Closed Moonlight Harvest (Dariel)

[Haeli]

Haeli acted as if she was engrossed in what she was doing, but the truth of the matter was she was engrossed in what he was doing. She was well practiced in pretending not to concern herself with what was around her. It was the best way to mingle with such things as deer and not alarm squirrels or jays when traversing the woods. If you looked suspicious you were suspicious. But if you acted relaxed and if you belonged, then often it was taken for granted that you did indeed belong.

He was fascinating to her. She wanted to ask him a hundred questions more... no a thousand... but she was scared of scaring him off. And when he stooped and stroked something she could not quite see, she bit her lip in frustration and wanted to rush over to demand to see what it was he looked at and then ask him why he looked at it.

But she couldn't just act like that. Haeli had long since learned that people were reserved. They put masks on and what they projected to others was not necessary what they were inside.[ So while she wanted to question him more, demand what caught his eye, and at the very least touch his hair to see for herself what the actual texture was... she restrained herself. Morphers were tactile creatures. They liked to see, smell, taste, and feel anything they might one day duplicate. But he would not understand that. Nor would he welcome the intrusion to his private mindset. Of this, Haeli was certain. But she still wanted too. And she would, she decided, sometime in the future with his permission when the time was right.

So she waited, offering him companionship and nothing more, until he began to speak once again.

He showed surprising wisdom in his analogy of the plants growing high up being survivors. She smiled when he said so and she had to agree to the fact he was most likely right. His quote was a bit confounding until she really thought about what he said. Haeli had a peculiar expression when she did such thinking, and often her nose wrinkled showing off the very faint smattering of freckles there. In Leth's light though they were invisible. The girl paused, dropping her knife in her basket, and ran her clawed hands through her hair once more, doing so at an angle that would not draw attention to her altered digits. She nodded to herself then nodded to him. "I see what you are saying. You put people in situations they aren't used to and see which people thrive. Those people are stronger, I suspect, than the ones who struggle. Standing on the outside you see no differences at all, but the struggle and strife is the test to bring out the qualities you seek. Moving here, I think, was that sort of test for me. And its not an easy one. I wonder how you would have judged me, knowing before and knowing now. You don't know both ends and both beginnings so you can't judge... only guess. But it still makes for interesting thinking." She said, shifting the basket to her other hand, it growing more heavier than it had been before.

"You call your previous mentor your Master. What kind of work did he do? I'm a bit confused. You speak as if he is no longer here or has gone. What happened to him? And now that you are no longer with him, you can be anything you want. You can do anything you want. That is a sort of freedom... surely being a student of humanity isn't your choice. Surely there's something else you are good at or even passionate about. If there is nothing, then that would worry me. People without passion are damaged people, Dariel. They can be very dangerous people too." Haeli admitted, pausing in her walking and waiting for him to answer.

[Dariel]

