Siv's constitution only improved in the coming days. It was like he was rapidly digesting the vile fruit, bolstering his own strength. Taln had mentioned that a person's powers were determined by their first few choices of consumption. However, this only applied to other people.
Siv could not only consume Consecrated beasts, but also Profane ones. Without worry of corruption.
Well, that was what he assumed, anyway. Yvenna seemed to agree, and she was far more knowledgeable about the workings of the world as an elf.
Among humans, well, at least in the Northern settlements these powers were not widely known. Siv thought that maybe they were more common in the Southern reaches where the soldiers fought on the frontier.
Regardless, it was time for him to leave the cavern.
About a week had passed since Eiranhal had brought him here, and he was itching to get out. He wondered if Taln and Ilrien had already hunted down the creature.
He doubted it. Otherwise the stag would have left the cavern for good.
Siv walked up to Yvenna. She seemed to know what was coming.
"It's time for me to leave." Her eyes were sorrowful.
"I know. I know you can't stay here. But can't you stay a little longer?" Her eyes glistened with tears. "I-I don't know where to go. I can't go out there, Siv. I can't." She was sobbing now.
Siv said nothing, staring at her. What could he say?
"Please... lets just run around one more time. Don't you have to practice more? Maybe you can stay a while longer and train with your chains. Just don't go, Siv. Please don't leave me." She walked up to him now, clutching at his forearm. "I'm afraid, Siv. It will kill me. It'll stick me up on the tree like it did my sister... She was only ten, Siv. All of them, bleeding and still alive while I could only watch... Please, please just stay with me a little longer."
Siv felt his own eyes tearing up. He couldn't meet her eyes.
She could hardly get out a word between sobs. She fell to her knees, still clutching his forearm. She buried her face on the side of his trousers. "I don't want to die, Siv. I don't want my stomach to be cut open. I don't want to go out there. Please, you're the only one I have. Don't abandon me, don't leave me, please!"
Siv sat down in front of her. He hesitantly put his hand on her shoulder. "Yven... You can't stay here, either. You know that."
She looked up from her tear soaked hands. "Why not? What is so bad about this place that you have to go? What is so bad about me? We can... we can just stay and it won't be able to get in and-"
"Yven. You know that isn't true. It's okay. Taln will protect you. I-I'll protect you, you can come with me."
She pulled closer to him, and he embraced her. She was shaking violently.
"You didn't see what it does. It puts them up there so we can watch them. It lets us rot so that it can pull us off and eat us. It torments us and enjoys it, Siv. I can't go out there. Please don't make me."
He held her closer, hesitance forgotten. "I won't make you, Yven. We can't stay here. I know it's scary, I'll take you to the other elves first. I'll keep you safe from it. I'll kill it if it tries."
She quietly sobbed into his tunic, hands weakly around him. "D-do you promise?" Her wide green eyes were looking into his now. "Can you promise that?"
He looked back steadily. "I promise."
They sat like that for an hour more. Yvenna was sleeping peacefully in Siv's lap as he sat cross legged in the grass. He stared out at the willow tree, steeling himself.
At this moment, Eiranhal entered in through the waterfall, shaking his leaves free of water. He approached the spot where Siv and Yvenna were, silently stepping through the grass.
The great stag laid in front of him, putting out its snout. Siv held his hand out to rest his hand gently on the stag's nose. Eiranhal huffed gently, sending a wash of warm air over him.
Siv frowned in concentration, trying to use that cyclical feeling to send the stag an impression of his thoughts. The stag's eyes closed for a moment.
When they opened, Siv gently stirred Yvenna from her sleep. She woke, beautiful eyes still red from crying.