Pairdra shrugged. "I think he was...unimpressed." The siv grinned at the memory. When it had happened, Pairdra hadn't found it particularly amusing; but in retrospect he could find humor in the situation.

Rali's laughter rang through the trees. "Pairdra, you have a gift for understatement. Wes, Spike was *furious*," He said, still chuckling. "Of course, that might have been because the stuff turned out to be a truly hideous color, or perhaps because they trashed his workshop while they were at it."

Hainien sighed and sidled up to Mai'zi's ifnan. "They're never going to forget that incident, are they?" He asked quietly, shivering in the cool mountain air. He dug through his pack for his water container, wishing it was sun-warmed and not icy-cold. The young siv couldn't wait to get to Na'alha. The hold was situated in a wonderful location that didn't get as cold as many mountainous places did. That didn't mean it was as pleasant as native siv regions, but it was better than Ke'reo Der. Hainien was quite sure that the builders of that hold had chosen its location just because of its miserable climate.

"Probably not," Mai'zi murmured. "At least they haven't brought up the ghain fruit paste incident yet."

"Give them time," Hainien griped. "Y'know they will."

"Of course," She agreed. "After all, they're our parents."

"And they're getting back at us for being obnoxious kids," Hainien added.

"Y'didn't have to come with us, y'know," Saelen commented as he joined them. "Or, y'could ask us not to drag out those stories. We *could* talk about other things."

Hainien shrugged. "We'll get back at y', y'know." He and his sister had plenty of embarrassing stories about their parents, ones they could wield at a moment's notice. "And besides, it's keeping the dalhari calm."

Saelen nodded and moved back up to join the others. The sun was hanging low in the sky; they would have to stop soon to make camp.

Bhavca, Wesley and Rraiec busied themselves with the ifnan while the shivering siv, Rali and Dawn started a crackling fire. Wesley couldn't keep from laughing when he saw Xander desperately trying to rehydrate e'infal, warming the dried fruits in some water by the fire.

Wesley pulled out one of his extra blankets before approaching the fire. He opened out the cloth, draping it over Mai'zi's shaking form. She smiled gratefully, huddling under the blanket. Wesley was, at that moment, very happy that he liked cold weather. The siv were all bundled up in many layers of clothing--and still shivering like it was the depths of winter. In fact, it was quite nice this time of year, warm and breezy. Had it truly been winter, they would've been trapped in Ke'reo Der, snowed in until spring.

"Keisri? Could you hand me the vegetables?" Baura asked as he dug through one of his packs. Wesley reached for his own bag, remembering that he was carrying quite a bit of their supplies.

"How can you eat verdrin and paz?" Hainien said, cringing at the sight of the spicy vegetable. "Laio loved that stuff too. I just don't understand. It burns!"

"Not to us," Baura reminded Hainien. "You're still sore over that time I snuck powdered verdrin into your fresh fruit."

Dawn grimaced. "Remind me never to eat anything you cook, Baura."

Wesley's eyes widened. "You didn't!" He could well imagine what had happened--the poor siv, in desperate pain from the verdrin. "That was cruel, Baura."

Baura nodded. "I know, which is why my parents chastised me soundly."

"As I recall, you performed extra chores for a year, did you not?" Pairdra murmured. "Primarily in the stables, and in the forge, cleaning up after your sister." Del had made sure to be extra messy for that year, getting soot on everything. The stables, too, had been particularly humiliating for Baura, since he had no real affinity for being covered in ifnan dung.

Rraiec took over the cooking from Baura, making himself useful while at the same time staying out of what could easily become a tense and uncomfortable discussion. It was good that Keisri was getting more comfortable with Xander and the siv's family, but Rraiec worried at the same time that his lover would be hurt by any arguing or unhappiness within this group. They seemed to enjoy picking at each other, which was all well and good when all involved parties were comfortable with it.

"What's wrong?" Wesley asked quietly, sidling up to Rraiec. He noticed the midnight dalhari frowning into the fire, stirring their meal absently.

"Nothing," Rraiec whispered. "The paz is almost finished. Could you get bowls for us?"

Wesley let the subject drop, finding their dishes and utensils. Baura, Rali and Dawn accepted steaming bowls of paz, never interrupting their discussion-argument-reminiscence with the siv. Once he and Rraiec had their meals, he guided the darker dalhari away from the fire, into the shadows of the forest behind them.

"Keisri?" Rraiec murmured curiously, wondering why he'd been taken away from the others.

Wesley settled down against a tree, motioning for Rraiec to join him. "I thought it would be nice to spend the evening together," He replied quietly. "Since we don't need the heat from the fire."

"That would be nice," Rraiec admitted. He relaxed against Wesley and started in on his meal, relishing the spicy stuff. Wesley rubbed random circles in Rraiec's lower back as he supped, slowly winding down from a long and arduous day. The traveling itself hadn't been so bad, no more strenuous than a light day of working on a wall. Emotionally, though, it had been trying. The constant chatter of Xander's family strained Wesley's concentration. Yes, he was used to Baura talking a lot, but that tended to be on topics with which he was comfortable. In addition, even Baura allowed long stretches of silence. The siv seemed to abhor silence, though, and talked constantly. Dawn, too, was much more comfortable with these new acquaintances than Wesley himself was.

