can't know if you don't go

Maea

give me shelter, or show me heart

It had been a passing remark, at first, just a thought aired that maybe they were looking in the wrong place. It wasn't clear who first suggested taking a trip together, but before she knew it, Maea found herself on a skyship above Hak Etme, watching the desert glide by beneath her feet. As strange as it had been to leave the Hollowed Grounds and know it wouldn't be her home anymore, so too did it feel weird to leave the Greatwood behind. The forest had grown on her. The feel of dappled shade on her skin, the scent and sights of green and vibrant things, the cool moisture of the air - it had been like slipping on a robe to find it fit as though made for her, and for all that she knew it was an illusion, it was one Maea was learning to love. 

The Climb would show both her and Liam how flimsy such ideas were, however. It loomed larger in her mind as the days went by, and when the horizon darkened with ash and smoke, the Ancient woman grew restive, finding it hard to settle. Only a part of her had missed the volcanic isles, but that part was strong, and the pull to return an ache in her bones she couldn't quite explain. 

Dropped off on a relatively safe spot on the Crust that would take them below ground and into the cavern hosting the springs, the first thing Maea did was pull her boots off. Balancing easily on one leg, then the other, she sighed in delight as heat rose up through the soles of her feet, chasing off stiffness and a chill she hadn't even noticed. 
"Oh, that is so much better."  Stashing the shoes away in her satchel, she smiled sheepishly at her companion. "I suspect our experiences of this region will be wildly different. Let me know if you start to feel bad in any way... I'm good with the heat, but you may not be." She would have to pay more attention than usual in the hot, humid tunnels below; unlike Evie, Nova or Hadama, the dragoon had no magic to ease himself with.

watch me fall apart
and I'll be yours to keep

All I ever wanted
All I ever needed

Having never been to the Climb, Liam hadn't been sure what to expect except someplace barren and hot.

As it turned out, he was right on both counts.

He wasn't sure which of them had suggested a trip to Frey's Breath, but it had seemed like a good idea at the time to get out of the Greatwood for a few days in favor of finding new horizons to explore, new areas to search for flowers that had seemingly disappeared from Caido. Now that he was standing on the blisteringly hot ground - so warm that he could feel it radiating through the soles of his shoes - he had to wonder if he hadn't made a mistake.

Gods, even in his lightest clothing, it was so hot that it was almost unbearable, and the soldier had to fight the urge to shuck off his shirt in order to get even a little relief from the stifling heat. If it was this bad now, in the midst of Flowerbirth, what was it like in the summer? Shuddering, he hoped he never had to find out.

Still, he wasn't one to turn back at the first hint of a challenge, so he swallowed his discomfort and smiled at Maea. "I'll be fine," he assured her, even as sweat began to bead on his forehead and drip down the back of his neck. "It's certainly warmer than I was expecting, though." Warmer than Stormbreak, where he'd spent most of his life, and certainly more so than the Greatwood. Liam was suddenly glad that he'd packed plenty of water - he suspected he was going to need it.

Is here in my arms
Words are very unnecessary; they can only do harm

Liam

Maea

give me shelter, or show me heart

Maea was shedding her clothes, though in her case it looked more like shedding winter layers after coming inside. It lent the illusion of her shrinking, or perhaps lightening; without the black coat or the flowing cloak, with sleeves rolled up to the elbow and and her hair loosely tied into a low ponytail gathered behind the neck, her slender frame gained an entirely new kind of grace. Light on her feet she led the way into a nearby cavern and down, down into darkness. Once the ruddy light of day grew insufficient, she summoned motes of fire and set them dancing around her to light the way.
"I think you will like the hot springs, though," Maea said, smiling over her shoulder at him. "Most of this region is inhospitable to anyone without fire resistence, but Frey's Breath is an exception."

A long and winding walk later, they were rewarded for their efforts as the tunnel opened up into the large cavern. The air was heavy and close with steam; not even a minute later Maea's hair was curling up in the damp, and the cloth on their bodies began to sag, clinging to skin as fibers absorbed moisture from the air. Stepping aside so Liam could see the expanse of pools containing clear water, she observed him quietly; while they were here for lilies, Maea found she enjoyed seeing him discover new sights. It was like seeing a place for the first time all over again, letting her appreciate what had begun to seem ordinary and unremarkable.

watch me fall apart
and I'll be yours to keep

All I ever wanted
All I ever needed

Seeing Maea shed her layers was like seeing a butterfly emerge from a cocoon; Liam was struck by her grace and ethereal beauty, her paleness a stark contrast against the dark stone of the Climb. It was clear that this was an environment in which she could thrive, and he felt guilty, for a moment, for hoping that her quest would be prolonged enough that she might stay in the Greatwood a little longer. It was selfish of him, he knew, but he wasn't quite ready to see her go find a home somewhere else. Not yet.

