, it's... it's incredibly different from the jungle, but it's not terrible, at least inside." He casts another dark look out the window.
Socks: Theras smiles lightly and looks around his cabin.  "Just finished it last week.  Good timing, too, given the snowfall."
Boots: Ajil'ij nods, tearing his eyes from the window and back to Theras, "It's... cozy. It's like an entirely different world than out there." 
	"'Cozy' is a good way to put it.  'Solda just says 'small'.  But given that I'm not real likely to have much company, I figured it was enough.  I'm glad you like it."
	Ajil'ij smiles a little at Theras, "In the jungle, our homes are up in the trees. The roofs are watertight, layers of leaves and strips of tree bark. Vines woven with leaves make up the walls, and of course the floors are tree branches, some as wide as this bed. The entire house is alive and breathes with the jungle. But obviously you can't do that up here, your house would die. Or sleep. Or something."
	Theras smiles.  "Yeah, we have to animate our houses with fire and laughter."  He sits in the chair at the table to converse with his houseguest, and pats the wall again.  "Larch is the best wood around here for building a house.  The others are too susceptible to disease and rot.  I took as much as I could from already felled trees, but come Spring I will have much restitution to make." He looks over at Ajil with a sheepish grin.  "So you might want to clear out around then anyway; I'm not going to be able to spend much time doing anything but planting for awhile."
	Ajil'ij nods, looking down at the bedcovers, his bandaged hands resting on his thighs. "Yeah." He smiles weakly, "Now I just need to get to Spring."
	"You'll make it.  We'll make sure of it." Theras smiles.  "See, I was just asking for a new project, and now here you are!  Truly, the gods are showing me some favor for a change." He's smirking lightly.
	Ajil'ij spares a small frown for Theras, "Oh, why thank you. I'm flattered."
	"I'm teasing.  I know the jungle doesn't keep you from developing a sense of humor."  He props an elbow on the table and rests his head in that hand as he looks over to Ajil.
	Ajil'ij sighs, "No, it doesn't. I just don't like being so, well," He looks down at his useless hands, "helpless."
	Theras's smirk drops.  "Yeah, sorry.  But 'Solda will do what she can and we might be able to get Dad involved.  Maybe.  The trick is getting Dad but not Mom."
	Ajil'ij tilts his head, his expression turning curious, "Why is that?"
Socks: Theras sighs.  "She'd want to ask you all sorts of questions, and she'd be over all the time, and she'd drive us both nuts.  Plus, she doesn't need the stress.  She's still getting the hang of things, and Grandma's being stubborn..."  He shrugs.
	He nods, though he only ends up with more questions than he'd started, "I see."
	"Who runs things in the jungle?"
	Ajil'ij shrugs a little, "In Mistleaf, the village, it's the Ancient Ones. They've watched the jungle grow up around them for aeons, it seems. But usually only children mates expecting young are there, and the Ancient Ones. The rest fan out into the jungle, you could go many seasons without seeing another of your own kind, unless you make the trek to Mistleaf for the dry and rainy season festivals. Sometimes a few elves will take up near eachother, or even share the same tree, but most stay on their own out in the jungle. We keep an eye for eachother, and we know who are neighbours are, and who is good with what. But the Ancient Ones only interfere when someone, ah, when they think someone has done something wrong." He'd been slowly working towards another smile as he spoke, but at the end the almost-smile just darkens into a scowl.
	"Doesn't that get lonely?" 
	"The ones that get lonely are the ones that band together, I guess. Or they'll stay in mistleaf."
	"*YOU* didn't get lonely?"
	Ajil'ij gives a little shrug, "There were other around me. Jara'ri had taken up closer to the river, and a little farther into the jungle from me there was Jik'ii and Mawe'ii. Mawe'ii is a skilled shaman, and Jik'ii was her... some distant cousin. She was teaching him the path. So there were others around me, I wasn't exactly alone."
	"Shaman?"
