Elder Zijin checked his schedule for the rest of the month, while also cheg his schedule for the st month of the year. ‘So much work…’ He checked the schedule for a particur half elf out of habit. ‘Ah. He has decided against w for the rest of the month.’

  Zijin gnced across the st few days in which Adam refused to work in order to py with his children ahem used to Vonda. Out of the er of his eyes he noticed a particur mark he had made, estimating her arrival.

  ‘Oh, yes.’

  “Elder Zijin!” called an aide, causing the Elder to stand immediately.

  “What is it?”

  The purple hue of dusk filled the air, filling even the crevices of the shared estate of a particur family, and the ice all around it.

  Pam blinked, having just stepped into the shared estate, with Adam and Jurot leading the young woman and her father into the Main Iyr.

  Adam blinked, his body moving forward as he processed what he saw. He dropped to his knees and embraced his eldest daughter, who was busy screaming and sobbing, causing Adam’s breath to hitch, feeling the chill of the itering his lungs. The chill invaded every pour of his body.

  “What happened?” Adam asked, his voice having never been so bnd of emotion previously, his eyes glued to Vonda.

  Vonda winced, uo feel her arm, which was near frozen, her blood dripping out beside her. Vonda prayed to Mother Soza for warmth and life, her wounds quickly healing. “I eaking with Kirot and Karot, and I heard a cry beside me.” Vonda was gd she had mao cover her face just in time, otherwise the bst of ice could have blinded her.

  “Konarot, what…” Adam held the girl close to his chest, the girl still sobbing.

  “No!”

  “What do you mean?”

  “No! No!”

  Adam brushed her hair gently, feeling a dagger pushing deep within his heart. ‘Oh, my Konarot.’ “Did you do this?”

  Konarot’s face was still torted half within a cry and half in anger. She poio Vonda. “No!”

  Adam inhaled deeply once more before he pulled back away from the girl. “Go sit in the er.” Adam’s voice trembled slightly, but he cleared his throat aed himself. “Go sit in the er.”

  Konarot stared up at her father with a pout, g her fists wide oher side of her. Kirot and Karot stared at their elder sibling with shock. They hadn’t seen her bst like that sihey were out in the wild trying to search for their father. Konarot blinked a few times before she stormed off to the er and sat dowail burying into the snow behind her.

  “I’m sorry, Vonda,” Adam said, undoing his scarf and ing it around her neck. “I’ll discipline her properly.”

  The other Iyrmehe children away, the older Jarot with the twins against his chest, k within the snow nearby. The twins remained silent, their eyes wide, their eyes judging the mood by gng all across the adults’ face. Jirot looked up towards her greatfather, her lips shut firmly tight, her eyes saying all she o.

  ‘What the hell?’ Adam gnced around, gd to see no one else had been hurt. Adam wasn’t sure what would have happened if Konarot had hurt another child, though surely the Iyr wouldn’t have done anything to her? ‘I don’t want to know the ao that question…’ Adam’s heart began to beat harder as a pair of Iyrmen appeared.

  “What happened?” Elder Zijin asked, feeling the mood in the air. His eyes so the usual suspects, from Adam, to Jarot, to Jaygak, to Jirot. Then his eyes fell to Konarot, who sat by herself in the er.

  Vonda expihe situation calmly to the Elder, while Sonarot eventually took him aside to firm what the Ray said.

  ‘How did she…’ Adam let out a soft sigh. After a few minutes of thought, he called for his daughter who stood and shuffled her way towards her father, her tail leaving a trail behind her. She stood, head bowed, lips f a rge pout, her hands ched firmly beside her.

  “What happened?”

  “Huu.” The girl sniffled, taking in a soft breath. “She is not mommy.”

  “Daddy is going to get married to her, which is going to make her your mummy.”

  “She is not wife.”

  “She will be.”

  “She is not…”

  “Konarot…” Adam swallowed, feeling the gaze of everyone around. “Konarot, Vonda, follow me.” Adam turned, seeing the girl reach for his hand from the er of his eyes. He almost ig, but his heart sunk astretched a pinky for the girl.

