Rayla was outside, scouting the area. The moon was full, but covered by clouds.
Water splashed into the hollow. This added to Callum's misery. He sat away from the crack in the ceiling, huddled up and useless, but could not completely escape the muddy spray of cascading water, cascading into the ground right in front of him. Azmondias was hiding in his backpack.
As much as he looked forward to leaving the crack, he was going to miss the quiet conversation and moments of complete peace they had shared in here. After this morning's conversation, Rayla had been short with him and he couldn't blame her. At one point, she'd woken up to him embracing her painfully in his sleep. Obviously, this had not won him any favours. She had spent the rest of the day sleeping propped up against the opposite wall while he had sat in this exact spot, twiddling his thumbs.
Going back on the trail was going to expose them and he was not doubting for a moment that people were still looking for them.
He sighed and turned away from the entrance to shield his sketchbook from the spray while he flipped through the damp pages.
There was a copy of all the pictures Zym had drawn in the dirt and a more detailed drawing of Ezran wearing the crown.
Then followed, page after page, Rayla.
"I'm an idiot.", he said with realization in his voice.
Rayla with Zym on her lap, pensively feeding him a singular berry.
Rayla, posing with her blades defiantly outstretched to either side, carrying a slightly pained mien.
Rayla's intricate horns, hair and face, sleeping, from above and behind. The lines were awkward and shaky. This one had been a challenge and she did not yet know about it.
A few sketches of Zym in various cute and bored poses followed on a single page.
"Here be dragons", he said, endeared.
Rayla, again, big goofy smile, a berry stuck up her right nostril.
Ezran, walking away on a cliff edge, following Corvus.
Various sketches of Rayla.
Ezran, eating a jelly tart with entirely too much gusto.
Callum smiled and let out a singular, breathy laugh.
Claudia.
Callum slammed the book shut, hard enough to send drops of water flying and to feel his hands tingle.
"Here be dragons", he said, without endearment.
He turned back to face the entrance, resting his chin on his knees.
His heart ached and pounded. For years he had followed that girl - that woman, he hesitantly corrected - around. Thinking of her as a girl no longer seemed to fit her demeanor.
He'd adored her quietly and from a distance because he hadn't known anything else to do. From time to time, she would show what he'd believed was romantic interest, then moved on to read more, or train more, or research more.
Looking back, he realised that he had been biding his time for the perfect moment to turn their friendship into a relationship while she'd not considered it until it suited her needs.
It was so strange, looking back at the moment on the balcony overlooking the moon nexus. In that moment, she had tried to use his affection for her to achieve his return to Katolis. It was manipulative and unlike her.
What had eventually cemented his anger and disappointment in her was when she had attacked that Dragon. A step too far, to be sure.
He opened his book, flipped to the drawing of Claudia that had offended him and tore the page out. He then kept flipping and tearing, and flipping and tearing - and as he did, his tears mixed with the rain.
All the feelings of repeated betrayal, life-shattering disbelief and hurt that he had bottled up since he had last seen her exploded out of his chest. He recalled seeing her through an oily, purple delerium brought on by dark magic, crumpled next to her wounded brother.
It seemed like a solid quarter of the filled pages from his book were now in his quaking fist, soaking in the rain.
He tore at them, but couldn't rip through.
The release he sought would not come.
He settled for shredding the pages one-by-one.
When he was done, he flung the scraps around the bend in the back.
Caked together as they were, they hit their mark with a wet splash that sent disgusted shivers down Callum's spine.
Mere moments later, similar wet noises came from the entrance and Rayla materialized. She stepping into the cave, pinching her nose.
"Let's get out of here before I start pukin'. ", she smiled weakly, "It's so, SO much worse when you can make the direct comparison."
Her simple, toothy smirk sent waves of warmth through Callum's chest. It was incredibly good to know that she was not mad at him anymore.
Their boots producing squelching sounds, they pushed through the crack's entrance.
