[SacredArch Hotsprings]Lost in the Music of the Rain(Astrea)

[Dimitri]

Spring 91, 510 AV

Dimitri just made it back to his dormitory to collect his fishing pole and kit. It was still early morning and raining hard, which makes for great fishing weather. He opened his kit to check it, when his eyes grew big and he sighed audibly. In the kit sat one of Master Adamal's famous letters. Dimitri snatched it up and ripped it open.

To Squire Dimitri,

Dimitri, this is a riddle for your training.
All you need to do is figure it out.
No matter what you must figure it out alone.
Carry just your shield to Sacred Arch.
Ease yourself into this training.

PS if you have trouble dear squire, listen to the sound of the rain and do what comes naturally.

Ser Adamal Brinkaas


Dimitri had no idea what the riddle was telling him aside from the obvious. He grabbed his shield and reluctantly left his sword behind. He left and made his way to the main gates. He strode out feeling a bit foolish, carrying his tower shield and no weapon. After fifteen chimes of walking he made it to the Sacred Arch Hotsprings and saw no others there. He climbed up and got atop the arch path taking care not to slip. He was soaked from the rain as he pulled out the riddle once more. The rain smeared a lot of the letters but down the left hand side he could make out five letters that made out a word spelled downwards. D-A-N-C-E. His eyes grew wide. He wants me to dance out here of all places! In the rain! With my shield! What was he thinking?!? He held up his shield and watched the rain droplets slide down it. He hadn't the slightest idea how to begin.

[Astrea Rose Griffin]

Spring 91, 510 AV After being trapped in the orphanage for a whole week Astrea felt rebellious and decided to run out and have some time to herself. She understood the consequences, but it wasn’t like her care takers could make a worse punishment then what they already made her do. They always kept her trapped in the orphanage forcing her to do house work and look after the younger children. Today she decided against it and went out adventuring. As she was venturing through the city she was amazed at all of the commotion in the streets. After a few hours of walking around she began to feel droplet of rain soak into her light clothing. Usually someone wouldn’t be very happy about being out in the rain, but for Astrea this was a whole new experience. Almost like a kid she began to twirl around in the rain enjoying the time she had left of her temporary freedom. She soon came across a hot spring unaware of the stranger standing by. She continued to play and dance in the rain her long blonde hair sticking to her skin as a result of the down pouring rain. As she was doing this she accidently took a wrong step and slipped in a shallow puddle of mud and fell down into it making her white dress dirty and stained with mud. She didn’t mind though since there was a spring there she could rinse her clothes in which was what she did. She got up and tip toed to the spring feeling the warm water on her skin. She soaked her muddy skirts in the water allowing the natural spring to wash away the dirt. She laughed a little at herself thinking about how ridiculous she probably looked at the moment…thank fully there wasn’t anyone there to see, but she was wrong with that assumption. After a few moments of rinsing her skirts Astrea saw through the mist a figure of a male about her age. She quickly stood up pushing her wet hair out of her face looking into the blanket of rain. She couldn’t quite make who it was. “Um…I am sorry I didn’t see you there.” She said embarrassed. “I hope I didn’t disturb you.” She said as she walked out of the hot spring with water dripping from her skirts. She ringed her knee length white dress out though there wasn’t much point to it since it was still raining. She adjusted her sleeves a little to make sure that the water didn’t weigh them down and expose her shoulders.

[Dimitri]

Dimitri was lost in thought. He had never danced in his life, certainly not in the rain, with a heavy tower shield, on a slippery rock bridge. His white shirt was now soaked and sticking to him so he removed it, throwing it to the beginning of the bridge. Listen to the sound of the rain... He closed his eyes, raised his face to the heavens and tried to listen to the rain. At first, all he felt was the annoying drops splashing into his eyelids. Then he began to relax, the rain warm on his skin, sliding down his face, neck, and bare chest.

He thought he could feel a sort of pulse in the rain. Like that of his own heartbeat. Bum-bum--bum. Bum-bum--bum. His lips began to follow the pulse. Then his foot began to tap with it. His shoulders loosened, and his whole body began to bounce lightly to the foreign music. He raised his shield out in front of his chest. He then punched it outward in beat. Bum-Bum--Bum His mouth began audibly versing the beat. He was about to lift his foot to attempt to move more when a loud splashing noise invaded his mind. He opened his eyes and looked down to see a girl about his own age in the warm waters. She hadn't seemed to notice him yet, and he was a bit sheepish at her seeing him attempt to dance in the first place. He noticed as her white dress got wetter, it began to stick to her skin. It then started becoming slightly transparent. She looked up at him and rearranged the shoulders of her dress. He struggled but managed to keep his eyes on hers. "Ah, no you, you.. Uh.. You didn't disturb me. I was just," his voice dropped to a mumble, "Dancing."

