Torix watched the moonrise to its zenith in the sky, listening to the others break into smaller groups and head back to wherever home was for them. The day of fun that Ferya had dreamed up spontaneously had been just that, fun. People had come together for reasons other than official business for the first time since she and Baltha had been married, and it had been good to see people relaxing and healing the wounds that were still raw.

Nothing had truly settled. Things had continued changing as they continued to stumble through figuring out a new and more equitable way of running their small portion of the universe. There had been peace, but a great deal of tension as the council was reorganized, and still more as realms had recovered from the damage caused by a few egotistical and bigoted people.

Torix had also continued to adjust how she ran the Laochra Síocháin, and how they responded to various issues in the world and on the streets. The rigid role of armoured guardians of peace needed to be changed to a legion of people that sought to help solve the issues on the ground level. She didn't want a force of fighters and enforcers, the world didn't need that, she wanted a force of healers and fixers. And though she had been fighting every step of the way, whether it be the council as it currently sat or her own people, she was making progress and being proven right, time and time again.

That afternoon had been a balm that allowed Torix to relax without the battles she was going through, but she had also noticed the worry on Murchadh's features and the sharp words from Andraste about something Murchadh wasn't talking to Ferya about. Though Ferya had mostly been having fun with the games, or visiting with her family, Torix had seen the woman glancing Murchadh's way, and it had been hard not to notice when Ferya had gone home with Gavin and Eviaus.

Torix was glancing around for Baltha when Murchadh stepped up beside her, frowning and staring up at the moon like she had been doing only moments before. "I need the advice of a friend."

She stilled, frowning softly and glancing over to the blood elf prince, raising a brow. "Is this about Ferya?"

"No." Murchadh shook his head, frowning softly and lowering his teal eyes from the moon. "Why, is there something wrong?"

"Whatever is wrong with you, she's noticed... and maybe she's giving you space, but you aren't even surprised she didn't say goodbye to you?" Torix watched the surprise wash over Murchadh's features in slow motion, culminating in him looking around, as if just now realising that Ferya had left.

It was mainly just those that lived and worked on the farm, Murchadh's guards and wherever Baltha was. She could feel her mate somewhere nearby, though she couldn't see or hear him, which was odd.

"The council has commuted Roisin's sentence. She has never admitted guilt, but she was released today... she is a part of Baile once more." Murchadh offered softly as he looked back to Torix.

It took her a moment to remember who Roisin was. The Cacique of the wood elves, who had been a mentor to Murchadh, perhaps more, according to the rumours Torix had heard. She had not yet been in the legions back then, Murchadh had not yet been much more than a promised youth, a future leader. And then he had turned Roisin in, along with irrefutable proof of her betrayal of their people. She had been willing to make a deal with a demon, though the demon had died in a fight with Murchadh and there had been very little details about just what Lucifer had been angling for.

And Roisin had been adamant that she had not been making a deal with the literal devil. But she had been imprisoned, until she admitted to the truth that everyone had seen.

Then the wars had intensified. Then Murchadh had been exiled.

And now the woman was free.

Torix frowned and shook her head. "And judging from Andraste's comments, you haven't told Ferya about it."

"She is not welcome on Earth. I don't expect to see her again. She will never be welcome among us, and will only be allowed to travel for official reasons, which I can't imagine would occur." Murchadh shook his head, frowning. "I still feel as if she was wrong, I still don't forgive her the decision she made me make, but there is more there, and I don't know how to explain it. Especially considering that I recognize my feelings make me a hypocrite. I am not a child of Baile any longer, and I have worked against the council, and worked with Lucifer. All things she was charged and judged for."

Murchadh's expression was young, almost innocent, as if he had reverted to that same youth that had dealt with Roisin's betrayal to begin with. And he was watching her like she could make it all better.

Shaking her head, Torix reached over and squeezed his shoulder. "What is the advice you are seeking from me?"

Murchadh hesitated, his expression turning to relief before he let out a slow breath. "I partially just wanted someone to listen to me without judging me, I think. I love Ferya. And my feelings for Roisin are all antipathy and regret, but the memories do bring up pain. There was so much unresolved. I was young and dumb. I idolised her, she wasn't all bad. Or the side she showed to me wasn't. I don't know how to... broach the subject. Or if I should."

"You should. She knows, and others will know of Roisin. She will find out and it will be worse if you had not told her. Besides, all of this is already putting distance between the two of you." Torix squeezed his shoulder, before dropping her hand. "Would it make it easier if I asked Lucifer what his deal with Roisin was supposed to be?"

Murchadh nodded. "She was going to sacrifice the legions. She agreed to misdirect the Tuath Dé Dennan and allow Baile to be a staging point, in exchange for a great deal of power for herself. But she would never turn on Lucifer, and it was never brought higher than the courts of Baile."

