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It had been so long since Iria had last had humans in her home that she was struggling to remember what they could eat. Their small delicate bodies just weren't suitable to digesting bark or could they digest bark? For a moment Iria bit lightly down on her lower lip while looking towards her food stores. “They can only eat bark when it's prepared properly and by the chill.” For a moment she went silent and rubbed her forehead. She could swear a friend told her how to prepare the bark but she couldn't remember how it had been so long. For now she resolved to act under the assumptions the humans couldn't eat bark and she'd have to ask them about it when they recovered. At last a flash of memory hit her and she quickly gathered a few handfuls of nuts as well as a smoked fish. Except where these the right kinds of nuts? She remembered that based on where they lived humans could or couldn't eat certain things.

 

A groan escaped Katherine as she opened her eyes. Reaching out she grasped the soft warm surface she was laying on feeling the fur. Immediately she grew alarmed and set up though she didn't get very far. Her body protested violently still protesting the abuses it had suffered over several weeks. Looking around she noted four other people laying on the surface with her. A surprisingly large furred surface that she didn't recognize. The people she recognized though and she quickly began to shake Anthony. “Anthony wake up. Wake up Anthony.” As she spoke Katherine raised her voice as loud as she dared risk. She had no idea where they were or how they got there but it was clear the room was strange.

 

Two things that really drew Katherine's attention was the room was lit by a large blue crystal and looked like a large finally shaped piece of clear ice. The second thing was that they appeared to be laying on a bed of some kind. Waking in a bed instead of the frozen snow would have been welcome if it wasn't for the fact that the bed was large enough for five people and then some more. A groan came from Anthony and Katherine quickly placed her hand over his mouth. “Quiet I don't know where we are.” As she spoke Katherine heard some movement in the room beyond the doorway. Immediately she lay down and closed her eyes hoping that whatever was there wouldn't notice she'd woken up.

 

It had surprised Anthony whenever Katherine had covered his mouth. Now that he was looking around he understood why. The fur they were laying on wasn't a single pelt. He could tell by feeling around the edges that it had been made from several pelts stitched together. Whatever would require such a large covering could be a serious issue. As he looked around the room he had a better idea of what they were dealing with. Katherine had noticed the light but he noticed the weapons. A large blue crystal sword rested on the wall. The delicate etchings in the blade and the slight glow that seemed to come from within the weapon told him its make was in part magic at least. He knew what kind of beings tended to use such large weapons of that make. There was one thing that didn't seem to match up though. They weren't in cages or restrained.

 

There wasn't too much time to think though as he felt the bed shift and quickly turned to his side. His jaw nearly dropped open as he found himself looking at a large snow tiger. The animal's body was covered with ornate blue markings and it wore a crystal collar upon its neck. He didn't know how long the animal had been watching him but instinct quickly took over. “Hel Help!” As Anthony called out he tried to stand up his tortured body wouldn't cooperate though and the animal moved far too quickly for him. Before he could even raise up the animal had given a sharp roar and pounced upon him. As the creature's weight settled upon him he felt its paws pressing into him. He didn't even notice the loud thumping heading his way.

 

A sudden call for help had drawn Iria's attention and when she heard the soft roar she had a very good idea of what was going on. She still rushed to the room though not wanting to cause undo stress. Immediately she saw the problem. “Lina what are you doing? Are you being a naughty kitty?” As she spoke Iria walked over to the bed and picked up her pet. Lina's response was a loud growl of protest though she didn't put up a fight. After a moment Iria placed Lina so the tiger was looking over her shoulder. “Sorry about that she gets a little excited whenever we have company. I'm Iria Ashad and this is my kitty Lina.” As she spoke Iria was looking the little human over. While Lina wouldn't harm a guest intentionally at times she forgot her own strength. The human didn't seem to be worse off for the experience except he was a bit shaken.

 

Katherine had seen the tiger jump on Anthony and heard the thumping. In the situation she had no idea what she should do though. So she had pressed herself more firmly into the bed. Now she found herself listening to the conversation with no idea of what she should do. Jumping down from the bed and trying to run for the exit seemed like one idea. She had no idea how the house was laid out though and didn't believe she could outrun Iria or her kitty. As she lay there part of her wished that she was one of the four that hadn't woken up yet. At least they wouldn't have to deal with this nightmare.

