A/N: As usual, I would recommend putting the video on loop.

Underneath one of the larger pine trees, any snow there was cleared away. The bed of twigs and needles was still wet but not to the point where they would be soaked from sitting upon it. (F/n) stayed there with the cloak wrapped tightly around her form. Her eyes were averted from Tarhuinn, given his current dress state, as he went out and retrieved their drying items.

He swiftly returned and placed the items underneath the tree before he took a seat beside her. She wished that she could tolerate the cold like Tarhuinn could. It would make their traveling so much easier. If she were a kelremm, though, she wouldn't probably have ever married him or have had any of their other interactions. With that in mind, it made her sensitivity to the chilly air more bearable.

Their clothes were still drying, however, and she desperately wished to wrap herself in his cloak. Unfortunately, that was the item that would most likely take the longest to dry off completely. Noting her staring at the article of clothing, Tarhuinn moved her over to him. He spread his legs apart and seated her between them. His arms wrapped around her waist as a light does of heat dusted across her cheeks.

Head lying against his chest, some of his long, ink-black locks fell over her form. Her fingers reached over and twirled around some of the soft strands. They glided over her fingers like the water from a gentle waterfall. She almost got lost in them due to the soothing action, but something that Cetar had mentioned disturbed her peaceful state. "Can we really fight off the five authors, their mage and their spies?"

The smell of rain grew stronger, and the first drops began to descend from the sky. "We'll be able to," Tarhuinn answered, his grip tightening by a little bit. "We fight or we die. Those are our two options, and I refuse to have you be killed by any of them."

A small smile rested on her lips. "You always refuse to let anyone kill me," she chuckled out softly. She moved her feet closer to her as a few drops of rain hit her skin. "I'm glad, though. That declaration of yours has worked so far. I don't think that I could ask for a better protector."

"And, I the same," he responded, placing a gentle kiss on her right cheek. His lips lingered there. "You've been keeping a watch on me ever since we left our home." Left hand going over to his daggers, he picked up the one that wasn't sheathed. He held it before her and twirled it between his fingers. "You even drew a blade on a mermaid to protect me." The dagger was placed in her left hand. "You've truly earned this."

His hand clasped hers. They both held the blade as he lifted their hands to her chest. "For the rest of our lives, we'll protect the other. When we enter the authors' home, we'll be swift and we'll come out alive." Hand moving from hers, he wrapped his left arm back around her waist. "I'll show them no mercy. Like that mage, I'll deal the proper punishment for them trying to kill you. They've tried to take you from me through their connections. In return for their gesture, I'll take away their lives from them. Their bodies will be left for the merfolk but not after ..."

Setting the blade aside, she turned around in his hold. She sat on her knees. Her hands rested on the sides of his face. (F/n) shook her head. "Don't lose yourself, Tarhuinn. Not right now, save that hate for when we encounter them. Don't let it control you but guide it so that our trip to their home is truly quick." A few drops of rain managed to fall upon each of them. "If we're lucky, we'll be able to sneak through their home and take them by surprise one by one."

"(F/n), you know that such a possibility will be unlikely." Her hands fell from his face and rested on his chest. "We'll have to fight them. They're skilled at secrecy and acquiring information. We'll probably only go unnoticed for a short while.

"Before even going into their home, we should stay in that general area for a few days and see if we can learn any valuable information. We know that two of the authors and the mage have probably left. They won't be back for some time. That'll make things easier, but there may always be another mage or mages on their side. If there are any more, we should take them out first."

"Are we going to fight Tergii, Bimaa and the mage on the way back, then?"

"Yes, but they're going up against that wretched mage. He'll probably keep them occupied for awhile as will the pixies. He might even successfully kill the three of them for us. Whether he defeats them or not, we'll have to fight someone on the way back unless they all kill each other in their encounter."

"If we have to fight any of them, I hope that it's Tergii or Bimaa. I'll even take both of them over either of the mages, especially over Will." Just recalling the time that she had spent with him, her hands pressed more into Tarhuinn's chest.

