I'm not sure whether to return with a triumphant drumroll or an apologetic skulk, so it's probably wisest not to do anything.

I am back, after a disgusting two-month hiatus. Hi all. Thanks to everyone who favorited the story in my absence and to GreysonPaladin and Noel the mermaid, who had some nice and useful things to say.

I participated in NaNoWriMo for the first time this year, and I mention that both to use it as an excuse and to thank it for giving me the impetus not only to write these five thousand-odd words but also to do a half-decent job editing them.

On with the story!

Catharsis

Break

And yet you still want to fight? Ship of fools...
- Saturos

Felix will be all right. We'll find a way to save him...
- Dora

Mia stood carefully, wiping a stray hair off her face. Felix had told her about five minutes ago that they were nearing some settlement on the coast, and he was going to land come hell or high water. Wispy rags of grey cloud floated between her and the dark rocks, now obscuring, now revealing. The last few hours had shaken her enough that she hadn't slept, and the dark circles under her eyes felt sore to the touch. She rubbed absently and dropped her fist, her boots shifting for support on the cold wet deck. The fog rolled in, clammy white mist brushing her face and slipping away. A solitary light burned high ahead, fighting feebly through the murk. It was enough to steer by, Felix had said.

Isaac had spoken early in the morning, before the first hints of dawn crept over the sea. The first words in several heavy hours had been:

"So we're the villains after all."

"Isaac, please," she'd begged.

"I know. I know. I didn't know, there was nothing I could do, this isn't my fault, I know. But I can't help it. I can't help but go back over every minute of the last three years and try to find the time I could have changed all this."

"We're going to help him, Isaac. We're going to set the world right. And that's going to have to be good enough. You've seen what that much guilt does to a person. It's destroying him."

She rocked and stood upright and watched the sea rage. The coast lay ahead, now above her, now below her, but always getting closer. The storm had caught up to them, and it would be difficult not to smash up against something. The ship fell, and rose again. She couldn't calm this much water; only enough to smooth out the sharp bumps and drops. Besides, she was tired, more than she ever remembered being before.

Isaac had pointed off into the distance, at a place where she almost imagined a faint spark of light.

"A beacon. See it?"

"I see it."

"There's a mining settlement on the coast named Loho. Felix told me he wanted to aim for it, and for once I wholeheartedly agree with him."

She'd smiled wryly. Isaac had continued.

"We can stretch our legs, fill up on water and supplies, get Piers patched up. After that… after that…"

"What comes next?"

"I don't know. For all our differences, Felix does know how to get to Prox, and I don't, so I'll have to let him take over again."

Prox. The end. Their story was coming to a close. As much as she wanted it all to be over… the cold made her eyes water suddenly. She'd rubbed at them discreetly, hoping Isaac wouldn't notice. He must have guessed what she was thinking, though.

"Mia… you'll always be welcome at my house. Ivan and Garet and I…we – we couldn't have done it without you." He'd chuckled, making a cloud of breath blow out and vanish. "That sounds so corny, but it's true."

She'd flushed as the first fingers of dawn tore the sky into pink and orange strips.

"Thanks, Isaac. I can't believe we're so close."

"Time for that will be when we're there, Mia," he'd warned gently. "Anything could happen."

"You know what? You're right," she'd said, smiling to herself. "Anything could happen."

After Isaac had finally calmed down and gone to sleep she'd headed back outside, pushing her way into the morning cold. The sun would have to fight if it wanted to live this day, she'd reflected grimly. A taste of what she and her friends knew every day. Grey clouds threatened to smother the dawn before it was even fully born.

What if Kyle was alive? She'd heard Isaac speak the name once before. What if. He was dead. But as she'd bitten her lip, numbed by the frosty rain, even that cold certainty had been uncertain. Felix had acted according to his curiously dim and twisted lights in keeping that news a secret. No; that wasn't right. What was curious about those lights, hiding away in tattered darkness, was how straight and bright they were. No one as tortured as Felix had any right to a moral compass as harshly exacting as his. But then again, if he had no scruples he wouldn't be tortured in the first place, would he.

She'd let herself down onto the floor of the wheelhouse with a quiet sigh, letting the rain run off her clothes and plink down to the ground. Being soaked and cold didn't bother her at all tonight; she felt clean, refreshed, whole again.

"Isaac was pretty broken up today."

