As usual, I don't own anything. I'm just a fan writing some fiction. (I am, however, qualified to tell you all about karst landscapes and how GREAT they are, so you're in for a treat this week.) Please enjoy!

Dwarven Vow 70
An rud is fhiach a ghabhail, 's fhaich e iarraidh.
If it's worth taking, it's worth asking for.

11-

Lloyd kept close to the railing as he descended the staircase to the basement. The walls here had an unfinished look to them, and as he and Sheena moved deeper, they could feel the temperature dropping and see condensation collecting on the rock around them. Finally, Lloyd came to a flat surface at the bottom of the metal stairs and held a hand up to help Sheena down.

"This is really odd," she commented as she took his hand, busy examining what was illuminated by their combined lanterns. "It looks more like a cave than a basement."

"I think it is a cave that they dug an entrance to," Lloyd replied. He let go of her hand and turned around, waving the lantern to get a better look. "They've widened it in some places, and it looks like they've leveled the floor, but- oh, there! You can see some cave formations!"

He ran over to the far wall where the underground room narrowed and a few passageways could be seen trailing off into other directions. There were some stalactites hanging over a shallow pool of water that had gathered on a terrace. Sheena let him worry about that while she inspected the passageways nearby, both appearing too small for a person to squeeze through. "I wonder how this cave got here," she spoke aloud, more to herself than to Lloyd, but he answered anyway.

"The ground beneath Luin and the surrounding area is riddled with caves like this. It's likely that a lot of the cave systems are interconnected. I think Dad called areas like this a carv- no…" He paused briefly as he thought. "...karst. It's where rainwater trickles down through the ground and hollows out caverns in the rock. Lake Sinoa is where a cave actually collapsed into a sinkhole and filled with water. That's where the name Sinoa comes from- tsun'ot, or cenote, which means 'spring."

Sheena stared in disbelief. "How do you know all this?"

"Well, Dad taught me all about different kinds of caves." Lloyd scratched the back of his head sheepishly, not expecting to be praised. "But it was Mom who told me about Luin and its history with Dwarves. In the distant past, Dwarves came to the surface in Luin to trade and communicate with humans. But after the Kharlan War and the splitting of the world, Dwarves kept their distance from the surface. Only a few Dwarves remained in Luin. Mom's great-great grandmother was a half-Dwarf, but when she was growing up there were only two or three Dwarves living aboveground… and they were forced to work for Cruxis just like Altessa in Tethe'alla."

Sheena listened to his story with rapt attention. "I see. How did Dirk manage to escape working for Cruxis?"

Lloyd shifted his weight as he thought over how to answer the question. "To tell the truth, I'm not sure. Dad doesn't really talk about his past before he met me. I mean, he talks about a family, so I know he had sisters he played with, and a dad who was a blacksmith, and a grandmother who baked really great pies… and I think he mentioned something about a wife once, but didn't give any details, and I didn't want to be nosy…" He stopped and waved the lantern he was holding. "I mean, when I say I can talk to my dad about anything, it's true! He's great! But there are certain things that I want to wait and let him tell me on his own rather than demanding it from him. He's given me so much already-"

"I understand," Sheena interrupted. "It's the same way in Mizuho. There used to be many ninja villages around Tethe'alla, but they were all lost. We celebrate our traditions because it's our link to what makes us us, but at the same time, many elders are reluctant to talk about the way things used to be. Even my grandfather- his great aunt came from another ninja village called Shirokago that was lost to a horrible fire- doesn't like to talk too much about the way things used to be."

Lloyd was quiet for a while. "It's hard to talk about the way things were, isn't it?" he finally asked. "When you've lost something important to you, you can ignore it and be satisfied with just a numb feeling. But then you start talking about it, and all those feelings of loss come crashing back down."

Sheena nodded mutely, thinking it over. Lloyd had certainly said it more eloquently than she could have. Perhaps there was some truth to that Dwarven Vow he liked so much- often wise words come from a fool's mouth.

The sound of water trickling along an underground stream somewhere far into the cave could be heard, alongside the dripping of water off stalactites onto the cave floor and into the terrace pool. There was a serenity to the underground atmosphere that Sheena found both fascinating and unnerving. It was no wonder Dwarven culture was so distinct, considering the kind of world they lived in- and how much of a sacrifice it must have been for Dirk to give up that life and live on the surface for Lloyd's sake.

