Lakeside Willows

[Nathaniel Siparti]

Nathaniel breathed in the cool scent of fresh grass laced with that of the water, which shimmered and rippled peacefully in front of him. A faint trace of pine came from the east and directly to his west, he could smell the strong sap scent of the willows, which swayed, wraith like in the evening bound breezes, thin branches trailing through the water's surface like so many elegant fingers of lovers that poet their love under moonlight.

The overall feeling for that was content. He never felt such a feeling in his life, and there was faint sounds of music, a flute, trailing upon the thermals-like a raven flying across the clear, unadorned sky.
Unadorned it may have been, it was still as beautiful as any child of the sky.

Nathaniel lent lazily on the branch of a nearby willow, its shade providing a faint cool to the pleasant temperature of the late afternoon.

He could sense pollen drifting across the ground, some two meters away. And he could also sense someone approaching.

(ooc: there. I think thats a better quality of rp than the short stupid ones i've done. I'll try to make up for it now.

[Ariali Rilynnmitore]

A small form strolled along the lake's edge. Not tall of height, but not exactly considered short either, she parted the wall-like leaves of the willow. She sat down and looked out over the lake, humming to herself. Ariali loved coming to this spot, especially on this day. The sky was of the bluest blue, the grass, green as the trees adorning it.

Ari started to look around, but stopped and jumped up suddenly. Someone was practically right next to her, and she wasn't even paying attention! She mentally slapped herself and tried to calm down her moment of panic. She stood there for a moment, but then sat down calmly...atleast more than she was a moment ago. Looking out at the lake again, she asked, "Lovely day, today."

[Nathaniel Siparti]

Nathaniel nodded and looked towards this young lady seated, seeming casual and relaxed in this, indeed, lovely day.
"Yes. Very peaceful." he agreed, somewhat quitely, as if a too loud noise would disturb the contentedness that had come over the whole palce like a blanket.

[Duilya Lorien]

Duilya gazed around the lake; she couldn’t understand why she hadn’t tried to come here before the air was so fresh and the grass was like emeralds. It was quite lonely not knowing anyone but that was the roll of the dice. But all artists had to have some isolation or else their work doesn’t have the beautiful bittersweet quality to it. She held a folder of parchment and old drawings within her pack also a quill to sketch she didn’t know where exactly she was going or what she wanted to draw but it would be something that one day when she had aged or perhaps left she would still remember the beauty that surrounded her. A simple butterfly flew passed, a irrational thought by passed her mind, perhaps this simple civilian of the lake would know a place in which would be a perfect memory. The bottom of her dress began to get wet from the lite dew in the grass. She continued with her goose chase in till she noticed a figure in the distance, se slowly moved towards him, not wanting disturb someone searching solitude. But there was something in his face, he looked so at home in his surroundings with the water trees, it made him look part of the land… it may have seemed creepy to some but Duilya couldn’t help herself she hid herself behind long grass and started studying his face and then gentle removed her parchment from her bag and quill and started sketching… she understood that some people didn’t like to be sketched only to well, but just like when she had see a drunk passed out in a gutter mud everywhere she just had to recreate it due to the sadness in it… this wasn’t exactly the same thing this was just one of beauty… as long as no one knew though nobody should care. She was a little disappointed when another girl showed up into the picture scene but realized for a moment that she had the same peaceful look she didnt look as if part of the land as the other did but Duilya could fit her in, in some way or another and started stuying her features as well.

[Nathaniel Siparti]

HHe brushed a raven errand of hair out of his face and turned back to look at the stranger.
"Are you from around here?" he asked pleasantly, twrling a simple daisy around his fingers.

[Duilya Lorien]

Duilya smiled at her drawing after all the movements it had still turned out alright which was the highest compliment she would ever think about her own work. She stood up quietly from her hiding spot. She didn’t want to disturb the two talking so quietly wrote the names she had heard them say and slowly started to leave, she didn’t want them to think she was stalking or eavesdropping for she didn’t care on what they were saying.

[Ariali Rilynnmitore]

Ariali turned her head and looked at the guy next to her. She watched the daisy twirl around his fingers for a while. "In a way."

[Nathaniel Siparti]

"Really?" one eyebrow raised slantingly over his left eye. Good humour radiated from his figure, though no laughter escaped his lips.
"How do you say so?"

[Ariali Rilynnmitore]

"I, only live here...for now." She looked away from him and stared out over the lake. "In a way I am also not from around here." She cleared her throat. "So, are you also from around here, or are you also not?" she asked with a faint smile on her face.

[Nathaniel Siparti]

Nathaniel smiled vaguely.
"No...you couldn't say I was." he trailed off again, offering no answer. Usually, he would not subject to such rudeness..but his mind was dirfting home...

[Ariali Rilynnmitore]

Ari, at the same time was thinking back to moment of parting between her and her parents. Her mother hugging her tightly, tears streaming down her face. Her father standing as a statue like always. He had hoped to convince her of joining the militia. He himself had once started there. "I can't. That is never going to be the place that I find myself." She had told him countless times. Was father right? Have I chosen the right path? Ari closed her eyes, trying to prevent the incoming memories. The wind carried the scent of flowers, and she slowly found herself surrounded, enchanted. If only for a moment, she could forget where she was and how she had come to be there..

[Nathaniel Siparti]

Nathaniel look over, concern in his eyes. She seemed...melancholy to put it lightly. Thinking about he past no doubt. He had too much experience in those fields not to know. But it seemed for him, the excitement in this life was already over. Now, it was just he past. And the future seemed to hold no surprises.
He lay one tentative hand on her shoulder. "Are you alright?"

[Ariali Rilynnmitore]

In the back of her mind, Ari could feel something touch her shoulder and slowly found herself sitting again by the lake, under a willow tree, with a stranger next to her. She opened her eyes only to close them again. 'Oh, father. Have you been right all along?' she whispered in elvish, bowing her head slightly.

[Nathaniel Siparti]

Nathaniel reared back, and though his face was impassive, his heart beat like a snare drum. He shot up from the ground, eyes cold, flat and hard, and somehow, his features enhanced and sharpened even more. His face was slightly paler than before.
But his ears had not decieved him. His right hand was on his rapier for some reason. And he didn't remember it moving to the hilt. His penetrating icy blue stare was directed at the girl.

"Who are you?"

The voice was deadly calm, quiet and had the lacy hint of suspicion and danger.

[Ariali Rilynnmitore]

A whistle-like sound came from next to her ear. Her eyes opened and she glanced over, curious. What she saw eliminated her curiosity and left her rooted to the ground. Fear spiked into her when she saw his hand so close to his weapon. A warning her mother had given her flowed into her mind. 'They kill first, ask no questions after.' Moving her eyes upward, they caught the icy eyes of her opponent. I don't even have my weapon with me.

In a burst of courage, Ari jumped up and backwards. Only to slam against the willow's trunk. It momentarily knocked the air out of her. Her eyes finally focused and she watched the rapier cautiously, not answering the boy's question.