Surviving...

He kept telling himself that he’d just have to put up with it— that if he kept marching forward he’d get used to it. Truth was, he hadn’t been prepared for this kind of thing a tall… but staying with Mink was worth it. He’d refused to leave his side once— and would stick to it. 

-⦅☪⦆-         “We're not fishing today, we're checking traps. If we're lucky, there'll be a beaver or an otter or two. I use the fur to line boots and hats." He explained, stepping down a ledge and holding his hand out to Aoba to help him down. It was slippery here to and he didn't want Aoba to go sliding down the hill into the lake.

The grumpy response had Aoba in an even more sour mood, and he was about to make a scathing comment when Mink unbuttoned his coat— eh? What was he doing—? And then draped it over Aoba’s shoulders. 

-⦅☪⦆-         “I won't. But you will if you don't keep that coat on." Mink answered, looking over his shoulder as he continued down the path. A large lake could be seen in the distance, still open despite the harsh cold wind blowing down from the mountains above. "See that lake down there? That's Lake Superior, it never freezes over so you can fish there in the winter. You don't want to fall in though, because the water's cold enough to kill if you stay in it for too long." Mink explained, pointing out to the large lake below, it almost looked like a sea...

"Might look f-for something with fur." Like yours. 

-⦅☪⦆-         "If you're cold, go home." Mink uttered quietly, looking back towards the house up on the hill. Mink would probably make him a new coat and gloves, probably earmuffs and boots to. But he knew how stubborn Aoba was and figured he'd keep following him like a lost puppy all the way to the like if he didn't stop him.

Aoba shivered so hard that his response was stuttered. “I-It’s p-pretty but. I’m n-not sure I l-like it m-much.” 

-⦅☪⦆-

"That sounds like a lot of work… What winter predators, if I may ask? And a caribou, huh?"

-⦅☪⦆-

-⦅☪⦆-

"Winter chores? What kind of winter chores?"

-⦅☪⦆-          ”Shoveling snow, keeping snow from piling up on the roof, making sure winter predators don't take too many of my animals, the annual caribou hunt. There's lots of other minor chores I have to do to, winter's a very busy season for me."

-⦅☪⦆-          ”I do, but it makes simple chores a lot harder and more time consuming than they should be. I haven't finished repairing the barn for my animals yet, so I'll have to rush to finish it before the cold winds from the arctic bring heavier snowfall with them."

-⦅☪⦆-          ”Not entirely, I'll just have to start the winter chores early."