A secret garden

[Pandora Valis]

It was a day off for her, so on her days off she would dress in her traveling attire ( it had dark red arm cuffs not the yellow) and she would have a basket on her arm that had little pouches inside it and a small trowel. She did this all the time, traveling out alone and not telling anyone and honestly she loved this bit of peace and quiet. 

Once in the woods close to the old ruins that her mother told her about, she would move some branches away from a hidden little spot that she had cultivated into a small herbal garden that she and her mother had been growing for years here. Softly she was singing though;

"How does a moment last forever?

How can a story never die?
It is love we must hold onto
Never easy, but we try

Sometimes our happiness is captured
Somehow, our time and place stand still
Love lives on inside our hearts and always will

Minutes turn to hours, days to years then gone
But when all else has been forgotten
Still our song lives on"

Her voice was soft and gentle as she sang, her voice soothing and borderline almost ethereal in tone as she sang to her plants, believing she was alone as she tended to them with care. She was planting and clipping the special buds in the crumbled down stoney house that she had.

Cormac Naharis

[Cormac Naharis]

Cormac sometimes passed his time out hunting in the forests, or just wandering around to clear his mind. It had been a long day and he found it rather peaceful to walk through the woods, listening to the light sounds of leaves and branches crunching under his feet (when he was not trying to be quiet to sneak up on an animal.) In this instance, he was just out taking a walk and had left his bow behind. He didn’t feel like doing any more work today and decided a break was nice.

He came upon the ruins- a sight that he didn’t exactly enjoy because it was sometimes visited by mystics, which he liked to avoid, seeing as how he and his family had been betrayed by some.

The closer he got, he heard the singing voice. It was soothing and beautiful, and it made him curious, so he followed the sound. He moved aside the branches and quietly snuck into the area. Cormac was sly and quiet in his movements, which made him good at hunting or sneaking up and attacking an enemy should he need to. Or he could stand and watch undetected in case of danger. And although he did not think there was danger in a singing woman, you could never be too certain. It could be some sort of trick to lure others in- which maybe it was working if that were the case.

When he came across the figure, he stood a good distance away, watching her as she tended to the plants and sang to them. He couldn’t help but smile. But after a moment, he worried that if she turned around, he might startle and scare her. Then again, it was a little strange that he was just standing there watching her. He carefully thought for a moment and backed away, towards the entrance before stepping forward again, purposely stepping on a twig, creating a snapping sound. “Oh! My apologies… I heard something, and--” He paused, not really sure what else he was going to say. So instead, he smiled softly. “Your voice…” Again, he wasn’t certain how to finish his sentence. Blue eyes looked her over for a moment, and almost without controlling his words, they quietly escaped him. “...Is beautiful.” He smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck.

[Pandora Valis]

For the time, Pandora was oblivious to anyone who heard her, she didn't think anyone would come out to these old ruins anymore. Such a long forgotten place but to her it was full of memories of her and her mother before she passed away;

"Maybe some moments weren't so perfect
Maybe some memories not so sweet
But we have to know some bad times
Or are lives are incomplete,"

As she sang, she was smiling a bit, thinking of her mother as she tended to the little herbs she cultivated here in the wilds;

"Then when the shadows overtake us
Just when we feel all hope is gone
We'll hear our song and know once more
Our love lives on

How does a moment last forever?
How does our happiness endure?
Through the darkest of our troubles
Love is beauty, love is pu-"

She would jump and turn, her pale cheeks warming as her hand rested over her heart. The small woman would then smile, her hand moving to tuck her hair behind her ear as her bright green eyes looked up at him as he seemed rather sheepish and uncertain for the moment, "O-oh...thank you. My mother used to sing to me and she told me that singing to your plants help them grow better," she admitted to him, her pale cheeks rather pink now as no one really had heard her singing before. Her father disapproved of her singing her mothers songs so she only sang when alone.

