Hold Back the River

[Gavin MacKenzie]

Gavin was back in the land where he had been born and raised for the first eight years of his life. Although he didn’t remember much of it, he still felt a strange connection to the lands. All of the stories his mother had told him were suddenly coming to life. All of the places were exactly as he had imagined them- whether he remembered them on his own, or his mother had described them so well, he wasn’t certain. Regardless, it was a beautiful place and he strangely felt at home.

King Julian Merova of Arcisea had sent him, unknowing of his past connections with the kingdom. His wife-to-be was the princess of Teronna and he had been instructed to meet with her and the King to finalize the arrangements and get some documents signed. Gavin was a little embarrassed that Julian wasn’t doing this himself, as it was to be his wife and future, but he understood that the man lacked the trust in leaving his kingdom in the hands of anyone else. He had made it quite clear that he had very little interest in meeting Princess Le’Orin before their marriage. All that mattered was that she was of royal blood and the two kingdoms would be united. Despite his lack of interest though, Gavin had been instructed to report back on what she was like.

He had arrived earlier than expected and King Allarick had instructed his servants to accommodate him and his traveling companion, Francis, allowing them to stay in the castle for the extra day. Though it was early in the evening, the King had refused to meet with him early and insisted on keeping things on schedule. Gavin didn’t mind, however, because it gave him time to settle after being out on the ocean on a ship for a few weeks and to get some sleep in a steady, comfortable bed.

He woke early, at sunrise, the next morning, and since their meeting wouldn’t be until around dinnertime, he decided to go out and explore the grounds for a while. It would give him an opportunity to check in with a nearby source of water to see if he could find any information out regarding the state of the Wellsprings, if anyone knew of them or if there were any threats or danger to it.

To anyone who saw him, he looked like any other citizen of Teronna, easily able to blend in with the people and bring as little attention to himself as possible. He walked the streets of the village, listening in to passing conversations, meeting people, and buying any supplies he might need during his stay. And once the afternoon approached, he made his way back to the castle, continuing his walk on the grounds, taking everything in.

When Gavin found the small river nearby, he stripped down to just his britches, slowing wading into the waters. The water was cold, but it didn’t seem to bother him much as he sank under it. While most people wouldn’t seem to be able to remain under the water for long, Gavin was able to hold his breath for an impressive amount of time. As he did so, he suddenly began to see images in the water, learning the answers to his questions he had.

Once the images faded, he quickly emerged, causing a crashing sound in the once steady waters to echo around him. He gasped for air and raised his hands to push the wet strands of hair out of his face and slick it back. Bright blue eyes glanced around momentarily before they returned downcast at the waters, where he seemingly appeared to be talking to it.

[Cera Le'Orin]

Ever since the Unseelie attack, more guards had been stationed around the perimeter of the castle, and the princess feared as though she was constantly being monitored. It was exhausting, were she to be honest, but that didn't mean she was going to question it. Despite not having the amount of freedom she desired, she knew this was to keep her and others safe.

Still, a moment of peace wouldn't hurt.

Spring was upon them, so the days were becoming a little bit warmer. The sun was bright in the sky, so she craved the fresh air and set out with her ladies and some women from court. They all seemed content on setting up blankets and lounging on the yard with wine and light snacks, but Cera couldn't sit still. Boredom was beginning to strike, and that wasn't often a very good thing with her.

A couple of the girls began to play tag, running around and laughing, dragging her into the game. The princess found this to be a prime opportunity to escape further into the woods and out of sight, if only to get some time to herself. She wouldn't wander too far, of course, just enough so that she couldn't hear their incessant bickering and gossiping anymore.

Her pace slowed, a hand reaching up to idly pluck a fresh, green leaf from a low hanging branch in passing. This was to be the rest of her life, she realized...just not here in Teronna. It would be in the cold climate of Arcisea, married to a man she had never met and frankly didn't care to. Her father didn't deem her fit enough to rule once he was gone, and he completely forbade her from ever trying to strike up that argument again.

Clenching her jaw at the memory, her gaze had been downcast as she toyed with the leaf within her fingers. Cera was murmuring things to herself, clearly angry before her attention rose at the sound of the river. No, it was a bit more than that- there was a splashing that garnered her attention, and before the princess could realize how far she had wandered, she was startled to a complete stop. And she gasped rather loudly.

"Oh!"

Oh, indeed.

The leaf fell from her grasp as she stood there frozen, gazing upon a shirtless man within the rushing waters. All her anger was suddenly gone, and now she was just flustered for other reasons.

[Gavin MacKenzie]

What he had learned from the waters, was that the conflict happening in Teronna with the Mystics was seemingly still going on. It was weakening the power of the Wellspring as more were dying and the destruction and violence seeped into the soil and began corrupting the pureness and strength of the magic the spring provided. It wasn’t what Gavin wished to see, and it concerned him greatly, but what he and the other Cosantóiri would need to find out, was whether or not this could be reversible. He could not seem to get that answer as he tried to now.

His focus and concentration on the water was suddenly broken as he heard a loud gasp followed by a voice. He quickly glanced up and around until he spotted the woman standing there staring at him. His brows lowered in curiosity briefly before he ran his hands down his face again, in an attempt to wipe the droplets of water from it. He looked back at her, the faintest hint of a smirk touching his lips, “Sorry--” he spoke, just loud enough for her to hear him, his apology almost sounding like a question.

He imagined it would seem rather odd for a man to be taking a dip in the river, especially at this time of year and with how cold the waters were. So he grinned sheepishly and shrugged his broad shoulders, a hand raising to shield his eyes from the sun so he could get a better look at her. “Lovely day for a swim, wouldn’t you say?”

