"Papa!!" Screamed the child happily, squeezing the person, who seemed to be his father, tightly.
One of the Dwarven men took notice of the sounds of squealing from outside, he quickly made haste towards his child. When he looked past the exit, he witnessed his child hugging her Papa.
Both men looked at each other with such fondness that they took each others' hands and pressed their foreheads together. The unmasked one chortled and laughed wholeheartedly when the family returned to the inn.
They entered with welcomed cheers and raised cups. The traveler laughed in depth that echoed through the Valley.
Colette saw the commotion and didn't pay attention, as she continued performing when the stag looked over to her. He was in shock, every breath he took trembled with excitement, and they shook his demeanor from witnessing performances done by someone so young.
Hana came out of the kitchen with plates of pies and saw him. She set the pies down quickly and ran back.
The stoic stag noticed the kitchen doors were moved and slowly walked past the joyous crowd. Hana was frantically dusting off the flour and fixing her hair and beard while looking at the bottom of her ladle.
*Klop klop klop klop*
He chuckled under his breath, as Hana was frantically fixing herself up. His snout went to her ear and blew it.
Hana yelped loudly and hit the stagman in the face with a pan. A loud clang sound rang from the kitchen, followed by a scream.
Tyrian and Annette stopped what they were doing, and sprinted to the kitchen. When they opened the door, they saw the unconscious stagman and a spooked Hana holding a metal pan in her hand.
"Ooh shit shit shit! Ay, dammit you! I could have killed you Dvalinn!" Exclaimed the panicking Hana.
Dvalinn groaned, and his face swelled up. Cloette stopped dancing as soon as she heard the commotion in the kitchen.
She ran out and felt like someone needed ice, so she took a washcloth outside, put some snow on top of it, and made a makeshift ice pack. Cloette wobbled to the back of the kitchen towards the unconscious stagman.
Dvalinn groaned from the sudden impact upon his arrival. Cloette and Odin couldn't help but giggle at what they had just seen to ease the tension from the current events.
Dvalinn looked over at Hana and smirked. He rose, dusted off his cloak, and held the ice pack in place of his recent injury. Hana blushed red with embarrassment and fumbled around the area.
"S-sorry! I-I didn't see you-" stuttered the flustered Hana.
"No, no Hana, it's a reasonable response. Yes." groaned Dvalinn.
Dvalinn laughed and stared at her, like a mountain lion to his new prey. He stopped his endearment by clearing his throat.
But he noticed Hana through his eyes as her cheeks went from rabbit pink to beet red. He quickly sat at a table with Odin, who brought a cup of tea to warm the stagman up.
Odin smiled at the stagman, excited to see him again. Hana cleared her throat and continued cleaning up the mess.
She patted Cloette on the head for a job well done. The warmth of the flames could still keep its vigorous embers alight in the cheerful atmosphere.
Annette came over to tend to the other warriors when they came through the doors. She went outside the hotel door with a scarf just in case.
The young girl noticed the fluttering among the ash trees by the doorsteps, one black and one white. She examined the surroundings from the recent storm, hearing a small flapping from the trees.
Cloette grasped her necklace and the small knife on her belt, she took precautions from the signs that appeared throughout her journey. The knowledge of the crows, sent as Death's messengers, would be through the feathers of a murder of crows.
Tumbling was heard from the west near the hotel kitchen as if something had fallen with a squawk. Her ears rose from the sudden sound of something falling in the snow.
"What do we have here? A dove?! Hmm," wondered the witch.
She reached towards the unconscious white bird, trembling from the tundra's frosty grasp. A loud screech echoed from the trees when a small black ball swept down and pecked Annette's fingers.
The black crow glared at the woman with killing intent. But there was a voice speaking in Annette's mind.
Male, sounding exhausted, and staggering in tone from the words formed in her mind, "You don't know the power we possess witch!" thought the black crow, extending its wings as a sign of dominance.
Her eyes widened from understanding what the avian had spoken to her as it were in human tongues. She couldn't help but chuckle about the strange encounter.
The white bird was wrapped gently with her scarf as she held it close to her chest for warmth. The black crow was still keeping his guard up.
But as the stranger they met, slowly stood, she waved her hand to come over as a signal to follow them. He does so with slight reluctance as he tries to ensure his sibling's safety.
They all entered the inn's kitchen and quietly made their way upstairs. Although, Cloette was also able to notice her mother's movements toward the upper floors.
Festivities were still going until dusk, and the dwindling of people had left only the owner, her son, the stagman, and the child. One by one, the guests exited to their duties as contributions to the village.
Some even were travelers from the West who needed lodging for the next couple of days. What brought a wonderous celebration was also the opportunity resulting in good fortune for the innkeeper.
Sqwaks were heard from Annette's room when everyone but Cloette was preoccupied with other activities. Cloette felt uneasy with how secretive her mother was with transporting something that a black crow would follow.
'Maybe a new patient like last time'. Thought Annette.
She went up the stairs and knocked on their room's door. Awaiting a response from the other side of the door, the dhampir fiddled with her fingers.
Nervous about whether her mother was having a rough time from the dancing they had done the night before. Cloette danced a bit until the knob was turned from the door.
She quickly stepped away from the door when it ajared outward and Annette peered out for a moment. With a widened expression, she smiled at Cloette as if a peculiar discovery had been made.
Her daughter knew what it meant at that moment. A new path has been opened for them to return home from the tundra.