 

Anthony had never seen a frost giant in person but he immediately recognized Iria as such. Her skin was an ice blue, her hair was as white as the snow and her eyes were a fiery red. It was clear to him that she stood over three times his height and he could only guess at how much she weighed. Given how easily she handled the large snow tiger he knew she was powerful. Her voice wasn't what he imagined it would be though and neither was her clothing. Her clothes was a mixture of whites and blues as if it had been crafted from the snow and ice. Her voice sounded warm and friendly despite her cold exterior. He realized that he had been staring whenever she turned her head slightly. “Hello Iria I'm Anthony. Um what happened to us?”

 

Iria didn't respond right away but bent at the knees and gently placed Lina on the ground. She had to give the snow tiger a gentle pay on the rear to convince her to walk off. “No.” A soft giggle escaped Iria as she had to grab her pet and turn her around. It was clear that Lina wanted to get back on the bed to play with the newcomers. “I have no idea. I was out searching for some suitable snow and ice whenever I felt your warmth and the warmth of your companions. It was very faint and when I went to investigate I found you and the others huddled together in the snow freezing. I couldn't see anyone else so I brought you back here. Don't do that.” As she spoke Iria moved forward and placed her right hand on Anthony forcing him to lay back down.

 

It surprised Anthony whenever he was forced back onto the bed. He could remember what had happened. He had been pressed into service aboard the tide rider along with some of the others whenever a storm had overcome them. He remembered trying to keep the ship afloat but in the end they ran aground. Given the waves that was lucky in some regards. He had saw this as his chance to escape and set out with some of the others. The journey hadn't gone very well especially when the storm set upon them again. At least this time they were on land. “Huh?”

 

“Now you lay right back down. You're not in any condition to be wondering around. I was actually seeing what I have that you and your friends can eat. I'll bring you some in.” Iria went silent as she felt as if she was forgetting something very important. There was something else she had to be concerned about. “Oh! Unless you need to poop or pee. I really don't want you pooping or peeing on my bed so if you need to let me know. Do you need to? I'll just pack you to the chambers if you do.”

 

“No! No thanks. I'm fine.” Anthony was surprised by how quick his heart was beating. It didn't take him long to realize that he was feeling more then a little embarrassed. The notion of him being taken to relieve himself like a child was positively humiliating.

 

“Okay in that case I'll be back in a moment. Your clothes are still drying out but feel free to wear those for as long as you're here.” As Iria walked out of the room she couldn't help but smile. One of the humans was awake now and hopefully the others would be recovering soon. It had been so long since she had any guest. Lina could make for fine company but her conversation skills were a bit limited. She hoped that the humans would enjoy the food she picked out for them. Her skin grew a little warm as she imagined how she'd feel if she tried to feed them something they couldn't eat. Serving your guest a deadly toxin was simply rude even if you didn't know it was toxic to them.

 

Anthony felt even more awkward despite the situation. He hadn't even take a moment to consider what he was wearing. Looking down he found that he was in a robe that was a mixture of blue and white. When he looked around at the others they were all wearing the same thing. He remember stories about how the frost giants could form cloth from snow and metal from ice. As he ran his fingers over the material he couldn't imagine a frost giant keeping some garments on hand. Yet the bed they were laying upon was clearly made from several large animal pelts. Surprisingly the most awkward thought to him wasn't the nature of the clothes but what wearing them meant. Without really thinking of what he was doing Anthony found himself checking to see if she'd removed his undergarments as well.

 

While they had been talking Katherine had been listening. Now that Iria was out of the room she raised up slightly. “Well?”

 

“Well what?”

 

“How are we going to get out of here?” As Katherine spoke some of her frustration reached into her voice. She didn't know how Anthony could ask her what. They were in the home of a frost giant. Katherine had heard more then a few horror stories about such beings. What she hadn't heard of one of them having a bed and as she looked around the room there were several decorations she didn't expect.

 

Instead of responding right away Anthony set up. This time without Iria there to push him down he managed to do so. As he raised up though he felt himself grow light headed. “Katherine I don't believe I'm going anywhere for a while. I don't know how close we were to death but.” Instead of finishing Anthony took a moment to wiggle his toes. He gave a slight laugh when he realized they were all there. He expected the frost bite to take some of his skin and appendages as well once the storm had forced them to seek shelter. There was a slight feeling of abandonment whenever Katherine lay back down as they listened to Iria coming closer.