Fresh air buffeted Callum like a slap in the face. It was invigorating. He stood for a moment, letting the rain hit his face. Azmondias poked his head through the backpack's flap and contentedly let the rain soak his white mane.
They walked quietly in the now cold downpour. Callum watched her attentively swivel her head, listening for any sounds. He thought she looked like a cat looking for her favourite toy.
After a few moments, Callum could hear the rush of the nearby Ibalin.
"I guess we won't need a bath in this rain."
"You wish", Rayla said, turning invisible, "I can smell myself right now! See you in a bit, and don't forget to put the bar soap to those woolen rags of yours! Won't be any help if you smell like Ismil and Askander and your coverin's like the bull…", she caught herself, "...droppings you keep spoutin'"
"Yes, mother", he mocked.
His head jerked forward as a light, wet slap hit his neck.
"You better", she threatened with an audible smirk.
He listened to her wet boots shlopping away. The sound turned mid-step into the splash and patter of naked feet on the big stones lining the river bank. She was essentially stomping her feet for his benefit.
"Get!", she shouted.
"What, you're just gonna stand there and watch me?!", he yelled, incredulous.
He could practically feel her eyes roll over as she groaned.
"You're not currently movin', Callum, and I'm gonna stand here until you do!"
He dropped his backpack and Zym into the protective shadow of a hollow tree, grabbed a well-used bar of herbal soap and unclasped his belt.
"Okay, I'll see you in eight minutes. I'll show you where I am", she called. Out of nowhere, her boots appeared in a disembodied hand, bouncing through the air as she rounded a bend in the embankment.
He breathed a sigh of - what, relief? He didn't know.
He shivered miserably as he waded into the shallow river. He quickly busied himself with his hair, giving it several thorough washes. The rain was extremely helpful to remove the suds and was, thankfully, a little warmer than the coursing river. Zym was playing in the shallows.
He dipped under the surface to clear out any remainders and turned to the rest of his body. He had gone without a wash even longer than Rayla and it felt liberating to drop this palpable layer of coarse dirt.
The cold water soothed his bruises, pains he had accepted as normal since the landslide - but which were now revealed to be a temporary issue.
He had just started scrubbing his clothes over a large rock when Rayla called out.
"You done yet?"
"Almost", he yelled back.
"Same here", came the reply.
He wrung out his overcoat, as if it mattered. The rain was still falling in strings.
Slipping into soaked clothes ranked among his top five most hated things, but it was going to be better now that they were at least clean.
He prepared himself mentally for the cling and slipped on his pants, when Rayla appeared around the bend, fully dressed. She was dramatically striding backwards, bending in the knee to come low to the ground with every step.
"Can I turn around?", she stopped a few feet away.
There was a short pause.
"Yes."
"Finally", she said grumpily and turned around. Then, she blinked. He was standing entirely too close, a strange, unsure expression in his face.
He spread his arms for her and she took the invitation for a disgusting, wet hug. It was a long one. Long enough to be meaningful.
When they separated, she gave him a tender, but unsure smile, brushing a strand of wet hair over her right ear. "W-What's gotten into you?"
"Sense", he said sheepishly, took her by her hand and lead her to the cover of the tree.
He pulled out his sketchbook and showed her the missing pages.
She looked at him, inquisitively.
He looked right back, sheepishly.
"Does that mean… you're sure?"
He put his hands on her waist, carefully pulling her close.
The romantic gesture ended up being a sort of awkward shuffle since she had not expected him to do it and failed to keep step.
"I'm at least sure I'll be a terrible kisser", he crowed, not believing that his mouth could be dry in this weather.
"First one wasn't entirely horrifyin'", she quipped. She then screwed up her face. "Plus, how would I know good from bad?"
This was different from the first time.
The first time had happened in such a rush - it hadn't felt right.
They took a moment to just look at each other.
She studied him. His messy brown hair was stuck to his head. His green irises dimly shone in the night. She draped her arms around his neck.
