Once the fire was successfully put out and Pan managed to dust some of the dirt off their hands, they turned to Lady then asked, “Ready to go?”

Puzzled, Lady inclined her head slightly. “Go?”

“To Galdre,” Pan chuckled. Shading their eye with their hand as they peered into the forest depths, leaning from one foot to the other and straining high up onto their toes to see something she couldn’t. “We’re both headed the same way, so why not go together?”

The words in themselves are pretty frank, but their sentiment set a fluttering in Lady’s chest. She told herself to stay wary no matter how enticing Pan’s promises but with a lack of direction, what else was she to do? That aside, as they turn back to her and she sees their smile — it was difficult to believe they held any ill intentions. Perhaps she could keep an open mind and watchful eyes while basking in the glow of that grin a little longer. Satisfied with the thought, Lady nodded then took one last lingering look at the lake.

Her mysteries all began and ended there. Leaving it behind now would only be a temporary measure, of that she was sure. But for now, there was nothing she wanted to do more than put as much distance between her and it as possible. Her nose scrunched at the thought. It felt as if she were running away from something, but she wasn’t sure what. Turning over the heated stone, Lady allowed one last brush of her thumb against its jagged edge before offering it to Pan.

They eyed the stone then shook their head. “You keep it. If it gets cool again, then….” As they trailed off, Lady noticed something. Whenever a thought popped in their head, their eyes would widen slightly and sparkle with flecks of gold. Earlier remembrances of the tiny light she’d seen before resurfaced, but Pan’s loud declaration submerged them. “Why don’t you use a spell? Recharge the fire shards yourself!”

Lady’s breath caught. “What? I couldn’t….”

“Course you can!” Pan interjected, sharp and firm. She could tell that they weren’t quite listening to her from the way their eyes shone with determination, glazing over as if they were thinking of something else. Without waiting for her response, Pan told her, “When I first showed up here, you were sinking so deep into the lake that I could hardly see your face, let alone pull you up. There was some strong barrier keeping me from even touching you. That’s what made me think you’re an Aquan.”

Although unsure of what an Aquan was beyond the stilted, vague description Pan gave, Lady argued weakly, “Which we’re both aware that I’m not….”

Pan shrugged, seeming to return to the present as they looked down at her. “Well, that’s still not ruled out….” Tucking their chin in the crook between forefinger and thumb, they mumbled, “Some Aquans can walk on land, but….” Stealing another glance at Lady’s face, she wondered what expression she wore for them to backtrack and wave their hands about dismissively. “Ah, never mind.”

She blew out a sigh, settling her clasped hands in her lap as she thought it over with Pan’s voice floating into her ears from above.

“Anyone can use magick as long as they know the Way, come on. I’ll teach you.”

Out the corner of her eye, Pan offered an outstretched hand to her. She turned her head upward to meet their eyes. Their lips pulled upward into a gentle beam though the corners of them were noticeably strained. Lady breathed a sigh as she tucked the stone away in her nightgown, then set her fingers in the palm of Pan’s hand. “Alright then…” She sighed, wrapping her fingers around their palm in a tight grip to hoist herself up. Yet, just as she believed it was time for her to stand, her legs seemed to disagree. They trembled beneath her weight, and after taking one step, her knees buckled, sending her toppling forward with a startled yelp.

Quick hands stopped her fall with a tight grasp on her elbow and forearm, easing her from knocking nose-first against Pan’s collarbone. Hovering close to their chest, however, she took a deep startled breath then eased back when their grip loosened.

“Woah, there you are…” Pan sighed as they helped her right herself. Then, unable to help themselves, they chuckled. “Seems you don’t have your land legs yet.”

Lady gave them a look, then exhaled through her nose, staring down at her quivering legs. Her skin felt gritty, and she could see small blades of grass plastered against her skin from when she was sitting or had fallen. Had she used all of her strength before when trying to approach Pan? Or had she not had much, to begin with, after escaping the lake?

“Why don’t I just carry you?” The offer drew Lady out of her thoughts. Looking up to Pan, their sure expression melted into one of confusion. “… What?”

“Are you sure?” Lady questioned, several arguments swirling around her head, but the most obvious one crossed her mind as she eyed Pan’s arms. “I don’t know how heavy I would be.”

They weren’t very thin, nor were they very thick. She rationalized that Pan would be fine carrying, but she also didn’t want to make a first impression in such a way. She felt the vibrations through their arms as they laughed. Their hands cupped her elbows, palms warm beneath the thin fabric of her nightgown’s sleeve.

“Without all that extra water weighing you down, you’ll be light as a steambird’s feather.”

Lady wondered what a steambird was, but Pan seemed sure, and she hardly needed any more convincing after nearly tripping onto her face. Slowly, their hands slid from under her elbows, and as they turned, she kept tentatively close. It was rude to think of using Pan as a cushion for if she fell, but the ground was far less forgiving than her fleet-footed companion. With Pan’s back to her, they crouched down, allowing her a generous view of the top of their head. Their cloud-like hair was so thick she could hardly see their face when they tilted their head back.

“Waiting for an invitation?”

Lady’s face warmed, and she scoffed, wondering how she was supposed to do this until she saw Pan’s arms poised behind them. She eased closer then hiked up the ends of her nightgown as she climbed up onto their back, squeaking as they stood up. Her hands flung out to squeeze their shoulders while her knees pressed harder to their sides in a vice grip as she slid down their back, jolting at the light brush against her thigh. She heard a muttered, “Hold on,” then felt the muscles in Pan’s back pull together as they hiked her up higher then gathered her nightgown as they anchored their hands beneath her thighs. With the barrier keeping their fingers from touching her skin, she sighed and loosened her hold on their shoulders.

“Startled you?” Pan asked though they didn’t sound as teasing. A measure of concern in their voice eased her annoyance even as their curls tickled the tip of her nose.

She huffed. “Hardly…”

A little happier, Pan laughed. “Hold on tight now.”

They took one step then another, a little clumsy and testing as if trying to adjust to her weight around them. Without much to do but allow Pan to keep hold of her, Lady considered what she could do to help them.

It must be harder to walk with me holding them like this.

Lady hesitantly eased her arms into a loop around Pan’s neck. So close to them, she could hear their sigh and felt a flush of satisfaction at having done something.

As Pan took them step by step into the forest, she heard a faint whisper in the back of her mind and turned to look over her shoulder. Her eyes never left the lake’s glistening waters until it was out of sight.