 

“Here you go. Now if there is anything here you can't actually eat be sure to tell me. It's been so long since I last had one of the smaller species over to visit that some things slipped my mind.” As she spoke Iria placed the plate on the bed in order to let Anthony choose what he wanted. She made certain to place it within arms reach. “Here let me help you out a bit.” Reaching down Iria placed one hand under Anthony and easily lifted him up into a seated position. Picking up one of her pillows she slipped it under him in order to offer some support before removing her hand and bending at the knees bringing her closer to eye level with him as she looked over the side of the bed.

 

Did she intend to watch him eat? Anthony wasn't certain but it didn't seem like she would be going away. For a moment he considered offering Katherine some food but remembered she was pretending to still be asleep. “Thanks but.”

 

“Oh by the frost! Is all of it inedible?” Iria actually felt herself growing a bit light headed as she felt more then a little embarrassed. She had felt certain that at least some of the nuts would be safe for humans to eat.

 

As Anthony looked at the massive frost giant to say he felt awkward would be an understatement. Her tone was so friendly and she seemed truly concerned about his well being. “No. It's not that. It's just we have no way of compensating you. I mean it's not like any of us are wealthy.”

 

“Oh!” Iria couldn't help but laugh as she felt a wave of relief. Before responding she straitened up raising herself to her full height and looking down on Anthony a large grin on her face. “So I suppose that means I should go ahead and strip the meat from your bones, cook your flesh and powder your bones for a dark ritual.” Even as she spoke Iria could feel a smile jerking at the sides of her face and just as the word ritual left it she couldn't help but burst into laughter. “I'm kidding!” Iria had wanted to tell Anthony that he didn't need to worry but she couldn't help but laugh and once again dropped herself to a crouched position so that she and Anthony were closer to eye level.

 

At first Anthony had actually became quite worried that he had said the wrong thing. He had thought perhaps Iria had found them and believed they might be worth ransoming. Now with him telling her otherwise perhaps she had chosen to make other uses of them. Yet his fear had been reduced by the laughter in her voice the entire time and whenever she broke into open laughter he couldn't help but grin. “Sorry about that. It's pretty mean of me just to assume you'd intended to ransom us.”

 

“More like sell. Human slaves are worth a lot more to the right buyers then several kilograms of fish and nuts. Naturally I want you good and healthy for when I take you tot he market.” As she finished speaking Iria was able to keep herself from bursting into laughter this time but she couldn't resist sticking her tongue out at Anthony. She knew that humans tended to be fearful of her kind but she didn't appreciate him thinking the worse of her. He could endure a little teasing in retaliation. At least this time he seemed to be unsure as to whether or not she was joking.

 

“Well that's a lot better then being eaten.”

 

“Yeah they can do that after they've gotten a few years of hard labor out of you.” Reaching across the bed Iria gently patted Anthony on the shoulder being careful not to bruise or hurt him. Fortunately playing with Lina helped keep her in practice when it came to handling the smaller species. She just had to use no more force then what she used while petting Lina and others seemed to be fine. “I'm kidding you're safe here! Believe me the first thing I thought of whenever I found you and your friends in the snow wasn't about making money.”

 

“What was it then?”

 

“By the frost I almost stepped on them!” Once again Iria couldn't help but giggle. Anthony was so easy to surprise that she couldn't resist teasing him a bit. She actually wanted to pick him up and hold him for a bit but she knew that would make him even less comfortable. “After that when I realized how cold your bodies were I thought I need to get you all back here quickly into a healing bath.”

 

Once again Anthony found himself rather surprised. He had heard of what the frost giants could do with their frozen magic. He hadn't heard of them healing others though. All the stories spoke of them creating great weapons and armor from the frost and snow. His host was surprising on many levels. She seemed to enjoy surprising others. He also remembered that he had been surprised to wake up without any of his toes, fingers or limbs claimed by the frost. “You healed us?”

 

“Yeah but I'm not used to working on such delicate beings so I couldn't do as good of a job as I would have liked. I mean even Lina is tougher then you. Aren't you? You naughty kitty. Yes you're being naughty waiting for me to leave like that.” As she spoke Iria glanced over her shoulder. She could feel the heat from Lina's body as the frost tiger waited on the other side of the doorway just out of site.

 

Anthony didn't respond right away but looked at the plate. After a moment of hesitation he reached down and grabbed a few of the nuts he could easily recognize. He imagined Katherine would like some as well but she didn't seem to be interested in making it known she was awake. He wished that she would. Being the only one speaking with Iria was rather awkward even though she seemed quite friendly. He was still uncertain what the future held for them even if she had the best intentions. After a moment of chewing on his food he had to ask. “Okay we established that you don't plan on eating us or selling us to anyone but is there anything you want in return?”