"You better be dead-sure that you want me this time", she swallowed heavily.
He ran a curious hand over her horns - remembering their alternative name - and hair, taking in the soft purple of her proud, demanding eyes.
"I just needed a bit of alone-time. And tear up some paper."
Both of them had a fast, rhythmic thumping sound in their ears.
If the kiss was too wet, they couldn't tell in this weather.
From inside the backpack, Azymondias cooed. Miles away, a sleeping King did the same.
She pressed up against him, his hands trailing her spine, coming to an abrupt rest in the small of her back.
"That was pretty good". She smiled, opening her eyes.
"You're purple", he offered.
"You look like a big, ripe moonberry", she replied, clumsily.
"Why don't you take another bite then?"
She did.
"Gettin' better and better at this", she giggled, running a sopping wet sleeve across her face, "I really hate to cut this trainin' session short but we need to get goin'."
She gave him another peck on the lips and then pushed off his chest.
They shouldered their burdens and started walking back into the woods, away from the shore.
"Sooo", Callum started, "...how do these things normally go for Moon-elves?"
She chuckled and slid her hand in his.
"I wouldn't worry about that if I was you. We've already torn up the rule book here." She looked at her boots. "Moon elf couples' traditions are all about protectin' your `inner world` against others. `Keeping secrets is a moral duty!`", she mocked deeply, channeling a male teacher that Callum did not know.
"Letting others in is basically the same as…" she trailed off. "Actually, I don't know enough to compare it to something you'd understand. Are there stages of relationships in your culture?"
"Yeah. You might start out as friends. If you like each other, you become girlfriend and boyfriend. I mean, the combination depends on who's in the relationship.", he shrugged, "If that all goes well, you might get married. That's when you'd be considered family and could take each other's names."
"So your parents were girlfriend and boyfriend?"
"No, ah, they got married. We call people who are married husband and wife, again depending on who's in the relationship."
"Are we girlfriend and boyfriend?"
He blushed, "I did just explain how that works, so technically, yes. Uh, if you're okay with that?"
She nodded. "Anything beyond marriage?"
"Nope. That's really it. I mean, some people might think that the next step would be having kids, but that can really happen anytime or not at all. There's more to the whole courtship that happens before you get married, obviously, but I'd rather hear what you have to say."
"It sounds surprisingly straight-forward, but you'll have to tell me more later.", she smirked, "Well, here's how it works for my tribe. If you think you might love somebody, you bring them six specific gifts. Sorry about this - but here goes.", she cleared her throat and sang, shyly and haltingly:
Ismil at advent and Askander at ascent,
Take Etwer, Telis and Banther Incents,
By your interest's eye.
Invertim and Salis Anur
Bring your poundin' achin's cure
To your interest's eye.
He blinked. "You sing?"
"No. Well, yes, if that's what you wanna call that?", she blushed, "but it's a song that helps you remember the six items. Not only do you have to find these stupid plants, you have to give them at certain times. Ismil and Askander you already know - the soap we've in our packs is made from those. They're given at the beginnin' and the middle of the same night."
She started walking backwards, facing him, still holding his hand.
"Etwer and Banther Lilly, they grow all over. But Invertim, Telis and Salis Anur are rare and difficult to find save for the windward flanks of high mountains. They're flurry growths and need the updraft to stay pointed at the sun. Those are all supposed to be given at once, at whatever time of night the moon reaches zenith."
"What does all of that have to do with relationships?", he asked, a little overwhelmed.
"Well, it's supposed to show how much you care about the other person. Gettin' these plants together and making the incense is a lot of work, dependin' on where you live, it might be impossible. People have been relaxin' on the specifics but the easy to get flowers are still taken pretty seriously. If the other person's interested, they'll take them quietly, but start doin' the whole spiel for you in return. If not, they'll stop you on the first two plants and you can both move on with your lives."
