Lovers in Madness
a tale by Gabs and Shila
Dwyn yawned, chin on both hands, his usual pose when he was minding the shop except that at this moment, his weary and bloodshot eyes were focused on the blurring words in front of him. He'd known he was supposed to sleep the night before, but he just couldn't. He read fast, but the book was a thick one, and he hated to put it down when finishing it would put another book in his hands. He was nearing the end though, even though he'd barely gotten ANY sleep in the last few days. he'd been hoping to be able to give it back to Kieran today, but it looked like he would have no such luck.
But Kieran wouldn't mind at all, and as the haunting chime over the door rang, the boy slipped through the door, prowling up to the counter and peering toward it hopefully. He'd found sleep the last night or two, though some of the strangest dreams -ever-, with he and Dwyn in a huge stone cavern whose walls danced with rainbow fires, had made that sleep fitful. Still, Kieran was accustomed to sleeping as little as possible, so he was relatively chipper that bright winter morning. "Ohayo gozaimasu," he trilled.
Dwyn jumped nearly three feet off his chair. "WHA... OH, Kieran." He let out a releived sigh, then scolded mildly, "You startled me!" He'd been deep into his reading, his eyes wide, his jaw slightly slack. His lips were a bit plumper and softer-looking when he was like that, and his entire face took on an INTENSE look of concentration that would have been frightening had it been fixed on anything other than the harmless words in front of him.
Kieran grinned sheepishly. "Sorry. Didn't think you were that into it. You like?" he asked hopefully, bouncing up and smiling at Dwyn. He was dresed in at least three layers of warm clothing, all in dark blue or purple, and had braided his hair back. It hung in a thick rope past his butt. His tail was assumably uner his clothing, but his ears were free and perked.
Dwyn smiled widely and nodded, then took in Kieran's attire and laughed. "Are you going to be able to move in all that?" he asked as he regretfully put the book down and rubbed his eyes, letting out a sigh and sinking wearily into his chair.
"Of course," Kieran said. Then he tilted his head, studying Dwyn intently. "You're exhausted. Here." He held out a hand mysteriously.
Dwyn smiled wryly at him, knowledge dancing in those golden eyes, and took Kieran's hand without hesitation.
Kieran let loose on the swirling mass of energy that was always there within him, a shimmering, seething reservoir the color of night black and deep indigo, and poured it right into Dwyn, as much as the other boy could hold, without so much as a flinch or dimming of his smile.
Dwyn gasped and his fingers tightened hard on Kieran's, the way a person's might do if they gripped an electrified peice of metal. He twitched several times, his other hand shakily raising and curling into a fist against his chest.
Kieran eased off, having barely tapped what was there. He sealed it within again, rolling his shoulders and carefully releasing Dwyn's hand. "Better?" he asked hopefully.
"I've never heard of a spell like that," Dwyn told him, wrapping his arms around himself and shivering vigorously as his muscles fought to be rid of some of the excess energy. When he was tired, he was hyper anyway... Kieran had managed to overload him.
"Oh, it's not a spell. I just... I don't know, I've got lots of energy. I learned to channel it when I was little," Kieran said, shrugging. That had actually been what had interested him in magic in the first place. He knew he had that energy; he could -feel- it, and after learning to bend it to his will, magic was... well, it was a whole lot more interesting.
Dwyn hiked an eyebrow, looking immedietly keen, as if Kieran had given him an idea. "You do?"
Kieran nodded, eyeing Dwyn warily. The glow in his eyes couldn't mean anything good.
Dwyn nodded thoughtfully, then surged up off his chair. "Well, let's go! I need to get my mom.... come on." He whirled and bounded up the stairs.
Kieran shrugged and followed, figuring that if Dwyn's mother would agree, then it couldn't be anything -too- crazy and was henceforth safe. "She wasn't mad at you for getting home so late, was she?" he asked, sounding somewhat apologetic as he flew up the stairs behind Dwyn.
"Nah, I told you she wouldn't be!" Dwyn told him, bursting into the living room where Sabbath was curled up with a book of her own. "Mom, Kieran's here!"
Kieran slipped in behind Dwyn, giving Sabbath a shy smile and slight wave. "Good morning."
Sabbath shrugged. "Okay. Go get dressed then," she told him reasonably, shutting her book and standing to head for the stairs. She flashed Kieran a smile. "Yes. Good morning."
Kieran glanced at Dwyn, wondering what his friend's big idea had been. But Dwyn had never SAID anything about an idea. He simply went off to put a few more layers on, as Sabbath gracefully descended the stairs to the shop.
Of course, having lived with Caden for most of his life had given Kieran a healthy appreciation for that glint in a boy's eyes. He let it go for now, though, and decided to follow Sabbath downstairs, feeling quite uncomfortable just standing alone in their living room.
Sabbath settled herself behind the counter and smirked slightly at Kieran. "You feel nervous," she told him. Not 'you LOOK nervous', but 'you FEEL nervous'. Her smile was amused.
"Only a little," Kieran admitted, looking up at her curiously. His uncle Schuld did things like that, but he doubted Sabbath was telepathic. Perhaps something similar or related?
"Is it because you don't know how to skate or because you don't know how to socialize? Because if it's the latter, believe me, my son will talk enough for both of you," she told him cheerfully.
"It's a little but of both. I know how to socialize; I just avoid doing so. And I'm sure Dwyn will be rambling at thrice his usual speed, too. I think I gave him too much," he said with a slightly sheepish smile.
"Gave him too much what?" Sabbath inquired, black-painted nails drumming lightly on the wood.
"Energy," Kieran said absently, peering toward the stairs.
"And why did you go giving my son energy, hmm? He already has enough to power a city and drive me to distraction."
"He was tired, and it was my fault," Kieran said, glancing up at Sabbath. "So... I just did."
Her lips quirked upward at the corners as she hovered one hand near him, the backs of her fingers turned in his direction as though she was feeling for a fever. "Hmph," was her only reaction, along with the slight widening of that smile, and then she tossed her hair carelessly.
Kieran blinked and stared at her for a long moment, bemused. Apparently, it was a universal thing with women to be cryptic. Calliope was good at it, but Sabbath had it down to an art. He was confuzzled. He decided it didn't matter, though, and just smiled a little bit. Just smile and nod.
Dwyn came bounding back down the stairs then in a riot of motion and noise. He was bundled up, a knit cap pulled down tightly over his ears and a scarf around his neck alone with his silver-lined cloak. "Ready!" He announced, then swept up to his mother and kissed her on the cheek, his hand clasping hers oddly just for a moment. "Bye mom!"
