Much to Erin's delight, Lord Snow-a-lot survived the night. The first job of the blonde boy, was to look outside. He closed the door of the hut behind him. Lysander didn't let him open the shutters on the window, or even pull back the curtains. The only way for him to get some sunlight, was if he went outside.
Erin walked to the snowman, and then stopped before him.
"I now know you, and you are my friend," Erin said, as he placed a hand over the potbelly of the snowman. "Sorry we didn't make Lady Jayne, to keep you company. Lord Snow-a-lot, I bet she misses you."
Erin placed a hand where the stick that served as a nose was stuck. He sighed, and then hugged the snowman.
"I miss my family too," Erin whispered into the bulk of the snowman. "I was happy with them."
"And aren't you happy with me?" Came Lysander's voice from the doorway. His bottom lip was quivering. Erin whipped his head around, to see his best friend in distress.
"I am happy with being your best friend, Ly. You have to believe me," Erin said, with all the honesty that a ten-year-old could muster. He ran up to Lysander, and hugged him close.
"Your clothes are wet," Lysander said, as he hugged back. "We better wash them, before they catch mold."
"Don't go parent mode on me, Ly," Erin said, as he patted the back of the wanderer. "I know that my words hurt you, and I am sorry."
"It is ok, princeling. I know you miss your family, and I will never be good enough," Lysander said, with wavering voice.
"Mama said that it is ok to cry when you want to cry. Bottling your emotions leads to anger," Erin said, and Lysander hugged him tighter.
"You are all that I have," Lysander was sobbing now. Erin felt the tears in his nape. The blonde was at a loss for what to do. Lysander was the strong one, between the two of them.
If his Ly was this lost, then how were they going to survive? More than that, what sort of friend was Erin, if he was seeing this part of Lysander just now?
"I will always be with you," the blonde boy said. "Let us make a promise, that we will marry, when we grow up!"
"Only women marry men," Lysander said. Sure, he had seen a couple of men pass through Anna's hut, looking for her blessing, but they couldn't marry in a temple. And Erin deserved a posh wedding.
"I don't care. No one is going to separate us," Erin protested. "I will be with you, and we will be happy. We can even get a child. It doesn't have to be a baby, but we will get one."
"Men can't have children, the same way women can," Lysander protested again.
"Well, we can always adopt," Erin said, and then patted Lysander on the back. "Just don't cry, Ly."
"I wasn't crying," Lysander protested.
"Yes, you were. You were in pain, you were crying. Well, I think you should trust in me more. Seeing as you and I will marry," Erin said. He let go of Lysander, so he could stare at the wanderer's face.
Now that Lysander wasn't wearing head covers all the time, Erin could see him better. Erin thought that Lysander's skin was that of warm summer mornings. His golden eyes as pretty as the golden roses which used to grow back home. His nose cute as a button. His mother had always told him that pretty children grew into handsome adults.
Not that she hadn't tried to make him play with some of the plainer kids in town. Yet, Erin hadn't minded. All people were pretty for him.
Erin nuzzled his nose to Lysander's, and then kissed each of the wanderer's eyes. In the same way, his mother used to, when she made him a promise.
"There. I, Erin Kalfrine, do promise, that I will marry Lysander... Ly, what is your last name?" Erin asked. Lysander was clutching at him, as if his life depended on it.
"Doros," Lysander mumbled. He knew this moment in time was important for him. That he won't forget it, and neither will Erin.
"Lysander Doros. We will be one heart, one soul, and happy," Erin finished with a grin.
"Are you making this promise, just because I saved you?" Lysander had to be sure. If Erin was uncertain in this, then he needed to nip it in the bud.
"No. I am making the promise, because I know, that no one will love me as much as you do," Erin was blushing at that. "Like a parent, a best friend, and maybe even a lover."
"Just where did you learn such a word?" Lysander asked, cheeks equally crimson.
"From mommy's books," Erin smiled then, and let go of Lysander. "Come on now, make the promise!"
"I, Lysander Doros, of the demonic house Doros, do hereby swear, that I will marry Erin Kalfrine, when I become of age," Lysander felt the magic in his skin reach out towards Erin, and link the two of them. The feeling warmed him up.
"There, now nothing can stand between us," Erin said, and then pointed at Lord Snow-a-lot. "We have to make him a Lady Jayne. So, he has a family, just like how we have each other."
"What if I make her a potbelly?" Lysander wasn't all that sure, about his snowman, or, rather, snow woman, making abilities.
"You will make the bottom layer, and I will make the other two. But for Lady Jayne, we will need something better than just twigs. She is a lady, after all," Erin insisted. Lysander looked around. He sighed, then.
"I suppose we can deck her in some dried angel's tear? Make her a dress, perhaps? It is not like the meadow won't bloom, come spring," Lysander suggested.
"Red Lady Jayne, the prettiest lady in all the forest," Erin said with a giggle. Lysander shook his head, and they got to work. All the while, the wanderer couldn't shake the feeling, which was nestled in his chest. For the first time, someone promised him they'll stay with him. This was more, than he has ever hoped for.
