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The further North and the end of fall made a miserable combo for The Mighty Nein. The clouds furrowed themselves, barely even showing the setting sun.
Beau was huddled next to Yasha and Nott under her fur-lined coat. Jester seemed to be just fine, reading Tusk Love and occasionally saying some lines out loud. Fjord was manning the horses, sneezing every now and then.
Caleb kept still, conserving what little body heat he had left and muttering presumably Zemnian curses when a particularly cold breeze blew.
Molly gazed at the wizard from under the thin tapestry of the platinum dragon he had bought from Zadash. He looked beautiful. Cold and dirty but beautiful. His ginger hair soaked, some strands sticking to his pink, freckled cheeks.
"How 'bout we camp here?" Fjord asks, thick through the silence.
Everyone groggily agreed, the weather clearly getting to them. The M9 dragged themselves out, flinching at the cold.
Everyone organised their bedrolls, picking the watch order and all that jazz. Molly kept his eyes on Caleb, tail flicking from side to side. The wizard put away his book, shifting his weight as he did (hot.) And ran his fingers through his hair trying to get it out of the way (even hotter.)
The brief moment of pining was cut by a trickle of rain.
"Did you guys feel that?" The tiefling asked, hand stretched out.
The group collectively swearing as the rain grew stronger.
"Well, I'll be under the cart. Anyone wanna join me?" he looked at Caleb, then around him, then back to Caleb. Discreetly. Or at least he thinks so.
Nott answered in her high crackly voice "Me!" Molly pointed rather fancily at the bottom of the wooden cart, "Be my guest,"
"I'm okay here, thank you. I'll take first watch," Yasha said as she collected wood for, hopefully, a burning fire.
"Nah I'm good," Beau spoke almost as soon as she heard Yasha's reply.
"Anyone else?"
Jester seemed completely distracted, ogling at Fjord as he did some Fjord Stuff™. Molly didn't really care, he was basically doing the same with Caleb. Except super secretive.
He crawled under the wood and laid down a bedroll at the still dry grass. Nott emptied the pouch containing her button collection and started to organise them.
The darkness came, the rain poured heavy as most of them drifted into sleep. Mollymauk stared at the bottom of the cart, thinking, dreaming. Hopefully Caleb's alright outside.
"You should talk to him," Nott spoke, out of the blue. Molly's head flickered towards hers, "What do you mean?"
"Oh, you know what I mean," she picked a red button and placed it among the other, "You've been looking at Caleb for the past few weeks,"
His eyes widened, blush on his cheeks. "I guess I wasn't as sneaky as I'd hope I'd be,"
Nott chuckled quietly, "Trust me, he acts different around you,"
"Huh," Molly leaned to his side. "I'll give it a shot,"
"He's like a son to me, so keep that in mind when you do that!"
"I'm pretty sure I will. Don't wanna get killed by Caleb OR you," he smiled.
The goblin giggled as she gathered her buttons again.
"Is that my missing button?" Molly pointed at a a very lavish one that stuck out like a sore thumb. Nott creeped it back into the pouch, "...No,"
"Eh, you can keep it. Button for your troubles, I suppose" Molly relaxed in the cramped space. He fell asleep, thinking about what he'll do the next day