She didn't turn, didn't look from under her screen of wet blue hair. She just tightened the pull of her arms around her knees, drawing in just a little bit.

"Yeah. He was. There's been a lot of hard revelations for us lately," she stated.

Felix reflected for a second. He was sober, collected, in control again. She breathed a silent prayer of thanks that his delirium had blown over quickly.

"You know, he feels sorry for you," she said.

"Really. After all this."

"After all this, Felix," she said.

"After everything I'm planning to do? Didn't you say you heard that?"

"He's your friend, Felix. If I remember my history, that's not a bond that the Venus Clan takes lightly." She instantly swallowed, regretting the aftertaste of that not-too-subtle rebuke. Leaning so hard on him wasn't helping anything. "I'm sorry."

"You're right," he said simply. "Don't bother being sorry."

She wasn't sure what to say to that. Fortunately Felix changed the subject.

"What are you going to do when all this is over?"

"You mean if I don't die?" she snapped, still upset and bleak. Then she recovered herself to an extent.

"I… I don't know," she said more softly. "I can't go back to Imil, not after everything I've seen out here and everything I've done. I'm not the same person anymore."

She couldn't go back to Imil whatever else happened.

"What about your villagers? The healing work?" He actually was being sincere, she noted with some surprise, again wondering slightly at his constant, abrupt changes in mood. They were coming more and more frequently now, and she scarcely dared to hope that meant a peak to some sort of resolution. She brushed a hair up behind her ear and curled up more tightly.

"When I left the village, I had my apprentices assume I was dead." The last crackling syllable sounded harsh even to her own ears, but the words were already out.

"Wise."

"It's already been two years, and they are young, enthusiastic, and competent," she said. "I have no doubt that Imil is in hands as skilled as my own. Better, really, since there's two of them and only one of me." She paused for a second.

"What are you going to do when this is all over, Felix?" She put the question in the lightest, cheeriest conversational tone she could muster, but he stared into her eyes for a long second and Mia wryly knew that they both were aware of the real answer. Felix was hoping to die at some point, any point. She was agreeing to take whatever lie he came up with as truth. But he didn't play any light-hearted, lying games with her.

"If I throw away the sword what is that even going to fix? What will I have left?" he burst out. She was silent for a moment, wondering just how much to give away.

"You can do it, Felix," she said softly. "I know you can." Too much? He hadn't noticed anything. Not that there was anything there to notice, she thought angrily.

"Pssh." A scornful sound. "Life isn't a bedtime story, Mia. Just because I removed the curse, I'd somehow regain all the power it gave me? Just because I have to protect you all doesn't mean I can."

"Mercury would not let such a thing happen," she said firmly. "You would find the strength somewhere."

He laughed bitterly.

"Oh how I wish that were true."

"It is true," she said, with the same force. "It would be true if you didn't insist on doing everything yourself."

"But then only one person risks getting killed."

"You don't deserve that, Felix," she said, guessing at what he was thinking.

"Sure," he replied, unconvinced.

"Just walk away, Felix. Just be someone else, so you don't have to die."

"Why?" he said shortly.

"I don't know what to tell you, Felix," she said. "But I believe there's always hope. …You could make yourself into something better… if you really wanted to."

"Why should I bother?" he asked. The question was not sarcastic. His earlier bitterness had begun to fade, and she had the strangest sense they were getting to the heart of something.

"Because you could be more than this, Felix! Some things are worth fighting for, and…and some things are worth fighting against. No one may ever know but you, but… but I think it's still worth doing anyway!" she burst out fiercely, frustrated by her own incoherency. He gave her a small smile, looking into himself.

"I like that." This seemingly small comment, something about the way he was smiling, put a giddy twist in her stomach. She ducked her head down, and was intensely grateful for the next few moments of pure, thoughtful silence.

"I had a dream last night. I think the poison got to my head."

She wasn't meant to take that seriously. Felix, making a joke?

"It was a bit strange. I saw a lot of people I haven't thought about in years, some people I've met along the way. I learned a bit about…something to come." She shivered at the sudden chill in his voice. Thankfully Felix moved on, growing warmer. "I saw Sheba and Jenna. I…I saw you. With a candle, in the darkness." She caught his eye in surprise, a half-smile forming on her lips, but he was perfectly still and serious.

"I knew, without hearing anything… I knew… and Isaac today, he's like a messenger…" He shook his head, dark hair sliding across his white face. "I'm sorry, I'm not making any sense. This is it, Mia."

