The weather was finally calm enough for both of us to venture outside. It would be a good time to teach Laeli ice fishing. I knew she wouldn't have another opportunity otherwise. She was perfectly capable of catching fish during the warmer months, but I knew how to catch fish during the winter when its resources were scarce.

I had to remind her that she still had to remain bundled up since she didn't have the same tolerance for the cold as I could. She was so cute wrapped up in all that fur, though.

Together I showed her the path I found to the small fjord that was frozen over.

"Wait here," I said. She nodded as I went to pick up a sizable rock. With a flick of my wrist, I skimmed it over the surface of the ice. I knew the ice would either crack or break further away from shore from the weight of the rock. And roughly 30 feet or so, I heard the sound of ice cracking and finally giving in.

"Alright. So we don't go anywhere beyond that distance in the ice; otherwise, we risk falling in."

"Okay. Lead the way." She replied. I pressed my boot down just to be extra sure. I found a spot after being confident with my footing and leading us through the strongest parts of the ice. I pulled out my serrated dagger and stabbed it, sawing a hole.

I broke through the remaining ice and looked into the deep blue water. I saw the flashes of fish far down. They were there.

"So, how do you know if there's fish down there?"

"Well, I just saw some. But they're skittish. I'm going to lower some bait, and we'll have to wait until we get a bite." She nodded in understanding. I remember her telling me about her father's extensive fishing skills. He too, spent time alone fending for himself and became an excellent fisherman. If I could ever meet the man, I'd have a lot to ask him.

I pulled out some string I had in my bag, attached a makeshift hook to one end, and tied the other around the end of the stick we brought. I jabbed the end into a part of the ice, packing on ice shavings and snow to keep it in place. Once our setup was done, we sat there and waited, occasionally checking the pole to make sure it was still stable.

Our first round was partly successful. We didn't get as much fish as we hoped, but we were satisfied to have caught something.

Soon, Laeli figured out the routine. On our fourth-time ice fishing, she insisted on finding us a spot.

"Okay, you remember how to find a safe place?" I asked her. She nodded.

"Yup! Throw a rock, see where it breaks in the ice, and carefully step on the ice to ensure it supports your weight, and never go beyond where the rock fell in."

"Perfect! Alright, you lead the way." She beamed, taking our supplies bag while I held the fishing pole. She was very excited to be able to use her new skills, and I was proud of her. She was a fast learner and was always eager to apply her skills to something. After some time walking, she stopped and gestured to a different spot on the fjord's shore. I watched as she found a heavy rock and, with all her strength, threw it as hard and far as she could. We both heard it crack the ice.

But no sound of it falling through.

"What should we do?

"Not try to push it in. Leave it, and we'll stay closer to shore for safety. There may not be as much fish, but it's better than risking falling through the ice."

"Sounds safe." She replied. And with that, we made our way to a sturdy spot. We set up as we had before. So far, everything was going well; this time, Riptide followed us since we were further away from the cave than usual. But that was fine. Riptide was good company, and it was fantastic that he and Cliffire got along so well.

It wasn't an ideal spot, and we weren't getting a lot of bites, and the time passed sluggishly. Bored, Laeli got up, slowly inching her way toward shore.

"Where're you going?" I asked her.

"Find a spot to relieve myself," She answered. I shrugged.

"Alright, just be careful." She was gone for a bit, but I wasn't worried; Riptide would alert me if something happened to her. And eventually, she returned and made her way back to me.

"SHIT!" I heard her exclaim. I then heard an echoey thud. I whipped around and saw Laeli flat on her back. She quickly sat up.

"You good?!" I asked her in mild panic. She waved her hand dismissively.

"Yeah yeah, I'm fine. I just lost my footing. Fell on my ass." She laughed it off. With a light chuckle, I turned my attention back toward the pole. I would regret that split second.

I heard a sound I didn't expect to hear—the sound of ice breaking and a voice full of panic.

"EYARR-" I jumped up, realizing Laeli had disappeared. I heard Riptide roaring and growling. He screeched in my direction, and when I looked slightly to my left, I saw a hole in the ice that wasn't there before.

I don't remember the immediate moments after I noticed the hole; I only remembered when I broke the surface of the ice, calling out to Riptide to pull Laeli and me out, gripping the jagged edge of the ice with a death grip, ignoring the cuts on my hand, staining the ice with splatters of blood. He did so without hesitation, using his teeth to pull us out.

I was soaking wet and shivering, having taken off my coat so it wouldn't weigh me down underwater.

But Laeli was unconscious. She wasn't responding to me repeating her name.

I forgot all about the pole and the fish as Riptide brought us back to the cave where Cliffire was waiting. I could see Riptide understandably panicking.

She was underwater for too long, even though it was only a few seconds more than me, and she was ice cold to the touch.

"Laeli! LAELI!" I lightly smacked her bright red cheeks, trying to wake her up. But she wasn't responding. She was shivering violently and was getting colder by the second.

