The inside of the house was dark save for the firelit den, though it also gave it a cozy warmth that permeated the air. Ali fetched some blankets and quilts as well for Mave and one for himself to keep his feet warm. He moved swiftly and methodically as usual, humming a tune that spoke of elder days long since forgotten. When she arrived inside, he was just finishing up the sweetened apple oatmeal he had made, and had finished latching all of the windows. 

Truth be told he would have boarded them, but his family would be back after Bel Tine and there would already be enough questions on what happened here by the time Mave was gone, much less if he began to shutter up the house as if it were a bloody warzone. As she walked in, she would notice he had changed clothes since he had gone out and checked on the livestock, making sure they had enough feed and hay for the night. He wore a sleeveless shirt of linen that hugged his strong chest, leaving his powerful arms bare. His pants were simple brown trousers of wool, tied together by a loose sash belt of tan cotton. 

When he led them into the den, Ali sat down next to her in the warm room, watching her with a curious look. Not out of any boyish thoughts, but an yearning for far away places. "What's it like there?" he asked her as she tasted the food. "In the Arad Doman?" 

He hoped she liked it. He'd been told he made good oatmeal. "I haven't been 3 days walk from here since I was born." He confessed, gazing into the firelight. 
[@Penny]