The Legend of the White Witch

[Sarah Tintagyl]

[i]Some Years Ago...
Helsinki, Confederate Tion[/i]

"He can't make me do something I don't want to do." Sarah said to herself as she stuffed clothes from opened drawers into an open duffel bag sprawled out across her bed. "That's Samuel's life, not mine..." She stopped and sighed looking at herself in the large mirror and the picture of her brother embedded between the ebony and glass. "Why did you have to die...you shouldn't have had to die and why am I doing this." Running her hands through her hair, Sarah sat back down on the bed and looked out at the open window and the Tionese snowfall that was happening outside. It was November and there was several feet of snow on the ground, the wind was cold and the city lights of Helsinki illuminated the horizon as far as the eye could see, though given the cloud cover it really wasn't that far, but beyond that fog was where she was heading, along with two-thousand Tionese Marks in her pocket to hopefully try and start something new with her life or at least prove to her father that his plans for her were not going to stick. Her brother Samuel had passed away and was to become the heir to the Tintagyl Estate, fortune, as well as the Chief Executive Officer of the Baltica Steel Works Corporation. One of the strongest independently owned businesses in Tion. At Samuel's death, Alexander Tintagyl looked to the only person left who he could trust with such a responsibly, his daughter Sarah. His daughter who had never picked up a political science book in her life, his daughter who spent her time at house parties and coming home stoned or drunk. Needless to say, for the spoiled eighteen year old, her father's plans of growing up were to be resisted even if she died doing so, which given her plan was a distinct possibility.

Everything had been set up, Sarah had stolen rope from the garage that now hung half way down the side of the Tintagyl Estate, she had a bus schedule in her pocket that would take her to the outskirts of Tampere, from there it was a straight shot into the northern forests and lakes of Finland. She had gone out in the wilderness as a child with groups of friends, her father and mother had taken her and Samuel camping as well out in the north, some of the most fun in her life she had out in those wilds and yearned to return. If there was nothing left in Helsinki except what her father wanted to turn her into, then she figured the wild yielded a slightly better chance for her.

A loud beep went off next to her as she clicked her watch off, it was time. Filling the rest of her duffel bag with clothes, toiletries, and food. The plan was after reaching Tampere and hiking through the wilderness to one of the small northern villages, to settle down and either forget the rest of the outside world and concentrate on what she loved, nature, maybe even get a teaching job in one of the villages and spend the rest of her life in peace, away from the demands of her father. With black snow boots that ran up to her knees, a pair of blue jeans, a long black wool coat, a pink scarf, and black beret, and spreading her hair to fall down her back, Sarah strapped the bag over her shoulder and walked over to the rope. It was tight, though she had never tested it before. Sort of a one shot-go, thing. Climbing out the window, Sarah removed her beret like an actress and bowed towards the door. "Well father, I bid you adieu, perhaps this will work out better for both of us and honestly, you should have been expecting this." She had tried to run away after her mother had died five years prior, earning her the title of 'Black Sheep of the Tintagyl Line'. Placing the hat back onto her head, Sarah began to shimmy down the rope, slowly, bit by bit she descended towards the ground. Then the sound of groaning began to come from the window and she could feel her body begin to fall along with the rope, her bottom bed post was coming undone. "OH GODDAMNI-" Sarah never finished the sentence before the rope flung into the air out of the window and she fell the rest of the way to the ground, landing in about three or four feet of snow, providing a nice cushion to her fall.

Popping her head out of the snow, she watched the rope fall into the ground next to her, but besides that, the Estate was still silent. Standing up, out of the snow, Sarah brushed herself off and climbed down onto the cobblestone road that led out into the streets of Helsinki. Escaping the grounds of her father's estate, it didn't take journey through the city towards the bus stop that would take the young girl northward. Helsinki was exquisite that night, the Old City always had a certain charm to it that she loved and the smell of cappuccino, pastries, and other delights wafted from the buildings. She wanted to run in and get a danish, or a cup of coffee for the bus ride, but her schedule was night and changing it could be disastrous as she jogged through the streets. Her boots clicked as she did so, nearing the bus stop that was scheduled to depart for Tampere.

