They were days into traveling the mountain side when they finally reached the pass. It was a narrow, pebble strewn, passage along the side of a cliff. Torin had an strange comfort as her feet touched the rock's edge, where the grass left. As she peered out over the edge, her nerves rose high. The view of trees for miles had an eerie feel to it. The fog that settled into the trees as the water continued to rise further down into the deep ravine. The tree line to the village was barely visible, as the raging water rushed around the trunks of the strongest trees.
Looking ahead of her, Estien was leading them fearlessly through the narrow path. Torin chose to stop and remove her pack. Adjusting the contents some, she urged for her small cat to enter the opening of the pack, which Nel happily did. She gently positioned the pack back on her shoulders, with Nel peering through the side of the small flap.
"That's a good idea." Estien said as he offered his hand to help her stand.
She shared a smile with him as she took his hand. Taking one step forward, her footing slipped on the moist rock bed. She gripped tightly to Estien, her head suddenly resting against his chest. She looked up to him, her heart racing in her chest. She still couldn't tell what it was that was so familiar about him.
"You should watch your step." He said quietly, looking down to he gave an awkward chuckle, then offered his hand again. Firmly taking it and holding tightly to his grasp, Torin followed his lead.
"I've never had such an eerie feeling before." Torin began, "The sight of the ravine makes it feel much more dangerous then in the mines and caves."
As she glanced out off the cliff face, Harpy soared by. Her feathers seemed to frolic in the breeze as she moved passed. A smile graced Torin's face at the sight of the bird's carefree flight.
The sun was high and preparing to begin its descent when they arrived at an outcropping in the mountain. Torin took a seat on a low rock and set her pack beside her. Nel leapt from the pack and hopped about the opening, chasing anything that moved. A strong wind blew threw the opening, which sent Nel back into the pack, peering through on occasion.
"Is it like this the whole pass?" Torin asked as she offer Estien some of the berries they had collected the day before.
"No," Estien took a few and began to eat, "we will have to go through a cave to the other side of the mountain."
She nodded in understanding, trying to not show her excitement. Caves spoke to her, like they had some strange connection. She had more confidence in where to step in a cave, like the she could focus better.
They ate their small meal quietly and Torin used the time to stretch her arms and back. Estien stepped out to scout ahead, which appeared to be the perfect time to take a short nap. Torin leaned back against the rocky wall and closed her eyes, her head resting gently against the cool stone.
"Torin!" Estien's voice yelled out in the distance.
Torin's eyes opened and she took in the area about her. She saw the trees for miles and the great skyline with the sun high upon her throne. Looking around she saw movement below her, that was when she realized she was not on the ground. Panic set into her mind and she felt arms wrap about her body tightly. The ground was moving beneath her and she could nearly feel the wind in her face.
"Torin!" Estien's voice was louder, more frantic and closer. She tried to focus on his voice as he repeated her name. "Torin! Torin!"
Her eyes blinked slowly, as if they were weighed down. The space around her vision began to blur and soon she was able to clearly see the stone wall in the clearing. Her head was throbbing and her vision appeared blurry.
"Torin? Are you unwell?"
"Wha.." her own voice seemed to cause her pain, "What happened?" she whispered.
"Your eyes went white, and you were staring out into the sky." Estien held her snuggly in his arms, so close to him she could nearly feel his heart beating.
"I was watching Harpy soar in the wind and I decided to rest while you scouted. I thought I was sleeping." Her brow furrowed as the cool breeze shifted her light brown hair. She leaned slowly against Estien, her hand coming to her head.
"Can you walk?" Estien shifted his arms around her, resting his hands on her hips.
"I think so, my head.." She winced as she tried to stand, her right hand returning to her head. Her legs were unsteady and she felt dizzy.
"Nope." Estien quickly set her back down. "Bag." He said holding his hand out, Torin reached over and grabbed the pack, Nel still inside. Estien placed the bag on his back, adjusting the straps to fit his broad stature. He then tried to get her moving again, and once again the moment she stood her head began to pound and swirl. "Well then." Estien said as he lifted her into his arms, cradling her gently against him as if she was a cherished bride.