He heard her words, but his hesitation to answer was more palpable than it had ever been before. His body grew tense enough to show the way his shoulders and arms shifted out of synch through the cloak, twisted, asymmetrical, awkward. She would not be shaken from the trail. Like a bloodhound she'd taken the scent and no matter what distractions he threw her way she would always come back to that one trail he foolishly left for her. The cloak grew heavy to his cramping muscles, so he shrugged it behind him. His gaze grew tired of the moonlight, and he found nothing else to look at but her. Fighting for more time, he took the leisure of scanning Haeli's features. He found it hard to believe that anyone was ever sincere. Incidentally the same observation she had just made about masks and something he knew to be true about himself. But he found it just as hard to believe that this feral creature cared to go through the trouble of hatching any elaborate schemes when she had him at so many disadvantages. Not that he believed her to be without guile. Nobody was, especially not the seemingly innocent. Nor did he think her harmless, though he measured such things in other terms than most. She was foreign, out of her element, not stupid. He could work with that, or so he thought. He neither could lie to her, nor would he. She would notice. Everybody lied, but few people knew how to lie well. But the truth might not be entirely conducive to a continued outing. She certainly didn't need to know every nasty little detail of his apprenticeship. Or the things he'd had to do to even get to Lhavit and sever the past at the head. On the other hand, her curiosity was refreshing enough, she knew useful things, had useful skills and, yes, she was easy on the eyes, too. What was the worst thing that could happen? "As you can imagine it is a rather long and involved tale. But yes, I presume the Old Crow to have perished in that freak storm earlier this year. He better have. I went to quite a length to make sure he was out in the open for it. I was... not very fond of him. And for all I had seen in my time, he did not like to let his pupils leave. Not while there was a breath in his body at any rate." "He was a mage of some skill but narrow vision and weak character. Strength of magic is, sadly, no replacement for strength of will or clarity of mind or purpose. He had some vague idea of raising a dead ideal from the dead but seemingly little idea of how to go about it. As I already suggested, I learned more from his mistakes than from his tutelage. In fact, he was rather useless as a teacher. Too preoccupied with keeping everyone in line, too preoccupied with chasing skirts and altered states." "To answer your other question, I have really no idea what I want to do. Right now, I want to be the best me I can be. Otherwise, I want what every boy wants. I have bested my master, now I want to supplant him. Without making his mistakes, of course. But that is a long way off. For the time being, I simply want to rest, broaden my horizons, sample what the world has to offer. Feel free to add your own cliches." Once again, Dariel could only shrug. Yes, he was still vague and he knew it, but he could impossibly summarize ten years into a few short paragraphs. And it was candid, probably shockingly so. In fact, he was rather curious to see how Haeli would react. On the one hand that girl seemed to care for everything that drew breath and a lot of things that didn't. On the other hand, she understood natural selection and that for some creatures to flourish, others had to die. But the only way to find out now was to wait and see. So that was what he did, locking his eyes onto hers, head tilted ever so slightly to the side.

[Haeli]

Dariel was a lot like some of the predator's Haeli had made acquaintances with. It wasn't that he wanted to eat her, it was just that he was so internalized sometimes that his body language didn't read nearly as well as a prey species did. He vocalized his intent, but in terms of reading his features - it was difficult. Haeli watched him though, and in this she could tell there was something wrong. But she had no experience with bad mentors. Ozantha was like a mother to her. So relating his expression to his past experience with his master wasn't really in the realm of her experiences.

She simply watched while he fussed with his cloak. She watched while he glanced at her, studied her outright, as if daring her to take back her words or fill the silence with words moving the conversation onward in a new direction. She did neither. Haeli simply faced him with similar silence and let him work through whatever it was that was filling his mind. When he did speak, he fed her words that were beyond her experience. Some words, like tutelage, she could guess, but supplant was lost on her. She thought about what he said, running the words over in her mind. As she did so, the witch slowly settled on an outcropping of rock that was conveniently shaped like a seat, and settled her weight onto it. She lifted up her legs, folded them beneath her cloak for warmth, and burrowed her hands in her sleeves. She kept watching him, kept thinking about what he said, and took her time in responding.

A properly raised person would have apologized for intruding into business that was not her own. But she did not know any better, nor did she realize that she'd strayed outside of societies sensibilities.

Instead she simply nodded.

"I can't hope to understand what it is you went through. I did notice you did not answer my question directly though you did say he was a mage. Your eyes look haunted. I am sorry I put that hollow empty expression in them with my questions. They should be a warmer hue, even in Leth's light. I understand was not the sort that was strong inside even though he was overgifted perhaps, unless I am misunderstanding you. And I'm sure you did what you felt you must, and that you are here today means to me that it was the right decision. And even if know one ever knows what you did or how hard you had to work to do it, at least you understand. And that is by far more important than anything else in the world." Haeli said. She brushed a stray strand of hair back behind her ear and continued.

"Actions are our strength, Dariel, not words. And for all that you've mastered words very well, I am relieved that you are not just one that stands on the fringes judging without acting. Because there is no greater waste in the world than holding understanding in the palm of your hand and yet doing nothing with it." She said softly, meeting his gaze. Haeli was not the sort to dress things up or speak less than plainly. For all that he could obfuscate his words, she had no such similar skill.