Realizing he'd been staring only when Maea turned to smile over her shoulder, Liam flushed faintly, hoping that any redness could be chalked up to the heat, and hurried after her. It was a long and winding walk through tunnels and caverns, the heat stifling and the humidity suffocating, but they eventually emerged into a large cavern that took Liam's breath away. Looking through steam over still waters, Liam saw beauty in that which he'd previously found lacking and, despite the heat, could suddenly understand the appeal of coming here.

"This is..." Beautiful? Enchanting? "...not what I was expecting." Not in a bad way, of course, but in the way of someone who tried a bite of some new delicacy only to find that they rather enjoyed the taste. Crouching by the edge of a spring, Liam ran a fingertip across the surface of the water, sending ripples scattering. Grinning up at Maea, he asked, "Is it relaxing? Or would it be too hot for me, do you think?"

Is here in my arms
Words are very unnecessary; they can only do harm

Liam

Maea

give me shelter, or show me heart

Catching herself with a tender smile on her lips, she hastily tore her gaze  off the former soldier and blinked at the water. Was she to be the judge if what he could withstand? Maea found the temperature to be quite perfect, but she'd also recline within a lavapool if given the chance, so perhaps it wouldn't be helpful to say anything. "Why don't you try it for a while?" she suggested instead. "I can heal you up if anything boils off..."

Digging into her satchel for a towel, she fully intended to relax for a while herself. Despite that, she felt very self-conscious about undressing in the presence of anyone, let alone Liam; having a perfectly decent bathing suit meant nothing when just taking her shirt off had color flushing across her face. And Maea had no excuse, given the alledged fire resistence; she was just plain embarrassed as she turned her back to the man, hastily shimmied out of the layers and hastened to get into the water. A glimpse of ivory skin untouched by pigmentation could be seen, and the full length of a slim, very agile tail against powder blue swimwear - then water sloshed over the rim, splashing rock walls and glittering in the dim light as Maea sank down to her shoulders, heart pounding uselessly in her ears.

watch me fall apart
and I'll be yours to keep

All I ever wanted
All I ever needed

"Sounds like a plan." Assuming that others had entered the springs and emerged unscathed, Liam stood, turning to give Maea some privacy. There was something intimate about watching someone undress - even just down to a bathing suit - and he hurriedly pulled off his own shirt, kicked off his shoes, and slipped into the water.

It was warm, but not as blisteringly hot as he'd anticipated. In fact, it felt quite nice against muscles that he hadn't quite realized were sore. Stifling a groan, he sank down far enough that he could lean his head against the edge, closing his eyes to soak in the pleasant warmth. "If I fall asleep, try not to let me drown?" he asked Maea, cracking one eye open and offering a lazy half-smile. It was, perhaps, the most carefree he'd been in some time, even after having met Maea, and there was a flicker of something charming beneath the surface that spoke to the man he might have been once, before tragedy struck.

But if he were to drift off into oblivion, he'd be poor company, so he glanced around, taking in the sights of the cavern and trying dutifully to ignore the fact that Maea was half-naked beside him. "So it's lilies that are supposed to grow here, right?" he asked. Having never seen one of Rae's Lilies before, he supposed he was at a bit of a disadvantage in comparison to their hunt for Vi's Roses.

Is here in my arms
Words are very unnecessary; they can only do harm

Liam

Maea

give me shelter, or show me heart

"Bold of you to assume I'll be awake to do any saving," came her soft reply, laced through with amusement. With water up to her chin Maea felt safe enough to joke again, even if her eyes were careful not to linger over whatever chiseled muscle or broad shoulders that might be on display. Feeling more than a bit silly the reminded herself that she'd seen shirtless men before, in training rings and on hot Longheat days, and on beaches and - and it didn't matter at all, because apparently that was different. Somehow very much not the same as soaking in a hot spring with someone without anyothers around. Not that she needed a chaperone - she just had a bad track record with men and water. A lethal combination it was, especially when the man in question happened to be very pleasant to be around.

Dipping her head beneath the surface for a moment, Maea squeezed her eyes shut. Ugh. Focus. Lilies. They were talking about lilies.

