After the water incident, things seemed to smooth out. Faline had little issues walking, no longer limping or wincing under her own weight. She seemed more at ease. Her ears were alert and her eyes focused. Although she knew not where they were going, she eagerly followed along. Why, perhaps there was even a small grin someone on that pretty face. Maybe a skip to her walk. The water truly worked wonders on her. And Aleu too! The black bags under her eyes seemed to fade and that healthy blue glow returned as a spark in her eyes.

Their stepping was quick and with confidence, something the Unai hadn't displayed in quite some time. They seemed ready to take on the world. And with the amount of land they had covered, it seemed almost possible. It was long into the day, nearly 2PM, when Aleu slowed their adventuring. They were just miles away from the second part of phase one.

Snaking her away around a tree that clutched the edge of a cliff they traveled along, Aleu sent her blue eyes back to the woman following her. "Have care with how you step. One wrong move," her eyes trailed over toward the edge.

Although breathtakingly beautiful, the sheer drop would be a one-way ticket to the life of a corpse. Or rather lack thereof. The trees below were a lively green color and bore rich, tropical fruits. Birds squawked and chirped below, completely at peace with their home. Somewhere in the distance was the faint roar of a waterfall, blissfully adding harmony to the atmosphere. Honestly, the view looked like photograph one would display in their home. Why, there even appeared to be a faint rainbow glistening on the still wet canopy leaves.

Too bad it would claim certain death to those who fell.

Sucking air in, Aleu's chest moved outward. Her breath was held as small beads of sweat started to dot her brows. Panic lingered in her eyes and her body trembled. Even with her careful footing, the blonde seemed fearful of her steps.

Lip quivering, her eyes slammed shut. She didn't want to look. The drop was too much. Glorious as it was, the Lypheion had always hated heights, especially fatal heights.

Whimper gripping her, Aleu's ears spun back. They clung to her head with fear. Wincing, she forced an eye open.

She had hardly moved, which caused even more alarm. She didn't have time to be held back by fear, especially one such as this. How was it that she was fine atop the mountain but pertrified on an edge? Well, it was obvious as to why one scared her and the other didn't. Still, it pained her to know she too had her limitations.

Hesitantly, her blue orbs shifted to Faline.

"I've never been a fan of heights, especially those linked to narrow ground." Her eyes, wild and almost feral, snapped to the valley below. "Hate them even more when Rroy's not around to catch me."

With calm exhale, she forced her ears forward. She had to do this. She had made it there once. She could do it again. They had to go this way to get to the relic; there was no other alternative path. They needed to gather as much information as they could before Faline would move onto phase two.

And yet, there they were. Waiting. Waiting for Aleu to move her frightened ass across a very narrow edge. And naturally, being part wolf, the woman had larger feet than most. It certainly didn't aid in the inch-worm crawl to the other side. She had, what? Perhaps four-inches of ledge to work with. It was hardly enough, forcing those who dared pass to tip-toe to the other side.

As the rocks behind her back poked at her flesh, she grit her teeth. She would be fine. I will be fine, she kept telling herself. All will be okay. It has to be okay.

Slowly, she moved her foot an inch to the left. With a slight shuffle, the rocks behind her back shifted. They were smoother now and no longer forcing her chest out more than necessary.

Sighing, her brows fell together. She was doing well. She had maneuvered around the tree. She probably had five more feet to go before she was finally at the edge of Death's Ledge, as she would come to call it.

A sound to her right caught her attention. Faline, she was moving. The woman as kind enough not to advance forward until Aleu was about three feet away. That was nice, she gestured by smiling.

Nodding, she confirmed that it was time for Faline to follow her. She didn't want Faline to fall too far behind for, should Faline get stuck or fall, Aleu needed to be there to catch her.

Seeing Faline eased her movements. Her heart slowed and a smile came to her face. "You make it look too easy," she chirped, though hesitation still lingered in her tone.

How long had they been scaling the wall? Likely ten minutes, though Faline didn't seem to push or force the woman on. It was soothing, knowing that she could take her sweet time crawling along an edge. Although Faline didn't seem the type, the woman grasped the issue at hand. She was smart, which made her capable. And that made Aleu like the Unai all the more.

Foot up, she shifted it to the left.

The rocks beneath her were strange. Felt, light. No, loose. No....

Eyes wide, she felt her heart in her throat. Instinctively, her hands grasped for whatever she could find, but nothing came into reach. Everything was air. Air, air, air. As her body moved from the wall she once clung to, her eyes jerked to Faline. The woman was reaching out, hand sprawled wide. She was leaning so far, too far! She was... trying to save her.

In free fall, Aleu could hear the world echo around her. It was a hushed whisper, a cooing lullaby. It rattled her eyes and caused her breath to fall apart.

Tears slipped from her eyes. Was this really how it was to end? Was she not allowed to save Faline and reunite the sisters? Had she meddled on the island for far too long? It was unfair. Everyone always got to live a hero's life. But she? She was also destined to fail and fall. As her life flashed before her eyes, the saddened look of a defeated mother crossed her features. She had failed Faline. It was all her fault.

As Faline likely tried to figure out what to do next (maybe planning on summoning something to catch her), a dark blur streaked across the sky. It was fleeting, nearly transparent. Had she not be looking closely, the Unai would certainly miss it.

Breath held, Aleu felt a warmth surround her. Then, in an instant, the warmth became a cool, smoothing touch. Was this the embrace of death?

Pulling a single eye open, her blue orbs fell on a sharp nose and a pale pair of narrow lips. Black wisps of hair fell into her view, creating a stark contrast against the faint peach skin. And soon the calming scent of wintergreen wafted into her nose. In seconds, her ears came alive. The numbness that once clung them vanished as a sea of sound came pouring back into her.

Lips pursed, her dazed gaze slowly panned toward a soft set of red orbs. Caught off guard by her own reflection gazing back ghostly, she shuttered before burrowing her nose into the crease between the arm that held her and the chest that warmed her.

Whimpering, the wolf-woman nuzzled that chest until the tears in her eyes became dark dots on the black cloth that surrounded her. "Thank you," she whispered with relief.

"I lost you once," a voice rich with adoration cooed gently to her, "I refuse to lose you again."

Red orbs pulling their loving gaze from Aleu's cowering form soon fell on Faline. Eyes without black centers mulled over her form. Carefully, like little scanners, they honed in on everything. If Faline had anything to hide, those eyes would find it. Finally, with calibrations complete, those pale lips jerked to the side to form a cocky grin.

"Unai Faline," his head dipped, casting a shadow over his vivid red orbs. Pulling his head from the slight bow, he left his lingering eyes on her.

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