-------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Snowman Slaughter Date: January 8, 1997 Places: Benden Weyr's Living Cavern and Lake Shore Game: PernMUSH Copyright Info: The World of Pern is copyright(c) to Anne McCaffrey l967. The Dragonriders of Pern(r) is a registered copyright. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Kassi's Note: Kassima's up to her old tricks again in this log--this is the second day of her proddiness, and she's discovered a wonderful thing: random acts of violence on inanimate objects prove marvelously therapeutic. Though Kassi spends most of this log at the Lake Shore, I included some +watch foo from the LC as it proves to have a later effect on events. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Log: Benden LC> Asrai smiles and nods, "Must be nice to have family though." She looks arround, as her glance passes over Salless, it becomes worried, "Umm K'nan...can I ask you a queston?" Benden LC> K'nan looks up and raises an eyebrow. "Sure, ask away." <*> Lysseth spreads her wings to their full extent, bringing them down with a rush of wind as she leaps nimbly into the air. You spring from Lysseth's Ledge with one downsweep of your wings, soaring into the sky above the Northern Bowl. You fly towards the south end of the bowl. You fly downwards and into the waters of the lake. Benden LC> Asrai chews on her lower lip, keeping her voice pitched low... like a stage whisper, "Some people have been saying that Kassi is..well that she's cought the Benden Flu. Have you heard anything about it? I had hoped she tell me something like that..." You slide off of Lysseth's neck to land beside her easily. She rumbles, cocking her head down at you, and you rub her eyeridges gratefully. Benden Weyr> Kassima aighs! at Asrai. Benden Weyr> Asrai smiles innocently, "what?" Benden LC> K'nan's eyes widen in something resembling surprise. "They have? I havena heard anything about it...nor have I noticed that she's been seeing anyone...but...I suppose it's possible. I'll ask her when I get a chance." Benden LC> Asrai nods, her face a picture of thankfullness, "Good..i didn't want to be the one to bring it up...specially if she's sensitive bout it." Benden LC> K'nan chuckles, "I doubt she is...but...." Benden LC> Asrai finishes off her citron, "Well, I'm going to go play outside...care to join me?" Benden LC> K'nan considers for a moment, then tosses back the last of his klah. "Sure, why not?" Benden LC> Asrai grins and stand sup, taking up her furlined wherhide jacket and donning it, along with some thick gloves. Benden LC> Asrai stands waiting...trying to be patient...really. Benden LC> K'nan climbs to his feet, shrugging his jacket back on. "Alright, let's go." Benden LC> Asrai grins and in her excitement grabs K'nan's hand, dragging him outside. Benden LC> Asrai walks down the short tunnel and out into the bowl. Benden LC> K'nan walks down the short tunnel and out into the bowl. Asrai heads over from the South Bowl. Asrai comes trudging up through the snow, dragging K'nan behind her, "Kassi!" she wavees a bright greeting. K'nan heads over from the South Bowl. Veyath lumbers in from the South Bowl. Kassima actually whistles--cheerfully, even--as she starts packing snow up into snowmen. Without wearing gloves, her hands must surely be freezing, but she doesn't seem to notice. As she happily works on the twisted snow sculptures, she occasionally goes so far as to break into song for a few verses. Lysseth, apparently just restless rather than irate for once, is curled up around one of the more hideous figures; she seems to have, in fact, bit its head off, judging by the fact that it is missing, and there is snow on her muzzle. Since their pet is in a good mood, all thirty-four of Kassi's male fire-lizards have swarmed around her for a change... but, of the greens and gold, there is noticeably no sign. "Asrai, K'nan! Heya!" Kassi waves one hand in greeting to her friends. Said hand contains a knife, which she was apparently using on the hapless snowman. K'nan stops as he spies Kassi and the snowmen. Grinning, he returns the wave after a moment, shaking his head. "Heya, Kassi...having fun, are we?" Asrai comes to a halt, but doesn't let go of K'nan's hand...instead she grasps it even tighter as her eyes take in the sight of what at first appear to be harmless snowmen. Kassima grins, showing a few too many teeth for comfort. "Very much so! Been practicing a bit of my arts, y'know, and I figured that snowmen would make *great* targets. Look, look--" She springs over to one and pats it on the head. "I call this one, 