Kieran suppressed a giggle as he watched Dwyn. "I don't think you're human. More like a whirlwind with legs," he teased, grinning at the other boy. "Goodbye, m'lady," he said politely, opening the door and ducking outside.
"Have a good day, both of you!" she called after them, and Dwyn waved at her with one hand. the other having closed around Kieran's wrist as he dragged him enthusiastically toward the river.
Kieran skipped along with Dwyn, well accustomed to being dragged along at full velocity by whirlwinds possessed of legs. Caden easily fit that category as well. "Off to see the wizard, the wonderful wizard of oz," he caroled lightly. His voice sounded like a kitten's meow, light and breathy and pretty.
Dwyn looked back at him and laughed. "What?"
Kieran laughed and shook his head. "It's a line of a song in a play," he explained. "I saw it with my uncle Schuldig. It's about this girl who gets swept up by a tornado and thrown into a magical, crazy land which then proceeds to do its best to kill her. And supposedly the wizard of Oz - that's the land she ends up in - can send her home again."
"Aw, how cheerful," Dwyn said wryly, tugging Kieran over the bride of one of the thin streams that branched off of the river and toward the main body. It was not frozen, but thanks to the attentions of Silverymoon's wizards, the actual river would be. "Wizards are good at transport," he said flatly.
Kieran shuddered. "Yes, but it's horrible. Nothing worse than a teleport to wreak havoc on the stomach," he muttered, looking vaguely disgruntled. Then he brightened, ears perking up as his breath frosted in the air. "So how good are you at this skating stuff?"
Dwyn laughed shakily. "Actually, I'm not all THAT good," he confessed. "But it's fun. I love it. And if I'm not afraid of falling on my ass, I can go REALLY fast for a stretch."
Kieran laughed. "Don't worry. I'll make you look like a professional, I'm sure," he said amusedly, bouncing along.
Dwyn laughed. "Maybe. You get the hang of it really quickly, though!"
"I hope so. My butt can only take so much abuse before it-" Kieran cut off, giggling.
Dwyn snickered. "Nah, butts are made to fall on," he teased, spotting the river and a score of people gaily dressed in winter wear already making good use of the thick ice. "Come ON!" He bolted off with renewed enthusiasm.
"I get the feeling that I'll end up regretting at least part of this," Kieran said to himself, but his tone was cheerful despite his morbid words. He swept off after Dwyn, easily passing up the other boy as he sprinted toward the river. "Last one there's a rotten egg!"
Dwyn was, indeed, the last one there, and showed some amazement at Kieran's speed. "Wow," he said, "You run fast. Good thing, though, for a wizard," he teased as he brought Kieran with him to the little gnome's shop.
"Oh, it's nothing. I -did- spend most of my life running from my big sister," Kieran grinned. He seemed to be wired himself, though on his own energy or merely happiness was a wild guess.
Dwyn snickered and sat down, picking up a pair of skates that looked like they might fit him. They were made of hardened, cured leather that laced up with well-woven cord in the front to secure his ankles, and he had thick socks on under his boots.
Kieran watched Dwyn and then followed his lead, scooping up some skates. They were notably heavier than shoes, and as he tugged off his low boots, he inspected the runner. The design was interesting, but he wasn't in that mood today, and so the skates found their way onto his double-socked feet in almost no time at all. He'd expected them to be a bit too big, but all the sock made up for it, and they were snug around his ankles.
Dwyn stood up. wobbling a bit, but mostly secure, on his own skates, and checked the tightness of Kieran's laces before giving him a grin and a thumbs-up.
Kieran stood and almost fell right back over again, but he caught himself and held still for a moment, assessing them. Like this, his center of balance was shifted a little bit, moved forward... so if he leaned forward, he shouldn't fall. When he took a tentative step, he didn't tumble, but he didn't look incredibly steady.
Dwyn offered his hand. "Come on," he urged. "Let's get onto the ice. They're actually easier to walk on out there. You slide... like you're shuffling. I'll show you."
Kieran nodded trustingly and took Dwyn's hand, clinging to him tightly. He didn't think it would be too bad, but one never knew.
They hobbled out toward the river and down the decline, Dwyn losing his balance and falling once or twice, but laughing the entire way and not at all seeming to mind. Once they got onto the ice, which was already scored all over with thin lines from the skates of others, he seemed more confident. He slid one foot forward and glided, taking a few sliding steps before stumbling to a stop and grinning at Kieran.
Kieran eyed the ice calculatingly. It was cold and he didn't want to be, so he was not going to fall. With that bit of determination, he stepped onto the ice... and promptly fell right on his ass.
Dwyn laughed braced himself to help Kieran back to his feet. "This is where all that clothing comes in handy," he joked. "Come on. You have to be perfectly still to not fall, or you have to be moving. So chose which it will be."
Kieran clambered to his feet and found his balance, leaning forward a little bit. "I think... Well, if I fall, I probably won't break anything, so whatever," he said. "How do I... go?"
"Push with your rear foot and slide on your forward foot," Dwyn told him, demonstrating. "Like this. Keep your foot straight ahead. Don't try to step... glide."
Kieran nodded and did exactly as Dwyn said, gaining momentum and moving without falling. Once he got started, it was much easier to keep going, though it was hard to turn, and he was quite agile in the skates after he grew accustomed to moving in such a fashion.
Dwyn snorted. "Make me look proffessional.... riiiiight," he muttered as he managed to keep up, not doing much better or much worse. He was conditioned as a warrior, yes, but he'd been taught to let his strength and his inability to feel pain - something he hadn't shared with kieran yet - carry the day. His father was as quick as a whippet and could move in ways no feeling human could, but Dwyn's upbringing had been quite different. His mind was only fractured, not shattered, and that fracture was a flaw that he saw as beautiful, as a part of him that made him unlike anybody else. He was not a murderer, though sometimes he had a hard time feeling guilty about causing pain to people who, in his mind, deserved it. He was not mad. He was not his father. Though there was certainly a resemblance, it was his mother that he took after most strongly, and Sabbath, he thought, had the love he'd spoken to Kieran about a few nights ago. Sometimes it was overwhelmed by hatred for a world that had long refused to accept her or give her a place to belong, but most of the times, that love kept her in check. She was touched by the Goddess, he truly believed, when even years and years of pain couldn't override a totally natural drive to care about the world, despite her knowing better.
Kieran was actually somewhat of a natural when it came to anything to do with balance. Being genetically engineered had its benefits, after all; he was incredibly dexterous, much like the cat he resembled, and that was but the tip of the iceberg, as it were. He was strong, smart, tenacious, and, of course, beautiful. He never thought anything of it, though, and as he slowly curved around in a wide arc to face Dwyn again, he was smiling brightly, ears folded over in the cold. "Look, Dwyn, no hands!" he crowed, waveringly lifting his hands into the air before him.