Torin gave no resistance in him lifting her into his arms. She settled her head against his firm chest and rested. Estien walked for another day along the pass, as he carried the small girl. His eyes would shift to her as she stirred, watching her carefully. His mind dancing with memories that she brought back so clearly. Memories of laughter and joy, of a time before he had set out. He often wondered if she had similar memories stirring within her.
Estien pulled her tighter to him as they entered the cave opening. He had paused only briefly to allow the small cat to come back to her owner. He didn't mind the company of the cat, often caught in conversation with the small feline. He was in one such conversation as he was going into the 3rd day in the cave.
"Do you think she'll wake up today, little one?" Estien looked to the small feline that was on the abdomen of the girl he carried. He listened as she purred loudly and rubbed her head along the hand of the girl.
"Ya, I hope so too." Estien responded to the small cat. His eyes scanned the fragile girl, how tiny she was in his arms. She weighed very little, so to carry her was no burden to him.
As the 3rd day was coming to a close, Estien began to look about for a safe area to set camp. His cloak bundled tightly about him and the girl in his arms, as the soft breeze in the cave had increased to near storm proportions.
Torin began to stir in the strong arms of Estien, as Nel began to purr and rub against her owner once again. The smell of evergreens filled her nostrils and the strong arms of Estien about her caused her to open her eyes slowly. The sound of trickling water not far off echoed through the open spaces of the cavern.
She stretched her neck and gave a large yawn.
"Glad you're awake." Estien spoke softly in the quiet of the cave.
"I'm sorry, you can put me down if you like." She tried to stretch again, "I can try to walk, my head feels much better."
"It should," Estien paused as he lowered her gently to the ground, holding onto her waist as she steadied herself and stretched her legs. "You've been asleep for 4 days."
"What?" She lifted her arms to the sky, ignoring the hands on her waist or her closeness to Estien. His breathing slowed as he watched her posture. Her head drifted to the side as she stretched with her arms high, giving a soft moan as the stretch felt amazing. When she opened her eyes she was met with amazing bronze globes staring back at her. She paused gazing into his eyes, waiting for him to say something or do something. Her hands came to rest against the sculpted chest of her companion, the strength he carried hidden beneath his attire.
Unsure of how long they stood that way, their hands about each other and their eyes locked on one another. They both felt something, but neither willing to admit it to the other. Torin could feel her pulse quickening and Estien could feel his heart begin to race. The unbridled trust she had in this stranger was something she struggled to wrap her head around, but there was something about him that was so familiar.
"We should..." Estien whispered softly as his head came close to hers.
"Get moving?" She whispered back, their foreheads touching for a moment.
"Ya." Estien suddenly let go of her and walked ahead of her.
Torin let out a soft chuckle. As his body heat left her, she felt a quick chill and pulled her cloak tighter. The breeze through the chasm was strong enough that it would make it difficult to build a fire. She followed closely behind Estien, Nel hot on their path as they made their way.
The first stop since Torin awoke was a cold one. Any attempt Estien made to start a small fire was put out within moments.
"Too much of a breeze," She said calmly, "We won't get a fire started."
She pulled her wool blanket out and placed it on the floor. Looking over she noticed Estien sitting on the cold rock, trying to get comfortable.
"Come here." She stated very matter of fact, not giving room for argument. His brow knit together and he paused, but she didn't accept it. She motioned firmly with her hands for him to come over. Having set the blanket in the corner of the rocky nook they were in, it protected them well from the chill. The perfectly carved out space protected them from most angles, the only way someone was coming was head on.
"Lay down," Torin pointed to the blanket, "I'll take first watch." She smiled to him and sat with Nel in her lap, and a piece of twine in her hands. She had begun to mend a corner of her cloak that had been snagged in the forest.
"Torin..."
