Tad worked with the two boys as the sun rose and stood high in the sky. He looked up at one point after showing Marku the proper bent-knee stance to see Zanna standing on the path holding a small basket in one arm. He smiled at her and then went through the first ten forms for the boys one last time.

"Ok, I think that is enough for today. Why don't you both run back and get some food," said Tad as he picked up his jacket and jumped down to talk to Zanna.

"Yes, sir Master Rockgrip," said Marku. In a few seconds, the boys ran down the path out of sight behind the trees and bushes, heading back to the cathedral.

Zanna held up her basket, "I thought you might be hungry. "

Tad smiled, raising both eyebrows, "Thanks, I'm starving. " He reached for the basket.

Zanna pulled it away, "No, we are going to eat up there. " Zanna pointed up at the ledge where the waterfall fell a half-mile away.

Tad's brows furrowed. She had definitely changed, "Sure, we will have to find a way up, " said Tad as he looked at the waterfall's edge. It was not quite halfway up the cliff face, about forty feet up.

Zanna gave him a broad smile, "I'm sure we can find a way if there is no path."

Tad noticed she wasn't as red as she used to be in the sun. If it weren't for the horns and pointed tail swishing now and then behind her, he would almost think she was an elf. She was still wearing her red leather outfit, and he didn't see her mace. Her attractive succubus form was softer, her face just a bit more round and less angular. He reached out to sense her and noticed she now had a soulspace shield. It wasn't strong, but it was enough to keep him from sensing her feelings. The demon snap trap defense that most demons had wasn't present any longer.

The two of them walked down the path towards the waterfall.

"So how is this Esta thing working? " asked Tad, feeling a bit uncomfortable with the silence. He knew she could and most likely would walk for miles without saying a word.

Zanna smiled a bit more, "Esta is finding the life of a giant tree very entertaining. She has mentioned the fish often. She can feel them when they bite her roots. She can talk to me and even share my thoughts if I let her. It seems weaker from here. I don't think I'll be able to do it across long distances, but in the valley or nearby, she can talk to me. She is the one that suggested we go up to the pool. "

"Oh, well, I've not been up there yet, and I did intend on exploring some. It's a wonderful idea. Do you care if we stop so I can wash off? " asked Tad.

Zanna looked at Tad, who had streaks going down his shirt where the sweat was soaking through the clothes. "I'm sure we can find water up there. " she pointed at the ledge where the water fell from a terrraced pool into the lake.

As they were approaching it, Tad could hear the roaring of the water below as it tumbled against the boulders and bits of rock before flowing into the lake. The water here was clear, and he could see the worn channel and stones below in the waterway. There appeared to be some carved paths going behind or near the edge of the cliff above the water. To the right, he could see some worn steps leading up along the cliff and then into a tunnel that looked like it might lead to the pool above.

"Let's try that one, " said Tad as he moved right. The pathway here was overgrown with the new grass and vines of the valley. Tad could see more vines on the cliff wall, but he wasn't sure if those were new or not, they were all quite thick.

There was a small layer of talus and scree at the base of the cliffs, but they could walk with a bit of sliding over to the steps leading up. Tad noted holes in the stairs where wooden rails were once seated to keep people from falling off. He would have to get all of these replaced at some point. He added that thought to the thousands of other things they needed to do to make the valley livable again.

The stairs didn't go up far before turning into a long tunnel that angled up and back around to the pool above. Tad could hear the rush of water and the waterfall as they came out of the tunnel.

Tad looked at the pool, which was so clear he could see to the bottom. Very little algae or other growth could be seen. The above pool's water fell down into this one before cascading down into the lake to his left. He looked that way to see an awe-inspiring view of the valley lake, the cathedral with the tree on the island, and the city's ruins. He wondered how it must have looked before its fall. He shrugged and turned back. He just might get to see a rebuilt city someday.

Zanna had moved to the right to a flat area carved into the cliff side in a half-circle and flat to the water. From there, stairs descended to the water's edge. As they moved towards it, the noise lessened from the falls coming into the pool. It must have been some trick of the stonework. Tad couldn't see any magic involved in the noise reduction. He saw some magic in holding the stone of the waterfall together. This area must have been an old bathing spot.

"Do you want to eat here? " asked Tad. He had built up a fairly strong appetite having skipped breakfast.

Zanna nodded, put the basket down, and moved some stones away from a bench carved along the cliff's edge. Tad could see several of them inside the recessed part of the area.

Tad sniffed at his shirt, "Ok, going to take a quick swim then. " He placed his jacket down, put his boots and pouches down next to his staff, then waded out into the pool. It was five feet deep near the stairs just under his arms.

Tad paddled around a few times using a breaststroke to move, then floated on his back. He had sensed no creatures in the pool. From the far side of the valley, the water appeared right out of the rocks above and flowed into several pools including this one, before landing in the lake below. As he moved out a bit away from the stair, he realized two separate waterfalls were coming into the pool. He wondered if that meant different streams or something else above. He looked over to see Zanna sitting on the bench with her legs curled up under it.

"Hey, are you coming in the water? It's great, " shouted Tad.

She smiled a bit but shook her head negatively.