	Ajil'ij frowns, tilting his head, "They walk the path with Mother, and learn to use Her gifts for healing, both the jungle and Her children. Shamans tend to spread out throughout the jungle, so there's often one within a couple days of anyplace in the jungle."
	"Oh, healers!  Like Dad.  Okay."
	He nods a little, "Yeah. I guess you just call them something else."
	Theras shrugs.  "We just...call them healers."  He smiles.
	"Yeah. I guess we just... call them other things."
	"So, Jiky, Mawey," mispronouncing, "These friends of yours?  Family?"
	Ajil'ij smiles a little, taking care to slow down a little when he's pronouncing the names, "No, Mawe'ii and Jik'ii are related to eachother, but not to me. See, they both have 'ii at the end of their names. Jara'ri has 'ri, so he's another family, too."
	"Oh, right.  That's going to take some getting used to.  Do your people use honorifics?  I'm guessing not, if there's not a single chief."
	"Chief?"
	Theras drops the hand that was propping up his chin and leans forward a little, settling in to explain.  "We have a single chief...well, most of the time," he chuckles.  "She is advised by the elders, but she is the one who makes the decisions.  She is our leader, and she and her lineage get to use the honorific 'va' in front of their family names."
	Ajil'ij nods, leaning in slightly as he listens, "So a bit like the jungle, only instead of one leader being advised, we just have the advisors. Elders are like our Ancient Ones then, maybe?"
	Theras nods, "Yes."  He nearly giggles as he adds, "If you ever do meet my Grandmother, please do NOT call her 'Ancient One'.  She will knock you on your ass for that."
	Ajil'ij smiles weakly, "I'll try and keep it in mind."
	"So there is no special form of address for your 'Ancient Ones', then?"
	"They all have 'yi at the ends of their names. Pawa'ii'yi, Reja'ik'yi, and so on. And they're all shamans, powerful ones. They're all..." He smiles faintly, "Well, ancient."
	Theras whistles lowly.  "That's a lot of healers.  We have three, if you count Asolda, which I don't normally because she hasn't come into her magic yet.  But she will be one someday, so I might as well get used to it."  He grins.
	Ajil'ij cocks his head curiously, "Only three? How many of you are there up here?"
	"Forty-two, if you count Calla's baby born last month," he says immediately.
	Ajil'ij's eyes widen a little, "Only forty-two? There are twice that in Berraja, and nearly twenty shamans, if you count the four Ancient Ones."
	Theras shrugs.  "Our people's birthrate is low.  Our mother having Asolda and I at the same time was a rarity; her lineage hasn't had twins in 10 generations, and Father's not for five.  Before Calla gave birth last month, the youngest child here was 20 years old."  He smiles oddly.  "It makes us spoil our children a bit, I suppose."
	Ajil'ij nods thoughtfully, "I guess. Maybe it's just easier in the jungle? To live, I mean. Life is so abundant there."
	"If it weren't so far away, I'd suggest intermarriage." 
	Ajil'ij laughs, "I doubt you'd be able to convince them to come so far North. Especially once they find out about -snow-."
	Theras grins and shrugs.  "Maybe we could head South?  Asolda'd love to go herb-gathering in your jungle, from what you've said.  I'd say 'Maybe she'd find someone to propose to' but she hasn't even figured out how to go after the guy she's already found, so I don't think it'd help much."
	Ajil'ij shakes his head a little, "I'd love to go back but... I don't see that happening anytime soon."
	"Oh well.  I guess she'll just have to make do with what we have here.  How're you feeling?  Still hungry?  Thirsty?  Anything I can do to make you more comfortable?"
	Ajil'ij groans, "Make the itching stop?" He sounds hopeful, but his face says he clearly doesn't expect a remedy.
	"I would if I could."  He sighs.  "I suppose we might have to get Dad involved, just to put you out of your misery.  Er...but not THAT way, just that...he can do more than the salve can..."