There was a weight of meaning attached to those words that she almost didn't want to believe. Her breath came a bit quicker, and she sat up, letting go of her knees. He reached back to the wall and down to the floor, levering himself upright. She scrambled to her feet, heart racing, and followed his even stride outside.

Out on the deck tinges of pink and orange had stained the sky, a rare, short-lived break from the oppressive hurricane. Felix walked like one condemned to the high stern of the ship, his steps slow and measured. She followed a short distance behind him, and stopped a few feet away.

He drew the sword. It slid rasping and grating from the sheath across his back, and sprung free. She had the opportunity to study the blade carefully – it appeared to be steel at first, but with a jolt she realized it wasn't. The "steel" was something like ice, a layer formed over the top of a dark, cold metal beneath. It looked twisted, darker than black, as if it were absorbing light… and then she found she couldn't break her gaze from it. Felix snapped it around to his chest, and when she looked up, shaking off the first faint trace of panic, he was watching her.
"Careful. You'll end up just like me."

She nodded, the reprimand well deserved. Felix turned back to the sword, drawing a long white piece of cloth from somewhere on his person. With quick, deft movements, he wrapped the blade, covering it from sight. Then he clutched the white bundle firmly and made a strange jerking gesture with it, out to sea. She realized with a choking laugh that he was trying to throw it overboard, and put a single foot forward, reaching out.

"Felix, let me do it."

He turned with a slight, sheepish grin.

"No. You can't. I'll do it. Just… just make sure I get rid of it, please."

He turned back to the stern and stepped right up to the railing. His shoulders were hit with the golden glow of the sunrise, the liquid light rolling off him and across the warm brown planks toward her. Felix stood there for a long time. He stared out at something only he could see on the faint, smudgy horizon, perhaps willing his gaze to pierce the grey, gradually lightening dark.

She stood with him and waited, watching the more and more pronounced rise and fall of his breathing as he worked himself up to the final commitment. Beyond him, the light touched the tops of the blue waves, scorching the white foam of their wake to a pale orange. They were in a small circle of pale sunrise, surrounded on all sides by the scowling darkness of the storm. It was as if the gods themselves held their breath, as if the universe recognized this moment was the only one that mattered. She listened to the racing of her heart, vaguely surprised at how much this meant to her. All these days and sleepless nights, fighting with this man, fighting with the darkness he carried inside him… but Felix had smiled once, and by the gods he'd smile again.

They rocked, and waited. Completely without warning, Felix's arm came back, his body balanced on his back foot, arched as far back as he could go. Then he shot forward, and the sword lanced out in a long, arcing flight over the water. The cloth slowly unraveled as it fell, hanging in the air. The sword splashed down into the sea, casting up a tiny shower of spray, and the cloth came down to rest on top of it as if marking its final grave. It continued to bob there as she flicked her eyes to Felix, who had remained immobile since the sword had left him. He turned slowly, and she caught a blurred glimpse of his face before he pitched forward onto his hands.

"Felix!" She rushed forward. He spat out blood, streams of it, long sticky strands falling to the deck between his spatter-stained hands and pooling up. Right as she reached him in panic and terror, he collapsed over onto his side, groaning.

"Aauuggh."

Mia stood over him, heart racing, trying to catch his eyes. Then he caught sight of her and sighed weakly.

"…Wasn't expecting that to happen."

She breathed a sigh of relief and grabbed his extended hand, supporting him as best she could while he fought to gain his feet. As he staggered up, she pulled his heavy arm across her narrow shoulders. He kept as much of his weight on his feet as he could, despite the erratic pace it was forcing him to adopt, and she gave in but didn't let go of his arm. The stubborn swordsman wasn't going to land on his face again if she could help it.

"So, wait. Just that one thing I said convinced you?"

He laughed as best he could, trying to suppress a cough.

"No. I knew all that already. I've always wanted to just get rid of the thing…I just needed a reminder."

She doubted that was all there was to it, but ...probably wisest to let it rest.

Mia shuffled along with him, working their way out of the piercing early-morning cold back to the inside of the ship. That sword had represented quite a large portion of Felix's life, she reflected. He'd carried it across five continents and two oceans, shed blood in every corner of the world, defended himself and others from harm. And on her urging, he'd thrown it away. She ducked her head under his arm briefly, twisted to see the square of white cloth still rolling on the water, and turned back.