'The Horror of Reality Versus the Terror of Nonexistance.'" The snowman in question is doubled over, clutching his head, his mouth frozen in a silent scream of anguish. "Aren't they fabulous?" K'nan squeezes Asrai's hand lightly, glancing down at her comfortingly. Back to Kassi, "Aye, that they are...very good work, Kassi." Asrai bites her lower lip, "Kassi...you alright?" Kassima beams and, with a sudden downward slash of the knife, cuts the snowman's head off. It rolls over and over, coming to a stop at her friends' feet. She then starts working on a new one. "Head wasn't quite right... hmmm? Oh, a'course nay; you can see for yourself...." She gestures to the luminescent Lysseth. "But at least I've found something to occupy the time, y'know?" K'nan takes an involuntary step back as the snow-head rolls over. He chuckles, "Better'n some ways of occupying yourself, I suppose..at least, Uri'd agree." Veyath settles as far away from Lysseth as is possible and still be near K'nan. Kassima hrmphs, and snorts. "I imagine so. Over-cheerful wherry. Someone should hit him upside the head with a mug or something...." Lysseth looks over and rumbles agreement, then chews off one of her snowman's arms and crunches the stick. She spits it out with a snort of disgust. K'nan mutters to Asrai, "Don't... this - she's... enough." Asrai stumbles back, tripping and landing on her butt in the snow, her eyes widen in horror as the snowman's head rolls till it seems to be looking right at her. Swallowing hard she stands quickly, brushing herself off. It is then that she notices the rather glowing hide of Lysseth, her mouth forms a small 'O' Asrai nods to K'nan, her eyes still a bit unsettled, despite his reasurances. Kassima steps back from her snowman, hefting her knife thoughtfully. "Looks like he's repaired... K'nan? Want to take a shot? Don't believe I've ever seen you at the knife-work, and competition improves practices, don't you know. Asrai, can you throw?" K'nan looks at the snowman thoughtfully, "Hmm...using 'em for target practice, are you? Sure, got an extra knife on you?" Asrai swallows once more, nodding absently, "Umm, yeah, been practicing since i got here.." Kassima snorts. "Need you ask?" She produces four knives from her belt and two from he boots, offering them to K'nan and Asrai. Lysseth turns to watch, lying a considerable distance from the unfortunate snowmen and thus in no danger of being hit herself. K'nan reaches out and takes one knife, hefting it in his hand to test the weight. Flipping it and easily catching it by the blade again, he tests the weight from that side thoughtfully. "Not bad...not bad a'tall." Asrai takes the knife in her palm, taking one last look ove to Lysseth....thankfully a visable reason for her friends...actions. She also flips the knife in her hand, trying to get used to the difference between her own knife and this one made for throwing. Kassima shakes her head. "Wouldn't do to carry bad knives, y'know. Might need 'em for something, and then you'd be stuck. But these're air-swift-- here, I'll demonstrate--" You can barely see her hand move as the light suddenly glitters off of a silver blade before said blade is hilt-deep in a snowman's eye-socket. "Naught to it." K'nan whistles under his breath, "Nice shot!" Kassima smiles, surveying the hit. "Aye, thankee; a bit off-center, though. Mayhaps I'm getting rusty...." Asrai blinks, looking between her knife and the one now burried in the snowman's eye. she thinks for a moment gauging the distance. With a quick flick of her wrist...not as fast as Kassi's...but smooth nonetheless, she burries it deep into the other eye. Kassima blinks and stares at the shot. "That," she says, "is sharding good, Asrai. I'd been throwing six Turns 'fore I could do that so smoothly. You've a natural skill for it, I think." K'nan tosses the knife in his hand for a moment, gauging the distance to the snowman. After a few moments, he shrugs and begins to turn away - turning back and throwing in one clean, lightning-quick motion. The knife *thunks* audibly into where the snowman's throat would be, dead-center up to the hilt. Asrai smiles brightly, for the moment getting over the fact that she just took out a poor snowman's eye...then she sees K'nan's and fients dead away. Benden Weyr> Asrai says, "someone sane come save me!!!" Kassima whistles and applauds. "Good show, K'nan, right good show! He'd be bleeding snowman blood something awful right now, if snowmen had blood!" She skips over to retrieve the knives, missing Asrai's faint totally as she works to fill in the holes left by the knives in