The bus arrived about ten minutes later, she hopped one to find herself sharing the entire bus with an old man dressed in Laplander clothes. It was odd finding a Lapp down in Helsinki, at least this late at night, but she wouldn't judge any further than that and shaking the thought out of her head, Sarah walked towards the middle of the bus, eight seats away from the Laplander and plopped down with her bag and rested her head on the window. The bus took off with a jolt as she closed her eyes and started drifting off to sleep before the sound of her bag rustling around made her eyes flash open. Turning to her right, the Laplander had calmly put her bag on the ground below her feet and leaned back in his chair.

"Can I help you?" Sarah tried to hide the annoyance in her voice, but it was obvious that with the entire bus empty, he had come over to talk with her, so trying to place a facade of any other reason was moot.

"Not at all young lady, I just like the feeling of company at times. I am free to move on the bus, am I not?" He was an elderly man, a straggly gray beard and a weathered face. His clothes were hand stitched and made of fur, while his height dominated the petite five foot four Sarah. "If you would rather I would leave you to your peace I can do that as well."

"Well no need to get defensive."

"I assumed by the sound of your voice, it was you who was defensive."

Damn...he didn't let anything slip by and she had just met him. She sighed and looked back out the window. "Sorry, its been a rough night. Had to get away for awhile to think."

"Is that what the duffel bag is for? To get away to think?"

She turned over and looked up at him. "Yes, I have a lot of things that I need to think about and that I can't do with the people around me now. Its..." Sarah shook her head. "Its complicated, that's all. Just kind of doing that journey to find myself and all, you know. Everyone goes through it once in their life. Listen, I'm sorry, but I don't even know you and spilling my entire life story isn't really something I want to do right now. I just..."

The old man smiled and shook his hand. "Not at all Miss. I completely understand and my stop is coming up, I believe your stop in Tampere is coming up as well. But please take this." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a sapphire blue snowflake, a jewel of sorts and dropped it into her hand. It was cold to the touch. "Think of it as an understanding between strangers, I made the same journey when I was your age...it is an amazing journey to behold..."

Sarah looked down at the snowflake in her hand and eyed it curiously. "Uh thank you...Mister..." She looked back to ask his name but the old man had already vanished. "Now I don't...wait...how did he know that I was going to Tampere?"

A few hours later, Sarah's bus had arrived in Tampere, one of the small towns in the interior of Tion, from here there were roads leading to all the small villages in the forested interior. After having a breakfast of packaged pastries and a bottle of water, she hitched up the duffel bag on her shoulder and once again began to walk towards the old roads that she knew as a child towards the links to her past. Sarah stayed on the old roads for what seemed like hours, the village of Orivesi coming closer and closer, until a road detour pushed her off to the side. Scowling to herself and cursing her luck, Sarah decided on her own detour, after all, she figured if she had hiked these woods as a child, she would be able to get by as an eighteen year old. However, after four hours of hiking and with night fall quickly coming down, she regretted over traveling off the main road. Not quite to the point of tears yet, but in a miserable mood from the snow fall, her body chilled to the bone, the young girl found an outcropping of rock that would offer some shelter from the snowfall and maybe she would be able to warm up enough to fall asleep.

"T-t-this wasn't how this was supposed to happen at all, I should be in a small inn by a roaring fire right now..." Removing her gloves, Sarah felt her face. Her palms nearly stuck to her her frozen cheeks, bright red by this point. Curling up in a ball, she huddled against the cold stone. "J-j-just n-n-need to fall a-a-asleep." Sarah closed her eyes and felt the cold sweep over her body and slowly, her fatigue from the hike began to push her into a dreamless sleep. Completely unaware that she still had the sapphire snowflake gripped tightly in her palm.

[Subtleknifewielder]

The old man wasn't really quite sure what prompted him to go into the city. He never was quite sure about these things, not until afterward. Some called it an intuition, some called it a form of prophecy, some called it witchraft. He treated all theories with equal indifference. It simply was a thing that existed. It could not be explained; it could not be quantified; it simply [i][color="#ff0000"]was[/color][/i]. While he was there, he did manage to find a few things he could make use of back in his cabin. For example, his knife was getting dull, and no amount of whetting would help, as it was practically being worn down to a stub.

Which was understandable--he'd had the trusty blade for several decades, most of his life. One of the few benefits of modern society, he wryly noted, was that that these things were no longer as expensive as they once were. He pocketted the new knife right before he felt the urge to step on the bus that was pulling into the stop here.

