Claus

Frost - Chapter Three

Dagur stared at the menu above the counter of the hot chocolate bar. "What is Rosé hot chocolate?"

"Rose hot chocolate," Faryn corrected.

He frowned at her, his expression seeming at odds against the fast-paced melody from the Nutcracker playing throughout the bar. While the bar space was filled, the murmurs of the other patrons was kept at a minimum. Perhaps because they were too busy starring at her.

"That makes even less sense than Rosé."

She side-stepped around him to get to the wooden counter, which was painted a deep forest green and was chipping. "Can I get a rose hot chocolate, please?" Once they got outside, she'd draw less attention.

While they waited for their drinks, the two of them leaned against the wood planks of the wall, and Dagur rolled out his neck. The bar gave off the same vibe as a tavern in a fantasy role playing game, though the air probably smelled better than that of the tavern in the fantasy world. There was a sweetness that hung over her that she knew if she stayed too long to relish in, it would soon make her sick.

Some of the other students in her old home had a group that would play once a week. Faryn had never joined them, though she'd always been curious.

The thought of Oxford, of her old friends, sent a pang through her heart. She missed all of it, not just her classes or her bed, but the group dinners, the tea and the bookshops, her caretakers, the late night visits from Aurelius.

Now all of that was gone and she had no idea when she would get it back, if she ever would.

Thankfully, they soon had their hot chocolates in hand and were stepping outside to find an empty table. Clíodhna and Peter were at a table in the corner sipping hot chocolates of their own. What flavors had they chosen? She couldn't ask them though, because despite their lackluster attempts, they were trying to be inconspicuous, and in the case that Dagur had not noticed them, she did not want to be the one to give them away.

There was only one open table. It was positioned on the edge of the bar's allotted outdoor space so it ran alongside the road. Not that there was much traffic in Ruhnerium. She hadn't seen any cars in the North Pole besides the collection that Klaus boasted. The preferred mode of transportation here seemed to be either horse-drawn carriage or a sleigh.

The wrought iron table had yet to be cleaned, and whipped cream was smeared across the surface in the middle of the table.

As Dagur eased himself into his chair, he titled his head back and let out a sigh. "That's nice."

Faryn's lips inched up in the corner. "So it was really you who needed a break then?"

His eyes opened and he sat up, flashing her a grin. "You're tough work, snowflake."

Setting her phone on the table, she rolled her eyes and took a sip of her drink, her nose dipping into the whipped cream. The rose made the hot chocolate taste like gingerbread, which was why she ordered it whenever she saw it on a menu.

It was already their fourth day of training, and they hadn't moved past snow and ice. The Yule Lad believed she needed to work on growing those powers before attempting to add others. So far, she'd been able to pelt him with a few standard-sized snowballs and freeze the top layer of the pond in the cavern.

After practicing this morning, Dagur had suggested they needed a break and mentioned trying out the hot chocolate bar he'd spotted when they had first arrived. Plus, it was a good day to be out and about. The sun was gleaming overhead, and the wind was calm today. The snow was fresh from its fall overnight and still looked crisp and sparkling white. Nick's reindeers hadn't yet gotten the chance to piss on it.