It's not breaking the rules if I live here

Erik didn't seem the least bit surprised by her sudden appearance, meaning she would have to work harder on ambushing him the next time she attempted to sneak up on him. Or maybe he was too alert, his senses too heightened, like her brothers were. If that was the case, she'd need to get creative. Either way, the happy way he regarded her brightened her whole day, and seeing his tail wag while he complimented her home brought a swell of pride to her chest. Then he hands her a parcel and says it's for her and Ember... well, she's speechless. Blue eyes blink in surprise as she gingerly took the present from him. The Carpathian princess hadn't expected any sort of gifts to be given when she'd invited him. She had just wanted him here to hang out with. Well shoot, was she supposed to give him something back in return? Probably. Dangit! She'd have to think of something so she didn't seem like a selfish jerk. "Aww, Erik, you didn't have to get me anything!" she remarked, smiling up at him all the same, her braided tail giving a gleeful wag behind her. "You're very sweet though. Thank you."

With her feline claws, she almost surgically removes the wrappings from around her gift. Inside lay a necklace, but it was unlike any kind of jewelry she'd seen before. It wasn't like the jewelry her family wore, it was rustic and Nordic and everything that reminded her of Erik. It even smelled faintly of the woods and the wilds. Ember's cool-hued eyes widened in awe as she lifted the pendant up, admiring the elk horn that hung from the end inscribed with intricate runes and symbols across its surface. Wrapped inside the loop were small pieces of carnelian, the hazy orange stones reminiscent of their crafter's eyes and the crystals that grew from his neck. Ember handled the pendant with such care like she were studying a rare artifact, her mouth hung open but her wagging tail betraying the joy she found in its simplistic beauty. Ember was never the most girly—that title belonged to Talyssa and Clove—walking a line in between the two worlds, and this was perfect to her. A little bit of the viking boy to keep with her.

"Erik, it's amazing!" said the awestruck Ember, her shocked expression morphing into a beaming grin of delight. Blue jewels lifted to meet his fiery gaze once more, noticing the nervous smile, but only seeing the sweet boy that had made it with his own two paws. "I love it! What do these symbols on it mean?" She knew talking was something that seemed a bit of a challenge for him, so she tried not to make him speak too much. With nimble paws, Ember slid the pendant over her head and around her neck, tightening the band until the pendant rested against her chest. The girl proudly puffed up her chest to show it off to him, giggling as she admired it and traced the edges of the elk antler with her toes.

Pleased as punch with her gift, Ember motioned with a tip of her head for Erik to follow her. She led the way over to the buffet tables, hopping up to find some of the goblets filled with the spiced apple cider her mother had made. This was apparently one meant for pups, and there was another kind for adults hidden somewhere in the castle. Ember wanted to find that special cider someday. Lifting one goblet with her teeth, she set the cup down next to Erik and nicked another for herself, eagerly lapping at the sweet drink within. All the crispness of apples mulled with cinnamon and nutmeg, slightly warmed; a perfect autumn drink. "We can try to go up the tower once my dad isn't by the stairs," she told Erik in a hushed whisper, as if sharing some clandestine secrets with her friend. "Until then... did you wanna have something to eat? I dunno, do you dance?" Another suggestion crossed her mind then as her expression lit up with mischief. "Do you wanna go see my family's armory?"

"Ember Carpathius"