#leonatz

“Ignatz?!” 

For there indeed stood a snow-covered Ignatz. He looked just as surprised to see her, but then he beamed. “Leonie!”

They laughed and hugged and passed the question “What are you doing here?!” back and forth. Ignatz, Leonie learned, had become a wandering artist. The gradually worsening weather had spurred him into looking for a warmer place to stay for the night, hence arriving at Leonie’s door.

“And you?” Ignatz prompted. By this point he was wrapped in Leonie’s blanket and sitting in the best spot by the fire, melting snow making the ends of his hair wet. “I thought you were with your mercenaries. When did you settle out here?” 

Leonie stirred the soup, absently wondering if she had a second bowl. “I didn’t settle. I’m just waiting out the winter. How long had you been wandering, Mr. Master Artist?”

Ignatz laughed at the title. “Just since the start of autumn. All the colors in the landscape gave me that final push to leave home. I just didn’t think much about how fast winter would set in.” He glanced out the window as he spoke. The snow had gathered quickly as night fell. If this kept up, they’d both get snowed in. Not that Leonie found she cared much.

“Well, you’re welcome to stay. As long as you help with rent, of course.”

“Fair enough.” Ignatz’s gaze moved around the cottage. “So, you’re alone out here? Are you mercenaries staying somewhere else?”

Apparently he wasn’t going to drop the subject. “I disbanded my troop,” Leonie said slowly. Ignatz’s jaw dropped. “Aw, don’t be so dramatic. We had a good few years!”

“B-But that was all you wanted! All you ever talked about was becoming a great mercenary! And now it’s all over?”

“Pretty much.” Leonie wrapped her arms around her legs, feeling suddenly more alone than before. 

“How can you--”

“Just drop it, Ignatz, okay?”

“That can’t be how it ends! That isn’t how the story goes. When the war was over, we were all supposed to follow our dreams!”

“Who says I’m done dreaming?!” Leonie snapped. “The mercenary business just isn’t cutting it anymore! So I helped the others get jobs they were halfway decent at, found a town where no one knew me, and rented this hovel.” She gestured around at the uneven floorboards and dark corners. “I’m just-- taking the winter off. That’s all.”

Ignatz closed his mouth. Outside, the wind picked up, blowing through the gaps in the walls and making Leonie shiver. 

A warm hand on her knee distracted her. “I’m sorry,” Ignatz said. “I got carried away. I was just thinking about how hard you pushed me to embrace being an artist, and how happy I am now that I can pursue that dream. It’s a little unfair you can’t pursue your own dream.”

Leonie uncurled, taking Ignatz’s hand. “It wasn’t easier to leave all that behind,” she admitted. 

“I’m sorry you had to do it alone.”

She chuckled. “You still apologize too much.”

Her laugh seemed to settle Ignatz, and she smiled at her. “I’m working on that, I swear.”

“Sure, sure.” Leonie scooted closer. “I’ll be fine. I just need to work on finding a new dream. Maybe I’ll have one by the time spring rolls around.”

Ignatz negotiated with the blanket until it covered both his and Leonie’s shoulders. “If all else fails, you can always travel with me,” he offered, stretching his legs out so his boots nearly touched the flames.

“I like the sound of that. Master Artist Ignatz and the Blade Breaker II, painting and fighting their way around the world!”

“That sounds pretty good to me.”