	Ajil'ij sighs and slump back into the pillow, only to spring back up with a yelp when his ears brush the fabric again. He twists slightly to glare at the offending pillow.
	Theras stands. "That's it, I'm getting Dad.  We'll just have to deal with Mom, if it comes to it.  You won't be able to sleep like that."  He hesitates though.  "I hate leaving you alone for that long, though."
	Ajil'ij glances over at Theras, "I can... sleep on my stomach or something. If you have so few healers I shouldn't be taking up one's time."
	Theras smiles.  "We don't keep them very busy, honestly.  Well, not at this time of the year.  Summer's another story, especially if there are young kids around."
	Ajil'ij sighs and gives a small nod, "Okay. I'll just... wait here then." He settles carefully back against the pillow again.
	Theras nods.  "Before I go, do you need anything?  I'm going to be gone an hour, at least."
	"A drink, then? I'd just ask to leave it by the bed or something, but, well... hands and all."
	Theras nods.  "Well, your tea's probably cold by now; want beer instead, or just take your tea cold?"
	Ajil'ij tilts his head, "Do you not drink water up here?"
	"Asolda *did* bring a waterskin over.  The tea's just generally better for you.  Would you rather have water?"
	Ajil'ij considers for a moment, "Tea, then. It'll be fine cold, I hope."
	"It's not bad."  He walks around the table and picks up the mug.  Sitting on the edge of the bed again, he brings it to Ajil'ij's lips and tilts carefully, as usual (by now).
	Ajil'ij drinks slowly, not even bothering to lift his hand this time. He tilts his head up a little when he's had enough, not pulling his lips away so he won't spill onto himself and the blanket, but enough so Theras will hopefully get the idea and pull the mug away.
	Theras lifts the mug away and sets it on the table.  "Okay, I'll be back soon.  Try not to burn my house down while I'm gone." He grins.
	Ajil'ij licks the tea from his lips and glances at Theras with a wry smile, "I'll try and contain myself."
	Theras grins, grabs up his coat and gloves and just ducks out the door.
	Ajil'ij lays back carefully, shifting so the crown of his head is resting against the headboard, saving his ears from more abuse, and stares up at the ceiling, studying the grain of the wood. After a time he slowly closes his eyes and just lets his mind wander.
	About an hour & 20 minutes later, the slight creak of the door and the blast of cold wind announce the return of Theras.  Asolda is with him, as is an older man, just starting to silver at the temples.  He looks much like his children, though his eyes are hazel instead of green.  He's dressed similarly, though his furs are silver, not white, and he's got some sort of amulet around his neck that becomes visible as he opens his coat. 
	"You're keeping it awfully warm, Theras.  You'll burn your house down."
	"My houseguest needs it warmer, Dad," Theras explains, already tugging his gloves off.  Asolda is closing the door behind their little party; she has a bag of something in one gloved hand.
	Ajil'ij hasn't moved an inch, though when the door opens he cracks open his eyes again and turns his head to the elves tramping in from the snow. He shifts a little, making a half-hearted sort of movement as if to pull the blankets up more, but quickly remembers himself and drops his bandaged hand again.
	"I saw that," Asolda chides him.  "Maybe I'll eat all these myself."  She shakes the bag a little, and there's some rustling sound from its contents (like a bag of potato chips here in the real world).
	"Don't tease him," Theras scolds her.
	Their father seems to ignore the two of them.  He steps over to the bed and starts inspecting the patient.  "This is nasty.  Especially your ears."
	Ajil'ij frowns faintly, "It's not permanent though, is it? They'll heal?"
	Theras clears his throat.  "Ajil'ij, this is my father, Lorcnal Dielakeh."  Ajil'ij might remember that Theras introduced himself and his sister with the surname "V'inarakeh".  
	Lorcnal takes firm yet gentle hold of Ajil'ij's chin and turns his head this way and that to get a better look at the ears.  "It's good that you brought me, Theras.  Salve alone would not do.  Even with the Mother's aid, he will need much tending."