"Nope," She interrupted him, "Sleep." She looked at him briefly to ensure he was going to sleep. It was only a few minutes later that soft snoring could be heard coming from him and a soft purr from Nel.
Setting Nel on the blanket beside Estien, Torin set out to set sound traps. Small arrangements of rocks that would fall from the slightest touch. They would announce the arrival of any unwanted visitors, something her father had taught her. It was what they had used often while camping in the mines and they didn't want to be surprised by company. After setting roughly twenty of them, from the loose rocks sitting about, she went back and sat at Estien's feet. Her rump was on the blanket and her back to the rock.
It was wasn't long before the soft sound of teeth chattering could be heard. It took Torin a moment to realize it was her jaw making that noise. She blew warm air into her hands and brought her cloak tighter about her. It's unclear how long Estien had been watching her, but it was the soft nudge of his foot that caught her attention. He lifted his cloak with his right arm and gave the invitation for her to lay beside him.
She was too cold to argue and dove under the cloak. She curled in beside him, burying her head in his chest. As the burn of the warmth of his body was rushing to her frozen facial features, she felt a soft rumble from Estien's chest as he chuckled.
"Going to be hard to watch out from there." He whispered softly.
"Just let my nose warm up and I'll watch out." She muffled from her place in his chest. Her cheeks were cold and she could have sworn they were walking into winter from the chill in the air.
"Don't worry," he wrapped his right arm about her torso, "stay warm. I can watch from here." He laid his head on the pack as she curled into him and Nel found her way to lay under her cloak at their feet.
It was only a few hours later, but no light came to wake them. Morning arrived and they found themselves still snuggled close, Torin shifted lightly.
"Don't panic," he whispered softly, "but we have visitors."
Torin lifted her head slightly to look up to him, as he smiled to her and looked beyond into the cave. Torin turned slightly to see two human forms walking their way, a lantern giving away their position perfectly.
"Your rocks fell and woke me." He whispered into her ear, "They haven't seen we're awake yet." Torin continued to watch as their lantern swayed with their movements.
Laying there with Estien, his arm around her waist now as her back was to him. Torin reached up and slowly pulled her dagger from beneath her pack, as she felt his right hand grasp his sword from in front of them.
A soft chuckle came from Estien, a moment of adoration toward this towering protector swelled within Torin.
Laying her head back down and closing her eyes just enough to be able to peer through her eyelashes, she waited. Estien laid his head beside hers, helping to hide their faces. He pulled her tight against him, moving his sword just under her.
"On my word," he whispered softly, "I will protect you."
"I know." she replied. He pulled her tight as reassurance and then they laid there, waiting. Torin could feel the warmth of his body against hers.
The two explorers made their way over to them, once they realized they were there they froze.
"Excuse me?" a young ladies voice spoke up. "Are you awake?" She continued.
"We appear to be lost..." a young man's voice spoke up, as he laid the lantern to the side, trying to increase their site and that of the strangers. Torin blinked briefly.
"Shh..." Estien hushed her and Torin pretended to fall back to sleep. His head lifted from her body and he greeted the new strangers. "I'm sorry, friends." He spoke softly in a strange accent, "My wife fell ill and I am trying to keep her warm." He pulled the cloak tight around Torin and she gave a heavy cough to sound ill.
The two strangers took visible steps backwards. "I am very sorry to hear that." The young man said as he turned to leave.
"Kestrin, we can't leave her like this." The young girl spoke out.
"Sestina we have to, we don't have time. If we get sick we will fail our mission." The young man placed a hand on the girls shoulder, she hung her head in defeat of his answer.
"Kestrin? Sestina? Of Marigua?" Estien said cautiously.
"Why yes." The one called Sestina responded quickly, "Do we know you?"
"You wouldn't have been sent to help an escort were you?" Estien smirked at the two before him.
"Estien!" Kestrin exclaimed and rushed to help Estien from the floor. "By the Gods! I am so glad you came this way. I was worried you had gone around the mountain."
"If it was wasn't for the large bird that prevented us passage, we wouldn't have made it this way." Sestina spoke out.
