Ocean waves and a wandering mind.

[Aoife Lee Frye]

”Luck?” Aoife echoed, quirking an eyebrow upwards. It was obvious she didn’t think too much of that particular excuse. Cian was a trained soldier, it took more than a little luck to get past that kind of training. She almost let it drop at that. Let him escape with little more than a raised eyebrow and a smirk. Almost. Grey eyes finding him still laid in the sand, seemingly without a care in the world, ”If that’s what you want to believe,” The woman began, laughter still colouring her tone as she spoke, ”Rather than the fact you were taken down that easily. That’s up to you.” Okay she may have been pushing it, teasing a little too much, but it was difficult to resist.

    The amused expression was overtaken by a look of surprised as the suppressed curse fell from his lips and the soldier began to scramble to his feet. ”Wha-“ Aoife didn’t finish the question she had begun. Instead she took the offered hand the same way she had knocked them both down: on instinct rather than reason. When she realised it was to avoid the oncoming tide, her features softened into silent laughter once more. ”I’m already kind of soaked.” Aoife pointed out lightly, gesturing to the still-wet fabric of her trousers. ”Which was your doing if I recall.”

    Okay, so it would have been much more than a few splashes had the waves reached them… but still, Aoife wasn’t about to let him forget that it was only a few moments ago he had been making an effort to douse her with seawater. ”You, um, you can let go of my hand now… I’m up, we’re dry.”

[Cian DeGraff]

He was using that word a lot, wasn't he? It probably made him look bad, but he didn't seem to appear bothered by it even so. In reality, it was stupidity that made it possible for her to knock him down so easily. He wasn't in soldier mode; right now he was probably looking like a dork, yet that didn't mean she wouldn't have been able to succeed on the training grounds. She was a soldier, even if she hadn't been training as frequently, even though she didn't stand among the ranks. He did and was often training every day, so he'd like to believe it wouldn't have been this easy were the situation different. The battlefield was quite another playground, and that was a side of him that he wasn't showing here with her now. He didn't want to.

Cian had laughed again when she teased him. "Aye, it's not just what I believe- it's a fact," he stated, though it didn't sound as if he agreed with his own words. Yet that also didn't mean he was going to outright admit she was right and prove that he was being a fool.

When they were out of "harm's way", the slinking waters already beginning to retreat back into the sea, those bright eyes turned to find her again, still filled with amusement. There was a second's pause, the words forming in his head before he dared to utter them. Cian leaned in a little, like he didn't wish to embarrass her from any ears that might have been lingering nearby to hear. Fortunately, there were none. "I'm a little surprised that you were splashed that easily," he was mimicking her own words. "Twice." He drew back, and that humored grin was filled with smug pride, before it softened. "Besides, I rather you not catch a cold." She was barefoot, too.

'...you can let go of my hand now...' Bright eyes immediately drifted down to find his fingers still curled around her own, and the embarrassment became clearly evident on his face. "Right, sorry." It still took an extra moment for his brain to function and let her hand go. "I suppose that was my one good deed for the day," he was quick to add, pretending like he wasn't feeling awkward. His shoulders rose and fell in silent laughter that followed. Not only did he splash her and cause the whole ridiculous chase down the beach, he was pulling the "hero card". He didn't actually mean it, but still. The taunts just didn't seem to want to stop.

[Aoife Lee Frye]

Luck was something a solider needed for themselves, not something they should be bested by. But Aoife knew the solider wouldn’t be like this on the battlefield or even on the training ground. Something had been troubling him earlier, so much so that she had managed to creep up on him without really trying. And now, like her, he seemed to have forgotten himself in the moment: in the carefree rush of having fun. It wasn’t just Aoife who had let her guard slip somewhat out on the beach today. Even though she knew it had mostly been the situation, and perhaps a little luck on her side, that had allowed her to topple them both into the sand: that did not mean she was about to stop teasing him about it.

    After all, teasing Cian, even a little had proved to be one of the fastest ways to bring that grin she liked so much to his lips and his laughter into the air. If that meant teasing him a little, then the woman considered that to be a pretty fair trade. She held her hands up in mocking surrender as Cian tried and failed to insist that it had been purely luck which had resulted in them both being covered in sand.