	"Well, Theras can see to that, right?  I'm sure he wouldn't mind," Asolda pipes up, punctuating that last sentence with a giggle.  This earns her a sour look from her brother.
	Ajil'ij stays still, only moving his head at Lorcnal's gentle urging. He frowns in concern at the healer's words and tries to tune out the twins, "I'm sorry to be trouble; it doesn't get cold like this where I'm from."
	Lorcnal clucks his tongue a little and releases Ajil'ij's chin.  "No trouble, lad, no trouble.  Theras said you weren't from these parts."  He smiles - and that is quite definitely the origin of Theras's own smile there - and asks, "Did you really not know what snow was?"
	Ajil'ij sighs, sending another look at the window as if the snow is the cause for all the badness there ever was in the world, "No. I think I could have gone the rest of my life without finding out, too. It's very hot where I'm from."
	Asolda murmurs an "I'll say" to Theras - whether or not Ajil'ij can hear it.  Theras clears his throat and asks, only a little bit louder, "Don't you have something you could be doing?"
	Lorcnal is still ignoring his unruly children.  "Well, let's get this tended to, hm?  It will take time to fully heal, as your body was badly damaged by the frost and is in no way prepared for it.  But I can at least restore the use of your hands and feet to you, and be rid of the pain and burning.  Hold your hands out for me, please?"
	Ajil'ij looks back to Lorcnal as he speaks, frowning lightly at Asolda's word. He holds his hands out at the request, speaking a quiet, "Thank you."
	Lorcnal nods and moves his hands, palm up, under Ajil'ij's own.  The hands move past his to take hold of his wrists and he sort of gently raises his forearms up until they are barely touching Ajil'ij's palms.  There is a sensation of tingling ((of sparkeling...just kidding)), almost like tiny pinpricks, and then warmth, so much warmth, he ought to be sweating but he isn't and it's almost as if his hands were entirely encased in ice which is now melting away.  The warmth radiates along his forearms, seeming to stem from the healer's hands, and with it comes a feeling of comfort, like a mother's voice whispering that it will be alright and kissing your forehead.  Lorcnal smiles softly and closes his eyes, bowing his head as if in thanks before letting his hands slide away.
	Asolda comments breathlessly from behind her father, "I could watch him do that all day."
	Ajil'ij closes his eyes and lets out a soft sigh as the itching and burning dissipate into pleasant warmth, his hands feeling almost normal again. He bows his own head briefly in thanks, eyes opening slowly when he lifts it again.
	Lorcnal opens his eyes.  "Asolda, unwrap one of his hands to check it.  I will start in on his feet."  She hurries over to do as asked.
	"Shouldn't you work on his ears and nose? " Theras asks.  "The ears especially are so bad off..."
	"Do I tell you how to track and hunt, Theras?" he responds amiably without turning around.  He's pushing the blanket up Ajil'ij's legs to get at his feet.  
	"No, Dad."
	"Then trust me to do my work in the way I think proper."  Hardly waiting a moment, he asks instructively, "Asolda, why *am* I starting with his hands and feet, and not his ears or nose?"
	She pauses a moment in her unwrapping to ponder.  "Because the hands and feet are more important?"
	He shakes his head.  "They are, but Theras is correct in that they are far worse off.  Given his body's unpreparedness for the cold, I am letting the magic seep into more of his tissues to give an extra boost to those parts of him in the worst need.  And yes, in the meantime, I am definitely saving the parts he will need the most."
	Ajil'ij smothers the beginnings of his grin at Theras' reprimand  behind a solemn expression, keeping one of his hands held up for Asolda to unwrap.  He is also listening to Lorcnal and Asolda, since healing is interesting.
	Asolda nods as well.  "Yes, sir."  She finishes unwrapping the hand and it looks quite normal.  
	Lorcnal doesn't look; he's busy tugging off a sock.  "Ajil'ij, if you would not mind, try closing and opening your hand.  Don't make a fist though; I do not want you putting your skin under tension just yet."
