There was not enough food to make a proper breakfast in the morning - Rowan having thought their walk to Iris' house much shorter - so the envoy broke camp and traveled lightly, ignoring their grumbling stomachs. Snow started to fall by the time they made its way to civilization again. It was not a wild flurry like the snow demon's work, but a light, quiet dust untouched by wind. Ceallach was wary of it, but Claire seemed pleased at the sight, so he relaxed. Outside one of the biggest buildings in sight were some men busying themselves with covering a fire from the falling flakes.

"It looks like they're trying to cook something there," Rowan remarked.

"Whatever it is, if they'll let us eat it, I want it," Sonja said, staring at a big vat next to the fire. One of the men hauled a cured haunch of meat out of the vat and fixed it to a spit over the fire. Ceallach's stomach demanded attention as soon as he heard the hissing of its juices on the flames - it smelled so much like the aromatic meal Iris had made he was denied the day before.

One of the men noticed them staring and waved them over. "An envoy blesses us on the day of a wedding! We would be honored if you took time out of your business to wish the newlyweds well."

"We would be pleased," Ark said with a smile. "Who are the lucky ones?"

"Jason and Evelynn Estavan. They should be back from the chapel by tonight."

Claire started a little. "...Would that Evelynn be an Evelynn Gelens, by any chance?"

"That's right! You wouldn't happen to know her, would you?"

"Yes, I do. I'm a relation," Claire nodded enthusiastically.

The man turning the spit tilted his head at her. "But you came in from outside, didn't you? "

One of the men tending the fire, his face covered in ash, looked up, squinting for a long moment. Then he grinned a slow, crackling grin in recognition. "Your eyes...I remember my wife had a niece with those eyes. Is that really you, Claire?"

"Yes! I'm just visiting, but..."

The man put his tools aside and walked towards the maid, patting her back with a thick, gloved hand. His companion did the same, laughing. "You've grown up well! And you're in the company of a celestial! We'll have something else to celebrate tonight!"

The atmosphere of joy, and the fact the meat was now unattended, made Ceallach uneasy. "Is there something we can eat now? We're all really hungry..."

"Of course, there has to be. Jos! Jos, we got a hungry party of envoys here!" the ash-covered man shouted over his shoulder. "And Claire's among them!"

A heavy-set woman peered out from one of the building's windows. "Claire you say? Christoph's little girl? Well, don't stand there and get yourselves any wetter. Come inside and let me fix you up something," she said, beckoning them in with an arc of her arm.

Rowan chuckled as they made their way inside. "You didn't say you had family here, Claire."

"Well, I didn't know they were here!" Claire laughed helplessly.

The inside of the building was warm and open. There was a long flour-dusted table near the entrance they came in by, and a kiln on the other side of the room. A couple of steaming loaves were cooling on another table. Ceallach nearly reached for one, but then remembered Claire mentioned that bread was a food meant for celebrations and kept his hands to himself.

"Well, can't break out too much because we're setting it out for the party, but I'll whip up some dogear shrooms for you lot. There's some flour left over to batter them up in and grease aplenty. Don't just stand around, have a seat!" the woman scurried about to arrange some chairs in a loose circle. "Ah, you'll have to use your laps, I'm afraid. We're plumb out of clear table space. But my, Claire, you've gotten so big! It's as if just the other day I was minding you in the pram and now you're here as a proper lady." She beamed at the girl. Then she clapped her hands together and hurried out a door to what seemed like a proper kitchen, with pots and pans hanging with little sense of organization on the walls. "Sit tight everyone, I'll be back shortly."

Ark coughed lightly and faced Claire. "You seem well known here."

Claire looked a bit overwhelmed by the situation. "That's...well, I was an oddity, being a witch and all...and I was passed around from house to house, village to village, because my aunts and uncles had a hard time dealing with another child. That lady must be my aunt Joslyn, but I was very young when I left her care. I do recall they were on top of a mountain, rather than at its base...I'll have to ask after their reasons for moving. I remember them as being very happy up there. Evelynn on the other hand, I definitely remember. I was living with her mother when the old master came and hired me. That wasn't here either...further south, for sure. Evelynn was always a wanderer, though..."

"Regardless, the warm reception is welcome," Rowan mused, having a seat. "Perhaps we can tell them that Ceallach has a reason to celebrate as well, while we're here..."

"No," Ceallach said firmly.

"You finally know Aisling is going to be alright! Don't you want to mark the occasion...?"

"Not really. Not right now," Ceallach clasped his hands together and leaned his head on his knuckles.

"We shouldn't take away from the other celebrations by adding another one to the pile. We'll commemorate Aisling's wellbeing later and give that the attention it deserves then. Isn't that right?" Sonja smiled.

Ceallach didn't feel that what he had heard from Iris was worth celebrating at all - that the knowledge Aisling was going to be alright was not as important as her actually being alright - but he nodded anyway. This was met by nods from the others.