"Have you ever gotten any?", he asked.
"Nah.", she chortled, "Once you start trainin' in the Auxilia, you're basically an ironclad scarecrow to most people around you."
"What's the Auxilia?"
"The Xadian armed forces. It's made up of all the tribes' armies. The Lucid is also part of it, technically. You know what a standin' army is since your Aunt is heading yours. The Lucid, ah…"
She grimaced.
"Everythin' I'm tellin' you here, they oversee it. They punish people for breakin' the rules. They see it as a way to keep our society together and workin' to a common goal. Most people just do what the traditions say cause it's easier than coming up with your own ways. If you're not that person, you do it 'cause of the Lucid. Assassins, like me, we're just another kind of Lucid agent. Unlike them though, we're only allowed to do our duty abroad."
"Wow. I never really thought about the fact that you're a soldier. Uh, sorry I got you on a double tangent. Back to flowers?"
"No problem, it's not like we have other things to keep busy.", she smirked warmly, "Anyway, err... both parties now know that they are interested in a romantic relationship, without havin' spoken a single word about it. Next step is to meet in private and tell each other a single secret. Wanna guess what that secret is?"
"Favourite foods?", he quipped.
"It's always `moonberries`", she chortled, "But no, it's literally that you feel for each other.", she became agitated, "So you just go through all of this song'n'dance to show how much you care and then you sit on your butt, and you look 'em in the eye and you go: `Duh-doy, guess what!`"
"Sounds kinda redundant", he smirked.
"It is! So! Redundant!", she enumerated, "Anyway, from there you are considered a pair. You're not meant to show it in public just yet, though around family it's usually fine. Runaan once told me about this date he...", she interrupted herself shakily, "Actually never mind about that."
For a moment, they walked quietly, then she cleared her throat.
"So. After that whole process, you keep coming back together privately to tell each other more and more secrets, starting with lesser ones, like - well, favourite foods. Then you gradually move into lies you've told them personally, if you can remember them. Then come family secrets."
She looked at him, smiling warmly.
"And if, like me, you're part of the military, you start sharin' secrets of the state, if you know any", she blushed but held his gaze, "Finally you and the other person... you, er…", she trailed off, not finding comfortable words.
"Make love?", he offered squeamishly.
She shrugged her agreement and continued, "That's when you're, I guess, considered `married`. You've merged both `inner worlds` into one. We call it `consummation` and the people in the relationship are `summands`."
"That last part is also very much a human thing", he swallowed, "So, we essentially started from pretty near the butt end. You've told me a lot of Xadian secrets at this point."
She nodded, drawing her hand from his and holding it up.
"Doin' this, touchin' your, uh", she blushed at the word, "lover under the open sky, is a taboo where I'm from, unless you are consummated. But we've shared secrets we should be saving for waaay later. That's far enough up a crooked branch that even if you were an elf, some people would be furious."
"What happens though, when it happens by accident? I didn't know that I shouldn't be telling you things...", he inquired.
"Ah, it becomes a personal secret you shouldn't be acting on directly. If you liked what you'd heard, you'd go through the entire process, front to back."
She grinned toothily.
"I say, forget the rules. Followin' them's only gotten me grief so far."
She let him step into her extended arms for a hug, then spun around to walk next to him again.
"I don't know about you, but I don't need a bushel of flowers or know all your secrets to be with you", he said, "What you want to share is good enough for me"
"Aww that is sweet, but at this point I'd have basically nothing else to share with you anyway. My favourite food is fried grit soup with a nice slice of soft cheese. There, done.", she gave him an interested smile, "What about you?"
He thought about it.
Was there anything he hadn't told her about that he counted as a secret?
"Actually, yes. Something I should've shown you earlier."
She blinked with surprise as he pulled her under a nearby rock.
"I drew you while you were asleep", he showed her the picture.
"Well. That's an interestin' angle!", she grinned toothily, "How did you grow a third arm to draw it?"