Flame woke as early morning sunlight started to light the room. The fire was still burning, but only just, it was mostly coals. The room was chill, there was as yet nothing between it and the autumn cold outside. She was fine in her insulated fur, but as she came awake she realized that Aidan must not have been, because he was huddled up tightly against her side. If he's going to stay here through the winter, he's going to need warm clothes, she thought. And probably blankets and maybe even a real bed. Well, I was going to buy some kind of bed eventually anyway. He's short enough that a dwarf bed would probably do, but I don't think they'd have coats that would fit him, what with the wings and all...

She put the thought aside to deal with later, and for now she rolled onto her side and put a paw over Aidan, pulling him close and giving him that much more shelter from the chill air. She closed her eyes and sighed softly. It was pleasant to have his presence there, so close, but at the same time it was painful. She was old enough that if she had still been among her own kind she almost certainly would have been mated by now. But here there was no one for her. This was as close as she was likely to come to sleeping with her mate at her side. She blinked back tears and tried not to think about it. She ought to have been used to the idea by now, but it still hurt. It would probably always hurt.

She lay there, warming him, for several more hours as he slept. Eventually he stirred. It took him a moment to realize where he was. He scooted back from Flame, looking somewhat embarrassed. "Sorry."

"Don't be. You were cold. I should probably see about getting a door of some sort put in to keep the cold out. And see about getting you something warmer to wear. But for now I'll go build up the fire."

She rose and padded over to the heap of firewood. With dexterity surprising in someone without hands, she pawed a few logs from the pile and lifted them into place on top of the coals. She put her paws directly into the flames, but the fire merely licked around her fur, leaving it unburned. That part of her firecat heritage had remained with her, she was immune to fire and it couldn't harm her. She returned to sit next to Aidan . "You going to be all right?"

"Yeah. It's not too bad. I'm starving though, is there anything to eat?"

"Just more rabbit, I'm afraid. It will probably come out better if you cook it yourself, my skills there are very much lacking. I do have a pot, if you'd rather stew it than char it. But those are the options. I'll be going out to hunt for myself in a few minutes, but I'll probably just get rabbit again, this time of year, and I haven't got anything else edible here."

"That's okay." He sat up gingerly. "I should probably move around some. I'll see about stewing it, I think. Hot broth sounds pretty good."

Flame nodded. "I'll get you some water, you probably don't want to go out. And maybe..." She considered. "I can get to Coppertop and back in a day, though I'd be coming back well after dark if I set out now. I might be able to hunt a bit along the way. I have a fair bit of money on hand, and no pressing needs of my own. You're going to need something warmer. Though I don't think I can get anything meant for aerians, but maybe whatever I do find could be altered? I could get a basic sewing kit, maybe?"

Aidan chuckled. "Well, I wouldn't want to try and make clothes, but I know a little bit about sewing and I could probably manage to alter something to put wing holes in it. Just don't get anything leather, you'd have to get a whole different set of tools to work with that."

"Right."

Having gotten water for Aidan to cook with, and having gotten Aidan to help her with getting on her harness so that she could more easily carry back whatever she bought, Flame set out to the southwest, where Coppertop, the dwarven city, lay. Though more accurately it was a small dwarven town sitting atop the larger underground city beneath. She was successful in purchasing clothing and supplies, including a good file so that Aidan could get the iron bands off of his wrists. On her way out she stopped to speak with a friend of hers who was a woodworker about the price of getting proper doors put in. He did sculpture rather than carpentry, but he told her how much to expect and where to go to get it done. Flame had just enough left to pay for one door, so she placed her order and then she set off for home.

Home. I guess it is one now. And... I'm gladder than I thought to have Aidan there. I guess I need company after all. Maybe I'll have to go south regularly, once Aidan leaves, just to talk to people. Being alone can be nice, but eventually it does get lonely.