"Please, come on over," she offered to him as she would look into her bag and pull out a carefully sealed container and opened it up to show that it was steaming with hot tea inside and she would offer him a drink, "You... uhm... liked my singing?" she asked him, unable to help the little bit of shyness in her voice at the question. 

[Cormac Naharis]

Cormac hadn’t meant to startle her, but he realized there was probably no helping it since she had her back to him and her singing most likely was drowning out any nearby sounds. He held his hands up as if to show her he was no threat and meant her no harm. “Sorry- I did not mean to scare you.” He offered her a warm smile and listened as she explained how her mother sang to her and it helped the plants grow better.” He gave her a curious look as if wondering if that were honestly true. Then again, he didn’t know much about growing plants.

Pandora was inviting him over and he hesitated for a brief moment before he stepped closer. He watched as she poured the tea and smiled, accepting the drink. “Thank you.” Cormac felt slightly awkward, as the woman barely knew him and was inviting him to stand by her, offering him tea without so much knowing his name. At the same point, it was rather humbling. “I did. You have a beautiful voice.” He smiled at her before taking a careful sip of the hot tea. “Do you find singing to the plants actually helps at all?”

He allowed his blue eyes to shift over towards the garden she had been working in and he glanced art the plants, wondering if they had benefited from Pandora’s singing.

[Pandora Valis]

It truly wasn't that hard to startle her in truth, she was oblivious to a lot of things that went on around her so she never wholly noticed it. It would be easily forgotten with her and as he showed his hands, she would offer a sweet smile to him as she shook her head at him, "It's alright I'm honestly the easiest person to sneak up on in all the lands," she told him with a light laughing tone. She already had put it out of her mind that he did, it was that little of a deal to her.

He would see she was a small woman and from the looks, no weapons on her save the small trowel that she was using on the plants but that would be it, "You're welcome,' she told him with a warm smile before her cheeks turned another shade of pink, "Thank you," she told him softly, her tone in disbelief still but it was so sweet of him she didn't know what else to say or do. After a moment, she would take a sip of the tea as well before placing it down, "Honestly I don't know I'd like to say it does but I think the singing is mostly for myself since I come out here alone all the time," she told him with a little chuckle. "It doesn't harm them though, that's for sure," she told him with a little chuckle as she would lean back over and pull out some fertilizer from a pouch she had and sprinkle it on a small plant.

"What brings you to these parts of the forest? I don't see many people at all come out to the ruins besides myself really," she asked him curiously as she would lean over and continue to sprinkle the mix on certain plants to help them grow.

[Cormac Naharis]

He raised a concerned brow at her when she admitted that she was the easiest person to sneak up on. “And what if I had been a thief or a man out to harm you? And you are out here alone. Unarmed?” Perhaps it was in his nature as a guard that made him more concerned than any normal person might be. Despite her laughing at her own words, he looked more concerned than anything, but he smiled slightly, nevertheless.

He returned his eyes to her when she answered his question about whether or not the singing helped the plants. But again, she was admitting that she was usually out here alone. Maybe this area of the forest was more secluded, but that still didn’t mean she wasn’t safe or immune to what might lurk around every so often. Cormac nodded slightly. “I’m sure it’s no harm. Unless of course they don’t enjoy your singing and it causes them to wilt away.” He smirked and shrugged his shoulders, “but I don’t think you have anything to worry about- If they didn’t like your voice, then they are probably an already damaged plant.” He spoke playfully and laughed softly.

He took another sip of the tea as she questioned him, his shoulders lifted and fell in a small shrug. “Just out for a walk, I suppose. It’s quiet and peaceful out here. I occasionally take a long walk and get myself lost for a while.” It was a practice of his self-direction and helped him learn all of Teronna.

Blue eyes watched as she returned to working in the garden, sprinkling some fertilizer mix on the plants. He smiled, “would you like some help?”