"Well, I'm glad that's over with," Mia said. He sighed, more lightly than before.

"To be honest… so am I. I I, I mean, not the …other I."

"I know what you mean."

She'd crashed into Garet's room and nearly fallen over on top of him, the inside of the ship much more convincingly mimicking predawn blackness. Garet moaned as she'd shaken him furiously, not really moving his broad shoulders much more than an inch. Finally his eyes had cracked open.

"…Wha… It's too early. Go 'way."

"Garet. Garet."

"…Wha..."

"Felix got rid of the sword. He threw it away!"

"…Wha…?" He sat up, throwing back the covers and accidentally knocking her over, but she bounced back up. His hair looked like a small explosion atop his head, spikes sticking out in all directions, and she had to stifle a giggle that came back from the early days of their time together. She'd found out right outside of Imil that few things were funnier than interrupting Garet's beauty sleep, putting him in a condition Ivan described as "a red hedgehog with a hangover".

"He threw it away? Really?"

She nodded, and he swept her up in a hug, bedclothes and all. She reflected, as the air was slowly crushed out of her lungs, that he probably was not thinking all too clearly.

"Congratulations, Mia," he said, grinning in the semi-dark as he released her. "Isaac and I owe this all to you. I can't wait to see his face when you tell him."

She blushed modestly.

"Thanks, Garet. I'm so excited."

"Didja kiss him?" Garet asked, with a sudden flare of mischievousness.

"Did – what? What – no! No I did not… not… kiss him," she sputtered, alarmed to hear her voice die out at the critical word. He had already slumped back down into bed with his back to her, shaking the whole frame with silent, barely-restrained laughter. She thumped his mighty back with one tiny fist.

"Garet, you jerk!"

At this high-pitched chuckles began escaping from him, though he was still trying his best to hold it in. Then he flipped his head over for a quick peek at her, fists clenched, burning with righteous indignation, and she watched his eyes shoot open wide and his jaw tense before he ducked down again, laughing even harder. She poured ice water on him and scampered out the door. Normally vengeance was below her, but something like that couldn't be allowed to stand.

Mia took a breath. The sword was gone. It was hard to clearly define just how the change had affected her, it had had such widespread influence. The very colors of the world seemed brighter. She felt… she felt as if she'd finally done something really, wonderfully right for the first time since she'd left Imil.

Felix… you haven't failed today.

The light loomed up high above her, a tiny torch burning in a dark eye in the cliff. The mist was gradually clearing, revealing a somber, gravelly beach at the far end of a wide, dark bay. Felix cut the ship smoothly into the shallows, coming into the land in a gentle curve. She gripped the railing at the prow tightly, and after a second's gliding the ship's keel crunched into the slick pebbles of the shore below her. Recovering herself, she looked around.

She could see a dark, shadow-cloaked gap in the tall, fractured cliffs, but nothing was visible inside it. There was no motion or sound from anywhere on the shore, just the light burning through the mist above. She shivered involuntarily. Garet tramped to a halt just behind her and grunted; she turned to see the anchor go flying out and smash into the wet rocks below. He plucked at the heavy chain and let go, looking absurdly satisfied with himself. She smiled.

At the far end of the ship she could just make out Felix ducking out of the wheelhouse before he was blocked by a small crowd of people all trying to squeeze out of the cabin door at once. She counted Isaac, Ivan, Jenna, Kraden, and Sheba - both the smallest and most enthusiastic. The small blond fought her way clear of the others and raced up to where Mia stood, catching herself on the rail and leaning far out over the edge. Kraden followed at the most dignified pace his excitement would permit, and Ivan and Jenna were close behind. Isaac trailed last, and as he came close she could see he was just as tired and battered-looking as she felt. His hair was a slovenly mess and his clothes were wrinkled up beyond recovery. Mia tuned into the excited chatter buzzing by her left ear.

"Where is everyone?" Sheba.

"Ugh. Fog. Wonderful. …I forgot my sweater." Jenna.

"Hm. There's definitely someone living back there…" Ivan muttered thoughtfully. Behind and below all the other voices, she could hear Kraden's ancient mumble going on and on about lost cultures and cliffside settlements and so forth.

"…But they're not human." The din was silenced at this. Sheba spun around.

"Or, at least… not exactly…" Ivan rubbed his chin and suddenly became aware of everyone staring at him. "What?"

