It Takes One To Know One

[Draconian]

Gardenia smiled brightly and laughed, "Well, now that I know it has a happy ending I might finish it." There wouldn't be a lie said if that, sometimes when the book got sad, she'd skip ahead to see that it picked up and ended happy. It wasn't about the destination, it was about the journey! So, the walked and she wrung her hands together, looking up at the sky occasionally and sighing.

"Suited for a lady?" Gardenia huffed and hurried her pace to catch up with him better, "I'll have you know that I can walk well enough! Have I complained at all yet?" The question was honest, though sounded rhetorical.

[kleineklementine]

Soren shot her a quick smile about the book. "Yeah," he said, "one of my sisters was the same. Except she'd have me read the books for her first and tell her if they were 'safe' to read or not."

His sister. Soren frowned to himself, thinking about Elena. He didn't talk about his family much. Almost never. Sure, they came up organically, but Soren found himself not really wanting to talk more about them now. Especially Elena.

He forced another smile and kind tone when he turned back to assure Gardenia, "No, you haven't been complaining per se. But I think you'll like this way better."

But after that he settled back into silence as he led them through the forest. After an hour or so, the ground of the forest started getting wetter and wetter, in places looking as though it might just suck you right in. Perhaps to explain this, Soren began telling her as they walked, "Ages ago, I honestly don't know how long, a faery race or something similar lived in this part of Draconi Forest. They were prosperous, but they were a ground-dwelling race; they didn't take much to the trees like some fey. And as you are probably starting to notice, the forest is nearly a wetland here - watch that spot, you might sink into the mud," he interrupted himself to warn her, then continued. "So they built a series of canals that could be navigated by wooden boats; easy to make in the forest like this. The canals are small and it's said that every faery had their own boat that they would punt around from place to place. Their city was rumored to be located in the forest here somewhere and was meant to be spectacular; canals instead of roads, with all the buildings facing the water as the faeries glided along in beautiful boats. I've never been able to find the city, I'm sad to admit, perhaps the forest swallowed it up long ago. But the canals," and here Soren really won on timing, because he pulled back the hanging branches of a willow to reveal a little punt boat, and the dark, calm waters of a narrow canal beyond it, "are still here. Though few use them.."

He shot her a smile, clearly a bit pleased with himself. "So, what do you think?"

[Draconian]

Gardenia warmed at the idea of Soren doing something like that. It made her happy in a silly way, probably because it was something so simple but it was definitely something you'd remember someone doing for you forever. At his assurance that she had indeed not been complaining she gave a quiet sigh of relief. Most of her life consisted of not stirring up trouble. It made everyone elses life difficult and if their lives were difficult, so was hers.

While they walked Gardenia kept quiet. Though her head jolted up and she stared at his back when they walked, carefully avoiding the extra muddy spots, sometimes hopping from dry spot to dry spot. Of course, with her imagination she was taken in by the story, staring at his back while they walked. This place was odd, sure, but the idea of faery's always made her smile.

Finally she was close enough to hover behind him while he spoke and sure enough he pulled aside some willow branches. The smile on her face was bright and she gave a giggle, looking between him and the punt boat, pressing her hands to her hips she just look between him and the boat and grinned. "I think it's lovely." It was, it was right out of a...

Gardenia grinned wider and looked up at him, "That was a lovely tale, Soren. Though, I'm sad you haven't found the city, it's terribly sad that the forest ate it." Gently she rapped her knuckles against the willow's branches, a punishment of sorts for eating a whole city - naughty tree. "Did you find this place all by yourself or do smugglers use the boat?" The grin she shot him was wide and she lifted a single eyebrow up, giving him a questioning look.