"Will you tell me what supplant means? It feels vaguely ominous in my mind, but it is nothing I've ever heard before." She admitted abruptly, glancing away and then down at the leaf liter scattered across the forest. When she brought her eyes back up to meet his, she simply shook her head.

"You will find your way. It takes a long time to find a right fit in life. I am still looking. It also helps to know what you love and be open to love things you do not know as of yet. I doubt very much though that you can broaden your horizon. The horizon has always been and will always be fixed, Dariel. I do not know who told you differently." She said, completely serious, glancing off into the distance. It might occur to him then that the definition of cliche completely defeated her as well.

"I hope I still know you when you find your pathway though. I will be sore disappointed to not guess what became of you and what you did to 'supplant' your old master in whatever it was you were trying to do." She added, then shivered slightly.

"I want to swim. All this talking - you are making my head hurt. Will you come with me to the Kinell Hotsprings? It's warm, and there's plants I need from there also. And if we swim a bit, maybe my head will clear. It hurts to listen to you Dariel. Because I have to listen so closely. There's so much in what you say and don't say." The witch vaguely complained, then offered him a smile, rising off the stone. If he gave any indication of wanting to go whatsoever, she would lead the way and they could continue their conversation.

[Dariel]

"You are too kind." She had given him her take on the things he may or may not have done and it was all he could offer in response. You are too kind, meaning nothing and everything and that his own judgement of himself was far harsher than hers. This was not the first time it occurred to him that the man he lured out into the terrible Djed storm earlier this year might still be alive. Somewhere, out there, probably driven mad or changed even worse for what Dariel had done to him. What he had done to himself, really. Dariel had only been the facilitator. Some people were just made for sticky ends. Himself included, most likely. "And you may trust me that I know how to act. But do you not think that talking about acting is always a bit... hmmm... well, a bit like bragging really? As in, I may claim I once wrestled three men down all by myself, but if you were not there to know, the words are simply a fanciful tale. I may proclaim unto the world that I shall raise the ruins of Suva from the ocean, but since I do not even have a shovel to my name, much less a crane or appropriate magics it is merely empty talk." "Furthermore, while knowing to act is pertinent, knowing when to act is even more important as I see it. I would rather let one solid opportunity pass and wait for a perfect one, myself. Not that one is ever guaranteed a perfect opportunity." It was one of those shrugs again, more a tilting of the shoulders, with one rising while the other drooped low. Times like these the young man definitely appeared as if there was no way he could care even less. His gaze dances across her eyes for a moment and he found himself once more surprised by the girl's sharp mind. She could go far if she applied herself right, though he had a hunch that she had no interest in going far. At least not to the lengths he saw his own future stretching out as. Still. He was dying to know what went on in that head of hers. If only he could see past those eyes. Of course, he could not. On the other hand, her sudden admission that she did not know a word he used did nothing to detract from the impression."It means to take his place. Not literally in this case. But I presume one day I will be a master, and I will have students, and they will have the honor of supporting me in my goals, by hook or by crook." The word honor had been heavily laden with irony, though he could hardly be certain Haeli would pick up on it. Neither had she picked up on broader horizons after all."When I know what exactly that entails, well, chances are I will still be here then. Who knows, maybe I will have to come to you for help then? I do have ideas in my head, the seeds of plans and their scope and direction are all over the place. But they all must know patience for now, because I myself am not ready for them." Another brief moment of consideration followed. He failed to show empathy for her complaints or her headache. She had been asking him things after all, even after she knew how he spoke. Which simply was the way he spoke. Dumbing things down, using small words, would only have implied a disrespect towards her he did not intend. So instead, he simply gave Haeli a nod and proffered his arm to her to be lead, wondering if she knew what to did with it. Wondering if she'd try to use it as a perch.

[Haeli]

Haeli chuckled suddenly, nodding to what he said about actions. He was right. But then again Haeli agreed with quite a few things Dariel said, even though she suspected him bitter in ways he refused to show the world. "It's just as bad as people that speak about how much they love books or stories spoke from others. I like them too but only when there is something withholding me from the world, like weather or circumstance. Then of course, read or listen. But it is so much better to me to walk out into the world and experience it rather than read about what it must be like and imagine it in your head. That's a terrible way to exist. Here, now... it's so much better." The wildling witch said, raising her hands and spinning around.

