Author's Note: A little something I put together to relieve the boredom between finals. I have not forgotten about 'The Illusion of Freedom' but it will be a while. Enjoy!

On the Mountain

"We're almost to the top," Vaan said between breathes as he shuffled upward, panting heavily. Ashe was especially relieved to see a Kiltias just up ahead when she realized how incredibly low the children were drooping as they trudged up the steep slope. Only Basch managed to maintain a semblance of his stoic posture, but the uphill climb bent his back, too. The Princess struggled to move her numbed and aching legs to get another foothold on the loose rocks beneath, and the ankle deep snow was hardly contributing to her effort. Just a little farther, she said to herself, unashamed that her mouth was gaping open in her struggle to breathe. She slipped on a patch of ice and barely managed to catch herself with her palms, her arms were shaking so badly.

"Up you get, Princess, we must keep moving. Now up on your feet. Fran, could you help me?" Balthier asked as he gripped Ashe's forearm and tried to help her up. The situation was made awkward with the heavy packs they had been forced to carry up the mountainside. Once she got her foot under her she yanked her arm out of his grip and stumbled forward once more.

"I'm having trouble breathing," she said, gasping for air a few paces ahead of the pirating duo. Why did he have to be so insufferably handsome? She thought, surprised to find herself thinking that about the self-proclaimed Leading Man. It did please her though that he seemed to be struggling as much as her, but she was more than a little perturbed to see that even Fran was pale from weariness.

"Altitude sickness, Princess. I'd unhook your chest strap, it'll make the climb a little easier," he said from behind, no sarcastic or amused edge to his voice. It was all strain.

Ashe turned back to glare at him as if to say, I don't need your help. She unhooked if only to humor him for once and was relieved to find the pressure off her chest removed and she took a deep breath to expand it as much as possible. The air was so thin though that the advice might as well not have been given and they trudged forward, now some ways behind the attackers of the group.

"Hey, will you hurry up?" Vaan said, "We're almost there!" The added optimism did little to stave their ugly glares but they were too breathless to actually respond. Ashe drifted out of her mind as they stumbled along, unable to dwell even on her current responsibility and the Nethicite, which was a constant uneasy weight in her mind. She glanced up at the top of the mountain now able to see the temple, and there was a painful longing to get there.

She heard Balthier grunt behind her and she turned to find him in almost the same predicament he had pulled her from, but he managed to push himself back up without assistance. They locked eyes and he gave her a painful smirk and asked, "Why did this venture have to take us to the top of a mountain? There have been an inordinate amount of obstacles blocking our passage or easy victory in this quest."

"Are you blaming that on me?" She said, placing her hands on her hips as well as she could and looking down at him stubbornly.

"Not at all, I was merely commenting. Come on, Princess, the temple isn't getting any closer," he said and she turned back around. Fran had continued on without the pair of them and they worked their way back to her.

Ashe almost rejoiced when they stepped into a clearing with several merchants standing around trying to pitch their wares—why when all the people to Bur-Omisace were not especially rich was beyond her—when Penelo gave her a pained look and said, "The Kiltias told us we have to go to the Temple."

Ashe kept the groan from reaching her lips but she slumped to show her exhaustion, and out of the corner of her eye she could see Balthier's face was drawn. They had been walking since the sun rose that morning and in that time mid afternoon had rolled around and they found that their energy was leaving them fast. Spontaneous blizzards had sprung up in an instant and stalled them on the lower slopes of the mountains, but this day was strangely clear and calm. The sun burned down on them without restraint, and as Ashe continued to walk up the mountain she felt the harsh wind chill the sweat on her skin and she shivered.

The temple steps leveled and they walked with greater ease, meeting only a couple of staircases going up or down, but finally they stepped in front of the Temple, and the trio carrying the packs virtually collapsed. Ashe and Balthier unhooked their packs and let them fall to the floor and slumped with relief. She desperately tried to stay on her feet, to display her hardened royal spirit beneath but all of her muscles ached terribly from use, her eyes felt like they were about to fall out of their sockets, and her lungs burned from both lack of oxygen and use. She did not understand it! Two years underground, training with arms and she still felt unfit and winded.

