The road to Flamesgrace, though scarce with monsters, was made treacherous by its near constant snowfall. Unfortunately, on the day they decided to pass, it was not snowing, and this managed to make it even worse. Rather than soft fresh powder to convey them, there was ice and slush. Halfway up the mountain, it was growing to the point where they had to put all of their attention on their footing.
Linde let out a roar, warning her human companions of a particularly rough patch. H'aanit reached toward Primrose to help her pass it, but she leapt over the icy spot in a single bound, landing softly on the other end on both feet. "Did you need any help?" she asked, turning back to the huntress. Dance on a few stages covered in spilled ale and no icy mountain can best you.
H'aanit smirked, shaking her head. She didn't even bother to jump, just stepping through the patch, her footing never faltering. Either the goat skin boots had a better grip than Primrose had expected, or the huntress's experience stalking her prey had made her at least as sure footed as the dancer. Either way she was impressed.
"Thou seemest surprised."
"You never cease to amaze me, H'aanit."
With that, she promptly lost her footing. Primrose and Linde both darted forward, in fear that she would plummet over the cliff, but she landed soundly on the ground, her shoulders and head absorbing most of the impact. Her face seemed redder than the fall and cold could account for, which was certainly saying something.
Primrose was more than a little worried that she was responsible for her friend's fall. She might have distracted her just a bit too much. "Are you all right?"
"It weren but a slip. I am unharmed."
"Are you sure? Do you want me to take a look? I have some grapes if you need them."
The chagrined expression on her face as she heaved herself to her feet made it hard to take her seriously. "I tolde thee, I am fine. I neede not any assistance."
Primrose slipped her hand around the taller woman's waist. "I know how capable you are, but we're looking after each other, right? You don't have to do it alone."
Gritting her teeth, H'aanit groaned lowly. "I am well. Let us moven on. Thou dost not need to worry about me."
She was going to do it either way. "H'aanit."
"I promise thee, I am unharmed. I wille to continue, it beth growing colder."
Now that, she couldn't argue with. They needed to keep moving, lest they find themselves freezing on this mountain. Primrose shivered in response, the temperature now first in her mind. "You're right, let's go." She had grabbed some furs from Z'aanta's cabin, but it seemed to be doing little to keep out the cold. She was too accustomed to the warmth of the Sunlands. Her recent journeying throughout Orsterra had done little to acclimate her to this weather.
She didn't even notice as something heavy was draped over her shoulders. "I thinke thou needest this more than me."
Primrose looked over her shoulder, finding H'aanit's heavy furs gone and only the thick shirt she wore beneath it visible. The white pelt now peaked out over her own shoulder. "H'aanit –" she began.
"Nay. So long as we moven, I am warm enough. I want to looke after thee."
"Oh." She found herself blushing as she realized the implications. It was clear what they were becoming, but she hadn't expected anything like this, at least not yet. She had trouble even imagining that someone could care for her so. "I don't want you to freeze, H'aanit. Are you sure?" She didn't want to give up the token of affection that was now bringing her to a substantially more comfortable temperature, but she'd far rather they both be a bit uncomfortable than she be fine and her friend end up frostbitten.
"Wouldst thou prefer this?" She slung her arm around the smaller woman, letting the fur warm the two of them.
Primrose absolutely preferred that. "Just make sure you watch your feet. I don't want you falling again." She wanted to bite her tongue. H'aanit was being so kind, so loving, and all she was doing in return was taunting her. She truly was unfit for a real relationship.
H'aanit didn't reply. Prim wished that she could take it back. Every moment the silence dragged on longer was an eternal agony for her. She had hurt the woman she was falling for. At least to herself, she could finally admit it. H'aanit was so wonderful, far greater than she could ever deserve, and she was lost in her. She didn't want their travels to ever end, and it ate at her to know that they were growing so close to Noblecourt. They would arrive the next day. Perhaps she should suggest a detour?
H'aanit stopped suddenly and Primrose followed suit without even another step. Her eyes darted around, searching for any enemy that may lie in weight. She couldn't believe she'd done it again. She'd managed to grow so rapt in her thoughts that she had missed whatever cue had clued in her companion. "What is it?" she asked, after she continued to find nothing before or behind them.
"We misseden the other path."
The two of them retraced their steps and found the correct path. After checking in at the inn, they decided to pay a visit to the church and see if Ophilia was available. It hadn't been long, but it would be nice to see their friend again.
As soon as they walked into the building, a pair of arms threw themselves around H'aanit's neck. "I can't believe you're here!" Ophilia squealed. "I saw you from the window."
H'aanit rested her hand on the other woman's back. "I have missed thee as well, Ophilia."
After an exceedingly long moment, Ophilia finally released the huntress and turned to Primrose, throwing her arms around her as well. "It's good to see you, Prim."
"You too, Phili. Have you been doing all right?"