    ”Well, I felt bad… it seemed like you could have used a victory today,” Aoife said with a slight shrug, watching the threatening wave in question recede and smooth away the imprints their bodies had left in the sand. It wasn’t wholly a lie, she had felt bad for him, for whatever was plaguing upon his mind that made him so distant. Cian had seemed as though he could have done with a win. But, the reason she had gotten splashed, and gotten splashed twice, was because he had made her drop her guard… and she had let him. ”I’m not going to catch a cold.” The woman protested, somehow managing to stop the eyes rolling in her skull at the smug. If Aoife had not been so prideful, so insistent on her independence: she might have been flattered that Cian was worrying over her, might have paused to think that might have been the reason her heart was palpable in her chest, and might have questioned why he cared about her welfare. But she had survived much more than a couple of splashes of seawater without a serious cold. ”It’s just a little water.”

    Newly released, Aoife flexed her fingers… almost missing the warmth of his hand around hers, though she would never have admitted it. ”Should I be thanking you?” She quirked an eyebrow at him, though any attempt at coming across as serious was wiped away by the grin Aoife still wore. ”You did start it, afterall…”

[Cian DeGraff]

Perhaps it was strange for someone of his particular, secretive occupation to be so easily amused, to so easily smile and laugh as he was now. Maybe it just proved that Wardens were human too...something he struggled to believe about the other side. Not after what he had witnessed, after what he had lost. It had been years now, but every so often it came back to haunt him. Like today, which was precisely why he hadn't been himself to start.

"Ooh, so you do feel bad for me," he said, brow lifting as he caught her in a little lie. "Before you had claimed you didn't." But he dropped the teasing there because his expression softened. He had needed a victory today; this all had certainly helped and he was appreciative of her, far more than he let on. Hands were trying to wipe the sand from his clothes before fingers made an attempt to run through and shake the sand from dark curls. Aoife's little protest was bringing on another low chuckle and the normal grin returned. "Very cold water," Cian assured. Even he was feeling the bite of its chill and was glad they hadn't gotten hit with the rushing tide.

Amusement still clear across his face, he folded his arms across his chest because he didn't seem to know what to do with his hands, now that he had let go of her and he got rid of as much sand from his clothing as he could. Cian could have easily kept the teasing going, but he grew a little serious for a moment. "Well, no," he began, feeling a little weird for even saying this. "I suppose I should be thanking you for...I don't know...this." He tried to gesture at the fun childishness that had ensued. "I needed it." Although he was still grinning, it held a form of sincerity to it.

[Aoife Lee Frye]

”Right this second? Not at all.” Aoife said, mirroring his expression. ”I also didn’t feel bad that you couldn’t skip a stone, for the record.” She was teasing then, not wanting to admit twice in the same day that she was concerned for Cian and his welfare. The woman may have been willing to lower her guard around him by far more than a little, willing to chase him through the sand without a second thought: but she would be dead and buried before she let someone who did not share her blood know she was concerned for them. Aoife may not have had her reputation to protect anymore, but vulnerability had always been something to hide for the Lee Frye’s, something that was to be kept close and guarded.

    Like luck, vulnerability could easily get you killed.

    She rolled her eyes at him then, ”Again, it’s just a little water… even if it is very cold.” But it didn’t take long for her expression to soften towards the soldier. Aoife wasn’t insulted by his concern, wasn’t flattered, wasn’t anything really. Something about the man confused her, at times Aoife wasn’t sure which way was up or down. She didn’t know how to act, how to feel, sometimes she didn’t even know how to think around the soldier. On one hand, that brought moments such as these. On the other, it was a vulnerability… this conflict, this uncertainness. As much as Aoife had enjoyed this moment, she could see nothing good from growing too attached to Cian DeGraff.