 

“Well I'm not going to let you all lay around all day once you're healed. For now you need your rest. I figure we can talk compensation whenever you're well enough to well talk. I really have no idea of what kind of skills you might have.” It was fairly clear to Iria that Anthony didn't care for this news. It was possible that she could help them out without requiring anything in return. She didn't mind helping them out after all. If it was just a matter of nursing them back to health and letting them be on their way she wouldn't have required anything more then their company while they healed.

 

“I see. So you couldn't just take us to human civilization.” Anthony gave a slight jump despite his weakened state whenever he head Iria's outburst.

 

“Ha! I knew you were going to ask that!” A slight chuckle escaped Iria as she looked at the surprise on Anthony's face. Before speaking Iria rose up and settled down on the bed so that she was closer to her human guest. She wanted to pick them up and pack them around a bit like she would do with Lina but that could be considered rude. “If you want. Once you're well I could take you and your friends to the nearest human town. It's not exactly a difficult journey for me. I'm telling you though you really don't want me to do that. From the look of you and your friends you're not natives. Plus you already told me that none of your are particularly important in human culture.”

 

What Iria said made a lot of sense. The northern regions were harsh and cold and the people could be as well. With no clan connections to call upon and no money of their own they would be in a rough situation. They weren't even members of the community. Anthony didn't know much about the local settlements or what would be considered local but not all of them were welcoming to strangers and the environment wasn't either. “I guess I didn't realize how bad our situation was.”

 

“Hey there is no need to be worried!” Iria had to stop herself from leaning forward and picking Anthony up. The impulse to pick him up was fairly intense. “I'm sure I can come up with some things for you and the others to do around here once you're healed. Those little hands of yours can be very helpful with certain tasks. Then whenever the summer comes you should have been able to earn enough to go into the port and buy yourself passage back home or at least work on a ship heading in that direction. You really should eat something for now though.” Iria's ears gave a slight twitch and she quickly stood up. “Anthony there is something I need to go take care of. I'd appreciate it if you'd talk to your friends if anymore of them wake up and call for me if you need any food or to relieve yourself.”

 

Anthony didn't have much time to response. Iria moved to leave the room far more quickly then he was prepared for leaving him wondering what had surprised her. A long sigh escaped him as he looked over at Katherine. “Well are you going to eat some?”

 

For a moment Katherine didn't move. When she felt her stomach grumble though she had to. As she moved over to the plate she glanced towards the door. “Well I don't believe she has any reason to poison us.” Despite her words Katherine was still a moment before picking up some of the smoked fish and taking a bit. It would feel nice to have some food in her stomach. “Do you believe her Anthony?”

 

“No! That's a naughty Lina. Don't you gerrowl at me you naughty girl.”

 

Anthony actually found himself grinning as he listened to Iria from somewhere else in her home. Part of him felt like he'd woken up in a temple to Althena with a priestess smiling down at him. She sure spoke sweetly and was treating them well. She was a bit of a tease. “If she plans to do us any harm she sure is going out of her way to be nice to us. I don't know how much of a choice we have but to trust her though. I don't want to go back out there especially without clothes better suited to it.” As he spoke Anthony heard one of their companions grumbling a bit. Turning around he quickly recognized where the sound was coming from. “Hey Ron I'm glad you could join us.”

 

Hearing his name did quite a bit to wake Ron up. The last thing he could remember was he and the others had tried to put together a shelter when the storm had began to grow in strength. They'd huddled together inside trying to keep warm and then they'd began to go quiet one person after another. By the time he began to blackout he couldn't really move. He didn't expect to ever wake up. Hearing Anthony's voice did a lot to wake him up. “Damn. Are we dead?”

 

“Does it feel like you're dead?”

 

After a moment Ron tried to set up and felt his body aching. “Nope.” As he opened his eyes he nearly fell back onto the bed as he looked around the room. A massive fur was beneath them and the walls of the room were decorated with a mixture of stone work, wood work and items that seemed to be made from ice. When he looked towards Anthony and noticed the plate he felt his heart speeding up. “Anthony are we in the home of a.”

