Euele was quiet, Leiken too, as they descended towards the grate in the wall.

Solace had talked to Euele after the aftermath of the Skull fight, and it became clear that it had been Aehwyn who had summoned it. It hadn't been an accident. And much to xir belief, she had believed every single word xey said about xir anxieties relating to and surrounding Aehwyn. This plan had been her idea as well, much to xir and Leiken's surprise. She didn't seem the devious type, but then again they'd both heard stories from Hawkes about what had happened between her and Jonas.

And now they were finally here, the grate barring the was just as it normally did.
It wasn't in the same place as before, instead of the wide room where they'd faced the skull-thing before, they were in a long empty hall that narrowed before the all too familiar rubble.

Euele and the others had stopped questioning why they kept ending up back here or how the grate always ended up replaced, it wasn't worth the time or anxiety it would cause. Usually they would try to avoid it, but now, walking up towards it with such purpose? Solace had to swallow the guilt threatening to rise in the back of xir throat. Xey had xir hopes about what would happen with this situation, and hopefully, hopefully no one would get truly hurt, but xey were willing to risk it, especially after the whole skull incident. Someone could've actually died due to Aehwyn's actions, which made Solace far less concerned about the safety of xir companion.

Ever since discussing the plan with Euele, Solace had been terrified that Aehwyn would find it out. So far, Aehwyn hadn't shown any signs of catching on to the plan, but Solace was ready to believe that they'd already figured it out and were playing along. After all, they always seemed to know. Maybe xey were getting paranoid, but after seeing that smile during that fight, it was impossible to feel otherwise.

Gritting xir teeth, Solace raised xir eyes to look the grate up and down. "Hey Aehwyn, come help me move this grate out of the way so we can get past." When the lithe, willow of a courser stepped forwards to help, Solace made xir move. With a subtle twist and what with could be perceived as an accidental shove, Solace had forced Aehwyn close to the bars of that forbidden grate.

"Pardo-" Aehwyn was cut off by the sudden skull appearing from nowhere, leering eye sockets and lolling jaw, their eyes went wide at the sound of the skull-thing's pleas. 

"Please, pleasssseee take me withhhh you?" It begged, the words like a gust of familiar wind through unfamiliar branches. 

"No, you're not coming with." Leiken huffed while he stepped forwards to look at the now trapped Aehwyn. A spark of recognition flickered in their pale silvery blue eyes as they met Leiken's gaze and even as the skull-things jaws closed on their flesh, their countenance had changed. 

Euele took in a sharp breath, and Solace could only glower at the sudden shift. Gone was the soft lithe thing that was all velvet and kindness, instead, Aehwyn's features now bore a remarkedly bored expression, their brows lowered into a glare that could've sent Solace running in a one on one conversation. Their movements even seemed to change, getting faster and snappish, almost as though they had to click into every pose they struck.

"I see you've realized I'm not what you first thought I was." Their ears twitched and locked into a pinned expression as they glanced down at the skull-thing still gripping their shoulder. "You didn't have to do this to get me to say that, though." The tip of their tail twitched, the long curls of their tail tangling together with the motion.

Solace stepped forwards, xey had promised to take the lead in the questions. If anyone could handle Aehwyn in a one on one fight, it was Solace. Besides, considering it was due to xir own concerns and thoughts that this was even happening, it seemed only fair. Certainly xey hadn't wanted to be the one confronting Aehwyn, Euele would be best at it xey had been sure, but Leiken and Euele had insisted. Neither had really explained why they had thought it was Solace who should do this, but that conversation was in the long past as xir heart raced in xir ears.

"We didn't. But at least now you have to sit still while we talk. We'll release you and heal your wounds once we're done here. But after that we'll be escorting you back to the surface and leaving you there." Solace's words were slow and even, a promise written in smoke coloured sounds.

Aehwyn's head clicked to the side, forelock tumbling over their eyes. "You were afraid I would run?" 

Xey shrugged. "Not really. You're not the sort to do so. We just didn't want you to fight." Solace paused, swallowing, before xey continued. "So, why did you summon the Skull?" 

The devilish smile that carved its way into Aehwyn's soft features was almost unsettling, their head ducked, eyes sparkling as they stared into Solace's deep brown gaze. "For the same reason you summoned the one biting me. I simply wanted answers."

Leiken blinked. Euele stepped forwards. "What questions did you have about us that you couldn't just ask?" Her tone was like a gust of arctic wind across silver wind chimes. 

"Oh, the sort that cannot simply be answered by words."

"What kind of question." Leiken asked, having to push Que back as she whined wanting to get at Aehwyn. It seemed the facade had broken for the pets as well as the coursers, even Acherna was hissing at them from her hiding place. Leiken's ears flicked. What kind of question would require summoning something that could kill them all? 

"What would you do if you found out I wasn't quite what you thought I was. What would happen if something you had grown comfortable being around could cause you pain?" Aehwyn leaned forwards, ignoring the teeth still tearing at their flesh. "There is nothing so curious a sight as a group of people who have trusted and must unlearn that trust. What will you do in the future, I wonder, when you come upon a silver tongued stranger? Will you still invite them in? Or will you drive them away, my name on your lips?"

None of the three could find the words to speak, or even the words to think. It was a question that might make them curious. Though, they never would've summoned something so dangerous just to see, right? They weren't as strange as this courser staring back at them with hungry eyes and a hollow soul. 

Were they?

Solace felt xir stomach roll. Without another word, xey stepped forwards and pried the skull-thing from Aehwyn's shoulder and stepped back, simply staring into Aehwyn's eyes, xir expression unreadable. Aehwyn just smiled, starting to hum as they stepped free from the grasp of that horrid thing beyond the grate. 

"Unlike you, we stop asking questions when we know it could hurt someone." Euele's voice broke the sudden stillness, her eyes blazing. She stepped forwards, slapping a piece of gauze across the fresh wound on their shoulder. "And even if we did, we usually know when to back out and how to help after we've made such a mistake." She applied a few layers of some type of fabric, binding the injury before she moved away again. "And we never, never, ever ask something that could take an innocent life."

Aehwyn's tail continued to twitch.
"How interesting."