It was dark when Leeteuk first woke in a dimly lit enclosure, more warm than he had been the last time he was conscious.  Confusion washed over him as he placed a hand on his face, running the fingers under the reddish brown bangs as he struggled to remember where he was and what had happened last.  Thoughts were slow to form in his mind and he was startled when a new voice interrupted his attempts at piecing the puzzle together.

           “Awake are you?” the vaguely familiar voice asked softly from nearby.

           Panic washed over Leeteuk for just an instant before he hauled himself up and found himself looking at Marcus Frostbiter.  The Chieftain of Moorhall regarded him evenly, nursing a bandaged forearm and appearing a bit more haggard than the last time he had seen him.  “What…?”  Leeteuk struggled to ask the questions that came into his head all at once and the other man gestured for him to slow down.

           “Easy now.  Just take a breath first and go ahead and realize that you’re safe,” he stated bluntly, gesturing at his person and the body next to his in the low tent.

           Uncertainly, the earth elementalist took stock of the situation, looking down first to find that Eleanara was sleeping in the roll beside him, peaceful and serene in the dim light.  Their coats were gone but they had apparently been changed into a fresh pair of clothes as the ones they now wore had none of the marks of combat that should have been present.  With a start, he realized that both their amulets were visible, laying on top of the shirt, blatantly obvious.  His gaze fell to his own, swinging gently against the fabric of the shirt, and he caught hold of it softly, looking up to meet Marcus’s gaze uncertainly.

           Surprisingly, Marcus chuckled, an action that prompted him to cough, which he hurriedly tried to stifle as Eleanara began to stir.  “We thought it best not to split you up from how we found you,” he explained softly, his gaze surprisingly gentle.  “And yes, we’re aware of what you are.”

           Leeteuk reached out and placed his hand on Eleanara’s.  At the touch, she turned over onto her side and grasped his hand lightly with her other hand, smiling softly in her sleep.  He regarded her for a moment more before he looked up at Marcus again, the words slowly sinking in.  “What happened?  Why are you even here?” he asked instead, side-stepping the subject.

           The Chieftain shrugged and scratched the back of his neck.  “Moorhall was destroyed,” he finally explained quietly.  His hand came up and fell in a helpless gesture.  “Part of the village was gone trying to find the avalanche you spoke of, but the others weren’t so fortunate.  We are a hardy people, but after such an attack…by such a creature…”

           Worry flickered to life in Leeteuk’s eyes as it did not sound as if they were concerned by something as simple as the patrols they had faced down.  Already dreading the answer, he had to ask, “And what was it that attacked you?”

           Marcus winced at the memory and he ground his teeth briefly in an attempt to find the words he wanted.  At last, he shook his head and stated, “Some sort of wyrm.  A creature from myth really.”  It was easy to see that disbelief still plagued him.

           Leeteuk closed his eyes regretfully and he covered his face with his free hand.  “The snow wyrm…”  He laughed bitterly and when next he looked at Marcus, his gaze was haunted.  “It was Enrhyll’s construct,” he explained quietly, vaguely recalling what Summer had said about it.  “We…we dispelled it,” he murmured slowly, the nightmare of that battle and the one before it still fresh and painful in his mind.  Quickly, he shook his head and looked around again.  There were really only the three of them in the tent.  “How are the others?” he asked, a sudden need to see them creeping upon him.

           “I’ll show you in a minute,” he offered, reaching for a slightly different looking waterskin first.  “Drink.  You probably need it,” Marcus stated, leaning forward so the other man wouldn’t have to reach quite so far.

           Leeteuk took it uncertainly, but then nodded and took a large gulp too hastily, spilling some on his person.  “Ahh…” he sighed, wiping his mouth quickly.  Marcus simply regarded him evenly and waited for him to finish before he smiled.  “Thank you,” the young man smiled graciously, handing the waterskin back, mostly empty.  “The others?” he asked again, insistent but calm.

           “Easy lad.  They’re resting like you were,” the Chieftain answered with a nod towards Eleanara.

           Carefully, Leeteuk retrieved his hand from Eleanara’s, smiling when she curled further into a ball, and then stood up shakily.  “I need to see them,” he explained softly.

           Marcus sighed but nodded and stood up, the tent almost too small for him.  “Take the roll with you,” he gestured first before holding open the tent flap.  Leeteuk hurried to comply and wrapped the fabric around his shoulders, searching briefly for something for his feet.  Soft slippers were set next to the open flap and he stepped into those before emerging into the snow filled evening.  Leeteuk watched it fall, large flakes drifting slowly in the crisp cold air, mesmerizing and peaceful.  He let his gaze adjust to the rest of his surroundings and saw there was an assortment of tents set up around a small fire that had one watchperson nearby.  They were standing near the ‘front’ of the encampment.  The watchperson was unfamiliar to Leeteuk, though they waved at him almost shyly.

           “Do I know them?” he asked, uncertain if his memory was fuzzy or if he just didn’t know.

           “I doubt it, but since we found you, you have all become well known,” Marcus replied, waving back at the watch.