"Sheena?" Lloyd's voice finally broke the silence between them. "Did I say something wrong?"

"No, of course not." Sheena shook her head. "I was actually just thinking about how well you put it. And even that numb feeling you described is tough to shake. I guess that's why people who've lost a lot in the past cling so desperately to what they have and refuse to take risks, even if those risks might help a lot of people…"

Lloyd was absentmindedly nodding as he listened to her, but as her voice trailed off, he froze and a look of realization passed over his face. She wanted to ask what he was thinking about, but he started to speak before she could.

"Sheena… that's it. That's it! Of course Dad doesn't want to teach Dwarven skills to people outside his family. It's a painful reminder of the world he left behind."

"That's-" Sheena's voice cut off as soon as she began. She'd been talking about the people of Mizuho's attitude towards new ideas from the outside world, but it was true that the sentiment could apply to individuals as well as groups. "-that… might be right."

"It's no wonder I couldn't change his mind before. I was going about it the wrong way. It's not about whether or not outsiders deserve to learn Dwarven culture, or even whether the outside world needs to preserve our Dwarven heritage at all. It's Dad's own feelings that are the obstacle." Lloyd closed his eyes in frustration. "How could I have been so stupid not to see that? I was too dense to notice- and yet he gave me a second chance anyway."

"That's a sign that your dad really loves you." Sheena moved closer to place a hand on Lloyd's shoulder. "That, and he trusts your judgement even despite his own worries."

A gentle smile spread across Lloyd's face as he thought it over. "Dad made me promise not to give up. He wouldn't have done that unless he really thought I was capable of understanding his feelings. And thanks to you, I finally realized it. Thank you, Sheena." He took a step away and shook his head to clear the air of negativity that had been surrounding him. "That's it, then! He's counting on me to express my feelings to him to ease his own worries. I'm going to do it- to assure him that we're not moving forward to leave the past behind, but to ensure there's a future for our past!"

Sheena was amazed once again by his words. "A future for our past?"

"Does that, uh, make sense? I kinda just make up words as I go-"

"N-no!" She shook her head. "That actually sounds like what the people of Mizuho need to hear!"

"You think so?" Lloyd asked.

"I know so! We do everything we can to preserve our way of life. But sometimes the best thing you can do to preserve your heritage is to bring it forward into the modern world. It's not just the customs and crafts that make a culture, it's the people. And to preserve that culture, you have to make a world that's the best place possible for those people!"

She had gotten so worked up speaking that she'd almost forgotten to breath. Once Sheena finished her sentence, she had to stop and catch her breath, her hurried gasps fogging up the panes of her lantern. Lloyd was staring, but he finally placed his lantern on the ground so that he could cover his mouth with both hands as he laughed.

"It's amazing what we can learn just throwing around pretty words, huh?"

Sheena had to crack a smile. "Pretty words indeed."

At the sound of her reply, Lloyd's laughter died down, the expression on his face turning into a smirk. "Yeah, but not as pretty as y-" he began as he leaned in, though Sheena tapped a finger against his mouth to stop him.

"Don't even think about-"

-finishing that sentence' were going to be her next words, but she got cut off just as fast as she'd cut off Lloyd. Except it wasn't his finger he'd pressed to her lips.

Surprised by the kiss, Sheena didn't reciprocate at first. Noticing this, Lloyd quickly broke away with a worried look on his face. But Sheena used the moment of freedom to place her own lantern on the floor and tackle him in an embrace, returning his initial kiss and then some.

Lloyd's movements were giddy as he wrapped his arms around her waist and twirled her around, not even bothering to break the kiss. The two stumbled clumsily to the side without realizing it until they brushed up against the basement wall, and while the impact caused them to break apart, it was only enough to laugh a little at the situation. Within moments, Sheena had turned so that her back was against the wall and pulled Lloyd closer, so that he was almost leaning over her.

Lloyd broke from the initial kiss into smaller, quicker kisses that he trailed along the edge of her lips up to her cheek. Sheena giggled, both in eager amusement and in response to the ticklish sensation of the rough stubble along his chin. She wouldn't admit that she enjoyed the feeling- not after only a month ago she scolded him for looking messy and told him to "either grow a traditional Dwarven beard or shave properly." But it was possible that her laughter gave her away, and she could feel the smile on Lloyd's lips as he continued along her cheek and down to her ear.