A scent of frying food not unlike the meaty one in Iris' house drifted from underneath the kitchen door. A few minutes later, Joslyn burst out of the kitchen with two trays loaded with plates. The things on the plates were somewhat misshapen, but they smelled like food, so Ceallach eagerly took a piece in his fingers and put it in his mouth. It had a soft taste with a bit of a kick to it. Sonja tried to pick a piece up and dropped it soon afterwards with a wince, blowing on her fingers. This amused Joslyn so much she laughed uproariously. "Careful now! They've just hopped out of the pan. Now...before I go back to work on the puddings, I have to know: where are you staying at?"

Ark smiled and tipped his head very slightly. "We haven't found a place to stay yet. We were planning to find some lodging after we had eaten."

"Oh! Well, if it doesn't bother you any, you're all welcome to stay here in our home. My man Jacob surely won't mind, it's been a long time since we've had anyone in the house but ourselves. And it's the least I could do for you fine folks, especially if the little Clairelet's among you!"

"That will do nicely. Many thanks," Ark smiled wider, pinching his mushrooms carefully to test their heat.

Joslyn laughed again. "Well, that's settled then! I've got to keep working, so you'll all have to excuse me. Sit tight until the couple gets back, and then you can get your hands on real food!" She winked and went back into the kitchen.

"Haven't you forgotten to mention something?" Rowan inclined his head towards the angel.

"I must have forgotten what I've forgotten, because nothing is coming to mind. Would you mind enlightening me?"

"Something about demonic wards? Your usual speech about inspections? Are you taking a break from your duties?"

"Given these people are already caught up in business of their own? Yes," Ark said, dropping his smile and putting a battered mushroom in his mouth. "Or would you rather have me be so rude as to put all this on hold so someone can give me a tour? There is duty, and then there is decency."

"I was only reminding you," Rowan waved idly.

"This isn't bad, you should try it," Ceallach said around a mouthful, wanting to dispel the sour mood between the two others by distracting them. Rowan and Ark had to wait until their servings had cooled, but they eventually agreed.

The newly married couple arrived a little after sundown. The celebration was a loud one, filled with shouted songs, exclamations of love and cheer, as well as the sounds of eating and drinking. The amount of people present was dizzying. Claire was quickly snatched up by some cousins and people claiming to remember her as a child, and save for quick flashes of her dark outfit, she was impossible to find in the crowd. Some of the villagers approached Ceallach and Ark to admire them for a bit, but they kept their distance for the most part. Sonja stayed nearby to keep them company.

"It seems like everyone here is somehow related, however distantly," Ceallach said.

"Well, Father claimed that the North only had three real family trees, one for each region," Sonja put a skewer of meat down on her plate and massaged her jaw with her free hand. "A tall tale, I'm sure, but I wouldn't be surprised if there was some truth to it."

Ceallach was silent for a while. "Families are amazing things," he said finally.

Sonja regarded him gravely for a moment, then nodded. "They are."

The celebration went on until it was nearly morning. Ceallach did not eat very much as soon as he could satisfy his hunger, no matter how many courses were brought out. He rather wanted to lay down and rest. Once people started clearing out, Joslyn herded the traveling party together and took them upstairs, where the living quarters were. "There're more blankets and sheets in the hall closet, if you need any. Good night, good envoys."

"Good night," Ark said, offering their hostess a little bow. Sonja and Claire took a room near the hall closet, while Rowan wandered further down the hall. Ark turned to open the door to a room nearest to the staircase, looked inside, and locked up visibly.

"What's wrong?" Ceallach asked. Both Sonja and Claire peeked out from their room in alarm while Joslyn approached with a wondering expression.

Ark stepped away and put his back to the doorway. "There is a spinning wheel in that room," he said with a touch of unease. "I...have had some unfortunate experiences with spinning wheels..."

"Oh! Well, there's rooms aplenty, so choose whichever one you like," Joslyn said quickly. "Or I could move that out if it troubles you so? It wouldn't be too much of a bother..."

Ceallach noted that the spinning wheel was a heavy-looking thing and doubted the hostess' claim. The angel shook his head and straightened. "There's no need for that. I'll be fine elsewhere," he said, going into a room further away.

Joslyn frowned for a second, then brightened and asked if there was anything else she could do. Ceallach shook his head, and Sonja did the same, so Joslyn excused herself and left for her own room.

"I wonder why Ark is so afraid of spinning wheels," Ceallach said in a low voice.

Sonja pondered this while holding her chin. "You don't suppose...he had an accident with one and that's why he can't see?"

"But he still has eyes. It's not like they got poked out."

"I hear myself being talked about," Ark said from within his room. Sonja retreated into her own and pulled the door shut quickly. Ceallach looked back into the room with the spinning wheel, stepped inside, and turned the wheel with a gentle hand. It creaked but moved easily. Then he went into the room Ark had settled in, stretched out on the bed opposite the angel, and fell asleep quickly.

----

The next morning a generous amount of leftovers had been heated for them to eat. The scent of the food was powerfully delicious without the smoke of cooking fires blocking it. Ceallach was ravenous and ate with relish, but Rowan seemed preoccupied throughout breakfast.

"I have some personal business to take care of for a few days. I'll be leaving shortly," he said as Joslyn cleared the plates.

"Oh! Well, don't let us keep you here," Joslyn blinked in surprise. "But do watch yourself out there. There've been demons coming in from the borderlands."