Now what in the universe could require him to use such a method of transport? Nevertheless, he listened to the feeling. And he had to admit to himself, it was nice, considering the only other person there was the driver; it was actually pleasantly quiet, excepting for the engines on the cehicle in question. He actually managed to catch a little sleep between there and the next stop...and suddenly he understood, at least in part,[i] [/i]why he was here.

He stared thoughtfully at the young girl as she picked a seat several rows ahead of him. [i]'What is so special about the young woman?'[/i] he wondered as he got up and took a seat next to her, as he felt he should. She wasn't much to look at. Admittedly, she was a beauutiful young lady, and she seemed reasonably intelligent, judging from what he could glean of her from her conversation, but she was small in stature, and that same conversation revealed a slight attitude.

He censured himself for judging so quickly. He hadn't been much better in his own youth, he thought wryly. And she did apologize, which was more than could be said for him when he was that young.

[i]"Sorry, its been a rough night. Had to get away for awhile to think."[/i]

He felt the words come, almost unbidden, to his lips. "Is that what the duffel bag is for? To get away to think?"

The response was more than he bargained for. [i]"Yes, I have a lot of things that I need to think about and that I can't do with the people around me now. Its[/i]..." The man watched calmly as she shook her head. She herself was not sure about what she wanted, or needed, for that matter. that was painfully obvuious, and he needed no mysterious gift to tell him that. "[i]Its complicated, that's all. Just kind of doing that journey to find myself and all, you know. Everyone goes through it once in their life. Listen, I'm sorry, but I don't even know you and spilling my entire life story isn't really something I want to do right now. I just..."[/i]

He felt the smile come to his lips. She sounded more and more like a copy of his own childhood and teenage years. "Not at all Miss. I completely understand and my stop is coming up, I believe your stop in Tampere is coming up as well. But please take this."

[i]'Tampere?'[/i] he thought. The rest of those words it had been his own, but he'd felt an almost urgency in mentioning this one little detail. Perhaps it was needed to get her attention, as was the snowflake jewel he pulled out of his pocket and gave to the young woman? "Think of it as an understanding between strangers, I made the same journey when I was your age...it is an amazing journey to behold..."

And as quickly as it had come, the urge left him to his own devices. It was time to depart. but he had a feeling, this one purely his own, that this was not the last he would see of the girl.

----

Back in his own cabin, he comfortably settled into the wooden chair he'd made for himself, with the knife in one hand and a half-finished carving of an owl in the other. He lost himself in the steady activity, concentrating on each little stroke of the blade. It was soothing, for him, and a way to shut out the world and its hardship for a time.

But soon enough his thoughts were interrupted, and he sighed. The other aspect of the small snowflake he'd handed to her had come into play. "So soon?" he muttered, grabbing a thick, fur coat and donning the garment as he walked out the door.

But it wasn't for himself. He actually didn't have far to go before he stumbled across the shivvering, unconscious form of the girl, the same one he'd encounterred on the bus. Slowly, carefully, he picked the sight form up, taking the coat and wraping it around her tightly to prevent the chill from spreading. The cold didn't bother him, but her? She was so far gone that she did not wake at his gentle touch, nor when he carried her to his dwelling. She only murmured softly as he placed her with utmost care onto the one piece of furniture he had not made for himself, the bed, and wrapped several blankets around her still-shivering frame.

He also had enough presence of mind to light a fire in the fireplace, though he rearely had occasion to use it. Now all that remained was the wait. Waiting for her to awake, he settled back into his carving...

[Sarah Tintagyl]

She felt warm, an inviting warmth that ran up her face and down her neck before her eyes slowly began to part. Sarah could remember bits and pieces when the world began to go dark. She had been cold, shivering, when her eyes had shut and in the back of her mind perhaps even that she wouldn't have been able to open her eyes again. Yet the weakness that had once gripped her body slowly began to fade away with the heat of the blankets on top of her. Smiling, she stretched her arms out the blanket, still dressed in her wool coat, jeans, and boots, but her hat had fallen off when the man had laid her down and her hair hung down over the furniture. Cooing softly as she yawned again, Sarah turned to her side and felt the softness of the pillow beneath her head, it was the softness bed she had ever felt, but any cushion and pillow after sleeping under the starts and shivering next to a rock would feel good. Yawning again however, she opened her eyes and began to place the pieces together, why was she warm? She was supposed to be cold. Her blue eyes flashed open, darting around the room, so foreign to her. It was then that she saw the man from the bus ride, carving a wooden statue of an owl off in the corner of the room. Sarah jumped up in surprise, nearly falling over herself as she pointing at the man, hitting her hand into another statue as she did so.