  Ohey were he er of the courtyard, Adam dropped to a knee. “Konarot, listen to me. Vonda is kind. She’s sweet. She’s helped your father so much. Oime, your daddy fell into a deep hole. It was Vonda who fell with me, she reached out her hand to try and help me, but she fell with me. She k was dangerous, but she still helped me. She’s always helped me, so many times on our journeys. How you attack her? You shouldn’t be attag anyone, never mind Vonda who is so sweet and kind to everyone.”

  Konarot stared down at the snow, her leaf shaped ears falling.

  “Yeah, that’s right. You should feel ashamed for what you did to Vonda, who has always treated you so nicely.”

  Konarot shook as she began to cry, her face t as tears fell down her fabsp;

  Wisdom Save (Advantage)D20 + 4 = 8 (4)D20 + 4 = 18 (14)

  Adam’s heart sunk once more, and a deeper chill fell within him, but he crossed his arms and waited expetly.

  “Sohree, daddee,” the girl sobbed.

  “Why are you sorry to me? You should apologise to Vonda.” Adam remained waiting with his arms crossed.

  “Sohree, Vondah,” the girl sobbed.

  “She will be your mummy soon. If you don’t want to call her mummy, that’s fine, but then you ’t call me daddy.”

  “No?” Konarot asked, sobbing harder as the tears fell down her fabsp;

  “No.”

  “Daddy!”

  “How you attaeone, my dear? My Konarot. You used ice too?” Adam asked, his voice half filled with fusion.

  “She make me angry!”

  “I get angry too, but I don’t attack everyone! I don’t want to hear that you’ve attaeone again, especially Vonda.”

  “Daddy.”

  “Do you uand?”

  “Okay.”

  “Say yes or no.”

  “Yes, daddy.”

  “Am I your daddy?”

  “Yes, daddy!”

  “Then are you going to listen?”

  “Yes, daddy!”

  “Apologise to Vonda again.”

  “I am sohree Vondah,” the girl said through her sobs.

  “I want to see you hug.”

  Konarot stumbled over to Vonda’s leg, hugging it. Vonda fell down, embrag the girl to her chest. She brushed the girl’s hair with her warm hand, before quickly pulling it back. “You’re so cold.”

  Adam picked his daughter up, rubbing her cheek with his own, before pulling back with ho the cold was against his cheek. “Are you okay, Konababy?”

  “Okay,” the girl replied, while her father ed her face with his sleeve.

  “You’ve never been this cold before, my lovely. Let’s… let’s go get you checked out, okay?”

  “Okay.”

  “I will e,” Jarot said, watg as Adam carried the girl swiftly towards the exit, before limping after him.

  The s weled Adam, Jarot, and Konarot, who sucked her thumb. Adam tio brush her hand, his hand growing numb.

  “Why have you e?” the red skinned Iyrman asked, a purple x within the tre of her forehead, with hollowed hexes emanating outwards.

  “Konarot is really, really cold.”

  “It is worse than previous?” the Shaman asked.

  “Yeah.”

  The Shaman took the girl from her father, the girl gng back towards her father, pouting, while Lokat held the back of her hand against the girl’s cheek, before her hand snapped away.

  “What are you doing, you smelly girl, it’s Shaman Lokat. She’s been looking after you for years now.” Adam smiled warmly towards his daughter, his cheek and neck blue.

  “We must keep her for the evening.”

  “Daddy.” Konarot reached out for her father.

  “You have to stay here for the night.”

  “I will not be bad! Daddy! e!” The girl held out her hands, and Adam reached out for them as Konarot made to cry once more, the girl shaking and sobbing within the Shaman’s arms.

  Adam’s inhaled sharply, fighting away his tears. “You smelly girl. You aren’t a bad girl, you’re a good girl. I’m not going anywhere, I’ll be right here.”

  “I am sorry, daddy.”

  “I know, I know. I’m going to be right here, I promise.”

  “Daddy…”

  “I know,” Adam took the girl from the Shaman, holding her close. He kissed her cheek and neck all over.

  Health: 87 -> 86

  “Daddy…” Konarot stared up into his eyes, her silver eyes full of wetness.

  “Smelly girl, why are you so sad? You get to spend your time with daddy.” Adam blew a raspberry into her neck, causio squirm and she grabbed his shirt to keep him from esg.