She shivered as his lips trailed across her earlobe around the base of her earring. Damn- he was taking advantage of her weakness, and she wasn't going to let that go unpunished! She waited for him to pause and then pulled away so that she could kiss at his neck, trailing down to where she could feel his collarbone under the fabric of his shirt. Sheena noted with satisfaction the way his grip on her waist tightened when she did so, and the feeling of his hands beginning to wander piqued her curiosity.

"You're a strong woman," Zelos' words echoed in her mind, "if you want a piece of him, you go get it." Never had she been so eager to take advice from Zelos of all people, but she supposed there was no harm in making tonight a night of firsts.

As if reading her thoughts- or, more likely, having similar thoughts of his own- Lloyd's hands settled on the sash that held her tunic in place, tugging at the bow in an attempt to untie it. His hands fumbled with the knot and Sheena could tell he was struggling, so she reached for his hands to guide him.

But the moment she did so, something hit her on the head and brought her back to her senses.

One of the drops of water that was constantly falling from the ceiling had hit Sheena on the side of her head, offering a reminder of their surroundings. That's right, they were in a cave-basement. The fervor of the moment had almost made her forget how cold, dark, clammy, and generally uncomfortable the place was.

Oh no. We're not doing this here of all places.

"Lloyd, stop."

At the sound of her voice and the feeling of her hands on his, Lloyd's whole body went stiff. He abruptly took a step back, holding up his hands to keep his distance. Even in the dim light of the lanterns, it was obvious how red his face had turned.

"I-I'm so sorry. I didn't mean t-to-" Lloyd began to stammer, choking on his words. "-I-I mean, I shouldn't have-"

"It's okay," Sheena responded. "I just thought… if we're finished here, we should go back to your place."

"R-right! That's right!" Lloyd straightened out his coat and smoothed the collar of his shirt as he began to collect himself. "It's getting late, and I was planning to go to Meltokio tomorrow, so I still have to pack up my things. We'll come back here soon and get the layout- the important thing is just knowing it's here."

His speech had steadied, but he stumbled as he walked back toward the staircase. Sheena followed, a little nervous that she'd offended him. But the likelihood was, he was simply embarrassed to have gotten so carried away in a place like this. She was too. But it would've been even more embarrassing and uncomfortable had they actually continued.

"Let's get somewhere warm and dry," she said as she made it up the staircase, stepping back out into the main building, "and then we can… pick up where we left off."

It might've just been a trick of the lantern-light, but Sheena could swear she saw a surprised- and pleased- glint in Lloyd's eyes as she said this.

"Huh? Really?"

"As long as you're up for it. I don't…" She glanced away with a blush. "...think it would be bad to try something new."

"Yeah!" Lloyd answered, though he seemed embarrassed by his sudden burst of excitement and quickly dialed back his enthusiasm. "I-I mean... if you say so!"

Colette returned to the meeting place holding Adora in one arm and balancing a tray and two drinks on her other. Anyone who knew her would realize immediately that this was a disaster waiting to happen, and as soon as Zelos spotted her, he ran to her side.

"Hey! I told you to let me babysit while you went to get snacks! Geez- you're gonna spill lemonade all over the poor little thing!"

"S-sorry. I didn't want to leave you with her, but… I should've thought this through." Colette couldn't help a giggle as she watched Zelos ignore the funnel cake and go straight for Adora, hoisting the girl into the air and twirling her around with a smile. Every time she saw Zelos playing so lovingly with Adora, her heart just melted. Had her hands not been full she would've run to hug him, but she figured it was for the best that she didn't ruin the moment.

Unfortunately, that job went to someone else.

"Don't swing her around like that!"

A sharp yell broke through the moment, and caused Zelos to pause long enough for Yuan to grab onto his arms. Zelos let out a yelp and Adora mimicked him, but she seemed to be more curious than upset.

"A five-week old infant still needs her head supported," Yuan continued, stepping back once he was satisfied with Zelos' grip. "Her skull is still soft- you could hurt her brain. Don't you ever think before you do anything?"