"Demons?" Claire said around a half-swallowed egg.

"Most unfortunately, yes. One of them made off with Jacob's favorite reindeer just last month. He was terrible sad about it. We haven't had any human disappearances yet in this region, but with demons, you never know..."

"Thank you for the warning, but I can't put this off," Rowan said, wiped his chin, and rose to get his belongings. Ceallach looked after him, tasted unease in his mouth, and got up as well. The doctor was arranging his medical supplies when Ceallach came into his room. "What is it? Did I forget my hat at the table?"

"Your hat's right here," Ceallach took it from the doorknob. Rowan took it with an unintelligible word of gratitude and put it on. "...Do you need someone to come with you?"

"No. Stay here and rest. Iris asked for me only," Rowan said, fingering the brim of his hat. "And...it's a private matter, one I need to settle for good. I wouldn't want to involve you any more than I already have."

Ceallach frowned slightly. "Are you sure you have to go alone?"

"She wouldn't appreciate meddling, as much as I might. Don't worry, she can't actually hurt me. We're...bound. Ceallach, my friend, I'm afraid I cannot quite explain it," Rowan said, getting to his feet and dusting his coat. He laughed at Ceallach's concerned expression. "Perhaps I ought not to try. That worried look doesn't suit you."

"When will you come back?"

"I might be a few days - I have a few other things I would like to take care of. Please send my regards to Joslyn for her hospitality, but I really must go now."

"...If you must," Ceallach said, holding out his hand. Rowan shook it, his grip a bit faint, pulled his hat down, and left. Ceallach went back to the kitchen and sat at a window to look at Rowan make his way through the snow. He watched the falling snow fill the footprints the doctor left behind until Joslyn came into the kitchen. "Ah, Rowan wanted to say - "

"I was looking for you, you know!" Joslyn's beaming voice quickly swallowed up whatever Ceallach was about to say.

"...Really?"

"Absolutely! It's like this: we used all the firewood in the house for the celebration, so we need a strong man to carry in some more from the shed. And you fit the bill, see!" She beamed and curtsied. "If it wouldn't trouble the good sir too much, of course."

Ceallach had been wondering what kind of work he could occupy himself with while he waited for Rowan to come back, and having an opportunity presented to him so soon made him laugh. "Oh - not at all, that should be easy."

There was a great fireplace on the first floor that, when properly fed, cast a fierce warmth throughout the house. He was quite proud of the flame and sat in front of it in order to appreciate it better. The heat was a peaceful, engulfing thing that reminded him of being swaddled in blankets. He nearly fell asleep in front of the fire, but footsteps brought him back to attention.

"You oughtn't sit so close to the fire. Your hair might catch flame," Ark said, pulling a trail of it away from the fireplace with a finger. "Unless it doesn't burn?"

"It doesn't," Ceallach said, but grabbed an armful and put it on his lap anyway.

Ark swirled his finger around a lock of hair for a minute or two, then looked up. "Would you...like to have Aisling's metal bird?"

Ceallach stared very hard at the fire so that the angel would not be subject to his gaze. "Yes please," he said distantly.

Ark summoned his book, opened it up to the page the bird rested on, and held it out. Ceallach cupped both his hands around it and lifted it to his eyes. It was not one of the birds in flight that Aisling had spent weeks perfecting, their wings so finely pressed they could slice paper, but a nesting bird whose detail lay in its gentle sleeping expression. Ceallach turned it in his hands a few times and recognized it as the very first of the nesting birds that Aisling had ever done. It was bottom-heavy, with a smooth underside, so it would rock itself back upright.

"It felt most like her," Ark said hesitantly, as if he didn't know what else to say.

"This is the oldest one," Ceallach said.

Ark nodded and thumbed a page of his book.

Ceallach closed a hand around the bird. It was warm because of the heat it had absorbed from his hands. He wanted to have it with him, but he didn't know where he would keep it. He had a few pockets, but that was no place for such a thing. It didn't belong in his travel pack either, not to mention the possibility of it being crushed underneath or between the other objects or it falling out and getting left behind. Feelings of loneliness and unworthiness pressed themselves down on him like deep piles of snow. He opened his hand and looked upon the bird again. "I...don't know if I can keep it safe. Maybe you should..." he swallowed. "You should keep it in your book."

Ark was surprised for a moment, but his expression was sympathetic. "Alright. If you ever want to hold it or look at it --"

"Please take it now," Ceallach said, holding out the bird.

Ark placed it on its page, closed his book, and allowed it to fade away. Ceallach's stomach twitched, urging him to go after the little thing, but this sentiment soon settled, albeit glumly.

"What do you want to do now? We can't go back to the tower," the angel said.

Ceallach swallowed thickly, unable to decide what Ark meant by that question. He could not remember if Ark had ever asked him what he wanted to do. "Aren't I a part of your envoy? I could follow you."

"Only as long as you wish to. You may leave at any time."

Ceallach studied the shapes in the flames for a moment. "...I can't leave now. I have nowhere to be."

Ark did not answer, but he turned his head towards the fire and contemplated it as well.