    Hands found her hips then, if only just to occupy them in the absence of his. Aoife pushed away the feeling and found those blue eyes of his. ”I needed it too.” She confessed, regretting the words as soon as they left her mouth. ”So, even?” The woman suggested, canting her head a little. Granted, he had splashed her, but she had also basically knocked him to the ground which was enough childish vengeance to sate her… at least for the moment.

[Cian DeGraff]

Cian didn't entirely believe her, but that was alright. Neither answer would have faltered the smile on his face. Whether she was simply having a conversation with him or outright teasing didn't make a difference. It just proved that he was comfortable. Not that the soldier often avoided people, but he wasn't always joking and smiling with just anyone. Maybe it was for the fact that, when on duty, being a guardsman required a more relaxed and focused attitude. Or, again, maybe it was just simply her.

He nodded his agreement about it just being water, albeit frigid water, allowing her to have this win. If it was even a win. How did such a simple competition spiral amusingly out of control? He didn't seem to dwell on the question for very long as an answer wasn't necessary, and instead focused his attention upon her. Was it strange for him to completely forget himself so easily? Was she thinking that he, supposedly a trained soldier, was showing too much weakness or vulnerability?

The strange thing was that he was actually even bothering to think and care about whether or not she did.

Then, the grin softened into a light smile at her confession. Perhaps she regretted the words, but he didn't regret hearing them, and was extending his arm out to shake on this truce. "Even," he replied. Would this silly little charade ever happen again? Was it wrong to hope? "I promise not to throw your arse into the sea," Cian was quick to add, as if expecting her to be suspicious of him. "This time, anyway." That may or may not have been a promise...even he didn't know.

[Aoife Lee Frye]

Her eyes narrowed a fraction as he nodded at her, agreeing with her, Aoife had expected some resistance. But she took his agreement without comment. They had teased and bickered enough today, as though they had known each other for years rather than for the grand total of two afternoons. One conversation and whatever the chaos today had been. It was terrifying and exhilarating to spend time with Cian- it seemed he was the only person who kept her on her toes, treated her like a human being of flesh and bone rather than glass. But at the same time, dropping her guard was dangerous and her trust could be easily misplaced.

    Right now, Aoife wasn’t thinking about either of these things. Instead she kept her eyes focused on the soldier, watching as his grin softened and he held out an outstretched arm to seal their temporary truce. For the second time that day, the woman took his hand. This time however, Aoife shook it firmly before immediately returning her hand to her hip before she had chance to grow accustomed to the warmth and weight of his hand in hers. It was impossible to miss what hadn’t been known to begin with.
‘I promise not to throw your arse into the sea… This time, anyway.’

    She couldn’t help but laugh at that, shoulders shaking as it fell from her lips. The whole afternoon had bordered on ridiculous, and the chances of it happening again were probably slim- the chances of Aoife letting him catch her in order to throw her into the water were slimmer still. ”I would like to see you try, should there be another time.” She said at last, after the laughter had subsided and she once again had air enough to speak. ”Next time I won’t be so kind.” Aoife promised him, hands still planted on her hips in a defiant stance.

[Cian DeGraff]

Sometimes your path in life brought you to particular people. Ones you met awhile ago, maybe even ones you've never met before. Perhaps it did feel as though they had known each other longer than two days, and he couldn't be sure if that was a good thing or not. He simply got along with her far easier than most people he had conversations with. Aoife was that ray of light in an otherwise shadowed world filled with danger and magic and hatred. It was almost as though she understood without even knowing his plight, that she empathized without asking what was wrong.

Empathized and teased, that is. But that made him forget his worries, even if it was just temporary. He knew the moment he left her side to head home, he would be wondering about everything else again. But for now, he'd cling to this uncomplicated instance before he'd have to leave.

A quick handshake, his hand was drifting back to his side. That would have been the opportune moment to reel her in, hoist her over his shoulder and run for the waves. Again, though, that water was too cold...but let her worry about his little "threat", because should they find themselves in this predicament come the warmer weather, well, he might be bold (and dumb) enough to attempt it.

Aoife was challenging him, though, swiftly solidifying her fate. Now, he felt, like he would have to attempt it should there be a next time. Would there be a next time? There was a strange flutter in his chest when she spoke again, making it seem as if it was possible...and he wasn't going to pretend to himself that a part of him was at least hoping there would be.