           “I see,” Leeteuk murmured, uncomfortable with the thought.  He let his gaze take in the rest of the circle of tents, noting that the one to his left was easily four times the size of the others.

           “Come,” Marcus distracted him.  “Your friends are nearby.”  Gently, he guided Leeteuk over to the next tent to their right, a similar version of the one they had just emerged from.

           Carefully, the smaller man pulled the flap back, peering into the dimly lit interior, a single candle the only luminescence.  His eye fell upon Kharin, Eunhyuk and Siwon and then a flicker of movement out of the corner of his eye drew his attention to the figure sitting next to the doorway, wary and alert.  “Vayna?” he asked, briefly startled by the woman’s appearance.  In the dim light he could see that she was not entirely unharmed either and he was intensely grateful that she had managed to survive the attack against the village.

           “Aye,” she nodded, glancing back at the other three, her posture the epitome of a defender.  “They’re just restin,” she spoke softly, a certain sadness to her voice.  They were so young to be caught in the middle of this and she was not sure, from what she had seen of them, that they were ready for the battles they would have to face…

           Leeteuk stepped inside the tent to let the flap fall back into place so the cold wouldn’t settle in.  The three elementalists were lying close to how he had last seen them with Kharin still holding Eunhyuk close.  A blanket covered most of them but there arms were resting above it and one of Eunhyuk’s was draped over her waist while the other was pressed up against his chest.  Siwon was comfortably curled on his side, just behind Eunhyuk and within easy touching distance.  Leeteuk smiled in real joy at the sleeping figures, glad to see that they were alright and that Eunhyuk was finally resting comfortably, no longer shivering in the slightest.  Apparently, they had also managed to clean the worst of the mess off of them all since his hair was no longer tinged red and the small wounds on Siwon and Kharin’s faces had been tended to.   With a parting nod to Vayna who tipped her head in return, he carefully backed out of the tent and carefully let the flap fall back into place.

           He glanced up at the patient Marcus and swallowed.  He was dreading the next tent for he remembered vividly what the occupants looked like…  Still, he needed to see them.  He had to make sure that they were okay.  Determinedly, he steadied himself and with Marcus’s comforting hand on his shoulder, he stepped over to the next tent.  He stared at the cloth for a moment before he forced himself to slip inside quickly.

           Immediately, a large figure directly to the left of the doorway moved quickly, reaching for a mace at his feet.  He paused as soon as he realized who had stepped in the doorway and Tierne raised a brow at Leeteuk but then nodded to himself and leaned back, his eyes closed.  Leeteuk felt his heart slow down gradually as he had not expected such a reaction, but it warmed him too, that they merited such a watch.  He doubted it was because the villagers thought they were a threat to them…  His gaze drifted from the blacksmith’s face, slightly more burned than he recalled it being last time, to the brazier next to him.  It hung quietly in a tripod and trickled a small but steady stream of smoke that floated up and pooled in the top of the tent before it slowly drained out of a small slit in the center.  Apparently, it had been made with that purpose in mind.

           That would explain why it was warmer in this tent than the other two and when he looked at Kyuhyun, he could understand why.  The fire elementalist was still burned as Eleanara had not been able to heal him entirely at the time and while it looked bad, the skin still an angry red color and his lips cracked and blistered, he appeared to be resting easier.  Someone had dressed him in a large white shirt that looked to be of a more delicate make than the travel clothes they had been wearing.  Likely, it was softer and less rough on the overheated skin.  A light blanket was the only thing covering him as anything heavier would have been an irritant.  The blanket was pulled up to his chest with his arms lying peacefully atop it on either side of his body.  Summer was curled next to him, not close enough to press against his body but she was gently holding his right hand tenderly in her own.

           Leeteuk sighed and felt himself on the verge of tears as he felt tension uncoil inside of him, unaware that it had been there until it was gone.  He took a shaky breath and wiped at his eyes self-consciously before he backed out, slipping through the tent flaps easily.

           Marcus clapped him on the shoulder comfortingly, a steadying presence, and asked, “You good now?”

           “Mm…” Leeteuk murmured softly after a brief pause and nodded.  Distractedly, he rubbed his arms to shake the chill in the air and he allowed himself to be guided back to the tent he had been sleeping in.  Marcus held the flap open for him and ushered him in so he could lay the roll out and lie back down again.  He didn’t say anything when it was closer to Eleanara than it had been the first time, though he couldn’t help the smile that pulled at his lips.  “Sleep,” Marcus urged, taking a seat in front of the doorway again.

           Slowly, Leeteuk laid himself out inside the sleeping roll, his eyelids getting heavy.  It was considerably warmer in the tent than it was outside and it was helping to make him drowsy again.  Given that, he was not inclined to argue with Marcus’s statement.  He simply nodded and turned over onto his side, taking a moment to watch Eleanara sleep.  She had pulled her hands back towards her chin and her face was blissfully serene, bereft of the emptiness he had seen mirrored in it not that long ago.  Tenderly, he reached out to cover her smaller hands with his, a gentle warmth spreading through him when an unconscious smile crossed her face.  At last, he allowed his eyes to close and felt himself fall forever into the serenity of sleep.