Chương 528: Chapter Five Hundred and Thirteen - Oh, the Weather Outside is Frightful

We had seventeen days before the wedding, and the rain of the previous few days returned as snow. It started in the early morning. We were all aboard the Beaver, getting ready to take off for the morning and enjoying some warm beverages to ward off the bit of a chill that had picked up overnight when I heard Awen gasp. Looking outside of our dining area, I could make out a few fat snowflakes gently drifting down from a slightly overcast sky.

"That won't change our plans much," Amaryllis said.

"Though if it is likely to be cold on the day of the wedding, we might want to look into renting or finding some braziers that we can set up in the plaza to keep people warm."

"Can we find some that are smokeless?" I asked.

"We wouldn't want to ruin the vibes if there's a bit of wind and suddenly everyone is coughing."

"That's a strange consideration, but I can see where you're coming from," Amaryllis said. She rubbed her chin, then nodded.

"I'm quite certain there are magical braziers available. I remember seeing some in the Harpy Mountains. We have enough time to source a few." With that said and done, we continued breakfast (It was oatmeal and granola with a sprinkling of a sweet sauce that was a little bit like maple syrup but not as thick or sweet or yummy). Outside, the occasional drifting snowflake became a faint flurry of snow carried by the wind, and by the time we were stepping out to get on with our day's work, the snow had turned constant.

I was halfway to Booksie's place when I realized that this first snowfall of the year might also keep. It was starting to pile up on rooftops and street corners, and while a lot of the snow was melting on contact with the ground, some of it was sticking around. It continued to snow harder into the afternoon, and by midday, as we were gathering up once more to go over our progress for the day, a nasty wind had joined the falling snow and the clouds had only grown thicker.

It was a full-blown snowstorm by early evening, and getting back to the Beaver meant walking against the snow with arms stretched out before us and magical shields in place to keep the sleet away. My Cleaning magic proved kinda useless against snow. It only made it fluffier before it pelted us in the face. I tried having fireballs that hovered before me, but I couldn't make my fireballs hot enough to completely evaporate the snow. All I did was turn it into rain.

We made it back to the Beaver and huddled in the dining room with towels around our shoulders to dry off from the wetness. I got started on some hot cocoa and we all sat looking through the bay windows out on the airship docks. The low howl of the wind blew heavy clouds above and below us, intermittently hiding the mountain peaks and the lowlands. Snowflakes fell thick and fast, building up on the brightly painted airships and spiraling down the slope of the mountain.

A few dockworkers, bundled up thight in coats and scarves and hats, worked to sweep the snow off the piers. My mom would've paid good money for a postcard that looked half as nice. That night was pretty chilly, but Amaryllis had managed to secure a magical brazier and we snuck it into the ship and lit it up. It didn't produce any fire, just a faint glow from an array of interlinked magical runes inside of the brazier's cage. It turned the interior of the Beaver into a toasty oven.

The next day started with clear skies and crisp, cold air. It was actually much colder now that the snow had stopped, and every breath came with a few faint wisps of vapour.

"How cold does it get here?" I asked Amaryllis as we shovelled off the Beaver's deck.

"Here, in Port Royal? I can't imagine it being too bad," she said.

"The Darkwoods will be cold enough, but Deepmarsh is relatively warm all year round, and the ocean just to the south is also known for being warm all year."

"Well, it's not warm now," I said as I ran a hand over a railing and cleared it of snow.

"Obviously. We're still quite high up, and it's possible that a cold front has slipped in from the north. The Harpy Mountains become quite cold this time of year." She nodded.

"Especially the northern reaches. Obviously the Snowlands aren't known for any amount of warmth."

"Uh-huh," I agreed.

"This'll be my first winter on Dirt. It feels a little strange."

"Strange how?" she asked. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

"I dunno," I replied, and it was the truth. It was just making me feel a little weird. I knew I ought to feel a little homesick, and I did miss my parents, but... this was too much fun to feel icky about it? Did that make me a bad daughter?

"Maybe it's nostalgia? My home is known for its winters, you know? And now that I can see snow again, it feels weird not to be back home. It feels like it should be December now? We'd be starting to panic about Christmas presents right about now. School would be in full swing, but we'd all be looking forward to winter break." Amaryllis moved closer to my side, then wrapped a wing around my shoulders.

"We'll have to make your first winter on Dirt memorable, then. There are plenty of customs I'm sure you'll adore."

"Is there gift-giving?" I asked.

"Of course," Amaryllis said.

"Do you put the gifts under a decorated tree?" I asked. She blinked.

"What? No, why would you do that? Who would go out to a tree in the middle of winter to retrieve their gifts? You put the gifts in a large, gaily decorated nest."

"Ah, that's much more sensible," I said before I broke out into giggles. Amaryllis gave the back of my head a whack with her wing. The day was pretty quiet. We checked up on a few projects to make sure that they were progressing and to 'keep people honest' according to Amaryllis, but everything seemed like it was on track, and by the time lunch rolled around we didn't have much left to do. We gathered up around Booksie's place and had an early lunch.

Cooking with friends was always fun, even if it got to be a little chaotic at times. After lunch, we did some skill practice. I still needed to get Mana Regeneration and Thick Skin, which meant burning through all of my mana reserves as quickly as I could and then letting Amaryllis fling little bolts of lightning at me. By the time skill practice ended, I felt like a very crispy broccoli. The others made some progress.

Desiree and Calamity both spent some time sparring, and they both ended up tousled and covered in snow while Awen mostly just sat with Caprica and Booksie and read some big engineering book that Booksie let her take from the shop. Eventually we had to clear out because Rhawrexdee came down to visit. He seemed overjoyed to see us, and happier to see that Booksie wasn't as stressed. It was hard to be anxious when surrounded by so many friends!

At least, that's how it was for me, and I think it worked that way a little for Booksie too. Rhawr was happy to be brought up to date with all of our projects and he joined us for a late supper which mostly involved cooking huge portions of food, eating our fill, then tossing the rest into his mouth.

"I am glad that things are coming along well," he said.

"And also, I am a dragon, so if anyone causes you any amount of distress, feel free to remind them that I am capable of eating them."

"I don't think that sounds very nice," I said.

"Threatening people isn't okay."

"I disagree," Rhawrexdee said.

"I am not a threat. I am a dragon." The difference felt a bit like splitting hairs, but who was I to judge? Besides, Rhawr was being a very helpful groom, all things considered. He promised us to help with the payments for whatever we needed, which meant that he was using up some of the gold from his own hoard to help. As far as I could tell, it was a much bigger deal for a dragon to give up some portion of their hoard than it was for a human to give up some money. He didn't treat it like a big deal, though.

His enormous reptilian eyes softened as Booksie explained the costs, and his voice was resolute when he stated he would cover the payments. For a while, we left the two of them alone in Booksie's backyard. She sat perched on the curl of Rhawr's tail, and they talked in low voices while watching the clear blue sky. Occasionally, the sound of his warm chuckle or her windchime giggles would drift into the house. I couldn't help but smile.

The day ended soon after, and we decided that the most fun thing to do was sleep over at Booksie's. We set up a big tent, getting it placed just before it started to snow a bit more. Rhawr curled up around the tent, and his body heat alone was enough to keep us all warm as we settled in and talked and laughed and teased each other for hours before finally falling asleep. We still had a lot of work to do, but as long as we were tackling some of it every day, then we were sure to get it all done before the wedding.

Booksie had nothing to worry about!