	Theras shifts his weight from one foot to another since he has nothing else to do.
	Ajil'ij does as he's told, slowly closing his hand, careful not to put tension on his skin. He holds it a moment before slowly opening the hand again.
	"How's it feel?  Probably still a little stiff?"
	Asolda opens her mouth to say something, unwrapping the other hand, but she shoots a look at Theras who shoots a capital-L LOOK right back at her, so she shuts her mouth again.
	Lorcnal finishes getting the socks off and rests his hands over Ajil'ij's ankles.  The warm comfort radiates into his feet and legs now.
	Ajil'ij caught that one, and he narrows his eyes, flicking his gaze between the twins with slight smirk tugging at his lips now as he answers calmly, "Yes, it is."
	"That should fade in time, if you stay warm."  He releases Ajil'ij's ankles.  "Asolda, if you don't mind?" he asks as he stands again.  She nods and swaps places with him.  "You're still going to be stuck putting up with Theras for awhile, or I'll have to be doing a lot more healing of you."
	Ajil'ij nods, smiling a little, "He hasn't been so bad, yet. Then again, it's barely been half a day."
	Asolda cracks, "Give him time."
	"Gee, thanks, sis."
	Their father clears his throat, but says nothing else.  He lays hands on either side of Ajil'ij's face carefully.  "Have you had healing on your head or face before?"
	Ajil'ij thinks for a moment, "Only once, but I was very young."
	"This may feel a little odd.  Close your eyes and try to think pleasant thoughts." He smiles and starts up the healing-ness for Ajil'ij's nose and ears.
	Ajil'ij does as he's told, doing his best to keep still for Lorcnal. He conjures up a mental picture of the jungle just after dawn, the morning mists rising from the water far below, and off the wet leaves all around him, as he pelts through the thick foliage at breakneck speeds, his whole body getting the working, hands and feet, legs and arms, as he uses his entire body to throw himself from branch to branch to vine before freefalling a good twenty feet, nearly a part of the air, but still so very much a aprt of the forest. In spite of his best efforts, his lips twitch at the memories of home.
	Asolda murmurs to her brother, "He does *smile*, right?"
	Theras replies, "He does, actually, yes."
	"And you know this how, exactly?"
	"Both of you shut up and let the man enjoy some relative peace for a moment, will you?" Lorcnal's tone is conversational, almost the way a friend would talk to another friend, rather than a parent to a child.
	Ajil'ij purses his lips, mostly containing the chuckle that rises in his throat.
	Lorcnal finishes up and pulls his hands away.  "How do you feel?"
	Ajil'ij cracks open one eye, "Better, I was starting to wonder if I still had ears."
	Theras comments, "I'm not sure how you could miss 'em."
	"Theras..."  Lorcnal sounds disappointed.  "Really."
	"It was a joke!" he protests.
	"Do you have smoked meat enough for stew?"
	"He doesn't eat meat, Dad," Asolda informs him.  She's tugging the socks back on over Ajil'ij's feet.
	Ajil'ij rolls his eyes, though he's still smiling, "We'll freeze yours and see if you can still feel them there." 
	Theras snorts.  "At least mine won't snap off."
	"Do not make me tell your mother about this behavior, Theras."
	Asolda looks up.  "Dad, are you going to tell her about our guest?"
	"You know I have to.  Besides," he turns to look his daughter in the eye, "wouldn't you want to know, in her place?"
	She sighs.  "I only ever want to be a healer."
	"But you won't have that luxury," he says quietly.
	Ajil'ij frowns, not replying verbally but instead sticking his tongue out at Theras when he thinks Lorcnal isn't looking.
	Theras's eyebrows both rise at this.
