The day was luxurious; the warmth of the sun, the light breeze had made things that much better. There wasn’t a thing he would change; it was by far a perfect day to be out. The lake also seemed to have a lustrous sheen to it as the sun gave the languid waters a bright orange shimmer. For a moment he came to a halt, allowing his eyes to trace the surroundings slightly. It had seemed to be just himself out here, which is kind of what he hoped for, since he had been kind of early for their meeting here. Spotting a nearby tree he gradually made his way towards it before taking a seat beside it and resting his back up against it. Inhaling deeply, he took in the sweet aroma of the clean cool grass and the flower scented air. It had been a long time since he had found himself in such a place as this especially on such a nice day. It dated back quite a few years when he had first met the woman he thought he would spend the rest of his life with, but things didn’t quite turn out how he had envisioned. Tilting his head back, he gazed up at the fluffy white clouds that rolled by above him, “I hope she’s going to show up.”

Aedra had taken the entire day to make it to the falls, however, for once it was because she was lost, it was simply because she had to stop constantly to enjoy her meanderings. She was at home out here, and felt no need to hide beneath the cover of her cloak, leaving it folded in the pack on her back. As the sun was nearing the point of marking their meeting time, she came in sight of the lake, and ahead the falls. She had to pause for moments, to simply enjoy the beauty of the scenery ahead, of the waterfalls, of the way the last rays of the sun glittered over the water. She quickly shook off the state of awe and continued on, seeing a tree off in the distance by the water, and what seemed like someone resting beneath it. "Oh wonderful, he did come out here as he said he would!"

She giggled softly, and made her way around to approach the tree from the opposite side, drawing her flute from the pouch at her hip as she came closer. She moved as quietly as she possibly could, bringing the flute to her lips and playing a flutter of soft notes, then lowering as she made her way around to his side, lowering easily to sit before him, "Good day, Sir, such a pleasure to see you again."

-A smile traced the lining of his slender lips as he heard the flutter of notes, knowing for sure whom it could be. His eyes drifted off to the side as she became visible and soon took a seat before him, “Always a pleasure to have you.” He blinked a few times at her, as the sun had cast an eerie glow about her, making her seem as if celestial. He chuckled lightly and motioned her to his side, before scooting over slightly to offer her a spot against the thick trunk of the tree, “Sit over here, so you can admire this glorious day with me. This is the perfect spot to be, no one around to bug us and virtually no noise at all. Just you and me.” He nodded his head firmly as he glanced across the languid waters, watching as the small waves lap up against the shore a couple feet from them, “With a day like this I can’t wait to see the night.” Slowly his eyes drifted across the waters and to the falls slightly off in the distance, “Have you ever felt like things couldn’t get any better? But when you got here things got a lot better. I wasn’t quite sure if you’d show up.” He smiled slightly and turned his attention to the butterfly as it fluttered about Aedra, “Somebody else heard your song last night, it seems.”

She smiled as he greeted her, then pushed herself to move forward the couple of feet to his side without standing, settling back down to lean against the tree trunk. The landscape around them was absolutely beautiful, and his company had now made it as near to perfect as life could come. It was a wonderful change from their prior place of meeting, a place she had no plans to return to. As he spoke, she looked out over the water, feeling so relaxed as she watched it roll in, then pull away from the ground where they rested.

"Well, here I am! I had no plans to miss being here by the time we said we would meet." She rested her head back against the tree, bringing her eyes from the water to the clouds, thinking of the stars that had been up there the night before, watching them. "I enjoyed your company last night, and the night here will be beautiful, enchanting, magical even, if the way things are now is any clue," she giggle softly. She turned some to look towards him, finding she could do so more easily out here than she could in the tavern. Just as he mentioned it, the flutter of color caught her eye, taking her gaze away from him. "Oh did you now," she smiled, watching it dance about in the air, "and perhaps you wish to join us for a moment?" She put one hand out, palm down, offering a finger as a perch should the small butterfly wish to settle down for a moment. "Such a pretty little critter you are."

-For a couple of minutes he watched the butterfly as it fluttered about her hand before finally finding its resting place upon her finger, “Life is beautiful isn’t it? And at times we all tend to take it for granted as my father had done, but I will not make that same mistake, I’m here to live life and be happy. And maybe if I’m lucky find someone that loves me the same as I would them.” He laughed nervously as he rubbed the back of his head, “I’m err….Sure that sounds kind of odd coming from a guy, but hey, what can I do?” His right hand moved into his shirt and pulled out a sealed envelope with his name engraved in the front, it read, ‘Vailen Syllvente.’ For a couple of moments he toiled with the envelope, pondering whether or not he should ever open it up or continue to keep it as some sort of useless knickknack. Sighing slightly he tucked it back into his shirt and turned his attention back to her, “Well…What should we talk about to keep ourselves occupied until the night comes, because I have something special I want to show you.”

Aedra laughed softly as the butterfly landed on her finger, "Life... is a wonderful thing, and the thought of sharing your life with another is nothing odd, from a lady or a gentleman." She watched as he shuffled something around, somewhat curious, though she tried not to appear as if she were prying. The butterfly had slowly moved its way along her hand and onto her arm, its tiny little legs tickling her a bit as it moved, and then finally it took off to flutter about some more. "Hmmmm, you seem to have traveled a lot, as I have, so, has there been any place you've seen that you would settle down and make a life? Not even a place like a city or the such, just somewhere were the land made you want to stay there. I've thought about it often, as I know I can't roam forever."