"Your highness, it is a different altitude. There are a rare few that are not bothered by it, but most suffer the sickness. You are not alone in your weakness," Basch said, looking like one of the few unaffected, but looking around she could see that even the children were struggling and they had not had packs. "It is late afternoon. I think we should wait 'til tomorrow to speak to the Gran Kiltias," Basch continued regally.

"Exceptional idea, Captain. One of the best I'd say you've had this whole trip," Balthier said, his eye focused on his feet and his fingers kneaded the soreness out of his soles. "I think I shall ask after a bath."

Despite all the poor refugees making their living in tents at the foot of the temple, the Kiltias allowed them nice, if sparse, rooms within. She groaned when she noticed nothing in the way of bathing—only a toilet. They had to get their water from a faucet outside. The women were arranging the bed sheets and pillows when a knock came at the door and Ashe opened it.

"Why am I not surprised?" Balthier was leaning casually on the doorframe as though he had been standing there for ages, examining his finger nails closely.

"I am sure you have noticed the rather sparse furnishings of our bathrooms," he said with a sly smirk and a twinkle in his eye.

"Get on with it, Balthier, before I shut the door," Ashe said.

"Since we are on a mountaintop, water is precious, so the Kiltias had to design a way to clean as many people as possible with as little water as possible." She raised her eyebrows, not liking the direction this idea was going. "You sit in this tent with roughly ten persons and they steam up the place. Have you ever been in something like that?"

"No, but I have an idea of what you are saying, and before you get any further, 'No!'"

"I expect you and Penelo down there by six o'clock this evening. We need a minimum of five people."

"Me and Penelo? What about Fran? Besides we aren't five," she said, warming up her patent royal glare for him.

"I've already managed to get Larsa and Vaan to go. Fran would not want to go. She may have lived in Golmore Jungle but she does not like this kind of steam. When you go it's down the steps near where the refugees have set up their tents."

"What? What do you expect us to wear?" Penelo asked from just behind Ashe both facing him with their arms on their hips, although one of Ashe's hands was curled around the edge of the door.

"What you are wearing now, but when you go into the tent you will be in your undergarments," Balthier said, his smirk growing ever so slightly as he locked eyes with Ashe. He finally turned away and started off down the hall.

"No!"

"Remember, Princess, it may be a while yet before you are able to clean again."

She shut the door forcefully and blew out her breath in frustration. Penelo also looked uncomfortable and then she said, "He has a point, Ashe. We may not get this kind of chance for a while with the way things have been shaping up."

"I know it simply disconcerts me when he is right."

Ashe hesitated when they began closing the door. Fran was lying on the bed, napping in all likelihood, and at the moment that is all the Princess truly felt like doing. It had been a couple of hours since she dumped her pack, but her legs still burned from her weariness and she was hoping that this steam bath would alleviate the ache. The greater part of her hesitation lay in the look Balthier had given her before he left. She may have been forced into marriage without Rasler ever courting her but she had certainly seen a similar look in his eyes. Then she had found it flattering, but coming from a not entirely trustworthy cad as Balthier it had felt predatory. Going to this would feel akin to walking into some fine trap that he had laid out for her, but there was little choice.

Besides, we won't be alone. Penelo and Vaan will be there. Even Larsa! They may be young, but Balthier would never dare to approach me with them around, she thought, finally following Penelo down the hall. Ashe looked out over the mountainous area and admired the glow in the west as the sun's light disappeared from their view. She shivered from the cold and wondered if this was a good idea.

"Hey, there they are! Is that…Balthier's already undressed!?" Penelo's cheeks flushed.