	Asolda goes to poke at the fireplace sullenly, while her father returns his attention to his patient.  "You cannot risk more exposure to cold and snow for at least a month, maybe more.  I will come by to check up on you occasionally, to see how Theras is taking care of you, and let you know if that changes.  And you should continue to wear the warmer clothing these good children have provided you and stay under blankets.  You may walk and use your hands, but do so only as truly necessary; the more time they have to rest, the better.  I would still have you taking 2 mugs of tea and a bowl of stew a day; perhaps we can make you some stew with only vegetables if that would satisfy?"
	"Oh, I forgot!"  Asolda dives for the bag she had when she came in and all but shoves it at Ajil'ij.  "You're in luck!  Dad was making honeycakes!"  She beams. 
	Lorcnal chuckles.  "Something in the wind said I should.  I'm glad I listened."
	Ajil'ij takes the bag carefully, only holding it long enough to deposit into his lap. He smiles, "Thank you both, then. I could try a vegetable stew, I'm not sure if the flavous in the broth I tried was from the fish or from whatever Northern vegetables you use, but it was... overpowering."
	Theras chuckles and grabs the waterskin up to take a drink from.
	Lorcnal says, "Well, we'll keep trying until we get something hot inside of you."
	Theras promptly chokes on his water, drawing his father's earnest confusion.
	Ajil'ij pauses mid-nod, shooting Theras a confused look as well, "Something wrong with the water, Theras?"
	"No, no, it's fine."
	Asolda stifles a giggle, and Lorcnal just shakes his head.  "Do you have any questions for me, Ajil'ij?"  He seems to have no trouble pronouncing it.  "I know getting answers out of these two may be nearly impossible."
	Ajil'ij shakes his head, "Not right now. If I think of any I'll send Theras over, if that's okay?" Talking to Lorcnal, not asking Theras about this at all.
	Lorcnal nods, also not concerned about Theras's willingness to be a message boy.  "That will be fine.  Do not worry about the time of day or night, though if the weather gets too bad, you might hold off."  He smiles faintly.  "His mother would be quite distressed to lose him, even now.  I do hope you'll enjoy the honeycakes though."
	Ajil'ij nods, "I'll keep the weather in mind, then. And thank you again. Most of what I ate back South was sweet, so it's good to know there's still honey and berries this far North."
	Lorcnal nods again.  "If you have questions about sweets, Theras is definitely the person to ask.  Asolda?  If you don't mind, we still have lessons to see to."
	"Do I have to?" she pouts.
	He gives her an even look.  "You do if you want to live up to your potential, but I can't make you."
	She is quiet a moment, the nods.  "I'll go back with you, then," she looks over at Theras with a grin, "and trust Theras to tend to his guest's every need."
	Theras rolls his eyes.
	Ajil'ij is already digging into the sack of honeycakes, moving slowly, mindful that his hands are far from fully-healed just yet, no matter how much better they feel already.
	Lorcnal looks over at this action and smiles.  "You don't have to be delicate.  You could run and punch if you had to, but I would work hard for that not to be necessary, were I in your...well, socks."  He nods to Theras.  "Theras."
	"Dad," he replies with a nod back and a smile.
	"Ajil'ij, it is good to meet you.  Asolda's mother will be over shortly to meet you as well, I'm sure.  And you might want to fasten your pants before then." He heads for the door, rebuttoning his coat closed.  Asolda giggles, kisses Theras on the cheek, and follows, getting her gloves out as she goes.
	Ajil'ij flushes and looks down at his pants, one hand still holding the bag of honeycakes while the other moves to hold the pants closed. He clears his throat and mumbles, "Right, thanks."
	Theras shuts the door quickly behind them and exhales.  "Well, that's settled.  Feeling better?"
	Ajil'ij has briefly discarded the bag in favour of lacing up his borrowed pants, his face still flushed with embarrassment as he mutters, "Yes, thank you."
	Theras comes over and snags a honeycake out of the bag to nibble on.  "So, should I prepare you for meeting my mother?"
	Ajil'ij finishes with the pants and straightens up to fish out a honeycake of his own. "Um. Sure."