"I'll ask. But..." Torix trailed off as Murchadh hugged her, interrupting her caution not to wait on her to talk to Ferya with his gratitude. He looked so relieved that Torix told herself that he would talk to her friend, he was smart enough to know that he had to speak with his mate about why he had been pulling away.

Amidst the gratitude, Murchadh offered his goodbyes and then he and his guard left, trekking back toward the forest and their homes within the towering trees. Torix stared off in their direction long after they had disappeared from her abilities to sense them.

Not far away, the bonfire remained roaring, despite the fact that no one had fed any wood into it for a few hours, the space around her and the fire had emptied of others, leaving her alone with the flames and the feeling of her own mate.

Torix turned to look at the fire then, arching one brow and smirking in amusement as she saw Baltha standing in the middle of the inferno, eating what appeared to be an ice cream. When she laughed softly, he lifted his gaze to hers and grinned softly.

The snow crunched softly under her feet as she approached, watching the large fire demon step from the flames, which dropped down to a glowing embers as Baltha and his powers left. He held out an ice cream cone, which seemed off, in Torix's limited experience with the cold confection. The cone was black, and the ice cream itself was speckled with blue, covered in broken cookies and smelled of salt and vinegar chips. There were the remains of a hard chocolate shell on the ice cream, though it looked like Baltha had eaten through most of that.

"What is that?" Torix laughed softly, shaking her head ever so slightly.

Baltha grinned happily to himself and took another bite of the ice cream. "It's called a Vicious Sid. It's ice cream, but it's perverted ice cream... or something like that. Really Dank."

Torix watched him for a long moment, before motioning to him. "Ok, I'll try it. Are you cold, or hot? Why were you standing in the fire? With ice cream?"

Her mate stepped close to her, lowering the ice cream gently and allowing her to take a cautious bite. Surprisingly, it tasted like vanilla and chocolate and cookies, mainly normal flavours despite its odd look.

Baltha took a bite of the ice cream after she finished, though he immediately closed his eyes and let out a low groan, his nose wrinkling up in pain. "Ow damn it!"

Torix froze in place, unsure what was happening, though she felt enough from him that she knew he wasn't in serious discomfort or danger. After a few moments of panting and wincing against the ice cream, Baltha appeared to relax, then he glanced at her curiously. "Brain freeze."

It drew a swell of amusement from her and she was laughing before she fully processed his words, shaking her head in disbelief. Baltha allowed Torix to laugh, though she did notice he made an attempt at a hurt look, before he continued eating his ice cream.

Torix managed to calm her amusement to a soft chuckle and smirked up to the demon, watching him pointedly until he finally answered her.

"As you know, demons, like most higher beings, don't have as fragile of a homeostasis as other species do. The cold outside may be noticeable, but to be truly cold, I would have to be very depleted in energy. And small adjustments like eating something cold or wearing a sweater really isn't for anything more than enjoyment than to help maintain the delicate balance of bodily function like elves and humans." Baltha grinned and offered her a shrug. "Ferya didn't need to be bundled up today, but... she still sometimes limits herself to how she functioned as a human. I figured it was part of the experience, but one of us should probably ensure she understands how to balance her powers."

"You amaze me sometimes." Torix offered softly as a response, wrapping one of her arms around the small of her back. "You spend so much time acting so frivolous, I love hearing you prove how smart you actually are."

Baltha grinned a little wider to her, finishing the ice cream cone and draping one arm around her shoulders, his eyes turning to look at the embers. "And here I thought you liked it when I was a big reckless idiot."

Torix scowled up at him, shaking her head once. "No, that makes me angry. I know you're still hunting in those stupid rollerblades. I'm going to burn them."

He kissed her then, a quick yet somehow still deep kiss that caused them both to pause in the few seconds they shared the intimacy. Then Baltha grinned against her lips and wrapped them in the flames of his power. "You know I've fire proofed them. They're indestructible. And they're super efficient."

Torix's response was cut off as Baltha used his power to move them both out of the cold and back to the warm apartment they now made their own. Baltha was watching her as the flames disappeared, a serious expression on his face.

"I won't burn your rollerblades, I promise." Torix paused though, seeing the man she loved offer her a worried look.

"You shouldn't have offered to ask Lucifer about this elf thing." Baltha shook his head once, letting out a slow breath. "Either way, no one is going to like the answer, and Murchadh needs to figure this out on his own."

Torix nodded, turning away from him and wandering toward the kitchen. "I know. It's history for us, the world has changed so much since it happened."
"I've been around long enough to learn that mistakes either fade from memory, or they make things worse when they're finally unburied." Baltha had walked with her, though he remained in the entryway, watching her when she turned to look at him.

"That's what I'm afraid of." Torix winced slightly, stepping up to Baltha and hugging him tightly.

Maybe she could put off asking Lucifer, at least until Murchadh spoke with Ferya.