* * *

Gwenvair sat in their room huddled up against Kilniara for comfort while both giggled and spoke with each other softly. It had been quite a morning and the wildly differing emotions had left both of them wrung dry, exhaustion driving eyelids closed. The two chose to sleep and cuddled under the blankets together until almost noon. Both woke at that point, almost simultaneously, although Kilniara didn’t quite understand the ping of worry that had brought her awake until she turned to see Gwenvair also staring at her and then she sighed in relief. She smiled down at Gwenvair with a soft contentment and Gwenvair smiled back.

“So. Feeling better.”

This caused Gwenvair to blush slightly, remembering her poor behavior and flight from Joe this morning but then she nodded, grateful for a positive resolution, “Yes. Quite so.”

The two fell silent but Kilniara smiled brightly while Gwenvair began to flush redder while simultaneously beginning to smile bigger as well. Their smiles quickly turned to giggles and the two collapsed into each other’s arms before Gwenvair pulled herself back with a sigh.

“OK. I can Hear that all seems well, but please, tell me what happened after I left.”

Kilniara nodded, “All is well. Truly.”

Gwenvair smiled brighter with that, “Then?”

“He did not understand. His people do not … they do not bond with more than one.”

Gwenvair sat up at that, fearful, “Then … he cannot?”

“No. No. Do not worry. He told me of some of his plane who do so, but amongst his own clan, they do not.”

The tension drained from Gwenvair as she settled back, “Then, why?”

Kilniara shrugged, “Because he believes in having only one.”

“So, then…”

Kilniara smiled, “He did not understand the people of this plane. When we explained, he understood and understood the promise made.”

“Then, what… what happened with his promise?”

Kilniara smiled, “I am uncertain, but I believed I Heard he was…”

“You Heard!?”

Kilniara smiled back ecstatically, “Yes! I think I did!”

Gwenvair’s worry was overtaken by excitement, “So you are certain.”

“Yes! It was very strange, like an echo of a thought heard from another.”

Gwenvair’s smile grew as she nodded, “You… really did Hear.”

Kilniara sat back, satisfied, “I … did?”

Gwenvair nodded, “You did.”

Kilniara squealed and bounced but said nothing, simply exhilarating in her accomplishment. Gwenvair allowed her the moment while also joining her in her joy, lifting her up. They remained in the moment for a time before Gwenvair finally brought them back to their current conversation. Gwenvair grew calm.

“So you Heard.”

Kilniara’s joy softened and was replaced with confidence, “I Heard he believed he was accepting you as an apprentice, not a wife.”

Gwenvair’s eyes widened then she began giggling followed by tears streaming down her cheeks, “He… he did not… accept me! He wasn’t…”

Kilniara quickly reached forward and wrapped her arms around Gwenvair, “Shhh. Shh!”

The two remained together, Gwenvair tearing up even as Kilniara held her. They remained silent except for Gwenvair’s sobbing and Kilniara’s soft hushes. Their embrace lasted for a time until Kilniara finally pulled back once her sobbing grew softer.

“Do you know what else I Heard?”

Gwenvair tried to be excited to hear it and gamely asked, “What?”

“He wants you. He truly wants you.”

Gwenvair’s tears slowly dried and she shook her head, “No…”

“Yes.”

Gwenvair continued denying it but Kilniara pushed through her denial and slowly returned Gwenvair to her equilibrium and soon she had returned to her own happiness although still tinged with a hint of sadness, her hope struggling poorly against her fears. She struggled as what she heard from Kilniara sometimes deviated slightly from what she Heard, and the small lie she’d spoken burned quietly, hidden within her heart.

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The lie, an old one, burned deeply, and she finally found herself crying into Kilniara’s shoulder as tears slipped down her cheeks. Kilniara, of course, did not understand and offered comfort for exactly the wrong reasons.

“Shh. Shh… all is well. He has accepted you. It is well.”

Her sobbing increased and Kilniara only comforted her more. After some time, her despair swelled to overwhelming proportions and she simply sobbed into Kilniara’s side. Soon, soft whispers came out with her sobs.

“I’m sorry, Kilniara… I’m so sorry. So, so, sorry.”

“Shh. Shh. There is no need to be sorry. Cry as you need. It’s OK.”

Her sobbing increased and she shook her head, “No. I’m sorry… your bond is complete.”

She felt Kilniara pull back at that, looking down at her with some confusion, “I know. It is done.”

Gwenvair shook her head, denying Kilniara’s easy comfort, “I… no… it’s…”

Gwenvair trailed off seeing Kilinara’s panic and she quickly interjected, “Your… yes your bond is complete… don’t worry. We will not be separated…”

Kilniara stared down at her with confusion, and now some little worry, if without panic. Gwenvair continued crying as she stared at her. Please… understand… understand… don’t make me say it… you should understand… just…

But Kilniara’s continued confusion finally forced Gwenvair’s hand and she spoke out in shuddering gasps between sobs, “Your bond… is complete… but mine… with Joe… it is… He can still deny me… I would… I could find… another.”

Kilniara immediately laughed at that, shaking her head, “And he would lose me. Do you think he would desire this?”

