here we go with day two, I hope you enjoy the story!
-I'm Freezing! Let me Steal your Warmth-
Abeke shivered, the cold of the winter evening in Eura was so vastly different to the warmth of her home in Nilo. She sighed into her hands, trying to warm them up. It also didn't help that the forest they were in was covered in snow. She tried to scoot herself closer to the fire, but Conor grabbed her shoulder before she could get far enough to be warm.
"Not too close, you don't want to get burned. I don't think any of us want you to catch fire." Conor said, with an apologetic look on his face in the dying light of the sunset.
Abeke huffed, "I'm freezing, and the sun isn't even down yet, how are none of the rest of you as cold as I am?"
Meilin looked over from where she was talking to Rollan. The two were on the other side of the fire from Abeke and Conner. "Because none of us grew up in Nilo. Besides, even if I didn't spend a lot of time in Northern Zhong, I did take yearly trips. Here," she added, throwing her extra cloak at the other girl.
Abeke nodded in thanks as she pulled the extra cloak over herself.
"You could always let Uraza out," Conor suggested, even as he let Briggan out of passive state and curled into him, "I am used to the cold nights because this is what I dealt with overnight with the flock at home."
"Oh." Abeke's sharp eyes watched the pair before she lifted her own sleeve and called for Uraza.
The leopard appeared, immediately glaring at Abeke as though asking why she was in the cold.
"Sorry," Abeke said, holding out her hand, "I'm cold, and I thought you could help me."
Uraza seemed to roll her eyes before padding over to her and laying down next to Abeke.
The relief was short lived, as pretty quickly they were both shivering.
"Conor!" Abeke whined, "Let me steal Briggan." Her teeth were chattering so bad, she could barely understand herself.
"I think you both should join Abeke," Meilin said, "She is going to catch a cold if she gets any colder."
Conor glanced over at the shivering girl and leopard, "Fine," he said good-naturedly, "We'll come over there."
Just like that, Conner and Briggan were part of the pile.
"Thank you," Abeke whispered as she leaned on Conner's shoulder.
"Any time," Conner responded and smiled from the middle of the pile of two people, Abeke curling into Conner, and the two spirit animals, who were wrapped around the friends.
"They look cozy," Rollan muttered to Meilin, "Do you think the pile is really helping?"
Meilin looked up from her bowl of stew, "Probably," she said in between bites, "Abeke's not shivering anymore, is she?"
Rollan looked over at the pile of fur and wool, "No, I guess she isn't." He muttered before lying down on his bed roll and falling asleep
Abeke had fallen asleep pretty soon after Conner and Briggan had joined her. Conor was still awake, though, and when he felt Abeke start to shiver again, he glanced over to Meilin.
"Meilin," He hissed.
"What?" She asked, turning to look at him instead of her knife that she was sharpening.
"Can Jhi join our pile?" He asked in an apologetic voice, "Abeke is still cold."
Meilin nodded and called —asked— Jhi to join her. She was never again going to force Jhi to do anything again.
Jhi obliged, and in a flash the giant panda was next to her.
"Can you join their pile?" She asked, glancing over at the pile of her friends.
Jhi followed Meilin's gaze and slowly nodded before ambling over towards the pile.
Uraza moved a little bit to let Jhi get close enough to add her warmth. Abeke stopped shivering and Conner was able to fall asleep too.
Rollan was woken up by Meilin lightly kicking him, "Sleepy head!" She snapped, "Get up!"
"What," He asked, glaring at her.
She pointed to Abeke and Conner, they had fallen asleep at some point, and were still asleep, the animals around them were too. The pile looked different, but Rollan couldn't figure out what was different. Abeke was shivering again, though.
Rollan sighed and got up to join the pile.
By the time he had laid down with them, he realized the difference was that Jhi had joined the pile. Essix was even perched on top of Jhi's head, her own tucked under her wing.
Meilin smiled from her spot as night watch while the rest of the group finally fell asleep.
Meilin shivered herself awake. Her first thought was that she had fallen asleep on watch. Her second thought was that she was cold, and that the fire had died.
She glanced over at the pile. Never had the thought of joining three other kids and four animals ever seemed so good to Meilin. She sighed, someone had to keep watch.
She stood up to try to wake herself up more. As she walked around the snowy perimeter of their camp for the night, Essix lifted her head from underneath her wing and gave a low warble.
The sound was unexpected, and startled Meilin to the point of grabbing her dagger.
Essix just looked at Meilin with a measured expression, as though asking her what she was planning on doing.
Meilin felt her face heat from the embarrassment of the bird patronizing her. "Fine, if you think I can't do anything to help, I'm going to sleep too, you can keep watch." Meilin snapped at the bird.
Essix just flew to a perch in a low-hanging tree nearby, letting out another low warble.
Crawling into the center of the pile of her friends, Meilin found herself in between Abeke and Rollan. Jhi was near her head, and her toes were covered by Briggan's tail.
In his sleep, Rollan shifted, turning towards Meilin and grabbing her arm. Seeming content there, he didn't move again
Meilin had to hide a smile when Abeke rolled closer to Conner, muttering "Let me steal your warmth," under her breath in her sleep. Meilin must have made Abeke cold once more.