Although he couldn’t quite see her through the swirling snowflakes, Nikolai recognized Lizelle’s voice after she bumped into him.  It was good to know that she still remained in their little group.  Nikolai would have reached out to grab her hand again, except he knew that he’d be more of a hinderance than a help.<br/><br/>Then a trio of people emerged from the cursed forest.  One of them was the boy in the hoodie who Nikolai had encountered when he first awoke.  Nikolai didn’t recognize the other two, but they seemed to know more about what was going on.  A familiar wave of relief washed through Nikolai as they took charge of the situation.  He always felt more comfortable taking orders from other people.  And yet, when the blonde woman commanded them to follow her, Nikolai hesitated.  Where was Lizelle?  He didn’t want to risk leaving his rescuer behind.<br/><br/>As the snow thinned a little, Nikolai spotted Lizelle talking to the lanky Brit.  Nikolai couldn’t hear what they were saying -- however, he winced when Lizelle slapped the man.  Had the Brit made some sort of improper sexual advance?  That guess seemed to be confirmed when the man began groping Lizelle’s arm.  Puffing himself up, Nikolai prepared to go give Mister Grabby Hands a lecture about the proper way to treat a lady.  But apparently Lizelle could take care of herself.  Soon she and the Brit seemed to have settled their differences and turned their attention to the new arrivals.<br/><br/>Nikolai followed their example, and his eyes nearly popped out of his head when he noticed that the blonde woman was now surrounded by a whirl of crystal energy.  Assuming it was a threat, just like everything else in this world, Nikolai nearly attempted yank her free.  But then he realized that the energy was attacking the trees, not the woman.  This made him even more inclined to follow the newcomers.  So, once he’d assured himself that none of his remaining companions would be left behind, Nikolai dashed after the blonde woman.