Lord Red and Deneve found themselves high in the Crescent Mountains. They had spent the last week acquiring materials needed to make part of the key. They would have customarily headed back to Atosa’s camp after as they usually did. However, circumstances beyond their control had interrupted their usual routine.

It rained, and since rain was a rarity in the desert, this caused the situation they were in now. In fact, it had been a torrential downpour that had left both Deneve and Lord Red soaked to the skin. Then a landslide had blocked their way back.

Deneve had quickly dried herself using Marg’s power. However, getting around the landslide was problematic. So after a few hours of hiking, they decided to camp as it was getting dark fast. Lord Red set off to gather some brush for firewood as trees were very few and far between. Deneve didn’t see much point in pitching the tent as there were no sandstorms in the mountains and any threat of more rain was minimal at best.

Instead, she just made a fire pit by placing stones in a circle and set out their bedrolls on opposite sides of the fire. She knew it was going to get really cold, so she ensured they both had extra blankets.
She dug through their packs, looking for something to make for dinner. She had found some dried meat and bread. That would have to do for the night. Lord Red returned with an armful of brush, but something was very wrong. He was shivering uncontrollably. He dropped the firewood as Deneve ran over to him. She wrapped an arm around his waist, and he leaned into her.

“What happened? You’re freezing?” She asked, leading him over to the place where the fire was supposed to be.

“Sit!” she commanded once they got to his bedroll. He complied, and she gathered the brush he dropped to light the fire. Sending a fireball, it ignited the dry wood, and then Deneve grabbed a blanket to wrap around Lord Red’s shaking shoulders.

“It’s my own fault,” He said wryly. “The under layers of the robes are still wet.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Deneve scolded. “Take them off! Now!”

“I figured they were dry enough,” he said sheepishly as he took off his overcoat.

“Do you not understand how hypothermia works?” She lectured worriedly. His hands were shivering too hard to work the clasps of his outfit, so Deneve swatted them away, undoing the buckles herself. His outer robes were dry, but his trews and undershirt were still quite wet from the rainstorm earlier.

Calling on Marg, she sent a warm, dry breeze around him, trying to ignore the fact that his body did look way different than she remembered back in Tariff. Not like the old man he appeared at the time, in fact, rather lithe and muscular. Not the time, Deneve. You can ogle him when he’s not freezing to death.

“Thanks,” He managed to say through his chattering teeth.

Deneve walked to the other side of the now cheerily burning fire and placed a kettle with water near it before rooting in her pack for a mug and some star anise. She dropped the star anise into the cup before setting it down momentarily as she grabbed up her bedroll and walked over to Lord Red.

“What are you doing?” He asked through quivering lips.

“You need to get warm,” Deneve said simply as she smoothed the bedroll before heading back to the fire to pour a cup of warm tea.

“Your normal body temperature has dropped. That is why although you are dry now, you are still shivering.” She explained as she stepped over to hand him the mug, which he took gratefully. With shaking hands, he took a small sip.

“You will start feeling better once your body temperature has come up to normal.” She added as she grabbed the blankets, draping them over his shoulders before coming to stand in front of him.

“Why not hot tea then?” He queried, shivering a bit less now.

“Hot might shock your system. Warm is better until your temperature rises.” Deneve explained, turning around to sit directly on his lap.

Lord Red jumped at the suddenness of her actions as her bottom was pressed right against his groin. Her hips seemed to roll as she reached to pull the blankets over them both. Lifting her slightly, he shifted his legs so she was sitting between his legs and not on them. Deneve leaned back against his chest as he wrapped his arms around her. He was both thankful that the hypothermia had momentarily made him unable to respond, but at the same time, he was cursing it for that exact reason. “Thanks.”

“You are quite welcome, now drink your tea.” She instructed. The smile in her voice made him think she might have just possibly done that on purpose.