“You know, this will be the farthest I’ve ever been from home.” Winna told him as they set out from town.

She’d been loath to leave her other cat, Lou, behind, but knew it was necessary. Many tears had been shed at their parting, but Lear reminded her that she’d have one of her cats with her, and that was better than none, which had cheered her up a little.

After going into town and tending to the wounded there as best they could, Winna had explained her plans. The villagers had understood, and even urged her to go, as he suspected they might, given that if Diana could get her powers restored, it would save and improve lives.

Jedda had lent them a horse to use for the first leg of the journey, which would be over when they reached the rocky mountains that encircled the area, which was a basin of sorts.

Once they reached the mountains, their steed would struggle to make it up the mountain paths, and Tark, who was traveling with them for the first part as well, would get the horse back to town. This way, Lear could save his strength for later, but they’d be able to make better time than they would if they’d been on foot.

“Yeah?”

“I’ve not traveled much. My world is pretty small, I guess. That’s probably pretty sad, huh?”

“Not really. It’s very common.”

“You’ve traveled a lot though, haven't you? I'm sure that mer-village wasn't the only interesting place you've been."

“Yes, but I’m in the military, right? There are fey folk who have never left the feylands, and never will.” he told her.

“Oh?”

“Yep. So don’t feel bad, okay?”

“That does make me feel better.” Winna murmured.

“My children haven’t been out of this area either.” Tark chimed in. “Though my wife and I did move to the area before they were born, we haven’t left it since. There’s been no need to. It’s a lovely, peaceful place. Although the winters are very cold!”

“They are that! This one has been mighty cold, too! Although normally we have more snow.”

“True, true.” Tark nodded. He was buzzing along easily beside them, carrying Diana in her basket. She was sitting upright, with her sweet face poking just out of the basket so she could see.

“Are you sure you’re not tired?” Winna asked.

“I’m fine, Winna!” The firebug assured her, “My people have high endurance when it comes to flying.”

“Probably more than me, even. Firebugs are made to fly, whereas I’m a strange amalgam of fey blood that just happens to have wings.” Lear laughed.

“Well, it worked out to a very nice amalgam.” the young woman giggled.

“I’m glad you like it.” He snorted, “You’ve been a little flirtatious lately.”

“I’m settling into the idea of dating you, and have gotten a little more comfortable.” she murmured.

“We’ve really only been on one date. Once things have calmed, we’ll go on more.”

“I mean, we do live together.”

“That doesn't mean we shouldn't still set time aside for proper dates.” Lear told her firmly.

“Alright then.” He could hear her smile.

Time wore on, and the mountains grew nearer.

Soon, they were riding past large, rocky outcroppings that sprang up from nowhere as the path sloped gently upwards.

Finally, they stopped and dismounted, as the terrain had finally grown fairly steep as the path began to climb the mountain in earnest.

They rested for a little while as they ate an early lunch, letting Diana out of her basket to stretch out in the sun, which was surprisingly warm.

“Well, I should probably head back.” Tark said, standing, then taking the horse’s reins and flying up onto its back.

“You’ll be able to control it alright?” Winna asked, standing, full of concern. The firebug did look awfully small up in the saddle.

“Yes! I’ve ridden horses before!”

“Alright then.” Winna nodded. “Have a safe trip back! Tell everyone we made it off okay!”

“I will!”

“It’s about time we head out, too.” Lear told her.

“Of course.”

They began to gather their things, and Diana maowed a sleepy farewell as Tark rode off, back the way they’d come.

Soon, everything was stowed away into their packs, and Diana was curled up in her basket, now fast asleep, thanks to all that warm sunshine. Lear had the idea to tie the basket to Winna’s waist, so she didn’t have to hold it the entire time.

They faced the mountain. It rose up before them, tall and cold and proud.

“So, you’re gonna fly us over this?”

“Yep.” he stepped forward and scooped her up. She was light as a feather, even with Diana’s basket tied to her. “I expect I’ll need a rest at some point. We’re not going over the entire mountain, I’ll take us up and around, but going up is a lot more work than going across, because I can glide when I’m moving across, but going up involves a lot more wing-work.”