"And you so OBVIOUSLY need hands to skate," Dwyn shot back, grinning at him even though Kieran was doing much better than even he was - he couldn't even turn. "Try a little speed," he suggested devilishly.
Kieran eyed the ice and then smirked at Dwyn. "Alright," he said sweetly, moving faster. He got going and careened down the river at a pace that was just fast enough to be considered fast, making sure he would have plenty of room to slow down, laughing as he went.
Dwyn laughed and did his best to fall in behind him, holding back because he knew if he went too fast he'd either crash into Kieran or wind up on his ass.
Kieran turned then, a tight turn that had him curving around in a small circle. He grabbed at Dwyn's arm as the other boy went whizzing by him, pulling him into a spin to stop him and miraculously keeping them both from falling as they spun on the ice.
Dwyn let out a cry of unease, but managed to stay on his feet with Kieran's help. "Aggg..... Kieran...."
Kieran laughed, the sound echoing over the river, dampened by the snow on its banks. "What?" he inquired innocently, black eyes sparkling. He held onto Dwyn tightly, keeping him close to keep them balanced.
"I'm not as good at this as you are," Dwyn admitted shamelessly. "And you're REALLY good. Where'd you learn to skate?"
"My sister used to practice her swordwork on ice, but I've only ever walked on it. I guess it's just luck, huh?" he said with a wink. "'Cause I'm nothing special."
"THAT'S a lie," Dwyn muttered as he pulled away from Kieran and promptly fell flat on his back.
"Really! I've never skated before," Kieran insisted, eyes wide as he offered Dwyn a hand up.
Dwyn smiled. "I know you haven't, I was teasing you," he assured him.
"Oh," Kieran said sheepishly, smiling slightly. "Are you getting back up, or not?" he asked lightly, black eyes dancing.
Dwyn shrugged. "Nah, it's nice down here. Why don't you come and see?" He surged forward and grabbed Kieran's ankles, pushing him backward so he'd most likely fall forward, onto Dwyn.
Arms windmilling wildly, Kieran tumbled onto Dwyn with a little shriek of surprise. He landed smack on top of the other boy, but he hardly weighed anything, so it wasn't noticeably painful. "What was that for?" he demanded, putting his hands on Dwyn's shoulders and staring at him.
Dwyn just grinned. "Because it's so NICE down here, I just HAD to share it with you," he cooed, and promptly tackled Kieran.
Kieran squeaked and curled up, trying to wriggle free but not succeeding. He ended up sat upon, back pressed to the ice as he glared up at the other boy. "You're mean," he accused, not really serious.
Dwyn grinned down at him. Kieran might have been faster, but he was most likely the stronger of the two. "Awww, poor kitty," he said, patting Kieran on the forehead.
Kieran pursed his lips. "This kitty has claws, you know," he growled, voice low and husky. He struggled to get away, but he was indeed less puissant than Dwyn and so remained trapped.
"I'm used to being clawed, I HAVE five cats, remember?" Dwyn said contentedly, still pinning him. "Are you gonna bite me, kitten?" he inquired impishly.
Kieran finally pulled his arms free and flexed his fingers. "I just might," he said lightly. "But first... I'm going to tickle you." And with that, his hands dove for the other boy's torso, shimmying up under his clothes to mercilessly attack his sides.
Dwyn's jaw tightened and he squirmed once, then let out a shuddering breath, teeth still gritted as he stayed absolutely still under Kieran's attempted assault. "That's COLD," he managed.
Kieran pouted, an saddeningly adorable look as his lower lip stuck out and his eyes peered up at Dwyn mournfully. "So is the ice on my back," he mumbled pitifully, big, dark eyes irresistible. He removed his hands, though, and folded his arms over his chest, tucking his fingers into his armpits.
Dwyn smirked. "You know," he said conversationally, "People who try to tickle other people are most often.... ticklish themselves!" He thrust his fingers up under Kieran's clothing and drew them down his sides, wiggling them featherlight against his skin.
Kieran giggled. "I am, a little bit," he laughed, twitching. He took the chance to shift his weight, trying to buck Dwyn right off of him and writhe free.
Dwyn let him do it, rolling obligingly off of him and onto his own back on the ice.
Kieran shifted away, sitting up and peering down at Dwyn. "Hello there," he said warmly.
Dwyn grinned and stretched on the ice. "Merry meet," he said gamely. "Haven't we met somewhere before?"
"No... no, I can't say we have," said Kieran blithely, grinning brightly in return.
"Well, then, this must be some kind of luck," Dwyn told him. "I'm Dwyn O'Connaillain, Son of Hecate. Blessed be."
Kieran burst into giggles, unable to keep the charade any longer. He collapsed on top of Dwyn, falling over the other boy and heaving with laughter.
Dwyn wound his arms around him, hugging him and nuzzling into his shoulder with a giggle. "Aren't you getting kind of intimate for never having met me before?"
"Oooh, baby," Kieran managed, shortly before lapsing into giggles again as he buried his face in Dwyn's chest.
Dwyn snickered wildly. "Mmm, kitten," he purred back. "I think that's what I'll call you. Kitten."
"S'what Daddy calls 'tousan," Kieran told him, still giggling. "Koneko desu." One tufted black ear flicked backward.
Dwyn's eyebrow hiked. "Hm?"
"Koneko desu. It means kitten. Well, koneko means kitten, but still. It's nihongo," Kieran explained.
"I've never heard of that language," Dwyn told him.
"It's my 'tousan's language. He's from another dimension," Kieran informed him, smiling.
"Another..... dimension? Like Elysium? Or the Abyss?"
"Actually, it's another world, a lot like this one. Kind of like another planet, you know? Neither of my parents was born here on Faerun." Kieran shrugged. He knew more otherworlders than Torilian natives, he sometimes thought.
"They weren't? I've never heard of another world like that," he said. "How did they get HERE?"
"Interdimensional portals. FASCINATING things, really. They open up, not into the Astral Plane or back onto the Material Plane like most portals, but they reach out for places that are similar. It's like... kind of like alternate realities. It's complicated stuff, but I love it." Indeed, Kieran's eyes glowed when he spoke of it.
Dwyn nodded. "It explains a lot," he said after a moment. He was still resting on his back on the ice, oddly comfortable, with kieran nestled into his arms.
"How so?" Kieran inquired, tilting his head curiously. He was more than happy to snuggle into Dwyn; the other boy made an excellent pillow.
"It just does," he said simply, and then shifted. "Come on, are we going to skate?"