Reluctantly his eyes fell away from her and off to the lake once again, admiring how it glistened in the fleeting light of the sun as it retreated over the horizon. It was the first signs that darkness would be upon him and then only then could he show her his surprise. Well, it wasn’t so much a surprise as something of beauty but still, it had been something special to him, so as far as he was concerned it would be a surprise. A faint smile made its appearance again as he thought about her reaction, hoping that she would enjoy it as much as he thought. Slowly his gaze drifted over to her as she spoke of his traveling, tying himself down to a place and start a life. He had often thought of such a thing, but he figured it wouldn’t be possible for him to start a life after what happened the last time he tried. A heavy sigh passed his lips as he stared out over the waters and at the streaming falls above, “Well…I’ve thought about it, but I’m not sure if I want to set myself up to have everything ripped from me again. I don’t know if my heart can take that again, but I still have thought about it. I figured since I’ve met you I might stay here and possibly make one last attempt at starting a life. How about you?”

Manic moved his hands off to his sides and to the base of the tree trunk, using them to push himself to a erect position. Removing his boots he tossed them off to the side as he stretched slightly, “Anyway, the moon will be out soon…So maybe we should head that way.” His head motioned towards the falls as he offered his hand down to her, “I bet when I’m no longer around you, you’ll be still looking for this same ole hand to help you up.” He laughed slightly as he mused over the thought, “But I don’t plan on leaving, that’s if you still want me around, me and this hand that is.” Helping her to her feet, he still held her hand led her towards the falls, as he trailed along the shoreline, “If you don’t mind me asking you, what was you reason for leaving your homelands, if it makes you feel better to talk about it, I’ll tell you my reasoning.” Manic soon fell silent as he thought about what he had asked her to do and quickly shook his head, “Wait, never mind I don’t want to stir any bad memories around, because I know what it’s like to be asked that. However, since I’ve met you I never really had any regrets about leaving. You’re like a friend I never thought I could have, someone to listen to me yammer on and on.” He laughed again as he swung his arm slightly, trying his best to jiggle hers about in hopes of getting her to crack a smile as he glanced back at her.

She looked between him and the water, then back to him, just as she heard the sigh, wondering if perhaps she should have chosen a different path for their conversation. As he spoke, she cringed inwardly, realizing further that she was odd for her enjoyment of traveling, as she was never truly chased or forced from the places she settled, but rather she would grow restless and move on. "Somewhere away from the cities, somewhere I could hear myself think and somewhere that I could simply enjoy the days and nights as they passed by. I've found the place a million times, it's out here, in the wooded land, close enough to the water for a swim under the moon, with enough shade from the sun, yet enough light to dance under."

She paused, realizing she might be making a fool of herself to be describing things this way, then decided that she had made a fool of herself in the past, what difference would another time make. "Perhaps if you'd like to try one more time, we could find a place to settle down. We might both find what we are looking for if we do that."

As he pushed himself up, she found herself hoping she hadn't chased him away with her bold speech, and instead found that he was offering her a hand up. She accepted it, smiling as she listened to him speak. It had only been yesterday that they met, yet she would be lying to say she would miss him, should he suddenly not be around. She followed his lead, shaking her feet from her boots, then following along, glancing to their hands as they stayed together, enjoying it. "I would very much prefer that you didn't leave me, as I believe I would miss you very much, you and your hand." She smiled, then giggled softly before she hushed as he continued to speak. She had just about begun to speak when he shook his head and recanted his question, her smile warming as he spoke their meeting.

She laughed, a good warm laugh when he spoke of his yammering, turning a bit as he moved, the laugh continuing on a bit before she spoke, "I enjoy listening to you, just as I enjoy your company and look forward to plenty more time spent this way. Days, months, even years of it."

He chuckled lightly as she spoke of missing him and his hand. As he continued to listen to her, he smiled faintly before speaking, “It’s fine by me, I have plenty of days, months, and years left on this planet so I’m not too worried about leaving anytime soon.” His digits tightened slightly, giving her hand a light squeeze before loosening his grip again, “Many many many years, so you’re saying you want to be stuck with me that long?” He shot a glance over his shoulder and back at her trying to catch her reaction again before turning his attention back ahead of him. Upon nearing the falls he slowed to a near dead halt and released her hand, “Look.” His eyes drifted across the falls for a couple of moments, absorbing the dim lighting that shone through the water giving it a shimmering sheen, “I noticed this place when I first came here and since then I’ve always wanted to come back. It’s not often that you see something like this, but that wasn’t all that I wanted to show you.”

Pushing off from his right foot he took off in a slight run as he headed towards a rock that jutted out from the rock formations of the falls and overlooked the entire lake. Upon his approach, he leaped from the ground and up onto the rock with the aid of his hands. Turning back to face her, his right hand offered its aid to help her up and onto the rock one last time, “My, my, it would certainly be a displeasure to be missing this hand, don’t you think?” Manic laughed lightly as he pulled her up onto the rock, slightly straining as he had, “But I’m not sure who it’d displeasure more, you or I.” As she found her place upon the rock, he rose to a standing position before making his way towards the very edge of the rock and threw his gaze across the deep dark waters as they intermixed into the clear moonlit water, “Marvelous….Come come, you have to see.” Turning his body back to face her, his left hand offered itself as a stabilizer along the smooth slick texture of the rock. The last thing he wanted was for her to fall, but he didn’t want her to miss out on the spectacular view either.

