For the first time since Jane had met up with Leonne again, she was genuinely and thoroughly enjoying dinner. For one, Mentuc was, despite his alien behaviour and the fact that he nearly murdered her before, one of the best cooks she'd ever met. It wasn't that the meal was something special. Simple cooked potatoes served with a stew and a mixture of what likely were vegetables from their farm, but something in the way he applied spices and juggled the food above an open flame turned what should have been a mundane meal into something godly. The food, of course, was only a small part of it. It was delightful to see Cassy switch between looking guiltily when Leonne so much as glanced in her general direction, and trying to stuff herself full. Somehow she found the time in between two mouthfuls to natter non stop about her day and the animals to Mentuc.

The real kicker, of course, was Leonne. She didn't understand why, but the woman was mortified by the idea of her husband planning something in secret. Jane knew that it wasn't a birthday surprise or an anniversary, so she was left in the dark. Still, the big, suspicious lunk clearly was head over heels for her, even if his way of showing it was strange. She didn't feel much sympathy for her friend. Even less when she recalled her own, last attempt at a relationship. The secrets that guy had kept from her had caused her to throw his shit out of the flat. Through the window. From the eight floor. So it was with a lot of Schadenfreude that Jane watched her friend try, and utterly fail, to subtly glance at Mentuc, as if she would be able to gleam the secrets from his face. It became even better when Mentuc put his cutlery down and looked back at her, catching her like a deer in headlights. And to her eternal delight, he didn't stop staring either, even when she turned as red as a beet and mumbled something incoherently while stabbing a piece of meat.

Jane wasn't a psychologist, but she didn't need to be one to see that her friend was caught between wanting to straight up ask him and, if she read her right, wanting to let it remain a secret. That was simultaneously puzzling and adorable to watch. On one hand Leonne couldn't stomach the thought of not knowing something she wanted to know, which was par for the course for her. On the other she clearly wanted to be surprised, given that Cassy had already let slip that it was going to be something pleasant. Childish on all accounts, yet so fascinating to watch. This wasn't the usual happy-go-lucky behaviour that her friend had displayed so often when they were still students. This was more deeply rooted. A sort of ease and unguardedness that Leonne had only ever displayed around her. Or when she was black out drunk. It was enviable, really.

Then Leonne finally became aware of the broad-grinned stares that had been coming her way and she responded in an even more dignified manner by blowing a massive raspberry. This resulted in Cassy, who clearly had been plotting revenge ever since being found out, making a lightning move with her fork in an attempt to snatch one of the larger chunks of meat, only for it to be thwarted by an even faster intervention by Mentuc. He made it look so casual, but in the blink of an eye Cassy's fork, of whom the owner was now leaning across the dinner table, was stuck on Mentuc's knife, inches away from Leonne's plate. As both adult women stopped pulling faces at one another in exchange for going wide eyed at the lightning exchange, Cassy let out a growl and tried to slip past Mentuc's defence. Who stopped every attack with mocking ease, while calmly continuing to eat.

'Can you two not fight over my plate in both the figurative and literal sense of the word?' Leonne sighed, unable to completely keep a grin from her face.

Cassy let out another combative growl and clearly wasn't ready to relent, earning her a tired sigh from her older sister, which turned into a sudden gasp when Mentuc twisted his knife and promptly disarmed the teenager. Time froze as the fork danced in the air for what felt like an eternity before Mentuc plucked it out of the air with what could only be described as a casual movement. It was... Jane's mind pulled back from the word insane and offered another one instead. It was suspicious. She was so busy glaring at Mentuc that she failed to notice Cassy switching targets, only realising it when the rebellious teen plunged her knife into her plate and made off with a large piece. This in turn set off Leonne's mischievous streak, who returned the favour by nicking Cassy's plate in its entirety.