the poor, pitiable snowman. Benden Weyr> Asrai says, "someone...anyone...they sickos i tell you..sick sick sick." Benden Weyr> M'kla unfortunately falls in the sicko category, Asrai O:) Benden Weyr> Asrai cries. K'nan grins proudly, "Thanks..." Finally noticing Asrai starting to faint, he blinks and tries to catch her - too late. Wincing, he kneels next to her and tries to help her up and conscious. Benden Weyr> K'nan giggles evilly. Benden Weyr> C'vadan isn't a sicko... just a brownrider. But I'm not at Benden right now. Sorry, Asrai :) Kassima turns around on her heel, having doctored the victim, and espies Asrai. "Fainted, has she? Try dashing some snow over her face, mayhaps?" After a moment you see a flutter of eyelashes, then Asrai opens her eyes slowly. she sits up, not ready to stand...she gives her head a shake, then another for good measure, "wha...what happened?" K'nan shakes his head, laying a comforting hand on her shoulder. "You fainted...you alright?" Kassima shrugs. "Shells if I know. I come back from getting my knives, and you're fainted here on the snow." Asrai looks over to the snowman...now hiltless...she smiles, "No I'm alright...but i think i'll just sit here for a bit.." K'nan smiles, "Alright, then - snow's rather cold, though, I imagine." Kassima hrms, then nods. "All right... should be interesting enough to watch, anyway. K'nan? Your turn to pick a target, I think." Asrai runs one gloved hand throughher hair, she doesn't seem to notice the cold as she sits threre in the snow. She watches the two, her face pale...she mutters to herself in a low voice, "Just snowmen, just snowmen..." Lysseth continues slowly chewing her snowman into oblivion, apparently thirsty enough that she doesn't care it's just snow. K'nan looks around at the mad menagery of mutilated mock-men, finally pointing at the one holding it's own head. He grins, "Pass me a knife again?" Kassima grins ferally in agreement. "That one should make an interesting target, aye... oh, a'course." She flips K'nan one of her wooden-hilted throwing knives, with a snick in the blade meant to catch in the victim's skin. Asrai continues her mantra quietly, well out of the wy of the other two in their amusement. K'nan catches the knife easily by the hilt, almost instantly flicking his wrist and sending the knife sailing across the snowy lake shore and into the severed snowman head, in approximately the middle of its forehead. Kassima nods approvingly. "Nay bad," she comments, even as her own wrist flicks to send a blade thunking into the snowman's snow heart. Or an approximation thereof, but close enough to make no nevermind. "Poor, poor snow critter... next time, I'm going to see if'n I can nick his arm clean off." Asrai blanches even more, burrying her face in her hands, "Just snowmen...they are just snowmen Asrai...stop acting like such a wherry." With that she stands up and brushes the snow from her backside and legs. she takes a deep breath and joins the others..."Ok, they are just snowmen..I can do this. Got room for another next round?" Kassima laughs and offers Asrai a knife, hilt-first. "A'course! They're nay near so full of holes as to be useless yet." Kassima wonders thoughtfully, "If we packed skins of red Tillek Swill in the right places in the snow, think 'twould look like blood? Nay like Swill's good for aught else anyway." K'nan laughs, looking from snowman to snowman. "It'd prolly freeze, out here.." Asrai swallows, "Kassi...please..I don't think that's necessary... really..." She takes the knife and awaits her turn. Kassima clicks her tongue. "You're right, K'nan. A shame... realism always helps with these practices, y'know. Have to know which wounds spurt, so you can be out of the way. You're up, Asrai." Asrai nods realieved, "Alright...they are just snowmen after all.." She pulls back and tosses in one fluid motion, still not half as fast as the other two, but deadly aim. It sinks to the hilt in the middle of the forhead of the headless snowman, the one which holds its head off to one side by one stick hand. The blade enters so smoothly the precarious balence is not even disturbed one bit. Kassima winces as Asrai's knife hits where K'nan's was, and runs over to pull them out. "Shards, I hope they're nay scratched..." she mutters, examining the gleaming blades carefully. Fortunately for Kassi (and probably for all concerned), the knives are unharmed by their experience. She wipes the snow and slush off of each on her slacks, and passes them out again. "Your turn to name the target, Asrai." Asrai chews on her lower lip, looking each over before pointing