Ash rolled his eyes. "Just get on the horse already, drama queen. Let's go."

"Drama queen,who me~?" He laughed,carefully coming up. He seemed to be okay with the cracks still on his body but healing actually pretty well. "So,I'm assuming that you don't see any difference in me alive or dead?"

Ash shot a glare over his shoulder. "Don't be like that," he muttered. Long story short(because I want to get somewhere xD): The journey through Tir Na Nog was cold, dark, and terrifying. Even with the Winter prince at Jason's side, Faery was still savage and inhospitable. Ash was the perfect bodyguard, dangerous, alert and protective, but he seemed distant at times, distracted. And the farther we went into Winter, the more he drew away, sealing himself off from him and the world.

On the last night of their journey, they were attacked. A monstrous wolf, sent by Oberon himself, tracked them down, intent on killing Ash and spiriting Jason to the Summer Court. They managed to escape, but Ash was wounded fighting the creature, so they took refuge in an abandoned ice cave to rest and bind his wounds.

Jason had been knocked out of his original personality after the events. "Again,I can still fix those." He said to Ash. He was upset that that thing had tried to hurt Ash.

Ash blinked slowly, giving him that look that meant he was trying to figure Jason out. "Why didn't you run?" he asked softly. "If that thing had killed me, you wouldn't have to come back to Tir Na Nog. You would've been free."

He shook his head,looking away. "It's not clear? Either it's not clear to you or it doesn't matter....but I guess I care..." He muttered,swishing his tail a bit and winced but he didn't seem to care that it hurt. "I get angry,I force my body to it's death,let alone almost shattering fully at the thought of losing you...and it's not clear." He said softly,mostly to himself and not really even to Ash.

"I noticed, it's just..." He shook his head, unsure what to make of Jason. Ash continued in that same quiet voice, trying to hold his gaze, "You missed a tactical opportunity. A Winter fey in your position wouldn't have come back. They wouldn't let their emotions get in the way. If you're going to survive in the Unseelie Court, you have to start thinking like them."

He kicked the ground a bit,not looking to Ash. " I'm not like them though,and I am who I am....how can you ask someone to change that?" His voice was faint,barely making it past the left over cracks running up his throat and spidering along his jawline.

Ash rose with blinding speed and gripped his upper arms. Even wounded and bleeding, he was much stronger than what would be expected.

"Im not trying to make you change because I'm selfish or cruel," he murmured against his ear. "I just want you to understand. The Winter Court preys on the weak. Its their nature. They will try to tear you apart, physically and emotionally, and I wont always be there to protect you."

He winced and snapped his mouth shut tight to keep from crying out in pain. He was alive but still it hurt. "Then why do you at all?" He asked softly,his voice confused just as his hazel and purple eyes where.