There was a slight problem with the building of the snowman. Lysander had never made one. Oh, he had seen a couple. They were like three giant snowballs, one atop the other. With a carrot, something they didn't have, for a nose. And they had a pot for a hat. Well, Lysander didn't want to waste his pot.
He knew that it was going to get rusty, if left in the elements. They needed the pot more, than the snowman needed a hat. Yet, Erin was practically bouncing in place. The blonde deserved a princely snowman. Could Lysander deliver?
"Rin, how is a snowman made?" Lysander asked. Erin blinked at him.
"Ly, you don't know how to make a snowman?" He asked. Lysander blushed, and looked down at his feet.
"Well, I... sorry?" Lysander tried. He had planned to tell Erin of his shortcomings before they went for the cabbage, but had kept his mouth shut. A part of him feared that Erin was going to throw a tantrum, if he didn't get a snowman.
"I'll teach you, then! You make a snowball, and then roll it around. Like this!" Erin bend, and began to make the first giant snowball. Lysander watched the blonde like a hawk. The technique seemed simple enough, Lysander thought to himself. Surely, he could make a ball himself? "Come on, Ly. Your turn!"
Lysander blinked, and saw, that Erin was standing before a large snowball. He smiled brightly, and then began to copy what the blonde did. His fingers got cold, but he persevered. No way was he giving up!
When he had a layer made, he bent, and gently scooped it up. Then, he carried it to the one which Erin made, and placed it on top. Erin looked at the two giant snowballs, and giggled.
"You were supposed to make a smaller snowball, Ly," he said, between giggles. "Now our snowman will be apple shaped."
"Well, that means it is a rich snowman," Lysander said, happy that Erin was happy.
"No, he is not only rich, but also a lord," Erin said, as he clutched at his stomach, his body shaking with laughter.
"Lord Snow-a-lot!" Lysander agreed, pumping his fist high.
"All hail Lord Snow-a-lot," Erin chorused, and then went to Lysander. The wanderer finally saw that Erin had made another layer for the snowman. Erin placed it on top of the second layer, and then turned to Lysander.
"Do we have a carrot?" Erin asked. Lysander shook his head. "Then, can we use a cabbage?"
"We are not wasting food, Rin. It is rude," Lysander didn't want to give up even a single cabbage head, to Lord Snow-a-lot.
"Ok," Erin looked around himself, and then went, and picked a half-covered twig from the snow. He went back to the snowman, and gently broke the twig in three parts.
"One for the left eye," Erin said, and then placed one part in the place of the left eye. "One for the right."
As Lysander watched, as Erin placed the final twig where the nose should be, he got an idea. Even though his fingers were freezing, he moved them over where the mouth should be, and drew a smile in the snow.
Lord Snow-a-lot looked strange. Yet, no stranger than some insects in the frontier.
"He needs a story," Erin said, when he finished placing the twig in the nose area.
"Ok, but we have to go back inside. The fire might burn out," Lysander said, as he took Erin's hand in his.
"Oh, but I wanted to play some more," the blonde whined. His life with Lysander was a constant state of work, and no play. This was the most fun he has had, since...
Thinking about his parents, made Erin look down at his feet.
"Rin, you are not a baby anymore," Lysander said, and then tugged him back to the house. "We will stock the fire, and as I am making the sauerkraut and the dinner, you can think up a story for Lord Snow-a-lot."
"I might not be a baby, but I am still small," Erin protested. Lysander sighed.
"We are the same age, Rin. Do you see me acting like that?" Lysander said. Erin finally moved, then. Giving up the fight for more playtime.
"If I help with the making of the sauerkraut, can we go out to play some more?" Erin asked, hope in his voice.
"No way! When it is dark, there are predators out in the forest. Remember, Belle's barrier can only protect us, if we are inside the hut," Lysander knew that every outing was a risk. Soon, they would have to stay inside the hut, and even lock it! This was the frontier. If Belle hadn't given them her protection, then Lysander wouldn't have stayed in here during the winter.
Even the busy town streets were safer for a wanderer, than the wilderness. He had learned this lesson the hard way. It didn't matter, that no one wanted him in their towns and villages. He could always hide who he was. But if he ended up in a hostile place for the winter, that might cost him his life.
With the door closed, the barrier activated. Soon, no one was going to even be able to come anywhere near the oak tree, or see the hut. Lysander liked that very much.
"Wait, Ly, what about Lord Snow-a-lot? What is going to protect him, during the night?" Erin asked. Lysander blinked.
"Well, I don't know? But, do you know what? Despite his old age, and his potbelly, Lord Snow-a-lot was a warrior back in the day. He can guard himself, and us, too," Lysander didn't like lying to Erin, but sometimes, he had to treat the blonde like the child he was.
"Oh, so, he is going to protect us?" Erin asked, looking at the door.
"I bet Belle will even give him a sword and shield, if he asked," Lysander said with a grin.
The truth was, that the barrier was going to protect them. Lord Snow-a-lot was safer in the cold, than in the warm hut. One day, Erin was going to catch up to all the white lies that Lysander told him, to keep him happy. On that day, he'd probably tug Lysander's ear off. But, until then, Lysander was going to cash in on Erin's innocence.
