“You can’t act like that around an elder,” Remme scolds. Though his eyes shine in pride.

“You can’t make decisions for me. I’m not your ‘little thing’.”

I know that hurt Remme, but I still am not over how they argued about me. Vitus had said nothing more before he took leave but I could tell he was furious with how I spoke to him. He was looking for a fight, or for me to be submissive. To show that I was scared of them.

He watches me as I knit furiously.

“How can I make it up to you?”

“Teach me how to use my powers, everyday.”

“That’s a given. To have control of your abilities will be critical when you go before the council.”

He is standing in front of me with arms crossed, but as I stare at him trying to think of something, anything that does not involve us naked, he relaxes back into a chair. He runs a hand through his marled hair and flashes me a grin. I wonder if his ideas are even dirtier than mine.

“What if I take you on a sleigh ride tomorrow?”

Remme laughs at the sight of me as I stand outside his bedroom door.

I’m wearing the thickest nightgown I could find, which also happens to be the frilliest. Decorated in a heart and rose pattern.

“Do you by chance have any clothes I can borrow asides nightgowns?”

“That's all the clothes that are in your room? I was wondering why you're always in a flannel nightgown.”

I put my hand to my head. “Please don’t tell me you just walked into a store, asked for clothes, and when the clerk handed you 20 items you didn't question it.”

He grins sheepishly.

He looks through his dressers to find pants and a sweater that he claims are a bit small for him. Obviously too big for me, but they will suffice. He watches me as I stuff the nightgown into the pants and pull on the sweater. He has not been with a woman in a long time if this excites him.

“You remind me of my sister. Completely unflappable.”

“What, you want me to throw a temper tantrum about clothing options?”

“You are breathtakingly different from most people I’ve met, stormy.” I raise my eyebrow at him. He quickly adds, “in a good way of course.” Somehow, that’s the oddest yet loveliest compliment I’ve ever been given.

After oversized boots, coat, hat, and gloves, I look more like a gnome than an ice queen.

He takes me through the pines of the tree farm where sunlight sparkles through the branches. He has piled blankets and pillows all over the sleigh, complete with a thermos of cocoa. The amount of pillows makes it so we have to sit close. After explaining the different varieties of trees he grows, he drives the sleigh down further in the valley to a mountain stream.

“In the summer, this field is covered in every flower known to this region. I’d wish you could see it.” I too, suddenly, wish I could be here in the summertime. He has found my hand under the blanket and gives me a little squeeze. I don’t let go.

We follow the stream up to the other side of a ridge, which leads to the headwaters, a small alpine lake. It is frozen over but he says still a little too thin for skating.

He stops the sleigh and spreads a blanket out on the snowy shore next to the lake.

“I thought you could try using your magic next to the frozen lake. It helps to be close to your element, especially when you are learning.” He throws more pillows and blankets down and offers me a hand, nervously.

He has me sit next to the lake and gets a few more things from the sleigh. Cocoa, cookies, apples, and cheese. All these comforts will make it hard to call upon my powers, which before I could only call on in times of despair, but it would lead to a sweet afternoon..

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Remme sits facing me. “To start, you need to start with something small.”

“Like what?”

“What about a snowflake? They are small, made of ice. It would also support the idea of you having Krampus heritage.”

“What do I do?”

“Well, focus on your hands and try to make a snowflake.”

I sit cross legged, take off my gloves, and close my eyes. I try to visualize a snowflake. We sit there, both still. I know he is staring at me, my hands. He makes suggestions- thinking about all the details in snowflakes, thinking about the ice structure of the snowflake, the smell of snow. This last part hangs me up as all I can think about is his smell.

After a while, I give up on that and he tries to get me to freeze some water he brought in a jar. I put some in my hand then dip my fingers in it. Nothing.

“Think of the ice lake next to you, draw from it.” Still nothing.

I think of the icy heart I hold, from years of putting up a shield, to prevent others from hurting me. Every time someone gets too close, they hurt me.

