The Moon Beyond the Mist

13. Starlight and stalactites

As the passage wound on and into the depths of the cave system, the gemstones flickered far and few between. With each footfall, a subtle glow would emanate from the rock walls, soothing the oppressive darkness that loitered around each turn of the tunnel.

Robin had dropped his grasp from around Maria's wrist, but with each faint flare of light she could make out his fingers trailing at her side. They softly caught the velvet of her dress, as if he worried that without her body kept closely within his grasp, she too would fade into the shadows of the underground.

Despite the charming smile and cheery commentary, Maria knew that Robin felt remorse at having left her side. He had described the pressure of their time constraint as having encouraged him to explore further while she had rested, although could not quite explain why he had chosen the path he had. Yet as they traversed the rocky terrain, Maria could tell that it was no sleight of fortune that Robin had chosen the very passage leading to their treasure. The stones around her seemed to hum with the promise of prosperity, enticing Maria deeper and pulling her closer into its coarse embrace. Maria's mind was drawn back to the forking paths and radiant constellations that had signed each destination. Robin had chosen Eridanus wisely, for Maria knew it to illustrate the mythological Celestial River. Nature itself seemed to be on her side, helping Maria on as she quested through Moonacre.

The walls were indeed pressing in closer now, forcing Robin to walk behind her, his presence warmer still as his hands hovered at Maria's waist, his broad chest occasionally bumping into her back. The stone's jewels were spotted sparsely, no longer making up the shapes of constellations and instead simply dotting an ongoing line, a bright tether to guide the Moon Princess' way.

As Maria squeezed her way through a jagged opening, the ambience of the passage changed. A soft gurgling of running water echoed around the tunnel, sweetly beckoning the pair as they quickened their pace. Turning the final corner, a vast cavern opened up before their eyes. Cracks in the ceiling above must have dappled starlight into the hollow, for white light reflected off flowing water glittered across the damp walls and the gemstones that clustered together seemed to glow more vividly within the deep expanse. Hundreds of long, crystalline stalactites hung sharply from the rooftop, each one ending in a pure white tip reminiscent of a unicorn's horn pointed boldly into the night. Across the floor, rocks lay unevenly and obscured the view of an underground stream, smoothly running directly through the cavern before dropping off into an unseen abyss. Wherever the water fell must have been deep below their feet, for as the stream tumbled past the stone drop, no crashing rumble of a waterfall could be heard.

At the far side of the cave, Maria could make out the glimmer of bubbling water, sprouting up and into the air before catching the light of the gems and then falling into place within the stream. Scrambling over the craggy floor, Maria made her way further into the cavern. The spring itself appeared fairly mundane at first glance, simply the product of gushing water reaching its surface and burbling pleasantly. However, Robin's heavy breathing at her side signified that it was the origin of centuries of myth and wonder within Moonacre.

Robin gazed deeply into the small spring, taking in the perfectly clear water with each breath. He made no move to stop her as Maria dipped her fingertips into the glistening stream, marvelling at the sudden warmth that tingled her skin. Wiggling her fingers in the air, the water dripped down her hand and gathered in her palm, seeming to coat her skin rather than dampen it. At an impulse, she brought her fingertips up to her mouth, eager to taste the lustrous droplets that glittered temptingly before her.

She let out a troubled gasp as Robin's fingers were suddenly covering her lips, stopping her from drinking the shimmering waters that now fell from her hand and back into the ebb of the spring's current. Her eyelids fluttered as she caught Robin's stare, mere inches from her face as he shook his head warningly. Despite his body moving back, his fingers did not leave her mouth straight away, instead tracing her trembling lower lip as his gaze flickered down to his fingertips.

A clatter brought them back to their senses and Maria jumped apart from him, abruptly aware of her surroundings as she left Robin's fingers hanging frozen in the air. Glancing down, he sighed heavily as he bent to pick up the waterskin that had fallen from his belt. Looking up, his features gently changed as he saw the Princess' startled expression, instead adopting a playful smile over his previous frustration.

"If you'll allow me then, Princess," he grinned as he slowly moved his way around Maria's side, crouching down at the stream to fill the container.

Just like that, they had successfully obtained their second item. The stream seemed to burble with applause as Robin tightened the cap and attached the waterskin back to his belt.

"Pleased, Princess?" Robin laughed as he straightened up to see that Maria had not moved an inch. "Perhaps it might be suitable to reward your intrepid knight?"

Maria nodded at him cautiously, her eyes seeming to grow bigger within the dark confines of the cavern. With her looking up at him so innocently, Robin could not help but want to tease his princess a little.

Maria's breath caught in her throat as Robin moved to her side once again, his fingers, still warm and slightly damp from the spring water, moving up to her throat to feel the rapid pace of her heartbeat. His chuckle rumbled deeply in her ears as he spun her slowly around, his chest pressing into her back as he peeled the thin travelling cloak from her shoulders. His fingertips brushed the exposed skin of her collar as he undid the bows of its ribbons.

"After all of this adventuring, I would be grateful, Princess, if you would allow me a moment's rest," he murmured into her neck, his sentence punctuated with the soft thud of her cloak hitting the stone at their feet.

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A/N Hello readers old and new! Thank you so much for your kind comments, messages and votes on last week's chapter! Your support for the story means the world to me and inspires me to keep on writing, so sending out all of the virtual hugs to you! 

Let me know what you think of this little cliffhanger, and I hope you're all excited for some intense cuteness in next week's update!