"Her name is Harpy." Torin said softly, rising from her spot.
"Sestina? Kestrin? This is Torin," Estien introduced his companion, offering his hand to assist her.
"Your wife?" Sestina joked as she greeted me.
Sestina met Estien's gaze and the joking smile on her face was replaced with a look that let on to more then they were telling. Sestina's arms quickly embraced the small frame of Torin.
"Welcome to the family." Kestrin said as he greeted her in like fashion.
They packed up their small camp quickly, Nel taking her place on Torin's shoulder. Walking along side Kestrin, Torin listened intently as he told of their journey.
"We are about another ten days from camp." Kestrin was saying, "The hardest part has been this cave, it's so hard to see." He shifted the lantern in his hand, forcing Torin to lift her hand to block it's light.
"There's natural light if you get rid of that." Torin said as she pointed to the lantern.
"Trust her." Estien said from ahead of them.
Kestrin turned and put out his lantern. Torin took his hand and placed it casually on her shoulder. She began to guide him through the darkness, while his eyes adjusted to the soft light that began to reflect off the rocks. Before long the light had adjusted to appear as though they were walking in the light of a full moon. Estien and Sestina stepped aside, to allow Torin to take the lead. Nel was close behind her as she showed them the way through the cave.
"See how she knows where to step?" Kestrin said to his sister as they made their way.
"Estien, do you truly think she is the one?" Sestina whispered as she followed with the rest. Torin tried to pretend to be focused on her footing and Nel, so the others did not think she could hear them. Little did they know she could hear very well in amongst the rocks. While they were in conversation about the status of the camp they were headed to, Torin froze.
Estien almost ran into her, had he not been as aware of his surroundings. It was not the same for the twins, they ran right into the halted pair.
"Why are they stopped?" Kestrin almost hollered out.
Waving her hand to hush him, Torin pointed ahead. There, in the faint light of the cave, could be seen a large mountain lion. Torin motioned to Nel for her to move, which she quickly responded. The rest of the party focused in on what she was pointing to. The large cat circled about multiple times, sniffing rocks and then circling again.
Torin reached for Estien's hand, as she let her mind focus out to the animal before them. Estien's firm girp upon her hand gave her an anchor to return to, as her mind searched to connect with the large feline. The sudden feeling of fear washed over her, as the connection with the lion was made. The urge to pounce on those that watched from the shadows rose in her, and she did her best to calm that. Giving a feeling of adoration and comfort. She wasn't sure if it was working at first, until the lion stopped moving forward.
"We should attack." Kestrin spoke out from their position.
"Quiet." Estien reprimanded quickly, silencing the request to attack the creature.
"He's scared." Torin could hear her own voice from a distance, as though it was from the ears of the cat. "He's also lost." Her heart hurt for this creature, it didn't want this. She watched from the perspective of the lion as it approached them, pausing merely feet from them. She blinked several times, focusing the contact with Estien to draw her back. As her vision cleared, she looked up to Estien. He responded with a reassuring nod.
The pair had been with each other for over a week, and the bond that was forming between them was unspoken and firm. They were almost as family to each other. Torin turned toward the lion before them, stepping out from their hiding spot. Kestrin and Sestina froze in they're position, watching intently. Torin knelt before the powerful animal, waiting for him to approach her. Nel came from the shadows and perched herself on the shoulder of her owner.
The lion took a moment to consider them, then continued forward. Bowing it's head toward Torin and waited. She slowly lifted her hand and began to pet the large lion. The lion released a soft purring noise that could be heard throughout the cavern, causing Nel to mimic the posture. The low rumble caused some pebbles to shift deeper into the chasm. Torin stood slowly and began to walk toward the exit, the lion turned and followed alongside her.
"Ya," Estien whispered from behind, "she's the one."
The sound of feet quickening their pace to catch up could be heard behind Torin, with the faint light ahead to guide them toward the exit of the cavern. They were all ready for open air and to be rid of the dreadful cold that tormented them.