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Later, after putting the cake in the oven, Marina washed the dishes and sat down on a wooden stool, tucking the black rose back in her hair. It had fallen out while she was baking. Rynu had just hung around in the background, watching. He felt really awkward, just standing around. He’d never known she liked to bake so much, and he’d known her for a long time.
Ali stuck her head around the door and immediately disappeared again, grinning mischievously. A few seconds later, Marina shivered as the kitchen grew very cold, except for the oven. She wrapped her arms around herself, scowling.
“Are you cold?” asked Rynu uncertainly. His breath frosted in the air. He walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her awkwardly, resting his chin on her head. “Why is it so cold?”
“Ali.” Marina’s teeth chattered as she spoke. “I’m going to make her really sorry.”
“C’mon, you can leave the cake in the oven, right? Let’s go for a walk. She can’t enchant the outdoors.” He took her hand and tugged her out of the kitchen. As soon as they stepped over the threshold, the temperature went back up. “Doesn’t she have a boyfriend?”
Marina snorted. “No. Too antisocial. Some boys think she’s just playing hard-to-get, though. She turned the last one into a human popsicle and sent him back to his family.”
Rynu blinked. “Really? She has that bad a temper?” He let go of her hand.
“Oh, heavens, yes.” Marina shook her head. “And she learned hand-to-hand combat like me, and she hits really hard. Only a few people have beaten her, mostly because she incapacitates them from pain.”
“She likes to fight?” They turned down the path that led to the nearby lake. Two male hummingbirds fluttered out of the trees overhead, and a female snowshoe jackalope blinked at them from the shadows.
“Too much,” Marina said grimly.
“Have you beaten her?” Rynu asked quietly, trying to think of a way to take her mind off her twin.
Marina smiled mirthlessly, her eyes still cold. “Yes. Multiple times. She says it doesn’t count, since I’m her sister.”
Suddenly, Rynu reached out and tickled her side. Marina giggled, and then laughed, grabbing his wrist and yanking on his arm, pulling him off balance. He stopped, catching himself, and turned around. She wasn’t there. “Marina?” Where’d she go?
“Here,” she said from behind him.
“What the—?”
She smiled, properly this time. Then she stepped forward and hugged him. “Thanks, Rynu.”
He froze. “For what?”
Tilting her head back, Marina looked up at him. “For being a great friend.”
“You don’t need to thank me for that,” he said gruffly, awkwardly hugging her back.
A roar echoed through the forest, shattering the calm. Marina squeaked, spinning around. “What was that?”
Rynu frowned, drawing a knife. “It sounded like a nandi bear.”
Marina shivered, eyes wide. She bit her lip. “I’m not scared,” she said defensively.
“Yes, you are,” Rynu said, giving her a look.
“I’m not,” Marina said stubbornly. A crashing noise diverted their attention. She squealed at the noise. “Okay, fine. I am.”
“It’s not going to hurt you.”
“I know that! It’s just…I had a bad experience with nandi bears once. Eep!” A nandi bear lumbered onto the path, growling.
Rynu couldn’t help but chuckle before he pulled her behind him. “Play dead.”
“What?” she asked, confused.
“Play dead. If it thinks you’re dead, it’ll leave you alone.”
“Oh.” Marina curled up on the ground, breathing shallowly.
Rynu stepped towards the bear, which backed away. “Go on,” he prodded. The bear ambled away after looking at him. “It’s gone,” he told Marina, helping her to her feet.
“I’m sorry,” she mumbled, blushing and looking down. She was trembling slightly. “I know I really have no reason to be so scared of them, but Ali locked me in with the nandi bears once when we were doing the annual count. I was in there for almost a whole day before someone figured out I was in there. I was four.”
Rynu hesitated before drawing her to him again. “It’s okay. Everybody has to be scared of something.”
She buried her face in his shoulder, holding tight to him. He stroked her hair, patting her back. Slowly, she let go. “Thanks.” Reaching up, she kissed his cheek, watching for his reaction.
ETA: Fixed
"Yes you are."
