The fire was roaring when the stars came out. The lean-to shelter was well and up, layers of branches and pine making for a simple hut, large enough for the three of them. The sleds were tied up nearby, while the eight or seven goats meant to pull them, were happily chewing on various food stock scattered across the ground.

Althea sat by the fire, watching the two men eat. She tacitly poked around the wooden bowl, a stew of common vegetables and dried meat. She shivered in the falling snow, pulling the coat she'd been given just a bit tighter. It wasn't nearly as nice as her old one, but it was more suited to this valley weather.

The howling of the wind gave her thoughts a haunting direction. So many terrible nights alone, running from something. It gave her pause amidst her already stagnant and stormy thoughts.

It had been countless days in the wilderness, that at first, she celebrated upon finding some semblance of humanity out in the forest, but now, the weight of alienation still weighed upon here, more so than in the woods running for her life. That old woman had also seemed, odd.

She didn't even know why they were traveling, it was vain to hope they were taking her home, more likely sending her farther into the woods to rid of her, or to a different city to be held by the barbaric rulers of these lands. If it had been written in a storybook she'd have called it fantastic.

Now, it was a tragedy.

A gruff sound filled her ears, one of the strangers was talking. He'd set his bowl aside and held a finger in the air. He repeated the foreign word, then held up another and spoke a different word.

She was puzzled by this, what was the point of this exercise?

He held up one Finger. Then Spoke.

It crept into her mind slowly, she felt a glimmer of understanding starting to form.

She held up one Finger and spoke.

"One."

Tolan was surprised to find that old codgers' trick from the farmlands worked. It had been such a pain figuring it out the first time around, the old man's accent had been unintelligible to his mountain ears.

She'd mimicked his action, Holding a finger up and saying "One." or at least what he assumed was her word for One, it sounded more like "We" or "Wey".

He held up a second finger and called "Two."

She replied, two fingers and a word.

This method was originally meant to settle a price and was best geared for arguments, but Tolan didn't feel like getting into a verbal scrap with someone he couldn't understand.

Vir watched in fascination. "Hey, Tolan?"

"Yes Brother"

Vir glanced back between them "Can you understand her? or is that what you're doing?"

Tolan let out a small smile "I'm just trying a few things, that's all. Once I have something I'll tell you."

Vir gave a nod "Alright, are you going to eat that?" Tolan gave him a look like he wanted to slap him.

"heh, Never Mind then."

Tolan turned back to his experiment. She was stuck on two and looking confused. Not quite there yet, he figured. He repeated One and Two until he was confident he could repeat her words as well as his own. Then moving on to the other Numbers.

This would take a while. He figured, so he needed other materials. Something besides hands and feet to count on. He looked about for something to compare, then, She was the one to bridge the divide.

He looked back to her, pointing at the sky. He looked up as well and laughed to himself.

It was a falling star, several of them, streaking crossed the sky in brief brilliant lines.

The Brilliance of the stars above, impressing onto him new wisdom.

"Vir." He asked, His brother's face full of stolen food.

"Yeah," Vir swallowed quickly.

Tolan motioned towards the sled. "Could you get my star charts for me?"

"Why?"

"Just get them for me brother, I wish to take a reading tonight."

Vir Shrugged and got up, grumbling to himself as he did, moving into the night.

Tolan returned his sight down to Earth, The Lady was still tracing out the constellations with her eyes.

Tolan decided, that to further their communication, a small lesson in the Heavenly Order was, well, in order. The Stars avail themselves to all men after all. Perhaps they could also be the bridge the gap here as well. It would be an interesting path to travel, and one that should keep the journey from becoming boring at the very least.

"Vir, Were are my Charts!" he called out into the night.

"I'll be right there, I'm taking a piss!" the annoyed tone called back.

Tolan threw his hand in disgust, better not be pissing on his parchments, it will take ages to set properly. May even have to get new ones.

For now, he turned his attention back to the subject before him.

"Miss, Strange Miss, Could you look here a moment." He called in a gentler tone. She was still fixed on the sky. He frowned for a moment, and looking at the fire, decided it needed another log. He reached towards the pile and brushed some of the slight snow from it. Thinking for a moment, he took the log beneath that one instead and threw it into the fire.

He wondered what was taking Vir so long, and started to move, thinking of looking for him. When the form of his brother came crashing back into the clearing, picking small twigs from his hair.

"Troubles, brother?" Tolan asked.

Vir gave a sour look and went back to his food. Tolan noted a disturbance amidst the goats but ignored it.

Tolan guessed that he must have slipped on a slick patch in the woods, most likely pissing on himself more than the woods. He'd insist on another bath when they got home.

Problems for then, for now, "Did you remember my charts?" Tolan asked.

Vir stopped with his spoon halfway up to his mouth, sighed, and marched back out to get it.

This would be a long night, To pass the time, he turned to their guest "Shall we begin again, One, Two"

She repeated the sequence and he moved on to other numbers, learning her words as she learned his. Not much of a conversation, but it was far better than listening to Vir complain about the goats and whatever else they came across in the woods.