	He sighs and sits on the bed next to Ajil.  "Grandmother is currently the chief, but she's getting so old that my mother has started taking over.  You should address her as Va Tereikeh, or maybe just Va if she's being friendly."
	Ajil'ij nibbles on the honeycake, smiling a little at the taste, as he listens to Theras, "Va Tareika?"
	"Va Tereikeh.  Keh.  Tereikeh means 'child of Terei'.  She'll want to know who your mother is, by the way, since you don't seem to note it in your family name."
	Ajil'ij frowns and nods, "Va Tereikeh, then. And why should it matter? A person's deeds don't pass to their children. Only the family is identified in our names, not parents or grandparents."
	"We identify our mothers, to honor those who gave us life, just as we honor the Mother of us All.  So my father is Lorcnal Dielakeh because his mother was Diela.  Asolda and I are Inarakeh because our mother is Inara.  Normally, the chief is simply called by her first name and Va, for her position, but it's not quite right to call my mother that way, since the chief is still alive.  So most call her Va Tereikeh when dealing with her in a leadership role at the moment, to still honor her mother, Terei, who is still, technically, the ruling chief."
	Ajil'ij nods thoughtfully as he chews another, larger bite of honeycake, "Okay. That's good, then."
	"Um, let's see..." He leans back on his elbows to think.  "I dunno.  Just...just be honest and nice and you'll be fine, probably."
Boots: Ajil'ij frowns at his honeycake, then shoves the last bit of it into his mouth with a shrug. He takes a moment to chew and swallow before speaking up again, "Right. I'll do my best, then. I'm a nice elf, I'll even stay on my best behaviour."
	"Not that you haven't been, I just...I don't want her to come away with a bad impression of you.  She wouldn't kick you out against Dad's advice, but I don't want things to be awkward."
	Ajil'ij absently fidgets with the bedcovers, nodding a little, "I'll be good."
	"I know you will be.  I've just never had to get her approval for someone before."
	Ajil'ij shifts a little, carefully moving the bag of honeycakes to the pillow and pulls the blanket over himself again, rolling onto his side to dig out another honeycake, "I hope it goes well, then, these things are good."
	He laughs and sits up properly.  "You're going to be an addict by the time you leave.  That could be problematic."
	He frowns over a bite of honeycake, drawing his knees up a little under the blanket.
	"Do you think you can tolerate snow if we ply you with enough sweet stuff?"  Theras grins.
	Ajil'ij tilts his head, looking up at Theras in confusion, "I'm not supposed to go outside for awhile yet." Clearly misunderstanding.
	"Well, no, not NOW.  But if we get you addicted to honeycakes, maybe you'll have to stick around, hm?  Would it be worth dealing with snow for a few months to have Dad's honeycakes?"
	Ajil'ij considers this as he noms more honeycake, "I'm not sure... And I'm not sure I should stay past winter. I don't think I belong here. I miss home."
	"Well, it's up to you of course.  I can only keep you here so long as you'd do more harm to yourself going out than staying in.  Once that changes, I'll have no call to keep you captive in here." He grins again to show he's (sort of) teasing.
	Ajil'ij finishes his honeycake a little unenthusiastically, especially compared to how he'd started out eating them, and curls up, pulling the blanket all the way up to his forehead, muffling his quiet reply, "Yeah. Thank you."
	Theras cocks his head.  "I said something wrong, didn't I?"
	"No, not you. I just want so badly to go home, but I know I can't."
	He reaches over and pats Ajil's...well, hip, 'cause it's what's close.  "I'm sorry."
	The blanket moves a little as Ajil'ij nods, though he says nothing.
	"Um.  Is there anything I can get for you?  Anything you need?"
	Quietly, "I'm tired. Do you think I can nap until she gets here?"
	"Sure.  I'll just be over by the window, working on some stuff."  He rises to his feet.
	Ajil'ij stays half-curled under the blanket, falling quiet. His breathing slowly evens out as he drifts off, only his hair visible over the top of the blanket as he snoozes.