She nodded, her chin pressing into Primrose's back. "It's been tough with father gone, but we're managing. Lianna and I."
"Where beth Lianna?"
Pulling away from Primrose, she smiled up at H'aanit. "She's busy right now. Maybe we could go grab dinner? By the time we've finished, she should be done with the service."
"Lead the way," Primrose offered.
She led them toward the back of the church, to the kitchens. They had expected to go to the tavern, and surprise was clear on both of their faces. "I wanted to cook for you," Ophilia explained. That was concerning.
A short while later, they had wine, mutton, and a few loaves of bread on a small table in the church, near a window through which they could watch the snow as it resumed falling, seeming to attempt to make up for its prior absence with its furiosity. Perhaps staying in the church had been the best idea after all.
Though all three seats were on different ends of the table, H'aanit and Primrose had subconsciously moved their chairs nearer each other. Neither of them had yet reached out for the other, but just being closer was a great comfort. They were already truly hopeless.
"So where have the two of you gone in your travels since we went our separate ways?" Ophilia asked as she finally settled into her chair, having put away the last of the supplies she'd used.
"Just around," Primrose replied. "We went down to Sunshade and saw how the tavern was being managed since I'd last been there. The new man seems to be a lot better. I even talked to a few of the dancers there and while it was mostly new faces, they seemed to be much happier than they had been under Helgenish." A wicked grin spread across her face as she recalled ending that vile wretch of a man. It had been so long coming. She only wished she could've done it before he'd killed Yusufa.
"We exploreden ancient caverns," H'aanit added. "I capturede fearsome monsters, the likes of which I'd never seen. Linde hasth madeth many new friends. They weren truly formidable adversaries."
"Please, we wiped the floor with them."
"Beest nice, they been worthy of respect. They weren the lords of their domains."
Ophilia glanced between them. "So you really did it."
"What, captured a bunch of monsters?" Prim asked, squinting at the priestess.
Ophilia rolled her eyes. "So how long has it been going on? I knew it would happen as soon as you two decided to travel together. I'd seen the way you looked at each other."
Realization dawned on both H'aanit and Primrose. They shifted in their chairs, their gazes turning away from each other. Prim stared at the stove, while H'aanit dug into her food.
"Oh come on, tell me. I'm your friend." Ophilia looked genuinely hurt, as if if they didn't immediately confess everything she would start to cry. It was effective.
"Been we?" H'aanit asked, setting her fork down and turning back to Primrose.
She chewed on her lip. She certainly wanted them to be, but there was so much more that she had to do. It wasn't fair to expect H'aanit to just go along with her. She had a life of her own. "In truth, I thought the two of you far more likely to end up together." Primrose admitted by way of deflecting.
Ophilia blushed as bright as the Sacred Flame. "I – what?"
H'aanit stared down at Primrose, trying to figure out just what was going through her mind.
Meanwhile, Phili was so flustered by the question that rather than it having served its intended purpose of distracting her, she now seemed doubly focused on her interrogation. Now everyone was staring at Prim. She hated having to make these decisions. She wanted to just go fade away into the shadows. "Would you like to be?" she finally asked H'aanit, her voice weak. She hadn't felt so terrified in years.
Her cheeks flushing, H'aanit nodded. "I wolde. Thou art very special to me, Primrose. I wolde follow thee to the ends of the earth."
Her breath came out shaky. She still felt guilty dragging H'aanit along on her own business, but at least she seemed willing. "Okay." She nodded, swallowing the lump in her throat. "I would like that as well."
Before she could even think to regret her choice, H'aanit closed the distance between them, her lips meeting Primrose's. The kiss remained proper, chaste, fit for the confines of a church, but it felt amazing. Warmth spread through Prim,spreading downward from the kiss. She gripped H'aanit's leg, madly clinging to her. She'd been lost for so long, and only in this woman had she finally found succor, she'd finally found a home. She was lost again, but no longer on her own, now she was entirely lost in this strange beauty from the Woodlands.
"I'm so happy for you two!" Ophilia squeaked.
"So then you don't want her after all?" Primrose asked, once she'd managed to recompose herself.
Blushing again, but with less vigor this time, she shook her head. She simply wouldn't be distracted by that tangent, no matter how hard Primrose tried. "I'm already quite taken."
"Oh?"
Her eyes widened. "By the church! Not anyone or anything else. I just mean I wouldn't have the time. I –" her gaze turned down to her plate, where the food was quickly growing cold. "Let's eat," she said sheepishly.
She didn't have to tell them twice. It had been a long day on the trail and the two women were starving. The food was – Primrose hesitated. It wasn't bad by any means. It was thoroughly edible. Just no where near as good as anything H'aanit had fixed for her. Still, it was a massive improvement from the few attempts that Ophilia had made back when they were traveling together.
