Hawk was easy enough to get along with, and somehow, even with all the ugly, dirty things she wanted to feel, Lise found herself chatting with him, laughing at his jokes as if he was an old friend, as they traveled the cavernous path known as the Cave of Waterfalls, en route to the Holy City.
The scenery was something else as well. She stared in fascination at the waterfalls that gave the cave its name, her eyes following the trail of water as it poured and sputtered down the rocky slope, to eventually become part of whatever underground river drizzled its way down to the sea.
She felt like that river, in a way, descending into the darkness, no way out but to become lost in nothingness. It put her in a pensive mood, and however much she might have let down her guard over the past few days, she found the walls coming right back up again.
Hawk led the way, his eyes always on the path ahead, but she had no illusions that he was not conscious of her with every motion. She had fluctuations of wild emotion, panicked need to trust mixing with overwhelming rage. In the latter, she found herself clinging to her spear, all her willpower used to keep from driving it into Hawk's back, to create the pain, to see the lifeblood pouring out, as the skin was destroyed to let the fragile parts of the body underneath show through. Truly, she knew it would be a futile gesture that changed nothing, but nevertheless part of her craved the simple cruelty of the act and the base satisfaction it would bring.
She did not loosen her grip on her weapon until light spilled into the caverns, fixating her gaze on the cave exit outside. Oblivious, Hawk laughed and joked as easily as before, as they broke into grassy daylight once again and strolled into Wendel.
They walked side by side, through a hushed holy town that recoiled from their drawn weapons. Whispers crept to her, as eyes looked towards Hawk, the Navarrese blatantly out of place in the lakeshore region. "I hear Navarre has done terrible things," drifted the whispers to her ears, citizens sneaking glances at Hawk, sometimes openly staring. He showed only the barest hint of tension in response, thin lines around his eyes indicating his increased wariness.
As they traversed the peaceful streets, Lise realized she was no less conspicuous. No further comments reached her ears, but glances were more than enough. Not that she wasn't well aware of the incongruity of a full-armored Amazon being seen in the company of one of her conquerors.
Rumors traveled fast, it seemed.
Finally, one word drifted to her on the wind. "Slave," it uttered, and she suddenly braced, realizing that was what they had taken her for, spear or no. Sneaking a glance at her lightly tolerated companion, she saw a grimace across his face as well. He did not like the comment any more than she did.
Nevertheless, it bothered her; with a sinking feeling, she realized that in a sense, that was indeed what she was. She was here now only through his mercy, and her assessment of his motivations. How much could she trust those instincts?
She asked herself, once again, what she was doing with this man. He was the enemy, he would never be anything less. Or anything more. She was indeed nothing but his captive. To do as he would, she thought suddenly, and the thought gave her chills.
"Hark!" She was removed from her reverie by the voice of one of the temple guards. Still slightly confined by her haze of anger, she snapped back to attention and realized, with a start, that they had reached the Temple of Light.
Hawk's arm brushed hers, and to her surprise, she found herself letting him take her hand in his as they entered. Neither spoke once they crossed the threshold, both suddenly captivated by the imposing, marbled structure that was the Temple. Even with her worries itching down her spine, the peace of the Goddess's home still seeped into her bones.
Pillared hallways led in every direction, but to the two of them, the way forward seemed inexplicably obvious, an odd pull drawing them forward. They found themselves entering the center, the altar of the Goddess, the space of the Priest of Light. There, below the statue of the Goddess, the Priest was waiting for them as if in expectation, and Lise caught her breath as they approached.
The Goddess had failed her, but she suddenly felt awed nevertheless.
"Greetings, my children," the old man breathed. Lise opened her mouth to ask a question, but the Priest preempted her. "No need. I know what you seek."
"Do you?" she asked, a hint of challenge in her voice. Beside her, Hawk had frozen, deathly still, poised waiting for whatever happened next.
The Priest came around the altar then, and looked deep into her eyes. She realized, with a start, that he had no color to his eyes, just clean whiteness broken by a pupil that widened as his face drew closer to hers. He held her gaze for a long moment, then, to her relief, he turned away.
He faced the statue of the Goddess, making the sign of the tree as he knelt before Her image. Lise tried to find her own piety, but found her heart empty inside. Still, she was able to remain respectfully quiet as the minutes drew out.
He rose, and faced Hawk first. "The enemy you face, threatens the world as a whole." Hawk nodded slowly, carefully. "First, you should go to Forcena. The Magic Kingdom of Altena pursues them for its own evil ends. They suffer as your homeland has, and you may find other allies in such a place, wracked by the disruptions of Mana."
Forcena, Lise thought. There were two options to travel there – a long voyage by ship, or a dangerous overland trek through the Moonlight Forest, invaded by the primitive creatures known as Beastmen. She weighed her options. She was sticking with Hawk for her chance at revenge, and that was all that seemed to fill her, all other emotions left far behind. She turned slightly to him, the weighing of the options evident on his face. With a trace of humiliation, she realized he already assumed that he would be making the decision, and the revelation that had hit her in town was reinforced tenfold. She was not the one in control.
Not that she had harbored any hope she would be.
"And what do you want, young woman?" the Priest asked Lise, his gentle voice breaking into her dark thoughts, the kindness almost an intrusion in her frame of mind.
She was not so rude as to ignore the Priest, but she was forced to pause for a moment. "You told me you knew," she told him, a hint of accusation in her voice.
"True," the Priest acknowledged. "But it is better if you can voice it yourself."
What did she want, exactly? Could the Goddess turn back time, bring back dead? Could lost loves, shattered dreams, be resurrected in any form? What paltry favor might She grant to make up for it?
"Nothing," Lise replied emptily, voice echoing in the relatively empty nave of the temple, the echoes seeming to mock her. "Nothing at all."