Keva stepped from the Whyte Plain into the familiar frozen north village of the Berserker Bear clan.

This could be one of the dumbest things she had ever done. Yrsa had denied them help once before, but she had to try again, she had to. She wouldn't come back to her people empty handed. She just had to make Yrsa see reason.

It was early morning but the village was full of activity, some recognized her, none raised their hand in greeting. She got cold stares from the people here. She pushed past the judgments and pushed open the lodge doors and into the main building of the village where Yrsa sat on her large ornate chair, judging over some dispute or other. Keva's entrance was not lost on the Chieftainess.

"I have no words for you, you may leave," Yrsa said curtly loud enough for the whole room to hear.

Keva stood there, with her back to the central bon fire roaring behind her, "I have come to offer you another chance to give aid to those who have asked. Please, my people are fighting for their lives and justice itself. If the vampires win today, they will be free to expand. And, if left unchecked, it wont be long before they find their way here."

"Let them come," Yrsa scoffed. "We have delt with Revenants before, and these will be no different. I have given my judgment, you may leave."

Keva stood proud and firm, looking around the lodge at all the guests that she didn't recognize. There were a lot of people here, and many of whom she didn't recognize. She contemplated challenging Yrsa, by calling out to those around her. She almost did. She also knew that if she did that, Yrsa might want to fight her to answer the challenge. It was a no-win situation for her. Taking one last look around the lodge at the other people there, she turned and walked out.

Being met with the icy blast of winter air outside the lodge, she looked around the village with resignation. After everything she had sacrificed to get here, to leave her pack and come here alone, risking the Whyte Plain by herself. All these risks, and the loss of Erato, only to be turned away, not once, but twice was just something that she couldn't face right now. With no other options and no where to go, she sat down heavily on a log bench near one of the cabins off the main lodge and buried her face in her hands.

"Hey there, traveler. Is this bench taken?"

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Keva looked up suddenly. She wasn't sure what time it was, and she wasn't sure when she had fallen asleep. She looked up to see a tall blond man. His blue eyes were stunning and he was well built. Keva shook her head and put her head down again, not wanting to speak to anyone right now.

"I appreciate the offer, Miss."

Keva felt the man sit down more than see anything, she was focused on the ground in between her feet.

"The weather has been really nice lately," the was saying, Keva didn't respond. "I'd say we still have one, maybe two, good winter storms left in the season before Spring is really upon us. Are you more of a Spring and summer person, or a winter person?"

Keva shrugged. She really didn't want to talk to anyone, and she certainly did not want to talk about the weather. Thousands of miles away, her pack was getting ready to assault Dukart tower and her she was here, selfishly feeling sorry for herself.

"I guess up here you pretty much have to be a winter person, there's not much else to compare it to!" He laughed at his own joke.

Keva just wanted him to go away. She lifted her eyes and turned to look at him. The guy had a pretty attractive smile. He was looking out over the village, not at her at all. "Look, I'm not really in the mood right now. Can we pick up this conversation later, please?"

The guy turned his head towards her and nodded. "I'm sorry. I guess I was rambling there a bit. It's a bit of a cope on my part. I always get a little nervous the night before. You know?"

Keva was confused by his response. "Um, no? No, I have no idea what you're talking about."

"I've heard it called the prefight jitters, you know. The flood of adrenaline and dopamine before the fight, where your body is tense and ready like a spring, but you have to hold it back till the right time. I've always had problems with it since I was young."

Keva took a good look at the man who was sitting beside her. Had she seen him in the lodge earlier? Standing near Yrsa's throne? Looking at his face, she saw the fine lines of age around his eyes and mouth, he was a lot older than she would have at first guessed. The fact that he spoke very good English was also something that registered with her, but only just on this side of her subconscious.

"Are you expecting a fight soon, or a battle?" Keva was cautious and still very confused, but it was better than listening to him prattle on about the weather.

"Well, Miss, I would expect that that would depend on you."

Keva slowly sat up straight. So, this was the man who would try to kill her for daring to challenge Yrsa. So be it. She may be depressed at her failure, but she wasn't going to just roll over and let herself be killed by one of these northerners.

Keva stood up and faced the man who remained seated, "Then is this to be done here, or in the circle?"

"The circle?" It was the man's turn to look completely confused.

Keva scoffed, "Oh come on! Don't think of me as an idiot, ok? I know that Yrsa sent you, so how is this gonna go?"

The man smiled and put his head down, shaking it and started laughing.

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