Winter and Ian were sitting on one of the two beds in the room, while Daniel had positioned himself on a chair, rocking it back and forth. Chris was up on his feet.

Their small meeting had started several minutes ago, and had somehow landed on the subject of the effects from Chris and Daniel’s sudden arrival at Northland.

Daniel said, “I’ve no trouble being here. But if they notice our absence at home…”

“We’re on a relaxing winter break, remember?” Chris chuckled.

“Oh, right, I’d almost forgotten… didn’t your mom ask you to call her when we got here… well, there?”

Chris made a face of slight discomfort. “She knows I forget to do that, uh, besides, she’s got a lot of night shifts this month, so maybe she hasn’t noticed yet. I’ll think of something. Uh,” he turned to the Witches before this particular conversation could carry on. “So what’s our next move?”

“I’d like to find a medic,” answered Winter.

That surprised him. “A medic? Why?”

Winter seemed thoughtful. “Just in case. I have heard there should be one for hire around these parts, so we’ll have to look for them. After that, we’re going to Ian’s house.”

To Chris’s confused look, Ian clarified:

“My family owns a mansion in the Arctic Hills, a one day walking distance out of Whitelake.”

“Your family’s all over the place, isn’t it?”

“That is why it was convenient for us to travel with him,” Winter threw in.

Chris eyed Ian and grinned. “Is that mansion like your summer home?”

Ian didn’t seem to catch the joke, and replied, “We do not have summers in Northland.”

Chris mumbled, “I was kidding.”

“Perhaps you should take this a little more seriously, Hach.”

“Are you capable of not being a pompous jerk, ever?”

Winter shushed them and looked around, one hand raised. She looked around again, as if counting everyone, and with three wide steps reached the handle and threw the door open.

Through the entrance stumbled a rather terrified and red-faced Arnold.

Chris helped the cursing Daniel stand back up while staring at the intruder.

“I’m, I’m, I-I’m sorry!” Arnold flailed his hands in distress. “I-I-I wasn’t, I mean, I th-thought it was locked and I, I lean-leaned a little and it, er, I…I’m so-I’m sorry.” He halted and looked at his feet, maybe realizing the lie hadn’t been all too convincing.

“You’re…that Arnold boy!” Ian exclaimed. Arnold nodded hurriedly.

With narrowed eyes, Winter asked, “For what reason were you standing outside in the first place?”

The young boy raised his gaze. “I-I, ah, I wan-wanted to talk to you, but— but then I-I heard you say something about … a med-med-medic…? You, you want to hire a medic, right?” He peeked up to meet Ian’s narrowed eyes and looked back down quickly. “I, I am a medic!”

Without missing a beat, Ian said, “Out of the question! Now leave!”

“Please, please, le-le-let me come too!” Arnold insisted, hands balled into fists.

“Why would you even want to come?” murmured Daniel. “It’s not like you know where we’re going or why.”

“I would li-like to join you anyway! I want to—” Arnold made a short pause to catch his breath and continued, almost in a yell, and Chris guessed he’d probably been practicing this: “I want to rep-repay Sir Ian for saving my life! I have—I have to!”

Arnold took a moment to catch his breath and Ian took the opportunity to speak.

“Is that all? O Jak! Fine, next time I’m in Whitelake, you can save me from a snow troll or something!”

“I’ve stu-studied medicine from my— dad and I’m a good medic, I could- I could really help, I could, if you run into trouble!” Arnold was gesturing so enthusiastically Chris was afraid he might knock something over. “I-I just— I just have to get my things from home…” After a short pause, Arnold, in a rush of what seemed to be renewed courage, said, “Bes-besides! I-I recognized— I recognized Sir Ian as Steven Belwhite’s son, who isn’t supposed to be outside—outside of Crystal right now! The— your,” he paused for a moment to find the right word himself, “your school will be displeased if they—if they found out where you really were!” Arnold tried to put a threatening edge to his voice. Chris coughed to cover up a smile. Ian, on the other hand, looked horrified.

“You would not…!”

“I do-don’t want to, so please, le-let me join!” Arnold seemed to gain a little more confidence upon these words and straightened his back.

Chris peeked at Winter, whose face was, as usual, unreadable.

“You did say we needed a medic,” said Chris in an attempt to help. She nodded slowly.

“Everyone but Arnold, please leave the room. I would like to speak with him in private.”

Ian protested, “Miss Winter, this is highly unwise…!”

“Allow me to speak to him in private,” repeated Winter, a bit more sternly, and they all shuffled out of the room. Arnold stayed behind, looking quite helpless.