"You shouldn't even utter his name, (f/n). He doesn't deserve to have his name said by you." Leaning his forehead against hers, his lips hovered over hers. His gaze stayed locked with hers, however. "I wish for you to forget the nightmare that was him. That time in your life is past, and you'll never have to spend another day with him."

Her eyes averted away from his stare. "That's hard to do when he left those terrible memories in my mind. I want to only remember that I beat the obstacle that was him, but, sadly, that includes everything that led up to that event."

"It doesn't have to. You only have to recall that you conquered a terrible mage. Everything else about him can fade away." His lips ghosted over hers, and her breath hitched in her throat. Slowly, he started to lean back. "You can forget his hair, eyes, nose and mouth. His whole appearance can evaporate from your mind." The tips of his right fingers slid under her chin. Her head was lifted upwards gently. "Abandon the thoughts of his words. They were deceptions utilized to lure you in and to frighten you."

Another few raindrops fell upon them. One ran down her lips. His thumb wiped it away. "That may not be simple, but I can help. I can feel your head with memories that you will cherish." Lingering on her lips, his thumb slid down them steadily. A shiver traveled up her spine, and her eyes closed for a moment. When she opened them again, his face was nearer. "Will you let me take one away and replace it with a better one?"

(F/n) laughed, and it was like a delicate snowflake coming into contact with the snowy earth below. She moved his hand from her head before she kissed his thumb lightly. Meeting his gaze once more, she smiled. "Silly, you're already creating a better one." Moving closer to him, she chuckled. "You should pay more attention. Besides, you missed a drop."

Not permitting him to say a word, she leaned forward and pressed her lips to a raindrop falling down his left cheek. Her lips pulled back, and she caught his stare once more. "And, you forgot something else. Perhaps, I might wish to form that better memory with you."

"I think that I can grant that request, but," he turned her head to face him completely, "I overlooked another raindrop." This time, he didn't let her speak. His lips met hers as his hands glided under her chin. Her hands traveled up from his chest to his shoulders to better support herself. Their lips harmonized in movement like the raindrops around them.

Some pixies on patrol in the area were flying by, but they halted their return to their home. They sped behind a nearby tree and peeked around the trunk at the two. A quiet chuckle left one of them, for they hadn't seen such a scene since the wedding of their queen and king. The other pixie merely smiled, glad to view something of such a nature. It was a pleasant change from the scenes back at their home. Witnessing the actions of the mage upon that female kelremm were enough to leave anyone more than unsettled.

Both of the pixies soon left, however. They decided to leave the couple in peace. Having gone unnoticed by the two, Tarhuinn and (f/n) finally parted their lips from the others. Catching her breath, (f/n) rested her head against his chest. There was some heat present in her cheeks, but she didn't mind it with the cold around them. She could still feel his lips against hers. Her eyes closed while her right hand kept her cloak wrapped around her.

She was quite happy that this time they didn't have merfolk watching them. They could enjoy the other's presence without interruption or harsh stares. Had she known about the pixies, the moment would've ended already. Not having that knowledge, though, she could keep enjoying it. To her, it had been only the two of them in that area of the forest. It was indeed becoming a beloved memory.

There was something that she had forgotten, though. Her lips upturned, and she glanced back up at him. Recalling the phrase that she had mouthed to him, her smile grew. They had managed to find a way out of that situation, and they had their lives still, but there was something missing. "Back in the merfolk's lair, I never told you something. I didn't want them to hear; they weren't warranted to hear."

"And, what would this be?" he asked, a small smirk forming on his lips.

Most likely, he already knew what would leave her lips, but she liked to think that it remained a mystery to him. Sitting up straight and bearing a large smile, she disclosed, "It's simple. I love you." She kissed him once more and pulled away shortly after.

Chuckling, he replied, "That I already knew." He returned her kiss and moved her back closer to him.