The man had the most amazing eyes, Cara thought as she helped him settle in . When he touched her shoulder, little warm eddies of energy darted through her skin. He then tapped his chest and she expected him to say his name, but suddenly she felt as if she were standing outside with a strong cold breeze that whipped across the tundra at the end of summer. Her senses were alive with the  scent of snow..... Fresh snow.... . She stared at the short sun cycle moving over the horizon during winter like the hands of a clock ticking down..... She shivered as the wind whipped over the frozen snow drifts.<br/><br/>Cara seemed so snap back,<br/><br/>“Winter. I saw winter approaching.” She said, dreamily.<br/><br/>He tapped his chest and again and looked at her expectantly.<br/><br/>“Winter?” she asked, touching the back of his hand that lay across his chest.  He sat up straighter, his obsidian eyes never leaving hers. "Your name is Winter?"<br/><br/>“Mind speak. I have read about that in the Grimiore, too, but I had thought it no more than a legend. You talk through images in the mind. “ she chattered on. “Does that mean you can read my mind too? Oh no, I hope not.” She groaned as she thought of that pleasant quick fantasy she had had about him earlier.<br/><br/>“Okay, okay, Let me try.” Cara shook out her hands and settled back into a meditation pose. She cleared her mind and thought of the carcass of the half of a pig roasting on the fire. She tried to imagine the sizzling of the fat as it dripped into the flames and to conjure up the scent of pork roasting in a good way.<br/><br/>She opened her eyes and looked at “Winter” to see his reaction.<br/><br/>“I’m still going to call you  Winter with my voice , because I do speak out loud. I know you can say Cara, I have heard you. But I think we can communicate between both ways. I have to stop and think of it really strongly and if you do speak, you will have to do the same. But, Winter, I can hear you. “ she tapped her head and smiled broadly. “I can hear you. I can learn to speak dragon.”<br/><br/>Outside, the growling and grinding of machinery competed with the howling wind. Two doors slammed and the pounding of boots on the porch gave warning before the hammering of a fist against the house door.<br/><br/>Cara looked at Winter and waved a hand at him to stay put. She tried to look out the peep hole but it was all frosted up.<br/><br/>“Who is it?” she called, weaving magic in her hand for protection.<br/><br/>“Travelers who are lost in the storm,” came the gruff reply.<br/><br/>She barely switched the lock when the door was shoved open, knocking her back. Two burly, bearded men pushed into the room, shedding snow from their hats to their boots. They carried shotguns, she noted, not long rifles. They didn’t remove their sun glasses either. They scattered and moved around the room as if they owned the place.<br/><br/>“Who are you?” she asked, bravely attempting to stay in control of the situation. She shut the door amid the swirling of snow.<br/><br/>“Let’s just say that we are hunters and we needed a place to get in out of the weather.” The tall one said as the heavier one rooted around in her kitchen. “She got any hooch?”<br/><br/>“Yeah, some beer. Better than nothing.” He answered , coming up with a six pack of Stella Artois that Cara had been saving for her birthday.<br/><br/>She backed toward the fireplace and frantically tried to weave magic but her nerves were rattled. Her magic was tied to her emotions and she was struggling to maintain control.<br/><br/>“Looky here, Bill. We got us one each. One for me and one for you. We will have us a drink and some fucking good times while we are here. I like me some bitch and you like some man ass. We done hit the jackpot “<br/><br/>Cara looked at these assholes. What were they talking about? She looked at Winter and saw him staring at them intently. Closing her eyes, she attempted to show him what she thought these perverts where thinking.<br/><br/>She opened her mouth to protest to them breaking her potions but Bill said,<br/><br/>“Sit down and shut up. There ain’t no one to hear you if you scream and probably no one to care if you die. We won’t kill you for a while. Don’t worry your pretty little heads any. Neither of you. What’s  a matter with that albino freak? Can’t he talk or nothing?”