“Makes sense.” She nodded.

“Ready?”

“Yep.”

“Diana, are you ready? You know not to look out or anything until we say so, right?”

A sleepy, slightly annoyed maow was the response.

“Alright, alright. Keep your hat on!” he snorted, “I just don’t want you to get hurt.”

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Purring from the basket.

“Silly goose.” Winna murmured.

“Alright, let’s go.” Lear held the woman he loved close, and launched them into the air with a powerful leap.

Winna screamed until he unfurled his wings and began to pump, shooting them higher into the sky.

“It’s alright!” he laughed. “I won’t let you fall!”

“I’m still just not used to that takeoff!” she cried.

-

“Phew.” Lear sighed as he landed lightly, putting me down. “That’s tiring.”

“Thank you, though.”

“You’re welcome” he nodded, “Although I’m not sure if you should thank me, I know you spent a while trying to calm down after takeoff, but that’s the easiest way to do it.”

“It’s okay. It’s just a little disconcerting, but I know you won’t drop me.”

“You’re right, I won’t.” he smiled at me.

“Alright, Diana, you can come out, now.” I told her, kneeling for a moment to untie the basket from around my waist.

My fluffy little familiar leapt easily from the basket, and then stretched luxuriously.

“Oh, to be a cat who just had a nice nap.” I smiled, reaching out to scratch her chin just the way she liked it. “Were you warm enough, dear?”

A confirmatory maow.

“I don’t think I need to translate that.” Lear laughed quietly.

“Nope!” I smiled, now stroking her silken fur, murmuring, “Oh my pretty little queen.” I bent and peppered her face with kisses, then stood, asking her, “Are you good to walk for a while? Or do you want to ride in the basket again?”

Another maow.

“She said she’ll walk, and will let you know when she wants to ride again.” Lear translated.

“Alright.” I nodded.

“Let’s see.” Lear looked around, getting his bearings. “That’s the way we should go.” He pointed, and we started walking. Or rather, picking our way along through the rocky, still snowy, terrain.

“It’s so high up that it’s much colder! There’s even still snow around.” I shivered a little, drawing the cloak closed around me.

Diana maowed.

“She said she’s fairly comfortable, temperature-wise, but then again, she has a fur coat.” Lear translated.

“Of course!” I giggled.

It was somewhat rough going, and every so often, Lear had to hold Diana and me and jump down from a high point that we couldn't see any other way down from.

“Ugh, I hate that! Falling is so scary!” I muttered, shaking my head as he put me and Diana back down.

“We’re not really falling. I’m jumping down.” Lear snorted, then turned to look back up at where we’d come down from. It was a particularly high cliff-face, and possibly the tallest one we’d come down.

“Still, very scary.” I shook my head, trying to rid myself of the anxiety that had filled me. It had been particularly bad during that last leap down.

“Hey, what do you think that is?” Lear asked suddenly, frowning and pointing at the cliff.

“Huh?” I turned to look. “I don’t see anything.”

“I…I think it’s a carving. Look!” He leapt up onto a slight outcropping of rock, pointing at the stony wall. There was indeed a deep line in the rock.

“It’s just a fissure or something.” I frowned, then saw he was tracing along the line with his hand, and noticed that there was another line it met with. “Hold on.” I turned and picked my way about ten feet back. “Actually…I think you're right.” I blinked, now staring and stunned.

Lear hopped down from the cliff, bent and scooped up Diana, then darted over to where I stood so he could get a better look. He put Diana back down, and she licked her paw primly, then languidly groomed her face as we stared in confusion at the strange carving on the cliff face.

“What does it look like?” I asked, unable to make any sense out of what I was seeing. There was certainly some purpose to the carving, I just couldn't figure it out.

“A letter of some kind. Or - I know!- it’s a rune! Not one I recognize, but more like the ones on the old books at the cottage!” My fey companion's voice and expression was full of excitement from our discovery.

A strange sense of unease filled me. “How’d it get here?” I asked him.