  “Will you keep this old man waiting in the snow?” Jarot asked, catg Lokat’s eyes.

  “e in.”

  Adam settled himself within the er of the , feeling the warmth quickly invade his body.

  Health: 85 -> 86

  Jarot stepped aside with the Shaman, who poured the tea to warm them up. “Her veins glowed blue gently for a moment.”

  Lokat replied with a bow of her head, finishing the tea.

  Konarot eventually calmed down within her father’s arms. Adam held the girl, sipping his tea as he rocked, trying to keep himself warm. He could feel the cold seep deep within him, though as always, tea forced it away.

  “My baby.” Adam brushed her cheek tenderly, feeling his Health seep away.

  Health: 85 -> 84

  “Daddy.”

  “You’re my big girl. You’re Konarot, my most sensible Konarot. You always look so well after your younger siblings. I’ll love you forever, so you don’t have to worry about that.” Adam blew a raspberry into her neck.

  Health: 84 -> 83

  “I trust you the most out of all the children, but don’t tell them that, so you ot betray my trust, okay?” Adam pinched her cheek, narrowing his eyes at her pyfully.

  “Okay.” She reached out to hold her father’s hand in her own, her eyes glued into her father’s. She then leaned in to press her cheek against her father’s as they cuddled.

  Health: 83 -> 82

  “Cuddle your father all you want, my princess. What is all this Health for but to cuddle you?” Adam brushed his cheek against hers tenderly.

  “Daddy, staying?”

  “That’s right, my sweet.”

  “Okay.” The girl hugged her father tighter.

  Lokat wasn’t sure if she could ask for Adam to leave now. ‘…’

  “I will return to watch over Kirot and Karot,” Jarot said, hoisting himself up from his seat. He reached over to brush the girl’s hair, before leaning down to kiss her forehead. “If the Shamans bully you, you must tell your babo.”

  “Okay.” Konarot waved her hand as the old ma.

  Jarot stepped out of the . He ihe crisp air, reag up to brush his cheek, feeling the frost against him. ‘Why am I training but to watch over you, my Konarot?’

  Lokat spent the hours testing the girl, cheg her breath, then feeling the girl’s bare skin. She sipped red potion after red potion as she tinued her tests, noting the chill growing deeper towards the girl’s stomabsp;

  “Was she angry?” Lokat asked.

  “Yeah,” Adam replied, rubbing his hands and his cheek to keep himself warm.

  Health: 89 -> 90

  ‘It’s getting slower,’ Adam thought.

  Lokat warmed up her hands before she pressed them against her stomach, gently pressing into the girl’s skily, downing potion after potioween warming up her hands. Konarot’s tail swayed with every toubsp;

  “I heal you,” Adam offered.

  “It is not required,” Lokat assured.

  “It will warm you up too.”

  “Okay.”

  Adam held the Shaman’s hands between his pressing the girl, dipping into his Lay on Hands with singur points. “If you it stronger, let me know.”

  “This is fine.” Lokat tio press against the girl’s tummy, until she finished pressing against the girl’s stomach. She inhaled deeply, unsure of how to proceed. She reached for the girl’s tail and did the same, Konarot doing her best to keep her tail still. “Stay here tonight. I will cook you soup and check you ter.”

  “What do we say to Shaman Lokat for helping?” Adam asked.

  “Thank you,” the girl replied, tapping her .

  Lokat began to cook the soup, though stepped out, gng towards her side, towards the aide. She could see the faint outline of Elder Shaman sippiea, with a red sparrow staring right at her.

  O was night, the daddy daughter duo cuddled together, the girl’s body having warmed up until it was bearable. Adam held the girl tightly against his chest.

  “You ’t act up to cuddle me like this, okay?”

  “Okay.”

  “Promise?”

  “Pramis.”

  Adam kissed the top of her head, ruffling her silver hair. The girl slowly fell asleep, while Adam stared at his daughter’s faoting the scar across her cheek. ‘The world is so unfair to you, my Konarot. I didn’t even use an Omen and…’

  Adam let out a soft sigh, before closing his eyes to sleep.

  No! How this happen to our Konarot?