Aedra smiled when he squeezed her hand, though there was a look of surprise on her face as she tumbled the question he had just asked about in her mind some. She giggled softly as he spoke, then replying, "I'd gladly be stuck with you for years and years, if you wouldn't mind having me following you around." Looking ahead, she saw the way the waterfalls looked now, coming to a complete stillness as she watched in awe. Then he spoke of more, leaving her to wonder what else this place of such beauty held, as she watched him move ahead. She gasped softly, watching him take the leap, though he seemed to land easily and gain his footing, and then he offered his hand once again.

"Oh, I definitely know it would be a terrible displeasure, should I be left to miss your hand, and you being attached to it," she winked, taking his help to climb up, her feet moving carefully along the surface of the rocks. "We could save debating who would miss who more by simply not parting, if that...." her words trailed off, as her eyes caught sight of the view from this point. She smiled as he offered his hand again, taking it lightly so as not to set him off balance either. "... if that would be how you wished it," she continued, in a soft whispered voice, finding herself lost in the moment and the beauty of this place. Once the words ended there was only the sound of the waterfall and the tiny critters all around them, such a relaxing sound. She watched him for a few short moments, then went back to looking out over the water, speaking softly again, "Thank you for bringing me here, Manic."

Manic smiled as she thanked him for bringing her here, but it wasn’t that much of a big deal at all. Drawing his gaze across the lake he admired the beauty and the sight from his place upon the rock, just as much as when he first arrived here, but there was one thing different. He was with a woman this time, a kind, and gentle and caring woman. Chuckling slightly, his right hand brushed a couple strands of jet black hair from his face, before returning it to his side once more, “You know, when I first met you, I had my doubts, but now I don’t. I feel so at ease with you around, well, more than when I got here anyway. However, I thought bringing you here would be a good idea, so I could show you some of the beauty you haven’t quite seen yet and hopefully plant that idea of staying in your head, because I have decided to stay here and you were the one to make me come to that decision.”

Releasing her hand again, he then brought his arm around her, placing his hand upon her arm as he pulled her slightly closer to him. He flinched slightly as he done so, paranoid that he was going to get slapped soon, but hoping she wouldn’t. Relaxing a little he offered a faint smile, “Oh…And call me Vailen, I only go by Manic with strangers and people I don’t really get a good vibe from. However, you were only the mere stranger that stole my hand and my heart.” He wasn’t much for the romantic type, but he hoped he would suffice with his mediocrity.

Aedra wondered if this was what the stars felt like when they looked down over the world, as she looked down across the water, still amazed by the beauty, and by how she could take it all in at once from this vantage point. She turned to look to him as he chuckled, wondering what had caught his thoughts, and then listening as he spoke. A look of surprise mixed with pure happiness crossed her face as he revealed more of his reason for bringing her to the place. Everything she had said about growing tired of roaming, it was so true, as she'd found herself staying in nearly the same area, just a different tree or inn where she actually slept each night. Now, as he spoke, she began to see that the roaming would finally end, and the hand that held hers, as well as this wonderful man, would be staying her with her. "I do like that idea, if you truly wish to stay." She looked to him, a smile settled across her lips.

She followed his lead with the pull and leaned in close to him, giving a soft contented sigh as she felt his arm around her. The day that had started out so wonderfully had turned into a magical evening, with his company and this perch above the lake. As he spoke again, she tilted her head with a slightly quizical look, which faded as he explained his reasoning for the name he had given her when they first met. She giggled in the sort of girlish way when just the right thing is said, then spoke, "Vailen, I do like that name. A wonderful name for a wonderful man," she leaned her face in, nuzzling it lightly against him, "a man who I look forward to spending many days, months and years with." She looked up to him once more, giving him a bit of a wink.

He felt her warm breath against his bare skin as she leaned against him and nuzzled close. Glancing to her a warm smile slid across his slender lips as she spoke of spending days, months, and years with him, “That’s a long time, you sure you’re up to it?” Lightly his left hand ran up and down her bare arm slightly, “If you are, you can count on me to be at your side. I won’t let anything harm you….Neither will Teigra.” His right hand moved down to the hilt of his sword at his waist and patted it lightly, “Teigra’s an old fella, he’s been around even before my father was born. It’s like a family heirloom I guess. Well, it’s what I consider it anyway, and it hasn’t let me down yet.” His arm tensed slightly, pulling her closer to him before releasing her, “But enough about the sword, how about we go for a swim for the fun of it. If you don’t want to, I’m fine with that, I’m fine with anything you decide.”

Vailen turned to face her, before noticing something about her that hadn’t really mattered to him before, “Those ears…you’re an elf?” He blinked a couple times before laughing lightly and rubbing the back of his head out of nervousness, “Heh, I guess I didn’t notice it before because it didn’t really matter what you were. I don’t really pay attention to the cover of the book, but more of what’s on the inside, because that’s what makes the book interesting.” Gradually his left hand lifted to her cheek, caressing it lightly, “But you have both soul and beauty, which makes me one heck of a lucky guy.” Again the inviting warm smile crossed his features, as he stared into her eyes, admiring their sparkle as the moonlight hit them.

She closed her eyes for moments as his hand ran along her arm, listening to him as he questioned her, a grin crossing her lips as she responded softly, "Years and years, yes, I am sure, Vailen." The grin shifted into a smile as he spoke of being at her side, of protecting her, and as she felt him move a bit to pat his blade, she opened her eyes to look. Her eyes slid closed once again as she listened to him, resting lightly against him, enjoying the tug closer, feeling so comfortable and relaxed in his company. It was only when he mentioned the swim that she lifted her head, the grin returning to her lips as she spoke, "A swim would be wonderful, and this night seems so perfect for it."