"Who the hell are you?!" She scowled. "Where am I? I'm supposed to be out in the col..." Sarah stopped and looked at the surprised man with wide eyes. "You...you brought me in from the cold? Where...What..." She looked at him with a puzzled gaze. "Who are you?"

[Subtleknifewielder]

In glancing around the room, Sarah would see she was in a one-room log cabin, though that single room was fairly sizeable. Her mysterious rescuer, with his knife and half-finished carving, sat across from her, in one corner near the door, his chosen seat one of two wooden chairs. She herself, in the bed, was as close to the fireplace as he dared put them without risking the blankets or any part of that precious piece of furniture (or more importantly, his guest) catching fire from the crackling flames that radiated warmth and light.

The walls were covered with shelves, and the shelves were in turn covered with a collection of items that the old man had accumulated over his lifetime. Furs, needles, and thread to make clothing. A few simple wooden eating utensils. Half a dozen more carved wooden figurines, all birds, and ranging from small sparrows to sizeable hawks. Food he'd either caught or gathered himself. A stone axe that seemed more for decoration than actual use as a tool or weapon.

The door itself was made of wood, and though there were was a window to either side of it and it was daytime, there was little light in the room other than that produced by the fire and half-a-dozen small candles throughout the room. Outside the snow came in flurries, frustrating the efforts of every sliver of sunlight that tried to fight its way to the surface.

As soon as the girl stirred from her slumber, the old man set aside his unfinished carving and the knife, folding his hands across his lap as he stared at her through her growing anxiety; and though his eyes widened appreciably, unsure of what action she would take next, he made no move to get up from his place of rest.

[i]"Who the hell are you?! Where am I? I'm supposed to be out in the col..."[/i]

"Peace. I found you in the cold. You were going to freeze to death., so I brought you here to recover."

[i]"You...you brought me in from the cold? Where...What..."[/i]

he smiled reassuringly. "My home," he answered simply.

[i]"Who are you?"[/i]

Another simple reply. "Aatos." No other name, just Aatos. "And you?" he asked, gently. His gift told him her name already, but he wanted to give her a chance to calm down and introduce herself on her own terms.

[Sarah Tintagyl]

"Aatos?" She sighed and sat back onto the couch and put her face in her hands. "I'm Sarah Tintagyl, the daughter of the Baltica Iron Works Corporation if you know it. From Helsinki. I guess this would be our second meeting then, already meeting on the bus." She opened her hand, the sapphire snowflake shimmering back. "I appreciate you helping me, but I really should probably be going, I'm trying to make it to one of the nearby villages to live for awhile." Looking up she half-smiled. "Like I sort of was saying on the bus, I've been kind of looking for my life as of recent, what's going on and all. I guess just a lot of confusion and all. Stuff that I really don't understand. My brother just died and now my father wants me to take his place, its just a lot on my shoulders that I don't want to deal with anymore....sorry for talking about that all. But I just want to get to somewhere that I might be able to settle permanently for awhile. So yeah...if you could just give me directions or something, I can be on my way and out of your hair." She took her duffel bag and wrung her hat in her hands, smiling awkwardly. "Thanks..."

[Subtleknifewielder]

Another thing Aatos had learned over the course of his many years; when someone starts unburdening themselves in front of you, don't interrupt. They generally just need someone to listen to them for a little while, even if they do not realize it themselves.

Though he did nod to show that yes, even he had heard of Baltica. In fact, in an indirect menner, they had been responsible for the manufacture of the new knife he had bought on his recent trip. Which led to another thing another thing that he had learned--that all too often, seeming coincidences were nothing of the sort. Already his mind was churning furiously, though he conintued to focus most of his attention on the cares that Sarah was revealing.

When it was apparent she would be saying no more, he nodded, once, the smile fading but not yet disappearing. "It is my calling to help those in need. No thanks is needed."