[kleineklementine]

"Are you oh-so-subtly asking me if I'm a smuggler?" Soren asked while he held the little punt boat steady for Gardenia to board, with a fake look of shocked offense. In truth, he did smuggle from time to time. But then again, he did just about any job when it presented itself. Almost any job, anyway. But he preferred to at least pretend that he didn't with Gardenia, even if she might suspect he was pretending. It was much nicer to be thought of as 'a gentleman forced to live in the forest due to his circumstances' than a smuggler. Producing a long pole from beside the willow, Soren pushed the boat out into the canal once Gardenia was seating and jumped on after her. Standing at the back of the boat and using the long pole, he began steering the low wooden punt down the canal. Because the relative stillness of the slowly flowing water, though in many places it was dark as night, it sometimes caught the light and acted as a near perfect mirror for the forest; so the trees above met watery trees below at the edge of land and water.

"It isn't a 'tale,' though, my lady," he said, teasing her a bit by addressing her as such. "I've not only read about it - though I have to admit that if the books included the name of the race, I've since forgotten it - but I've found some remnants of their society. But not their great city. Maybe the forest hasn't swallowed it completely yet... The canals are extensive, and some grown over; I haven't explored them all. Mapping and exploring the extent of the canals would be quite the adventure, though." For someone who didn't need to worry about earning money, anyway. Also, wolves don't steer boats too well. Mostly, though, Soren had never attempted the feat because, well, he didn't imagine himself up to it. If he imagined who would do such a thing, he thought of a well-learned and wealthy gentleman-explorer. Not a cursed vagabond.

[Draconian]

"Oh dear me, I would never!" Gardenia put a hand to her chest and if there was such a thing as moving sarcastically, then she did it. Still, the smile on her face was bright and she stepped into the boat and sat down, a moment of worry when he didn't get it. Of course, relief was a thing when he jumped in and... Pushed them along with a stick. A long look at the bottom of the boat and she kept her expression neutral.

Then she took in the imagine and just looked around in awe. Sure, gardens were beautiful, but this was ... Breath taking. Such a simple thing. Just a forest and canals. "Well, Soren, it's lovely." A bright grin up at him and she leaned over to look at the water, before looking up at the trees and then back down at the water.

"This would be the perfect place to take someone if you had intentions," Gardenia waggled her eyebrows at Soren, looking around still. "I suggest you do that, Soren, when you find your Novel Someone you should bring them here," Her arms went out, gesturing to here. A look around the boat and she again, looked down at the water, briefly looking at her rippling reflection. A brief look up at him and she paused, "Don't tell them you read romance novels though, they'll think you took the idea from one."

[kleineklementine]

[[Sorry for the super delayed response! I blame you, for distracting me! Also, if you're curious, the canals are based on a real place... Google Image "Spreewald" and you'll see what I mean! Nice place to go canoeing/kayaking an hour or so away from here! :D]]


Soren gave a little snort at her talk of 'intentions.' This girl sure lived in a fantasy land! As though he were a young nobleman who'd ever take a girl somewhere impressive with intentions. "I don't think raggedy Forest Men get to take pretty girls to impressive places to 'declare their intentions' to them," he remarked casually. He didn't, at least, sound offended. If anything, Soren was amused. "Not those kind of intentions, anyway!"

"But," he mused as he pushed the boat silently along, "I suppose if I did find a 'Novel Someone' like that, I wouldn't want it to be someone who I'd be embarrassed to admit that I had read romance novels to. As a much younger man, obviously. Well, boy. I mean," he laughed, "if I can admit it to a stranger who will be none other than a high lady of Serendipity, I hope I'd be able to admit it to Whoever."

Soren laughed again, shaking his head to himself. "You read too many novels," he finally said. He continued to push the boat along for a few moments before asking, to fill the silence as much as anything, "What about you? I imagine your parents arranged your marriage from your birth. Or have you had some romantic proposal of your own?"

[Draconian]

Gardenia had the good graces to blush and look away.

Read too many novels.

Pish!