Returning back up, she blew water from her lips and wiped water from the eyes. "Yeah. Not sure what kind, though. I want to assume a waterlily of some kind? But it could be some other type. Never saw any myself." Maea just assumed they'd be so remarkably miraculous that any glimpse of one would make it impossible to miss. "When you saw Vi's rose, was there anything beside the colors that stood out about it?"

watch me fall apart
and I'll be yours to keep

All I ever wanted
All I ever needed

It was easier to focus if Liam didn't look at Maea. He studied their surroundings instead, noting the various stone fixtures and decided lack of lilies. It was almost enough to forget that they were alone, in what some might consider a romantic location, in a certain state of undress. Almost enough to ignore that Maea was a beautiful woman, and someone that Liam was growing quite fond of quite quickly - a dangerous combination, indeed.

Maea ducked under the water, and Liam's eyes flickered to her figure beneath the rippling surface of the water. When she rose back to take in a breath, he found somewhere else to look. "The colors were the main thing," he explained, thinking back. Gods, but it had been so long ago, and he hadn't known then how important such a flower would be, or he'd have striven to keep it. "But there was also this... feeling. Like it was something precious." He shook his head ruefully. "Or maybe I imagined it, and it really was just the gold. You don't see a lot of pure gold in nature, I've found."

Is here in my arms
Words are very unnecessary; they can only do harm

Liam

Maea

give me shelter, or show me heart

Scanning the edges of the pools for any sign of vegetation, she hummed in acknowledgement. That sense of looking upon a precious thing might be the key, whether it stemmed from a rare glimpse of gold or something less mundane.
"Guess we can only do what we've been doing all this time, and search," Maea concluded. On impulse she ducked beneath the surface again to scan the bottom of the hot spring. Minerals stung her eyes, and she caught an eyeful of long well-muscled legs sprawling from Liam's direction, but aside from the occasional cluster of algea there wasn't much of anything to see.

Resurfacing to catch her breath, Maea sighed and found a ledge of her own to rest her head on. A certain awkwardness had crept into their otherwise easy silence, and she didn't know what to do with it. Or if there was anything to do. Though she tried, relaxation wouldn't set in fully.

watch me fall apart
and I'll be yours to keep

All I ever wanted
All I ever needed

This was silly, Liam thought. He was acting like a tongue-tied teenager, as if he'd never been in a pool with a woman before. Now it was his turn to dunk his head under, if only so that he could scowl to himself in private. When he surfaced, pushing his hair back off his face, he'd convinced himself that he was imagining the awkwardness that stretched taut between them, that he'd better get himself sorted out before he ruined a perfectly good friendship, and that surely he was better at conversation that simply reciting facts about the elusive flowers they sought.

Settling back against the edge again, altogether much more comfortable than he'd been a few moments before, Liam offered an easy smile. "So, I've been wondering," he started, forcing himself to meet Maea's gaze. "Did a spot at the inn ever open up?" If not, was she still sleeping in one of her shifts? Or was she back to camping? She'd certainly never taken him up on the offer for a spare room, and it concerned him. If he couldn't offer her his roof, he hoped that she'd at least managed a room at the inn.

Is here in my arms
Words are very unnecessary; they can only do harm

Liam

Maea

give me shelter, or show me heart

So. It was such a determined change of topic that it snapped Maea out of the spiraling. Looking up she was caught by Liam's gaze, and the question drew a slow smile to her lips; not wry, not crooked, not deflecting or even abashed, but more the subtle light of dawn before the sun had fully risen. Genuine, sheer and utter joy.

"No... something better turned up. Remember the friend I mentioned? Remi? We met by accident a few days ago. Same day as the camp tore up, actually. And he gave me the house he used while he was the Guardian." Shaking her head, it still sounded absurd to say it out loud. She had a house. A whole, big, beautiful house to call her own. And it had been a gift. "I... it feels completely unreal. Even though I've slept under the roof, in a proper bed, for several nights already, it's..." What could she do but pinch herself, and trust that not waking meant it couldn't be a dream? Lifting pale arms high above her head Maea followed glittering droplets trickle down the limbs, and with a breathless laugh let them fall back into the warm water with a great splash.

"I don't have to leave, now. Not in a hurry. Not unless I want to."

watch me fall apart
and I'll be yours to keep

All I ever wanted
All I ever needed

A slow, genuine smile spread across Maea's face, and for a moment, Liam was struck dumb. He wasn't sure he'd ever seen her smile like that - with complete joy, like she'd seen something beautiful and rare. He could watch her all day if she'd just keep smiling like that, if they could sit in this little cocoon of comfort and bliss and forget about the Family and the Void and all the rest of it.