By the time they finished supper, Lianna must have finished her service, as she popped into the kitchen. "Good evening," she greeted them, taking a seat next to her sister. Neither of them were quite sure how she'd known to find them all there. Had they been expected? They'd sent no word to either of the sisters ahead of time. She seemed happy. Perky even. It was a strange and mildly horrifying change from the last time they'd seen her a mere handful of weeks earlier.
"Good evening," H'aanit replied, eyeing the woman suspiciously.
Primrose sipped her wine. "I take it you've been having fun with Eliza." From what she'd learned about H'aanit's experiences with the woman, she seemed to be quite good at broadening women's horizons. The two had certainly seemed close when they had all left to find the Gate, having just finally brought down that cult for good.
Her face turned a bright red. "Indeed. That's certainly what's been happening."
Ophilia grinned at her. She must have been thrilled that her sister was finally growing back to her old self. "I'm glad that you're doing so well, Anna. You had me worried."
"I swear, poison the one person you're closest to in the whole world and almost bring about the return of an evil god and everyone starts fretting over you. It was just a phase." She offered a wry smile to her sister.
Primrose and H'aanit exchanged looks. They hadn't known her before hand, but this seemed a far cry from the priestess's many tales of her. "Thou art adjustingest then? That beth wonderful, Ophilia must beth so happy."
She nodded. "I am." Her cheeks colored slightly and she took a sip of her own drink before pouring a glass for Lianna. "It's just been amazing. I'm so glad she's up for spending time with me again, she gave me quite a scare."
Averting her gaze, Lianna toyed with her braid. "I'm sorry I put you through all of that. And everything else. I was a terrible sister these last few months, and you deserved so much better. You're amazing, Phili, and I promise I'm going to try to make you as happy as I can from here on out."
'Not poisoning her seems a good start,' Primrose managed to avoid saying out loud. She raised her glass, attempting to change the subject. "To family." They'd all lost their parents, but they had found new family in their stead. She had found H'aanit. She wasn't ready to admit it out loud just yet, but all she'd really wanted for quite some time was to make her part of House Azelhart.
"To family," they all echoed.
Her empty wine glass back on the table, H'aanit's hand met Prim's and their eyes locked. "Well then," Lianna mused.
They were so bad at being subtle. Primrose just hoped that she could manage to avoid making a show of it back in Noblecourt, at least until things had settled down a bit more. "You're not the only one who's found someone to make you happy," Primrose confessed. She could scarcely believe she was saying those words. She'd come so far from the jaded mess that she'd been back in Sunshade.
"I'm happy for you."
"Thankest thee." H'aanit slung her arm around Primrose, pulling her closer.
The two sisters exchanged a quick glance and Lianna cleared her throat. "I don't suppose you fixed anything for dessert? I didn't eat much before service and I'm famished."
"There's some bread left from supper," Primrose offered.
Ophilia beamed at them all. "There's sweetbread in the oven."
"I thoughte I smellede it. Usest thou mine recipe?"
She nodded. "How could I not? It was so amazing when you made it for me. It was the one dish that I swore to myself I would learn how to make perfectly. I hope you like it," she added, her cheeks coloring.
The smell of the treat filled the room as Ophilia flung the oven doors open. Even as full as she was, Primrose's mouth watered at the scent. It had been a few weeks since H'aanit had made it for her, but it smelled identical. Ophilia must have done a perfect job copying it.
The flaky pastry steamed on its tray. The crust had just the slightest hint of a golden tinge and the jelly was visible through slits in the top. "It lookest amazing."
Baring her teeth in a massive grin, Ophilia placed a bread on each of their plates. "Don't tell me that yet. Wait until you try it. It always looked right, it just didn't taste right the first few times. The balance in the dough was always off."
Holding the bread to her mouth, H'aanit blew repeatedly on her dessert, cooling it enough to eat. She took a quick bite, a slight crunch audible as her lips curled upward. "It beth wonderful. Thankest thee, Ophilia."
Ophilia looked to all the world like she wanted to jump for joy, but she managed to only nod her head in a polite gesture of appreciation before sinking her own teeth into the treat. She let out a contented moan. "Yes, it turned out perfectly!"
Personally, Primrose still preferred H'aanit's, but it was damn good. She'd have to see about making it herself sometime once they had made it home. Perhaps H'aanit would be up for giving her lessons. She just hoped that she'd be willing to stick around for that long.
The four fell into comfortable banter as they leisurely enjoyed their dessert and wine, finishing off another bottle before they retired for the evening. It had been more than worth it to visit one of their companions on this trip. Ophilia had been a great friend and they couldn't have made it without her. Both of them were just happy that she and Lianna had managed to build themselves a good life after everything that had happened.
When the bottle was empty and midnight was fast approaching, they bid their farewells to the priestesses and returned to their room for the night. They barely had the chance to consider making a night of it and passed out immediately in their bed. There'd be time for more in Noblecourt.