 

“Of a frost giant yes. I just spent a little time talking to her she seems friendly enough. Just a word of warning though. I believe she likes teasing. Why don't you come over here and have something to eat? I'm pretty certain it's not poisoned. If she wanted to kill us she probably wouldn't have wasted the poison.” Given that Iria had found them freezing to death in the snow Anthony was at least comfortable saying she didn't plan to kill them at the moment. There was the danger she had some dark ritual planned that required lives sacrifices but she was treating them very well for sacrifices.

 

“Is she still around?”

 

Katherine, “Yes. She said she had to go take care of something and then left the room.”

 

Ron gave his head a slight nod before moving over to the plate. His starved stomach was making it hard for him to think. He didn't begin eating right away but took a moment to see what Anthony and Katherine were eating before having some of it himself. “I see. So what does she want then?”

 

It felt awkward but Anthony remembered Iria's request to explain the situation to his friends. The thought made him grin a little bit. “Here is the deal. Apparently she found us in the snow nearly dead and brought us back here then healed us. Notice that you still have all your toes. She said that once we're healed she'll take us to a human settlement or we could stay here and earn our keep until the summer rolls us around then we can try to find a ship in port.”

 

For a moment Ron didn't say anything. This wasn't what he had expected. Given that he had expected to freeze to death in a snow storm just a few hours back it seemed like a big improvement. “I see. I well. You don't believe she's planning to sell us?”

 

Katherine, “He already asked that. I don't believe she does. At least this isn't how I imagine someone who intended to sell us into slavery treating us.”

 

“Yeah. We're not shackled for one thing. So exactly how are we going to go about earning our keep?”

 

Anthony had been lightly pecking at the food. He knew the others would wake up hungry and he didn't want to eat it all. As nice as Iria seemed he had no idea how quickly that could change if she was pushed. “I don't know. She said that she'd want to talk to.” The sound of Iria's food steps once again drew Anthony's attention towards the door. A moment later he saw Lina's head round the corner and then she was suddenly moving upwards. Anthony caught a quick glimpse of Iria's hand before it vanished beyond the door way.

 

“Lina stop being difficult!” A loud growl of protest reached into the room nearly the same instant that Iria's voice did.

 

For a moment all Ron could do was stare. “Was that a snow tiger?”

 

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Iria chose to let the humans set on her bed while she set in the floor. It brought them closer to eye level which seemed to make them more comfortable. Currently she was holding Lina in her lap. The snow tiger had been so difficult that Iria had resorted to giving her some nip. Typically Iria reserved such things as a reward but she had ran out of ideas. At least she was behaving better now. All five of her guest were awake now though it was fairly clear that some of them were feeling the affects of their ordeal more then others. Ron seemed to be doing the best while Thomas seemed to be the worse off. Iria was going to help him drink some water but Katherine had beat her to it. The woman's smaller hands made her better suited to the task anyway. It still frustrated Iria a bit. “Well the humans of the region know this as the Adjer forest. There is a port down a few kilometers south west of here. There won't be any ships for some time though. Your ship must have been blown way off course to end up here.”

 

To this Anthony gave a nod. The ferocity of the storm had surprised everyone and there had been several times whenever he believed the ship was going to sink. At least they had a rough idea of where they were now. Unfortunately he was feeling the fatigue of his experience and the food was making him feel quite tired. Part of him just wanted to lay back and go to sleep. It seemed like several of the others were feeling the same way. “So Iria. I hope you don't mind me asking and well if you don't want to answer feel free but what are you doing out here? I mean I know this is your home but well heck. Where are we? I know we're in your home but what's outside of here?”

 

“The Adjest forest. Don't worry there isn't an entire village of frost born out there. It's just me, Lina and our occasional house guest or guests out here. If you want I'll carry a few of you outside at a time so you can look around. It would be a little awkward to carry all five of you at once and I don't believe you're in any condition to be moving around yet.” As she spoke Iria gently rubbed Lina underneath her chin. The tiger purred even more loudly between the influence of the nip and her attention the frost tiger was very happy indeed.

 

It was hard not to show it but Anthony was relieved to hear they weren't in the middle of a whole group of frost giants. It did bring up several questions though. “That is well a bit comforting. I'm not sure if I said it earlier but thanks for saving us.”

 

“Hey you're welcome! Besides it's only natural to help someone in need especially whenever it's no real trouble.”

 

Anthony didn't respond right away. He hadn't been quite finished speaking but he was glad to see she was being so friendly. “I've been wondering though. If we're going to be staying with you a bit then where? I mean you mentioned this is your bed.”

