you take the things you like, and try to love the things you took.

[wizard_alive]

She'd been grateful for the cool breeze at 10AM. By noon, she'd started banking back her garden, protecting as much of the plants as possible from the coming cold. She'd been elbow-deep in dirt anyway, and she moved as fast as possible through the beds of flowers and vegetables. 1:30, and she was heading to New Gilead, running through the other

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[notwithmyhand]

When Alain returned to New Gilead on Magdalena, intending only to get himself and his mount quickly watered and fed, he saw Nita doing what they should have thought of doing before taking off to all corners of the island. They'd covered their most precious crops, those from the seeds of Gilead, but not carefully, and not well in their haste.

Alain dismounted, unsaddled Magdalena and through a saddle blanket over her back before he left her to feed.

"Tell me what's needed," he said as he came close.

[wizard_alive]

"Pack dirt around the root base- it doesn't matter if you cover the sprouts- it's actually better. We'll dig them out and rewater them when it's warm." If it got warm, something Nita wasn't even going to think about.

She spared him a glance, glad that he'd not commented on her shorts and tank top. There were way more important things to worry about.

[notwithmyhand]

He saw that she looked just as unprepared as half of the men and women he'd helped already, but he also saw her face. She was determined to see the job done.

Nodding, he crouched a row away from her, watched what she did and did the same. "You've been out all morning?" he asked.

[wizard_alive]

She nodded shortly, moving down the line, then stopped, looking up at him. "Since seven," she said, not even sure what time it was anymore.

She swallowed hard. "What've you been doing?" Surely he's noticed that it had turned cold, but... She lost control of her thought as she tug again in the dirt.

[notwithmyhand]

He didn't answer right away as he tried to get his hands, awkward inside his gloves, to do what he needed and gently.

"Pulling people in to warmer places. Bringing clothing round. Helping," he said shortly, and looked over at her. "Same as you."

[wizard_alive]

"Just trying to do what I can," she said, squinting down at the plants. "I used to help my dad do this when the first frost would come in New York." She flexed her fingers, the skin angry and red with cold.

"I don't know how much longer I can be out here," she admitted. "But there's things to do."

[notwithmyhand]

He nodded, keeping his own hands moving. "You ought to come in and get something warm after we're done here before you move onto the next place," he said, glancing over to her. She might fight it, but he'd at least be able to give her something warm from the supply Magdalena was still carrying if not a hot cup of tea and something to eat.

[wizard_alive]

She pursed her lips for a moment, and shook her head. "I... Did you see anyone else doing this? Is anyone else working on the plants at all?" She let herself stop - and show him just how tired she looked. "... Besides you, I mean."

[notwithmyhand]

He nodded, "Some in the garden by the compound, but very little elsewhere," he said honestly. Even he, who had not been here for many winters knew that normally that storms did not harm the growing things, they only disappeared until it was over, but it was not like that this time.

[wizard_alive]

"If some are..." She paused. "I don't really have the time to go in," she admitted, rubbing her face with her hand. "But I should probably eat something, maybe put on a jacket."

She finished the last few in her row, before moving to the end of where he was working. "... You did the right thing by covering the plants. We'll just have to pull the blankets back over."

[notwithmyhand]

"If you don't make time, you won't get much further," he said seriously, with a tone that implied the rest. Then what use would you be?

As she shuffled down to him he nodded. "Bert raced around like a madman. Our crop from Gilead," he said, sounding worried himself.

[wizard_alive]

"They should be alright," she said quietly, her lips pursed. "I already went ahead and banked them up." Assuming that the cold doesn't last for more then a few days. Even you know that, Neets. This is just a stop-gap.

She shrugged. "I'd do what I could," she said, not arguing his point. She'd work til she dropped, but since she'd find the time to have something, it was largely a moot point. "Do you have something I could borrow?"

[notwithmyhand]

"But this way you can do more," he said sensibly and then nodded. "I still have a few things in Magdalena's saddlebags. You're welcome to them and anything else you need."

[wizard_alive]

"Just something else to put on and something to eat, probably. There's only so much that needs doing." She looked over at him, and lifted her chin to Magdalena. "We can do it now. You have other things to do, and I'm almost done here."

She knew that he was the one who was being sensible, but it didn't stop her from thinking that she was doing the right thing. Just... she was cold, that was hardly a lie.

[notwithmyhand]

He nodded, and pushed himself to his feet, not best pleased with how stiff he was already becoming. "Come on then, go on up and I'll meet you there," he said, not quite shooing her. He wanted to check on Magdalena and get one of the remaining coats he'd taken from the compound.

Alain slipped into the shelter, running a hand over the mare before he collected what he'd come for and exited, going up the rope ladder rung by rung instead of waiting for the lift to come back down.

He went inside, shutting the door tight behind him and knelt to stoke the fire back up. He'd banked it, and someone must have been back sometime before and done the same for it sprung to life fairly quickly. He put a pot of water on, and sat back on his heels for a moment, before his glance strayed to Nita.

"Quick, and warm," he said. It was a promise.

[wizard_alive]

She hadn't actually realised quite how cold she was until she crouched in front of the fire - which was so warm that she hurt. "What time is it," she asked as she tried not to shiver - tried to keep her voice even, too, for all that she wasn't doing a terribly good job now that she didn't have much else to focus on.

He had every right to say 'I told you so', but she didn't know if he would.