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Winter felt like it was starting to give up it's hard handed rule on the land. It was getting muddier, even though occasionally snow still fell on them. It was not as cold as it was before, but it was still cold enough that the occasional warming of the ground would make it muddy going, but most often, still, the ground was hard. Mornings heralded frost still, but there was no doubt; it was getting warmer. But Anatoliy loved it so much; it was nicer for him, warmer than home. Not nearly as warm as perhaps the places he had almost visited, but it was still nice for him to enjoy it. And he had someone who he could wrap his arms around when enjoying the world. Anatoliy was smiling as he walked back to their cabin, holding a cloth sack of smoked meat he had made while out on his hunting trip. Normally, he would have done it at home, but he had gotten lucky and decided to do it all there. So he had been gone longer than he liked.
The fact that Anatoliy did not drop the bag when he saw Anann in the arms of another man, was a testament to his self control. Especially since that man was the one he had met and throttled a bit in Halifax. His easy grin faded and he tightened his grip on the bag, hand almost instinctively hovering near his belt knife. From what he had noticed of that stranger, it was clear to him who was the offender here. His woman was definitely not the one who had initiated things. She even looked uncomfortable. Anatoliy saw her hands on his chest, tense, as though she were trying to nudge him away but he seemed to not notice. That was when he almost drew his knife. No, not yet. There was no threat yet. Suddenly the necklace in his pocket felt heavy, as though it were tainted by this other man's presence.
"You better let go of zhe voman," he growled out at the edge of some trees. His free hand was resting on his waist, close to the knife attached to his belt. It would be all too easy to pull it out and utilize it. "She said she vould not go vith you, so vhy don't you just step avay?" he said again, cocking his head while glaring at Keese, his tone full of anger.