A full on food fight ensued between the siblings for a good while, during which Jane managed to retrieve her stolen goods. It was childish, silly, completely stupid and absolutely hilarious and endearing to witness and it only ended when Mentuc put down a massive pot and started refilling everyone's plate. 'Behave,' he told the both of them, yet Jane couldn't help but feel that he seemed hesitant when saying that, as if he wasn't sure it was the right thing to say. She looked up at the man in front of her, once again taken off guard by just how big he was, before realising that it wasn't his size that made him seem that large. Her eyes narrowed as she traced him, the arguing of the Gyhad siblings fading into the background as she gave him her undivided attention.

There was a sort of solidness to his step. A controlled form of aggression in the way his feet landed on the floor and how he held his body. There was more to it, but she couldn't tell what. She reared back in shock when he turned around, lightning quick, and threw something at her. A big, dark thing filled her vision and there was a loud and very wet splat. Only then did her mind realise that she hadn't been hit. Beside her, Cassy, now with a large and wet towel wrapped around her head, dropped her knife, while Leonne roared with laughter.

'You were warned,' came his voice, completely deadpan.

A short while later the meal was finished and the siblings were sent off to do the dishes. Cassy's mischievous glint had been immediately squashed by a softly spoken promise of being dunked into the dishwater if any more ill behaviour were to occur. While the siblings busied themselves with cleaning up, Jane tended to her notes, before realising that Mentuc had somehow disappeared again. She idly wondered how such a massive man could vanish into thin air like that, before her notes and her passions fully consumed her. She never even noticed him returning with a backpack big enough for her to crawl in, or how Leonne had hugged her sister and bid the both of them a goodnight. There were so many questions she wanted to ask that mysterious woman. So many new parts of history to unearth. And she was the first in over six centuries to find them. A chill ran down her spine as she furiously tapped away at her datapad as she went over what had defined her life, ever since she was a child. She would finally learn about how the Novic Confederacy really fell. The truth about how her ancestors had died. She called up the diary she had found, of Captain Leguila Allistan, the only one of her forefathers who had escaped the Confederacy's destruction. Her eyes ran over the pages, emotions swirling inside of her as she read the centuries old text.

They came in overwhelming numbers, but they didn't need them. It was as if our presence didn't matter to them. They just blazed past the defensive fleets and tore them apart without even slowing down. I don't know how it happened. I was on the other side of the system doing scans on an asteroid that may have once been a part of the moon. I've thanked God every night for that. My wife and I lived. The rest of my family didn't. Even now the memories still haunt me. How our comms rang with non stop maydays. How people on nearby stations begged us to take them with us. We couldn't stop. They were coming. God forgive me, but I couldn't stop. I saw what happened to those who tried. I think less than a dozen vessels escaped Novic Prime. Billions upon billions of souls are gone. I hate them. I hate them with whole my heart. And I hate myself. I abandoned them. Even my own brother, who was on Arkosk. I could have gone for him. I might have made it out alive with him on board. Him, his wife. His four children. Instead I ran, like a coward. Ran away from those monsters. I heard of whispers, rumours of the other nations planning on banding together. They have to. It is the only way to stop those bastards from wiping out the whole galaxy. God forgive me for these dark thoughts, but I want all of them to burn in the fires of hell. They deserve no mercy.

It was one of the few excerpts that had still been readable, data corruption and time having taken its toll on the old digital logs. She remembered how proud she had been to see her ancestor's log displayed in the museum. How her family had been part of the darkest part of history. How her forefathers had contributed to preserving the ancient past and the evils of the Empire, so that they may never occur again. At least, she had always assumed it had been about the Empire. Everything else hinted at the same thing after all. Now, with everything she had seen, everything she had been told and everything that the mysterious woman had promised to show her, for the first time in her life, Jane Allistan began to doubt the Historians' records.

