The next day could be described in three words: white, windy, and cold. For the Foch of the village, this wasn’t exactly a major issue, it was simply obnoxious. For Hannick, it prevented him from going back on schedule. As for Samuel…

“Whoooaaaaa,”

He peered out of the doorway from the eating hall. A gust of wind blew snow in his face, and he darted backwards into the shelter of the hollowed tree.

Freyja and Hannick were seated at one of the tables. On the table proper were Nia and Mai, along with two beverages. Hannick took a sip from his, while Freyja looked on at Samuel nearing the door outside.

“Isn’t he adorable?” she said.

“...I guess?” said Hannick.

Freyja looked at Hannick.

“I mean, he seems to be captivated by the snow. Isn’t that enough to qualify?” she said.

Hannick put his drink down. His arm instinctively tried to dodge the spirits on the table. The one sitting closer to Hannick, Mai, decided to speak up with her own line of questions.

“I’ve been wondering… what is your take on why Samuel ran from the caravan in the first place?”

Hannick looked down at the spirit, who’s pale gold colour contrasted nicely with the wooden table’s earthy brown.

“The captain of the caravan, he is… here’s my opinion.”

Hannick gave a sigh before beginning his next speech.

“His father, who is probably about to step down as interim commander of the convoy, was a very good leader during the schism. His son really looks up to him, but I think he’s gotten the wrong idea from it. He wants to be successful like his father, but I don’t think he fully understands why his father was successful.”

Mai looked at Hannick, in thought. Freyja and Nia looked at each other.

“...so how does this play into Samuel wanting to run away?” Mai asked.

Hannick leaned back in his seat.

“He asked a lot from Samuel, and frankly I think he asked too much. I couldn’t personally do too much about it, since I’m just the Surveyor and he outranked me. Though, given Samuel’s feelings about the Wildwood, I can’t say that was the only thing…”

Freyja looked at Hannick.

“What do you mean? What feelings about the Wildwood?” she asked.

Hannick leaned forward and looked at Freyja.

“He always looked up to his dad, and enjoyed hearing stories of the place he had been to. His favourites were always the ones about the Wildwood…” he said.

He looked at Samuel, peeking his head around the frame of the door.

“Maybe it’s as simple as he likes the place,”

Freyja joined Hannick in looking at Samuel. A gust of wind blew snowflakes in his face again, and he moved back behind the trunk of the tree that formed the wall between inside and outside.

“Maybe so,” she said.

She stretched her arms up, and looked at Hannick with a casual smile.

“Well, if you’re gonna share, then do you mind if I do?” she announced.

Hannick looked at Freyja, not expecting the sudden turn.

“Eh? Really?” he asked.

“Why not?”

“Okay,”

Freyja took a sip from her drink. Nia jumped up on her shoulders, and laid down, wrapping herself around behind Freyja’s neck. Mai sat next to Hannick, and looked at Freyja.

“Lianna, my younger sister, when she was talking with the spirits about who she would make a contract with. This must have been nearly seven years ago,” Freyja began.

“She was someone if she disagreed with you, she would disagree with you. One day, there was a spirit who she got into a debate with,”

Hannick interrupted Freyja during a break in her speech.

“What could she have gotten into a debate about?” he said.

“Simply put, she thought that he was thinking too much with his fists, if you get what I mean.”

Hannick turned his head slightly.

“That’s it? She got into a debate because he wasn’t being nice enough to people?”

Freyja took a sip from her drink, and put it back down on the table. Nia, who was still perched on Freyja’s shoulders, answered Hannick’s question in the meantime.

“Yep. That was the reason.”

Freyja, having put the drink back down, resumed her story.

“That’s just the person she is. She’s a good person, but she can have some very strong opinions on things.”

Hannick thought about the story the older sister had shared. Then, he realised something.

“Who did she contract with eventually, anyway?” he asked.

Freyja laughed. Nia, somehow, remained perched on her shoulders while she leaned back in laughter.

“She contracted with him! She was so set about it, she contracted with him! Oh, I love my sister, but sometimes she could take things a little more softly,”

“Wait, he? But isn’t Lianna--” Hannick started.

“Yeah, I don’t blame you for asking that. Normally when you contract with a spirit, if the sexes don’t match, you generally change to do so,” Freyja said.

She took another sip from her drink. Not that either of them were paying attention, but Samuel kept watching the snowfall outside, looking for where Lianna was.

“But there’s nothing against not doing it. Lianna was just stubborn with him,” Freyja continued.

Nia jumped down from Freyja’s shoulders, back to the surface of the table. Mai interjected with a question of her own.

“So, I’m guessing you badgering Samuel into playing the little brother was to make Lianna soften up?” she asked.

Freyja looked down at the spirit on the table.

“Yeah, or at least part of it. The other thing is, he’s just a kid at heart. He said he was an only child, and when I looked at him…”

She turned to look at Hannick.

“...I think he just needs someone like that in his life. I’m sorry if that was a little overstepping of my bounds.”

Hannick took a sip from his drink. He let out a sigh, and leaned back. 

“I’m not going to fault you for doing it, at least personally. If anything, I’m just happy to see him smile again.”

Freyja looked at Hannick.

“Heh. I guess the caravan he’s from isn’t all bad.”

The two continued on their drinks, and Mai jumped off the table to go see Samuel. Samuel continued looking out as the snow continued to fall.