"I've been exploring"

Aliara flounced across the room and sat down on a flat rock. Teysa couldn't help but notice that, today, the half-elf was sitting no more than ten feet away from her. Every day she seemed to creep a little closer. Teysa told herself that she was being foolish, that she was reading too much into little choices, but she couldn't keep the hope from stirring in her breast. Perhaps Aliara was getting used to the changes wrought in her lover?

Or maybe she was just sitting wherever was most comfortable. Teysa tried to push down her insecurities and succeeded... to a point.

"I went for a walk," Aliara said with a smile. For once, it seemed totally genuine. "I keep finding new caves! The driders haven't bothered mapping the warren entirely. If they can't use a cave and it doesn't connect to the rest of the Underneath, they ignore it. Jez'ria is digging in some of the new caves, so I went to see what she was up to. Some kind of mining work, apparently, I didn't ask, but there's plenty to see out there."

"Anything interesting to report?"

Aliara gave her a sly look. "You'll see. How about you? How's our favorite princess?"

Teysa rolled her eyes. "Please don't call her that where she could hear you. She'll probably melt into a puddle."

"That bad, huh?"

"No, she's sweet, it's just... she's such a child. I mean, I don't know what her equivalent age is in human years, but she's got to be a young woman by now, right? But she's so interested in... in fripperies. Clothes and gems and storybooks... I wasn't like that when I was young, I can tell you that."

"No, you weren't," Aliara agreed, and there was a note of amusement in her voice. "I can't picture you as a child. You're always so serious! I bet you were solemn then, too. All the other kids wanted to play Knights and Bandits, you probably wanted to play Priests and Penitents."

"That's not a real game!" Teysa said. "And that's not exactly fair, either." In truth, she had had dolls as a girl, but now that she thought about it they spent rather less time having tea parties and magic adventures and rather more time weeding, milking cows, baling hay and feeding goats. She had been a studious child, but so what? Growing up on a farm was a lot of work.

"I wasn't born in a castle," Teysa said. "I had to work. El'keth works-- God knows her sewing and weaving is incredible, I've never seen anything like it-- but... she doesn't seem to understand how serious this all is." She waved an arm vaguely in a hopeless attempt to take in everything: the warren, the rest of the Underneath, her body, everything that had gone wrong in the last few weeks. "She treats me like some long-lost big sister. I thought I'd be able to talk to her about what I'm going through, but she doesn't understand. Nobody understands." She slumped down and rested her chin in her hands.

To her surprise, Aliara stood up and padded softly across the cave towards her. Teysa held her breath. The half-elf reached out and laid a hand on Teysa's nearest knee. It felt so good that Teysa almost cried. She had not realized how much she missed regular skin-to-skin contact until recently. Just to be touched like that... for a moment, she was transported back _before, _back to when she walked on two legs, when touching her partner was something she took for granted.

"You're right, Tey." Aliara looked up at her with her mouth set in a grim line. "I don't understand. I can't. I'm trying... Quz knows I'm trying. I told you I would. But I can't be the only person you rely on. I can't carry that weight, Tey, I would if I could." She gave Teysa's leg an idle squeeze. "There are others, though. Others you could talk to. Driders that... that used to be human. Or human-ish. Jez'ria is one. Luneth is another. I'm sure they'd be willing to talk to you if you asked. They might have some insight."

Teysa reached out with one hand, and Aliara hesitated for only a moment before taking it. Her hand felt so tiny and delicate beneath Teysa's. She could feel the half-elf's pulse through her palm.

"I'll do it, Li. You're right. I need to talk to someone who can help me." Teysa gathered her legs beneath her-- an operation at which she was growing more practiced-- and stood up. "Thank you, Li. I don't know what I'd do without you. I love you."

Aliara paused for just a half-second too long before she replied. "I love you too, Tey," she said, and smiled. She seemed genuine enough, but Teysa still felt a dull weight in the pit of her stomach. She doesn't, not really, said a thin, morose voice in the dark corners of her skill. She pities you. You can see it in her eyes, can't you?

Teysa couldn't. She looked as deep as she dared, but Aliara only stared back in confusion. "Tey?" she asked. "Something wrong?"

Teysa shook her head. "Nothing, dear," she said. "Nothing. Dinnertime?"

The voice's raspy cackle followed Teysa out the door. None so blind as those who won't see, spider-girl, it said. You'll see. You'll have ****.