Escape from Winter Land

[Syren de Winter]

While he explained where he was going, Syren moved over to the fire, stroking Artemis' feathers softly, and reaching out to thank her for her efforts from a few days ago. She looked up towards Viktor when he told her she would need to behave while he was gone, a little surprised that he still felt he needed to tell her that. She still planned to dodge her guards and go back to exploring the castle, but she had no intention of going outside again.

"I don't think I'll be trying to escape again any time soon," she said simply, she knew better than to think she could get out of here so easily now. She would have to wait for someone to come and rescue her... if anyone came. It seemed to be getting more and more unlikely, especially now that she'd seen what they were up against out there. Viktor had given her three options if he succeeded in his war efforts: death, remaining here, or.... the last option weighed on her, especially since his outburst a few days ago. He cared about her. But was that enough to make up for all he'd done to her, what he'd taken from her?

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[Viktor de Winter]

Good! Some seance at last from the Summer Lady! About bloody time! Not that he expected her to keep her word; but he was willing to bet that she would not be attempting another walk in the damn park; for many weeks. He would not lower his guard; but he also was working on better ways to manage her. Her habits of disappearing were growing too often; and if he could find a man he trusted to let her escape and follow her; he would be assigning that man to let know where she has been going.

"Since you have decided to be seancable; I have given payment to one of the women in the market. We had a supply group arrive two days ago; and they brought fabric for clothing." It was hard to get so much this far north; but some men had made mountains of gold in the effort. "She will measure; and make you some more clothing. Something warmer; but no coats or cloaks." He was not going to aid her in her madness. "She will meet with you when you are ready; just have someone summon her here; or escort you there."

[Syren de Winter]

He spoke of her reward for being sensible, and she cocked her head to the side curiously. "What if I hadn't decided to be sensible?" She asked, wondering if he would still have had more clothing made for her and given a different reason. He'd said her clothes from now on were supposed to be thinner than her old clothing; she wondered why he had changed his mind. No cloaks or coats, though, which she supposed was just as well; she had no reason to go outside again, so they might as well not waste the fabric.

Glancing towards the table laden with food, she gestured towards it. "Are we going to eat?" The maid had told her she was going to join the King for breakfast, so she hadn't eaten anything. They'd hardly been starving her since her return here, but she found herself getting hungry more often, and weaker when she didn't eat enough. She was mostly recovered, though, and she didn't want to let on that she still didn't feel as well as she had before.

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[Viktor de Winter]

If she had not been sensible; he wasn't sure what he would have done. "Then I would have had to remove all clothing from you; and honestly; why tempt my men?" He told her with a tone that only half suggested he was joking. He would need to be thinking of a plan; for if she continued to misbehave. He had no wish to be any man's jailer; but nor would he allow her to do something foolish and risk more lives in the effort of killing herself quicker.

When she asked if they were going to eat; Viktor moved over to behind her chair; and pulled it out for her. "Let us break bread;" He agreed. When she was sitting; he pushed int he chair in a single quick movement; before going to his place and sitting down. "I assume you are recovering well enough?" He began filling his plate with what he would eat before going to the cold.

[Syren de Winter]

Syren rolled her eyes and gave him a look that said that she didn't believe him when he said he'd have all her clothes taken away. She'd realized early on that Viktor would always threaten to do worse than he would actually do, although she wasn't yet sure whether the principle only applied to her, or if he was similarly merciful to everyone in the castle. She didn't believe he would put either her or his men in such a position of temptation.

When he pulled out a chair for her, she nodded gratefully and went to take a seat, letting him push her in, she waited until he was seated to begin taking food to fill her plate. "Yes, I think so," she answered, she was getting steadily better. Soon she'd be back to her old self, which meant she'd be able to wander the castle freely once again. Although... maybe she'd wait until Viktor returned to shake off her guards. He might not carry out his threats, but she couldn't be sure of his men.