the one out that has the stake through his heart, "How bout that one?' Kassima nods. "'Bout time he got his fair share," she says cryptically, which seems rather ridiculous as the poor snowman already has a stick protruding from his chest. Asrai nods a bit abcently, once more picking her target out and guaging the distance. in a smooth motion she reaches back and throws..a sudden gust of wind takes it off target however...sinking it into what could be loosely termed as the snowman's privates. Seeing where her dagger hit, Asrai blushes deep red, "oh my..i didn't mean to do that..." Kassima falls over in the snow, clutching her sides--though careful of the dagger--and laughing hysterically. K'nan's gaze follows the knife's path...and he laughs, grinning. "/Nice/ shot, Asrai!" Asrai stammers, "but..but i didn't /mean/ to hit there...." Kassima rolls around, practically snickering her head off. She can't seem to formulate any sort of reply. K'nan pats Asrai on the back, chuckling. "Well, remember that throw anyway - could discourage unwanted attention sometime." He winks. Kassima giggles. "Oh, aye! Losing the ability to sire children is a marvelous *snicker* distraction...." Asrai bites her lip, holding back a giigle, though her cheeks still flame...and its not from the chill wind. Vidarth flies in from above and lands in the waters of the lake. R'val slides down from Vidarth's back and lands in a crouch. R'val leaps off idarth's back and waves cheerily, "Evenin' all." K'nan looks up, grinning from ear to ear. "R'val! Heya..." R'val grins towards K'nan, "My, you look pleased...What's up?" Kassima doesn't notice R'val's arrival, nope. She's still doubled over in the snow, chortling helplessly. Asrai stands infront of the mutilated snowmen, some distance away...you notice the one with a stake through his heart also has a dagger sunken into his privates...Asrai is the only one not holding a dagger at the moment. K'nan chuckles, waving over at the snowman with the knife through his groin. Asrai is of course...beet red. R'val blinkblinks, "Yeow. That snowman sure died a violent death." R'val nudges Kassima with the toe of one boot, "She's lost it, I see. Again." He shakes his head in despair at the loony greenrider. K'nan grins over to the bluerider, "Aye, that he did..Asrai's got a nasty underhand there." Asrai stammers out to R'val, "I didn't mean to hit him there...honest! it was a sudden guest of wind that did it." R'val grins at Asrai impishly, "That's what they all say." Kassima wipes tears of laughter from her eyes and applauds enthusiastically. "Woo-hoo, Asrai! That's the way! Best sharding shot I've seen in half a decade...." At being nudged, she shoots R'val a glare, and pulls her knife out of the ground where she stuck it. "I never had it to lose," she mutters, "whatever it is...." Glancing at the snowman with two heads and three arms, she aims carefully and lets the knife fly in a strange, sideways throw that turns it into a spinning razor circle in the air. The side of the knife slices halfway through the snowman's throat from the side as a result. R'val winks at Kassima impertinently, and reaches down with an unwise hand, "Here, ya silly greenrider, I'll help you up." Kassima was already standing, since she can't throw knives from a sitting position, of course. She gives R'val a look of faint disgust, and simply shakes her head. "Thankee, but I've feet of m'own... hrm, K'nan? Your turn again." She seems determined to keep her good mood, and stares fixedly at the half-beheaded snowman. Asrai turns to K'nan, having regained some of her composure, "Your turn K'nan." R'val rubs his hands together, "Mind if I join the dagger-throwin'?" K'nan hefts the knife in one hand, looking at the horrific snowmen consideringly. Glancing over to R'val, he grins. "Why don't we let Uri have a try at it." Asrai looks as if she has something on her mind...other then her last shot of course. Kassima shrugs. "Loan him a knife, and he's welcome," she says to K'nan. To R'val, she quips, "This ought to be interesting. Can't say I've seen you throw a'fore." Kassima hrms and tries to figure this out. "Was that last throw m'turn of this round, or last round? I can't say I recall; 'twas too busy cracking up at Asrai's shot...." A snicker or two escapes her even now. K'nan flips the knife in his hand, holding it by the hilt now. He grins, holding it hilt-first to R'val. "Go, bluerider." Asrai shrugs, still watching Kassi closely, "Why don't you just go again then Kassi?" She seems like she wants to ask Kassi a question but decides against it.. Kassima shakes her head