Birgit

  “Birgit, wake up,” a soft, singsong voice pulled Birgit from her sleep.

  What could Niles want? She felt a hand gently rubbing her back. Niles usually just shook her shoulder to wake her for watches when they were on hunts. This felt nice, but it was a good deal more familiar than his touch usually was.

  “Birgit, wake up,” the singsong voice repeated, louder this time.

  Now that she was more awake, it didn’t sound like Niles. It sounded like… Birgit rolled away from the touch and sat up quickly. Her room was lit by a dim light crystal. In its glow, she saw Sinelos sitting on her bed, leering at her. She quickly glanced at the floor where Niles should have been sleeping, but he was not there. Even his bedroll was missing.

  “What are you doing here?” Birgit demanded, pushing herself away from the satyr.

  “Why I came to see of course, so that we could finally have some private time to get to know each other better.” Sinelos answered, sliding toward her.

  “How did you even get in here?” Birgit asked, pushing all the way up to the headboard of her bed. She was sure she’d bolted the door. Had Niles gone out for some reason and left the door open?

  Sinelos gave her a smug smile and slid closer. “My mage was something of a rogue before he came into my employ, and he has a handy spell for getting past locks. He is also very good with spells of silence, so you need not fear anyone overhearing us.”

  Had he done something to Niles? Birgit could not retreat any further on her bed. She quickly felt her neck and with relief, found the necklaces she always wore. Each had a prepared spell, so she was far from helpless.

  Birgit glared at the intruder. “I demand that you leave right this instant.”

  Sinelos reached out and placed a finger to her lips. “Shhh. I know you do not really mean that. I commend you for saying it anyway, but have no fear. No one will ever know about this. As I said before, my mage is very discreet, and I promise not to tell a soul. I cannot have the reputation of my next consort tarnished, can I? After this, I will have you come and visit me in Modium. Once you see how much better it is than this hovel, you will wonder how you ever survived here. But if you want to give all that up and have me leave, I will. Just say the word.”

  “Leave now!” Birgit growled.

  Sinelos laughed. “Now, there is the fire I was looking for. You came across as something of a cold fish at first, but I could tell there was some passion in there somewhere.”

  He started leaning toward her, and Birgit prepared to activate one of her prepared spells, but suddenly Sinelos flew backward off the bed.

  “She said leave,” Niles snarled, slamming Sinelos into the wall hard enough that there was an audible thud.

  “Why are you here? How did she summon you so quickly?” Sinelos gasped.

  Niles picked the satyr up by his throat with one hand. “I am always watching over Birgit. I will always come if she is in danger from anything or anyone.”

  Birgit saw Sinelos’ face was turning purple as he struggled for breath and slid off the bed, placing a gentle hand on Niles’ arm. “Do not kill him.”

  Niles glanced her way, and she saw fire in his eyes, but he lowered Sinelos to the ground, loosening his grip, but he still kept that satyr pinned to the wall.

  He turned back to Sinelos and leaned in close, his voice a whisper as cold as ice and as strong as steel. “I am always watching for threats. If I ever think you are a threat again, in any way, I will appear, and I will end you.”

  Sinelos’ once-purple face now paled to almost milk-white. This had gone on long enough. Birgit quickly prepared a spell and then stepped to her door. Throwing it open, she spotted the mage and blasted him with a simple wind spell that slammed him into the far wall.

  “Guards! Guards! There is an intruder in my room!” Birgit shouted.

  It took almost an hour for the ordeal to be over. Sinelos tried to protest his innocence, of course, changing his story a half dozen times, each one less believable than the last. Her father had not believed any of it. Sinelos was kicked out of the castle and the barony, with dire threats should he ever return. Her father would have liked to have done far worse to the cad, but he was the heir of a fellow baron. He would no doubt send a letter to the Baron of Modium, and the count he owed fealty to, detailing the gross misconduct of Sinelos. Hopefully, the other baron would discipline his spoiled offspring and reconsider his choice of heir. At least now, no one at the castle would question if they saw Niles around her room at night. It was only reasonable that she should want her guardian around her after an ordeal like this.

  “How were you able to vanish and reappear like that?” Birgit asked Niles when they were finally alone.

