strangetrip | Winter's Crest Snow Day [GP]

The Inn was decorated in, if possible, an even more outlandish style than usual. Garlands of evergreens and bright berries competed with gold angels and cheerful small grinning creatures with pointed ears and shoes. A large fir tree had appeared seemingly from nowhere and was now draped with lights and hung with colored glass balls. At the top perched a figure in white robes with wings.

It was, Percy mused, probably for whatever the local holiday was, but it was also close enough to Winter's Crest decorations for him to feel a bit homesick for Whitestone. After all, it was only a year ago that he'd been able to celebrate Winter's Crest in his home city for the first time in years.

Something was still missing - or rather, many things were missing but one thing that he could solve for. Winter's Crest called for snow, and better snow in abundance. To solve for that last problem, he turned to a gnome of exceptional talent. While he didn't know how Sarenrae's power worked, he did have complete faith in her cleric. And thus, together, they concocted a plan: to turn the weather to a more appropriate clime.

The morning of December 20th dawned as it often did in this place - heavy with clouds that would burn off before noon. The clouds were important. They would make the spell casting easier, and Pike knew that she needed all the help she could get. Weather magic was not her forte. Like all clerics with powers as advanced as hers, she knew the right spell but when you had a druid around, there hadn't been much need for her to use it.

Dressed in a warm coat and a big floppy, knit cap, she sat on the ground with her legs crossed. Holding her holy symbol in both hands, she concentrated on the sky. As the Celestial incantation took root, golden rays of light encircled her and rose into the air. With each heartbeat, she could feel Sarenrae's power drawing warmth from the clouds above and into her body.

It took ten minutes to cast the spell and another twenty minutes for it to take effect. The spell would fade if she didn't maintain concentration all day, but it was a small price to pay.

And that's how, before the sun had completely finished rising, it was snowing on the Madonna Inn.

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"Good to know," Curnen acknowledged. She was far enough out of the curse by now that culinary efforts weren't wasted on her, and this tasted lovely. "Where we going?"

"Does it matter?" he asked, a curious smirk curling the corners of his mouth. He opened to the door to lead her inside. "Trust me a few minutes longer."

Oh, boy, man surprises. They could be such kids about it, teasing and drawing it out, but it was kind of sweet so Curnen went along with it. "All right," she said, as though she were allowing this only after careful consideration of her options.

Almost everyone was outside in the snow, so it had been safe to leave it in the cafe, in the back booth. On the table, a gift bag Lillith had assured him was pretty stood several feet high, and was tied with a bow. "It's for you."

"Oh." Curnen hadn't known quite what she'd been expecting, but between her curiosity and Kash being so adorably pleased with himself, she couldn't resist for long. She emptied her cup before setting it down on the first available surface and moving in to untie the bow and see what the hell it was.

Inside was a fountain composed of three stone bowls on a geometric frame. He had shaped the rock with magic and polished it until it shone. Then he'd gone to Percy to ask for help making the water circulate.

At the base of the fountain sat a small jewelry box. Inside it were two of the small number of pretty pebbles he had spent 50 gp in ruby dust to enchant with continual flame, back in Vassalheim. They came in handy on hunts sometimes. Until she opened the box, it emitted neither light nor heat. And when she did, it blazed brighter than flame but without warmth.

It was beautiful, and Curnen was speechless. Hers was not the same magic, but even so she could still tell that a lot of work had gone into this. Tentatively she opened the box, running her fingers over the stones.

Eventually she laughed to herself and said, "Well, shit, what I got for you'll seem downright shabby."

"It doesn't matter," Kash said and meant it. He could count the number of gifts he'd received in his life on two hands.

"The pebbles have a continual flame spell. They won't go out, not without magic. But you can cover them when you don't want light. People control light." Not animals.

"I dunno what to say," she murmured. When she looked back at Kash there were tears in her eyes, but she was grinning. "Thank you."

Kash wrapped an arm around her shoulder and gave her a quick squeeze. "I think you just said it."

Winter's Crest Snow Day [GP]

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