Strange places, stranger people

NOAH

Noah watched for Sah's reaction as he told the once-wolf that he could not own this home. "If you'd like it to be, it can be yours for as long as you'd like." It had been since Noah's childhood that anyone had occupied this house, and when they had it had just been a young man named Joseph. He had died of some disease, unknown to the healers here and untouchable by their magic. It had been sad and tragic, for he was so young, but Noah did not hold on to any of those emotions. He had been too young to know it as anything else but mere fact of life.

Noah shook his head and smiled broadly at Sah once more. "You don't owe me anything. This is my job here in Halo -- I am what's known as the Chief of Public Affairs. It means I help the people." He shrugged his shoulders a little, and with genuine eyes he looked at Sah again, "In truth, I'd do this for you even if it wasn't my job." The cold man that he had been on the mountain seemed to melt -- but the cold, quick words had only been spurred on by worry for his wellbeing.

Noah turned then and gestured towards the fireplace, roaring with the fire the boys had built. "That booth we stopped by and I sent the boys here to build this fire is constantly stocked. You can go there to get more wood for your fires as you run low -- but don't ever let yourself run out. They're good people there and won't let you freeze, but they never forget a debt. Eventually you will have to pay it back, but don't let the worry of not having anything to trade then and there stop you." He knelt down and pointed at the fire. "You don't ever want this to go out. Not here. Keep stoking it and stocking it -- do you know how to manage a fire?"

will you hold the line
when every one of them has given up and given in