<<Thank you dearest.>>

She raises a hand to the edge of the hat covering her hair, glances at their driver. Well, apparently they've gotten fortunate. Not something they should depend on lasting.

<<Any fruits or the like? It'll be easier.>>

She produces some dried berries.

She takes off a glove and squeezes them in her hand. A few moments later she takes off her hat, revealing hair that's now a dark purple. Teases out a strand to hang down before putting the hat back on.

She's watching her.

<<Think that's gonna help?>>

<<Might. Better than just having it all covered. I suppose I could have kept the color...>>

<<You'd rather be tortured than have people think you're fancy things, I'm sure not leaving you to the other one. Anyway I've got a scarf in here somewhere and no one's going to think I'm the worst thing they can plausibly think of, I'll just keep mine covered till we we can get dye or whatever they have hereabouts.>> She laughs shortly. <<Caretaking. Spirits.>>

She runs fingers over the new strand of hair.

<<Do you know why they don't like the red group?>>

[Jewel] <<They think they're dirty.>>

Quiet moment. She winds the stand of hair around a finger.

<<It's good that you told us dearest. And that you waited till we could talk.>> 

<<And don't let it run away with you.>>

Serious nod again. <<I won't.>>

She cuddles back into Xeyr some more.

<<Can I be green?

Please?>>

<<Yes dearest, you can be green.>> (There's details still to be found out of course. But.)

Cuddle. Smile.

Watching

She can't really watch them while she's driving, but she tries to listen. She knows they're speaking some kind of foreign language, but she's disappointed that she can't pin down which one it is.

It takes them about an hour to pull into Dezar Arin. It's a small town, with a population of about four thousand people. Two schools. One hotel. One train station. A couple restaurants. There are a few businesses that aren't strictly necessary for maintaining the community, but not very many of them.

She heads towards the deliveries warehouse.

They look around the town.

She's lying back on Xeyr, says outloud to no one in particular,

<<They like babies a lot.>> 

She brings the snowmobile to a stop in front of the warehouse, then hops off.

"I will be right back," she says, smiling nervously. "Don't go anywhere."

They don't go anywhere.

She heads into the warehouse and finds her manager.

"Hey! So. Sir."

"Aren't you supposed to be making the run to the research station?"

"Yes! Yes. I am. But I ran into these, um, these people, who were lost, and they needed someone to take them back to town, and I figured, that's a safety thing, right? You can't just leave people out in the middle of nowhere where they'll freeze to death. So I came back, and, uh, now that they're back I'll go out and make the deliveries just a little late, and that'll be better than leaving them, right?"

She smiles brightly.

"Why didn't you call?" Pause. "Did you at least call the station?"

She gives this question the careful consideration it deserves.

"I was distracted, and I forgot. I will call them now. And I'll make sure they blame me, and not you or the company."

Slightly less confident smile.

Dubious frown. "OK. Get it done, Kairda."

She leans against the wall to listen in as the snowmobile driver goes inside. She's talking to someone - some authority figure by the sound of it. They don't go out of her hearing range, which is nice. No need for getting Jewel involved.

She relays to Xeyr, who doesn't look happy, predictably. Going to be mostly thinking on things like hoping-they-can-repay, now. Well, M'll take over thinking of the other things, that's part of what she's for and all.

Doesn't sound like the driver's reporting them yet anyway.

She walks back outside and waves at the people on her sled, then calls the research station. She emphasizes her own thoughtlessness, mentions the stranded people in a way that is meant to imply that she hasn't done anything particularly heroic in saving them, and promises that the supplies will still be there by midnight. The person on the other end is disappointed, but mostly understanding. These things happen out here, and one has to be flexible.

"We apologize to have caused you trouble. If there's any way we can be of assistance -"