She stepped quietly through the snow, her footsteps barely leaving a mark as she came to the cave door.
"Stop right there," a young voice said and the white-cloaked figure looked up, sadly smiling at the human girl that had the bow trained on her, "This is property of..."
"It's alright Rosie," a smooth voice said and a tanned hand placed itself on her shoulder as Taranth looked down, "Luna said that you had to abandon us."
Araidne took down her hood and shook her head, and he nodded, "So it was true about your voice. Why are you here?" he jumped down to where she was, "And why aren't you approaching Kit?"
She chewed her bottom lip and took his hand, placing something warm and fluttery in it.
Taranth stared at her, closing his hand over the object, "Then even after that, he lied to us?"
Araidne frowned, then took out a note that he snatched with his other hand and read.
"He didn't lie, but he didn't realize that his antidote would not work..." Taranth swallowed, "But how did..." he asked before she pointed at the note and he looked back, "It is an antidote made specifically for one person. For another, it would act as a further poison. Adding this bit of light will be able to neutralize that and force it to work as intended. It is all that I can do to save her, any further interference on my part will mark her by those I sought to protect my children from." He frowned as he turned back to her, "And how are you sure that it will work?" he demanded.
Araidne had tears in her eyes as she leaned up and kissed his cheek, then turned away, lifting her hood before walking back into the snowstorm.
"Why don't you trust Kit?"
She paused, then looked back, another sad smile on her face.
Taranth heard the answer, even if it wasn't spoken aloud.
"Because she no longer needs to pay for my crimes. And if she knew, she would carry the burden of them... I cannot allow her to do that."
"She'll find out, even with us keeping her from it. And then she'll follow you."
Araidne turned away, vanishing into the snow.
Taranth stared after her, hearing that unspoken answer as well.
"Keep her away. The next time there will be no way to save her."