Much to Erin's delight, Lord Snow-a-lot survived the night. The first job of the blonde boy, was to look outside. He closed the door of the hut behind him. Lysander didn't let him open the shutters on the window, or even pull back the curtains. The only way for him to get some sunlight, was if he went outside.
Erin walked to the snowman, and then stopped before him.
"I now know you, and you are my friend," Erin said, as he placed a hand over the potbelly of the snowman. "Sorry we didn't make Lady Jayne, to keep you company. Lord Snow-a-lot, I bet she misses you."
Erin placed a hand where the stick that served as a nose was stuck. He sighed, and then hugged the snowman.
"I miss my family too," Erin whispered into the bulk of the snowman. "I was happy with them."
"And aren't you happy with me?" Came Lysander's voice from the doorway. His bottom lip was quivering. Erin whipped his head around, to see his best friend in distress.
"I am happy with being your best friend, Ly. You have to believe me," Erin said, with all the honesty that a ten-year-old could muster. He ran up to Lysander, and hugged him close.
"Your clothes are wet," Lysander said, as he hugged back. "We better wash them, before they catch mold."
"Don't go parent mode on me, Ly," Erin said, as he patted the back of the wanderer. "I know that my words hurt you, and I am sorry."
"It is ok, princeling. I know you miss your family, and I will never be good enough," Lysander said, with wavering voice.
"Mama said that it is ok to cry when you want to cry. Bottling your emotions leads to anger," Erin said, and Lysander hugged him tighter.
"You are all that I have," Lysander was sobbing now. Erin felt the tears in his nape. The blonde was at a loss for what to do. Lysander was the strong one, between the two of them.
If his Ly was this lost, then how were they going to survive? More than that, what sort of friend was Erin, if he was seeing this part of Lysander just now?
"I will always be with you," the blonde boy said. "Let us make a promise, that we will marry, when we grow up!"
"Only women marry men," Lysander said. Sure, he had seen a couple of men pass through Anna's hut, looking for her blessing, but they couldn't marry in a temple. And Erin deserved a posh wedding.
"I don't care. No one is going to separate us," Erin protested. "I will be with you, and we will be happy. We can even get a child. It doesn't have to be a baby, but we will get one."
"Men can't have children, the same way women can," Lysander protested again.
"Well, we can always adopt," Erin said, and then patted Lysander on the back. "Just don't cry, Ly."
"I wasn't crying," Lysander protested.
"Yes, you were. You were in pain, you were crying. Well, I think you should trust in me more. Seeing as you and I will marry," Erin said. He let go of Lysander, so he could stare at the wanderer's face.
Now that Lysander wasn't wearing head covers all the time, Erin could see him better. Erin thought that Lysander's skin was that of warm summer mornings. His golden eyes as pretty as the golden roses which used to grow back home. His nose cute as a button. His mother had always told him that pretty children grew into handsome adults.
Not that she hadn't tried to make him play with some of the plainer kids in town. Yet, Erin hadn't minded. All people were pretty for him.
Erin nuzzled his nose to Lysander's, and then kissed each of the wanderer's eyes. In the same way, his mother used to, when she made him a promise.
"There. I, Erin Kalfrine, do promise, that I will marry Lysander... Ly, what is your last name?" Erin asked. Lysander was clutching at him, as if his life depended on it.
"Doros," Lysander mumbled. He knew this moment in time was important for him. That he won't forget it, and neither will Erin.
"Lysander Doros. We will be one heart, one soul, and happy," Erin finished with a grin.
"Are you making this promise, just because I saved you?" Lysander had to be sure. If Erin was uncertain in this, then he needed to nip it in the bud.
"No. I am making the promise, because I know, that no one will love me as much as you do," Erin was blushing at that. "Like a parent, a best friend, and maybe even a lover."
"Just where did you learn such a word?" Lysander asked, cheeks equally crimson.
"From mommy's books," Erin smiled then, and let go of Lysander. "Come on now, make the promise!"
"I, Lysander Doros, of the demonic house Doros, do hereby swear, that I will marry Erin Kalfrine, when I become of age," Lysander felt the magic in his skin reach out towards Erin, and link the two of them. The feeling warmed him up.
"There, now nothing can stand between us," Erin said, and then pointed at Lord Snow-a-lot. "We have to make him a Lady Jayne. So, he has a family, just like how we have each other."
"What if I make her a potbelly?" Lysander wasn't all that sure, about his snowman, or, rather, snow woman, making abilities.
"You will make the bottom layer, and I will make the other two. But for Lady Jayne, we will need something better than just twigs. She is a lady, after all," Erin insisted. Lysander looked around. He sighed, then.
"I suppose we can deck her in some dried angel's tear? Make her a dress, perhaps? It is not like the meadow won't bloom, come spring," Lysander suggested.
"Red Lady Jayne, the prettiest lady in all the forest," Erin said with a giggle. Lysander shook his head, and they got to work. All the while, the wanderer couldn't shake the feeling, which was nestled in his chest. For the first time, someone promised him they'll stay with him. This was more, than he has ever hoped for.