"Not until you tell me what what explains," Kieran said calmly, acquiring a death grip on Dwyn and refusing to let go, move, or allow the other to get up.
"I don't KNOW," Dwyn told him frustratedly. he probably could have dislodged Kieran, but he didn't want to hurt him to do so. "It just fits in nicely with all the other puzzle peices."
Kieran sighed and released Dwyn, shifting and getting to his knees, then his feet, and offering Dwyn halp standing up.
Dwyn scrambled up on his own, shaking himself out. "Come on," he said, skating off.
Kieran bit his lip. He hadn't meant to make Dwyn angry. He stood there, looking forlorn as he watched the other skate away.
Dwyn didn't seem angry. As soon as Kieran got off him, his frustration seemed to vanish. He was, however, anxious to move, and move he did moving in slow, tentative circles. And more circles. And more circles. In fact, as Kieran watched, Dwyn somehow managed to fall into a whole 'nother world, eyes blankly focused on continueing to circle, the ice equivalent of mindless pacing.
Kieran stared at Dwyn for a long moment before leaning forward and pushing off himself. He skated all the way to the edge of the river and stopped a yard from the bank. Then, he skated toward the corner of the frozen portion of the river. When he got there, he turned tightly and faced the long stretch of ice. He crouched and pushed off again, shooting off and picking up more speed as he went. By the time he'd gone a hundred yards, he was moving pretty quickly, and this far out to the edge, he didn't have to worry about dodging in and around other people. He laughed wildly, braid flying behind him as he zoomed down the river.
Dwyn heard his laugh and it seemed to shatter his stupor. Looking up, he laughed as Kieran flew down the river, tempted to grab his braid and see if he would be dragged along. He didn't though. His hands were firmly in his pockets as he watched, and grinned.
Kieran was quickly approaching the other end of the 'rink', as it were, and he knew he wouldn't be able to stop. So he calculated and prayed and pulled into a screeching turn at the last minute, sending up a spray of ice as he turned in place and almost fell over.
Dwyn shook his head. "If you fall into that water," he said dryly, "You're going to be a VERY sad kitten."
"Overcompensated," he said, looking a bit -too- nonchalant. "And there was -no- way I'd fall. I'd have veered into the bank first," he said, gesturing to the snowdrifts on eiher side of the river.
"Cutting it a little close for THAT," Dwyn told him, one slender brow hiking.
Kieran grinned sheepishly. "I noticed," he said, lifting a hand to lightly rub one of his very cold ears.
Dwyn smirked. "Ah, it's okay. I'd have pulled you out.... and let MOM deal with your drenched and shivering ass."
"I wouldn't have fallen," Kieran insisted. "Even if I had to cheat."
"That's a really short fall, kitten. Not long enough for spellcasting," Dwyn told him. "Believe me. I know."
"I was casting as soon as I realized I couldn't stop," Kieran said dryly. "When did -you- fall in?"
"When I was five,"Dwyn told him. "I came here with my mom. I was trying to go fast and I bumped into somebody and rebounded. They felt so guilty after she jumped in to pull me out. She couldn't reach me from the edge and she didn't cast... I guess she wasn't thinking. Anyway, like I said, they felt SO guilty, but mom never comes down on anybody when they're sorry and it wasn't their fault anyway. She took me home and stuffed me full of hot tea and made me take a hot bath."
Nodding slowly, Kieran skated back toward Dwyn. "Yup, that definitely sucked. I don't like water much at all, but ice cold water?" Kieran shivered. "No way." His ears were frozen. He knew it.
Dwyn smirked slightly. "Yeah, it sucked," he agreed pliably. "So don't fall in. Giving good advice is a useless power if nobody takes it," he said chantingly.
"Your mum says that a lot, doesn't she?" Kieran inquired, tilting his head.
He nodded. "Yep. Usually when someone doesn't take her advice and gets hurt because of it," he warned.
Kieran bit his lip. "Gomen ne," he offered, looking suitbly penitent.
"You weren't going to ignore me were you?" he said sternly.
Kieran shook his head. "No, nekkyou."
"Well, then, don't look so apologetic," he said "You should always take a Witch's advice. It's one of our thirteen," he explained, which really didn't explain anything, and then he skated off again.
Kieran shrugged. He'd pry it out of Dwyn eventually, so he could wait. He cupped his hands around his ears to protect them from the biting wind and set off to do big, looping figure eights.
They skated for hours, Dwyn never seeming to tire of the sport. "Let's go get hot chocolate," Dwyn suggested finally, sitting in the packed snow on the riverbank. "And then go sledding!"
A slow smile spread over Kieran's face, one with a bit more madness than he'd yet displayed. "Sledding?" he inquired lightly. Stonesbreach was, after all, a -valley-, and up north, where snow was plentiful. Corus had broken almost as many bones sledding as jumping out of trees, and it had been one of the few outdoor things that Kieran tackled, screaming with glee and careening down a miniature mountainside.
Dwyn nodded enthusiastically. "There's a ravine a mile or so outside the gates. Everybody goes sledding there."
"We used to set up courses down the valley through the forest. My oldest brother smacked into so many trees I think it permanently scrambled his wits," Kieran confided, grinning.
Dwyn laughed. "No trees, " he promised. "Just lots of people."
"Even better. Moving targets!" Kieran laughed. "Well, not really... but still. Takes even more skill not to smack into 'em. Did you say something about hot chocolate?"
"Mom makes it BEST," Dwyn said enthusiastically, with the fervor of the convicted. "We'll go home and warm up and then put on dry clothes and get the sled... I've got one that will seat both of us."
"Okay," Kieran said, smiling brightly. He offered his frozen-fingered hand to Dwyn. "I think I'd like to learn what 'warm' is again anyway."
Dwyn smiled and took his hand, pulling it up under his tunic and pressing it against his stomach, where burning warmth had pooled. "Don't worry, you'll be just fine in an hour," he said. "Let's go turn in our skates."
Kieran shivered, but it was not from the cold. He couldn't have said why as he nodded. "Let's, then." He made no move to reclaim his hand, enjoying the heat.
Dwyn snickered and wound his arms around Kieran. He apparently didn't care about the frozen fingers on his stomach. In truth, he didn't much feel the cold, the thing that had saved him from going into shock when he HAD fallen into the river, so long ago. He took Kieran back up to the gnome's shop and they turned in their skates, Dwyn handing the man the coins his mother had snuck him earlier to pay for the rental. Then they headed back home from there, intent on getting some of Sabbath's cocoa and de-thawing until they could move again. The river remained frozen in the air behind them, the echoes of their laughter still ringing on the wind.
end chap three Back to part two / On to part four
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a tale by Gabs and Shila
Dwyn yawned, chin on both hands, his usual pose when he was minding the shop except that at this moment, his weary and bloodshot eyes were focused on the blurring words in front of him. He'd known he was supposed to sleep the night before, but he just couldn't. He read fast, but the book was a thick one, and he hated to put it down when finishing it would put another book in his hands. He was nearing the end though, even though he'd barely gotten ANY sleep in the last few days. he'd been hoping to be able to give it back to Kieran today, but it looked like he would have no such luck.