He had more to say and she quieted while he did so. But still, there was an energy in Haeli that was she was finding hard to contain. And deep down she knew it was the conversation, the circumstance, and it was making her happy.

"You will wait a long time for perfection, then." She said, responding to his words and his idea. "Dariel, you never know... you can't know what perfect is for you because you lack experiences and the viewpoint to understand perfection. Ozantha taught me that. Take every opportunity because it can groom your ideals and make you see things you were blind too before because of ignorance." She said, her voice no more than a whisper in the moonlight forest, but still strong enough he could tell she was serious.

She nodded at his definition. It made sense to her then, what he'd said, and the context he put it in.

It struck Haeli then that both in their own ways they were lecturing each other on their own personal ideals. Neither was trying to enforce views on the other, but rather they were just neatly explaining the terms of their viewpoint in life. Haeli herself understood more about Dariel, insomuch as someone could who only just met another and had the briefest of conversations with them. Still, she enjoyed the conversation. She enjoyed his company. And while she found him a bit guarded and even more so empty in ways that confounded her, it wasn't a deal breaker on a friendship.

There were times Haeli felt like tipping her head back and roaring to the sky about her pleasure or displeasure. She suspected Dariel was not the type to ever do something like that, no matter how good for him it would be. His eyes too were guarded. Sometimes something else rose in them, but it wasn't something she could read through the obfuscation. Maybe someday she'd see more. But for now it made her feel slightly lied too that he never demonstrated vulnerability or uncertainty at all. But it was something she'd have to think about quietly when he wasn't around.

"I would help you if I could. But I suspect my skills with herbs and animals will not aid you much in the path you want to walk, whatever that path is. I would gladly assist though if I could." She said softly.

Then, mistaking his arm gesture for something of a human expression, she slipped past him and lead the cutting across rocky and heavily wooded ground before coming out on a trail. Haeli walked with a naturally long swinging stride, as if deer were her first teachers on the finer points of hiking rather than people. She often jumped from one good footed patch to another, slipping around trees and choosing seemingly soft ground only to find it was hard. Growing up in a swamp had given her a sharp eye for survival and especially solid footing. She kept them both dry and mud free selecting the pathway she did before coming out at almost the top of the trail to the hot springs. He knew they were close when they jumped a small stream still steaming from the heat. She took the trail around one rock outcropping, past another, and finally came out on the banks of the hot springs.

Haeli also collected as she moved, picking wild rose hips there and stooping to snap off fiddleheads there. Her fingers touched everything and her eyes constantly scanned. She was as watchful as a forest wren perched on a vulnerable branch holding vigil. Her basket was soon heavy and overflowing by the time they arrived.

Giving him a grin that was all delight and no seduction, the girl kicked off her sturdy trail boots, and had her clothing off in no time. There was no modesty about Haeli, no natural shyness or reservation. And yet no one save the really stupid could mistake her actions for seduction. She just had a natural love and comfort at being in her own skin and nothing else. Her things left in a neat pile, she was in the water and swimming in the heat before Dariel really had much of a chance to decide if he was going in or not.

[Dariel]

