Her fear of water -- deep water anyway, was thus born from that event. She never overcame it. All she had managed so far was mustering the courage to stand at the edges of ponds and lakes. Wading out into them was out of question, and she appreciated that no one ever forced her to. It was a blessing that the spring she often bathed in was shallow enough for her to stand in.

"I'll make this quick," Nikolai said, ripping Lana out of her reminiscing. "I think it's our best chance of surviving this plague if I go work for Oswald."

Lana turned sharply when he took her bow in his hand. He held up her arrows and pointed at the water. "We've got four arrows," he said. "I'll shoot a fish with each one. If I get all of them, then I get to decide what's best."

Lana stared at him.

"If I miss one. Just one..." Nikolai added grimly, avoiding her gaze. "Then, we'll do it your way. We'll talk to the mayor. Deal?"

She blinked. Nikolai was good at hunting, but he wasn't great at using the bow. The odds were fair. Somewhat.

Lana pressed her lips together tightly. She nodded.

At that, Nikolai stood to his feet. Lana held her breath as he pulled back the first arrow. He drew the bowstring --

Fwoop!

The arrow floated to the surface, standing upright as it brought with it the body of its target.

Nikolai took aim once more and released, impaling another fish in the head this time. Lana's hands clenched into fists as she dug them into her knees.

The young man loaded another arrow and nailed his third target. Lana was becoming annoyed, but she held back from saying anything. They had a deal.

Nikolai pulled back the final arrow. He focused at the water, following a fish with the tip of the arrowhead. His piercing eyes seemed to flicker so dangerously that she wondered if a fish would just surrender and die from the intensity. Lana held her breath as a fish swam up close towards the surface -- an easy target, even for her. She knew Nikolai was watching it.

He released the arrow just as the fish dove out of sight. She stared as the arrow resurfaced, lying flat on top of the water without its target.

"Looks like you're deciding then," Nikolai said quietly as he lowered the bow. He placed it down gently next to Lana. "When do you wanna see him?"

Lana was still watching the arrow. She turned to him, but she couldn't see the expression on his face. The evening was getting dark.

"Thank you..." she said.

"For what?"

Lana paused. She took her bow and pulled the floating arrow towards her. She snatched it up from the water and held it up at Nikolai. He glanced at it and scoffed, shrugging.

"You really don't think it will work, do you?" Lana asked.

Nikolai sighed and sat back down. He took the bow from her and fished the dead targets towards him. "No," he replied. "No, I really don't think so. But well... It's worth a try."

Lana watched him quietly. She wasn't entirely sure what he was thinking, but she had a vague idea.

"Do you think we'll get through this plague?" Lana asked.

"We have to," Nikolai said. "No matter what it takes..."

"Why is it so important to you?"

The young man pulled the last fish out of the water. He pretended to examine it, though they both knew he couldn't possibly see anything in this lighting.

"Nikolai?"

"There are things I've been wanting to tell you," he said finally. "But I just can't... Not with all this happening."

Lana nodded slowly, but mostly to herself.

"I know that you know, and I know you're waiting for me to say it. To ask," Nikolai continued. He sighed again, this time with a hint of frustration in his voice. "It's just that... If I do say it, while we're still not safe, I'm afraid things will find a way to destroy it. And I can't let that happen," he added. "Besides..." Lana felt Nikolai turn to look at her. "Would you say yes right now even if I did ask you?"

The young woman blinked. She had been pondering her answer to his unasked question long before anyone in the village had begun "encouraging" her. Like him, she knew that he knew. And she so very much wanted it to happen; for it to work. A burden weighed in her heart, waiting to be lifted; waiting for the moment where she finally acknowledged it aloud. And again, like him, she couldn't bring herself to do so. With the plague hovering among them, she understood why Nikolai chose to refrain. She had to do the same...

"No," Lana whispered, shaking her head. "I can't..."

Nikolai nodded. The young man shifted to sit right next to her so their knees were touching. He placed a hand onto hers and and gave it a gentle squeeze. It was all that she needed as confirmation.

He definitely knew...