  Niles smirked. “I didn’t vanish. The mage took a good five minutes to pick your lock. He was quiet about it, but to me, the light from his magic was almost blinding in the dark. I wasn’t sure what was going on, so I pulled my bedroll into the corner behind the door and hid under it. Sinelos was so self-absorbed that he didn’t even look around the room. I’d have acted sooner, but I wasn’t sure how you’d want me to deal with it. When you made it clear you wanted him gone, and he didn’t leave, though… I hope I didn’t wait too long. You’re alright, aren’t you?”

  Birgit could see the concern in Niles’ eyes. The big hu seemed strangely vulnerable at that moment. He really was worried about her. To show such loyalty and dedication, despite being trapped here and with her making no progress toward returning him home, he truly was a rare find. More than ever, Birgit knew she needed to keep him as her familiar.

  “You were perfect.” Birgit answered and stepped in to give him a hug.

  They spent the next several days sweeping Hazzerbog for magic crystals. The barony was one of the largest in Deca, but much of the land was too swampy to inhabit. And the large amount of uninhabited land meant it was necessary to sweep the swamps periodically for crystals to prevent them from growing to the point that they began tainting the local wildlife and attracting horrors. Normally, this was a tedious process involving trudging through miles and miles of swamp, but with Niles’ ability to spot mana crystals, they did much of the hunting by air. He could also feed her mount magic while they searched to keep it from tiring. There were a few sections where the tree cover was so dense that they had to search on foot, but those were usually drier areas, at least.

  They accomplished what would normally take over a month in less than a week, and Niles had just accepted that the crystals all went to the barony. Birgit had been afraid he would be angry or demand a share of the crystals when she explained that collecting magic crystals in their lands was both the responsibility and the privilege of a noble. In Hazzerbog, it was the primary way the baron supported his family without having to tax his subjects heavily. Niles had not only accepted it. He had thought it was a wonderful idea. He always enjoyed crystal hunting, but he seemed to take extra pleasure in knowing he was supporting the barony. Birgit was touched that he was so willing to help her people.

  Normally, sweeping the swamps for crystals was a grueling, dirty job. Birgit had only planned to spend a day or two doing it, as part of her family obligation. But they had made such amazing progress, and Niles was enjoying it so much that they ended up spending five days sweeping all but the areas that had been most recently harvested. Birgit enjoyed the process as well. Seeing so much of the barony from the air had been nice, and though she spent considerable time with Niles at the academy, this was the first time Birgit had really gotten to spend a good deal of time alone with him. She discovered she rather enjoyed it. On top of that, they brought in an amazing amount of crystals. All of them were small, since her father made sure his domain was swept regularly, but many had high color and purity, and there were even a few rare elements among them. There would be enough to keep the local enchanters supplied for months.

  “While we truly appreciate the wonderful job you did harvesting crystals, I am unsure if it is wise for you to go off into the wilderness with just your familiar for an extended hunt,” Birgit’s father said when she told him of their plans for the remainder of her break. “Nile’s ability to spot magic crystals is truly remarkable, but remember that much of the land beyond our southern border has not been harvested for years. The kingdom has not mounted a concentrated crystal hunt into the southern wilderness since before I became baron. And while that means the crystals will be bigger, there will also be monsters.”

  “I am aware, Father,” Birgit answered, trying hard not to roll her eyes. She knew he was just speaking out of concern for her safety. “Niles and I routinely hunt crystals in the mountains near the capital on weekends. We have fought more than a few tainted beasts, and even horrors. And this semester we will be required to go out into some of the most dangerous wilderness in Deca, so this will be good practice for us.”

  Her father sighed. “Very well, you have my permission. I do not doubt your competence, but it is my job as your father to worry about you.” He held his arms open, and Birgit stepped in for a hug. “Niles, I am counting on you to protect my little girl. Make sure she comes home safely.”

  “I will do everything in my power to keep her safe,” Niles promised.

  Birgit’s mother stepped up and hugged her next, while addressing her husband. “Darling, why not take Niles to the armory and make sure he has the best armor and weapons we can supply him with, while Birgit and I have a little talk?”

  “That is a wonderful idea,” the baron agreed. “Come along, Niles. We do not have the most extensive armory in the kingdom, but we have some real quality pieces, and since you will be using them to protect my daughter, I will hold nothing back. Tell me, what is your weapon of choice?” The pair walked out of the study, talking about weapons, and her mother shut the door behind them.

