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>>48555856
Bang. The kingfisher was responsible for your mother dying.
Bang. How they'd gotten the poison in her?
Bang. No sense wondering the how it was two decades ago.
Bang. Your father's letter after his death mentioned her contracting the withering.
Bang. Did the nitor know about the poisons then?
Bang. Did dad know and just not want to say?
Bang. Mom was desperate to have a kid, dad said, when it happened.
Bang. Was the only reason you exist because of some fucking Phoenix's plan for genocide?
Bang. If Dad knew, were you a painful reminder of your mother's death?

You pause, it wasn't all the rounds in your rifle, but that last one stuck with you with a sort of dreadful calm. No, there was no way he'd have known. And even if he did, he'd never given any indication that he'd blamed you. Feeling guilty, you look back at the hill that marks your father's grave, the snow covering all but the simple headstone.

>Keep shooting.
>Head in for now.
>Other?

>>48555870
>Head in for now.
No sense chilling ourselves, just going to take longer to warm up later

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Dwelling on the past won't help anything, especially with how damnably cold it is. Putting aside target practice, you gather your things and head towards the ranch. The funery pyres of Zhou's people are dying down, but their vigil hasn't. Slipping inside, you quickly shed your snow covered coat so as to bask in the heat quicker. Stowing your supplies in your room, you catch Tai entering the building.

"Any idea how long they are gonna be out there?" You ask, pointing a thumb in the direction of the beastfolk.

"Probably until the last ember of their kin as faded, Miss Sasha." Tai says heading towards the kitchen.

With little better to do, you help him prepare another one of his stews. You note that his meals have lent more towards stews as of late. Makes sense, given the sheer bulk of people to feed. Under his direction you manage to whip up yet another massive batch in a pair of cast iron pots. Eschewing your help, you watch the young man drag one of them out towards the bunkhouse. From the safety of the house you see Tatiana and Artyom take a bowl before returning to their bunks, presumably to give the beastfolk some privacy in their mourning. Tai walks with deference towards the funery pyre, exchaning a muted discussion with Zhou and gesturing to the bunkhouse where the stew was undoubtably warming on the camp stove. You see Zhou bow to the young Phoenix man for some reason and then return to his vigil.

Heading back inside, Tai, realizing you've been watching him says simply. "Figured they'd be hungry. Speaking of, Miss Sasha, Mister James' work crew are due for a meal here soon. If you wish to beat their mouths, you'd best get a bowl quickly."

>Grab a bowl and retreat to the office to get some work done
>Eat with the workmen, get a read on their feelings.
>other?

>>48558969
>Grab a bowl and retreat to the office to get some work done
This certainly seems like a "bury your head in paperwork" type of mood.

>>48558969
>Eat with the workmen, get a read on their feelings.
Socializing is important too

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You decide to split the difference. Grabbing a bowl, you wordless help yourself to some of the food before heading upstairs, giving Tai a nod of thanks. Diving into your paperwork, you compose yourself working through the more unimportant pieces, signing off on whatever needs signing. You'll be happy once the constructions finished, you've already surpassed your father's lifetime collection of paperwork for the ranch in your first year of ownership. With the lesser stuff taken care of, you push the rest aside and focusing on finishing your food. Finishing, you grab the bowl and begin to head down the stairs once more.

The construction crew are quinessential woodsman, the sort to eat what's put in front of them, and quickly before someone else did. The majority of the crew are already gone, only James and a few stragglers helping Tai with the dishes. Promptly freezing on seeing you, you shake your head and wave for them to continue, depositing your bowl in sink and offering what help you can without your bulk getting in the way. Which turns out is mostly hand drying. That finished you pull James to the side.

"Something the matter Miss Masterson?" The human asks, worriedly.

"Just looking for your take on the situation. What with the Phoenix attack and all. Kinda wondering what the thoughts are in the camp."

"Not good." He says grimly, "Still on contract of course, but Serrak undersold the danger of working here it seems. Some of my younger boys are fading at the back of the pack if you catch my meaning."

"Anything I can do to help with that?"

"Prolly not, they're good lads but fighting ain't our business. Knocking the Phoenix about put a bit of fire in their guts, but the worry is still there without anything to work on and in this snow rumors are spreading, and that never ends well."

>Speaking of the phoenix, what happened to the one we took?
>I've got something in mind once the cold snaps. (Specify building idea.)
>Stay silent
>other?

>>48559936
>Speaking of the phoenix, what happened to the one we took?

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"Speaking of the phoenix, what happened to the one we took?"

"Died. A little bit after you headed out." He says simply. "Handed the body off to your new friends."

The both of your turn and look out to the bonfires, the beastfolk standing vigil slowly leaving as their particular bonfires die out, only one satellite fire is still burning merrily leaving little doubt that the attacker was used to see off dead.

"Not too keen on the heathen rituals, but saves us digging." James says, and you can't help but agree.

Bidding the foreman farewell, you head back and finish cleaning up the stuff, freeing up Tai to see to the beastfolk. Heading back to your room, you catch the telltale glimmer of light from behind the house of someone using the gateway. From your window you catch sight of Veles slithering out of the portal. Heading downstairs, you run into the old snake on the front porch.

<Your Nitor friends would like me to ask you to reopen the gateway sometime tomorrow. Something about moving people over to this side.> He says in snake cant.

<Find out anything interesting?>

<I shut off the barrier blocking the cavern. They moved their ship into it and have begun stripping it of all interesting things. I figured it would be best if I went back and fixed the link between my home and yours. Or at least see to the damages to my end.> He says as the light perceptibly dims as the sun dips lower over the horizon.

>Offer him to spend the night here.
>Let him head out, the sooner its fixed the better.
>Other?

>>48555856
Random question: Is it pronounced "LAWmia" or "LAYmia"?

>>48561490
Greek pronunciation is Lay-mia I believe.

>>48561564
Thank you, it seems I have been pronouncing it wrong all these years.

>>48561447
>>Offer him to spend the night here.

>>48564394
We'll pause this since its fuck o'clok in the morning, Will try and continue it later today

>>48564634
Thanks, Canid. Glad I was able to catch this! Been out all damn day.