Yolei had to admit that it was difficult to maintain one's antipathy for another person when that person was the only reason she had made it so far up Infinity Mountain. She'd had no idea how slippery the slopes were or how steep, and she had expected to find some sort of path. They had to climb as quickly as possible without breaking their necks, but they had to circle around the mountain to search for the cave the angel/spirit had mentioned. It should sparkle in the sun, but heavy clouds left the world in a perpetual twilight that made Yolei shiver.
Ken had finally seemed to remember his athletic training and was striding up the mountainside without sparing a moment for the rocks that slid capriciously underfoot. Yolei was faring much worse; she felt as if she were constantly on the verge of tumbling back down to the foot of the mountain. She hated being dependent on others and had tried to insist that she could make her way up the mountain by herself very well.
After barely an hour, she had relented. She sat down carefully until Ken turned around and noticed her. He asked if she were all right, and difficult as it was, she admitted in a low voice that she was not. Ken could sense her reluctance at asking for help, so he tried to lighten the mood with a little smile and a reminder that she had already saved his life two times. She grinned back at this and took his arm warmly.
Despite his kindness, Yolei felt that she was burdening him and slowing down their journey—and she knew that they could not afford to slacken their pace. So she struggled valiantly, hiding her winces when she twisted her foot and then continued to place her weight on it. Yolei was sure that if he saw that she was injured even slightly, he would insist on stopping.
They stopped before sunset, for the shadows cast by rocks of various sizes on the mountain deceived their eyes and tripped their feet too often. They walked slowly until they found an overhang and halted under its scant shelter. The wind howled around the mountain and whistled between the rocks as it froze the two humans camped out.
Any awkwardness between the two teenagers was ignored out of necessity; they could only hear each other if that sat very close. Eventually, they decided by mutual, unspoken assent to huddle together as they ate and then slept, trying to preserve the body heat they generated. They lay very stiffly, not talking and waiting miserably to drift into sleep.
Yolei awoke feeling considerably warmer than she had when she'd curled up on the cold ground. She was curled up against Ken's back, following the contours of his sleeping form with her own. She tried to slip away, but when she tried, his heavy, regular breathing stopped, and he moaned softly in his sleep. It was dark still—too dark, somehow, as if the light of the stars and moon wasn't quite strong enough to penetrate the atmosphere—so Yolei thought she might as well try to fall back asleep.
Light reflecting off a smooth piece of stone awoke Yolei with a start. Ken was still asleep, and Yolei found herself smiling goofily at his pale face, smoothed to quiet peace in repose. No wonder she'd had such a crush on the twelve-year old Ichijouji boy when she was younger. She tickled his cheek with a lock of her lavender hair until he awoke, swatting an invisible fly.
"Good morning, sunshine," she chirped happily, despite the frigid gusts that tossed their cloaks to and fro. "We have bread, cheese, and yes, dried fruit! There's a little bit of dried meat left if you're feeling particularly decadent."
Ken looked weary at her cheerfulness but cracked a little smile. "A regular feast," he replied, voice gravelly from fatigue. Yolei had gathered that Ken was not a morning person—not that she was much of one herself, but it was always fun when someone was even more of a night owl than she.
They ate quickly, but Yolei lingered over her food for several minutes, dreading the ascent up Infinity Mountain. Straightening her cloak and making a face at the sticky taste in her mouth, Yolei looked up the mountain's steep sides and then sighed. "Ready to climb a mountain?"
Ken had finally seemed to remember his athletic training and was striding up the mountainside without sparing a moment for the rocks that slid capriciously underfoot. Yolei was faring much worse; she felt as if she were constantly on the verge of tumbling back down to the foot of the mountain. She hated being dependent on others and had tried to insist that she could make her way up the mountain by herself very well.
After barely an hour, she had relented. She sat down carefully until Ken turned around and noticed her. He asked if she were all right, and difficult as it was, she admitted in a low voice that she was not. Ken could sense her reluctance at asking for help, so he tried to lighten the mood with a little smile and a reminder that she had already saved his life two times. She grinned back at this and took his arm warmly.
Despite his kindness, Yolei felt that she was burdening him and slowing down their journey—and she knew that they could not afford to slacken their pace. So she struggled valiantly, hiding her winces when she twisted her foot and then continued to place her weight on it. Yolei was sure that if he saw that she was injured even slightly, he would insist on stopping.
They stopped before sunset, for the shadows cast by rocks of various sizes on the mountain deceived their eyes and tripped their feet too often. They walked slowly until they found an overhang and halted under its scant shelter. The wind howled around the mountain and whistled between the rocks as it froze the two humans camped out.
Any awkwardness between the two teenagers was ignored out of necessity; they could only hear each other if that sat very close. Eventually, they decided by mutual, unspoken assent to huddle together as they ate and then slept, trying to preserve the body heat they generated. They lay very stiffly, not talking and waiting miserably to drift into sleep.
Yolei awoke feeling considerably warmer than she had when she'd curled up on the cold ground. She was curled up against Ken's back, following the contours of his sleeping form with her own. She tried to slip away, but when she tried, his heavy, regular breathing stopped, and he moaned softly in his sleep. It was dark still—too dark, somehow, as if the light of the stars and moon wasn't quite strong enough to penetrate the atmosphere—so Yolei thought she might as well try to fall back asleep.
Light reflecting off a smooth piece of stone awoke Yolei with a start. Ken was still asleep, and Yolei found herself smiling goofily at his pale face, smoothed to quiet peace in repose. No wonder she'd had such a crush on the twelve-year old Ichijouji boy when she was younger. She tickled his cheek with a lock of her lavender hair until he awoke, swatting an invisible fly.
"Good morning, sunshine," she chirped happily, despite the frigid gusts that tossed their cloaks to and fro. "We have bread, cheese, and yes, dried fruit! There's a little bit of dried meat left if you're feeling particularly decadent."
Ken looked weary at her cheerfulness but cracked a little smile. "A regular feast," he replied, voice gravelly from fatigue. Yolei had gathered that Ken was not a morning person—not that she was much of one herself, but it was always fun when someone was even more of a night owl than she.
They ate quickly, but Yolei lingered over her food for several minutes, dreading the ascent up Infinity Mountain. Straightening her cloak and making a face at the sticky taste in her mouth, Yolei looked up the mountain's steep sides and then sighed. "Ready to climb a mountain?"