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[Viktor de Winter]

Good; it would not do it have her die; and news get back to Summer Land. It could gain favor for her mother in other kingdoms; and make trading hard. It was the reason he kept telling himself; for why it was best to keep her alive. Viktor began eating; making sure that he did not over fill his plate; or over drink.

As her words gave him no detail; there was not much else he could ask without making it sound like he cared. He needed the distance between them; and it left him unsure of what conversation to put between them. Instead he remained silent while he ate. He put a few scraps of meat in a cloth; and folded it around the meat. Rewards for good works in the field for Artemis.

[Syren de Winter]

Syren watched him, picking at her food absently while she wondered about him. It seemed like he was trying to keep her at arm's length, and yet, the fact that he still made her dine with him and spoke to her in person instead of through maids or servants, meant that he wasn't succeeding. She couldn't guess what exactly he felt towards her, but she had every intention of pushing all his buttons until she found out.

"You'll be careful out there, won't you?" The concern in her own voice was real, for all that she wanted to find out what he felt towards her. She didn't want to see any harm come to him, especially not after he had gone to so much trouble to save her. Besides, then she might never find out what it was that made him care for her, and she was too curious to just let that go.

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[Viktor de Winter]

Viktor had just finished part of his meal and lifted his cup to sit back and let the food settle, when the princess spoke. Looking up at her, he wondered at the meaning behind the request. Why care if he fell? Would one jailer not be the same as another? Lifting his drink he watched her as he too some.

"You would pretend worry for me now?" He questioned, trying to see if this was a game to her or if she felt guilty over her actions recently, or if she even meant them any at all. He had trouble telling sometimes the meanings behind her words. She had moments of fire and passion then moments of meek obedience. The question that came to mind was what game she played.

[Syren de Winter]

"Don't insult me," she told him when he claimed she was pretending. Was it so unbelievable that she might not want him to perish in the cold? "I nearly froze to death out there, is it so hard to believe that I would not wish that fate upon you?" She asked, her brow furrowed, she would not wish that death upon anyone, and certainly not on him. The conviction with which she decided she didn't want to see him dead startled even her, and she wondered at herself. He cared for her... did she share his feelings?

Remembering what he had said about her risking his life, and the lives of his men, and that of Artemis, her lips quirked up in the corner slightly. "Besides, I'd hate to see Artemis hurt because you were careless." She teased, looking at the bird with a smile. If she did feel something for him, she did not want to reveal it just yet, so she would cover it with humor and a smile if she could.

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[Viktor de Winter]

Insult her? Speaking the truth now was an insult? She went on to explain how she would not see him to the same fate as herself. It left Viktor with a better feeling about the lesson she had learned. If she did not wish it on her captures then it had been strong enough a warning that then would learn from it.

Yet then she spoke of Artemis; and he knew the truth. She favored the animals; called it friend when she had none here. He could see her fearing for the bird. "Artemis and I have ventured beyond these walls enough that we are prepared for what we know will come." He even had a smaller form of what had saved her life in the snow; built for Artemis; so if they got trapped in the snow; the bird did not suffer for it. "You need not worry for her; she will return to your company in a few days. She is a skilled hunter; even hunted you down when you ran."

[Syren de Winter]

Syren nodded when he told her that both he and Artemis were prepared for what was to come, and smiled. "I'm glad to hear that," for both their sakes. She took a drink of the heavy alcoholic beverage that they served here, at least she was finally getting used to the taste. So she'd have a few days without having to worry about running into him, she hoped that would be long enough to sort out her own feelings, and figure out how she was going to find out the extent of his.

"Besides the cold... what other dangers are there outside the castle?" She asked curiously, she knew there were dragons and things, but she'd never really heard about them. She supposed dragons were obviously dangerous, but there had to be other creatures, other things to fear from beyond the castle walls. There were the things they hunted, obviously. She wondered if they hunted predators, or if they were prey animals.