But Kieran wouldn't mind at all, and as the haunting chime over the door rang, the boy slipped through the door, prowling up to the counter and peering toward it hopefully. He'd found sleep the last night or two, though some of the strangest dreams -ever-, with he and Dwyn in a huge stone cavern whose walls danced with rainbow fires, had made that sleep fitful. Still, Kieran was accustomed to sleeping as little as possible, so he was relatively chipper that bright winter morning. "Ohayo gozaimasu," he trilled.
Dwyn jumped nearly three feet off his chair. "WHA... OH, Kieran." He let out a releived sigh, then scolded mildly, "You startled me!" He'd been deep into his reading, his eyes wide, his jaw slightly slack. His lips were a bit plumper and softer-looking when he was like that, and his entire face took on an INTENSE look of concentration that would have been frightening had it been fixed on anything other than the harmless words in front of him.
Kieran grinned sheepishly. "Sorry. Didn't think you were that into it. You like?" he asked hopefully, bouncing up and smiling at Dwyn. He was dresed in at least three layers of warm clothing, all in dark blue or purple, and had braided his hair back. It hung in a thick rope past his butt. His tail was assumably uner his clothing, but his ears were free and perked.
Dwyn smiled widely and nodded, then took in Kieran's attire and laughed. "Are you going to be able to move in all that?" he asked as he regretfully put the book down and rubbed his eyes, letting out a sigh and sinking wearily into his chair.
"Of course," Kieran said. Then he tilted his head, studying Dwyn intently. "You're exhausted. Here." He held out a hand mysteriously.
Dwyn smiled wryly at him, knowledge dancing in those golden eyes, and took Kieran's hand without hesitation.
Kieran let loose on the swirling mass of energy that was always there within him, a shimmering, seething reservoir the color of night black and deep indigo, and poured it right into Dwyn, as much as the other boy could hold, without so much as a flinch or dimming of his smile.
Dwyn gasped and his fingers tightened hard on Kieran's, the way a person's might do if they gripped an electrified peice of metal. He twitched several times, his other hand shakily raising and curling into a fist against his chest.
Kieran eased off, having barely tapped what was there. He sealed it within again, rolling his shoulders and carefully releasing Dwyn's hand. "Better?" he asked hopefully.
"I've never heard of a spell like that," Dwyn told him, wrapping his arms around himself and shivering vigorously as his muscles fought to be rid of some of the excess energy. When he was tired, he was hyper anyway... Kieran had managed to overload him.
"Oh, it's not a spell. I just... I don't know, I've got lots of energy. I learned to channel it when I was little," Kieran said, shrugging. That had actually been what had interested him in magic in the first place. He knew he had that energy; he could -feel- it, and after learning to bend it to his will, magic was... well, it was a whole lot more interesting.
Dwyn hiked an eyebrow, looking immedietly keen, as if Kieran had given him an idea. "You do?"
Kieran nodded, eyeing Dwyn warily. The glow in his eyes couldn't mean anything good.
Dwyn nodded thoughtfully, then surged up off his chair. "Well, let's go! I need to get my mom.... come on." He whirled and bounded up the stairs.
Kieran shrugged and followed, figuring that if Dwyn's mother would agree, then it couldn't be anything -too- crazy and was henceforth safe. "She wasn't mad at you for getting home so late, was she?" he asked, sounding somewhat apologetic as he flew up the stairs behind Dwyn.
"Nah, I told you she wouldn't be!" Dwyn told him, bursting into the living room where Sabbath was curled up with a book of her own. "Mom, Kieran's here!"
Kieran slipped in behind Dwyn, giving Sabbath a shy smile and slight wave. "Good morning."
Sabbath shrugged. "Okay. Go get dressed then," she told him reasonably, shutting her book and standing to head for the stairs. She flashed Kieran a smile. "Yes. Good morning."
Kieran glanced at Dwyn, wondering what his friend's big idea had been. But Dwyn had never SAID anything about an idea. He simply went off to put a few more layers on, as Sabbath gracefully descended the stairs to the shop.
Of course, having lived with Caden for most of his life had given Kieran a healthy appreciation for that glint in a boy's eyes. He let it go for now, though, and decided to follow Sabbath downstairs, feeling quite uncomfortable just standing alone in their living room.
Sabbath settled herself behind the counter and smirked slightly at Kieran. "You feel nervous," she told him. Not 'you LOOK nervous', but 'you FEEL nervous'. Her smile was amused.
"Only a little," Kieran admitted, looking up at her curiously. His uncle Schuld did things like that, but he doubted Sabbath was telepathic. Perhaps something similar or related?
"Is it because you don't know how to skate or because you don't know how to socialize? Because if it's the latter, believe me, my son will talk enough for both of you," she told him cheerfully.
"It's a little but of both. I know how to socialize; I just avoid doing so. And I'm sure Dwyn will be rambling at thrice his usual speed, too. I think I gave him too much," he said with a slightly sheepish smile.
"Gave him too much what?" Sabbath inquired, black-painted nails drumming lightly on the wood.
"Energy," Kieran said absently, peering toward the stairs.
"And why did you go giving my son energy, hmm? He already has enough to power a city and drive me to distraction."
"He was tired, and it was my fault," Kieran said, glancing up at Sabbath. "So... I just did."
Her lips quirked upward at the corners as she hovered one hand near him, the backs of her fingers turned in his direction as though she was feeling for a fever. "Hmph," was her only reaction, along with the slight widening of that smile, and then she tossed her hair carelessly.
Kieran blinked and stared at her for a long moment, bemused. Apparently, it was a universal thing with women to be cryptic. Calliope was good at it, but Sabbath had it down to an art. He was confuzzled. He decided it didn't matter, though, and just smiled a little bit. Just smile and nod.
Dwyn came bounding back down the stairs then in a riot of motion and noise. He was bundled up, a knit cap pulled down tightly over his ears and a scarf around his neck alone with his silver-lined cloak. "Ready!" He announced, then swept up to his mother and kissed her on the cheek, his hand clasping hers oddly just for a moment. "Bye mom!"