Grinning, Cian dared just a step closer, as if testing her promise already. "Well then...I look forward to it." The grin spread into an amused smile before he turned to begin walking; it was a slow pace and he glanced over at her as if wondering if she'll join. He should at least make sure to bring her back to where she left her horse. Cian's was still a ways down, but he didn't mind backtracking again afterwards.

[Aoife Lee Frye]

If she had been sensible, Aoife would have reminded herself that this was temporary. Whatever this was. It was swiftly becoming little more than a memory. Tomorrow the sun would rise again and the world would continue turning with little to know change. They may have been able to steal these few precious moments, to put the worries and weights aside and just enjoy the sea air and each other’s company. It was almost as though it had been a dream, and already Aoife was already feeling herself being pulled back into reality. Back into the world of mystics and wardens, courts and battlefields, the world she had been born into and would never escape. She knew as soon as she was back in the saddle, as soon as she turned to ride back, it would be as though as switch had flipped in her mind and the melancholy would once again settle over her thoughts as though a shroud.

    For now though, the woman tried to fight it, to stay in the moment. To stay present. To stay awake.

    His grin brought her back, effortlessly as always. Bringing with it the increasingly familiar flutters in the pit of her stomach. Flutters she put down to adrenaline this time, to the thrill of the chase and their tumble to the ground. Still, Aoife did not allow herself to even consider that it may have been the present company rather than the present situation that caused them.

    She did not move as the soldier took a step towards her, hands still planted on her hips as a defiant look crossed her features: as though daring him to come through on his earlier jest. Aoife was certain she wasn’t ending up in the sea, at least today. But her expression softened as he spoke, ”As do I.” She said quietly, honestly.

    Usually, and in any other company, the woman would have probably protested being walked to her horse. She was after all, capable, more than capable even. However it meant another few moments in the soldier’s company… and Aoife was beginning to think she would never protest that.

[Cian DeGraff]

He had no doubt that she was quite capable of a lot, but he didn't simply wish to escort her back because he thought, as a lady, she needed his presence there. That look of defiance that painted her features made it very clear that she was not afraid to dish back everything he threw at her.

However, maybe it was the other way around- maybe he needed her presence for just a few moments longer before the woes of the world returned. The wildness had left minutes ago, forgotten with every stone they had tossed into the ocean. Cian didn't want it to return but knew it inevitably would at some point. It was part of his job.

Though, maybe he was just trying to be a gentleman regardless. It was likely a lot of reasons, but he was clearly stalling for time, even if it was just another minute or two. His pace was casual, folding his arms across his chest as he started to feel the dampness from the water and sand beginning to chill him further to the bone.

He'd ignore for a little while longer.

'As do I.' Her words were good enough to make him forget the cold altogether, keeping that smile on his face as they walked. "So, maybe next time-" he began, his attention drifting ahead of him. "We can have an even playing field. Not this...skipping stones nonsense. You have too much of an advantage." A slight chuckle, his eyes drifted sidelong to her and there was that glint of challenge in his eyes. "Perhaps, if you ever return to the barracks..." And he left it at that. Indeed, he truly believed she was capable, and he foolishly curious.

[Aoife Lee Frye]

Aoife tried not to think about the chill that had, by now, more than seeped through her skip and begun to chill her to the core. Warmth would come easily to her, it always did. But, even though Cian often brought her guard tumbling down even he couldn’t lower it enough for her to use the magic in her veins in front of him. There were eyes everywhere, and she did not quite have a death wish just yet. She liked the solider, enjoyed his company, but that did not mean she was about to expose herself just to stave off what was little more than a chill.

    Hands falling by her side, Aoife kept his gentle pace with ease. Eyes wandered from him to the beach stretched out before them and back again. A smile grew on her lips as he spoke, partly at the prospect of a challenge and partly at the suggestion of another encounter. ”Maybe next time.” She echoed, something akin to humour in her tone. Aoife let the words hang in the air for a moment… as though she was considering what to say next, whether to accept or deny the thought of another friendly competition.

