"It's only fair," teased Alex.
"I'd like that," said Cody with a smile. "We'll work it out."
"Maybe we can arrange to come temporarily Guard the Way with all of you busy on the other side, the way you get someone if you're going to be here very long," said James. "I bet Mother Sharp would allow it."
"That would be a comfort," said Cody, "but not too necessary."
"We wouldn't mind," said Jacques. "It's pretty much downtime to hang out with Alys and Nat and the kittens."
"We'll do that, then," said Julian, before they could get all into polite prevarication. "I'll send Horace in a few weeks to arrange it."
Cody smiled. "I'll bring a basket of goodies to go with whatever your wonderful brownie sends, and we'll have a picnic in the Grove. That'll appease the powers that be and please the Source, I bet."
Julian could tell that it did, indeed, please the Source, so he made a mental note to actually make the plans and not just think about it.
Julian gave Cody a goodbye hug, and even Alex did, too, though James and Jacques just waved as the elf skipped impishly across the threshold and through the Way, back to the Summerlands.
"Well, that was exhausting," said Julian. "I need some midmorning tea to fortify me." The Source's attention had moved away, like the sun behind a cloud, and they all hopped the stones in a line, turning at the end to watch as they iced over treacherously once the last foot had left them.
"That's a pretty good defence in winter, not gonna lie," said Julian. "I know the ice on the pond isn't very thick, either, so that's a drowning threat."
"The Source did fine for a long time without us," said Alex, "but I'm not sad it wants us now. Even if it means learning offensive spells."
"You're enjoying the offensive spells," said Julian with a laugh. "You like the way that bleeding spell might slip through wardings."
"I do, yeah. It's very similar to the one on the insect constructs, but just different enough that humans are less likely to be on guard against it."
Julian leaned into Alex and got a kiss for his troubles, and then they all trekked to the house, footsteps erasing themselves close to the Source but still leaving a long line in the snow from doorstep to forest. Julian grew chilly as the warmth of exercise left him, and he snuggled into Alex's side, urging him to hurry.
"Tea, then baths," said Alys, as they came in and shed outer layers, including their boots. "No sense gettin' sick on top of everything."
"Yes, Alys," said Julian, only a little obnoxiously. "Will there be treats with tea?"
"For that I oughta say no, but I've got some nice cookies all ready for th' boys to reward ye for doing yer exercises," she said. "I shan't deny the others for your cheek."
"Sorry, Alys," said Julian, still a little bratty about it.
She huffed and waved a tea towel at him, and they all went to sit and finish equalising their ice-block feet and exercise-warm cores. Julian snuggled shamelessly into Alex's side and slipped cold hands up under his sweater, getting a yelp and a look of fond exasperation.
"You're as bad as Horace," said Alex, kissing his hair.
"Yet you love us both," said Julian, kissing his chin in return. "What's Horace up to, anyway?"
"I think he's sleeping upstairs since he did his duty in the cold earlier, why?" Alex draped an arm around Julian, not so incidentally assisting with his hand-warming efforts.
"Just curious," said Julian. "It's about the cats' normal naptime, so I wasn't worried about them."
"Should we send him to Emmy to assure her you're alive and unpoisoned?" said Alex.
"Horace!" called Julian, sending out a little thread of call magically as well, and getting a feeling of him back, sleepy and willing.
The bird came flying down, chirruping cheerily, and landed on Julian feeling warm as though he had, perhaps, been sleeping with said cats.
"Who's a good boy. Do you wanna go see Emmy?" asked Julian, getting an eager affirmative.
"It's quite cold," warned Alex, not that Horace didn't have spells for that.
Horace chirruped proudly and puffed out his chest, making them all laugh.