Kieran suppressed a giggle as he watched Dwyn. "I don't think you're human. More like a whirlwind with legs," he teased, grinning at the other boy. "Goodbye, m'lady," he said politely, opening the door and ducking outside.
"Have a good day, both of you!" she called after them, and Dwyn waved at her with one hand. the other having closed around Kieran's wrist as he dragged him enthusiastically toward the river.
Kieran skipped along with Dwyn, well accustomed to being dragged along at full velocity by whirlwinds possessed of legs. Caden easily fit that category as well. "Off to see the wizard, the wonderful wizard of oz," he caroled lightly. His voice sounded like a kitten's meow, light and breathy and pretty.
Dwyn looked back at him and laughed. "What?"
Kieran laughed and shook his head. "It's a line of a song in a play," he explained. "I saw it with my uncle Schuldig. It's about this girl who gets swept up by a tornado and thrown into a magical, crazy land which then proceeds to do its best to kill her. And supposedly the wizard of Oz - that's the land she ends up in - can send her home again."
"Aw, how cheerful," Dwyn said wryly, tugging Kieran over the bride of one of the thin streams that branched off of the river and toward the main body. It was not frozen, but thanks to the attentions of Silverymoon's wizards, the actual river would be. "Wizards are good at transport," he said flatly.
Kieran shuddered. "Yes, but it's horrible. Nothing worse than a teleport to wreak havoc on the stomach," he muttered, looking vaguely disgruntled. Then he brightened, ears perking up as his breath frosted in the air. "So how good are you at this skating stuff?"
Dwyn laughed shakily. "Actually, I'm not all THAT good," he confessed. "But it's fun. I love it. And if I'm not afraid of falling on my ass, I can go REALLY fast for a stretch."
Kieran laughed. "Don't worry. I'll make you look like a professional, I'm sure," he said amusedly, bouncing along.
Dwyn laughed. "Maybe. You get the hang of it really quickly, though!"
"I hope so. My butt can only take so much abuse before it-" Kieran cut off, giggling.
Dwyn snickered. "Nah, butts are made to fall on," he teased, spotting the river and a score of people gaily dressed in winter wear already making good use of the thick ice. "Come ON!" He bolted off with renewed enthusiasm.
"I get the feeling that I'll end up regretting at least part of this," Kieran said to himself, but his tone was cheerful despite his morbid words. He swept off after Dwyn, easily passing up the other boy as he sprinted toward the river. "Last one there's a rotten egg!"
Dwyn was, indeed, the last one there, and showed some amazement at Kieran's speed. "Wow," he said, "You run fast. Good thing, though, for a wizard," he teased as he brought Kieran with him to the little gnome's shop.
"Oh, it's nothing. I -did- spend most of my life running from my big sister," Kieran grinned. He seemed to be wired himself, though on his own energy or merely happiness was a wild guess.
Dwyn snickered and sat down, picking up a pair of skates that looked like they might fit him. They were made of hardened, cured leather that laced up with well-woven cord in the front to secure his ankles, and he had thick socks on under his boots.
Kieran watched Dwyn and then followed his lead, scooping up some skates. They were notably heavier than shoes, and as he tugged off his low boots, he inspected the runner. The design was interesting, but he wasn't in that mood today, and so the skates found their way onto his double-socked feet in almost no time at all. He'd expected them to be a bit too big, but all the sock made up for it, and they were snug around his ankles.
Dwyn stood up. wobbling a bit, but mostly secure, on his own skates, and checked the tightness of Kieran's laces before giving him a grin and a thumbs-up.
Kieran stood and almost fell right back over again, but he caught himself and held still for a moment, assessing them. Like this, his center of balance was shifted a little bit, moved forward... so if he leaned forward, he shouldn't fall. When he took a tentative step, he didn't tumble, but he didn't look incredibly steady.
Dwyn offered his hand. "Come on," he urged. "Let's get onto the ice. They're actually easier to walk on out there. You slide... like you're shuffling. I'll show you."
Kieran nodded trustingly and took Dwyn's hand, clinging to him tightly. He didn't think it would be too bad, but one never knew.
They hobbled out toward the river and down the decline, Dwyn losing his balance and falling once or twice, but laughing the entire way and not at all seeming to mind. Once they got onto the ice, which was already scored all over with thin lines from the skates of others, he seemed more confident. He slid one foot forward and glided, taking a few sliding steps before stumbling to a stop and grinning at Kieran.
Kieran eyed the ice calculatingly. It was cold and he didn't want to be, so he was not going to fall. With that bit of determination, he stepped onto the ice... and promptly fell right on his ass.
Dwyn laughed braced himself to help Kieran back to his feet. "This is where all that clothing comes in handy," he joked. "Come on. You have to be perfectly still to not fall, or you have to be moving. So chose which it will be."
Kieran clambered to his feet and found his balance, leaning forward a little bit. "I think... Well, if I fall, I probably won't break anything, so whatever," he said. "How do I... go?"
"Push with your rear foot and slide on your forward foot," Dwyn told him, demonstrating. "Like this. Keep your foot straight ahead. Don't try to step... glide."
Kieran nodded and did exactly as Dwyn said, gaining momentum and moving without falling. Once he got started, it was much easier to keep going, though it was hard to turn, and he was quite agile in the skates after he grew accustomed to moving in such a fashion.
Dwyn snorted. "Make me look proffessional.... riiiiight," he muttered as he managed to keep up, not doing much better or much worse. He was conditioned as a warrior, yes, but he'd been taught to let his strength and his inability to feel pain - something he hadn't shared with kieran yet - carry the day. His father was as quick as a whippet and could move in ways no feeling human could, but Dwyn's upbringing had been quite different. His mind was only fractured, not shattered, and that fracture was a flaw that he saw as beautiful, as a part of him that made him unlike anybody else. He was not a murderer, though sometimes he had a hard time feeling guilty about causing pain to people who, in his mind, deserved it. He was not mad. He was not his father. Though there was certainly a resemblance, it was his mother that he took after most strongly, and Sabbath, he thought, had the love he'd spoken to Kieran about a few nights ago. Sometimes it was overwhelmed by hatred for a world that had long refused to accept her or give her a place to belong, but most of the times, that love kept her in check. She was touched by the Goddess, he truly believed, when even years and years of pain couldn't override a totally natural drive to care about the world, despite her knowing better.
Kieran was actually somewhat of a natural when it came to anything to do with balance. Being genetically engineered had its benefits, after all; he was incredibly dexterous, much like the cat he resembled, and that was but the tip of the iceberg, as it were. He was strong, smart, tenacious, and, of course, beautiful. He never thought anything of it, though, and as he slowly curved around in a wide arc to face Dwyn again, he was smiling brightly, ears folded over in the cold. "Look, Dwyn, no hands!" he crowed, waveringly lifting his hands into the air before him.