[Astrea Rose Griffin]

Astrea picked up her shoes and then quietly walked over close to him so she could get a better look at who he was and what he was saying. "Dancing...well you and me both." She said with a light laugh and giving a warm smile. "My name is Astrea." She said extending a hand for a hand shake. She soon realized that he was shirtless and she blushed lightly as she saw his muscular chest and abbs. "I have never seen you before, probably because I am never outdoors." She looked up at him with her golden hazel eyes. Despite the rain and gloomy weather Astrea still look warm and welcoming as she usually did thanks to her golden features. She had golden blonde hair that matched her golden hazel eyes and to match she had a warm even tan.

[Dimitri]

Dimitri took the hand she offered, raised it to his lips, and kissed it gently, as the rain beat down on the two. He was surprised she came out on the bridge, it being small and slick. "Well it is my pleasure for finally meeting you. I am Dimitri, squire of the Syliran Knights." The rain continued to beat down unrelentlessly. The drops of water seemed to make the young girl shine. He flashed a bright, white smile, "You dance? I'm out here on a training request by my patron knight. He basically wants me to dance out here in the rain. I think it may just be shield training but who knows? You just out getting fresh air?"

If she was a dancer, maybe she could help him. He thought he had a moment where he figured it out but he wasn't sure that feeling would return. He wondered if he would feel that pulse of the rain once more, if that's what he felt. It raised more questions than answers, but he would seek it out.

[Astrea Rose Griffin]

Astrea smiled up at him through the now drizzling rain and her cheeks flushed a light rosy color. “Oh..um you could say that. I actually just ran away from my orphanage. I couldn’t stand being locked up in there so I decided to escape for a day and just have some fun.” She said clasping her hands together behind her back. Everything about her seemed so young and innocent even though she was 16, but she still had a lot of growing up to do partially because her care takers kept her away from the life of the city. Maybe if they would have released her sooner she would have matured quicker, but of course she wasn’t allowed to leave until she was at least eighteen years old.

[Dimitri]

He smiled, still holding her hand up. He pulled her to within inches of himself. "A runaway hmm? The squire in me says to take you back. But the man in me says... Well I'll keep that to myself." He smiled and looked down at her, and wiped a few drops from her cheek. He simply cast his cool blue gaze into her eyes and awaited on bated breath for her next move. As he stood there entranced in her eyes he felt something again.

He felt the familiar beat of the rain. It slowly built up a pulse that he not only felt in his ears, but throughout his entire being. He let the feeling build, not acting on it, if only because of the woman in his arms. It was as if he had a flood of passion being held back by a mere gate. A gate waiting to be unlocked. He ddnt know if she would be able to unlock it, but maybe she could reveal a peak. He had to try.

[Astrea Rose Griffin]

As he pulled her closer to his firm muscular body she could feel his warmth seep into her wet clothing. She felt his fingers wipe away a few raindrops from her soft cheek and she looked up into his eyes as her blush deepened. Her soft lips curled into a warm smile. “You wouldn’t want to send me back to that orphanage…not yet anyways.” She said with a small laugh. She brought her other hand up to his firm shoulder and then, feeling the beat of the natural music, led him into a slow waltz across the slick bridge. “Have you ever danced before?” She asked still keeping her golden gaze on him. She took it slow for him since he was probably new at this kind of talent. She counted in eights in her head using the beat of the rain to keep a steady pace. As she looked up into his eyes she saw he was closing something off from her. She wasn’t exactly sure what that might have been, but she was determined to fish it out of him. She had never really been good with boys ever since she never came in contact with them so she just did what she felt was natural and not too overbearing. She of course never flirted before so she decided to go ahead and just be herself, besides her body and facial features was already doing the work for her.Maybe this could be the key to opening him up and finding out what he was locking inside.

[Dimitri]

He moved with her, amazed that the pulse of the rain was still beating strong. He smiled as he followed her lead, careful with his footing for both her sake and his. As the pulse increased, he moved his body a bit closer, their bodies an inch away. Lightning cracked over head immediately followed by the booming thunder. The downpour increased but he ignored the falling beads. He locked his eyes on her, as the spun around on the increasingly dangerously slick bridge.

He shifted his hands to pull her closer, in an attempt to show her she was safe in his arms. His chest met hers, his lips a breath away. He could feel the pulse, mixed with the sounds of two heartbeats, all in a river of running water. It was a beautiful music, wholly natural and everlasting. He did nothing to pull his gaze away, his eyes softening at hers.

[Astrea Rose Griffin]

Astrea felt his step melt into hers harmoniously. As she looked up into his stern but still soft eyes she felt as if she would melt with the rain that fell around them like stars shooting across the sky. Her lips curled into a soft smile until there was a loud crack of thunder that rung in her ears and she quickly fell into his arms burying her face into his muscular chest. Once the loud rumble faded away she glanced up and then blushed. "Oh um...I am sorry. It kind of startled me." She said with a small nervous laugh still staying close to him. He felt so warm and so strong...she felt so safe to be in his arms dancing in the rain. She could feel her heart begin to pound and echo in her ears like a steady drum and she wondered if he could hear her heart beating as well.