Onoelle wasn't entirely enjoying the wild ride Mentuc was taking her on. She knew from the moment he pulled that massive backpack out, that he was planning on camping pretty far away, but that didn't make his arms any more comfortable when he decided to take off in a full sprint. She was glad he kept the bouncing to a minimum. He used his hands to hold her, which kept her from turning into one big bruise, but she was struggling to keep her food down and she had long since lost the ability to tell up from down, let alone right from left. When he finally came to a stop, it took the world a solid minute to stop spinning. She shook her head for good measure, then took a look around and let out a loud gasp in surprise.

They were at the First Falls. The Ganbel found its source in the mountains, where it swept up the meltwater during spring as the temperatures rose. Where it finally breached them, just at the far edge of the Wall, it formed an enormous set of waterfalls, with narrow and treacherous paths in between. It wasn't known as a beautiful location. The raging water and the ice cold wind had always chased away what few visitors that had dared to come explore, herself included. The Second Falls, where the Ganbel tumbled down the Wall, was a much more popular spot, as the water was much warmer there and the stream less violent.

It wasn't until she had come here with Mentuc, chasing after his broad back as she had done so often back then, that she had discovered the countless hidden pathways through the seemingly impassible torrents of water. She remembered the first time they had come here together. He had disappeared into the mist thrown up by the violent falls, not a shred of hesitation in his step. She had paused, terrified of being dragged down and being mauled by the unforgiving steam. He had come back out and had, abiding by the agreement they had struck, dragged her in, kicking and screaming.

He didn't need to drag her this time. He took out a thick coat from his backpack and gave it to her, before walking towards the edge of the visible path. She followed him, a smile on her face. She still held onto his hand, even if she knew that the paths he picked were perfectly safe. Together they went into the thick mist and she shivered as ice cold droplets struck her like little meteorites. She bore with it, knowing the minor discomfort would be well worth the price. She admired Mentuc's ability to feel his way on the slippery rocks. He somehow could orient himself through the noise, even as the water thundered down all around them. She was tempted to stick her hand out to touch the water, but Mentuc had warned her against it. She hadn't understood at the time just what would happen if your limb touched several tonnes of water barrelling down from hundreds of metres up. So he had demonstrated it with a branch. She had been thoroughly convinced.

It was a unique experience and one she knew nobody else in the village had. She stayed close to her husband as the deafening roar of the Falls was all around her. Step by step they followed an invisible, hidden path. She couldn't see anything but the white mist and it wasn't easy to breathe, but the raw might of nature was all around her and she was in awe by it. And this was only the first part.

Then they were out of the mist and they stood at which she had christened the First Rock. It was a joke that had flown straight over Mentuc's head, when she had first made it. First Falls, First Rock. A stupid name that belied the massive boulder where they had taken a brief rest the first time they had come here. Well, she admitted. Where I took a rest. Mentuc, still Dreamer back then, had simply hung close by and made sure she wouldn't do anything stupid, which had been a fair thing to do given his earlier experience with her sister. She twirled at the memory and gracefully hopped onto the first steps of the rock, before jumping into his arms and kissing him deeply. She had done that often here, with him. Out of sight, hidden from the world. Before her parents had come to accept her as a lost cause and let her do as she pleased.

Mentuc gave her one of his smiles, one that pulled on the corners of his lips and broke through on his eyes and face alike. A far, far too rare sight to her and she drunk of it deeply. He picked her up, with the same ease as always, and they entered the mist once again. Past the Second Rock. The Third Rock. Into the First Cave that looked more like a path through a glacier due to the icy wind freezing the condense of the water. She didn't really understood how that worked, but it was beautiful nonetheless, especially since a rogue bit of sunlight would make its way into the cave around dusk, setting the world alight as it bounced off the reflective surfaces. And just outside the First Cave, which was badly named for it was the only one, was where Mentuc had been heading towards. The far more aptly named Heaven's Peak.

It was a small island of peace amidst the raging waterfall. The streams were less violent here, the rocky outcrop breaking the straight fall down, with an even larger boulder than the First Rock that jut straight out of the cliff, keeping the ground underneath it dry. It was a tiny oasis of green, with small, crystal clear puddles dotting the landscape. Somehow a few flowers managed to grow there and the sun baked the rock overhead all day, which broke the cold. It was an idyllic location, straight out of a fairy tale. It was also the place where she had first spend the night together with Mentuc. Really together.