 

“Ah yeah about that. I've been cleaning up one of the spare rooms and situating it for company. I had some trouble finding some of the bedding material. I worried that a certain little miss might have destroyed it.” For a moment Iria glanced down towards Lina who was still happily purring and smacking at her fingers from time to time. “I should have the room fixed up for you before too long. That way you won't have to worry about hurting yourself if you accidentally roll out of the bed.”

 

Ron, “Thanks. Now you mentioned us earning our keep earlier actually. Do you have anything in mind?”

 

“You don't need to worry about that now! You're still healing.”

 

Ron, “I'd rest a lot easier if I had some idea of what you meant.”

 

“Well.” For a moment Iria went silent and placed a finger on her chin while looking up at the ceiling. “I'm not really certain myself. I don't know what any of you are capable of. If I'm going to help you pay for passage on a ship back to wherever though I need to get something out of you.”

 

Ron actually felt like his heart had become a little lighter. To hear Iria say that she intended to help them find passage on a ship was surprising and a relief. It was one thing to earn your keep. It was another thing to believe you were going to leave with something. “You'd do that for us? I mean we're strangers.”

 

For a moment Iria said nothing but reached behind her back and lightly itched the back of her neck. She couldn't help the confusion that appeared on her face or the strange feeling that came with it. “Thanks but what's so special about compensating someone for their work? Once you're well enough to do so I'm going to find something you can help me with. Believe me I'm a busy frost born.” A slight chuckle escaped Iria. “That's one of the reasons I'm not welcome amongst my own kind.”

 

Katherine, “Huh?” It was impossible for Katherine not to feel a bit alarmed. Just how dangerous was Iria if she wasn't welcome around other frost giants.

 

“Oh don't worry! It's not like my work is that dangerous! It's just well. They don't always welcome me studying or bringing in things from the smaller races. Okay I've been dieing to ask. Do any of you know any magic of your own? I mean any magic.” As she spoke Iria opened her arms wide in order to emphasize that she meant nearly any type of human magic.

 

So far Anthony had only given Iria disappointing news about their ability. He hated to continue with this trend but he didn't know any of them that knew anything about magic. There was a slight exception and he looked towards Katherine for a moment. She seemed to get the message.

 

Katherine, “I don't know any real magic but I learned how to use a wide variety of enchanted items. It was my job to keep track of the weather and navigate while we were at sea but well. Given that we ended up being shipwrecked you could say I didn't do a very good job.”

 

Jessie felt his lips parting to comfort Katherine but he didn't get to. Iria managed to speak up before he could. “That's wonderful! I have a few items that well they were meant for humans. I don't have the hands to hold them or the presence to really use them. Don't worry about that storm either. My kind can feel the frost better then just about any other species and storms still surprise us from time to time.”

 

After a moment of silence Katherine gave a nod. “Well I'd be happy to help. How did you get hold of such items though?”

 

“Well a variety of ways really. I found some of them. I found some of them in rather unfortunate places.”

 

Jessie, “Such as?”

 

“I've found them amongst the bones cast out from a wyverns nest a few times. I like to imagine that the human was killed wyvern hunting. That way I can at least say he knew what he was getting himself into but.” A sigh escaped Iria as she shook her head. “When I looked at some of his belongings it was more likely the human had been a scholar and simply didn't do a good enough job at staying hidden. Some of the other items I've acquired. Well I got them from people that have tried to kill me. They're actually the ones that tend to be carrying items meant to only be used by humans or elfs.”

 

After a moment of consideration Jessie gave his head a nod. They were monster hunters that didn't care how well behaved the monster was or how intelligent they were. They simply sought to kill them either for the sake of greed or belief. At times it was both. Typically those driven by belief would make sure to carry items the supposed monsters couldn't turn against them. “When you said we could earn some items from you are those some of the items you were talking about?”

 

“Some of them yeah. I mean. By the frost there is this one sword I took from a knight. Now normally the weapons of the smaller races are of limited use to me. This one is even worse then normal though. If a hand other then the hand of a human tries to hold it the darn thing's hilt tries to burn them. I considered smashing the blasted thing and drawing out what fragments of soma that I could but I thought it could still be useful to someone.”

 

Ron, “So what about those of us that don't know how to use magic items?”

