He thought about what he should ask for. Even though she was a friend he wasn't comfortable with imposing on others. "Hmm, then how about something simple? Bread and warm stew sounds good, especially since the weather is getting colder. Animals will start preparing for the long cold of Glaciem, which means I'll probably have to start preparing to stock up as well." He regretted not having put in a vegetable garden during Ignius. Once the chill set in, leafy vegetables would be more expensive and would have to be imported. The rice fields around Nisshoki would be harvested soon, but at least fish would still be relatively stable in price all year round.

Speaking of jobs, the changing seasons would affect his work as well. Not many would come to buy flowers unless they were holding a funeral or a wedding. "I might need to find myself a new part-time job soon…I didn't realize it until now. Once the frost begins flowers will be dormant until early Terra. There's always more work to do, isn't there? And to think I still have repairs and other things to handle back home." Cymbel felt weary just from thinking about it. Come to think of it, he had never truly experienced snow aside from the sudden cold snap caused by the cursed vault. He was still green at learning to live on his own, and in hindsight realized he should have arranged his time more wisely.

"Does it ever grow cold here? Normally the southern regions are warmer in general, but being close to the sea will bring in cool breezes."  

"Your wish is my command," Vinsue said before closing her eyes and conjuring up the food on the cave floor. The trick was in remembering how it felt and tasted. She focused on a venison stew she recently enjoyed and then focused on a loaf of bread. It has been years since she last ate bread but she did know the smell so she hoped she got it right. When Vinsue opened her eyes she saw a steaming plate of stew and a small loaf of bread. She then got up. "I'll be back," she said before leaving the room. She left to get a jar of smoked fish and to give Cielben a chance to feed the hatchlings the bread if it did not taste right. She would sit down when she returned and would open the jar of fish. 

"I would offer ya a job but you are not cut out for my line of work. not meaning to offend you or anything." she could easily see by the fact of how uncomparable he was at the tavern that a lifeline job was not for him. She knew that he would get caught in less than a week and either killed or used to try and catch her. No, her line of work was not for him. "I may be able to help you with some of the repairs and I know how to smoke meat, so I may be able to help ya prepare for winter." She thought it the least she could do for the guy that brought her child home to her. and if not that a friend will always be willing to help a friend,

"As far as I know it only gets cooler when the mist is in but that's about it. Then again I usually sleep if I get cold due to my bloodline. There was only once I Got to see snow and that was due to a favorable event and an accidental wandering that I would love to forget." She shivered remembering her skin turn red as snow gathered.

The warmth from the stew was enough to make him feel less cold. Breathing the aroma, he wanted to take his time savoring it. It had been a while since he had such a good meal like this. Seasonings were a luxury that he soon learned after leaving his father's house. Even salt had its price fluctuations, and he grew to appreciate the flavors of food in season. When they all sat down to eat, Cymbel didn't feel too upset at Vinsue's remark. "It's fine, I'm well aware of my rather limited abilities. I'm just happy that I have a source of income from an employer. It makes one feel as if they might be able to do something after all. I don't want to impose, but I could use the help in repairing the house. It's been uninhabited for quite some time, and the only reason why it hasn't fallen into scrap is due to its original workmanship. If it had been built by a lesser carpenter, it would be fodder for the trees."

The suggestion of preserving food got his attention. "Yes, I'd be happy to learn how. It would help ease my costs a bit, even if it isn't much. Ah I should probably ask my supervisor if she knows how to preserve vegetables… There are plenty of older customers who stop by often. They've…also spread the word of my hiring rather quickly which had drawn more people to window shop as of late." The thought of it made him embarrassed. The housewives and grandmothers were the first to know when anything new was going on and if anyone new was in the neighborhood. And some of the more pushy ones were already hinting to him on how he should meet their 'sister's daughter' or the 'niece of their friend'. 

