And even now, Yue floats safely above everything that might try to hurt her. How can this be? Is Hyra maintaining her spell even though she's struggling to stand right now? Still? Is that a thing she needs to do? But she! But that's not! She can't!

It turns out? Even Yue can be a champion-level sprinter when she's got the right motivation. Though it helps that she's running downhill, so to speak. Her frizzy brown hair trails like a long scarf behind her as she scrambles down, down, down, with none of the grace of a huntress or the poise of a grand warrior or even the restraint of a handmaiden worthy of this impossibly perfect display. She clutches her travel bag tight against her stomach with one arm and her Kat-bundle to her chest with her other and doesn't give one bit of thought to how many times the beautiful silver sword smacks her thigh as she runs. 

Down and down and down and down. Her feet hit the ground hard and she almost goes tumbling right onto her face when the burst of magic releases from her body. She darts her head nervously this way and that, still looking for new dangers in every corner of the darkening landscape despite the miracle she'd just seen with her own eyes. But then she's off like a shot, bounding through the grass, dropping all her stuff awkwardly on the ground as she goes so that her arms are free, just in time, just in time! Just in time to leap!

She throws her arms around Hyra and pulls her closer than she'd have ever dared even an hour ago. She takes her weight, her warmth, the creepy curse-magic pouring off her body, and doesn't even squeak when the longbow drops to the ground with a loud clatter. It's another miracle, just for her. Hyra's body, her strength and her softness and the absolutely [i]luscious[/i] scent of exertion (oh gosh oh gosh is she a really for real wolf after all?? Oh!! Gosh!) coming from her all feels completely different from the way she did in the house, or the sky, or, or, or even just a moment ago as she fought.

All at once, this beautiful, perfect, impossible, wonderful woman is... heavy. Her body squishes against Yue's with a reckless sort of weakness that makes her heart stop beating and then start again at triple speed to make up for lost time. It's wonderful and amazing, this sense of helplessness, of [i]vulnerability[/i], this, this... you know? You know?? She's [i]holding[/i] a [i]song[/i] in her own two [i]arms![/i] Even as scary as everything is, it's so amazing that she can't keep the smile off her face.

"Can you stand?" she asks, "Can you walk? Just a bit and then we'll - oh gosh, you're kinda -- I-I mean! N-n-no!! You're fine it's fine everything's fine I gotcha! I do! You're the most perfect woman I've ever met in my life and your hurt and it's all my fault and I'm so so so so so soooooo sorry and I'm gonna fix it I promise but not here ok? Just a little further! Then we rest! Uhuh?"

The journey is long and difficult. It's so hard to find a proper tree for lying under that doesn't bring her close to water, you know? Leastwise, it's hard enough when a wolf woman is draped over your shoulders and you have to keep stopping to keep your travel bag looped around your ankle so you can drag it behind you and for [i]some reason[/i] Kat thinks it's more important to bring the bow too so she's trotting around with it in her adorable little mouth like a stick and gosh darn it she looks so proud of herself and oh! Shoot! The sword!!

So she's more than a little bit sweaty herself when she finally drags this whole awkward procession to a place that's suitable for her needs. Cut her some slack, this is her first time being in love! There's a, y'know, a way to these things. Didn't somebody write a big fancy book about that? But even still, she takes the time to fish a soft blanket out of her bag and lays it out all nicefully on the ground before she finally sets Hyra down with her back propped against the trunk of the gingko tree she found growing on a small hill. Perfect!

Wood is never very far from hand here at the Terraced Lake, but Yue doesn't take the chance and fishes some old branches from her bag, tucked there months ago 'just in case'. She arranges them just so and then gently places a yellow glass bead underneath the pile, drawing a circle in the ground with her fingers until... fwoosh! She smiles at her merry little fire, and hangs a pot filled with old well-water that she tosses a mixture of fragrant herbs into with a soft little hum she can't keep off her lips. 

Her dance begins in earnest now. Not the swift battle-dance of a legendary hero, but the quieter sort of dance that calls to mind a housewife on her way to market. She dips a linen cloth in the sweet smelling liquid and doesn't flinch even as her fingers dip into the boiling water. She needs to soak it thoroughly, y'know? She rolls it gently into a tube, careful not to wring it out, and wipes Hyra's forehead with a caress more delicate than the moonlight pouring across her body in the night sky. She wipes the silver maiden's cheeks, her neck, her arms, and hips, and legs. And even though she blushes a deeper red than Hyra's eyes, she manages to brave a tiny pair of scissors enough to cut away the leathers juuuuuust enough to wash her (firm and gorgeous, wow wow wow) tummy and the tops of her breasts, and... um. E-everywhere the evil magic pours, she follows.

She turns away and waves another pair of beads over a cup. There's a burst of sunlight and air so fresh and pure it makes you want to take a nap right then and there, gosh darn it, and then before you know it Yue's mustering up the rest of her courage to bring her trembling leaf hands close enough to bring her famous cherry-blossom-and-white-tea to Hyra's lips. Her blue eyes are liquid and trembling with a mixture of concern, and adoration. 

"Does it... does it hurt? Still? Here, drink. It helps. C-can we rest a little bit? M-my legs are tired now and, um, it'll be... um. It'll, y'know, be f-fine 'cause Kat will guard us and... um. Um! You're very pre-- um!! I meant, brav, no, I. Um. What I mean is. Thank you. Sorry. Why?"