 

“Tell me about yourselves! I'm sure we can find something for you to do like I said. Perhaps once we know what all of you can do some of you will end up helping one another.”Iria couldn't help but chuckle. “I'm not going to decide what you should do before I actually know what you're capable of doing! Anthony you were the first to wake up so how about we start with you?”

 

Part of Anthony wanted to correct Iria and tell her that he hadn't been the first to wake up. Unfortunately Katherine had already shared her information and he doubted she would appreciate bringing up the fact that she'd been pretending to still be asleep. “Well I'm good at working with ropes and net making. I learned some things about navigation after being pressed into service.”

 

Katherine, “Hey you know some soma working don't you?”

 

“Really!”

 

Anthony felt a little awkward. Naturally he knew some things about working with soma. A tiny amount properly woven into your clothing could protect you from a harsh cold ocean. He had wished that he had some of his imbued clothing whenever they had made their escape attempt. It was also often woven into the sails of ships to improve their durability and to better capture the power of the wind. He knew enough about soma weaving to be useful but not enough to be truly important. That was one of the big reasons he'd been pressed into service. “I just know a little bit. I believe you showed more knowledge of soma working by making these robes.” As he spoke Anthony pulled on his robe a bit.

 

A slight chuckle escaped Iria as she rubbed the back of her neck feeling a bit embarrassed and flattered. “Not really. Working with the snow and ice just comes natural to me. I tried learning more about soma working form the smaller races but well these hands of mine don't exactly help with delicate work.” As she spoke Iria held her hands up for the entire group to see. She heard a slight grumble from Lina who looked up at her hands. As Iria shifted them from side to side as if to illustrate the size of her hands Lina jumped up from her lap and attempt to swat them.

 

“Well if you have some soma handy I'll be glad to teach you what I know or just do some work for you. I can't say I know much though.”

 

“Oh I can fix that! Is there any chance that read old Transon?”

 

Katherine, “Thomas can.”

 

Upon hearing his name Thomas tried to set up. He had been doing his best to listen. He felt a massive weight on his chest before he could and he was pushed back down. “Now stop that or I'll bring some rope in here to tie you down! You shouldn't be pushing your bodies in your current condition.” A sigh escaped Iria as she settled down once again and began to play with Lina again. “See. I'm sure we'll be able to find something for all of you to do if you're interested. Just remember if you want to leave with that blasted flame sword you're going to have to earn it. I may not be able to use it but it still has value.”

 

Anthony was about to respond whenever he noticed Iria glancing back towards the door. “Are you working on something now?”

 

“Yes. Actually I should go check on it. I'm going to work on preparing everyone's room as well. For now just relax and call if you need more food or taken to relieve yourselves.” As she spoke Iria started to pick Lina up but after a moment gave a sigh. “I hope you don't mind but I'm going to leave Lina with the rest of you now that you're all awake. I assure you she's a good girl. She's just a little playful at times. Now Lina be sure to play nice while I'm away and.”

 

Anthony wasn't certain why Iria had gone silent. Whenever she picked up the snow tiger he saw why. Lina had gone to sleep. “Are you sure it's safe for Lina to be in here with us?”

 

“Yeah. She isn't used to people but I've had several orc visitors in the past. She knows how to behave. Don't you my sleepy medicated kitty?” There was no answer as Iria placed Lina on the foot of her bed. Standing up to her full height she glanced down at the humans gathered there. “Just relax.”

 

Ron, “Iria before you go. You said you healed us earlier but why couldn't you finish it?”

 

“Well. The only healing techniques I'm familiar with are meant for the frost born. They're a good bit more aggressive then your healing magics. After all we need it to be and we can endure it. Restoring ten pounds of flesh doesn't do the same thing for one of the frost born as it would for you. We tend to have a lot more flesh that needs healing. Now I'll be back in a bit.” As she walked out of the room Iria was being careful to keep her foot steps light. She didn't want to risk waking up Lina otherwise she'd end up cranky.

 

Once Iria was out of the room Jessie gave a sigh. Anthony and Katherine had told him what was going on whenever he'd woken up. They had also said Iria seemed like a very friendly sort and he believed them. Part of him wanted to see outside but he hadn't asked to be taken outside. The fact that she was so comfortable taking them outside told him that it was bad. He had heard stories about the northern woods. People would set up tents only to end up buried alive during the night. He didn't know if the stories were true but the point was clear. Once it began to snow there it snowed hard. “Well what do you all think.”