He stood, glancing out the window, then cracking the door to confirm something he had known even before she had woken. He wasn't about to tell her what she could or could not do--she would react in completely the wrong way--but he could offer her advice as he closed the door for the moment. "I would offer you directions--but in this blizzard, I don't think they would do you much good. Even I would get lost in such a storm," he admitted.

A single glance out the window would confirm his words, as would the distinctly palpable chill that had intruded on the room even from the mere seconds his door had been open. Not only was the storm thick and dark, and during midday--it was bitterly cold.

[Sarah Tintagyl]

[i]"I would offer you directions--but in this blizzard, I don't think they would do you much good. Even I would get lost in such a storm,"[/i]

Sarah looked out towards the wilderness as he held the door open and dropped her duffel bag on the ground. "Well this just sucks." She said stomping back towards the couch and sat down beginning to unbutton her jacket. "I might as well just give up now. Who was I kidding, I haven't even made it to the village and even if I did, I'd just disturb everyone when my father sends a search party out. Its no use, I'm going to be in the University of Helsinki in no time learning to live his life. That's why I left Aatos." Tears beginning to form in her eyes. "That's why I left, because I want to be able to live my own life in relative peace. I'm spoiled...I know I'm spoiled and I just want to live away from all that and I could do that out here, in nature." Sarah looked back to the door and scowled at the weather. "Now it looks like nature doesn't even want me."

Looking up at him she crossed her arms and leaned back on the couch. "Sorry for being a burden, but like I said...I appreciate you taking me in and all. But...uh...unless you want to hear my life's story. Which I really don't feel like telling right now, I'm not entirely sure what there is to do here? Sorry, guess I really wasn't cut out for the nature life either."

[Subtleknifewielder]

Aatos' reply would no doubt surprise her. "Yes, you may be spoiled, but you admit it, which is more than can be said for many. That is the first step, really, to fixing any flaw...to admit there is one. However, your words also reveal a good spirit underneath. You don't wish to be a burden, you express concern over the fact that others would be disturbed, because of actions you might take, even if only indirectly."

He paused for a moment, apparently thinking something over, or...it was almost like he was listening to something only he could hear. His next words seemed a complete change of subject.

"Perhaps it is not mere coincidence you and I have met. Do you believe in fate, Sarah? In destiny?"

[Sarah Tintagyl]

She looked up from her hands and narrowed her eyes. "Fate and destiny?" Sarah chuckled. "You mean that people have an unchanging route that they will never be able to break set by the heavens? Not particularly Aatos, I do actually believe in free will to decide my fate and I wouldn't think anything less. I would say our meeting is more of a coincidence rather than we were fated to meet by some higher power." Looking around the cabin she began to notice the kind of environment that Aatos lived in. "You're a pagan aren't you Aatos? No wonder you believe in fate and destiny." The girl smiled. "I mean no offense I assure you, but no, destiny, I would be hard pressed to believe this meeting was destined by the gods for you, or God for me."

Sarah took a deep breath. "I take it you do though? Destiny that is."

[Subtleknifewielder]

"Yes, I am what you would call Pagan. And I have a unique perspective on Fate," he said wryly. he should know. His gift had brought them together. "And didn't even your Sacrificed God give you prophecies in His book?" He couldn't help it. He wanted to see what she said in response to that.

[i]'A Christian...this is going to be difficult.'[/i] He sighed internally. He'd spent enough time in her presence to allow his sense to pick up on other things. This slight, harmless-looking girl had a gift of her own, a latent ability that she would no doubt deny if she were aware of it. But she had to know, regardless. The elderly man stood, crossing the room sit on the floor in front of her, paying no mind to the hard surface, not bothered by it in the least despite his age. He reached out a hand to indicate the snowflake, opening his mouth to speak.

"Sarah..." But as he touched her hand, he froze...to her it would seem as if he had had a stroke or seizure--though he was not trembling, he was completely still, and if she tried to move him in any way, she would find that he was immovable as a statue, as if some unseen force held him in place.

But what he saw was vastly different than what she observed. His expression was blank, indicating to the outside world that his mind was somewhere else, while images bombarded his consciousness faster than the eye could blink. War, violence, destruction, death--but also peace, stability, hope, revival...and new life. All centered around this little, barely grown girl. [i]'What are you getting me into?'[/i] he whispered to whatever deity had given him his gift. It felt more like a curse, was his last thought as he snapped back to reality, his expression openly shocked as he stared at her with new eyes.