Zelos was almost stunned into silence. Yuan was the last person he'd expected to lecture him on how to hold a baby.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Mister Daycare," Zelos responded with forced pleasantness. "Would you like to take over from here?" He extended his arms to offer Yuan the chance to take Adora, not expecting him to actually do it. But Yuan seemed genuinely surprised for a brief moment before he scooped up the girl and held her close to his chest.

"After that display? Any sane person would want to take over just to get her out of your dangerous hands."

"Y-Yuan, Zelos didn't mean any harm. He was being gentle, just trying to have a little fun with her." Colette broke in between the two, holding up the tray she'd brought with a nervous smile. "Uh, would you and Song like to share some of our funnel cake?"

She had barely finished the offer as Song began to hover over the tray. "Ooh, don't mind if I do-" he began, making a grab for one of the crispy edges, but froze as he heard Yuan's voice.

"Thanks, Colette, but I'm not hungry."

The statement made Song snap to attention, and he backed away with a sheepish giggle. "Uh, y-yeah. We actually just had a big dinner, so I shouldn't. Thanks for the offer, though."

"Song, you can have some," Yuan murmured, sending a pointed glance between his friend and the tray.

"No way, man. Not if you're not gonna."

"It looks good, though. Don't you like funnel cakes?"

"Yeah, but I'm really not hungry. Honest!"

"Suit yourself."

Zelos listened to the conversation with interest, noting the way Song's voice changed depending on Yuan's responses. He was starting to get a feel for this guy, and it was an amusing situation indeed.

"Hey, I hate to make you guys stand around like this. Why don't we go sit on those benches over there?" Zelos motioned and began walking toward the spot he'd picked out. Colette followed at his heels and she waved for Song and Yuan to come along as well. Once Zelos was sure they were following with Adora in tow, he leaned over to whisper to Colette under the guise of taking the drinks for her.

"Don't look now," he whispered with a smirk, "but I think Pinky over there has a thing for the Brain."

Colette gave him a confused look. "Who has a what?"

Zelos groaned, disappointed that he couldn't have gotten a laugh or at least a scolding out of her. "It's an old comic book reference. I'll explain later."

Song, hearing the last bit of Zelos' sentence, ran ahead to join him. "Did you say you liked comic books, Zelos? Which ones do you read? Do you have the latest issue of The Flip Side?"

"I-I'm sorry, I think you misunderstood," Zelos waved his hands dismissively. "I liked comic books when I was, like, ten. I've never heard of whatever you just said. Is that new?"

"It's on issue 52 now, with a fully illustrated novel coming out in March. You should pick it up sometime! It's really good! That, and Demon Genome Project just came off hiatus-"

"Yeah, sounds cool and all, but I'm really not feeling it. Sorry." Zelos found a seat on the bench and waved to Colette. She sat down beside him, and Yuan on the other side of her. The three of them filled up the bench, so Song hovered behind them, leaning on the back of the bench instead. Zelos could feel him staring enviously at the funnel cake, so he took a big bite, pausing a moment to visibly savor it- just trying to piss off Song if nothing else. But it didn't get the reaction he was hoping for, so he turned to offer Colette a bite out of the middle with lots of powdered sugar; her favorite.

She eagerly accepted and Zelos allowed her to finish before reaching up to wipe the powdered sugar from around her lips. "Careful there, love. You're almost as messy with this as Adora."

"Sorry," Colette giggled, "it's just so much sugar, you can't help it."

"That's what makes it so good." Zelos grinned and pulled another bit from the middle of the cake. "And speaking of Adora- Yuan, pass her over to Colette. I'll bet she'd love to try some of this."

Adora let out a surprised yelp as Yuan responded by pulling her closer to his chest and away from Zelos. "Oh no. You're not feeding her that. Her teeth haven't even come in yet."

This again? Zelos wondered if Yuan was just trying to mess with him. "What's the deal?" he asked, pushing the fork closer. "It's soft."

"It's nothing but grease and sugar," Yuan shot back. "There's no nutritional value."

"Since when are you of all people worried about nutrition, Mister I'd-eat-barley-rice-for-every-meal-if-I-could?"

"You leave my preferences out of this! Adora is a growing child. She doesn't need inept babysitters stuffing her full of junk."