All because I am never enough. I’m too smart, or not enough. Too white, or not enough. Too outspoken, too sassy. For once, someone seems to delight in who I am, believe in me. Right now I am letting that ice around my heart melt, but to what end? In two weeks I will be gone, hurt again.

I then try to make just any form of ice in my hand. I am getting frustrated and my hands are freezing. I take that frustration and find a few shards of ice in my hands.

Remme whoops out a cry of excitement. “This is great, stormy! Most do not get to this until a year at the academy.” His eyes are so full of hope, he takes my cold hands in his, melting the ice on my palms.

“Isa, you make me feel like I can be myself around you. All these little things I don’t know how to explain. No pretense, just me.” His dark eyes glisten at me.

I want to tell him I feel like that too, but I can’t. “Don’t tell me this because in less than two weeks time, I’ll be across an ocean from you.”

Somehow, that makes him more cavalier. He takes one hand away from mine and places it on my chin, tipping my face towards him. He moves his hand to the nape of my neck, soft and warm, and pulls me close to him for a single, sweet kiss.

I pull back in horror, from what I see behind him

“I'm sorry. I should have asked, ” he panics, thinking it was an unwanted kiss. I don't have time to say anything, just act, as I push him backwards into the snow and throw myself on top of him. “Oh, was I too gentle?” he purrs as an arrow flies just inches above us. Within an instant, it dawns on him the true intention of my actions and his claws are out. I pull him towards me as I roll behind a rock

“There are a dozen of them. What do we do?” Staying crouched behind the rock will not save us for long. “What can they do?”

“Generally, they just cause mischief and nightmares. Some can shapeshift or become invisible. The stronger ones can pull your soul, like the king did to you.”

“So they could surround us while invisible. Great. Let’s get out of here.”

“I’ll make a snowstorm while we run to the sled. Once there, you will need to make an ice storm as I'll be using my powers to drive the sled.” So that's how they drive. Fascinating. “They are likely aiming for me, trying to capture you alive.

We easily make it to the sled with only an arrow in Remme’s arm, which he of course pulls out and laughs like it is only a minor scrape. How this side of him contradicts his kiss.

The alps are closing in until Remme gets the sleigh moving, but now they have a clear shot. Despite the panic I am feeling, I can produce nothing but little ice chunks that silently fall out of my hand.

“Now is not a time to be gentle. Let your emotions out.” Remme commands.

I am so humiliated and slouch down into the seat. I keep trying, visualizing the ice blades I made in the lair. Sharp ice falling down on the alps. Instead, hail falls into the sleigh.

“Ouch. Stop that.” Remme swerves accidentally after being pelted by a ball of hail. I try to stop but I don't know how or why this is happening. I get a few hail straight to the head, which I am pretty sure will leave a bruise. I slouch down further in the seat, debating jumping out just so Remme stops getting pelted by these chunks of ice, he grabs my hand.

“It’s ok, ice storm. Thank you for trying.” The hail stops as I melt inside.

“Vitus told me the council is afraid of you.” We are sitting by the fire, with cocoa, as I check his new arm wound. He looks surprised by that.

“Something about this area being slightly autonomous geographically which could be in your favor. That and your abilities are stronger than most Krampus aside from the elders.” I then check his stitches. Both look ok.

“I’ve always been a little brazen heading into conflict, but that’s me being headstrong, and having nothing to lose.” His scar shins in the firelight.

“But the magic, I don’t know how true that is. Maybe I’ve developed it more because I use it more than most. But I’ve wondered if my mother also carried a bit of the Krampus lineage, as well, she had a temper I swore could change the weather. Though they would have found her if she ever manifested.”

“Do you think Vitus believes I have powers?”

“Yes, he knows. I could tell he knew. I don’t think he understands the potential, though, of you having multiple sources of abilities. Most of the elders would say mixed magic is less powerful, but that’s only if it can not be synergized. You, on the other hand, stormy, could alter everything they hold as truth.”