Ashe nearly stopped walking when she saw Balthier was indeed stripped down to his underwear, black boxers. His arms were crossed and his back was to them as he apparently waited. Even though Ashe shivered with her clothes on, the pirate did not look in the least perturbed by the wind. From the glow of the fire a man was stoking nearby he looked toned and healthy, however she could tell he was looking even leaner than usual.

"Are you two done yet?" He turned away impatiently only to see Penelo and Ashe walking down the hill towards him and he grinned. "Ah, I am eternally grateful you ladies decided to join us."

When Ashe finally got to the bottom she gave Balthier a shrewd look and said, "I never asked if you had included Basch in this."

"Princess, I am sure you are well aware my sensibilities…refuse me to bathe within a ten foot proximity of that man," he said.

Ashe sniffed at his answer and walked over to the flimsy excuse of a changing stall, and then she saw Vaan and Larsa walk out clutching their arms as though they were cold. They froze solid when they saw Penelo and Ashe staring at them in amusement.

"Balthier, you did not tell us there were going to be ladies," Larsa practically screamed at the pirate. He squatted down to hide his body as well as he could. Even in the dim light they could see a rosy hue coloring his cheeks and arms; Penelo bent down and laid a reassuring hand on his arm.

"How else did you expect us to fill the quota?" Balthier said, having walked even further away toward the fire."

"Oh, this shouldn't be the most indecent thing ye ever do," the man by the fire said, sticking his shovel into it and then dumping the coals into a metal bucket. "Ye must be used to far better luxuries than us. C'mon over here, ladies, I need to out-line what will happen." Penelo and Ashe stepped over closer to the fire, amused smiles still on their faces. Larsa was still crouched in embarrassment and Vaan appeared completely disgruntled. Only Balthier stood casually, as if he really was decked out in his typical regalia.

The man looked hardly older than thirty, standing even shorter than Balthier and on the stocky side. His appearance was scruffy and unkempt—like many of the refugees here—but he smiled good-naturedly at them all. "My name is Remor and I typically run the bathhouse here on Bur-Omisace. This tent," he said gesturing to a structure that looked more like a mishmash of fabic, "will have only one hole at the top, but otherwise you are going to be sealed in. If ye ever start to feel faint, just wrap against the tent and I'll let ye out. Now because the air on Bur-Omisace is so cold, after I let you out I must dump a bucket of cold water on you."

"What?" Vaan asked, turning his head to Balthier.

Ashe also directed her attention at the sky pirate and said, "It appears you have neglected to mention several key details in negotiations,pirate."

Balthier's had kept his composure through Remor's last sentence and then turned to Ashe with his smirk on his face, "Princess, this is news even to me. I did not hear about this bit."

"The dip is not as bad as it sounds," Remor said. "Ye get used to it."

"But why?" Larsa asked. The young prince seemed to have forgotten he had nothing but underwear on and cocked his head curiously at the man.

"When ye're warm your pores open so that ye can sweat. When ye're cold your pores are closed. Steamin in that tent is going to make ye mighty warm, so to keep ye from runnin' off and catchin' ye're death from cold we dump water on ye to close ye're pores again. Answer ye're question straight 'nough?" When Larsa nodded Remor said, "All right, now off ladies and get changed. Tell me when ye're ready so I can push the gentlemen in first for you."

Balthier and Vaan jerked their heads towards Remor.

"That's not fair! They get to see us in our underwear but we don't see them?!"

"Bad form, sir. If we must get indecent in front of them, they should be indecent in front of us."

Remor responded to Balthier with a wry smile.

Penelo and Ashe giggled quietly behind the wooden wall of the stall as they stripped out of their clothes to their undergarments as well. Although they were also embarrassed to be stepping out in little else it did not seem to matter so much with Remor. Penelo called out, "Okay, Remor, we're ready!"

"Ye heard them! Get in there, son. And you two, ye best behave. I will accept no foolishness on yer part!" They heard a last grumble from Vaan, but a second later Remor was saying, "All right, ladies, ye may join them now if ye wish."