There was a slight problem with the building of the snowman. Lysander had never made one. Oh, he had seen a couple. They were like three giant snowballs, one atop the other. With a carrot, something they didn't have, for a nose. And they had a pot for a hat. Well, Lysander didn't want to waste his pot.
He knew that it was going to get rusty, if left in the elements. They needed the pot more, than the snowman needed a hat. Yet, Erin was practically bouncing in place. The blonde deserved a princely snowman. Could Lysander deliver?
"Rin, how is a snowman made?" Lysander asked. Erin blinked at him.
"Ly, you don't know how to make a snowman?" He asked. Lysander blushed, and looked down at his feet.
"Well, I... sorry?" Lysander tried. He had planned to tell Erin of his shortcomings before they went for the cabbage, but had kept his mouth shut. A part of him feared that Erin was going to throw a tantrum, if he didn't get a snowman.
"I'll teach you, then! You make a snowball, and then roll it around. Like this!" Erin bend, and began to make the first giant snowball. Lysander watched the blonde like a hawk. The technique seemed simple enough, Lysander thought to himself. Surely, he could make a ball himself? "Come on, Ly. Your turn!"
Lysander blinked, and saw, that Erin was standing before a large snowball. He smiled brightly, and then began to copy what the blonde did. His fingers got cold, but he persevered. No way was he giving up!
When he had a layer made, he bent, and gently scooped it up. Then, he carried it to the one which Erin made, and placed it on top. Erin looked at the two giant snowballs, and giggled.
"You were supposed to make a smaller snowball, Ly," he said, between giggles. "Now our snowman will be apple shaped."
"Well, that means it is a rich snowman," Lysander said, happy that Erin was happy.
"No, he is not only rich, but also a lord," Erin said, as he clutched at his stomach, his body shaking with laughter.
"Lord Snow-a-lot!" Lysander agreed, pumping his fist high.
"All hail Lord Snow-a-lot," Erin chorused, and then went to Lysander. The wanderer finally saw that Erin had made another layer for the snowman. Erin placed it on top of the second layer, and then turned to Lysander.
"Do we have a carrot?" Erin asked. Lysander shook his head. "Then, can we use a cabbage?"
"We are not wasting food, Rin. It is rude," Lysander didn't want to give up even a single cabbage head, to Lord Snow-a-lot.
"Ok," Erin looked around himself, and then went, and picked a half-covered twig from the snow. He went back to the snowman, and gently broke the twig in three parts.
"One for the left eye," Erin said, and then placed one part in the place of the left eye. "One for the right."
As Lysander watched, as Erin placed the final twig where the nose should be, he got an idea. Even though his fingers were freezing, he moved them over where the mouth should be, and drew a smile in the snow.
Lord Snow-a-lot looked strange. Yet, no stranger than some insects in the frontier.
"He needs a story," Erin said, when he finished placing the twig in the nose area.
"Ok, but we have to go back inside. The fire might burn out," Lysander said, as he took Erin's hand in his.
"Oh, but I wanted to play some more," the blonde whined. His life with Lysander was a constant state of work, and no play. This was the most fun he has had, since...
Thinking about his parents, made Erin look down at his feet.
"Rin, you are not a baby anymore," Lysander said, and then tugged him back to the house. "We will stock the fire, and as I am making the sauerkraut and the dinner, you can think up a story for Lord Snow-a-lot."
"I might not be a baby, but I am still small," Erin protested. Lysander sighed.
"We are the same age, Rin. Do you see me acting like that?" Lysander said. Erin finally moved, then. Giving up the fight for more playtime.
"If I help with the making of the sauerkraut, can we go out to play some more?" Erin asked, hope in his voice.
"No way! When it is dark, there are predators out in the forest. Remember, Belle's barrier can only protect us, if we are inside the hut," Lysander knew that every outing was a risk. Soon, they would have to stay inside the hut, and even lock it! This was the frontier. If Belle hadn't given them her protection, then Lysander wouldn't have stayed in here during the winter.
Even the busy town streets were safer for a wanderer, than the wilderness. He had learned this lesson the hard way. It didn't matter, that no one wanted him in their towns and villages. He could always hide who he was. But if he ended up in a hostile place for the winter, that might cost him his life.
With the door closed, the barrier activated. Soon, no one was going to even be able to come anywhere near the oak tree, or see the hut. Lysander liked that very much.
"Wait, Ly, what about Lord Snow-a-lot? What is going to protect him, during the night?" Erin asked. Lysander blinked.
"Well, I don't know? But, do you know what? Despite his old age, and his potbelly, Lord Snow-a-lot was a warrior back in the day. He can guard himself, and us, too," Lysander didn't like lying to Erin, but sometimes, he had to treat the blonde like the child he was.
"Oh, so, he is going to protect us?" Erin asked, looking at the door.
"I bet Belle will even give him a sword and shield, if he asked," Lysander said with a grin.
The truth was, that the barrier was going to protect them. Lord Snow-a-lot was safer in the cold, than in the warm hut. One day, Erin was going to catch up to all the white lies that Lysander told him, to keep him happy. On that day, he'd probably tug Lysander's ear off. But, until then, Lysander was going to cash in on Erin's innocence.