She looked over at Kraden and saw the scholar's eyes were shining. So many things were going through his head he was rendered speechless. She grinned.

"Is this those lycan…things again?" Jenna said, arms folded against the chill. Sheba was practically bouncing up and down, but Mia didn't know what the excitement was.

"Lycanthropes?" Felix said from behind them. "What's going on?"

"Yeah, that's it," Jenna said to herself, while Sheba squealed.

"Really? They were so cute!"

"Sheba, calm down," Felix said gently. "You don't have any idea what's out there."

"Yeah, there's probably man-eating snakes the size of me," Garet teased. Mia shivered.

"That's not funny, Garet!" Sheba said reprovingly.

"I've been here once before," Felix said, cutting over Garet and Sheba's developing argument, "and I can say that there are most definitely no man-eating snakes in Loho." Sheba stuck out her tongue at Garet, who made a face. Isaac spoke up.

"So what is there?"

She swore she could see the ghost of a smile on Felix's face.

"You'll see." He plucked Garet's sleeve and they walked back to the cabin, emerging a few long minutes later with Piers draped between them. Felix handed off his side of the weight to Isaac and hopped down to the ground below. She stepped back out of the way, and Isaac and Garet lowered Piers' still form down to him. They climbed off one by one; Garet grabbed Sheba under her arms, ignoring her protests with a huge grin, and threw her off roughly, nevertheless managing to drop her right into Felix's arms. He lowered everyone else down much more carefully, and before too long they stood in a tight group on the slick, shifting rocks.

Felix was the first to move, tossing a "Well, come on" over his shoulder. They strode up through the rolling mist to a gradually apparent ramp, the ship shrinking into the white fog behind them. Too bad the morning sun hadn't lasted, Mia thought to herself. She didn't mind this too much, but she could tell it was annoying some of the others. They stepped onto the ramp and began the shallow climb to the cleft in the rocks.

She studied the surface under her feet; worn, but solidly constructed. The smooth, pale yellow stones fit together with only the thinnest of hairline cracks. Just ahead, beyond Garet's back, she could see the V of the cliff. Then she noticed a tiny figure standing still, waiting for them. It almost looked like a statue, but as they made the final few steps she saw it was a man who came only to her chest. He was coated in mail which gleamed wetly, and gripped a spear in one tiny fist. A bushy red beard spilled down onto the mail, and his eyes were hidden in shadow beneath the pointed metal helmet he wore.

"Greetings," he said.

"The same to you," Felix replied levelly. "We are all that you see here, looking to rest and refit on a voyage north." The dwarf checked them over with swift, practiced glances and then returned his attention to Felix.

"Welcome, strangers," he said, and disappeared into a tiny door to one side of the passage which closed with a faint click. There was silence.

"So…" Isaac said.

"Now we can go in. I think." Felix resumed his pace, and soon the darkness swallowed them completely.

They came out onto a small ledge, overlooking vast pits and plains of stone. More dwarves stood here and there, gesturing and moving about. The sounds of talk and industry rose up on the morning air. Blue, thin smoke from a few campfires hung in the wet chill here and there. Felix smiled, looking out on a sight from his past.

"Welcome to Loho."

Their reverent, breathless silence was soon broken by a clamor of excited voices as everyone tried to sort themselves out. Kraden was loudly and repeatedly voicing his desire to talk to and inspect everyone in the area, and Sheba was backing him up. Garet eventually agreed to go along, and Jenna and Isaac followed a short distance behind the rest. They moved down the ramp into the settlement, voices fading, and were soon black silhouettes as small as the others. That left three of them atop the ledge, and she turned to Felix. He was already watching her.

"I assume you want to find a priest."

She made a gesture of assent. He looked around slowly.
"Over there." He shouldered Piers again and walked a short distance to the door he'd pointed out. He pushed it open with one hand, keeping Piers on his back, and as she walked in behind him she brushed a wondering hand over the intricate, twisting carving along the edge of the doorframe. Inside was surprisingly dry and warm, and she stood in the small chamber with Felix to wait.

"Everything's so well built here," she whispered. Felix smiled with shared appreciation.

"I know."

Eventually a door opened elsewhere in the room and a priest came in, his robes and bald head symbols of reassurance. Mia subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief, her spirit soaring yet higher. They were finally here and they had not lost anyone, Piers or Felix.

"What can I do for you?"