"And you so OBVIOUSLY need hands to skate," Dwyn shot back, grinning at him even though Kieran was doing much better than even he was - he couldn't even turn. "Try a little speed," he suggested devilishly.
Kieran eyed the ice and then smirked at Dwyn. "Alright," he said sweetly, moving faster. He got going and careened down the river at a pace that was just fast enough to be considered fast, making sure he would have plenty of room to slow down, laughing as he went.
Dwyn laughed and did his best to fall in behind him, holding back because he knew if he went too fast he'd either crash into Kieran or wind up on his ass.
Kieran turned then, a tight turn that had him curving around in a small circle. He grabbed at Dwyn's arm as the other boy went whizzing by him, pulling him into a spin to stop him and miraculously keeping them both from falling as they spun on the ice.
Dwyn let out a cry of unease, but managed to stay on his feet with Kieran's help. "Aggg..... Kieran...."
Kieran laughed, the sound echoing over the river, dampened by the snow on its banks. "What?" he inquired innocently, black eyes sparkling. He held onto Dwyn tightly, keeping him close to keep them balanced.
"I'm not as good at this as you are," Dwyn admitted shamelessly. "And you're REALLY good. Where'd you learn to skate?"
"My sister used to practice her swordwork on ice, but I've only ever walked on it. I guess it's just luck, huh?" he said with a wink. "'Cause I'm nothing special."
"THAT'S a lie," Dwyn muttered as he pulled away from Kieran and promptly fell flat on his back.
"Really! I've never skated before," Kieran insisted, eyes wide as he offered Dwyn a hand up.
Dwyn smiled. "I know you haven't, I was teasing you," he assured him.
"Oh," Kieran said sheepishly, smiling slightly. "Are you getting back up, or not?" he asked lightly, black eyes dancing.
Dwyn shrugged. "Nah, it's nice down here. Why don't you come and see?" He surged forward and grabbed Kieran's ankles, pushing him backward so he'd most likely fall forward, onto Dwyn.
Arms windmilling wildly, Kieran tumbled onto Dwyn with a little shriek of surprise. He landed smack on top of the other boy, but he hardly weighed anything, so it wasn't noticeably painful. "What was that for?" he demanded, putting his hands on Dwyn's shoulders and staring at him.
Dwyn just grinned. "Because it's so NICE down here, I just HAD to share it with you," he cooed, and promptly tackled Kieran.
Kieran squeaked and curled up, trying to wriggle free but not succeeding. He ended up sat upon, back pressed to the ice as he glared up at the other boy. "You're mean," he accused, not really serious.
Dwyn grinned down at him. Kieran might have been faster, but he was most likely the stronger of the two. "Awww, poor kitty," he said, patting Kieran on the forehead.
Kieran pursed his lips. "This kitty has claws, you know," he growled, voice low and husky. He struggled to get away, but he was indeed less puissant than Dwyn and so remained trapped.
"I'm used to being clawed, I HAVE five cats, remember?" Dwyn said contentedly, still pinning him. "Are you gonna bite me, kitten?" he inquired impishly.
Kieran finally pulled his arms free and flexed his fingers. "I just might," he said lightly. "But first... I'm going to tickle you." And with that, his hands dove for the other boy's torso, shimmying up under his clothes to mercilessly attack his sides.
Dwyn's jaw tightened and he squirmed once, then let out a shuddering breath, teeth still gritted as he stayed absolutely still under Kieran's attempted assault. "That's COLD," he managed.
Kieran pouted, an saddeningly adorable look as his lower lip stuck out and his eyes peered up at Dwyn mournfully. "So is the ice on my back," he mumbled pitifully, big, dark eyes irresistible. He removed his hands, though, and folded his arms over his chest, tucking his fingers into his armpits.
Dwyn smirked. "You know," he said conversationally, "People who try to tickle other people are most often.... ticklish themselves!" He thrust his fingers up under Kieran's clothing and drew them down his sides, wiggling them featherlight against his skin.
Kieran giggled. "I am, a little bit," he laughed, twitching. He took the chance to shift his weight, trying to buck Dwyn right off of him and writhe free.
Dwyn let him do it, rolling obligingly off of him and onto his own back on the ice.
Kieran shifted away, sitting up and peering down at Dwyn. "Hello there," he said warmly.
Dwyn grinned and stretched on the ice. "Merry meet," he said gamely. "Haven't we met somewhere before?"
"No... no, I can't say we have," said Kieran blithely, grinning brightly in return.
"Well, then, this must be some kind of luck," Dwyn told him. "I'm Dwyn O'Connaillain, Son of Hecate. Blessed be."
Kieran burst into giggles, unable to keep the charade any longer. He collapsed on top of Dwyn, falling over the other boy and heaving with laughter.
Dwyn wound his arms around him, hugging him and nuzzling into his shoulder with a giggle. "Aren't you getting kind of intimate for never having met me before?"
"Oooh, baby," Kieran managed, shortly before lapsing into giggles again as he buried his face in Dwyn's chest.
Dwyn snickered wildly. "Mmm, kitten," he purred back. "I think that's what I'll call you. Kitten."
"S'what Daddy calls 'tousan," Kieran told him, still giggling. "Koneko desu." One tufted black ear flicked backward.
Dwyn's eyebrow hiked. "Hm?"
"Koneko desu. It means kitten. Well, koneko means kitten, but still. It's nihongo," Kieran explained.
"I've never heard of that language," Dwyn told him.
"It's my 'tousan's language. He's from another dimension," Kieran informed him, smiling.
"Another..... dimension? Like Elysium? Or the Abyss?"
"Actually, it's another world, a lot like this one. Kind of like another planet, you know? Neither of my parents was born here on Faerun." Kieran shrugged. He knew more otherworlders than Torilian natives, he sometimes thought.
"They weren't? I've never heard of another world like that," he said. "How did they get HERE?"
"Interdimensional portals. FASCINATING things, really. They open up, not into the Astral Plane or back onto the Material Plane like most portals, but they reach out for places that are similar. It's like... kind of like alternate realities. It's complicated stuff, but I love it." Indeed, Kieran's eyes glowed when he spoke of it.
Dwyn nodded. "It explains a lot," he said after a moment. He was still resting on his back on the ice, oddly comfortable, with kieran nestled into his arms.
"How so?" Kieran inquired, tilting his head curiously. He was more than happy to snuggle into Dwyn; the other boy made an excellent pillow.
"It just does," he said simply, and then shifted. "Come on, are we going to skate?"
