Submission (#2542) Approved

The weather in Strynhalde is, well... as it always is. Snow. Everywhere. The concept was novel in the beginning, but he grows weary of having the glint of the sun off the snow blind his eyes as his paws sink deeper and deeper into the snow with every step.  And when the powdery white stuff wasn't littering every surface in sight, it's so slippery from ice and melted snow that it's hard for him to find his footing. 

Why was he here again?

Ah, right. He was looking for that person. 

It had been a very important, pressing task when he first set out on his journey, but the frostbite on his toes of having to trek (slowly, walking through snow is so slow) across these barren tundras was starting to affect his mood. 

Don’t get him wrong. He’s loved traveling and being free from that stodgy manor and going all the places he was told he couldn’t go as a child. But staying in any one place for too long causes him to get anxious. Fidgety, like he’s being caged in again. He thrives off of the migrant life-- for now, anyway. This freezing obnoxious climate he’s not used to only exacerbates these growing feelings of restlessness and the need to move on. He felt the same way about the annoying overgrowth in Enmir’s dense jungle and he most certainly feels it about the blasted snow. 

It’s starting to make him irritable.

He finally arrives at his destination: a quaint log cabin with smoke coming out the chimney in the middle of a snowy clearing, surrounded by white pine trees. A picturesque Strynhalde home. Standing at the edge of the treeline like this makes him feel like he's in a magazine for real estate in the region or on a postcard or something. There’s even snow-capped mountains in the backdrop to complete the scene. He shakes out his fur and barges inside without so much as a knock. 

The warmth hits him immediately and he’s grateful for it. The next thing to assault his senses is the smell of baked goods and the clattering of pans and cutlery. The source quickly becomes obvious: an unfamiliar elnin clamoring away in the kitchen farther into the cabin, shoving trays into ovens and stirring pots of unknown contents.

He walks up to the counter and doesn’t bother with any greetings. “I was told I could find the... Warden of Winter here.” Strange name, perhaps, but it was the absolute only bit of information he had to go off of. 

The mysterious elnin bolts around in apparent surprise as if he hadn’t heard him entering. “Ah, welcome, traveler!” The gestures he makes with his arms are as loud as his voice. “So pleased to make your unexpected, though not unwanted, acquaintance.”

“I’m just here for-”

The elnin cuts him short, waving his request away with a dismissive paw as if they’ve heard those very words a hundred times before. “Yes yes, everybody wants to speak to the Warden. But what’s the rush?”

“I want to get what I came here for and get out of this region,” Cteno says plainly, still too irritated by his long trek to bother with whatever games he’s hinting at. 

But this stranger, it seems, isn’t done playing. “You won’t want to leave ever again once you have a taste of these tantalizing treats!” 

“I’m not hungry,” he won’t give up just yet.

The elnin shrugs their shoulders and looks dramatically sad. Like it’s an act. “That’s too bad. I was hoping for someone to taste test my latest culinary inventions. Watching people eat my food always makes me so chatty..."

A sigh. It wasn’t what he wanted to hear, but if this was the only way to get what he needed, then so be it. “Alright,” he cedes, allowing his shoulders to relax in his acceptance and settled down at a seat by the counter. “But they’d better be worth it.”

A glint flashes across the elnin’s eyes as they perk up. “Excellent!” Wasting no time, they ladle the contents of one of the pots into a mug. A few moments later, they’re sliding it across the counter. “First, a cup of classic cocoa to warm your weary bones!” 

Whipped cream topped the steaming drink, with shreds of chocolate and peppermint scattered across the fluffy peaks. He blows on it a few times before taking a tentative sip.

He straightens up in his seat. “This is…” 

“Amazing, right?” The elnin is nodding rapidly while he watches the kittom intently. Cteno has to admit that, yes, it is pretty amazing. He was never one for sweets, but this is exactly what he needed after his long journey. He’s downed nearly the entire mug in seconds.

“Woah woah, pace yourself! There’s more.” 

Cteno sets the cup down and wipes the whipped cream from his chin. “More?”

A plate of cookies is suddenly set in front of him. Fresh from the oven, he can smell the melting chocolate chips and hint of peppermint mixed in. It looks like there’s marshmallows baked into the treats, as well. “The cookie version of the drink,” the adult proudly announces.

Less tentatively this time, he takes an eager bite. It’s just as delicious as the hot chocolate. It’s bizarre to him how this person could capture the essence of a beverage so perfectly in a cookie. He relays his sentiments and the chef beams in response. “Thank you, thank you,” he presses his paws together and bows. “I’ve worked a long time on these recipes. I’m glad I was able to share them with you.”

A few moments of silence pass with the two of them idly munching on cookies until Cteno finally speaks up. “So,” he begins, finishing off the rest of his cocoa before continuing. “About the Warden…”