She kept her fingertips trailing against the left wall as they walked through the caverns.
"You know," said her companion, behind her, "maybe this wouldn't be taking so long if you didn't insist on following the left wall..."
She stopped and turned to face him. She glared for a few seconds before she broke into a grin, purple eyes bright. "Yes, we could just wander aimlessly," she said pleasantly. "But then we would become hopelessly lost. At least with following the wall, we know exactly how we got where we are, and how to get out,"
He nodded. "Unless, of course, we fall through a pit in the floor, in which case, we have to start all over again. And the fundamental flaw with following one wall is that what you're looking for may well be close to the entrance, but only if you follow the other wall."
She walked right up to him and quickly kissed him on the mouth. "You're such a dear, and I love you for it," she said, "but one, you're splitting hairs. Two, I seriously doubt the book will be anywhere near the entrance. Three, there is no three. Just shut up and follow me, okay?"
"Put that way..." he said, kissing her back, "I'd probably follow you into a fire."
She turned around and, hand again on the left wall, began to walk away. "Pray that won't be necessary," she called behind her.
They continued walking and following the left wall for a good while longer before either of them realised that they had, in the process, turned themselves around.
"I told you we shouldn't have followed the left wall..." he muttered.
She laughed. "Oh, be quiet, you," she said. "The exercise is good for us."
He grumbled some more, then looked around. "But what I don't get is how quiet this place is... Considering the information that's supposed to be in this book we're after, you'd think it'd be defended..."
She stopped dead and closed her eyes. No--she wouldn't, couldn't tell him. It was better this way, she had to invoke the Lie That Must be Believed on that. If--if she told him, then he would insist on taking it for her, and she couldn't let him do that. Not now, not ever. Better that she do it, and do it without mention of it to him. It had to be better that way. She had to believe that.
Noticing her stop, he gently took her by the shoulders, looked deep into her eyes, and asked, "What's wrong?"
She bit her lip and averted her eyes. "N-nothing," she lied. "I just think I might... I might be getting something of a headache, is all..."
He knew she was lying, but decided to let the matter go. If she really didn't want to tell him something, then she didn't have to. But why would she lie to him? But he just kissed her on the forehead and said, "If you say so..."
She felt dirty inside. She had lied to him, and he knew that she had lied to him, but he just stood there and accepted that, like, like... She swore inwardly, almost wishing he would force the lie from her, but knowing he wouldn't. Why did he have to be so damn reasonable? Why did he just smile sadly at her and kiss her on the forehead like she hadn't done anything wrong? "Well..." she said lamely. "Let's just go..."
He desperately wanted to know what was troubling her, but feared to ask again. "All right," he said softly. "Let's go and get this book and get out of here."
She bit her lip, hard enough to make it bleed. Pressing the back of her hand to her lip, she nodded, and continued following the wall.
He stood for a few seconds, staring at her as she walked away, then followed.
They eventually came to a long hallway ending in a door. "How much are you willing to bet that this is it?" he asked her.
She shook her head, then subduedly whispered, "I'm not in a betting mood..." She looked into his eyes for a long, long time, then locked her arms around the back of her neck and kissed him, long, hard, and deeply.
After they parted, he asked, "What was that for?"
She shook her head and smiled sadly. "You'll see..." she whispered, then opened the door before them. With that, she headed down the stairs formerly concealed by the door.
He hesitated, then followed.
He never was able to tell how far down the stairs went, just that there were a lot, too many of them.
The staircase ended in an arched doorway that opened up into a circular room that seemed bathed with a pale light, though there was no obvious source. At the centre of the room was a short pedestal with an old, leatherbound book on top.
"I'll get the book," she said quickly, the very instant he set a single foot off the stairs.
She hesitated as she stood right in front of the pedestal, knowing this was her last chance to tell him before... before... She shook her head. She couldn't tell him. Not until after she had taken it... She closed her eyes, reached her hands out, and gently took the book.
She turned around and opened her eyes, cradling the book in her arms.