    After another moment or two of silence, the woman spoke again: ”Skipping stones nonsense? If I recall, you asked me to show you how to do it? It didn’t seem to be nonsense.” Her smile became a grin then, the teasing coming almost as second nature by now. ”Besides, what makes you believe you would hold the advantage at the barracks?” Aoife offered him a small shrug then, as though she was pointing out something so obvious she was amazed she had missed it. She knew the chances of her having an edge in combat were slim with being out of regular training for so long: but that did not mean Aoife was going to miss the opportunity for fighting talk.

[Cian DeGraff]

Next time. That's all he wanted to hear. There was a hope that probably shouldn't be there, but it was.

At her tease, Cian was laughing again. "Oh, it was a brilliant idea...but became nonsense when I was clearly horrible at it." He was purposely being hypocritical and wasn't doing much to hide it. The funny thing was, he wasn't the type of person to be bothered by not being good at something. Except his job. When it came to protecting his family and the people, he wasn't this smiling Cian DeGraff. Regardless, he was lying to her- he'd skip stones with her again any day, even if he was completely bad at it. Maybe, if he got a few spare moments, he could practice.

Then came the real question. The real challenge. And his grin didn't falter. "I get this feeling you could be a formidable opponent, Aoife Lee Frye, but..." I'm a Warden, he wanted to say, to prove he'd gone through the ridiculous amounts of training just to be considered, to be fit enough, to be...deadly enough. That was when the humor faded just a little bit from his features, and he shook his head with a light, forced chuckle. "Well, I'm not going to brag," he casually joked, as if he could ever be that conceited. "I suppose it can only be settled one way." Cian shrugged a shoulder, a bit of mischief seeping into those bright blues. "If you're ever up for it, of course." Although he teased, there was no pressure, not really. It was simply another bet, another silly challenge, and that was all. It was just a hope to have this kind of freedom and amusement on another day with her.

The soldier came to a slow stop when they arrived back to the very spot he had unknowingly interrupted her in, sensing he was soon to be left back to his own thoughts and worries again. "I suppose I should apologize for interrupting your time at the beach-" Cian paused as his gaze lingered on the waves once more. "But I'm not." The soft smile on his face was a little embarrassing from the honesty as his attention drifted back to her.

[Aoife Lee Frye]

This, this was almost new to her. An unfamiliar feeling that seared through her veins like wildfire, leaving her almost giddy. Aoife remembered a similar feeling, years ago… but that had been a slow burn, not a flash like this. As much as Cian excited her, and the thought of another encounter (chance or not) had her heart racing; the woman was still trying to supress those feelings. Still trying to shift the blame onto another factor, still trying to ignore whatever emotions were threatening to surface then.

    The emotions that brought a smile to her lips whenever the soldier laughed, hell, whenever the soldier even grinned. They may have been acting like children, chasing each other up and down the beach… but right now Aoife was acting like a girl with a schoolyard crush. And that would not do. Tempering her expression somewhat, Aoife collected herself (or at least attempted to, though she could not quite erase the smile from her features). ”You weren’t horrible… just out of practice.” The woman offered, holding back a quip about how quickly he had given up and resorted to what could quite easily be classified as foul play.

    ”Could be?” Aoife echoed, hands finding her hips again as her pace slowed to a standstill. Granted she had been caught off guard on more than one occasion today, but there was no could about it. She had, after all, devoted most of her adult life to becoming a formidable opponent. If Cian stopped then, if he turned to meet her gaze, he would find the dark-haired woman quirking a brow at him with a mixture of insult and incredulity. She would wipe that grin off his face one way or another. Perhaps she had risen to the challenge too quickly, been too slow to think and too quick to react once again, but it was difficult to regret it. Especially when Cian added with mischief in his eyes:

    If you're ever up for it, of course.