The news that Maea shared brought a smile to Liam's face as well, if only because Maea was so happy - because what kind of friend would he be if he gave in to the tiny voice in the back of his mind that whispered that Maea had let Remi help her when she wouldn't allow the same kindness from Liam? No, better that the little twinge of - what was it? Jealousy? - be buried deep and never allowed to resurface.

"That's amazing!" Liam said, shoving aside his own asinine emotions in favor of congratulating his friend. "You'll have to think about what you might need - this calls for a housewarming gift." Of course, he'd probably have to figure out a gift for himself, if he knew Maea. She wouldn't want to be indebted to him, and even if he didn't see it that way, she might.

He looked at her thoughtfully. "Do you want to leave?" he asked, unsure if he really wanted the answer. She was her own person, of course, and entitled to go any time she wished, but a very selfish part of him hoped very much that she would stay.

Is here in my arms
Words are very unnecessary; they can only do harm

Liam

Maea

give me shelter, or show me heart

Gifts for the house and gifts for her had to be different, right? And gifts were different from favors; so much smaller, easier to swallow and appreciate. "I'll... yeah, I'll think about it," Maea promised, with surprisingly little protest. "Honestly, I have so little that I hardly know what I need. Yet since I have a house, what else could I even ask for? You know what I mean?" She who had owned only the clothes on her body until so very recently, had made herself forget about the trappings of comfort. What more would she need, if she had clothes and food, a bed to sleep in and a roof over her head? Was it perhaps less a question of need, and all about want?

Because that was a completely different matter.

And it came down to want, now, whether she stayed or left. Torchline was becoming less about finding shelter and more a question of opportunity, of satisfying other needs than the purely physical ones.
"I...don't know," Maea admitted softly. Pulling her fingers through the water to feel the current slip across her skin, she gazed past Liam, lavender eyes watching some imaginary landscape where all things were far more malleable and shifting than this hard reality. "I don't dislike the Greatwood. The fae are interesting, the woods are lovely, and it has everything I need. What makes me hesitate... is the Void. Mainly the void. In part the weather, too, if less now that I can stoke a fire on chilly Deepfrost days. And in the Greatwood, I would... need to make up a whole new role for myself..? Without leadership to speak of, with the wilderness so close, it might be difficult to ever move past a state of surviving. And what I was looking for in Torchline was more about thriving." 

And there was the matter of Flora. Maea had every intention of completing her end of the bargain, but her reasons for doing so had muddied, growing less clear with every passing day. Refocusing on Liam, if all the choice was about picking a cranky queen or a friendly soldier to surround herself with, it wouldn't be a choice at all.

watch me fall apart
and I'll be yours to keep

All I ever wanted
All I ever needed

Liam could understand the difference between needs and wants all too well, having survived for the past few years by satisfying his basic needs, never thinking about what he might want or wish for. It seemed enough just to scrape by, to live day by day, never thinking too far into the future. Now, though, all that seemed to have been upended. He wasn’t exactly sure what he wanted, but he knew that it was more than he’d been doing for the past few years.

”Yeah,” he said softly, leaning his head back against the edge of the pool. ”I get that. Just… if you do think of something, let me know?” That way, he could at least contribute in some small way to making the Greatwood feel more like home.

Liam’s gaze flickered over to Maea as she stared, unseeing, at some imagined landscape past him. She spoke of thriving rather than surviving, and not for the first time, he felt a certain unexplainable kinship with the Ancient. What had he been doing all this time, if not simply surviving? And what might his life look like if he allowed himself to thrive? For so long, he’d been lost to his grief, but now… now he was starting to imagine that there might be life left for him to life.

And it was all thanks to Maea.

Maea, who refused to give up, who was determined to right past wrongs no matter the cost. Maea, who wanted more from life than the bare minimum, who longed to mend the bridges she’d burned along the way and who, Liam thought, might die trying. She was brave, fearless even, in a way that Liam couldn’t quite grasp or explain, but he admired her all the more for that nameless quality that called to him.

”I can understand that,” he said finally. ”What does thriving look like to you?” Because he wasn’t sure what it looked like to him. Was it finding a purpose, finding love again, finding a place to truly belong? Because Liam had none of those things, but maybe, just maybe, he was ready to start trying to find them.

Is here in my arms
Words are very unnecessary; they can only do harm

Liam