She giggled softly as he realized her ears, "Guilty as charged, I'm an elf, yep." She gave him a little wink as he continued on, her cheeks taking on a bit of a blush as he spoke, truly amazed by his kindness. As he brought his hand to her cheek, she tilted her face into it, feeling his gentle touch, her eyes looking up to meet his. "I'm still not sure what brought me to go to the tavern where we met, but I find myself more thankful with every passing moment we spend together that I was there." She turned her head just enough to place a tiny kiss on his wrist, then looking back up to him. "You are an amazing and wonderful man, Vailen, and I consider myself the lucky one."

A light tint of red gathered at his cheeks as she talked about him being a wonderful and amazing man. It wasn’t often he received compliments and especially from such a beautiful woman, and in fact the only compliments he had ever received was from his sword handling abilities, never his personality. Reluctantly his left hand slipped from her cheek and down to his right side as he unfastened the binding that held his sword and scabbard at his side. Taking the sword into his right hand he tossed it over his head, watching as it flipped and turned about in the air before coming to a heavy clatter upon the shoreline, “Guess my aim was off.” He chuckled lightly, before turning his attention down to the water for a few moments. He thought for a few moments over a couple things, before coming up with one possibly stupid idea that he knew he would later regret. Turning his attention back to her, he leaned in and kissed her cheek before offering her a smile, “I’ll…Be back, I hope.” He laughed nervously as he bit at his lip out of uncertainty over his statement.

Slowly he walked past her and to where the rock had met the falls, before turning around to face her, a slight grin plastered across his countenance. Pushing off from his right foot he took off into a dead run towards the point of the rock, passing her on the way. With one bound he became airborne, his arms moving out and off to his sides like a bird, before drawing themselves up above his head as he came down to the water at a slight angle. With a loud smack he hit the waters surface before plunging deep into it and resurfacing a couple feet from where he entered the water. He shook his head quickly trying to shake off any excess water before lying back in the water and allowing himself to float there. His eyes traced up the falls and to the rock where he made his decent from trying his best to decipher her reaction from his current position. Vailen laughed heavily trying to signal that he had been fine before speaking, “Sorry, spur of the moment! I’m fine though, in fact it was rather graceful at least until I hit the water!” With his left hand he motioned her to join him, but hoping she wouldn’t do the same thing as him.

((Sorry, the post may not be the best, I'm just waking up.))

Aedra's lips formed into a grin once again as she saw the color come across his cheeks, her eyes following his hand as it slid away from her face and moved to his sword. She came to realize he was a man of gentle strength, one who could be a defender as he spoke of being, yet one who knew when to put the toughness aside and be the man without being the warrior. The clattering of the sword on the coastline pulled her from her thoughts, causing her to giggle softly as he spoke. She watched him as he looked out over the water, wondering just what ideas were swirling around in his mind, and then suddenly he returned his gaze to her and gave her a kiss. A smile settled on her lips as she felt it, and then a mildly curious look as he mentioned returning, as if he were going somewhere. "I'd miss you too much if you didn't return," she spoke, with a grin.

She followed his every move, curious at first, then a bit worried as she realized just where he was going with this idea, though she had little time to worry, as only moments later he came past her in a run. She nearly lept up as he took to the air, worried about what might be below when he met the water, hoping his landing would be safe. She made it to the edge, just in time to see him break the water, wincing as she saw the large splash and then waiting for him to surface, hoping he'd be safe. She gave a soft sigh of relief as she saw him break the surface and lay back to float, smiling as she watched him from her spot on the rock for a bit, then turning to climb down carefully. She stopped by the spot where he had tossed his sword, and pulled the small pouches from her belt, including the one that held her flute, setting them down and then making her own way into the water. She ducked under the water and pushed herself quickly towards him, surfacing right next to him and returning the soft kiss he had given to her to his cheek. As she began to tread water next to him, she giggled softly and spoke, "Yes, I think it was a rather graceful move, though I hope the landing didn't hurt too terribly much."

Green hues danced along her frame as she removed her belongings and set them along side of his sword, which reminded him of one thing he had forgotten to remove before his jump. Instinctively his left hand shot down to his belt where the item had once been, but now was missing. As she swam over to him and kissed him on the cheek, a slight grin crossed his lips, “It takes more than water to hurt me.” With that his eyes drifted over to the falls and up to the rock trying to predict where his point of entry would have been in the water, “Hey, just a second, okay? I lost something.” With that he submersed bellow the surface and made his way along the murky bottom of the lake, watching for anything that had held any sort of glitter or anything out of the ordinary, but finding nothing as he surfaced near the falls, “This will be like trying to find a needle in a haystack.” Sighing heavily he contemplated whether to worry about the gold or not.

He didn’t really need it or anything, but he didn’t want to seem like a broke, especially if he wanted to take her somewhere special or needed to camp down in an inn for whatever reason. Shrugging slightly, he gave up and made his way back to her, “Oh well, gold doesn’t really matter to me, it’s you that does.” He smiled and kissed her again, but this time on the lips, before drawing back and giving her a little distance. For a few moments he just stared at her, the smile still on his lips, before finally speaking, “Mind if I ask you something? An elf is nearly immortal, correct. I mean like, they don’t age, right? I’m just curious, I don’t know a lot about your race.” It had been the first time he lied to her, he wasn’t really asking her out of curiosity, but for a more important reason. It was something that concerned the both of them as a whole, but he wasn’t willing to tell her the true reason for asking, at least for now anyway. This was their night to enjoy and he didn’t want to do anything to spoil it. However, it wasn’t so much as that, but he had been afraid to tell her the true reason, knowing that it could possibly change things between the two of them.

