Chilly Walk, -Kiki-

[_geist_]

On this night, Cole d'Ilych is not belligerent. On this night he is sighing out puffs of misty cold and smiling childishly at the curling shapes of the steam. His hands are folded, held close to his chest for warmth (why, oh why didn't he ever listen to Mordekai, who had counseled him to take gloves?). He's wandering the Autumn Quarter, sightseeing if you will, in the cold, clear night.

[Akedhi]

On this night, Treon Syretti d'Bairnes is away from home, worried sick about his wife and thus investigating the City. She could be there, right? She studied there for years, right?

He walks like an old lion, worn and tired, but still proud. Still dangerous. His teeth are still sharp - he's not ready to lie down and die yet. (Stand up and die in a good fight, though, maybe. He could do that.)

He is wearing a thick cloak and his hands are covered by fingerless gloves. (Mittens or gloves with fingers impede his dexterity too much, and that could mean death.)

He recognizes that boy. Nods in passing.

[_geist_]

"Hello!"
Cole is gleefully oblivious to the fact that Treon doesn't appear all that excited to see him at all (in fact, he looks rather...stormy). He tags along after, grinning, startlingly white teeth gleaming out of a brown face.
"I wasn't expecting to see you again."

[Akedhi]

"Nor I you."

He pauses and looks back at the boy.

"Weren't you with your mopey brother in Bavarat?"

What is the boy doing here? (Can't he get any peace?)

[_geist_]

"We're on our way back home." he shrugs, grinning. He's eager to get back to his horses (and maybe places where he can be sure he won't be beaten up for his money).
"Mor's not mopey, his wife left him."

[Akedhi]

"Funny how they do that."

Now, now, Riana wouldn't leave him for good. (For one thing, she'd left Collin behind, and that wasn't like her at all. She doted on the boy.)

"I seem to have misplaced mine, come to that. You wouldn't happen to have seen a girl a bit younger than you, blond hair, blue eyes, pale and slim? She tends to wear pink."

[_geist_]

"I'm afraid not." he shakes his head, furrowing his brows. "Women are so strange, don't you think?"
Running away all the time, lately. (Never mind that Sarah was three years ago.)

[Akedhi]

"Mm. Not so much strange as..."

He frowns.

"She told me she was visiting her family. Her trail leads to Bavarat, then stops cold. She either left the country, or she's better than I thought, and it would take some doing to trick me into thinking that she left... and why would she, anyway?"

There's nothing there for her. And she doesn't seem the vengeful type, and doesn't even know what happened.

Does she?

[_geist_]

"I have no earthly idea." he shrugs rather derisively. "Maybe she had a whim for exotic climates."
Psh, women.

[Akedhi]

The boy gets a stony look.

"Whimsical Riana may be, but she is not a complete fool." What possessed a woman alone to cross the sea, when there could be any sort of danger on the ocean or overland?

"I intend to give her a piece of my mind when she comes back."

[_geist_]

Here, Cole remembers that Treon can be a little scary, and he backs down. His tail isn't between his legs yet, but...
Not challenging in the least.
"Right."
Agreement; he's not sure what way to move.

[Akedhi]

Only a little scary?

Right. Okay then.

"I hadn't thought either of you two were old enough to be wed," he says, changing the subject abruptly.

He'd rather not think about his errant wife just now. It bothers him. It bothers him that it bothers him.

[_geist_]

"Mordekai and Sarah were matched up pretty early on, even before they were officially engaged. I'm not married. We're twenty-two."
Not that young.

[Akedhi]

"Children," he scoffs.

He thinks everyone under the age of twenty-seven is a child. Humor him, would you?

"But I know the way of that, yes."

[_geist_]

"You think?" He doesn't sound offended, just confused. If they're young to be married now...
"When they were married, we were eighteen."

[Akedhi]

"I'm near thirty-three. I can call you children if I like."

So there.

He looks the boy up and down, and adds, "And if you require a nursemaid to keep you from freezing to death, I should say it's quite justified."

[_geist_]

"I'm nowhere near freezing to death," he protests defensively, tucking his hands under his arms for warmth. "I only forgot my gloves."

[Akedhi]

"Uh huh. Your hands are one of the most important parts, boy, and this is the mountains. You're likely to have them frostbitten."

Which would be bad.

Very very bad.

Less bad for someone whose survival doesn't depend upon his skills with weapons, though.

[_geist_]

"Frostbitten?" he presses his arms down tighter onto his cold hands, horrified. He can't handle the reins as well with damaged hands, can he?
His face takes on a sullen look.
"I suppose I should have listened to Mordekai, as usual."

[Akedhi]

"He doesn't strike me as terribly sensible either."

But that's because he wandered around alone in Bavarat, looking like a noble boy who didn't know where he was.

Heh.

"But if he told you to wear gloves, then yes."

[_geist_]

"He's too sensible."
Inexperience counts for a lot, and preoccupation as well.
Cole rolls his eyes.
"He isn't any fun."

[Akedhi]

"And frostbite is?"

The boy has a strange definition of fun.

"Where is home, anyway?"

He didn't ask them very many questions when they first met, after all.

[_geist_]

"Well, no, but walking instead of holing up in the room is." Stupid Mordekai wouldn't give him any company. He gives his shoulders a quick, horselike shake to dislodge his irritation.
"Nangwen. We come from Nangwen."

[Akedhi]

"Anywhere near d'Bairnes?"

He's technically a lord in both Nangwen and Temeris, you know.

Heh. He outranks himself.

[_geist_]

"Not far."
Squint. The man didn't say he was d'Bairnes. Did he?
"Why?"