  Taking a seat in her usual chair, her mother motioned to the chair across from her. “Have a seat.”

  So, this was to be a sit down talk. Birgit’s curiosity rose, along with her apprehension, though only out of habit, since she did not think she had done anything to get her into trouble. What could her mother want to talk about?

  “Your familiar is quite something,” her mother said once they were both seated. “His ability to see crystals is quite useful, and he is certainly big. I have no doubt he is as formidable a warrior as you say he is. And perhaps best of all, I am so happy that he can increase your magic potential. I did not even know that was possible. Beyond his remarkable abilities, though, I do not know that I have ever met a more devoted familiar. I think this is the first time I have seen you without him at your side, and he seemed as outraged by that foul satyr’s actions as your father and I were. He is certainly quite an exceptional familiar, but I have to ask. Are the two of you intimate?”

  “Mother!” Birgit gasped.

  “Now, now, dear, do not be upset,” her mother said calmly. “I went through the academy just like you remember. I know what some familiars require in their contracts, and I know that, beyond that, some mages and familiars occasionally experiment. You two are holding hands almost all the time. Now, I know that you explained it is necessary for you to absorb his magic, but the servants have reported that they see Niles enter your room with you in the evening and exit in the morning. I am not judging you. I just want to make sure you are safe and taking precautions.”

  Birgit could not believe what she was hearing. “Mother, I assure you there is nothing carnal in our contract, and my relationship with Niles is purely platonic.”

  Her mother let out a relieved breath. “That is good to hear, dear. I am very glad you are not under that sort of contractual obligation. But do you think your relationship is going to stay platonic? You are going to be out in the wilderness alone for several days. I assume you will share a tent. It would be the only safe thing to do, after all. You cannot have him return to his home plane while you sleep unprotected, after all. And he is quite handsome. I have seen the way you look at him sometimes, and he at you. I suspect there will be more than a little temptation to take your relationship beyond just mage and familiar.”

  “Be very careful before you take that step. He seems like a very nice man, but a relationship with him could ruin your chances at a good marriage if it is not very discreet. Of course, on the other hand, from what you have told me, Niles could make you one of the most powerful mages in the kingdom, and that may even be better than any marriage you could arrange as the fourth child of a baron. A physical relationship with Niles could help you get him to agree to a longer contract when his current one expires, giving you time to cement your position as a powerful mage. Why his ability to find crystals alone could make you a very wealthy woman in your own right. Be careful though, I assume your current contract is to the end of the school year, so should you choose to go that route, you will have to be careful to keep him interested until he signs his next contract. Men can sometimes grow bored quickly once they have sampled what a young woman has to offer.”

  “Now I know we had a talk about the basic biological processes associated with the interaction between men and women when you were younger, but there are a number of variations that you can use to spice things up and keep a man interested. I was planning to have this talk with you just before your wedding, but perhaps now would be a better time. There are a variety of positions…”

  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  Birgit was speechless as her mother began describing, in graphic detail, techniques and tactics to keep a man’s interest. Was her mother encouraging her to become intimate with Niles? Beyond that, though, her mother had said Niles was looking at her like he was interested in that. Could that be true? Was Niles really interested in her in that way? She had never noticed him looking at her like that. But then her mother had said she was looking at Niles that way, too, and she was sure she had not. Of course, she appreciated Niles, and they had spent some very enjoyable time together this past week, but she was certainly not staring at him like some love-struck teenager, was she?

  Birgit could not stop thinking about her mother’s words all the next day as they flew south out of Hazzerbog and into the wilderness, but she was no closer to reaching a decision about what she wanted to do. Niles’ arms around her waist and his warm body pressed up against her back were certainly not helping. She had ridden this way with him many times before, but after her mother’s talk, her mind kept picturing him putting his arms around her for a very different purpose. At least with his magic strengthening her mount, they were making excellent time.

  Before they left, they had looked over the records from groups of crystal hunters who had passed through Hazzerbog over the last several years, detailing where they had hunted. It was not required that groups do so, but it was considered a courtesy that only cost the groups a little time and won them the favor of the noble whose lands they traveled through. That gave them a good idea of areas that had gone untouched by any of those groups. Their plan was to spend a day traveling to an unharvested area, two days hunting, and then one day traveling back. That would leave them with just enough time to make it back to the academy before the semester started.