She figured him for being tough enough to take the unplanned flop into the water, yet his words made her smile as he confirmed his own strength. She watched as he looked about, then with just a mentioning of having to find something, he was off and below the water. She leaned back a bit, half floating on the water, her eyes going from the surface of the water, to the sky, then back to the water again to watch for him. As silly as it felt, she was already missing his close company, and as she watched for him, she hoped he would return quickly.

Just as she was beginning to worry about him, she saw him surface by the falls and make his way back to her, a curious look upon her face as to what he was looking for. After the explaination came, she was no longer quite so worried, as gold was something she rarely kept much of anyways, as she lived a rather simple life and always knew she could earn a little if she needed it. She smiled against his lips as he kissed her, a pleasant surprise it was, and when he pulled away she simply watched him with adoring eyes. "Not quite immortal, but we live a very long life..." she paused, realizing something for a moment, then continuing, "longer than many races, but not quite immortal." She leaned back into the water some, letting herself mostly float, watching him, and the way the water glittered around him as the lights of the sky shifted.

Upon her response to his question, a sinking feeling washed over him as his eyes drifted to the waters knowing for sure that he certainly couldn’t live as long as her. The reason that had bothered him so bad was because he feared to leave her side, and allow her to be subjected to the world around them and if he was around he could prevent that and protect her. As of right now she was his only concern and he would do anything to protect her even if it meant throwing himself into the fray, but this was a little different. As years would pass he would wither and she would stay just as divine as ever and soon he would pass on and she would move on, that was the cycle that would soon consume the both of them unless he did something to change that.

With a heavy sigh, he offered a faint smile as his gaze drifted back upon her, admiring her radiance for a couple moments. He knew she must have had some idea of what he was thinking about, but then again he could be wrong. On whatever account he decided it would have to wait till the night was done, but for now they would enjoy the night. Leaning back in the water, his eyes fixating themselves upon the starry sky above as he float languidly in the soothing waters around him, before speaking, “It was kind of a stupid question, but I was just curious about something. I’ll tell you later what’s on my mind, but for now….Lets have some fun, eh?” With that he leaned forward and splashed some water at her before sticking his tongue out at her, “Got’cha.”

She knew - or rather she had a strong feeling - where the question came from, as it was a question that had plagued many of her interactions with others in the past. Vailen was different though, as he had found out she was an elf and remained sincere towards her, unlike others who found the quickest way to excuse themselves from her presence. He was the first one who hadn't treated her as if her being an elf was a curse, or some sickness that had to be avoided, he still looked at her with those same eyes. Aedra knew the reasons why elves rarely formed any relations with those not of their blood, yet she had forsaken that blood when she left to explore the rest of the world. Sure, there were things that would never change, such as the point that Vailen had brought up, but she had vowed that she would not keep it from allowing her to live, and to love.

She listened as he spoke, and a tinge of sadness crossed her mind as he confirmed what she knew must be going through his mind. She wanted to comfort him as she saw the faint smile, she never wished that he'd feel any sadness, especially not that which was caused by her. She heard the thoughts echoed in his voice as he spoke, and was just about to reply when the splash of water suddenly washed over her face. "Yes, those things, we'll discuss later." She giggled softly as she saw him stick his tongue out, shaking her head in amusement, then gave a good splash back, dipping under the water as she did so. She swam under the surface towards him, sliding past him, then coming up for air, giving him another quick splash before exclaiming, "Got you now!"

Vailen laughed half-heartedly as she splashed him back, before disappearing beneath the surface and reappearing behind him, where she would signify her presence with another splash. Wiping the water from his eyes and the strands of long jet black hair away from his face, he turned to face her, a big ole grin plastered upon his face, “Ooooh you’re asking for it now, young lady.” With that, he made his way closer to her, moved his hands out to her shoulders and pushed her bellow the surface before he too joined her bellow the calm, languid waters. Slowly his hands slipped from her shoulders, trailed down along her arms, and finally reaching her hands and holding them lightly within his, before making his way to the surface and bringing her along.

As they reached the surface, he pulled her hands up to his lips and placed her hands lightly against them, just enough so she could feel his breath against her bare skin, as he spoke in a soft tone, “Hey…I may have a loophole in this whole shorter life thing. But I want your support on this, because I’m doing this for you and only for you. Well…I guess I’m kind of doing it for myself too, but more for you.” A smile traced his slender lips as he lightly kissed her hands before releasing them again, “Anyway, lets go back to shore, I’m getting kind of tired out here and I’ll explain more about my loophole there.” Deciding not to wait for her response he made his way back to shore where he sloshed about in the waist high water on his way out onto the grass. Taking his first step upon the grass his eyes traced the surroundings hoping that no one had taken their items, but found them untouched. Turning back to the water he watched her, wondering why such a woman would find interest in him. He mused over the question in mere wonder before finally drawing his attention off of it and off her only to bring it to where their possessions laid, “So, the only problem we have now is how to dry off.”