“It is like one of the book-runes…” Lear muttered, “A lot like them, actually. That makes me think it’s probably some kind of protective rune.”

“If you say so.” I frowned at it.

“Stay here for a bit, I have a theory, and if I go alone, it won’t take me long to see if I’m right.” He told me.

“Alright. We’ll stay here, Miss Annie.” I shrugged, sitting on the ground, and opening my cloak for Diana to join me. She did, and soon we were toasty warm together as Lear darted away at inhuman speeds.

True to his word, he wasn’t gone for more than ten minutes. “I was right!” he flashed a bright grin at me. “There’s another on down that way on another rock facing, and yet another I could see on a large boulder just on the next mountain over.”

“What does that mean?”

“Remember how Sagebark mentioned that your family had brought some kind of protection here with them?”

“Yes. Are the runes that protection?”

“I think so.” He nodded, “They encircled the area they lived in with their special runes, carving them on the boulders and into the mountains themselves. They were very clever. I’m sure they picked this area specifically because they knew they’d be able to do that.” Lear motioned at the rune before us.

“Oh wow.” I blinked, then frowned, “Which means we’re outside of that protection now, aren’t we?”

“Yes, we are. But we’ll be okay. I’m here, and there’s no reason to be afraid. These parts are generally pretty safe as well.” he motioned in our general vicinity.

“If you say so.” But some sense of urgency and worry gnawed at me. “Let’s get going all the same.” I told him, standing. “Annie, why don’t you ride again?”

My sweet kitty hopped back into the basket without protest, and we continued to make our way down the mountain.

As we descended, the sense of unease that had risen in me grew ever stronger.

Finally, I couldn't bear it anymore. “Lear?”

“Yes, love?” he smiled over at me.

“I…I…don’t feel well.”

“Like, sick?” He frowned, immediately reaching out to take my hand.

“No, like…something’s wrong. Ever since we saw that rune, i-it’s felt like…something’s just…wrong.”

“Hmm.” he stroked my hand gently with his thumb. “It could be that you’re reacting poorly to the lack of the presence of the protection that the runes surrounding your homeland protect. You were born within its borders, and have never left it. It’s understandable that your body might react with fear to being away from it.”

I chewed on my lip for a bit. “You think?”

“Yes, I do.” he nodded.

“Alright.” I sighed. “I just…I’m frightened. I-I don’t even know what the protection actually feels like, a-and I’m frightened!”

“It’s okay, Winna.” he reached out, taking my other hand. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”

“I-I know. I trust you.” I really, really hoped he was right because his words comforted me, but didn’t actually make the worry and fear that had settled on me fade.

Lear flashed a wicked grin at me, “A terrible decision, really!”

I rolled my eyes at him, but had to smile, which I knew had been what he was after. “You’re a mess.”

He bent and kissed me briefly. “I know.” When we broke apart, he said, “Let’s fly again for a bit.”

“Are you up to it?”

“Yes, going down will be easier, I can glide more. Once I’m tired, we can walk until the sun starts to set, then just stop for the night.”

“We don’t have a tent though, right? I just thought about it, but surely we’re not just going to sleep outside? It’s awfully cold.”

“Give me a little more credit than that!” he laughed, “I’ll make us a shelter, don’t worry. I’ve slept outside enough that I know how to make a little shelter quickly enough.”

“If you say so.” I muttered, doubtful. What would we do, dig a little divot in the ground? He’d probably try to convince me to snuggle close for body heat. I guess that…wouldn't be too bad, really, snuggling up close to him. Lear was very warm.

Then I remembered that we had brought along one of the heating stones from the cottage, turning it off while it was stowed away in the pack. Well, there went my thoughts of cuddling close with him, but…well, he probably wouldn't mind anyways.

“Alright, let’s go.” he said, stretching out his enormous wings.

We tied Diana’s basket, with Diana inside, back to my waist, and Lear scooped me up again.

“Ready?”

“As ready as I ever am for this part.” I sighed, steeling my nerves.

Lear kissed my forehead, then easily launched us into the air.

I actually managed not to scream this time.