    ”Be very careful what you wish for.” Aoife said, though the smile had quite quickly crept back to her lips as she continued to walk back to where she had left her horse with an almost renewed purpose to her step. ”I know where to find you Mr DeGraff… should I be up for it, of course.” But she allowed her pace to slow, matching the soldier’s as the reached the same spot at which he had disturbed her peace. The tide had long washed away their footprints, but it was certainly the same spot. ”You’re not?” Aoife echoed, feigning confusion at his words. ”So you’re proud of this new habit you’ve acquired? Disturbing my peace?”

[Cian DeGraff]

Shaking his head lightly, he was still grinning in residual amusement that lingered in the air between them. "That's putting it nicely," he told her, but he wasn't really arguing either. Somehow, a silly little challenge had escalated into...whatever this had been. A childish game? Cian most likely wouldn't have denied the foul play either. All's fair in love and war, after all. He couldn't really explain what had come over him, only that he wanted to tease and forget everything else. The fact that Aoife allowed him to and threw it right back had made it that much more entertaining.

When she had paused with hands on her hips, Cian took a few extra seconds to walk before he turned, slowly back-stepping while lips pressed together to suppress the smile that was trying to force itself to show. Ooh, did he hit that challenging nerve again? Seemed like it. Maybe he should have felt a little bad, but there was no denying the mirth on his face even as he tried to hide it, no denying that it wasn't actually an insult. He wanted her to rise to the challenge, because maybe he had a death wish.

Perhaps he was feeling like he needed any reason to just see her again.

"Should you be up for it, yes," he repeated quietly, tone still humored over this whole thing. He couldn't help it, and he couldn't seem to stop, either. Really, he needed to learn to constrain himself a bit better. He was a trained soldier, a Warden and shouldn't be dropping his guard so easily. Still, how was that any life to live? Especially when this Lee Frye made it far too easy to forget things. Like his mind, it would seem.

A light shrug of his shoulder, he was still fighting with himself to keep that grin from widening. He half succeeded. "I suppose I am proud," Cian told her nonchalantly. "I enjoy your company, Aoife Lee Frye, but I promise not to disturb your peace on purpose." Because that would be rude, regardless of whether he'd want to or not. The soldier stooped down for a moment to pick up another stone, yet it didn't appear that he was going to throw it. Instead, he palmed it; maybe as as keepsake. "Only if you desire me to." He should have kept that to himself, but there he was...saying it anyway. A light huff of laughter at himself, his eyes lifted from the smooth rock in his palm to her face.

[Aoife Lee Frye]

’That’s putting it nicely,’

    She let that go with a slight shrug of her shoulders, seeing little point in disagreeing with him. As much as she hadn’t liked to see him so lost and bewildered earlier, it did not change the fact that Cian DeGraff was a solider and he did not need coddling. He did not need her to tell him that he was not terrible at skipping stones. It had just been a game after all, something to pass the time, and an excuse to stay in each other’s company.

    He made a poor attempt at masking his smile, but then again, Aoife hardly fared better. Try as she might to maintain the expression of insult, the woman couldn’t keep the corner of her lip from lifting slightly and something akin to amusement sparkling behind her eyes. Cian had that effect on her. But still, she kept as much of the look of affront as she could muster on her features. It lasted a moment or two more before the soldier broke the silence that had passed between them.

    ’Should you be up for it, yes,’

    Aoife’s mind had been made up the moment the challenge had first fallen from his lips, not that she would ever tell him that of course. And even if it hadn’t been, the humour evident in his tone would have been more than enough encouragement to goad her into it. It was a weakness, really, being tempted so easily by even the slightest hint of a challenge. But she had always been so keen to prove herself, and it was no exception with Cian. ”I know where to find you.” She sighed at last, throwing up her hands in some semblance of defeat as she continued their pace back to where her mount was (hopefully) still waiting.

    ”And I yours.” She admitted without stopping to think, the moment of vulnerability bringing warmth to her cheeks despite the winter chill. ”I don’t think I would be opposed to having my peace disturbed by you on occasion Cian DeGraff.” Aoife spoke softly and without meeting the soldier’s eyes. It still felt like something of a betrayal, the butterflies in her stomach and the way his grin brought a smile so effortlessly to her lips. It felt wrong. But she still wanted to see him again, whatever the reason.