and gestures to R'val. "'Tis his turn, by rights. I'll go whenever 'tis mine." Asrai adds, "After R'val of course." R'val hefts the knife, weighing it experimentally. His arm tilts back, and pivots forward, sending the knife whistling into the snowman's forehead. Kassima eyes the shot. "Nay bad. Didn't know you'd practice at this sort of thing, bluerider." By now, this particular snowman's forehead is as full of holes as Swiss cheese... and this last shot, combined with the one that had halfway cut its head off, causes one of the two heads to fall off and roll across the snowy ground. R'val grins sidelong at Kassima, "I do, often enough. In my room, usually." K'nan nods impressedly, then winks. "Using that knife I gave you Turns ago, are you?" Asrai looks around at the snowmen that are left, "Kassi..perhaps you should choose the next target...they seem to be depleating." Kassima hrms and merely nods, then strides over to pull knives from the fallen head, the neck, and the groin. She then sticks the head back on, albeit crookedly. "There, that's that. Hrm... think I'll try for that one, next." She points to the one that has a branch stuck through his head, apparently by his own hand as he's grasping the 'hilt.' She takes aim, prepares to throw.... R'val watches Kassima's aim, curiously. Asrai finally can hold back no longer, "Kassi, are you...do you have the Benden flu?" R'val's jaw drops at that blunt question, and then he chokes down a laugh hurriedly. Kassima was *just* about to let go of the blade when Asrai asked that. It soars wildly off-track, narrowly missing a fire-lizard who screeches with terror and pops between, then lodges quite firmly in that one snowman's groin. Boy, he really isn't having a good day, is he? "Do I *what*?" the greenrider yelps. K'nan ducks his head, concealing a laugh by coughing loudly. R'val instinctively cringes at the /thump/ as the knife hits the groin. Asrai takes a quick step backwards, "Well, its just that..well people where talking and I just thought it be good to ask you...instead of the rumors....you aren't mad are you?" Asrai looks ready to dive behind the nearest Dragon... R'val Adds, as Asrai falters, with a soothing smile at Kassi, "it's just a foolish rumour Salless is spreading. We're all sure it's not true, aren't we." Kassima is absolutely incredulous. "Who in Faranth's sharding golden talon clippings would dare even consider such a thing?" she asks, gritting her teeth. By the look in her eyes, she's quite furious, though not at Asrai. "Who the *shells* would start such a rumor?" Two knives are in her hands before she can even think about it, and she casts glances around the circle of weyrfolk. "Was it any of you?" Asrai shakes her head most emphatically, inching back towards Veyath... the nearest protection. R'val gulps, "Kassima, calm down!" He says hurriedly, "It's just a rumour, no harm done at all! Don't point your sharding knives at us, for Faranth's sake." K'nan shakes his head vigorously, also backing towards Veyath. "It wasna me, that's for sure..." Lysseth raises her head and, spreading her wings, hisses angrily as she reflects her rider's mood. Her eyes whirl blazing crimson with bright flashes of fire-orange, and she stomps the snowman she was snacking on flat. *SQUISH.* Kassima snaps her mouth shut on whatever comment she was about to make as Lyss starts hissing, and, without further word, stalks over to the nearest snowman and starts stabbing her knife into every part of the poor soul's anatomy that she can reach. The thing is going to be in many, many small pieces when she's through. Asrai lets out a yelp, diving between Veyath's legs, "Kassi, it wasn't /us/!!" R'val glances askance at Asrai, and murmurs, "That really wasn't the wisest question to ask her..." Asrai murmers back, "Didn't know she'd react like /this/." K'nan keeps backing up towards Veyath, back pressed against her. He looks over at Asrai quickly, nodding up towards Veyath's back. "Um..let's run." Asrai nodnods and scrambles up after K'nan. "If I find out who it was," Kassi manages through teeth grit so hard it's a wonder they don't shatter, "I will do *this* to them--and *this*, and *this*, and *this*, and...." As the snowman falls apart, no longer being anywhere near structurally sound, she stomps on the remains. "And *this*, too!" Asrai pulls herself up onto Veyath's neck using the flight straps and her extended foreleg. K'nan pulls himself up onto Veyath's neck using the flight straps and her extended foreleg. R'val blinks, "Hey! Don't run off without me!" He scoots towards them. Veyath glances over towards