She flitted around, darting from puddle to puddle as she recalled old memories and simply enjoyed how lively the place was. It never failed to put a spring in her step. There was just something about the atmosphere here that kept the mind from forming dark thoughts. The sound of the waterfalls wasn't overpowering here, in this little sheltered ecosystem. That didn't mean they would speak much. They never did here. She turned around and saw that her husband had already begun setting up camp. A yawn welled up and she suddenly realised just how incredibly tired she was. It had been a long two days since she'd had a proper night's rest and her exhaustion was finally catching up with her. She walked over to her special rock, the one she had always sat on when they were here, and watched him work. She could not help the smile that was creeping up her face as she watched his hands dart nimbly in and out of the backpack as he whisked a large tent into existence, followed by the large sleeping bag. He was moving slowly as well, at least for his doing.

'The towel was a nice touch,' she said. If she had been with a normal human, she would have to raise her voice. She was glad she wasn't. It meant she didn't have to break the spell that encapsulated this place. She saw Mentuc get up, already finished with his task, and walk over to her. He sat down next to her and pulled her head onto his lap, his fingers gently running across her scalp. It earned him a soft, contented purr and her eyes slid closed.

'Why did you stare at me during dinner?' he asked, his lips close to her ears.

She flinched, before relaxing again. 'Can't I stare at my husband?' she asked, letting a lazy smile form on her face. 'I like looking at you.' It wasn't a lie. She had taken some time during the run here to thoroughly think her stance on this "secret" of his through, and found that she didn't mind. Well not too much, at least, her burning curiosity aside. It was something new. Something normal. If he was planning to surprise her with something, well, she'd let him. She opened her eyes again and stared into his, enjoying the familiarity of the slow swirl of his lenses. She saw love in them. Genuine love. The type that couldn't be fully explained, but drove men to climb mountains. She closed her eyes again. She could trust him. Fully. Unconditionally. Here in the stunning beauty of Heaven's Peak, it was easy to hold on to that thought until it warmed every nook and cranny of her body. She luxuriated in the feeling for a good long while, until the sun fully sunk behind the mountains and the temperature started dropping rapidly. She shivered and Mentuc, attentive as ever, picked her up before she had to utter a word and carried her into the tent. He moved the backpack slightly, using it as a makeshift pillow, and pulled the sleeping bag partially outside, while she was already in it. Then he joined her. He slipped underneath her and pulled her on top of himself, before letting his hands slowly wander over her body. She melted in his tender embrace as she gazed up the starry sky above.

She rolled around, facing him, and dragged him into a very slow and exquisitely long and deep kiss, that she only broke off due to the need to breathe. She smiled at him, then giggled. He tilted his head slightly and she grinned in response. 'I'm glad Cassy's not here,' she whispered.

His head remained tilted for a while longer and she could see a myriad of reasons why flash past his eyes. She nodded to him, wanting to hear them. 'Because you can't be naked otherwise?' he asked.

She stomped him, laughing out loud.

'Because you want to keep this place our secret?' he ventured.

She was about to shake her head, before deciding against it and nodding. She was taken off guard by that answer. She hadn't expect him to understand that concept. 'And,' she added, 'because if she's not here, she can't force you to go rescue her.'

His muscles tightened underneath her for a brief moment as he recalled the memory, before accepting the explanation without further questions. His hands, having paused briefly, resumed their slow dance across her body and she let out a long sigh at his delectable touch.

'You know what?' she whispered after a short moment. She knew that she ought to get some much needed sleep and that she was going to regret this in the morning when she'd wake up after too short a night's rest, but to the void with it. She pushed her hands onto his chest and raised herself slightly, giving him a coy smile.

'Let's follow through with your first guess.'