"Not until you tell me what what explains," Kieran said calmly, acquiring a death grip on Dwyn and refusing to let go, move, or allow the other to get up.
"I don't KNOW," Dwyn told him frustratedly. he probably could have dislodged Kieran, but he didn't want to hurt him to do so. "It just fits in nicely with all the other puzzle peices."
Kieran sighed and released Dwyn, shifting and getting to his knees, then his feet, and offering Dwyn halp standing up.
Dwyn scrambled up on his own, shaking himself out. "Come on," he said, skating off.
Kieran bit his lip. He hadn't meant to make Dwyn angry. He stood there, looking forlorn as he watched the other skate away.
Dwyn didn't seem angry. As soon as Kieran got off him, his frustration seemed to vanish. He was, however, anxious to move, and move he did moving in slow, tentative circles. And more circles. And more circles. In fact, as Kieran watched, Dwyn somehow managed to fall into a whole 'nother world, eyes blankly focused on continueing to circle, the ice equivalent of mindless pacing.
Kieran stared at Dwyn for a long moment before leaning forward and pushing off himself. He skated all the way to the edge of the river and stopped a yard from the bank. Then, he skated toward the corner of the frozen portion of the river. When he got there, he turned tightly and faced the long stretch of ice. He crouched and pushed off again, shooting off and picking up more speed as he went. By the time he'd gone a hundred yards, he was moving pretty quickly, and this far out to the edge, he didn't have to worry about dodging in and around other people. He laughed wildly, braid flying behind him as he zoomed down the river.
Dwyn heard his laugh and it seemed to shatter his stupor. Looking up, he laughed as Kieran flew down the river, tempted to grab his braid and see if he would be dragged along. He didn't though. His hands were firmly in his pockets as he watched, and grinned.
Kieran was quickly approaching the other end of the 'rink', as it were, and he knew he wouldn't be able to stop. So he calculated and prayed and pulled into a screeching turn at the last minute, sending up a spray of ice as he turned in place and almost fell over.
Dwyn shook his head. "If you fall into that water," he said dryly, "You're going to be a VERY sad kitten."
"Overcompensated," he said, looking a bit -too- nonchalant. "And there was -no- way I'd fall. I'd have veered into the bank first," he said, gesturing to the snowdrifts on eiher side of the river.
"Cutting it a little close for THAT," Dwyn told him, one slender brow hiking.
Kieran grinned sheepishly. "I noticed," he said, lifting a hand to lightly rub one of his very cold ears.
Dwyn smirked. "Ah, it's okay. I'd have pulled you out.... and let MOM deal with your drenched and shivering ass."
"I wouldn't have fallen," Kieran insisted. "Even if I had to cheat."
"That's a really short fall, kitten. Not long enough for spellcasting," Dwyn told him. "Believe me. I know."
"I was casting as soon as I realized I couldn't stop," Kieran said dryly. "When did -you- fall in?"
"When I was five,"Dwyn told him. "I came here with my mom. I was trying to go fast and I bumped into somebody and rebounded. They felt so guilty after she jumped in to pull me out. She couldn't reach me from the edge and she didn't cast... I guess she wasn't thinking. Anyway, like I said, they felt SO guilty, but mom never comes down on anybody when they're sorry and it wasn't their fault anyway. She took me home and stuffed me full of hot tea and made me take a hot bath."
Nodding slowly, Kieran skated back toward Dwyn. "Yup, that definitely sucked. I don't like water much at all, but ice cold water?" Kieran shivered. "No way." His ears were frozen. He knew it.
Dwyn smirked slightly. "Yeah, it sucked," he agreed pliably. "So don't fall in. Giving good advice is a useless power if nobody takes it," he said chantingly.
"Your mum says that a lot, doesn't she?" Kieran inquired, tilting his head.
He nodded. "Yep. Usually when someone doesn't take her advice and gets hurt because of it," he warned.
Kieran bit his lip. "Gomen ne," he offered, looking suitbly penitent.
"You weren't going to ignore me were you?" he said sternly.
Kieran shook his head. "No, nekkyou."
"Well, then, don't look so apologetic," he said "You should always take a Witch's advice. It's one of our thirteen," he explained, which really didn't explain anything, and then he skated off again.
Kieran shrugged. He'd pry it out of Dwyn eventually, so he could wait. He cupped his hands around his ears to protect them from the biting wind and set off to do big, looping figure eights.
They skated for hours, Dwyn never seeming to tire of the sport. "Let's go get hot chocolate," Dwyn suggested finally, sitting in the packed snow on the riverbank. "And then go sledding!"
A slow smile spread over Kieran's face, one with a bit more madness than he'd yet displayed. "Sledding?" he inquired lightly. Stonesbreach was, after all, a -valley-, and up north, where snow was plentiful. Corus had broken almost as many bones sledding as jumping out of trees, and it had been one of the few outdoor things that Kieran tackled, screaming with glee and careening down a miniature mountainside.
Dwyn nodded enthusiastically. "There's a ravine a mile or so outside the gates. Everybody goes sledding there."
"We used to set up courses down the valley through the forest. My oldest brother smacked into so many trees I think it permanently scrambled his wits," Kieran confided, grinning.
Dwyn laughed. "No trees, " he promised. "Just lots of people."
"Even better. Moving targets!" Kieran laughed. "Well, not really... but still. Takes even more skill not to smack into 'em. Did you say something about hot chocolate?"
"Mom makes it BEST," Dwyn said enthusiastically, with the fervor of the convicted. "We'll go home and warm up and then put on dry clothes and get the sled... I've got one that will seat both of us."
"Okay," Kieran said, smiling brightly. He offered his frozen-fingered hand to Dwyn. "I think I'd like to learn what 'warm' is again anyway."
Dwyn smiled and took his hand, pulling it up under his tunic and pressing it against his stomach, where burning warmth had pooled. "Don't worry, you'll be just fine in an hour," he said. "Let's go turn in our skates."
Kieran shivered, but it was not from the cold. He couldn't have said why as he nodded. "Let's, then." He made no move to reclaim his hand, enjoying the heat.
Dwyn snickered and wound his arms around Kieran. He apparently didn't care about the frozen fingers on his stomach. In truth, he didn't much feel the cold, the thing that had saved him from going into shock when he HAD fallen into the river, so long ago. He took Kieran back up to the gnome's shop and they turned in their skates, Dwyn handing the man the coins his mother had snuck him earlier to pay for the rental. Then they headed back home from there, intent on getting some of Sabbath's cocoa and de-thawing until they could move again. The river remained frozen in the air behind them, the echoes of their laughter still ringing on the wind.
end chap three Back to part two / On to part four
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