[Pandora Valis]

The look of concern was honestly a surprise to her and it showed on her face, she knelt there looking like that had been the first time she heard it- it probably was, "Well... I never thought of that honestly I just tend to believe and assume the good in people and why would I bring anything valuable in the forest?" she asked with a little smile. She could tell he was trying to lighten things again but she could see the worry and it surprised her.

There was a slight scoffing look on her face when he said that but she had a smile on her face as she wrinkled her nose at him with a smile on her face, 'Well if they wilt then they are bad plants that are not going to be useful," she said with a laugh. There he was going again though, making her blush from that, "Maybe, you and them seem to like it more than my father though, so thats a win in my book," she told him happily as she would take another sip of the herbal tea. It was refreshing as well as energizing.

Pandora would sit back on her calves at hearing that, "It's easy to just...let yourself go out here the area and space is so peaceful. Sitting in these ruins I wonder what this building looked like and if there was a garden here before my mother and I turned this area into a herb garden," she told him with a little smiling laugh as she went back to work.

His offer was met with another bright sweet smile as she pulled out the pouch, "Please! Just sprinkle this around the base of the plants its my own blend to help them grow and enhance their natural properties when used," she told him as she carefully sprinkled it around, "Its a mix of ash, calcium, some ground egg shells and salt- the shells prevent bugs from nibbling," she told him with a little chuckle, "Oh! I forgot my manners, my name is Pandora," she told him as she would lean on one hand and then offer out her hand to him to shake

[Cormac Naharis]

He noticed the look of surprise on her face and he couldn’t help but wonder why she seemed so surprised. Was she that naive that she thought nothing could happen to her? She assumed the good in people and never brought valuable things into the forest. He breathed a laugh out his nose and shook his head. “You may assume there is good in people-- but there are also a lot of bad people out there, too… Those who wouldn’t think twice about harming you...Taking advantage of you. You may not think you bring anything valuable with you in the forest...But is your own life not valuable enough to you?” He looked at her concerned again and raised a brow curiously at her.

Cormac took another sip from the tea before he set it down next to where she had placed hers. “Your father does not like your singing? Is he deaf?  Or does he just not like music?” He smirked slightly before he crouched down next to her so that he was no longer standing over her. He stared out into the garden as she spoke about the area being peaceful and wondering what the building looked like before it had become ruins. He nodded in agreement. “It must have been nice, I gather.” He let his blue eyes wander the area at the ruins around them. The broken structures and pieces that once stood together, he could almost imagine it as he tried to imagine all the pieces put back together.

He glanced back at her when she accepted his offer to help her. When she pulled out the pouch and explained what it was, he let himself drop from his crouching position to kneel down on the ground beside her. He smiled as she told him what the mixture she created was and he nodded in understanding as he started to work and do as she instructed. But he was quick to stop when she was introducing herself. Oh yes, they hadn’t made proper introductions yet. He chuckled softly and brushed his now dirty hands off on his pants before he took her hand and shook it gently. “A pleasure, Pandora. I’m Cormac.” She hadn’t given him her surname and he wondered if it was because she did not wish to be called properly by the name, or if she just didn’t wish for him to have it. So he gave only his first name to match her informality. He understood not everyone wished to be so formal.

He let go of her hand and offered her a warm smile before he looked away to go back to work with spreading the fertilizer for her.

[Pandora Valis]

Pandora would listen to him, her teeth biting her lip as she sat back on her calves as she mulled that over on what he said to her. He was honest, she could tell but that didn't mean she liked what she was being told right now, "I uhm...please don't laugh but I never really thought of things like that, and my father really just never told me to be careful going out just be home before it gets too late or send him word," she said as she played with her fingers a little bit. She didn't have the best relationship with her father and felt a smidge embarrassed talking about him.

That did make her laugh, "I think he doesn't like music honestly so I just don't sing at home but at my shop or when I'm out here, no one to judge me for it," she told him with a little chuckle. "Do you sing?" she asked him curiously before looking around again and smiling, "I think if this place was closer to town, I could live here,' she said with a little chuckle as it was a nice place and it was away from the chaos of the city and possible prying eyes. It seemed safer.