Vailen chuckled lightly as his hands moved to his pants and fanned them a little, before they stuck to his legs once again, “Come to think of it, I think you’re in a worse boat than me. I can actually remove my shirt.” Again he chuckled lightly, as he made his way towards a nearby tree and took a seat beneath it. Patting the spot beside him, his eyes shifted up to her to watch if she would accept it or what she would do, “We could probably hang out here till we dry off don’t ya think?” Slowly his eyes drifted shut for a couple moments as he spoke, “Anyway, I think I heard something about and infusion which would grant the person outworldly abilities and who knows, it may length my life span and I can actually spend the rest of my life with you.” He smiled at the thought of it, but he still had his doubts about the idea, and he knew as well that she would also have doubts about it, “Anyway, the old man was saying something about the angelic binding itself to the infused’s body and granting that person with its powers and abilities, which means I won’t have to really sacrifice anything, I’ll be the same good ole goofy me.” Opening his eyes, he stole a glance at her to catch her expression before continuing on, “However, my appearance will be different, I’ll have wings.” Vailen couldn’t even begin to picture himself with wings, it was like trying to slap wings on a turtle, which indeed would look rather funny. For a couple minutes Vailen waited for her to soak up what he was saying and respond before he would continue on with this.

((Sorry, cruddy post, just really tired and exhausted. The next will be better I hope.))

(Pfft, cruddy? Hardly.)

She watched as the light glittered all about him, seeing the grin upon his face, that face she'd come to love watching already. He spoke, and just as she was about to laugh again there was water all around her and his hands upon her shoulders pushing her down. Had it been anyone else, she'd have been stuggling by this point, yet she simply opened her eyes and as they adjusted, she saw him join her. His touch was so soft, so soothing as to almost make her forget they were down here below the surface of the water, and then he took her hands and brought her back up. Trust, another thing she'd never shared with those she had met in the past, yet he had gained hers and that led to comfort, something she felt in his presence.

Once again the light of the stars washed over them, and as he spoke she felt the warmth of his breath against her fingers, watching him as he made his thoughts from earlier known. The frustration that had been evident earlier was not showing this time, rather a hopeful look, and as he continued, she couldn't help but smile. "For us," she added softly, as he kissed her fingers, bringing a smile to her lips. She pulled herself through the water behind him as he started for the shore, feeling her weight return as she reached the land, getting her feet under herself slowly and letting the water fall away.

She gave a soft laugh, tugging the material of her shirt away from her skin, only to have it cling to her once again, looking towards him, and watching in awe for moments, then moving to the spot he offered her. "We have plenty of time, we'll dry, no need to hurry things," she spoke softly, as she began to pull the small collection of braids loose, long strands of hair falling loose down her back to her waist, wet like the rest of her. As the last one was released, she shook her hair a bit so it would air out and dry, returning her attention to him as he spoke once again.

She tilted her head some in thought, her eyes remaining on him as he spoke, the idea one that gave her a feeling she couldn't put words to. It felt like a mix of joy and fear all jumbled into one confusing emotion, joy at the fact that he'd be by her side for the remainder of her life, fear that there would be some taken for the gift that would be given. A smile returned to her lips as his confimation that he'd remain just as she'd come to know him, causing her to give a soft laugh before speaking, "I happen to love this goofy you, very much so." Then he continued, and spoke of wings. Wings? She giggled softly as she imagined him with wings, picturing his oh so graceful dive into the water earlier, and the image was a bit of an odd one.

"Of course I'd support you, for us, for the chance to spend our long lives together." She leaned into him, giving him a soft kiss upon his lips, waiting a moment, then continuing, "If not for you to live as I do, nearly immortal, I'd have found a way to live a shorter life with you, so that we could share each stage of our life together. This.. chance you speak of, as long as you'd not have to lose a part of yourself, it would be the answer to our differences." She sat quiet for a bit, then adding one last thought, "I don't want to be without you, Vailen."

This was something he wanted to do, not so much for him as her. Vailen feared his human frailty at times and this would be one of them, because he would die quite some time before she would, and looking back upon his knowledge over the elven race, they sometimes tend to live well over 100 years depending upon certain circumstances. She would either be alone during those years or move on and find another lover to replace the void of the last and that was something he wasn’t sure if he could stand.

A warm smile washed across his countenance as he felt her soft, gentle lips come in contact with his before initially drawing away, “For us…I will do this for us then. After tonight, I’ll see what I can figure out from these odds and ends of information I picked up, but I’ll definitely try and find out what I can and who knows, I may be reincarnated.” He mused over the thought and the image again before shaking his head solemnly, “Alas, I would rather our time together not be cut short. Besides, if I had intentions of dying, I would rather do so on the battlefield, not by reaching the end of my rope. A dreary way to go if I must say, and besides getting old is not something I’m looking forward to.” He laughed lightly, as his left arm snaked around her body and pulled her closer to him, allowing her to rest her head upon his bare chest, before he would rest his against hers, “Hey, don’t worry I’m not going anywhere, the only way I’d leave your side is….”

He paused, lost in thought for a couple seconds before striking up a couple words to follow along with what he was saying, “Well, I guess there really wouldn’t be a good enough reason to get me to leave your side, so I guess you’re stuck with me.” Chuckling softly, he lightly hugged her closer, before gently rubbing her arm, “Do you actually think I would leave you? Sheesh, have a little more faith in me, would you?” Again he chuckled lightly before breaking off into silence as he thought over what he had picked up from the old man’s conversation. There didn’t seem to be too great of a worry in the idea, but the only problem was he hadn’t exactly been too sure if it would work or not, but he would have to wait and see. Giving her another light squeeze, he kissed her lightly on the top of her head, before speaking again, “Say….What would you do if I wasn’t around anymore…? I know it’s not exactly a nice thing to think about, but I’m curious, you don’t have to answer if you don’t want, but you can ask me too if you want…”

His way of seeing things, as he spoke of old age being a boring way to go, amused her, causing her to grin as she realized how much the same they thought of things at times. She set her head lightly against his chest, the beating of his heart soothing as she continued to listen to him speak the words that gave her such great comfort. She knew she'd always be at his side, protected from the dangers of a world she was still discovering, even after her years of roaming. It was a strange position she found herself in, to have someone who cared for her so greatly, but then in return, she found herself wishing for nothing other than to see that he was happy.