A minute had passed since he had fallen into the trance...

Edited April 22, 2010 by Subtleknifewielder

[Sarah Tintagyl]

"Yes he did say prophesy, however, I doubt the abilities of even the Christ at times. The supernatural world really isn't my thing, I mean there's times I believe in it. But I dislike putting all my trust into something I can't even see, I would rather something tangible, not just the good word of a prophet or a god."

He smiled and started walking over to her and sat on the floor, Sarah backed up on the couch slightly, tensing up her body in case the man tried something. But as he touched her hand with the snowflake in it, he froze as his hands felt frightfully cold, but as she tried to pull away, her hand stood in place. "Aatos? What...what is this?" He didn't respond and just continued staring at her with his blank eyes. "Aatos!? Aatos!? Speak! Why don't you speak?" Finally with all her strength she ripped her hand from his touch and held it against her chest, still shaking in fear and drawing back scared on the couch. "What the hell are you trying to do to me? What's going on?" Sarah was angry, but in the back of her voice was a latent fear, as well as a latent curiosity.

[Subtleknifewielder]

Only just now realizing it was still extended, the old man withdrew his hand as if scalded, his expression changing not a whit from the widened eyes.

Aatos stood, clearly rattled as he retreated step by step to the dubious safety of his previous perch across the room. All the time, his eyes continued to lock onto hers, disbelief in every fiber of his being.

"How--how can you not have faith in anything? One such as you...you need to believe in something, to give you an anchor."
[i]
'Especially with what's to come,'[/i] he thought. "Even I understand that."

Despite his own misgivings, he could see the effect his trance had had on the girl, and tried to force his countanence into something more reassuring. "I apologize for that. Sometimes it happens, and there's nothing anyone, even myself, can do about it. However..." he bit his lip. "You may not believe in fate, Sarah, but it believes in you. You are going to change the world. For better or worse, I cannot say, but I imagine that largely depends on what you hold onto. What do you value most?"

[Sarah Tintagyl]

"I want to believe in something." She said starting to warm up to him again, slowly, but relaxing her sudden defense. "Its just hard when all your life you never really had to believe in anything at all, now I don't know what to believe in. Prophecy, faith, all that. I mean it could happen, but I'd have to see it to believe in. The doubter, all that, you know?"

After he had come from his trance, Sarah leaned forward with a concerned look on her face and grabbed his hand, though this time he didn't appear to go into any trance. "Its okay, freaked me out and all, but I'll be okay." However after he closed his last sentence, she looked at him oddly. "Change the world? Aatos I'm sorry, I'm no one special, you might not want to believe that, but I'm not whoever you're looking for or anything like that. Sorry." She stood up now. "But if you're going to tell me all kinds of strange stuff and that I'm kind of special person that put you into a trance, you're wrong and as to what I hold onto." She chuckled and shook her head. "As to what I hold onto? I don't have much right now I'm afraid, maybe the thought of living in peace and away from everyone else so I can do my own thing. I...I just don't know...no ones ever asked me about what I hold onto. Or what I believe in, I never had to ask that question either to myself..." She looked at the ground and a tear formed in her eye. "Maybe the wish that I could have my family back...the way it was supposed to be like. When my mother and brother were alive..."

[Subtleknifewielder]

[i]"...I'm not whoever you're looking for or anything like that. Sorry."[/i]

Aatos shook his head. "You talk about what you can see being what you can believe in. If I told you I have seen an aspect of the future, would that make it more real for you?" But he answered his own question. "No, I suppose it would not. After all, you gave not seen it for yourself. Trust me, I know what [i]I[/i] saw...you are more special than any other individual in the here and now, even me." She would make and break nations, this one.

The rest of her words he listened to without interruption. And continued listening for some time after. When he had fully considered his next course, only then did he speak again. "I can't bring your family back, however much I would wish to. I tried to bring my own back to life when I began losing them, and wasted several years of my own, not to mention nearly lost it more than once, in the process. However, I can help in one regard. You need time to sort your thoughts, I think, but you don't want others to be disturbed unduly by your father's search parties, right? I can assure you that though I live in solitude, I don't mind company. You can stay here however long you wish, and rest assured, until you are ready to leave, no one will take you away. As long as you don't mind listening to the occasional thougts of an old man, I would not be bothered by your presence," he added, the twinkle back in his eye.

