"That'd sure be nice!"

"Okay, see, what I think you're doing wrong is -- "

"Stop, stop, jest stop already! Yer doin' it all wrong!"

Gabriel whipped around, her eyes narrowed, her expression as chilling as the ice beneath them and the snow drifting down around them. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Steelbeak stepped onto the ice, donning what appeared to be an old pair of hockey ice skates. "I t'ink I'm gonna be a vastly better teacher dan you!"

"Look, we don't want your help!" Gabriel snapped.

With all the grace of a hippopotamus with three broken legs, Tegwen scrambled to get behind Gabriel to use her as a shield. For a split second, she was thrilled to have executed such a maneuver. That is, until her legs slipped out from beneath her and she went down to the ice. "Damn it!" From where she was sprawled, Tegwen pointed at Steelbeak. "This is all your fault!"

Strangely, he was getting used to feeling that way and was aggravated with himself that he'd even thought to help the girl in the first place. No, he reminded himself adamantly, I'm here to spy on Gabe!

"She was doing well up until you showed up!" Snapped Gabriel. She turned and helped Tegwen back to a standing position. "Don't you have a job to chew me out for not doing or something?"

"Nah. My only job now is ta bug you."

"Mission accomplished!" Gabriel glanced at Tegwen. "You okay?"

"Yeah," replied Tegwen, leering at Steelbeak. "That one hurt, though."

Steelbeak skated over to Tegwen, reaching to her and putting his hands on her hips. Compared to the ice, they were scorching. "If ya jest lemme help, I can -- "

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