"Oh, so the temperature is rather stable then. That's good to hear. I suppose if you want to visit me over in Parvpora it'll be sometime soon or after the first weeks of Terra. Nisshoki does have its share of snow, and the humidity will make it even colder. I might need to purchase a set of winter clothes before the first frost." The bread was good, a familiar taste after eating rice and noodles for so long. Although Ataiyan cuisine was delicious, it didn't have the same filling texture as baked bread. Breaking off pieces, he dipped them into the stew taking his time to eat.

"Tomorrow morning I'll be headed back across the ocean. I asked for a few days' leave so I could bring your little one back, but I don't want to give a poor impression for having only worked a little more than a week. If you want to find me during the day, I am currently working at the Amakusa Flower Shop in the city. Business won't pick up until the season for people to venerate their ancestors begins, so I don't think my employer will mind."

It was nice to see that he enjoyed the meal and had no complaints on the bread.  "Thats something i can't do. Having a superior was not for me. For that and many other reasons I could not get a job with a predictable pays but i am just fine with that. There are things i kneed to do." She said. Having a boss would drive her mad. "It will not hurt my plans to help" 

"It is a good idea to get help from elders if you can. There are a lot of things i wish i was told before lurning the hard way. Like the horror of cold." She said watching her whelps now fuss at one another. Soon they would likely fight but as long as they are not drawing blood Vinsue would not stop them. A dominant would need to be known or they would never get along. 

"I will come a few days behind you if thats ok, i have a few things I need to do tomorrow in town. Speaking of town. It is a good idea to put most your money around your neck or in your shoe. But leave anouph coin in your pocket for a drink at the local taverns so that the many theaves get something but not everything and do not know you're hiding some." She said before tossing him his wallet. "Calt a slug takeing that as we left town." It was actually kind of fun to pick pocket a pickpocket. 

He hadn't noticed his wallet was gone, but then again there wasn't much in there anyways. Thrifty as he was, he saved whatever he could and put it aside to only take what he needed for that day's purchases. Taking it back, he checked the contents and was relieved. He still had enough for an airship ticket back to Ataiyo. "I'll keep that in mind should I ever have to come through that side of the coast again." He nodded.

They talked long into the night, and by the time it was late they were both up to speed on each others' lives since their last adventure. Cymbel let his eyes rest as he waited for daybreak. The next morning, he was off to the docks. The airship he had arrived on was still at port, and he waved goodbye to his old friend as he boarded. Once on the deck, he nervously checked if any of his things were missing. Thankfully, nothing was. The last bit of coin he had on him was spent for his boarding pass and he settled into a seat by the window. It would be at least a day until he would be back in Parvpora, and then he could report back to his supervisor that he had returned. "House repairs, salted fish, and pickled vegetables…" He murmured to himself, reviewing what he would need to do in the next coming weeks. An hour later, the announcement from the crew stated they were preparing for takeoff, and the airship began to move.

When they were in the air, he watched as Vilpamolan grew smaller and more distant with each passing minute until it vanished into the ocean blue. Somewhere along the trip he fell asleep and awoke just a little before their arrival in Nisshoki. It was mid-morning, and there was still time to drop by the flower shop. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he filed out with the rest of the passengers into the city streets. Opening his parasol, he shaded himself as he waded through the busy crowds. "Time to get back to work…"

That morning after saying bye to her old friend she visited the bar and had an ale before catching up on the things she missed by getting her kid back. She told her crew that they can stop searching and all the good stuff.

She flew to Nisshoki in her trew form alowimg the hatchlings to glide and test there wings with the currents in the sky. The hatchings rested on her back when not in flight. It was early in the morning when she arrived. 

Landing a few miles away she switched to her human form still wearing the brown robe with its hood up. Her hatchings on her shoulder. She walked into town. First to a place to eat. She drank some coffee and ate some meat before going to the flower shop.

She was dead tired but the hatchlings were more than hyper and ready to run about. Vinsues instruction the only thing keeping thim from doing that.