  The location they had chosen for their search was in a rough, hilly area that should be open enough for them to do at least some of their hunting from the air. They arrived late in the day and traveled until Niles spotted a particularly bright crystal. From the air, they also spotted an enormous, tainted snake. It had to be a hundred feet long, though it was hard to judge its length since it was coiled around the large boulder on which the crystal rested. Niles reported that the crystal’s color told him it was a mind crystal, and Birgit did not even want to think about what powers the snake would have. Fortunately, since it was just sitting there. Birgit was able to kill it with lightning from above.

  Upon claiming the crystal, they found it was a large, vibrant, clear, mind crystal that should fetch them twenty or thirty gold. That alone made the trip worthwhile. They decided to set up their camp right there, assuming the snake would have killed or frightened off any other creature in the area. The hardest part about setting up the camp was hauling off the snake’s corpse. It even taxed Niles’ strength to do so. Because of the warmer climate, Niles had gone sleeveless for most of his time in Hazzerbog, and watching the muscles in his arms bulging as he set about hauling away the massive snake once again set Birgit’s mind wandering. What would it be like to be held by those arms in the throes of passion? Birgit was not sure if the idea enticed or frightened her more.

  After that, Niles set up the tent and prepared a simple meal while Birgit set up the wards. With just the two of them, Birgit used more potent wards in place of watches. Birgit set up the wards in concentric rings around their camp. The first ring would trigger a bright light. The second would produce a loud noise. Anything not frightened off by that would face a third ward that would ignite a wall of fire, and then a fourth that would actively target the intruder with a bolt of lightning. Birgit prepared each ring in turn and had Niles come to her when it was time to charge them so that they were all quite potent. It took a good deal of time to set up, but Birgit did not want to skimp on their defense.

  Once all the wards were in place, they ate, and then it was time to turn in. Their tent for this trip was much smaller than the tent they used when they camped with Uma and Hilaria, with only room enough for two. That was all they needed, but when Birgit crawled in and saw how close the quarters would be, she almost panicked. Although she would really not be sleeping any closer to Niles than on their hunts with her friends lately. So, why did it seem so different? She thought about sleeping in her clothes, but Niles had already seen her in her shift several times now, and it was a very warm night. She finally had Niles leave the tent and changed into her shift, crawling under a blanket before calling him back in.

  “Do you want me to slide over closer?” Niles asked as he crawled into his bedroll. Birgit froze, but Niles continued. “To make it easier for you to pull in my magic all night.”

  “Oh, um, yes,” Birgit stammered. “That would be good… for collecting your magic.”

  Their sleeping mats were already touching because of the size of the tent. She was afraid to look over as she heard Niles sliding closer.

  “You’re going to have to slide over, too, unless you want me to share your sleeping mat,” Niles said.

  Birgit realized she was as far away from him as she could get and still be on her own mat. Slowly, she slid over and reached out with her hand. She almost shrieked when Niles wrapped his arm around hers and felt his way down to clasp her hand. He shifted again, trapping their arms between their bodies.

  “There, how’s that?” Niles asked. “That should help us stay in contact. It should be easier with us both bare-armed tonight. I know we never seemed to keep in contact too well on the other hunts.”

  Birgit could feel his arm not only wrapped around her arm but also pressed up against her side. It felt so warm and softer than she had expected. She lay motionless, her thoughts and heart racing. She really wanted to keep Niles as her familiar, more than anything, and she liked him, too. He was brave and kind. He even cared about the people of her barony. And she had such a good time with him this week. He was not a kappa, but he was handsome enough in his way. So, it would not be like she was getting intimate with him just so he would stay her familiar, assuming she did get intimate with him.

  This morning, she had taken that moonroot powder her mother had given her to ensure she would not get pregnant, just in case, and there was no one around for miles, so this would be the perfect time. She almost wished Niles was not such a gentleman. If he were to roll over right now and start something, then that would be that, but he was just lying there. Maybe if she just reached over with her other hand and caressed his arm, that would let him know she was interested, would it not? She certainly was not going to roll over onto him, although with his size it might be better if she were on top. But she could never do that. What if he was not interested in her in that way? She would die of embarrassment. But maybe that was why he was never forward with her. He had told her she was a beautiful woman that first night in Hazzerbog, but had he just been saying that to lift her spirits? Or maybe he meant she was pretty, like a flower or a bird. No, she had to get him to make the first move, but how was she going to do that?