I recalled the one time I was taught what to do if someone fell through the ice. Take off their wet clothes, all of their wet clothes, wrap them up and keep them warm. That meant I had to take off Laeli's clothes.

Fantastic…

Cliffire seemed to know what was going on, he got the fire going even stronger than before, and I could feel the heat radiating off his body. I lay her down on her furs, and her eyes partially opened. She tried to speak, but I shushed her.

"It's going to be okay… just trust me. I'm going to have to take off your clothes, okay?" She didn't give me much response, but she didn't have much of a choice. I undid her belt and removed her tunic, pants, socks, and boots. I did peek at her thigh tattoos as I removed her pants. I'd only seen them a few times, but their intricacy never failed to amaze me. Now came the difficult part of removing her undergarments… I pursed my lips and averted my eyes so I wouldn't directly look at anything; just pay enough attention so I removed any soaked clothing. I wrapped my arm around her, slowly pulling her up to undo her bra in the back.

I quickly dried off what I could and covered her immediately with a blanket, pulling her wet hair back. I kept her close to Cliffire's side to keep her warm, ensuring every part of her was covered.

I kept a close eye on her that first night, trying my best to keep her warm. I would rub my hands together, pressing my warm palms on her forehead and acceptable parts of her body.

I was still cold too, so I bundled myself up as well. I couldn't lie to myself, I'd wanted an opportunity to fall asleep under blankets with her, but I never wanted it to go like this. But I knew she wouldn't bode well sleeping alone. With some mild hesitation, I made myself comfortable with her. She was positioned right against my side, and I place her head in the crook of my arm and chest.

She opened her eyes upon feeling being moved around. She looked exhausted.

"Eyarr…?" She whispered, shivering. I shushed her as I made her comfortable.

"It's okay, Laeli. I'm here."

"Eyarr… my head hurts…" She said, letting her head fall back. That caught my attention.

"Where?" She agonizingly lifted her arm, trying to point to the back of her head. I winced; she must've hit her head when she fell in. I didn't know what to do. I didn't have the kind of skill to remedy that. All I could offer was that she rest, so her body could recover naturally. If I had the proper medicine to help her, I'd give it. I gently pushed her arm down.

"Easy there. Does it hurt anywhere else?"

"Not… really. I'm just… cold." I parted a few stray hairs from her face, rubbing my hands together and pressing my palms on her forehead.

"I know, I know. I'm doing what I can to keep you warm. Are you able to move your fingers or toes?" I noticed the end of the blanket wiggle a bit. And she slowly flexed her fingers through another shiver.

"Kind of…"

"That's a good sign. Just keep them covered."

The next few nights were about the same; I kept the fire roaring as much as possible and double-checked to ensure she could move her fingers and toes. She eventually regained her strength and became warmer to the touch.

It brought me a huge sense of relief when she could stand on her own again. Her fingertips were still slightly cold to the touch, but most of her body regained its normal temperature, and she wasn't as sickly. Her nose was still red and very runny from all the sneezing and a couple of nosebleeds, but she was much, much better than before.

"This winter can't be over fast enough," she complained one evening, bundled up in her blanket.

"I know. The weather will be a bit nicer further south, I promise. Plus, I've been thinking more about our coming visit to the Celts." I replied, stoking the fire.

"How so?"

"Well, I've heard stories about the Druids."

"The what?"

"Druids. They are the religious and spiritual leaders and guides in Celtic communities. They're very wise and very much in tune with nature. When we were talking with Hilda, my head was swirling with remembering everything I know of the people. And there's a chance the Druids could have a way to help you communicate with your family." I saw her face warp into one of surprise and intrigue but with a touch of sadness.

"That's uh… a very interesting thought."

"I feel a but coming," I replied, hearing doubt lace her voice. She rubbed her face, shrugging.

"I mean, I'm not saying it's a bad idea… I just, the anxiety, the thought of any chance of talking or seeing my family again. It's always been in my head, and I thought I almost convinced myself it wasn't possible. And now… I don't know if I have the strength to go through with it. I feel like I've changed too much… I'm not the same daughter that left after all this time."

"What makes you think that? Why wouldn't you have the strength? You can show them the young woman you've become." She sighed.

"I don't know Eyarr… it just… I'm scared. I want to see them, but I'm… terrified. I can't explain it right…"

"Hey, hey, try not to overthink it. I know it's overwhelming...but we're going to a people I have confidence will be able to help. Just give it time."

"You seem awfully sure about this." I couldn't help but give her a playful smirk.

"Well, I'm lucky to know someone who's good at giving pep talks." I saw her cheeks flush a deep red, and she laughed nervously.

"Giving me too much credit again."

"Oh, come on, never," I replied with a laugh of my own. I patted her knee gently and stood to prepare our things to be on the move again and prepare for the spring melt.

I could tell our hopes were on the rise again.