Then stooped down to slip into the tent, and Ashe was surprised to find it the darkness almost impenetrable. Vaan was sitting close to the mouth so that she could see him but Larsa was more difficult to spot at the back of the tent, and she somehow could not see Balthier at all.

"Balthier, where are you?"

"Here."

"Oh good, I will sit opposite of you then."

He snorted in reply but said nothing. When she finally settled herself in the dirt with her back against the wall, her eyes finally adjusted to the point where she could see Balthier sitting cross-legged on the other said. His smile was playful if a little daring, but his reflected that similar note of desire. She was sure he was carefully looking her over with his eyes and she did her best to hide the show.

"Now, son, all ye have to do is throw a spoonful of water on the coals and the place will just fill up with steam. I'm sealin' you in now," Remor said and all at once the light from the entrance disappeared.

Vaan threw a spoonful of water onto the coals as instructed and it hissed back for several seconds. Ashe almost immediately felt the temperature escalate fifteen degrees until it was a humid but cozy warm. She settled her eyes on Balthier and was surprised to see his own eyes closed as though in meditation. Slowly, she breathed the tension from her body and leaned back against the tent to feel it soak in.

She felt herself drifting in and out of her reverie, only able to tell if she was awake by Penelo's voice: "Put some more water on, Vaan." Then it would sink back into silence.

Wow, this is more relaxing than I had previously thought, Ashe mused to herself with a slight smile. The tired ache from her effort up the mountain had abated with her amusement of seeing Balthier in his boxers, as well as watching him protest Remor about the women getting privacy. This felt like the icing on the cake and she could feel herself relax completely.

All too soon she could hear Remor peeling away the exterior of the tent. Opening her eyes groggily, she had to shield them from the light that seemed so bright even though the sun had long set. She followed Penelo out into the biting cold and just as she stood up she felt the bucket of water cascading down her body.

She opened her mouth to scream but no words came out. She heard other shrieks as Penelo earned her bucket of water. Remor almost had to chase down Larsa, and Vaan was hurrying to the stalls where towels had been hung for them. The shock of the cold washed over her and then it was gone as if she it had never been cold. Instead her expression turned into one of disgust when she saw dirty rivulets of water streaming down her legs. I cannot believe how filthy I was!

A familiar chuckling drew her attention and she suddenly realized that Balthier was looking at her in only her bra and panties. He attempted to hide his smug smirk, but his growing amusement as he laughed at her. Ashe fell into her intimidating stance, with her hands balled on her hips and an icy glare directed toward him when she noticed something peculiar about him.

"You're not wet."

His expression turned puzzled for a moment, but it was enough. She grabbed the last bucket and promptly dumped it on his head. Balthier shuddered violently at the feeling and she laughed.

It was a surprise to her at first, but then she could not keep the laughter from bubbling out as Balthier stood there dripping, and she was gripping her sides at the ridiculous image. He shook his head like an animal that had climbed out of a river and gave her a half petulant, half amused look as she continued laughing. The Princess's laugh was cut off when he suddenly claimed her lips with his. It felt just like the bucket of water—shocking at first but after those first few seconds she was accustomed to it. She brought her hand up to his neck and returned the kiss fiercely.

"Ahem."

They broke apart slowly and she could see Balthier shake his head a little to clear his senses. They turned to see Remor staring at them with the same wry smile he had given Balthier earlier. "They're almost done changin'."

"Keep on the quiet side," Balthier said although he did not appear to upset by the prospect.

"'Tis not my secret to tell," Remor said, walking around them to the fire.

Ashe walked to her side of the stall, still wondering at such a quick turn of events. Why did I kiss him back? She pushed the immediate answer away, wishing it were not true, and quietly pulled her clothes and boots back on after drying off.

Penelo still had her hair down, but she said, "That was nicer than I thought it would be. I feel better already."

"Yes, that was nice. For once, I would say Balthier had a good idea."

Only a wooden wall separated the ladies' side from the mens' and they heard Balthier mutter, "Sassy Princess."