"I'm not a high lady," The 'yet' lingered in the air, "My father is High Lord though, I am simply Gardenia until then." Her arms crossed over her chest and she looked around with interest. This place was like from a book and it was that realization that yes, indeed, perhaps she did read too much. Head up in the clouds. Wanting to live out fantasies.

It was easy though, when for a night of the month you turned into a giant antlered beast. Gardenia puffed out her cheeks and blew out a long sigh giving Soren's back a long look when he asked her about her 'Novel Someone.' Gardenia blushed, looked down at her hands. Oh, she wasn't wearing her engagement ring. Must have forgotten it in the carriage.

Whooooops.

"It was a... Opportunist engagement. They want their son to be a high lord, my father needs a decent military strength to protect trade routes." Gardenia shrugged like it was no big deal, "I don't want to and neither does he, we've met once." Then her arms folded over her chest and she pouted, glaring ahead. Not wanting to think of her 'romantic proposal. "I guess that's my lot in life. I can read about people getting married for love and having babies outside of duty in my books"

[kleineklementine]

"I doubt very much that you get many opportunities to be 'simply Gardenia.'"

Soren glanced over to Gardenia with a slight look of pity. It must be hard, he thought, for such an overly romantic soul - as he deemed her to be - to have her marriage arranged for the benefit of others. It'd be much better if she were the practical, pragmatic sort. Many wealthy young ladies he had known, not nobles but the daughters of wealthy merchants whose marriages sealed trade agreements, had been. He suddenly wondered if his younger sister were married by now, she must be, and if she'd married for love or business ties.

With that thought, Soren lapsed into silence, leaving Gardenia to her own thoughts. But the sound of birdsong and insects and frogs and the quiet gliding of the boat filled the forest, and Soren at least found it a comfortable silence. They traveled like that for some hours, until the sun began to cast long shadows through the forest and a thin mist began to drift between the trees.

"We should stop soon," Soren said plainly as he steered the boat towards a broad copse of birch trees. There was no shelter here, lean-to or otherwise, but the ground was dry and there was some evidence of past fires and brief habitation. He pulled the boat close near the shore, then threw one leg on to the ground, one still in the boat. "Here," he said, offering a hand to Gardenia to help her up and out of the boat.

What he didn't notice then was that, from the shadows and mist of the trees deeper in the forest, eyes watched them. Waiting for darkness to fall.

[Draconian]

It irritated her on a few levels how well this man just... Knew.

Was she ever 'simply Gardenia'? Maybe. Once. A few times perhaps. Right now, maybe? The silence was welcome and she enjoyed it. At a few points she closed her eyes and simply listened, enjoying the sounds of nature. It was a comfortable quiet and she found herself unwilling to break the silence to ask silly questions or tease him about reading romance novels.

At a few points she'd recall the conversation, smile a bit and then look at Soren's back. Entertained.

Then, they were stopping and Gardenia found herself automatically reaching for his hand, accepting the help out of the boat and finally both feet were on land and she gave him a pleased bright smile. There was one or two days before the full moon, right? Everything would be fine tonight.

Taking a deep breath she looked around and carefully folded her hands at her front. There was nothing here and she found herself slightly confused. "So... Are we going to... Rest here?" She indicated to general area. Also unaware of the things that watched.

[kleineklementine]

[[Blarg, sorry! I forgot it was my turn. D:]]

"Well, it's no posh hotel, I guess," Soren remarked with an awkward chuckle, glancing sidelong at Gardenia. "But wait until there's a fire and you've had some food. It'll get cheerier."

Maybe that was too optimistic! But Soren couldn't keep little shelters around everywhere in the forest.

"Here," he offered with a smile, "how about I start collecting wood and start a fire. And if you're willing, there should be some chanterelles mushrooms growing this time of year. The conditions are right here. You want to see if you can rustle some up?"

It'd keep her feeling productive and keep her mind off of the journey and the gloom of the forest. Little did Soren realize, however, that he was pointing her right in the direction of eyes that watched them from the gloom.