The Dark Crystal : The Dark Order

The Sun Spot

Rian
  This was one of the most terrifying days of Rian's life. He had already lost Mira, and he was nowhere near ready to lose Deet. He never would be. As she clutched his clammy hand, the realization dawned upon him, finally. Deet was going to die. Rian could never get her back. He had known she would not return with them, but he had never even began to think they would have to let her die.
  "I can't do this." Rian blurted. All Gelfling around turned to him.
  "Rian have to." Hup said, making everyone jump. The Podling had been silent ever since they arrived in the campsite, finally catching wind of what was happening.
  "The Podling's right, Rian." Naia told him. "You can't back out now." Deet squeezed his hand.
  "You'll be fine." She told him. Hup's brow furrowed so deep it was a wonder his eyes didn't disappear under his bushy eyebrows.
  "Deet!" He cried. "Comfort Deet! Taking to death! Not Rian, Deet!"
  "Hup, please!" Deet bent down and clutched his hands. "I'm not going to die. I promise."
  "Never make a promise you can't keep, Grottan." Brea spat. Rian turned to her, enraged.
  "What on Thra makes you think you can speak to her like that? Or even speak to her all the same? You've been plotting to kill her his entire trip!" Brea's wings fluttered ever so slightly.
  "I would never!" She cried, mock innocence. "Let's just keep going." She stomped ahead in solitude. Everyone else followed her, even Hup, apart from Deet and Rian.
  "I'll be fine." She told him earnestly.
  "Promise me, Deet." Rian said, his voice breaking. Her eyes drifted to the floor, filling with tears.
  "I can't." She whispered. "I don't know what's going to happen." Rian pulled her into his arms. They stood for a moment, wrapped around each other, matching tears streaming down their faces.
  "I love you, Rian." Deet whispered, her face buried into his hair.
  "I love you too." Rian replied. "I love you too."

  They set up camp for one last night, hardly ten meters from The Sun Spot. Kylan handed bowls of Moonfruit broth around the fire. Rian had to encourage Deet to take just a spoonful, let alone the bowl.
  "I can't, I'm sorry." She pushed it away. "I'm sure it's great, Kylan, but I have no appetite." Kylan nodded, understanding. Brea snorted.
  "Can't die on an empty stomach!" She chirped. Rian's hand flew to the hilt of his sword, only to be stopped by Deet's calming hand.
  "It's fine." She reminded him soothingly. Kylan shook his head.
  "I don't know what's gotten into you, Brea." He sighed. The Vapra's ears pinkened.
  "None of your business, Spriton." She snapped. Rian stood up, ignoring Deet's begging eyes burning into the side of his face.
  "Get out." He said quietly.
  "Wha... what?" Brea stammered , staring at him.
  "Get. Out." He repeated. Brea's mouth opened and closed like a fish. "Get out of this campsite, right now."
  "What are you talking about? Are you out of your mind, Rian?"
  He laughed, a touch of insanity tickling the corners of it.
  "Possibly." He answered. "Now get out of my campsite, right this second."
  "No." Rian turned, an eyebrow raised.
  "What do you mean, no?!" He asked the stony Drenchen, bewildered.
  "Rian, open your eyes!" Naia snapped. "Can't you see she's just a love-struck childling?" Rian's eyes trailed over to Brea.
  "A love struck childling who's gone on to hurt people, unnecessarily." Kylan shook his head, and stood up beside Brea.
  "I have a compromise." He announced. "Lock her hands. Tie them together with vines. She's come too far just to go home now." He snatched a handful of long, hanging leaves from a nearby tree. Brea stared at him.
  "I'm not going to let you tie me up, Kylan." The Spriton matched her eyes, glaring with a fierceness Rian had never seen in him.
  "Hold out your hands." He said quietly. When the Vapran refused, he grabbed her wrist roughly and began winding vines around them.
  "Much better." Rian said, nodding. Deet shook her head, looking over at Naia. In her eyes was a secret that only she and the Drenchen knew, perhaps even away from Naia's knowing. Naia's hands were focused on Neech, her strange little pet from the Sog, but her eyes were fixated on Brea, full of a look Rian had seen only once before. In Brea. And that look... was longing. Did Naia have feelings for Brea? Did Brea have feelings for Naia? He shook his head. Of course not. Naia had never shown any interest in anyone before.
  "Deet... is something going on between Naia and Brea?" Rian asked once they were away from the others, in the safety of the trees. Deet's big, round eyes fell upon the Drenchen and the Vapra, sitting close together but far away.
  "It's hard to have a relationship with your prisoner, Rian." She answered.
  "Deet, please. This is no time for riddles."
  "Yes, there is. Or was. I didn't hear that much, alright? I think they had one kiss, possibly drunk, and it meant something to Naia, but not Brea, now will you go to sleep?" She turned over. Rian sighed. They both lay there, silently, staring at the stars, before Deet reached for his hand.
  "I'm going to miss this." She said quietly. "The stars, the moons, the forest?"
  "You're not going to die." Rian reminded her.
  "You can say it all you'd like, but it's going to happen. Please, can I just enjoy this final night?" Deet looked over at him. "Can you tell my family I love them?"
  "You can tell them yourself when we get back." Rian said firmly.
  "But if I don't." She looked deep into his eyes. "Do you promise?"
He felt something shift in his chest.
  "Yes." He breathed. His head told him yes. His heart said no.    But Deet would be happy. That was all he needed.