She would smile then at him helping her so willingly, she never protested and these plants were her livelihood. She tended to them well enough and these were rather special because they were her own special crossbreed that was stronger in medicinal properties. "Cormac, it's very nice to meet you," she said smiling happily as she gave him a shake with her hand. She had a tiny hand but her grip was strong and confident.

Letting go, she would start to sprinkle the powder around the base of the plants, "So what is something you do for a fun hobby?" she asked curiously, leaning over a bit more as she was looking at the leaves of a green plant that had little red flecks on it.

[Cormac Naharis]

Cormac’s brows furrowed when she asked him not to laugh at her. He had no reason to. But as she spoke, he realized how naive she must be to never have thought of the risks of coming this far out into the forest on her own. He simply nodded, offering her the slightest of a smile. Maybe nothing had happened to her yet- but that did not mean she was safe or that it couldn’t happen. He wasn’t quite sure what to say in response. Cormac was quiet for a moment before he finally spoke, “perhaps you should start thinking of things like that?” He smiled gently and nodded in agreement with his own suggestion. “Not just in case of bad people… But what if you were to twist your ankle by tripping over a limb or are attacked by an animal, and no one is around to help?” He grimaced at his own words, feeling guilty for putting such negative thoughts in this young woman’s mind. Perhaps it was the guard in him wishing to protect, but she wasn’t being safe. Or smart. 

He sighed quietly and shook his head, “Sorry.” he muttered silently. 

How could anyone dislike music? It was a sad thought to him, but he kept the thoughts to himself. When she asked him if he sang, he laughed and shook his head. “No. Not usually. Maybe if I am drunk in a tavern or something. I do not gather I am very good at it.” 

At her comment of wanting to live here in the secluded forest, he smiled and laughed softly. “I suppose I could live here, too, if I did not have other obligations keeping me closer to the city.” He glanced around for a moment. He was a rather reserved and quiet person and enjoyed his time alone in peaceful quietness. It gave him time to reflect and think. 

He carefully worked with spreading the fertilizer around the plants as she had shown him to do. A smile formed along his lips as he shook her hand. “It is nice to meet you as well.” Once she let go of his hand, he went back to working, another smile crossing his lips when she questioned him about hobbies. His broad shoulders lifted and fell in a small shrug. “Hmm. I like to hunt… To swim in the ocean, to travel out on the seas.” He looked sidelong to her before turning his gaze back down to the plants. “And what about you? Aside from singing and living on the dangerous side of life?” He smirked and let out a quiet laugh.

[Pandora Valis]

A small nod would leave her at that, she was a little anxious now and she hadn’t been before given his words now but he was kindly delivering them so she didn’t think he had any ill intent for her. “I’ll try to,” she told him before she let out a small chuckle, “That is true and I do often twist my ankle or wrist doing something- a clumsy knack of mine I guess but you are right,” she told him with a nod and then her brows furrowed, “But really there is no one to come out here with me, the people I know are busy and I don’t want to bother them with taking a day for me to come out here,” she told him. She wasn’t one to pester people for help on things, the small woman rather stubbornly independent.

“Why are you sorry?” she asked curiously.

That made her chuckle a little, “You know it never matters if your good at it or not, it just matters if you’re having fun and enjoying yourself honestly,” she told him with a grin. She heard others singing that were no good at it but they enjoyed it.

Pandora would give a nod to that, "Ah work... its fun to daydream though, about what it could be like out here and with no responsibilities or worries," she told him with a happy smile. She had her shop and she loved it dearly so she never saw herself leaving it- there was no reason to honestly.