She smiled as he pulled her closer, draping one arm over his chest and giving him a light squeeze. "No, never Vailen, I don't think you'd leave me. Being stuck with you is a blessing, though I'm not sure how such a blessing was bestowed upon a simple elf like me." She joined him in the silence, sinking into her own thoughts as he seemed to do the same, as the rhythm of his heart beating threatened to soothe her to the point of sleep. She let her eyes drift over to the small pouch that held her flute, musing over the reasons why she had stayed near the city for so long as of late. She'd come in search of knowledge, in which she hoped to gain some sort of skills beyond being able to entertain the patrons of taverns - or perhaps even some form of power - yet so far the answer had not been found. She tilted her head up a bit, to glance up at Vailen, and smiled, knowing that she'd found love, and this was something far greater than anything she could have hoped for.

The soft kiss pulled her from her thoughts, a look of curiosity forming upon her face as she heard his question. "I would mourn," she started, her face changing to a pouty look of sadness, "and then I'd probably leave for another place, where I would simply go in search of something to fill the emptiness. I'd never take another aside me." She gave a soft sigh, unable to find words to explain her feelings. "What would I do if you were no longer around? I'd be lonely, but at least I would have the memories of these wonderful days, and I could say that I knew love." She lifted her head from his chest, enough so that she could look up to meet his eyes with her own. "I know you won't leave me, I do have faith in that."

As she spoke of missing him when he no longer accompanied her side, a look of sadness washed across his features as he too thought of what it would be like to lose her. It wasn’t really something he liked thinking about, but his curiosity was the only drive to get him to ask such a thing. Shaking his head slightly, his eyes shifted down to her as she looked up at him. With a light smile, his left hand lifted from her shoulder and slightly ruffled her hair, “Of course I wouldn’t. There’s nothing in this world that could take me from you, or vice versa and I’ll make sure of that.” Again the prestigious smile crossed his lips, “I may not be the best with the sword, but I can hold my own. My Father wanted me to be a weapons master and achieve the status he could not, but that is not my dream. Perhaps it may be, later on, but for now it will have to wait.”

A slight sigh passed his lips as he thought back to his own question, wondering if he should tell her what he would do if she wasn’t around as well, but he couldn’t quite gather up the words to say. To Vailen, it all depended on the situation, if she simply left him he would move on, but if she passed, then he would not, but he wouldn’t dwell upon the past and keep it bottled up, but instead take up his fathers dream. Vailen’s father expected a lot from him, but it was a good thing that he had, it had kept his mind off his mother, but sometimes it proved to be bad at times. All the stress that built up on him almost threatened to snap him a couple of times, but it was his mother that kept him in line. Even though she wasn’t there to talk to him, she was still there inside, but he couldn’t really blame his father for expecting so much. His dad was never a good parent and always left his wife to raise young Vailen, but once he was the full responsible parent he kind of went off the deep end and expected way too much of Vailen. Things that he himself could not accomplish and hoped his son could fill that void in his life for him. However, the past was just that…Past, it was nothing to dwell too much upon.

With a quick shake of the head he awoke from his zombie like trance and brought his attention back to her before speaking, “It would only be fair if I told you what I would do…Even though this is going to be kind of hard to say.” Taking a few moments to think over things, his left hand rose and lightly traced his fingers along the contours of her face, “You know very well that I’d miss you, otherwise I wouldn’t be here right now. You mean a lot to me now and there’s not a thing I would let hurt you unless I was dead, so to me this won’t come along to be true anytime soon; however, it could very well be possible.” Again he paused, scanning over the numerous thoughts that clouded his mind, before finally focusing upon one single thought, “You know very well that my life isn’t complete with you…No one will be able to fill that void and I know this to be…So why should I try and why should I bother? But am I truly saying I would if it would fill that void? No…..No I’m not, dear, because the only person to fill your void…Would be you.” Vailen smiled softly as he gazed down at her, “However, you will have to realize that I will have to find something to at least keep my mind off of things, perhaps I could complete my father’s dreams for him. Become a weapons master and a high-ranking army official, but eh…I’m not sure if I want that, but who knows? Maybe in a couple years I may change my mind and try it. Or I could have a miraculous turn about in the next couple of weeks and decide to do it, but of course I’ll make sure to stay alive.”

Tilting his head back, he admired the starry sky, taking in its captivating beauty. It wasn’t often that he had the time to admire the skies for what they were, but now he had, he could finally settle down and take in the finer things in life than he had before meeting her. She was like his gateway to the world and just being with her gave him more of a reason to open up to the world around him. Slowly his eyes slid shut as he allowed his head to rest back against the trunk of the tree, “Where do you think we’ll be in a couple years? Do you think we’ll have beautiful kids or do you think it’ll just be you and I…?” Vailen chuckled at the thought of having kids or even thinking about it. He had almost been certain that he would not provide to be a good father, especially judging at how well his father had handled the task of taking care of him, but on the other hand his mother was a superb parent. She was a kind and gentle woman with a heart of gold and he seemed as though he was following in her footsteps more-so than his father’s.