Tad made his way back to the stairs so he didn't have to shout, "You can't swim, can you? " asked Tad as he stood up on a stair and started to ring his shirt out a few times to remove the sweat. The silk cloth didn't seem to absorb water like his jute and cotton clothes, which was good since he didn't have another set of these.

He looked up to find Zanna standing on the edge of the stairs, looking uncomfortably down at the water. "I have decided I wish to learn to swim," said Zanna matter a factly, as if Tad should have thought about it already, but she was willing to explain his error to him.

Tad raised both eyebrows. He took a deep breath. "So you can't swim? Have you ever even been in water? " Tad couldn't remember when she had ever said she was taking a bath or even implied it.

"Demon's do not swim unless they are water demons. There is very little water where I am from, as you already know. How would I have learned to swim? Besides, I do not need to bathe in water. Demons do not sweat or stink up the place like dwarves and humans, " said Zanna.

"You are half-elf. Perhaps that side could use a bath once in a while? " asked Tad with a chuckle.

She just stood there, and he thought she was going to start tapping her foot.

"Sure, I'll teach, but you can't go swimming in all that leather. Anything in your pouches and the leather of your shoes will shrink or even rip if it stays in the water too long. Deposit them over there. Do you have underclothes? Here wear this, " Tad tossed her his shirt. He was tall and had put on a lot of muscle over the last few months, and the shirt was easily going to reach her thighs, if not knees.

She sniffed the half-wet shirt a few times, then walked back to the alcove.

Tad turned around to the pool and took a seat on the lower step letting the water come up to his mouth. He started blowing bubbles and thought of Gweleth when he was a child and used to take baths in the river. She would move around in the water, leaving bubbles behind in her wake.

"I am ready, " said Zanna from behind Tad.

Tad turned around to find Zanna standing there wearing his shirt, which came down to almost her knees, but he wasn't prepared for how tightly the half-wet silk hugged her form. He stood there a second, then realized his mouth was hanging open. "Oh yea, well, step down this way. " He held his hand out to her. As she touched the water with her foot and then pulled back up a step. Tad was trying to concentrate on her eyes and the hand he now held, but he was failing miserably.

"You are going to need to get into the water to learn to swim. Don't worry. I have you, and I won't let you drown," said Tad with a smile.

She gave him a half scowl and a frown, then put her foot in the water, then her other foot. In a few seconds, Tad had her down to waist height. She stopped there, looking at the water again and the waterfall. She went to turn around, "I have changed my mind. I will learn some other time. "

Tad sighed loud and heavy, "Ah, don't be afraid, it's just water. You will be fine. " said Tad overexaggerating the last part.

She stopped, and her eyes narrowed at him a bit, then she smiled at him. His heart flipped a moment, damn, she could dazzle when she wanted to. "I am not afraid. I just don't think demons should be in the water. We do not float. "

"Well, few people actually float. The idea is to take a big breath of air and hold it. That is what floats. Don't worry, I won't let you go. How about you try just sitting there on the step above there till you get used to the water. I started like that, " Tad didn't follow it with when I was a child. She probably wouldn't have liked that bit of information.

She sniffed again at the shirt, then slowly sat on the step above where she stood. Tad took a seat next to her as the water came up to her neck. She had a panicked look in her eye as the water splashed over her face. She sputtered the water back out and started coughing.

"Ahh, you need to close your mouth and not breath in the water, " said Tad softly as he sat there holding her hand. "Hold your nose closed with your other hand, and we will try going underwater for a moment. "

Zanna got that panicked look back as she shook her head back and forth. "No! "

"You should probably close your mouth," he dunked her backward until her whole body was underwater a second, then pulled her back up.

Her cheeks were round while she had her face all squished up, holding her breath. Tad was trying not to laugh. "See, that wasn't so hard, and you didn't die. You got this," said Tad with a big smile.

She punched him lightly on the chest, "Don't do that again. " she sputtered as he dunked her again, this time for two seconds. She still had her feet on the stairs and was partially sitting on one. He brought her back up.

"See, you got this, " said Tad. Zanna's hair was all over her face now, and she was sputtering. Why did she smell like cinnamon?

Tad pushed the hair out of her face while she caught her breath again. He had leaned over more than necessary. She took another breath, this one shorter, as he moved his hand up behind her head, fingers in her damp hair, supporting her neck. He leaned forward to kiss her. Her breath caught as the two kissed, and Tad pulled her closer to him. She tasted like cinnamon. He could feel her pressing against his side--

Kettle shouted in his mind, "Tad, the queen's consort is in the cathedral. He is pissed. He keeps trying to get into the World Egg. You need to get back here!"

Tad projected, pulled back from his kiss. She definitely tasted like cinnamon. "Not now, Kettle!"

Zanna blinked a few times and spoke, "Is that to teach me how to swim?" she smiled coyly.

Tad smiled back, "maybe, no, not at all," he took a deep breath and let out a sigh. She looked amazing, and she still smelled like cinnamon. "Kettle is reporting the queen bee's consort is attacking the world egg, " he sighed. "Let's get back there before it wrecks the wagon or the cathedral." He stood and pulled her up against him for a few moments staring into her eyes. He let her waist go as he held her hand, and they exited the pool to retrieve their belongings and dry off. He tsked when he saw the basket, and his stomach growled.

***