A/N: As usual, I would recommend putting the video on loop.
After they had conquered the dangerous path and rested for a time in the next cave room, they made their way over to the next upward sloping road. (F/n) had wished to stay in the cave room longer since her legs didn't desire anymore climbing for the day. Besides, the cool shallow water that she had been dipping her feet in had been quite relaxing. Of course, Tarhuinn kept a close eye on the water in case something was lurking in it. He had mentioned that there shouldn't be anything but harmless water plants at the bottom, but after the incident with the tenlites, he wouldn't let his guard down.
She now looked up at the long stone staircase; she couldn't even see the end of it. It was as though she was facing a staircase that led to the stars. Spiraling upwards, cascades of water poured down onto the stairs. Natural light flowed down the space in the stairs, but she couldn't see what was allowing it in. Despite its illumination, it was still dark where they were at.
"I thought that you stated that we wouldn't be able to fall," she voiced, craning her neck to try and see the top somehow.
"We won't. The stairs are wide, and we would only fall if we walked too close to the edge, which would be foolish on our part. We may walk side by and side and still have plenty of distance between us and the edge. In that respect, we can't fall."
"And for how long does this staircase go?"
"We'll reach the top when it's well into the night. As you can see from the light coming in, it's near dusk."
A groan escaped her lips at hearing this. Her legs wanted to collapse then and there. They were so sore, and she didn't know if they could last for several more hours. She had received her rest, but her determination from before wasn't as strong. (F/n) took off her boots and socks even though she had just put them back on, placing them into her pack. Reluctantly, she stepped onto the first and began to make her way up. Tarhuinn kept his pace with hers and grabbed her left hand in his right. His hold helped her stay stable on the slippery steps.
As they made their way up, she could feel her legs yelling in protest, and each step became more difficult than the next. To get her mind off of her current condition, she asked, "Tarhuinn, what were your parents like if you'll allow me to know?" Water splashed against the stone, and the chaotic sound contradicted their quiet steps.
"My father had the same hair color as me and dark blue eyes. His hair traveled to his chest and was always in a side braid. My mother, who was about the same height as my father, had red hair and dark brown eyes. Her wavy hair traveled to about her jaw.
"Personality wise, my father and my mother were alike in their calmness. Both were wonderful teachers and knew how to keep me engaged in my learning. They maintained my interest so much that I would often fall asleep in the library or in the farm room. They didn't mind me staying up late into the evening with my studies, and I have a feeling that it was because they enjoyed their nightly activities."
Some heat fell upon her cheeks, and she wondered if he would be like that when they returned back to the house. This caused even more to flood her face, and she tried to shoo the thoughts away. Granted, it did bring another question to mind. "If they were active in that regard, what stopped them from having more children? And, wouldn't that create a problem since a human's life energy can only support one kelremm child?"
"Only having one child is possible between a kelremm and a human. Regardless of the human's gender, the process of the child taking the human's life energy makes the human partner infertile."
"And, what if more than one child is born at once?"
He didn't answer immediately, and a disturbed expression crossed his countenance. "There have been no reports of that ever happening. It's theorized that the children somehow know that after their birth only one of them can be supported by their human parent. So, it's been suggested that one of them consumes the other or others in the womb."
Her feet stopping, she stared straight ahead. It didn't bother her too much that she wouldn't be able to have more than one child, but the other part made her a little bit sick. The imagery that formed in her mind wasn't pleasant, and she hoped that such a thing wouldn't happen. If this extra life energy source existed and if she had more than one child in her womb, perhaps, it wouldn't come to that. Maybe, with the extra life energy source, she would also be able to have more than one child. Still, what if Tarhuinn had a sibling, but he had to eat them to survive?
The thought caused her to feel a little dizzy, and the exhaustion from all of the climbing wasn't helping either. Unfortunately, her legs began to wobble, and she leaned over to her left. Tarhuinn quickly caught her. His hands pressed against her upper arms to keep her standing. Before he could ask anything, she inquired, "Do you think that you had a sibling?"
"I'm not sure. If I did have one, I apparently did what I had to do to survive. If I hadn't acted, they would be in my place. Again, this is assuming that those theories are correct, (f/n). I know that it isn't pleasant to think about or picture. So, for right now, let's focus on getting to the next complex."
Giving a weak nod, she pushed against him and managed to get her legs back to normal. They still had a long climb ahead of them, and her negative thoughts were only slowing them down. She decided to discuss a different topic to get her mind more away from the previous conversation. "Tarhuinn, do you know what's beyond the third complex? Or rather, what glimpse of it did you see?"
"I recall viewing a large pool of water but nothing else. I'm not quite sure where Tergii and Bimaa would go off to, but there might be a passageway underneath the water's surface. If so, we'll have to figure out a way to keep our supplies dry unless we come across them there. Some of the residents are bound to know of them, though, or at least have seen them. "
"If we have to travel underwater, what if the passage is too long for me even with your quick swimming?"
"If I feel like it will be too dangerous for you, we'll head back. There might be another way. I don't know, but I won't let you drown. Should we meet them there, and they grow hostile, I'll make sure that no harm comes to you."
"Wouldn't it be better if you taught me how to fight? That way, I could defend myself and be more useful in combat. Right now, I really only know that the sharp end will stab them."
"I'd rather you depend on me for protection."
"I doubt that's the only reason. You're worried that I may injure myself with it on accident or that I might try to fight against you if you pull me back from this journey. In simple terms, you don't trust me with a blade, but what if we were surrounded? Could you realistically defend me and take on a group of people? Even with your skill, one of them would be bound to get to me before you could fully stop all of them."
"There will only be two of them if they attack. I can handle that."
"What if some of the other residents in the area attack because they see you as a threat? Or, what if they're more than what they seem? Who knows what they're truly capable of. You keep saying that you'll protect me, but who's going to protect you? You're not invincible. And if you die, then I'll probably fall soon after if I can't defend myself. Your work will have been for nothing, and you would fail in what you keep telling me. If you really wish to protect me, teach me how to use a blade."
His hand tightened around hers some more, but she didn't shrink away from her view. Either he was going to reject the idea, or he was frustrated at seeing her point on the matter. "Before the third complex, there's a small cave room. We can train there, but I'm only teaching you the basics. If you want to learn anything else, it will have to be self taught."
Their hands disconnected for a short bit to avoid walking through one of the waterfalls. During this, she practically threw her hands up into the air but reminded herself not to jump. She would most likely slip if she did so. Tumbling down the steps would probably mean death for her. When they reconnected hands, she exclaimed, "Thank you! I'll be careful when using it." In the process of her jubilation, she ended up hugging him with her free arm.
Surprised by this, Tarhuinn glanced down to her and wrapped his free arm around her waist. A small smile graced his lips, though; he was concerned about the consequences of this decision. If there were a point where they had to turn back, his training may come back to bite him. He knew that she wouldn't kill him, but it would be harder to restrain her. For now, he would enjoy her embrace, and the current peace on their journey.