[Sarah Tintagyl]

"Special?" She continued to shake her head in doubt. "I appreciate what you're saying Aatos, but to be honest, its like faith, but I appreciate your concern. I just don't think destiny is my thing right now." Sarah chuckled. Though he was right, it was far too messy outside to even attempt to walk back towards Helsinki or to the village she was originally heading to. But the second offer he had, her ears perked up, perhaps it wasn't the village and she wouldn't be in total peace, but Aatos could provide a place to get her thoughts in order and he seemed harmless enough. "Well I mean I guess if you wouldn't mind me staying with you for a few days or weeks. I promised I wouldn't stay here forever, but to get my thoughts in order, that would be nice. Thank you, well then, do I have a room to stay in or would it be the couch and like, is this it, the comforts of home replaced by the wild type thing? Just what I want to know and how I can help out around the house, I don't want to just mooch off you."

[Subtleknifewielder]

She really wasn't going to be convinced by words for the time being. But she'd heard the idea, and that was enough for now. Even if she consciously did not believe it, the thought would sink in.

"I already said I wouldn't mind, and I'm afraid this is the only room, but if you need the privacy, I could rig a curtain in one corner using some of those spare furs." He gestured to one shelf just on the other side of the fireplace where a pile of newly prepared furs lay in a neat stack. "No, you won't have all the comforts you may be used to--you're sitting on the most comfortable item of furniture in my cabin--but you won't lack for necessities. After all, if we really need water...we have plenty just outside the door."

Another of those little jokes, though it was perfectly true. Melting down snow in a boiling pot would give them all the clean water they could ever use.

"To be honest, there's not much to do during winter--I've stored up all the extra food and supplies I need to last out the winter. My trip to the city was only for a few things I cannot make or find for myself. However...are you any good at cooking?"

[Sarah Tintagyl]

"Yeah, the privacy would be nice." Though she was starting to regret a few things, most notably the thought of having a hot shower when ever she wanted, but she could have a steaming bath, so that really wasn't all that bad and after all, this was supposed to be a way for her to find herself and to connect with her feelings. Hardship always accompanied that sort of thing. "Since, I need to bathe and all. But besides that, the couch isn't bad, I could sleep here easily enough and as to the water." Sarah cracked a smile and nodded her head. "I agree it won't be hard to gather water at all and I guess that if we're just going to be hanging out here, you might be able to help me figure out just what I believe in after all, my teachers always say you have to remove yourself from your comforts to find what you really want to see."

Then she tilted her head back and laughed. "But cooking, yes, I'm a great cook, so you'll be fine there Aatos. I'll have you eating better than you ever have in your life. But uh...what do you do for fun around here? Besides carving? You're in the middle of the woods, you must have all kinds of interesting stories and mysterious stuff happening to you." Sarah held her face in her hands and looked at the old man with intent eyes. "So spill, what's the thing to do out in the woods?"

[Subtleknifewielder]

"They sound like wise teachers. I would be happy to help." Aatos had a feeling that was another reason she had been brought to him, so that he could help her find a course. But for now, he had a little work to do if she wanted that privacy, and he stood, walking over to the pile of furs to sort through what he would need. Despite his age, he was still physically fit, and he felt no sign of those many years in his bones. He had no doubt that would be changing soon enough, but for now, he thanked the gods for blessing him with good health so he could continue to serve their purposes.

"I am glad you know how to cook. Regrettably if there's one thing I haven't been able to learn, through all my years, it is how to cook." He grinned ruefully as he glanced over at his guest for a moment. "I can preserve the food well enough so it's edible, but that's about it. I heard an expression one time that I think is appropriate...I burn water." Now he wore a grimace as he withdrew the material he needed, glancing up at the corner that would be covered. The ceiling was lowest there, so this should be fairly easy with the right tools.

"As for what I do out there," he indicated the door with a movement of his chin, "There's a number of things. Hunting, fishing, and foraging for food...and studying the wildlife. If you learn to be patient and careful, the animals will barely notice your presence. I get to see things few city-dwellers will ever hope to even glimpse."

And occasionally, he gave nature a helping hand through another of his abilities. Perhaps...yes, that was another thing he would be showing her when the time was right. "I'll teach you all about it, if you like."