Chapter 21: Snow, joy and grumpiness

The next morning, as Irin made another attempt at baking bread, the first snow started to fall. She knew she should be worried. The snow would delay the mail, meaning her father's reply would take longer to arrive. It also meant that even if they received a reply, it would be dangerous to travel. Irin was aware of all this, but couldn't for the life of her pretend she wasn't thrilled about the snow. Growing up, they had always had white winters, which she had always loved. After moving to Gahndas, there was less snow, even though the city was located further north. The ocean kept the snowfall to a minimum, and Irin could only expect a light dusting. They were near the ocean here too, but further north. As she watched the snowfall, she thought they might even get more snow than back home. Koth walked up to the window beside her and looked out as well.

"Looks like there'll be a lot of it," he remarked.

"I know!" Irin agreed, unable to hide her joy. Koth gave her a sideways glance. "Sorry. I know it's bad, but it's also amazing," she told him.

"How is it amazing?" he asked.

"It's snow," she pointed out.

"Yes, that much we agree on."

"Oh, come on, Koth! It means no more gloomy, mud-brown landscape. Everything will be white and glistening, light and cheerful. There are snowball fights, building snowmen, going sledding, and then coming back home to drink hot rosehip soup and warm up by the fire. It means Yule is around the corner with all the wonderful food, gifts, and the Yule tree," she told him. He had turned to face her and was staring at her. She thought he looked as if he'd never heard of any of it. "Don't you do any of it?" she asked. He thought for a moment.

"When I lived with my brothers and my father, we used to celebrate Yule," he said. "Not with a tree, but with some food and presents."

"And playing in the snow?" she asked.

"I never lived in a place where there was enough snow to play in when I was a child," he said. Irin felt deeply sorry for him and the things he had missed.

"Well, let's see if we can't get you to try at least some of those things. It looks like we'll have more than enough snow," she said. He grumbled in reply. "Not even you can make the first snow depressing," Irin told him.

"Try me," he challenged. She gave him a radiant smile.

"It's a bet. If you don't manage to get my mood down, you have to try one thing out in the snow tomorrow," she agreed. He looked surprised at first, then smug.

"And if I win?" he asked.

"I won't ask you to try any winter activities for as long as we stay here," she suggested.

"Deal," he said and held out his hand. They shook on the bet, and Irin started to plan what she would make him try the next day. It had to be something that would make him want to try other things. Irin had decided to convert Koth into someone who loved the snow as much as she did.

Koth took their bet seriously. As she kneaded the dough, he told her that the snow was now so deep it would be almost impossible for the traders who usually brought mail to get to and from the town. Irin agreed and told him a story about one winter back home when they had an unusually large amount of snow and had been cut off from the rest of the world. She told him how they had moved their bedding into the grand hall and stayed there for a week to conserve wood, how they had cooked their food in the large fireplace, and made up games to keep the younger children calm.

"It's one of my best winter memories," she finished as she shaped the two loaves.

"The snow outside will make it impossible for us to travel even if we do get your father's reply," Koth pointed out, without acknowledging her story.

"True, but it will also stop any of the people pursuing us," she countered. He just grunted. As the bread was proofing for the second time, Koth turned to her.

"We need to shovel a path to the stables so we can feed the horses and get wood," he said.

"Sure, let me get my cloak," she told him. She frowned as she realised both her cloak and Koth's were thin. They had set out in the autumn, not expecting to be away over the winter.

"Am I making you think less of the snow?" Koth asked, seeing her frown.

"No. It's not the snow's fault we didn't think ahead." They dressed and walked outside. It was cold, but not as cold as Irin had feared. They started working, and the heavy labour of shovelling snow warmed her up. She hadn't realised how far the stable was from the house. The wind was blowing from the ocean, and even though she felt warm, her hands were getting cold from the damp gloves and the wind. Irin stopped working for a moment to look around. The sky over the ocean was covered in dark grey-blue clouds, making it almost impossible to distinguish where the sea ended and the sky began. Big, fluffy snowflakes were falling steadily. The wind made the snow dance and form snowdrifts where the landscape or the walls around the garden stopped it.

"Getting tired and cold?" Koth asked, sounding worried. She smiled at him. He had snow in his hair and beard. His usually unbuttoned tunic was now buttoned all the way, and his cloak was wrapped around him.

"No. I was just taking in the sight. Isn't it amazing?" she said. He looked around as if trying to see what she was seeing. Then he shrugged and huffed.

"I give up. You are far too in love with the snow for me to ever change that stubborn mind of yours. You win, little one," he told her. Irin laughed and just barely stopped herself from hugging him. She knew he wouldn't like that. Instead, she clapped her hands in excitement. For a brief moment, she saw a smile on Koth's face, and it distracted her. "Okay, now go inside, and I'll finish this," he told her.

"What? No. I'll help," she insisted. It was only fair that they both did the work, as it would go faster.

"I only told you to help to try and make you see the downside to this infernal snow. Now that I've conceded, you can just as well go inside. There's no need for both of us to be out here. I'll feed the animals and get wood," he told her.

"No, I'll help."

"For God's sake, Irin. I'll probably do it faster on my own when I don't need to worry about where you are," he said. Irin thought about it. He might have a point, even if she didn't like it.

"Okay. I'll go inside and make sure to have something warm ready for you when you're done. If you need help, let me know, and don't stay outside too long. The wind will make things colder than you think," she agreed. Koth nodded and started shovelling again. Irin stood for a moment and looked at him. He was impressive both when he worked with his body and when he used his magic, she thought as she headed inside. By the time Koth came back into the house, the bread had been put into the oven, and Irin had two bowls of rosehip soup ready. They sat down in front of the fire in the living room, ate the warm soup, and watched the flames dance. Irin was thinking about what she would make Koth do tomorrow.