We came back down the stairs and sat by the fire. "Why did you want to see him?" "To let him know i would be staying a while." "Well, i'm the only one awake for the winter." "May i stay?" I thought on this.. I was still upset over how i hurt but agreed. "There are no vacant rooms. I can't let you intrude on other guests slumber so we would have to share."
I didn't really think about what i had said until the night. I nestled into the blankets and closed my eyes. Moments before i fell asleep i felt a weight on me. "Hm?.." "Sorry." Joxter curled up under the blanket at my side. I lay awake at the presence of a second being in my bed. He smelled like old, stale tobacco, sweat and dirt. The latter two scents were tolerable, it was just the tobacco smell that kept me awake. Soon he began to purr? When i thought about it, the mans facial hair did look a lot like whiskers as did the shape of his eyes. Weird..
The whole winter went on slowly. It was a comfortable slow though. I wondered why his whole vibe seemed so familiar. "Have we met? You seem familiar." "On the beach." That seemed to be the only answer i would be getting. Maybe i would learn more in spring. As of now i would try to find more about the man i would be spending the season alone with. "Oh, uh.. well would you like to hear about me?" He took a sip of coffee and nodded. "Lets see.. i'm the talkative one of us two.. where do i begin.?" I took a sip of my own coffee and sit back, wincing at the pain. "I am twenty four and came here three years ago in the summer. My favorite color is peach. Um... I'm scared of the water." Joxter nods at this and takes his time to reply. "There isn't much to say about myself. I'm somewhere around forty and i travel around on my own. Never thought about my favorite color."
A few days of silence and i choked on my lunch. "Wait wait wait..." Joxter looks my way and sets down his cutlery. "So its your clothes i have been wearing." He nodded as to say yes and took another bite of pancake. "Lucky you left the second set behind or else i would have to wear only my swim clothes or a night gown."
By now its a week from spring and I wake up alone. How strange, he had left as quickly as he had arrived. The lingering smell of stale tobacco nearly permeated my bedding and my wounds were still not fully healed and still stung with every single step. As bad as i still hurt it was almost like the pain wasn't there on the first day of spring. I sat quietly in my usual seat and waited for everyone to wake up. First was Moominmama who saw my condition and gasp quietly before pulling a jar of plaster from her purse and tending my wounds. "How ever did this happen Kestret? Was it something that happened at home?" "Oh i just dropped the kettle a while ago."
Soon after Moominmama began breakfast Moomin and My came down. As soon as they had seen me they smiled wide. "How did you get here so early??" "I.. Have been here all winter. Please don't ask why but i wont be leaving again. Thank you Moominmama for allowing me to stay. Even.. if it was without your knowing this time.." While we were talking, Little My crawled under the table and gently poked my burns. "What happened here huh?" "Dropped the kettle." "Oh."
Once everyone woke up all my friends helped me find a good place to build my new home. The site was a little off the path to lonely mountain. Within a few hard working weeks i had a cozy little cabin.
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We had to build a lot of the furniture like the table and chairs Moominpapa made in his woodshed and Snork fashioned the well that Snufkin witched and some dishes from wood. The Moomins had an extra mattress in the basement which i sewn in half and Fillyjonk allowed me a couple blankets and pillows. Moominmama game me some seeds and sprouts to begin my very own garden too. Among everybody, i had managed everything i would need to start myself a life.
That first night Snorkmaiden stayed over to help settle in. It sure was nice to settle in with my best friend here. "The top deck is so romantic don't you think?" "Oh yes, my dear prince will come up the ladder and sweep me off my feet." We danced around in our dresses and took turns pretending to be swept away. I crawled up onto the ladder and called. "Dear princess! I have come to steal thine pure heart." Snorkmaiden giggled and stepped out onto the deck in a dramatic way. "My love, my love, what say you to steal a maidens heart?" "Your fur so soft and perfumed with the spring flowers is most beautiful in the moonlight when you change color to express happiness for the warm breeze. Most beautiful my fair maiden, are you when the sun shines solely to match your golden fringe." I climbed back on up and took her paws and we spun like we were dancing at a royal ball. "Forget the prince, Kestret! Lets be queens!" I dipped her and we laughed till we fell to the floor. "The two of us rule the lands!"