Lysseth and Kassi, eyes whirling a bit whitish with worry. Kassima turns away from her mauling and frowns. "Hey! Where're you all going? We haven't finished killing all of them yet!" Lysseth seems to have calmed down some with the snowman's destruction, though she does whip her tail out to topple another before settling back down with a grumble. R'val moves behind Vidarth to..uhm...check his straps, yeah... Kassima sighs and sits down on the snow, looking somewhat sulky. "Everybody always runs off," she complains unhappily. "Everybody! What, do I have the plague or something?" Asrai climbs down from Veyath's neck, and arrives on the ground. R'val grins wryly, "No Kassi, it's just that when you point knives at people, they get nervous." Asrai hits the ground and walks over to her friend, putting a small hand on her shoulder, "I'm sorry to have upset you Kassi." K'nan climbs down from Veyath's neck, and arrives on the ground. Kassima starts as Asrai's hand touches her, but settles back down, though she still looks a bit wary. "Well, but... 'twasn't mad at *you* all. Unless you *did* start that rumor. But, Asrai, the answer to your question 'tis nay." K'nan relaxes a bit, "I told her that it was a silly rumor..." Asrai looks up over at k'nan, "It not my fault i work in the lower caverns and hear these things. And honestly, I don't know who would have started it." K'nan nods agreement, "Aye, the rumor didna /start/ with you...you jus' wanted verification or not. I'm sure Kassi understands." Kassima sighs. "Aye, very. Why anyone would think *I'd* have the Flu rather escapes me... well." She kicks at a bit of snow left over from the annihilated snowman. "Rumors. Awful things." R'val nods, "It's just a rumour. Dispel it, and it does no harm..." Asrai nodnods, "See, now i can tell anyone that trys talking about it that its not true." She nods once more just for good measure. Kassima shrugs. "I suppose." She climbs to her feet, and, dusting the snow from herself, eyes the snowmen. "Well. Who's up next?" Asrai looks over the ..arangement,,"Not much left is there..." Kassima also seems to realize where her dagger went, and sprints off to retrieve it. "This guy just isn't having a good day," she mutters. Asrai giggles softly, "No, he's not.." R'val grins, "A good thing snowmen don't have....erm...privates." K'nan chuckles, "Don't give Kassi any ideas, R'val." Kassima snorts. "If they did, I think this one could kiss his possibilities of becoming a father g'deve forever." Asrai giggles, it turning into teeth chattering, "Actually i should be heading back...its getting awfully cold out here. R'valgrins at Asrai, "Must you...? Ah well. Tis cold indeed. S'my turn, no?" Kassima blinks. "'Tis?" She sounds surprised, which is in itself surprising, given that she's wearing neither jacket nor gloves nor hat of any kind. "Ah, well. I suppose we could go in after this round?" Asrai waves to all and then pauses, "Perhaps one more throw wouldn't hurt." R'val nods, "Aye, Kassi, some klah wouldn't be objectionable right now." Kassima gestures to K'nan. "Think 'tis his turn, R'val, given as you went just a'fore I did." Asrai poits to the last remaing snowman, "How bout that one there...he seems to be the only one with anything left to hit." R'val nods to Kassi, "Right you are." He stands bak. K'nan * has to head out, but I'll be back. Asrai *snuggs R'val * hugga K'nan Asrai sees that k'nan is going to pass on his turn and takes her own. She pulls back then lets go, the smooth flash of silver seen before the blade sinlks into what would be the snowman's mouth. Kassima laughs. "Good go, very good! He'll be getting indigestion from *that* meal, I wager." R'val whistle softly, "Good shot indeed, Asrai." Asrai smiles with quiet pride, stepping out of the way so that the other two may take their turns. Asrai waves once more to the others, "I have to head back, I'm freezing.." Asrai heads in the direction of the South bowl, leaving the shimmering lake. R'val bites his lip. "My shot, is it?"" he asks, taking up a dagger. Lysseth suddenly settles once and for all whose turn it is, by sweeping her wing forward and sending the snowman scattering. The knife that was stuck in him skitters to a halt at Kassi's feet, where she picks it up. "Aye, but nay with that target, apparently." The greenrider eyes her far-too-bright lifemate, and sighs. R'val puts his dagger bak in his sheath and snorts, "Sharditt. I'm cold. Comin' in, Kassi?" Kassima shrugs. "Don't know. Think I'll stay here, make another snowman or two... y'go on, though." She turns away and sets to work, without a further word.