He noticed that, as she stared at him almost blankly, there were tears forming in the corners of her eyes.
"I'm afraid I have a confession to make..." she whispered as she walked towards him, holding out the book, which he took. "I haven't been... completely forthcoming with all information regarding this book. Earlier, you wondered why the book isn't defended. It is. I... I can't leave here."
His face, unable to pale any further, turned an ashy grey colour. "What?" he whispered.
"The book is sealed, love," she said. "Whoever removes it from its pedestal is bound to this room until the seal fails. Which it's not going to do any time soon. I cannot leave."
His eyes widened as he realised something. "You... you knew this already!" he accused.
She nodded. "I... I'm sorry, but I knew that if I told you, you... would have taken the book, and--"
"Damn right, I would have!"
She closed her eyes again. "And that's why I couldn't tell you until the deed was done... I couldn't let you do that..."
"It's too late to do anything about it now, I suppose..." he said. "But what do we do now? I can't just leave you here."
She drew her lips into a thin line. "That's exactly what you're going to do," she said. "This won't... last forever, though it may seem that way. You are going to go out there, get on with your life, and wait for me. When... such time arrives that this seal fails, I... I'll know it, and I'll get out of here... Just... wait for that day, please..."
She kissed him softly. "Now get the hell out of here."
He looked at her for a long, long time, then slowly turned and went back up the stairs.
As he left, she whispered two words and felt herself falling backwards, being claimed by a temporary oblivion.
He continued up the stairs, holding the book, never looking back. Until he reached the top of the stairs and heard a distinct rumbling behind him.
The ceiling had caved in behind him. And it seemed quite willing to do the same where he stood at that very moment.
Not even taking the time to curse, he ran.
He had no idea how he actually managed to remember the way out without having to double back, but he did and found himself standing in front of the cave entrance as it collapsed in on itself.
"No..." he whispered in utter, abject denial. "There's no way she could've..."
He shook his head. Get on with his life, she had said. But how could he--no, that one was obvious. Everything could be fixed with a single, little lie. But that path bore its own dangers. To keep the lie in the realm of belief, and out of the one of truth...
But what would a single, little lie hurt? Who could he hurt but himself?
History itself would answer that question.
He was some time creating a plausible lie for him to believe. A simple, little lie. Harmless to everyone but himself, right? Just a lie to himself, simply that, and nothing more. What could a lie of belief do to anyone else, even were it to become a truth?
He sighed and looked to the northeast. Maybe he would go take up that offer...
It felt like she was swimming through tar. With each passing second it grew harder and harder to reach for--what was she reaching for, anyways? She didn't know, she didn't remember. Everything seemed so distant, so far off... But then her eyes were filled with a brilliant, brilliant--
She awoke.
She blinked her eyes and looked around the sourcelessly-lit room. "Did it... work?" she whispered.
She looked hopelessly around the room, which looked exactly the same as it had when she had first cast herself into this hibernation. "No..." she whispered. But then her eyes fell on the rubble filling the stairway just outside the door.
They were covered in a thick film of dust.
A desperate hope in her eyes, she mentally felt around the room, searching for certain energies. She felt like screaming for joy as she discovered that the energies binding her to the room had receded, even though it had the feel of a temporary thing.
Three bobbing blue-white lights began to whirl around her as she began a rapid chant. The faster she chanted, the faster they whirled until she neared the end of her chant when the lights moved out in front of her, forming a perfectly straight line. She finished with a snap of, "Grand Alignment!"
The resulting energy beam reduced the first twenty feet of rock to powder.
She ran up the stairs and repeated the spell, which cleared up the rest of the stairs. Which only left the entire rest of the maze to go. She was sweating with the exertion of casting the spell as it was. Grand Alignment was not an easy spell to use even once every now and then, but to be using it as much as she would have to...
She would be a long time getting out of this cave. But at least she was out of range of that damn seal in the case that it ever restored its power.
But she had all the time in the world, as long as she believed that she wouldn't be here alone for long. But why would she need to believe, anyways? All she needed to do was know that he would still be waiting for her...