¤ ¤ ¤

The two continued into the cave's mouth, black ice filled the cracks in the rocky floor. The air began to fog above their heads when Orion flashed the torch up, he had his arm wrapped around her shoulders to keep her close as he focused on the floor of the cave which  shined in his torchlight like the surface was crusted in crude diamonds.

Eventually there were echoing drip-dripping noises above and ahead of the two friends. Orion stopped at a slope, he pointed the torch up to light up the low roof of the cave over a body water that  shimmered like a mirror releasing a pale green from the bottom of the pool.

Suddenly Orion released Janna's shoulders and began to shed his coat "What on earth are you doing?" Janna questioned.

Orion smirked at her "Goin' for'a dip" Orion shrugged as he pulled his jumpers over his head pulling his top with the thicker materials, Janna stared at his streamline figure "wot? Yu've seen it all" he then nudged Janna with his elbow, adding "well, no' what's under the kilt"  Janna flushed as he began to pull his shoes off "c'mon, urnie judgin' ye. The water's warm"

Janna pursed her lips "Fine, just don't go mad when you see the rest of me" she pointed to her neck as Orion looked up at her as she spoke, he bundled his trousers into a ball, then lifted an eyebrow.

   "Ey wouldn'..." Orion reminded Janna he pointing to his own neck where the deep red cut was, the area around the cut was now pink on his pale skin "Much obliged"

A shy smile swept Janna's face as Orion thanked her "yeah, thanks—but I need to get out of these clothes" Janna then shook her hand at him gesturing for him to go "shoo, I need to know how warm that water is." Orion brayed at Janna before turning around to sit down on the rock and slide down to the water.

Janna pulled the jumpers over her head, however holding a vest over stomach, her hair fell out of the neck holes as she pulled the clothes away. Behind her Orion splashed in the water before there was a loud pitter patter of water then a shake of hair, when Orion pushed his hair back he looked at Janna's arms and saw the pink gashes in her skin. After a moment Janna came to the bank, her toes reached the water as she sat at the water's edge, she was wearing boxers and a thick vest. Thankfully Orion's back was still turned around, he told Janna "Tell me when I can look" to be honest Janna didn't know what his reaction would be when he saw...would he be scared? Or would he figure it out that quickly—?

   "Fine, look" Janna shot through her thoughts, Orion sloshed in the water that rippled to his upper arms. When he turned he spotted Janna covering some of her pale skin like he had done earlier that day, he reached to her shoulders and looked at her skin, her eyes waiting for a reaction.

   "I've ne'er seen a gurl wear boxers in ma life" Orion commented as he looked down at Janna's striped blue and white shorts that swayed in the disturbed water, Janna couldn't help but chuckle at Orion's comment.

    "But the scars..." Janna pushed him, he tilted his head before pulling her right arm away from her body, he gently ran his fingers down her deep scars but to Janna's surprise he then blew a raspberry on her arm, she squirmed back and kicked in the water.

Orion wiped his face and snorted at Janna's reaction "Pfft, I was always wondering what was going on under that peeenk jersey of yours" Orion then lifted her other arm "ya look like a regular 'uman bein' under those clothes, don'chya?" Orion then went to Janna's back "For a while I though' ye had grown that jersey as your skin!"

Janna felt her face flush as he examined her back by stroking the jagged skin with his fingertip "I like that jumper" she murmured causing Orion to scoff before moving to the half moon bite on her shoulder with his fingers. Janna winced as she remembered the last time anyone touched her shoulder, Orion did not move his fingers, instead he circled the teeth marks.

   "Wot did this?" Orion questioned as he moved back to Janna's right arm, she looked at his eyes before shaking her head "is it the dragon?" Janna smiled vaguely at Orion after he asked the question, he wrapped his arms around Janna's shoulders wrapping his legs around her waist "I'm happy yu're 'ere..." he pressed his nose into where the bite mark was, causing Janna to shiver in the warm water "I'm not the only one with scars" he whined as Janna laced her arms over his boney back "yu're so strange, ye know, as a matter of fact I now know that yer birthday was on the eighteenth of November, ma'e"

   "Sorry I didn't tell you" Janna muttered as she felt Orion's hair fall onto her shoulder "I didn't think much of it"

Orion chuckled on her shoulder "of sutcha day? Ye must be pullin' mah leg!" He then floated away from Janna looking at her as his toes broke through the water "not te be crass but ya do look a bit older than last"

    "I know, I have already  gained a few grey hairs" Janna joked, letting herself sway in the water.

¤ ¤ ¤

Around midnight the two crept into the house, Orion's father had moved off the sofa leaving a damp cardboard smell behind. Regardless Janna and Orion fell asleep on the sofa, she was slumped on his shoulder while he had an arm around her shoulders as he slept sitting up. A quilt covered Janna's body that was also kept warm by the heated air that was radiated from the anthracite stove in the tiled kitchen.

The morning rays of sunshine only illuminated the opaque clouds, letting a pale blue illuminate Port Argil, the snow hovered down lightly powdering the low wooden houses with thick snow in the gutters which had slid from the shingles of the small roofs where the snow had been caught and released occasionally.

On the sofa Orion hugged Janna's shoulders, his fingers cradling her neck as her head was rested on his chest where his heart thumped in a slow steady pace. When Orion's eyes fluttered opened he first tightened his grasp around Janna's shoulders as he attempted to fall back asleep, however he was awakened by the sound of footsteps coming towards the sofa; he closed his eyes again.

Above them Leigh Cintola—a tall dark haired man with broad shoulders and a thick brow, wearing thick black robes that draped over his muscular frame—leaned over the back of the sofa to inspect his son and this strange creature he had brought with him. Recognising who Janna was tightened his jaw, his narrow grey eyes gleaming at her "this's delectabl'... Orion... Yer truly working on ya part." Leigh swung his bulk round then walked with heavy feet to the door, his thick boots booming on the wooden flooring, soon the front door creaked open and groaned shut.