Which way

Esus held her tightly and let her sob herself to sleep. He fell asleep himself after a time, just listening to Charyic’s soft even breathing. He woke in the dark as she kissed his cheek and then shifted, trying to stand.

“We shouldn’t have stopped here for so long.” She murmured. “Come on, Esus.”

He brought a small ball of light to hand and stood as well, following her wordlessly into the narrowing cave. It began to curve and narrowed until they were forced to crawl, Esus grabbed Charyic’s ankle beginning to panic.

“I can’t. It’s too narrow.” He started trying to back up, trying to pull her back.

“It’s ok, Esus. It’s not that tight. Breathe, you can do this.” Charyic whispered, not letting him pull her.

“I can’t. I can’t breathe.” He shuddered. The close space was more than he could bear and his light which required focus and energy was flickering out.

“Yes, you can.” Her voice was soothing. “Hold on to me, Esus, listen to my voice. Just keep breathing.”

He held her ankle and followed as she began inching forward again, in the dark now. He tried to breathe, shutting his eyes tightly.

“Did you ever figure out how I got out of Gaelel?” She asked softly.

“N-no.”

She laughed. “I can tell you that story, then.”

He listened as she told of convincing Malav to put her in the bottom of the trunk. He thought she must be embellishing when she said she told the Black Prince he was as stubborn as a blood stain and twice as nasty, but it did make him want to laugh. She told the tale as if it were fraught with danger. She had been a single layer of armor away from being caught, she could feel the air and see light on her hand. She was certain she was going to be pulled out but then the trunk was closed and they were waved on.

“What happened then?” He whispered.

Charyic paused, “Malav took me straight to the shrine of roots. Before we went in there was a pool we had to wash in.” She shuddered.

“I know it.” Esus said reassuringly.

“I didn’t want to go in the water. But Malav insisted we had to so he carried me and lowered me into it, as soon as he did I started to sing.” She sounded upset at the memory but it eased as she continued, “I don’t know what about. But when I woke up I was laid on Malies’ altar. He told me he lifted the curse even though I hadn’t yet left him an offering. It was after I gave him one that he told me the constraints on his blessing.”

“What did you give him, my beauty?” Esus asked almost afraid to hear the answer.

“Thirteen kisses. And an assurance I would never bend my knee to his brother.”

Esus stopped and held her ankle in place. “He wanted kisses?”

She laughed. “I doubt it. But I offered them and he accepted. I think he wanted what they represented, gratitude and willingness to offer something. I had never given him an offering before, and now that I have it would be rude not to if I leave offerings on anyone else’s altar.”

He nodded in the dark and knew she was right. It hadn’t been kisses he had wanted, it was a hold on the blessed of Anyk.

“Can we keep going? It feels like it’s opening up.”

“Yes, sorry.” Esus couldn’t get the thought of it out of his head. “How did he receive them?” He asked after a moment.

“The kisses?” She asked, with what sounded like amusement in the dark. “I kissed the lips of his statue, above his highest altar. It was… strange. The stone was smooth but warm. And the dark around it was like the dark here, even though there were torches lit. It was almost like stepping into a black room but there were no walls.”

“You were in his presence, my beauty. That’s-that’s a rare thing for someone to live to tell about.” Esus was impressed.

“I actually kind of liked him. I liked his laugh.” Charyic sounded almost wistful.

Esus stuttered tripping over the flood of words and thoughts trying to spill out of his mouth. When he had collected himself he asked, “He laughed?”

He could hear the grin on her face, “He did. The shrine echoed with it. I somehow felt like the Maiden of Mischief would be proud of me.”

Esus shook his head. “Maiden of Mischief? You mean Ayil?”

“Who else?” She laughed. “Did you ever hear the story of how she helped her father steal the brother’s rings and left them on the sweet sister’s altar? Ayil made Malies laugh so hard he forgave her and even tried to trick her into staying with him in the Palace of Root and Bone.”

“I know it, though, we’re told that story is blasphemous.” Esus smiled wryly, it did not paint Isemal in a good light, the King of Fools was the undisputed winner of that tale.

Charyic snorted. He heard her doing something with her staff. “Give me a little light, please, Esus?”

He brought some light to his hand and realized they were now in a more open cavern.

“It felt more open, but I wanted to be sure before I asked you to look.” She smiled at him as she stood. “It feels good to get off of my knees.”

He smiled up at her before standing as well. His smile began to fade as he looked around with a sinking feeling. There was more than one black cave mouth leading out of this cavern.

“Which way, my beauty?” He looked around in dismay.

Charyic took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I was hoping you might have some idea.”