Gwenvair stuttered, “It’s not… you…”

Kilniara sighed deeply, thinking carefully before reaching forward and wrapping her arms around Gwenvair, “No. You will complete the bond. He would not desire this any more than he would desire your death. You would be bound to … it would be horrid!”

Gwenvair frowned but did not deny Kilniara’s comment even as she continued to sob. Kilniara continued as she held her.

“Finish the bond. Know he would not wish this upon you. Seek out his spirit, if you are so uncertain. He does not wish loss or pain upon you.”

Gwenvair sobbed into Kilniara’s side, but soon calmed although she still hiccupped some soft sobs, “It will be complete soon. His demands are… extensive, and such changes take time… especially if they are to be done well.”

“Of course. And they are unique to him. Any other you would bind to would be… poorly suited to his demands. He is incredibly unusual.”

Gwenvair’s mind clung to Kilniara’s words, seeking solace and certainty in a decision that began to form in her thoughts, “And he did state he wanted this.”

“Even if it was a misunderstanding.”

They fell silent at that for a time, before Kilniara spoke softly, “Seek out his spirit. Ask him if he would want you to suffer or to be worse off… to be permanently linked to another you know nothing of… with a bond not appropriately formed to them…”

Gwenvair fell into silence, her sobbing replaced with false hope and the soft whisper of temptation. She knew Joe’s answer to such a question… such a question asked to hide as much as it was to reveal subtly fashioned details to invoke a response she sought. But… but… She fell into a deep thought, lost in it for a very long time, until she finally asked, the questioned framed exactly as Kilniara suggested. It’s not… exactly… not the truth… it is the truth… technically… there is no lie…

The relief of his acceptance was a balm that washed over her, yet the lie stung, and she felt her own heart wilt beneath it and finally could not hold out anymore. She knew if she did this, it would destroy everything. Any hope… could he… no… I… Tears welled up within her once again, and she took a deep sigh, calming herself. I must… I cannot do this… I cannot do this to him. If I am… I cannot… She grit her teeth and finally opened her heart to his spirit, speaking deeply and truthfully, revealing her fears and thoughts.

Her fears were met when she revealed she could still halt the bond as his spirit seemed incredibly relieved and immediately sought such as an escape, but as she explained the consequences of such an action, his spirit quickly retreated from it, and grew cautious and concerned. Finally, his spirit rejected it, accepting and allowing the bond to form to completion. Despite his acceptance, a deep and underlying knowledge persisted through it all; his spirit rebelled against the idea, continually, and would continue to reject it and seek some form of escape.

His acceptance brought a deep relief, but the knowledge that he still sought escape twisted bitterly within her, leaving her in pain. As soon as the bitterness swept through her, she was unable to hide it and his spirit immediately swelled to comfort her. And that, more than anything, calmed her own thoughts and she sobbed out with relieved hope and finally a small glimmer of happiness; a possible future. She fell into Kilniara’s arms seeking comfort once again as she cried deeply and Kilniara simply hugged her and soothed her. It took a long time, but the bitter fear finally unwound from deep within her heart even as it calmed. Despite that, her hope was still stained with the subtlest hint of worry.

* * *

Joe rounded on what felt like his hundredth feral cat and held up his blade, doing very little to actually fight. He found the entire effort about as mindlessly boring as possible. The creatures had almost no thought or survival instinct, simply leaping directly at him and killing them came as simple as pointing something pointy at it so it could impale itself. Joe was really beginning to wonder about the intelligence of these creatures. He sighed as he swiped his sword through the air hard, the body of the cat slicing off his blade and thumping into the corner of the corridor. Pretty sure there aren’t any cats left on this floor!

He’d finally gotten the map filled out, finding the floor to be a rather small maze equal to the upper two floors. In fact, all three of the mazes of this dungeon proved to be quite simplistic. The old ‘right-hand-on-the-wall’ trick would have seen anyone through, if a bit the long way around. There were no loops and every wall lead back to the outer walls and Joe frowned to come to that realization. Huh… wonder if it’s the same on the first two floors? Although… first floor is pretty much a long hallway from entrance to exit with mazes on each side. Joe jerked when he heard a cry behind him and saw Zilnek stand up holding a bloody core, the cat inefficiently butchered on the floor. Joe blinked to see it, then blinked again when he saw the blood and body fade away in an odd misting of twinkling gaseous lights. It almost seemed like it sublimated incredibly rapidly.

Man… always forget about that… and… wonder if it is dangerous to sniff those fumes… Or is that… Joe rose his eyebrows in surprise when he noticed that neither Zilnek nor Garnedell seemed to notice the twinkling gas. He looked between the two then reached out a hand and began waving it through the gas. Both ignored him for a bit until they noticed his actions and they stared on, watching his hand. He carefully followed their eyes but their focus seemed to be only on his hand.

“Do you see this?”

Garnedell and Zilnek both nodded but Joe realized his question was ambiguous, “Do you see anything flowing around my hand?”

Both boys began to stare intensely at Joe’s hand and Joe immediately realized they didn’t see anything. Joe frowned at that but continued to play the part. Maybe… some kind of training? I didn’t really see anything until later… maybe? Need to ask Gwenvair. Maybe some kind of sensitivity to it? Add to the ‘to do’ list, I guess.

“See anything?”