A little nod left her as she would get back to tending to her little plants, a soft hum leaving her as she listened to him. He was adventurous it seemed and liked to be outside a lot- not a bad way to spend one's free time honestly. "Oh...well I didn't know it was dangerous until now- guess that makes me a bit of a daredevil then right?" she asked, her tone light and a bit playful as she spoke. "Well, I like to read or write or I'll find flowers and press them between booms and then I make my own decorations with them- like making bookmarks or wall hangings...I like to try and do crafty things with my hands so I'm often just trying new things all the time if that's involved- I've recently learned how to bend wire around gemstones to make some pendants," she told him with a little smile as she scooted around and frowned at one of the plants not growing well. She would reach into her pocket and pulled out a vial with a stopper and unstopped it to add some drops to it. Please grow little plant!

[Cormac Naharis]

Cormac couldn’t help but smile at her as she admitted to being clumsy and often twisting an ankle or wrist. It was all the more reason she shouldn’t come out alone, and he was glad she was catching on to the point he was trying to make.

He was about to tell her that he was a guard for hire, but she asking him why he had apologized. He shrugged slightly, “I don’t know. You just seem…” He thought of his words carefully, not wanting to offend her, but there was really no way else to sugar-coat it, so he smirked as if trying to come across as if teasing her in playful jest. “...So innocent and naïve… And I feel bad for putting the dark thoughts in your head.” He laughed softly and shook his head.

“I suppose it doesn’t matter if someone is good or not at singing… Other than subjecting other people to it… Might get yourself some dirty looks… Maybe a fruit thrown at you?” He smirked. “But you’re right… Shouldn’t matter what other people think...as long as you are having fun.”

It would be nice to remove himself from all responsibilities and enjoy some time out in the forest, at least for a while. In all honesty, he would probably eventually miss being around people. It was nice to daydream, though. He offered her another smile and nodded in agreement.

“Oh yes-- a huge daredevil.” He smirked and looked at her with a doubtful look. She just further proved her naivety by admitting she wasn’t aware she was being dangerous. He hardly believed she was daring on purpose. All of her hobbies she just listed were the furthest from being daring. Cormac laughed slightly but then nodded. “Seems like you’ve got plenty to keep you busy and out of trouble.”

He watched as she removed the vial and sprinkled it onto the plants. A curious glance was given to her, but he didn’t question it--just yet. “Well, you know…” He paused and carefully worked around one of the plants so as not to ruin it. “I’m actually a guard for hire… If I am not already on a job at the time, you could call on me to escort you where you need to be, so you can be sure to be better protected.” He looked at her for a brief moment and offered her a warm smile.

“What is that for?” He asked curiously as he pointed to the vial and the plan that didn’t seem to be doing well that she was using it on.

[Pandora Valis]

Pandora looked at him and then she felt her cheeks warming up as he said that, her eyes looking down as she flushed a bit. That was not the first time she’d heard herself called naïve, “Don’t be sorry…it’s not the first time I’ve been told that I’m naïve but it’s something I can’t help, truly, I have a very hard time seeing the ill in people when I can always point out the good in them; like you. You are very kind and caring,” she told him with a little smile.

He would hear a little giggling laugh come from her as he spoke of fruit being tossed at you for singing; oh that would be a poor experience now wouldn’t it? “Mm yes, I tend try to not care what others think; try being the key word,” she said with a little chuckle.

Pandora continued to sprinkle around the plants, tending to them with care as she did so with a playful smile on her face at that agreement, “Well staying out of trouble is something I’m exceptionally good at…at least I think so,” the young woman told him with a bit of a chuckle at that, “Are you good at staying out of trouble?” she asked him, not even hiding the little bit of playfulness in her tone to him.

As he explained what he did, her brow raised a bit and then she smiled at that, “I’d love to and it would give me some company when I come out here too, how would I find you?” she asked curiously as she would carefully drip the tonic around the plant.

“It will help rejuvenate the plant. It’s a recent one I replanted and it’s not taking as well as I’d like but this is full of nutrients that will help it grow and get strong so that I can take cuttings of it and have more of it without harming the plant,” she explained as she would add a few drops around another plant that was in a similar state but didn’t look as bad.