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[Viktor de Winter]

"Anything big enough to survive in the cold will make it's way north. We have bear; moose; and when the border plains grow too hot; or food too little then we get some chimera up this way. Dragons tend to stay more north then even us; but they do come south sometimes; though there is no pattern. Finding a fallen dragon will feed everyone here well; for longer then the food will last."

Dragons fought each other sometimes. No one knew why; and the meat was strong. If you could steal it; then the people did eat well. No meat lasted forever; and it was only good for a week at best when kept in the snow until moved to the fire. Sometimes not even that long. But for a few days; everyone went full.

[Syren de Winter]

Big things, meat eaters for the most part. All things that could kill a man. "So...while you hunt them, there's a good chance they'll be hunting you?" She asked, sounding a little worried despite her best efforts to keep her emotions in check. She was lucky that she had only to face the cold, and didn't run into anything that would have made a meal of her. She didn't like that thought, so she focused on the other things he had said.

"Have you ever thought of smoking the meat, or salting it, so it will keep better?" She suggested, they did that with meat and fish in the Summer Lands so that it would keep in the heat. Meat could go bad in a single day if it was left to sit, even in an underground pantry, so every butcher had either a smoker or salted their meats so they would last for weeks. If they could keep more of what they hunted for longer here, maybe there were be fewer periods where people went hungry?

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[Viktor de Winter]

"Is it not the same in Summer Land?" He asked; knowing it wasn't quite the same. "I have seen the birds of fire that hunt in your world." Unkillable birds. He knew that Summer Land was more farm land; or he thought that was what he had saw in his time there. Some hunting; but they grew most of their things. He had worked on the edges of the borders; not completely in it's core; so he wasn't sure sure on their hunting and crops.

She then asked about smoking; or salting the meat. "Salt cost money; and has to be carried up here. It is easier; and cost less lives to just let the meat freeze. Smoking is something we could do; but with so many people and only hunting to support us; we have to make do. Fires are something we need to warm us; the wood is needed in homes; and for cooking."

[Syren de Winter]

She didn't think it was the same at all. "Phoenixes don't go after adults... maybe small children, if they wander too far from home." Hunters didn't have to worry about it, although there weren't many hunters in Summer Land. "Most of our food is grown on farms, or raised on ranches. Hunting is a sport, not a way of life." In times of drought, they might hunt in order to survive, but Summer Land was so paradisical that such need was indeed rare.

He explained why they didn't treat the meat to preserve it, and she nodded. It made sense; she supposed they would have considered it if it were feasible. If food were too scarce, they would do what they needed to in order to keep it. The hunting must be good enough to keep them fed without needing to preserve their meat. "I understand."

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[Viktor de Winter]

Viktor finished his meal while she explained about the fire birds; and then lifted his glass to finish that as well. He needed to get going; or they would begin wasting the morning sun. "You need not fear fire birds stealing your children this far north; and as long as you stay in doors you need not fear the dragons stealing them either."

Standing he looked back at Artemis; then her. He knew they could speak to one another; and he felt the need to make sure Artemis knew the plan. "You can speak to animals; I would have you tell Artemis that we go north to look for food. That she might know to feast up; and be ready." He didn't need her to tell Artemis that; but it was better then the silence.

[Syren de Winter]

Syren raised her eyebrows at him. "You assume I'll be having children here." Bold assumption, that even if she wound up staying here, that she would find a man that she would wish to have children with. She knew now that he cared for her... perhaps he thought she would bear him children? She could almost laugh at that, but she refrained. She might have to remain here for some time now, so throwing his affection for her back in his face might not be such a good idea.

Syren looked towards Artemis as he asked this favour of her, and then back at him. "You trust me not to tell her to claw your eyes out instead?" She had, in the past, tried to convince Artemis to do just that. The bird had refused, no matter how Syren tried to convince her. She did as he told her now, and relayed the message he wished the bird to receive as he had said it.

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