Yassine didn't realize he had fallen asleep until he was suddenly woken up by rumbling noise right outside his bedroom door. Things had finally quieted down once Kafele plunged himself in the books he had lent him. The kids were still asleep in their room and Yassine had gone up to his own to enjoy some extra quiet time and distance himself from all that had happened since morning.

He jumped out of bed and opened his door just in time to see one of the two teenagers run past him through the corridor and down the stairs. He ran after them and was surprised to see the young Chief burst out through the front door once again and run out into the cold night. The girl was not far behind him.

“Hey!” he called and felt compelled to follow them outside.

The boy ran just a few meters away from the cabin and fell to his knees, palms up, staring up at the sky. The girl hurried to cuddle up beside him once again and laughed with glee. They gawked at the lights above them which slowly arched in the sky like fluorescent brush strokes.

“Unbelievable...” whispered the blue haired girl with amazement. Here eyes looked like they were shining with more stars than there were in the night sky. Despite her excitement, Yassine could hear her teeth chatter from the cold. His golden necklace lit up as he summoned his magic and surrounded the teens in a warm aura. He hoped it would be enough to prevent them from catching death. Unfortunately there wasn't much he could do to protect them against the freezing bite of the snow but he showed some patience and let them enjoy the show.

“Aurora Borealis.” he said with a smile.

He remembered how unsettled and bewildered he had been the first time he witnessed this strange sight. He thought it had been like a message from the gods. Ra's whisper from Duat the underworld, a promise that even when He left Earth travel to far away lands in the darkest of nights, He was here.

But after so many years living in silence, Yassine could not hear gods' words anymore. He enjoyed the sight nonetheless.

“It’s on the list!” the girl said with excitement.

“The list…” echoed the young Chief with his faint dreamy voice. “Magnificent….” He lowered his head and clasped his hands together in prayer.

The girl smiled. She looked amused but also very respectful of what this moment seemed to mean to him. She then turned towards Yassine. She looked slightly puzzled, as if she was surprised that he did not do the same as the boy and pray as well.

“I made a list -it’s a bit long- with things to do at least once in your life.” she whispered to him not to disturb her friend. “Seeing an aurora borealis. It was on the list.” She was able to use past tense and for that her smile grew wider to her ears.

“It’s a nice idea. It’s one of the most beautiful things I’ve seen in my life. I hope you get to do all the things on your list.” he said. He felt oddly relieved that at least one other person did not share their Faith. Having Kafele and the young Chief around made him feel more estranged than he would like to admit.

“As many as possible at least.” she hoped wholeheartedly. She looked around. “Is the other one gone?”

Yassine shook his head. He was surprised Kafele didn’t react to the two teenagers’ sudden escapade but he had seemed very involved in his books. It was a shame Kafele would miss the auroras but Yassine didn’t want to disturb him now that he had found some kind of peace. “He’s resting. In his own way.”

He understood by the way she said “the other one” that she wasn’t as familiar with Kafele as he had thought and also that she saw him as just another bodyguard. Yassine was willing to make sure nothing happened to his guests while they were here but it was very different than if he had been ordered to do so. He wasn’t one of the Temple’s men anymore.

He was about to try and clear that up when he noticed that the girl’s blue hair was wet and that she was only covered with a tartan rug. He did not want to be rude and interrupt the Chief’s impromptu prayer but he felt that he wasn’t going to like it either if his girlfriend froze to death.

“We should get back inside. It gets really cold outside at night.” he said as he bent down to put his hand on the boy’s shoulder. Something made him stop and look left. A light had just appeared on the horizon.

“Get inside.” he urged with a more pressing tone. He stepped in front of the two teenagers and observed the white dot quickly making its way between the trees. He could hear the two teens’ footsteps in the snow as they made it back safely inside.

A bright flash informed him that Kafele was back on guard duty. He appeared right next to him, holding an axe in each hand and a somber expression on his face.

“Expecting someone?” Kafele growled.

“No but… please. You should wait inside, it’s really cold.” Yassine said with a deliberate soothing tone. Such occurrence wouldn’t normally be a cause for worry but the presence of his guests called for caution. Kafele’s presence as well as his weapons’ however brought much unnecessary tension to this unexpected situation

“It’s nothing. Just a visitor. It happens.” Yassine tried to explain as he glanced down at Kafele’s axes with unease. He knew his words weren’t going to be enough to calm him down. “Friends. Most of the time.” he insisted so that the soldier understood that there was no need for violence.

“You have no idea what’s happening.” Kafele pointed out coldly.

Yassine bit his lip realizing he was right. He knew nothing of the threats his guests might have brought to his doorstep and he started to regret not being more curious about it. He had been burying his head in the sand hoping the danger would go over it and now he was left only to hope for the best. Kafele agreed to put back his weapons in his belt but his dark stare felt more dangerous than any blade.

They watched the light grow brighter as it came closer and soon they were able to hear the roar of a snowmobile’s engine. Yassine sighed with relief. He recognised the man on the motorized vehicle despite his heavy coat and black ski mask. The visitor turned off the engine before taking off his mask, revealing two laughing eyes and a big smile.

“Hellllooooo! I thought I was going to have you all to myself but… It looks like you’ve got company…” the man teased heavily. His voice was light and melodious but also as smooth as butter.

“Lenny.” Yassine immediately greeted him with a smile so that Kafele knew that it was indeed a friend. It didn’t seem to make him feel any warmer. “I didn’t know you were coming.”

“Oh neither did I! I was just passing by and I felt cold… and lonely…” Lenny batted his eyelashes to show off his most dramatic puppy eyes. He somehow managed to make it look glamorous, endearing and comedic at the same time. Despite his flawless act, he sensed it didn’t speak to his entire audience. He glanced briefly at the grouchy looking man shadowing Yassine, assessing the situation. “May I come in?” he asked in a simpler and more sincere manner.

Yassine hesitated. He felt as if he should’ve asked Kafele’s opinion but he already knew that if it were up to him, he would have no mind leaving Lenny in the cold. It wasn’t his friend after all, but it wasn’t his house either.

“Sure, come in.” Yassine said, and as he escorted Lenny to park his snowmobile next to where he stored firewood, he tried to avoid Kafele’s glare.