  Running through scenario after scenario in her head, they were all either too embarrassing or too outlandish. Finally, she tried rubbing herself against his arm. She was careful to do it in a way she could explain as just her getting into a more comfortable position. He did not respond. Maybe that was too subtle. She rubbed a little more. He had to feel that. But, again, he did not respond. This was so frustrating. Had he already fallen asleep? She tried one more time, this time twisting her body enough so that the side of his arm actually brushed the side of her breast. He had to feel that. A moment later, he shifted. She felt him rolling onto his side toward her. This was it.

  “Are you alright?” Niles whispered. “Do you need me to move, or something?”

  It was pitch black in the tent, but his voice was coming from only inches away from her. If she rolled just a little, she could kiss him. If she reached up with her free hand, she could pull him to her and tell him she wanted him to hold her…

  “I am fine,” she finally squeaked, her fear winning. “I was just getting comfortable.”

  Birgit’s dreams were troubled that night. In them she and Niles started doing all the things her mother had described, but each time they were interrupted by Niles disappearing back to his plane, or one of the other woman that wanted Niles walking in on them and taking him away, or in one case Professor Fenhopper telling them to stop because they were right in the middle of class.

  She woke up tangled in blankets and sprawled across both sleeping mats in the tent, all alone. After taking a long moment to compose herself, she got dressed and exited the tent to find Niles making breakfast.

  “Good morning,” Niles said in a cheery voice. “Did you get enough sleep?”

  “What?” Birgit asked, still a little bleary.

  “You were tossing and turning all night, like you were having some really wild dreams,” Niles explained. “You even talked a little.”

  Birgit froze. “What did I say?”

  “It was mostly mumbling, but it sounded like you were apologizing to Professor Fenhopper about something at one point. I couldn’t make out what you were apologizing for, though.”

  Birgit was not sure if she was relieved or disappointed that Niles had not heard more. But he gave no indication he suspected what she had dreamed or tried to instigate last night. It was probably for the best. She was having second thoughts this morning, anyway. What if they were intimate, and she could not find a way for him to get home? Would he get mad and leave her? That could leave her with no familiar and no marriage prospects. She blamed her mother for filling her head with such wild notions.

  Fortunately, they had a busy day hunting, very busy, and very profitable. All the crystals they found were at least medium-sized, and over half were large. One was even a rare space gem. That one had cost her one of her pre-cast lighting spells, though. A tainted jaguar had just appeared out of nowhere. Niles intercepted it, and he might have been able to kill it on his own, but it had been clawing at him so viciously that she had used the spell almost on instinct. The gem would more than pay for the components she had used for the spell, though. Counting the mind gem from yesterday, they probably had nearly a hundred gold worth of crystals by the end of the day, and they still had a day of hunting left.

  As the sun began setting, they flew back to their campsite, which they had left set up. Birgit found the light ward had been set off, but the other wards were undisturbed. Niles cooked while she reestablished the ward, and they talked and laughed about the day’s adventure over their meal. The jaguar that had mauled Niles had destroyed his clothes, and he had not bothered to change yet. Birgit tried hard not to be distracted by so much of him being exposed.

  When they settled in for the night, they once again pressed up close to each other. Birgit was a little more comfortable with it now, but she made no attempt to draw his attention this time, and he did nothing to indicate an interest in a closer relationship. Her dreams, however, were once again very graphic, except this time her activities with Niles went uninterrupted.

  She woke after one particularly vivid dream to find herself lying half on top of Niles. He was lying on his back, and she had one of her legs draped over one of his, and her arm resting on his chest. She froze in near panic when she realized where she was, but she felt his chest rising and falling with slow, steady breaths. He had to still be asleep. Slowly and carefully, she began sliding off him.

  “Good morning,” Niles whispered quietly.

  Birgit gasped. “I am so sorry… I did not mean…”

  “It’s alright,” Nile said with a little chuckle. “I could tell you were asleep, and it’s not like I minded.”

  Birgit wanted to scream. What did he mean by that? Why could he not just come out and say if he wanted her or not?

