"Me too," Tal agreed ruefully as he'd followed Zavien into the hedge maze. In winter the roses were dormant and the labyrinth seemed more sluggish, with fewer tricks to be played on those who crossed its boundaries. With Boreal and Sol to provide aerial directions through the skeletal, leafless branches of the overarching bowers it was much easier to find their way to the center where the Eye burned ceaselessly, night and day.
The courier still shuddered a little when he saw it, remembering the last time he'd been there. There had been death and blood that day, and he had almost died, too. All in pursuit of an artifact that had ultimately been lost...
He shook off the old, painful memories with an effort and turned to Zavien with a forced smile that became a little more natural as the Dragoon unpacked his goodies. "Leafchange really got away from me." The admission was more than a little apologetic, and Tal set his own Bag of Holding down and began to draw out his own contributions. A large jug of cider, pressed only a few weeks earlier from the last apples of Leafchange emerged first, followed by a couple satchets of spices and a big copper pot, along with an apple and an orange.
Boreal watched Sol with a maternal indulgence, rumbling encouragement to the young dragonet's excited 'hunt' for snowflakes as she stretched out on the cold ground, perfectly content in the milder cold of King's End's snows. Tal glanced over at the two dragons and grinned, then went back to pouring the cider into the pot over the satchets. "So, you an' Lena...?" he coaxed slyly, looking over to his friend as he set the cider to mulling at the edge of the flames.
The courier still shuddered a little when he saw it, remembering the last time he'd been there. There had been death and blood that day, and he had almost died, too. All in pursuit of an artifact that had ultimately been lost...
He shook off the old, painful memories with an effort and turned to Zavien with a forced smile that became a little more natural as the Dragoon unpacked his goodies. "Leafchange really got away from me." The admission was more than a little apologetic, and Tal set his own Bag of Holding down and began to draw out his own contributions. A large jug of cider, pressed only a few weeks earlier from the last apples of Leafchange emerged first, followed by a couple satchets of spices and a big copper pot, along with an apple and an orange.
Boreal watched Sol with a maternal indulgence, rumbling encouragement to the young dragonet's excited 'hunt' for snowflakes as she stretched out on the cold ground, perfectly content in the milder cold of King's End's snows. Tal glanced over at the two dragons and grinned, then went back to pouring the cider into the pot over the satchets. "So, you an' Lena...?" he coaxed slyly, looking over to his friend as he set the cider to mulling at the edge of the flames.
