#anywhere

Her mom looks at her, "Well, if you want out of trouble, you're going to have to start breathing again. Right. Now. Young.Lady."

Spew! water goes out, Air rushes in..

A BIG inhale, and much painful coughing, and she tries to figure out where she is.

In the dreaming still on the glacier, there's an exhausted looking Dika-Hanna, and five corpses... and the hatchet

"you made it" Dika-Hannah says "Oh thank all the gods of the north"

Sylvi's feeling pretty exhausted herself, and headache-y, and breathing hurts. "What happened?" she rasps.

"You nearly drowned, so i used my magic to raise you to the water, fast! You loosed the corpses so I was able to get them too, then I grabbed your stomach and ... I forget what it's called, but I bet your ribs hurt because I squeezed hard lots of times and .. water came out, and I think most of your last meal."

"Gross," she says, but without much enthusiasm. "Thank you. I would have...I was going to die." She levers up enough to get a look at the corpses and the Hatchet.

"Do we bury them?" Staring at the corpses.

"You wouldn't let go of that hatchet at first, you ..well, your grip was like stone"

"I will bury them," Dika-Hannah says "I will...take their bones home."

"My hand might just have been frozen," she smirks. Then she tries getting to her feet. "Let me help."

"You have your own quest, remember?" She says "This..I think this will be mine. You have a mission to finish one of peace. I.. I need to show I can do more than feel sorry for myself"

"Dika-Hannah...you've already shown that. You saved my life."

"Well, yes... I guess" A smile "But...these are my people. or at least my cousins. Besides, when I take their bones back to their own tribes, maybe it will teach them not to avoid Pug'Wis"

She nods, "Makes sense. Just don't let them blame you." A sigh, and a wince as it still hurts. She goes to pick up the Hatchet, looking it over, and then gives her friend a grin. "We did it."

"More you than me. You're the one who tried. I didn't even consider risking this until you were determined, but..."A blush on an ugly ugly face "I did pretty well in the fourth quarter huh?"

"Literally couldn't have done it without you," Sylvi nods.

"We should get going." She's back in her coat by now, but it's cold out here.

"Yes," And they return-the journey back goes easier. Five lights seem to dance ahead guiding them past any dangers.

"The lights...do you think they're..." she nods at the bones Dika-Hannah carries.

"I'm sure of it," Dika-hannah set upa kind of sled thing, works pretty well

Sylvi smiles. "Nice of them to escort us out." She's got the Hatchet tucked in her belt, on the opposite side from her bowie knife, and is again using her spear as a walking stick half the time.

"Remember, never us the hatchet in battle or it's medicine will ring false"

and then...theyr'e out of the dreaming! it wasn't really that far, just a dangerous pocket nearby as her dad would say.

Where did they exit? Because they entered the dreaming over water....

SPLOSH

"Ack... hold on, I'll recast"

"....splutter, cough...."

That humbling footnote in their moment of triumph aside, they manage to get to shore with their footing and some measure of dignity when the Baron is on the shore to greet them. "Wondered where you girls got to. You two okay?"

Sylvi looks at the Baron, then down at her sodden self. "Well...yes?" She looks at the Pu'Gwi. "Thanks to Dika-Hannah, we are."

"Uh huh, find what you were looking for?" Dubious grump face

She hesitates and glances at Dika-Hannah before standing a bit straighter. "Yes, Milord. We did." She carefully pulls the Hatchet from her belt to show him...but does not offer it towards him.

"Well, I'll be a suck egg mule " he grins wide, then looks to the bones "Those folks who I think they are?"//Dika-Hannah has also straightened "Yes, Baron. I will get them home. It's my quest."//"Then let me help you on that quest with a little support. I do not doubt your ablities, but they have waited long enough ,and if I can speed your way, the better I think?" The baron explains///She nods "Thank you."//"Right. Now, let's get you into the hold and warm you two up."

"I really like that idea," Sylvi grins, setting the hatchet back in her belt.

Hot coco and victory stories, for while the baron does not take the hatchet, and indeed informs others to leave it be and that only Sylvi and Dika-Hannah are to touch it- after they get food, warm baths, he does insist on the story over hot coco.

It is possible his hot coco has a little something extra in it

Sylvi tells it as best she can recall, including the Walrus and the Ice and the skeptical corpses....but the Dreaming may have stolen many of the details already.

Dika-Hannah fills in what she knows, and between the two they think they've got about 90% of it

Sylvi does not tell about being tested by staring in Dika-Hannah's face...she doesn't want to shame her friend.

The Baron is a gwydion, and its possible he senses a deliberate ommision, but if he does- he makes no fuss

But she does tell specifics of another part: "I want everybody to know that Dika-Hannah of the Pu'Gwi saved my life, for real." Then she describes the drowning and rescue.

Dika-Hannah blushes "I... she did almost all the work"

The Baron raised a brow, "Not to impugn modesty, Dika-Hannah, but Sylvi's quest appears to have almost been graded on a pass fail, and it would have been the latter if she died. This is... no small thing."

Sylvi nods agreement with the Baron. "Plus, I wouldn't have known how to start without you knowing that part."

"It would seem I am in your debt, Dika-Hannah. Had Sylvi died, it would have reflected badly on my hold and myself. This is the least of things lost when a fae soul moves on too soon, but that is the part that indebts me. And as it is Gwydion honor, this is no small thing." He states "I will indeed aid you at returning the bodies. But another boon to you asides. I could squire you both, but you don't yet know what that would really mean, and I suspect Sylvi is...not interested in that. Correct me if I am wrong ,Emmisary, and I'd gladly do so right now"

A startled look...followed by a thoughtful one. "I...um...Baron Idris, thank you. I can kind of see the appeal in having that rank. And I really appreciate you asking, not just doing. But...no, thanks. It's not for me." She shakes her head.

"A shame young lady, you'd make knight in no time. Heck, was tempted to offer that but baroness brekke might have thing to say about it." A grin "But I understand. You got to get the feel of where you are before you start changing boots"

A complicated expression. "I...um...yes, Milord."

"is he speaking english?" The nunehi whispers to the troll unsure