On the third day after the battle with the direwolf, Jaran awoke, groggy and disorientated but Katrina reassured them that his mind was in the same condition it was before the incident. They eventually explained that they were a travelling hedge wizard and his apprentice from the south. They had fallen on hard times there so were journeying north to Garash in order to seek out new opportunities when they were attacked by marauders as they travelled through a pass in the Aravengali mountains. Robbed of their clothing, supplies and wares they desperately made their way out of the mountains to the village. It was only thanks to Jaran’s magic and the keen eye of Toland that they managed to survive.

The idea of marauders in the mountains set a few people on edge but were swiftly put aside when the snows came.

The snows at the start of winter hit the area in a three-day storm, covering the ground in at least two feet. The mountains themselves had it even worse, the passes filled up almost completely, blocking any form of travel through them.

On the fifth day, Herdru stepped outside of Kinic’s house, much to the delight of everyone he met. His legs were still in the splints, and he walked around with two crutches under his arms, but he hopped around like a newborn lamb, grinning from ear to ear. Kinic was never too far behind him, worriedly watching him, ever ready to catch him should he look over.

That night, Duglan announced that they should celebrate, and everyone in the village descended on the tavern.

Upon hearing the news, Toland climbed up to the attic trapdoor and knocked a few times.

Katrina opened it a few seconds later, looking at him with confusion.

“Hey, Kat, Ir Shan is holding a celebration tonight, for everyone surviving the direwolf attack. would you like to come?”

She frowned at him, “I wouldn’t want to intrude on your celebrations. Would it not be best for us to stay here. Also I do not think it best for Jaran to leave the bed, moving around tires him so much.”

“Well… I supposed,” Toland replied disappointedly and dropped down a few steps on the ladder

“You should go, Katrina,” Jaran said from the attic, “I know that I can’t but that shouldn’t stop you.”

“But no one will be about, what if something happens, what if you need something?” she replied.

“Katrina, I am still a grown man here, I can be left alone for a few hours. I have a few of the wooden planks left that do not have spells written on them, if needs be I can use magic.”

There was a moment of silence.

“Go Katriana,” Jaran said again.

“Fine,” she eventually replied and pulled open the trap door and dropped through it.

Toland flinched backwards as the girl dropped the eight feet from trap door to floor and braced himself for the sickening crunch of the impact.

However, she barely made a sound. The floorboards hardly let out a creek. Toland wondered if he could have walked over her landing site making less sound.

She performed a formal curtsy with a sweeping of her arm and then held out her hand.

Toland, having no idea what she was doing took a small step backwards.

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Katrina quickly straightened up, withdrawing her hand, realizing what she was doing.

“Yes, well, shall we go then?” she said and began heading downstairs.

Toland shook his head and followed her.

With Rin, Fel and Ophelia, the five of them headed out towards the tavern.

The town square was bustling with laughter and cheering as people greeted each other and drinks were served. As they entered they saw Herdru and Kinic were already there, sharing a table and laughing as they drank.

Rin greeted them with two massive hugs. Herdru greeted him heartily back, but poor Kinic’s thin frame was completely engulfed by the giant smith.

Ophelia then gave them both a kiss on the cheek and took some time to mother Herdru as he explained the condition of his legs, chest, shoulders, face and right hand.

When she was properly satisfied Kinic was looking after him well enough she let the conversation turn to more lighthearted matters.

Then Duglan Ir Shan stood up and began shouting.

“Everyone!”

The conversations slowly died down and people from outside wandered in.

When the room was still and quiet, he continued.

“Everyone. Tonight we propose a toast, to those who faced down the vicious, monstrous, hellbeast that dared come into our village!”

The room cheered.

“The direwolf thought it could take from us, now its head is on our wall!”

The room cheered again, and Toland looked about. Surely enough, there was the head of the direwolf mounted on the wall, slightly lopsidedly, above the fireplace.

“A toast to the brave warriors that faced it down and killed it! To Herdru…”

The room erupted in applause and the sound of tankards clanking together.

“… And myself!” Duglan Ir finished, a bit too sincerely, but the room laughed and applauded anyway.

“And also a toast to the person who put us both back together again after the direwolf had done its worse to us. To the greatest doror that ever came out of the Princely College! To Kinic!”

Kinic blushed furiously as they cheered him.

“I didn’t really… And its doctor not doror, and…” he tried to say but no one was listening to him, they were cheering and laughing.

Duglan Ir raised his tankard again and shouted, “To Herdru Ir Duan and Kinic Ir Ridlan.”

“Kinic Ir and Herdru Ir,” the room chorused back and now both men were blushing.

Rin laughed at the two of them and patted them on the back.

“Stop looking so embarrassed you two, quite frankly it’s surprising it took this long for anyone to say it.”

Kinic slunk back down into his chair like he was deflating, only for someone to pick him up from behind and parade him around the tavern so everyone could pat him on the back.

After that, the same group of people formed a more civilised line for Herdru as they couldn’t pick him up.

Toland turned back to see Katrina clapping and smiling politely at the antics.

He turned and pulled two tankards of ale from the counter and handed her one.

She looked at it sternly.

“What is this?” she asked.

“It’s ale.”

“I see.”

“Have you never had ale before?”

She shook her head.

“What do you normally drink then?”

She hesitated for a moment then replied, “In the south there are more fruits, so we tend to drink juices made from them.”

“Like… Cider?”

“No, they do not contain alcohol.”

A moment of childish mischief took over Toland and he pushed the tankard towards her.

“Then you absolutely must try this. Neshian makes the best ale in three kingdoms.”

She took a tentative sip then raised an eyebrow at Toland.

“It is awfully bitter.”

“That goes away if you keep drinking. There is plenty about so don’t worry about it.”

She shrugged and took another sip.

Toland smiled and got another tankard for himself.

The revelries lasted well into the night, by which time Toland and Katrina had filled up their side of the table with empty tankards.

“I still find this slightly bitter Toland,” she remarked, “But I can see that you are right, some of the flavours were masked originally and they are coming through now I have acquired a taste for it.”

“Sheee, I told you sho…” Toland slurred, desperately trying to prop up his head with his hand as the room swirled about him.

Eventually his father came along and picked him up.

“Come on then, lets head home,” he said, “I think we’ve all had enough fun for tonight.”

As Toland’s ragdoll body shifted about crazily in Rin’s grip Katrina raised a hand to her mouth in shock.

“Toland? What has happened to him Ir Kenkarten?”

“Ah, don’t worry about him dear, he’ll be fine by the morrow. I suspect he won’t be challenging young ladies to drinking contests again any time soon,” he laughed heartily.

“What part of this was a contest?” Katrina asked.

“Oh, none of it really, don’t worry about it. But if it were, you’d have won, by a heavy margin looking at all this.”

And with that, they headed home.