 

Thomas, “I think I'm going back to sleep.” It wasn't that Thomas desired to sleep. He wanted to speak with the others. However, his body ached and he could still feel the cold in his bones. His eyes felt heavy and he couldn't get up the energy to really think. The others had helped him eat a little bit. This thought prompted some response from him. “Thanks for the food everyone. Tell Iria that I said thanks if I don't remember to.”

 

No one said anything at first but Katherine glanced back at Thomas. He looked to be asleep already. “So this is it then? We're trusting our host?”

 

Anthony, “We may as well trust her while we have no choice. If we go back out into that forest I think we're more likely to end up dead rather then saved. It seems she fully intends to make use of us as well. I am curious what she keeps having to run off to tend to though. I might be mistaken but she sounds like a frost giant or according to her frost born scholar or mage. I wonder if that's why she lives apart from the others.”

 

Ron, “How do we know that she's not more of a witch?”

 

To this Anthony gave a shrug. “She might be. Do any of you want to take her up on the offer to take us to port and let us make it on our own from there? I know I don't want to end up as a frozen corpse laying in some ditch.”

 

Jessie, “We might be able to find shelter.”

 

Ron, “That is a big might. Besides didn't she say that she'd be keeping us here until we were well again? I don't believe leaving now is really a choice.”

 

Jessie, “Why do you think that is? I mean if she doesn't want us to feel trapped shouldn't she take us there now?”

 

Katherine bit down on her lower lip for a moment before talking. “I believe that's because she knows her peoples reputation and how we might respond to it. Perhaps she's worried we'll make a hasty decision and go off and get ourselves killed. I mean look at the room she set us in. There is only one exit and I bet it's in the very center of her home. She probably worried one of us would wake up and try to sneak off into the cold.”

 

Anthony, “It is possible. I don't know about the rest of you but I believe I'm going to to try to get some of that rest though.” As he spoke Anthony leaned back and closed his eyes. He'd been fighting his desire to sleep for a while now. He would just trust that Iria was right and Lina wouldn't try to kill him while he slept. They were four other people for her to pick from so there was a good chance the screaming would wake him up anyway. This last thought brought a chuckle from him despite the grim nature. After nearly freezing to death his humor was feeling a bit on the grim side.

 

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It had been such a long time since she'd had such small guest that Iria had been hard pressed to find their furniture and not let her project be spoiled. She had felt the crystal beginning to vibrate more then once and had to rush to stabilize it. So far it hadn't came close to exploding but that wasn't something she wanted to risk. Converting volama to soma could be a very dangerous process after all but she needed more soma to continue her work. As she finished putting the little beds back together she gave a slight sigh and stretched both her arms above her head flexing her biceps in the process. She was feeling a bit drained herself. Not that the humans had kept her awake. Once she found the volama trapped in the ice she had to begin converting it to a more stable form very quickly or risk losing it or worse. They had just been a bit of a distraction. Standing up she made her way back to her room.

 

At least one person in the room was awake now. Lina looked towards Iria. Currently she was laying across Thomas's legs apparently enjoying his body heat. “You're going to put his legs asleep doing that.” It was hard not to giggle too loudly whenever Lina gave a soft growl of protest. It seemed that she realized why she'd came back into the room. Walking over to the bed Iria slipped one of her hands behind Anthony's back and another under his legs before gently lifting him from the bed. The fact that he didn't wake up told her how exhausted his body still was. “Oh! They are even cuter whenever they're all sleepy and relaxed aren't they girl?”

 

Lina gave a slight murr before laying back down atop Thomas's legs. It seemed that even if the cat realized what was going on she wasn't going to make it easy. She had found herself a nice spot to lay and she didn't intend to give it up. Iria was used to that and in truth her pets stubborn streak was one of the things that endeared the pet to her. “Fine Thomas can go last but this isn't going to take very long.”

 

As she stepped out of the room Iria held Anthony close to her body. She did have some regular visitors but those visits could take months. It had been over seven weeks since Iria had last had company and to find these cute little humans freezing in the snow seemed like a gift from the spirits. They were cute and fragile and probably wouldn't be ready to depart for several months. It would be wonderful to have company through the winter. Despite that desire she knew better then to tolerate freeloading. Allowing ones self to become attached to a freeloader was not a good idea. Even Lina earned her keep in her own way. The snow tiger would often bring home kills to the din.

 

The guest room was an oval shaped room with abnormally thick walls. It was also one of the few rooms in Iria's house that had an actual door.

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