[Cormac Naharis]

Cormac imagined that maybe his mother had once been naïve at some point in her life. She seemed to be the type of woman who once believed in all the good in people, but then the harsh realities of life set in and forced her to let go of that mindset, pushing her to become more hardened and not-so-trusting of others. He silently hoped Pandora never had to experience such in her own life.

He smirked slightly as she made her assumption of him being a kind and caring man, and he chuckled softly to himself. “What would give you that idea, my lady?” Cormac supposed that he was a kind and caring man, though there were far kinder and caring men than he could ever be, he was certain. He had his moments of not being the kindest of people.

“Trying is half the battle,” he assured her. It wasn’t easy to ignore what other people said or thought of you, and it was even harder to not let it bother you. He had his small group of friends and family who he trusted and knew, and with them, he could be himself and not worry about feeling any less or that he was disliked. Everyone else, Cormac seemed to hold an arm’s length away until he got to know them well enough to know they could be trusted. “I think it gets easier as time goes on.” He gave her a reassuring smile before looking away from her and back down at the plants.

His smirk reappeared on his lips when she admitted to being good at staying out of trouble. Somehow, he doubted that statement was true. He chuckled and shook his head. Was he good at staying out of trouble? Cormac’s smirk turned into a slight grin. “I don’t know about that…” He admitted with sarcasm. “Sometimes I think I am the trouble.” He chuckled and shook his head. “Nah… I don’t usually go looking for trouble unless I am looking to prevent it.” He was a guard, after all, and he wouldn’t be doing too great of a job if he wasn’t at full alert, attempting to keep whatever trouble and danger at bay.

His gaze turned to look at her again and he offered her a smile as she accepted his offer of him joining her as her escort to keep her out of trouble. “I can be found at, or around the DeGraff properties, most likely. If not--someone there could get in touch with me.”

He watched her again as she continued tending to her plants, explaining what she was doing. After she finished, he lifted his eyes to take in the garden as a whole. It seemed to be flourishing and he assumed it had everything to do with her. Another warm smile touched his lips before he looked back at her. “You seem to have a gift with all of this.” He complimented her. “You mentioned that you have a shop? What is your shop for? If I had to guess--it would be something to do with this garden?” He eyed her curiously before he playfully added, “or do you just wander out into the woods every day to garden and lure in strangers, hoping--or assuming that they are kind and caring?” He smirked, eyeing her cautiously and challenging her.

[Pandora Valis]

Pandora smiled at Cormac at his question as she looked at him and then pointed to his eyes, “The look in your eyes and how you speak. You have a kindness in your eyes and how you spoke to me, someone you don’t know so I know from that that you are kind and caring for someone you don’t even know,” she told him with a sweet smile.

“That’s true and I know I’ll always keep trying,” she told him with a smile at that. It was true, she’d never stop trying and working towards just not letting it get to her. “ I hope so,” she said with a little bit of a smile at that as she would continue to sprinkle stuff around the plants that she was tending to.

“So you don’t go looking for trouble but you can find it?” she asked, her tone playful as she teased him a little bit now. her though? She never got into trouble, never on purpose or ever sought it out. Not once could she recall actually getting into trouble? Was this getting into trouble? Maybe but she always did this.

Pandora would give him a nod at that, “Oh! I know that family, so I shouldn’t have too much trouble finding you then and I’ll be sure to pay you as well for coming out with me as well,” she told him point-blank. No way was she taking his time and not compensating him for it.

As she finished with the unwell plants, she would put the stopper back into the bottle and tuck it away for when she’d need it another time. A smile on her face as he guessed at what she might do at her shop, “Actually I run an herbalist shop, so yes I use these plants to help and then I source in plants as well to help it. I do other things there too but thats the base of what I do there,” she told him before giggled a little, “Well I do that too, wander out to the woods and just hope for the best. Though I’ve never actually run into strangers until now and I’m glad I did,” Pandora told him rather happily at that.