Secluded, safe, and warm.

Even before what had just transpired, I would not have been able to acquies to such a suggestion. But now, that I was shaken, afraid, and confused, it was positively lifegiving. The stranger - Leoric - turned and began to move away, and I watched for just a moment in stunned awe before struggling after him.

At first, my knees buckled, as I struggled to hurry after Leoric. But a few steps in the cold snow and I was on his heels, following the cloak that billowed behind him. He didn't speak, in fact, he didn't acknowledge me at all beyond occasionally checking to ensure I was still following. Each glance, I met with an awkward smile. Every few steps of his I skipped one of mine, hopping to stay close.

Eventually, he came to a spot amongst the dense, snow-bidden trees, turning to speak.

I opened my mouth to answer him, but instead suddenly gasped as Leoric disappeared from view with a gasp.

For a few moments, I waited in the silence, unsure of what to do. But just as I began to look around nervously, I heard laughter. Sighing in relief, I followed his instructions, and in a few moments, I'd joined him in front of some kind of wall of ice. As Leoric picked up a rock, I approached it, gently placing my fingertips against the frozen surface.

My eyes closed. I drifted away, feeling the gentle hum of the ice.

CRASH!

I squealed and jumped as the stranger hurled a rock at the ice, ducking as it was promptly hurled right back at him.

Undeterred, he seemed to be preparing to go shoulder-to-shoulder with the thing, and I stepped back, reaching out a hand,

"Uh.. Leoric, w--"

Before I could finish, he threw a punch at the wall. I gasped, my own hands flying to cover my mouth.

"Agh!"

I dropped to my knees, eyes squeezed shut, as a sudden jolt of pain wracked me. At first, I had no idea what was going on, but each punch the man threw at the ice wall sent a renewed pang through me. Each time I tried to draw a breath to ask him to stop, it was stolen by another punch, another wave.

Finally, with a sigh of warm, humid air, he broke through, and we were both given relief from the jolts of agony.

Ladies first

Gritting my teeth, I winced, pulling myself up to my feet and cradling my arm; the same side he'd used to punch through the wall. Well, if I'd hoped to hide my magic from him, that was probably long gone, now. Crawling through the hole, I gazed around at the cavern within.

It was a cozy, hidden sanctuary, complete with furs and primative stone furniture.

"This is... nice." I murmured, limping towards the furs to lower myself down onto them. With a grimace, I shrugged off my cloak, feeling the empathetic pain finally subside with a sigh. Shaking my head, I turned to him,

"So... about that debt I owe you."