"Inept?! Colette and I have been doing fine taking care of her so far. We don't need criticism from someone who just wants to piss me off-"

"What I want is for Adora to get the proper care she deserves-"

"And why are you even bothering with some kid you don't know? I never saw you as one to get up in arms about childcare-"

Before he could finish his sentence, Song butted in, leaning over the back of the bench. "Hey, Zelos, I just remembered! You have a sister, right? I heard about her from some people at the hospital- that she's dating one of the doctors there. Hazel Karim, right? Are those two here now? Can I meet them?"

The sudden change of subject threw Zelos off. "You… what do you do at the hospital? I thought Colette said you were a potter or something."

"Ceramics artisan," Song corrected. "And yes, but I volunteer at the hospital sometimes. Gotta keep those skills in practice so that my medical license doesn't lapse. You never know when that'll come in handy."

"Zelos, why don't you take Song to go meet Seles?" Colette reached out and tugged on Zelos' sleeve. "It'd be an excuse to check on her and make sure she's doing alright. I can stay here with Adora."

It seemed more of an order than a suggestion, so Zelos gave a resigned sigh. No doubt his and Yuan's arguing back and forth was grating on Colette's nerves, especially considering she was sitting between them. Maybe Song was trying to break up the argument too- though he picked an awfully convenient time to break in…

"Alright, fine." Zelos sighed, standing up and setting his lemonade back on the bench where he'd been. "We'll go check on Seles to make sure she's doing alright, and we'll come right back. Don't eat all the cake without me, 'kay Colette?"

Zelos had expected a barrage of questions from Song as soon as they were far enough away, but he was strangely silent. Zelos glanced back at Song in curiosity, wondering whether or not he should try to make friendly conversation. He had, after all, just been fighting with Yuan, and the tension of the argument was still in the air surrounding them.

"So, uh, Doctor Lu…" Zelos began tentatively, "...how did you and Yuan meet?"

"Yuan and me? Oh, that was pretty crazy, come to think of it. I was in one of Meltokio's back alleys looking for some discarded objects to use in an art display, and Yuan happened to come by getting rid of some trash. He didn't realize I was in the dumpster and just tossed it right in- splat! Month-old banana pudding, right on my head!" Song laughed, shaking his head as though he were trying to dislodge some imaginary substance. "He wasn't particularly sorry, which was fair since I really wasn't supposed to be there, but as an apology he let me use his bath and lent me some clothes. We've been buddies ever since!"

Zelos couldn't suppress an amused snort. "I should've figured something like that was the case. Guess even the high-and-mighty Yuan isn't above feeding a stray dog every now and again, even if it's a dog he found in a dumpster."

It was meant to be an insult, but Song was surprisingly receptive. "You get it!" he chimed, clapping his hands. "Yuan's the best! Though I feel like I'm more of a cat person, y'know?" He tilted his head and flicked his wrist. "Mrrow."

"..." Zelos felt his face go pale in disgust. "P-please don't ever meow at me again."

"Ah. You more of a dog person?"

"I'm more of a random-dudes-not-making-animal-sounds-at-me person."

"Fair enough," Song replied with a shrug. "I guess it's an acquired taste."

"And how exactly would one acquire such a-?"

Zelos didn't get to finish his sentence, as he was cut off by the sound of his name being yelled from the other side of the path. He stopped short, recognizing its source immediately- and not at all pleased by the note of panic in the man's voice.

"Zelos! Oh, thank gods, there you are!"

"Trevor? What's going on?" Zelos ran up to meet the man halfway. "Where's-?"

"Seles passed out! Like, she said she was feeling dizzy, so we had her sit down and drink some juice, but a couple minutes later she was just out like a light! Nearly fell off the bench!"

Zelos' whole body went stiff as he tried to keep a look of panic from taking over his face. He cursed under his breath- both at his sister's recklessness and his own inability to stand his ground on the subject of her health. He turned to Song and grabbed his wrist.

"Well, don't just stand there looking shocked! You're a doctor, right? Come help us out!"

Sure, maybe an ex-doctor turned potter who made a hobby of dumpster diving wasn't Zelos' first choice to treat his sister, but in a situation like this, he didn't have time to be choosy. He dragged Song and Trevor with him down the path, not bothering to say anything else. They'd either have to keep up or be left behind.