Vailen spoke again, but in a softer tone than the first, nearly inaudible with its sound, “You’d make a great mother you know that, right? And I would make a great father and I children themselves would be great and probably more goofier than I myself….If that’s even possible. However, there’s one thing I hope for and that is for them to have your eyes for yours is much prettier than mine. Don’t argue with me about that either, because I’m right.” Vailen’s head lifted from the trunk and he turned his attention down to her, watching to see what her reaction would be and if she would even respond to that. Chuckling lightly, his left hand lightly patted her shoulder, “But it’s entirely up to you if you want kids or not, you’re the one that has to have em, not me. So that’s entirely up to you and I won’t argue your choice, but if you want….We don’t have to talk about this, we could always go by ear and play it on the edge.” He gave a warm smile before kissing the top of her head again where he would soon rest his chin, “You know something? I couldn’t even begin to picture a miniature me running about, it’s almost like trying to imagine me with wings….Just…Odd? I guess that would be a good word for it.” Again his eyes weighed heavy and slowly slid shut, welcoming on the sleep that induced itself upon him, but he would try and keep awake at least until she was ready.

She smiled as he messed with her hair, leaning against him and feeling the emotional chill of her thoughts fade away. It was realistic to consider what might happen as the years pass by, yet it still made her feel uneasy to consider these things so soon after they had met. She knew that some would say that those things too good to be true are often so, yet she was never quite one to live her life by the beliefs of others, or their superstitions.

Everything he said made perfect sense, though she refused to consider to seriously the posibility of a time coming when she and Vailen would be apart. He spoke again of protecting her, and it comforted her, yet it also made her wonder if she'd be able to do the same, should he come into harm. If the time ever did come that they would be seperated, she would never want it to be so due to her inability to do something to keep it from happening. "Don't worry too much on it, dear, as I have no plans on being away from you," she gave a soft chuckle, perhaps trying to push away the sad thoughts of the possibilities they were discussing, "I'd miss the goofy you I've come to love. One hundred years with you would still not be enough time to show you everything I'd want to show you." She gave a soft sigh, and offered a silent prayer up to the stars above that they guide and keep both Vailen and her as they make their way through life.

The next couple of years, she mused, seeing as she had never even really planned for the next day or week, let alone the next year. She looked off into the distance some, as if she'd see the future by gazing at the stars, though all she found were bright sparkles against a beautiful sky. As he continued, she realized just how little she'd thought of her future, but then, she'd planned only on years of traveling in search of a place she could settle down, if settling down was even an option for her. One random visit to a tavern she had no place being in and so much had changed, and every bit of it had been for the best. She closed her eyes, conjuring images of what it might be like to be a mother, for she and Vailen to have wee ones of their own, a family.

She had to consider his mentioning of her being a good mother, as she never believed herself to be anything like her own parents and would have to question whether they were good or bad parents. It was obvious enough that they had taught her how to survive, yet in doing so they had taught her that part of survival is to look out for yourself and always make sure that your needs are met. As she nuzzled close to Vailen though, she began to question that logic, as he saw fit to take care of her and she found herself wishing only to think of his needs, and in that they were both happy. She again saw the images in her mind of the two of them watching as their children played, tucking them into bed or doing whatever it was they would be doing as they raised the wee ones.

As he mentioned her eyes, she looked up to meet his with her own, knowing he was right, as there could be no other eyes like his, ones that so held her attention as she looked into them. Her face was nearly a mask of serenity, as the suggestions of their future he made did not make her nervous or even worried, but rather it felt like something she could see being right for them. "I could see us raising our children, wonderful little ones with my eyes and your goofy personality," she paused, the images playing with her mind again, "and I do believe you would make a fine father, Vailen." She leaned against him, the day's activities having worn her a bit tired, her voice soft as she spoke again, "I can't say much for the future, in regards to where we'll be, but we'll be there together, Vailen. I never saw myself settling down and raising a family before these days with you, yet now it seems as if it's all so natural to consider." She gave a soft contented sigh, looking one last time to the glittering stars above them, then letting her eyes slide closed as she drifted into sleepy thoughts, whispering, "Thank you again, Vailen, for the day together in such a beautiful place."

He wasn’t worried about his own safety, but then again he had never thought about it. Before he met her it never seemed to make a difference to him whether he was in safe hands or not, the only thing that mattered at the time was trying to move on. However, now that he had some time to think to himself about the things he never could before, it became a slight concern but it was only that, slight. He was a grown man with a fairly average knowledge about swordsmanship, which was enough to give even a skilled swordsman a little more challenge than they bargained for. Vailen was far from the kind of guy that would up and surrender himself and that had nothing to do with his pride, but more his morale. He felt that if you surrendered yourself to the enemy you would still die, both inside and outside, but if you fought to the bitter end you would only die on the outside and be set free from the inside.

As she spoke, his left hand lightly rubbed her arm as if to make her a little more comfortable. Soon as she finished speaking, his eyes drifted up to the waterfall, watching as the water streamed over the top of the fall and fell freely down to the languid waters bellow, “You don’t have to talk about this if you don’t want. I’m only curious, but as you said, I haven’t thought much about where I wanted to go from here either, in fact I’ve never thought about a lot of things, I never had the time to, but now I do. All thanks to you, you’ve brought me a lot that I thought I’ve lost back in my homelands.” Lifting his left hand from her arm, he brought it up to her cheek and resting it there for the meantime, speaking in a soft tone so as not to disturb her slumberous state, “And thank you for spending it with me.” Tilting his head back, he rested it against the trunk of the tree, before closing his eyes and just simply listening to the soothing sound of the waves lap up against the shoreline. And within minutes he found himself slipping off into a sleep induced slumber.