"That was cheap," Krem replied with a pout, catching himself before he could pitch forward with the momentum of his strike. He straightened up, hands on his hips, huffing and pulling his knife from the dirt with a hard tug. He wiped it off on his pants and sheathed it again, then stepped forward to be right there in front of Cole, looking up at him from under his hat.

Rather than remaining surly, he just reached up and took hold of the brim of Cole's hat, pulling it down over his eyes then lightly prodding his nose. "We should do this more often."