Gavin stood there for a moment, waist-deep in the water, seemingly unbothered by the woman’s presence. But he was hesitant to move closer, worried he would offend her in some way due to his lack of clothing at the moment. Or something. But maybe it looked even more ridiculous with him just standing there, wading the rushing waters as they made their attempt to knock him over.

Slowly, he walked towards the bank where his discarded shoes and clothing were set and carefully climbed out. The cold air and wind stung at his skin, only made worse by the clinging fabric around his legs. He bent down and picked up one of his shirts before he stood and looked back at her, offering her a small smile as he looked at her curiously again. “...Or a stroll, perhaps?” He used the shirt to dry his arms off, only looking away from her as he did so.

[Cera Le'Orin]

Oh yes, she was very much staring. In truth, Cera hadn't meant to, but this wasn't exactly something she expected to see just going for a simple walk through the woods. How far had she gone? It was a little difficult to hear the laughter of her ladies in the distance over the thunderous beating of her heart.

The man spoke- he was apologizing and the princess found that her lips were moving but she couldn't seem to utter a sound. This was certainly very embarrassing, and she couldn't fathom why she stood there like a gaping fool. She had far better manners than this! It could very well be the faint smirk and how he appeared to be rather unabashed by this whole situation. Also, she couldn't place his face, and Cera prided herself on remembering the names of those who worked at the castle.

'Lovely day for a swim, wouldn't you say?'

He was talking again, so that meant that she should probably do the same. Only, for some strange reason, she was frozen in place as he trudged through the waters towards her. That would have been the appropriate time to look away, considering she wasn't sure if he was, well, properly clothed. Fortunately, she caught sight of the waistband of his trousers at the last second, and managed to blink away the rest of her surprise. Cera shifted her attention away, lips pressing together as though she wasn't sure whether she should smile or not, and whether it was at her own foolishness or not.

Tucking a strand of dark hair behind her ear, she kept the man in her peripheral. You know, because she shouldn't turn her back on strangers? It could be dangerous and all that. Just this one so happened to have a really nice smile, and...other things.

"A stroll would seem like the most logical idea," she said in light humor. "Then again, look where that got me." Cera was hesitantly looking back at him when his gaze finally broke from her. "I didn't mean to intrude." So, then, why are you still standing there? That was a very good question that she had no answer to. "Is it...not still cold?" Paint her curious, and this was proving far more interesting than the gossip of courtly ladies.

[Gavin MacKenzie]

He maybe should have planned all of this out a little better. At night would have been a smarter idea as far as potentially running into someone. But it wasn’t the smartest temperature-wise. Then again, wading in the waters this time of year didn’t seem smart either. He should have removed all of his clothing so he would have something dry to put back on--but then, what kind of predicament would he be in with the lovely lady standing there watching him?

"A stroll would seem like the most logical idea," He grinned, returning his gaze to her after he pulled his shirt back on. He inhaled, about to say something in regards to her pointing out where her stroll had gotten her. Look where his little swim had gotten him. But before he could respond, she was already saying that she didn’t mean to intrude. He shook his head, about to assure her that she hadn’t, but then she was questioning him. He let out a genuine laugh before turning his gaze back to the river.

He was sure to everyone else, the water would still be brutally cold. To him, it hardly bothered him. It was the air that now made it cold. He scratched the back of his neck and looked back at her with a sheepish grin. “Ah-- I suppose it is. Quite refreshing, however.” He chuckled and shrugged his shoulders.

Gavin took a few steps closer towards her, hesitating slightly. “There was no intrusion, I assure you. But I do apologize if I have interrupted or distracted you from your quiet stroll.” He glanced around to see if she may have had anyone that was accompanying her, but she seemed to be alone. “Perhaps, if you would like some company?” He realized it was perhaps rude of him to invite himself if the lady preferred to walk on her own. “I mean-- If we are headed in the same direction, I could accompany you…. If you’d like?”

He was going to be in Teronna for a while and figured it might be a good idea to meet some of its people and learn his way around. It might give him some more clues he would need to figure out the problem at hand with the Wellspring.

[Cera Le'Orin]

As handsome as he was, that wasn't why the princess kept finding herself staring at him. It wasn't that charming grin, either (although that helped make it easier to forget how to blink, maybe even breathe.) She still couldn't place a name to his face. He was on castle grounds, so he certainly was not some peasant who happened to just wander about here. Guards would have stopped him, especially after all that's been happening with the Unseelie.

Color her intrigued.

Cera almost took a couple steps back as he moved closer, only because it was ingrained within her to be wary of basically everyone. It wasn't a bad habit to have these days, but she wished it wasn't always her initial instinct to do so. At least this time, she remained where she had been standing, and tilted her head slightly in that curiosity. The presence of a small blade hidden securely within her bodice helped keep her feeling a little less intimidated by him. Not that she had been intimidated in the first place.

"No intrusion," she assured him. The princess left out the matter of distraction, though, because it was quite clear that he had been...well, fairly distracting. And she didn't want to bring that to further attention. Her cheeks were still a little warm. For whatever reason, that had her smirking lightly at herself before that bright gaze broke from him to glance back in the direction she had come.

She was sure the ladies were still talking (or rather, gossiping), and she didn't wish to go back to that. Nor was she prepared to head to the castle, to her gilded cage. Winter might have been over, yet the air was still nipping with the cold...and she still did not desire to return yet.

The smirk broadened just a little, looking sidelong to him before her head finally turned so that she could regard him properly. Holding off on answering his question, she replied with one of her own, "And where might you be headed, my lord...?" The lilt of her voice at the end made it clear that she was gently requesting his name.