"This man needs to be revived," Felix said softly, letting Piers down onto the floor. But the priest was staring at him.

"I recognize you, my son. Headed north once more, I see, but not home; these are not those you came south with. No, not headed to home, but to destiny." Then he fell silent, and Felix counted out the tithe from his bag with subtle irritation. Money received, the priest bent over Piers' still form, and Felix fell back to where Mia was standing. He leaned against the wall with an expression of such profound annoyance that she had to stifle a giggle. Some things, apparently, were never going to change. Piers was getting shakily to his feet, and she turned to Felix.

"Your turn."

He scowled for a second, then thought better of it and headed back over to the priest. Piers stood by her in his turn.

"How are you, Piers?" she said.

"Feels good to be alive," he quipped. "Thanks for healing me on the ship."

"Of course," she said, mostly focused on Felix getting healed.

"…Uhh, speaking of the ship," Piers mumbled, looking suspiciously around, "it is still in existence, yes?"

That got her full attention, and she smiled at Piers, who was beginning to fidget nervously.

"Yes, Piers, it's …mostly in one piece." Not quite as comforting as she'd intended. He fumbled out a few words about "going to check on" and raced out the door behind him. Ah well. With luck the repairs she and Isaac had made would pass his demanding inspection. She looked back right as Felix approached, stretching his arms above his head. His dark hair was still shading his eyes, but the shadows themselves were beginning to lighten, she fancied.

"Well, that's that. Hope you're happy," he said, unable to disguise his own lightness of tone.

"I am, to be perfectly honest," she smiled back. Mia nodded to the priest, who made a shallow bow in return.

"Lifting curses is unpleasant work," he said. "I can only imagine what it is like to bear them. A pleasure to aid you. Good luck in your travels."

Felix lifted his hand in farewell, and she strolled back out into the light with him. The sword was gone. She put a hand on his arm, and he stopped in the doorway.

"Felix," she said, wide-eyed and serious, "you haven't failed today."

He blinked, and slowly grinned.

Felix only made it ten steps before putting one hand out against the wall of the cliff.

"Ugh."

"What's wrong?" she asked. "Are you okay?"

He shook his head.

"I'm fine."

She scrutinized his face, what she could see of it, carefully. He was a shade paler than usual but retained his general impassiveness.

"…The curse is gone, right?" she said mistrustfully.

"I think so," Felix said. She sidled up next to him, looking out over the mines. She'd lost track of nearly everyone, but after a bit of searching spotted a big spot topped with red that had to be Garet, waving his arms enthusiastically. She smiled, wondering what had happened to get him so excited. A few minutes passed.

"Felix…" she said. "Felix, you're closing up again. You were doing so well."

"I've never talked so much in my life," he said, perfectly straight-faced. "I'm exhausted."

"Why do you trust me so much anyway?" she asked curiously, knowing full well that there really wasn't any particular reason. Naturally she couldn't predict a reaction, but the one she got was far beyond the pale. Felix blushed. He definitely turned a very faint shade of red, and she fell back in complete confusion. As he didn't say anything, though, eventually the hammering in her ears began to clear up. But Felix continued to act nervous, clearly wanting and not-wanting to tell her something.

"I, uh…"

She leaned forward unconsciously, waiting; right as he seemed about to finally spit it out Sheba appeared behind him, yelling something incoherent, and Felix turned his head. Mia rolled her eyes in mild irritation – this was important!

"Are you two done screwing around yet?" she shouted in her high-pitched voice. The tone seemed calculated to grate on her ears. "We've found something and not even Kraden knows what it is and you should be down there c'mon!" Felix stirred and began to stumble off after Sheba, who remained completely oblivious to everything. Mia stayed put for a second longer, frowning, and heaved a sigh.

"Be still, my heart," she mumbled sourly. "No, really, stop doing that. This is Felix we're talking about, here." The sword was gone, certainly, but there were many long miles to go all of a sudden. She kicked at a small stone and followed them down to the floor of the mines.

I won NaNo, in case anyone's wondering. That made my year. Hopefully this installment of Catharsis is up to snuff. Please review with any concerns or criticism you may have (no, honestly, those are the best kind.)

It's not keeping the regular blank spaces for some reason. Line breaks really annoy me, but whatever. Sorry about that.

I left it on a rather mean cliffhanger, so I'm starting the next bit right away. I won't be any harder on you than I have to. :D