  Aside from the awkward awakening, the day again went very well. Niles led them to crystal after crystal. They even found a life crystal the size of an apple. It would have to be classified as grand and would probably even bring in more than the mind gem. They had to fight a great many monsters again, but none were beyond their combined capabilities. Birgit was in high spirits until the rain began.

  The storm came on suddenly and violently just as they were starting to think about returning to their camp. Sheets of rain came at them almost horizontally, propelled by winds that nearly knocked Birgit off her feet. They were soaked to the bone in seconds, and the temperature plummeted. The wind was too strong for her mount to get them back to camp, so they had to find what shelter they could. That ended up being a pair of boulders that leaned together enough to at least provide some cover. It wasn’t enough to keep them dry, but it at least kept some of the wind and rain off. Still, as wet as they were, it was frightfully cold. Birgit felt her teeth start chattering as they waited for the storm to pass.

  “Are you alright?” Niles asked, having to raise his voice to be heard over the storm.

  “C...cold,” was all Birgit could stutter out.

  Niles slid over to her and put an arm over her shoulder. “Wow, you are freezing. Here, sit on my lap and let me wrap you up.”

  Birgit did not resist as he pulled her onto his lap and wrapped his arms around her. He was so warm. She felt some relief almost immediately, and slowly her shivering subsided. As the storm raged, her mind wandered, remembering back to when he had first arrived and how frightened she had been. She had thought he was big enough to tear her apart with those massive arms of his. But now she felt so safe, wrapped up in those same massive arms. Wrapped in his warm embrace, Birgit resolved to try advancing their relationship again when they got back to camp.

  Fortunately, the storm passed quickly, but the temperature did not rise with its passage. The sun had set while the storm raged, but with the clouds gone, the moon provided them enough light to fly back to their camp. Soaring through the cold night air brought back the chill to Birgit, even with Niles holding her, and when they arrived at their camp, they discovered the storm had not been kind to it. Niles had to hunt down their tent and supplies, which had blown everywhere, while Birgit built a fire. The wood they’d gathered previously was all wet, but her magic was enough to get it burning anyway.

  “Well, the good news is the tent looks like it’s still intact and reasonably dry inside,” Niles reported. “The bad news is one bedroll fell out of the tent and is completely soaked. I can sleep on the ground, though.”

  “No, we can share for tonight.” Birgit insisted. “We have practically been sharing already these past couple of nights. And I would like you to hold me tonight… because I am still so cold… if you do not mind.”

  “Oh, um, no, of course not,” Niles stammered. “I don’t mind… It is my job to protect you, after all. So, protecting you from the cold counts, right?”

  They warmed themselves by the fire for a time as they prepared a meal and hung up their wet things to dry. Once she was warm enough, Birgit went to refresh the wards. By the time she was done, she was quite cold again, but too tired to wait to be warmed by the fire, so they retired to the tent.

  “Perhaps you should sleep without your shirt tonight,” Birgit suggested as they prepared for bed. “It will make it easier to share both your warmth and magic.”

  Niles shrugged. “Sure.”

  Birgit crawled into the bedroll first, and then Niles joined her, but Birgit had not shared a bed since she was a child and didn’t know how to position herself, so it was quite awkward. At first, they both just laid on their sides facing each other, each of them as far to their side as they could get, but that seemed both awkward and uncomfortable to Birgit.

  Remembering how she had woken up this morning, Birgit made a suggestion. “Here, lie on your back.”

  Niles complied, and she slid over to him, resting her head on his bare shoulder. She felt his arm reach around her back and wrap around the side of her waist, pulling her even closer. For a moment, she thought he was going to pull her up on top of him. For a moment, she thought this was it. They were going to become intimate. Her heart raced. Whether from fear or desire, she was not sure, but he did no more. Birgit waited for a long moment for him to continue.

  “Are you warm enough?” he asked in a hoarse whisper.

  Birgit almost answered yes, but then had an idea. “Not yet, here let me adjust myself.”

  Remembering how she had woken up this morning, Birgit reached up and draped her arm across his bare chest. There, that should be a strong signal of what she wanted. But Niles did nothing. Slowly, she slid her leg up over his, practically straddling him. The move had the unintended consequence of making his hand slip down her waist, almost to her bottom. How could he possibly not realize she was making herself available to him now? But still, he made no move to claim her. She sighed. At least he was not pushing her away, but was that only because he wanted to protect her from the cold?