The letters he had been writing went completely forgotten as Commander Henry was presented with something far more interesting than chatter with other nobles—as strange as it was to consider himself one of them.

The moment Irene expressed real worry to him, he felt the unmistakable urge to make it right for her so she could be comfortable here. After all, it was the responsibility of a commander to make sure their knights enjoyed the place they had to live on his behalf, right?

At least, that's what he was telling himself. It wouldn't be right if he was caught taking special interest over the only woman in his entire order…

Yet, she was the only one who had piqued his interest enough lately for him to come out of his study. Knowing that she was in the library, lingering after teaching the apprentices with Felix, he couldn't help seeing what she was doing. Perhaps her choice in books would give him a better understanding of this enigma he was lucky to call his third in command.

It wasn't anything more than that. Couldn't be anything more than that.

"In what you've read about wyrms, is it a possibility that a creature like that could make it over the mountains and into our lands?" the Commander asked first, deciding to ease into the plans forming in his head slowly.

"A creature like that?" she echoed. "Commander, I could travel between. Who says a creature far stronger and larger than me couldn't climb over the mountains and come here, in this place that now looks like the far north. The only thing I know of is they retreat to glaciers still frozen when the lands north thaw and because of our longer thawing season than up there, I assume that's why they have never ventured this far. They wouldn't reach it back in time. But if there's a possibility, or if the magic it placed on me means it can find me, then—"

"We will make sure that doesn't happen," the Commander assured her, his voice confident.

"How is that possible?" she wondered. "I know nothing about magic, but what I do know is that the source of it is very important."

"Well, we have two full-blooded mages here right now. Why don't we go and see how the two of them are holding up?"

Irene hesitated. At that moment, she also realized just how close the Commander was standing to her and she put space between them, pretending to see if there were more books about wyrms on the shelves as she spoke.

"Is that a possibility?" she quietly wondered. "Then what will they be able to do?"

"We won't know until we try," he persisted.

While Irene was hesitant to bother the mages yet again considering she was probably the last person to bother them when her ankle was hurt, she relented when the Commander gestured for her to follow along as he picked up his papers.

The two found themselves going down the winding staircases on the outer part of the main tower before making it to the hallway where the Commander began to head to his study.

When he opened the door and allowed Irene to follow him in, she was met with another warm room that thawed her out after walking down the cold hallways.

"The mages are staying in the infirmary now, aren't they?" she wondered quietly. "And they don't get too cold there?"

"Against their will, I have Bren go to the infirmary once a week to make sure they have enough firewood," the Commander explained. "Maids go out there once a day to make sure they're eating as well. Apparently they cut back on eating during winter as well."

"They're hibernating," Irene realized, amazed.

The Commander dropped the papers on his desk before pulling a cloak from one of the hooks and placing it over his shoulders.

"Do you have warm enough clothing?" he wondered as he turned to the knight.

"I'll be fine," she assured him. "I was made for this weather while you have the blood of a southerner and are yet to acclimate."

He raised his dark eyebrows at her which caused a small smile to appear on her face. She was teasing him, it turned out. And by the way he responded, it seemed he didn't like for his strength to be doubted just like her.

Regardless, Irene pulled up the hood of the outer coat she wore when they stepped outside once making it down the hallway once more and to the back entrance. There they padded quickly down the steps and into the practice yard, continuing on towards the stables, but ultimately the infirmary building that had been erected after the war so that the mages would have someplace to stay where they weren't forced to live directly beside knights they found far too rambunctious.

When they arrived, Commander Henry knocked on the door and they waited a few moments.

Irene took a couple of steps backwards to see if smoke was rising out of the chimney as expected. When she saw that it was, she nodded and went forward once again.

With another knock, activity was finally stirred up and they could hear someone shuffling before two different locks on the door were unlocked and they were permitted to step inside.

What met them was a tired mage with his hair in a state that led them to believe he must have been sleeping.

"Don't get your wet boots on the rug because the snow will melt when you get inside," Siverly stated, no greeting to be found or formality.

At that, Irene and Henry both removed their boots and left them by the door.

Not only that, but they both took off their outer layers until they were left in tunics. To say that it was hot in the infirmary was an understatement. Even the normally cold Siverly was wearing only a robe and slippers on his feet.

As Siverly's grey eyes scanned the two visiting him that day, he already knew that trouble followed. Out of the knighthood, they were the two with the most interesting issues but also the most taxing.

"What do the two of you need mages for?" he wondered. "Neither of you seem to be injured—a surprise considering how little you allowed your ankle to rest."

Irene let out a guilty laugh at that and widened her eyes at the mage. Why he was telling on her in the first place was beyond her.

"It's something else," the Commander began. "Is there a possibility to see if someone has a spell cast upon them? One done by a dragon or perhaps a wyrm?"

Silverly's eyes went to the Commander and he crossed his lithe arms over his chest.

"What have you done now, Your Grace?" he asked, assuming, as usual, that the person in trouble was the Commander. "Of course, Sylaron has put a spell on you to imprint on you. Has her hiding herself away due to the cold season caused you to worry? I'm not sure if she would be able to be found simply because of that…"

"It isn't that," Irene spoke up, deciding to defend her Commander. "When I went north last year, a wyrm put a spell on me and now I'm worried that it could follow me here while Chemois is offering its ideal climate."

Siverly's head slowly turned to Irene with an accusing glare and, despite knowing she could likely win if the mage came at her physically, his magic was beyond her understanding. It made him unpredictable and intimidating.

She felt strangely in trouble, as if she were being stared at by her mother.