"Do you still think this is a good idea?" Wesley asked Rraiec. "Can you survive a year or more of this?"

"A year?" Rraiec said faintly. "I was under the impression that La'iv was a dalhari hold!"

Wesley chuckled. "Oh, it is," He assured his worried lover. "However, Xander and his family will be there the entire time."

Rraiec thought for a moment. "I believe it is a matter of growing accustomed to the different culture," He said finally. "We rarely interact with others in Ke'reo Der, particularly for any length of time."

"Very true," Wesley agreed. He looked down and saw that both he and Rraiec were finished with their meals. "Let's clean this up and retire for the evening."

•••

"It's beautiful, isn't it?"

Wesley turned to face Saelen, who had come up behind him. It was just dawn, vibrant rays of morning sunlight reaching through valleys and across mountain peaks. Half the sky was dark as night, the other half was as bright as Dawn's dalhari complexion. "Indeed," He agreed softly. "I spent many a morning watching the way the sun's first light glinted off the walls of Ke'reo Der," Wesley continued, eyes tracking the growing light as it filtered through the trees.

"We're making you uncomfortable," Saelen commented as he clambered into a nearby tree and perched facing the dalhari.

Wesley frowned. "No," He replied after a moment. "You are not making me uncomfortable. My state of mind is not your worry, though, but mine." He disliked being coddled by people he didn't know. It was one thing for Rraiec to occasionally take charge of their private lives, but another entirely for some newcomer to decided how Wesley felt, or how their traveling group should act.

Saelen studied the dalhari carefully. "But you are not enjoying this trek," He said, settling back a little.

"I haven't traveled much," Wesley countered. "The simple act of leaving home takes some adjusting. You would know that, of course, considering the sheer distance you have moved in the course of your life."

"Yes," Saelen admitted. "I suppose so."

Wesley turned to look down at their campsite. "I believe our meal is prepared. If we are to leave anytime soon, we should adjourn to the fire."

"'Morning," Dawn murmured as she handed Wesley a sweetcake. "Sleep well?"

"As well as you did," Wesley countered, biting into the dense food. "What, precisely, was that howling noise?"

"Sen'gauga," Rali replied. "They're a bit noisy sometimes."

"Ah," Wesley said. "Considerably noisier than dirthra'gauga, no?" The species of gauga that lived near Ke'reo Der, in the higher altitude, seemed to be far more... circumspect than these cacophonous creatures. Shortly after they'd retired for the night, a ululating wail had begun--one that hadn't ended until just before dawn.

"They'll fall silent soon enough," Rali assured him. "It is their mating season. After that, they don't speak again until the weather turns cold."

"Cold," Hainien grumbled. "As though this weather is warm!"

"There is no snow on the ground," Mai'zi told her brother. "For that, I suppose, we should be grateful."

"Very," Pairdra told them. "We'll be in Na'alha long before snow falls, which means your complaining little heads never have to be in the stuff at all!"

Mai'zi sighed happily, dreaming of being completely inside the huge Disiaron house. They wouldn't have to leave for the entire winter, which was enough assurance of warmth to get her to agree to this trip. "Ah, fireplaces and thick windows," She murmured happily.

Wesley shook his head. "Winter is a pleasant enough season," He commented as he finished up his meal.

"So says the man who leaves his windows open during winter storms!" Baura stated. "He does, you know," The young dalhari told his incredulous siv companions. "And sits right in front of them, getting blasted by all that cold air and ice."

Xander shivered. "Wes, I knew you were odd, but..."

Wesley shrugged. "To each his own, Xander," The green dalhari replied lightly. "I don't think I could live somewhere as hot and humid as Tragith's coast. All that humidity off the Chlom Sea..."

"Keeping us warm all the time," Hainien said happily. "Gentle salt winds, morning rain, and the rustle of the house's canopy waking you up in the morning."

Wesley quirked one eyebrow. "And the occasional hurricane to bash everything to bits. Hmm..." He accepted the leftover sweetcakes from Dawn and stored them in his pack. "I think I'll stick to my frigid mountains."

"Suit yourself," Pairdra said, shrugging. "At least we don't have to ride ifnan to get everywhere."

Rraiec swung up onto his ifnan while Baura put out the fire. "Nor do we," He told the siv. "But some of our traveling companions find it difficult to fly."

"Bitch, bitch, bitch," Xander said jokingly. "Siv can't fly. Siv can't stand cold weather. Siv don't like verdrin. Siv don't like yimkia. I'd like to see *you* build a house out of living trees or survive a bath of fermented ghain fruit!"

"Who would willingly ferment ghain fruit?" Wesley asked, horrified.

Mai'zi moaned. "Oh no."

"Why us?" Hainien added. "Don't we ever get a break?"

Pairdra joined them at their ifnan, making sure they mounted up safely. "What is it your father says? You pays and pays and pays..."

Wesley's laughter drifted behind them as the morning's light illuminated the road and they continued their journey.