For a while, Dariel had pondered as they walked. By now, Haeli was probably used to him doing that. Taking his time away from the world to be alone with his thoughts, even though his body was right there, crunching leaves, breaking twigs and generally scaring the smaller wildlife wherever his heel descended. Finally and quietly, he found that he had to disagree with her. Mostly anyway. "Why should I, why should anyone settle for less than the thing they want? Mind you, the more one knows, the more one knows what one wants or not. Obviously. And just as obviously, advanced age allows one to know more. But knowledge is not a prerogative of age. It is just that many people are content to know what they know and thus the only growth their knowledge experiences is coincidental." "When I want egg for breakfast and I happen to walk into an eatery that only offers bread, should I just eat bread? Or find one that has egg? Yes, it is a crude image, but it should illustrate my point. One can know what one wants regardless of age. Age just has an easier time delineating its wants. One should not settle for less as it is unlikely to satisfy. Though that part might simply be me. A lot of people seem to settle for less." He took a moment out of his tirade to cast a fleeting smile at the girl walking with him. He was enjoying himself, enjoying the fact that the girl challenged his preconceptions and made his brain work. In the end, they were only comparing notes, ideas, beliefs, yes. There was no ulterior motive here, or at least none that he could glance, but it was at the very least a good exercise for his mental and verbal faculties. Not unpleasant in the least. He did not even mind the occasional bout of ignorance, seeing as it was born of a lack of exposure rather than her locking herself off from impressions. In fact, she seemed quite the opposite, nosy and curious to a fault. And not afraid to chase down those objects and subjects that roused her interest. If all savages were like that maybe civilization was the wrong place to be after all. It was a silly thought and he knew it. "Knowing what one wants should admittedly never be an excuse to lock out new ideas. It is reassuring that there are methods and ways that worked for our fathers' fathers, but there might always be a better one. I am not saying I am not open to re-evaluating my wants, but I simply have no interest in compromising them." Dariel's utterances were interrupted by the sound of something heavy hitting the ground, followed by the splash of water. Of course he turned his head, just in time to see the girl's naked shape part the surface of the steaming pool. Tilting his head to the side, his mind went to work again even while his eyes followed Haeli as she explored the hot spring, and what the ripples of her passing did to Leth's reflection in the water. A tug and a shrug took care of his cloak and the rest of his garb landed on top of that in short order. Surprisingly, the young man did not seem to be bothered by his own nudity either, and neither did he make a fuss or spectacle of it. Two steps to the water's edge, a dip of the hand to test its temperature and then he was already lowering himself into the pool, albeit content to remain where he was while getting used to the sensation."For example, I have never been to a hot spring before. Or in one."

[Haeli]

Haeli glanced over at Dariel and chuckled, shaking her head slightly. "No, not settling for less. I never meant that. I meant not missing opportunities. That is vastly different than settling for less. I do not settle for something other than what I need or want. Perhaps the difference is that my wants and needs are simple in comparison to what the people of Lhavit seem to want or need. They are all of them a bit materialistic. The finest clothing, the finest food, the finest blades and homes and decorations and scents... " Haeli shook her head. "If it nourishes me, it is good enough for me. I want nothing more than what I need. I own almost nothing besides what I need to do my work. Things mean less to me than concepts. But to most people, things are everything. I would eat the bread and be glad for it. An egg could come later." She said softly with total conviction.

He had more to say and she listened. But that did not mean she agreed. They were two different people, and it was far and enough for her that they could discuss things. Haeli didn't need to agree. She wanted to hear his ideas. It was enough they were talking and he was giving her a bit of his time and opinions. She was interested in how he thought and why he thought what he did. She was not interested in being right.

But they were at the springs now, and Haeli was glad for a chance to stretch her legs, cleanse her body, and spend more time with her new acquaintance. She wanted to call him a friend, but she'd never had one and that was something precious - a line - she didn't know how to cross.

He claimed he'd never been in a hot spring nor in one, and that made Haeli laugh. "You are making that claim, Dariel, while sitting in one." She pointed out, scissoring her legs and kicking out to swim towards the center. She ducked her head under, lifted it to catch a breath, then treaded the water out where it was deeper.

Haeli wasn't far enough out that speaking was hard but she did have to lift her voice to be heard. "Since you seem to know what you want, Dariel, tell me... tell me three things you want to accomplish this winter." She said, looking serious as she playfully frolicked in the water, enjoying herself with the impromptu bath. "And if you answer my question... you can ask me one and I'll answer it as well." She added, making a grab for a moth that had dropped down on the water and was having trouble lifting off again. She pushed her hand up under it, lifting it out of the water and holding it aloft long enough for it to catch the wind with its wings and flutter off.

[Dariel]

Three things he wanted to accomplish this Winter. How modest. He could have named thirty before she'd have managed to swim the short distance between them. Picking only three turned out to be harder than just listing them all. On the other hand, three was more than enough. Naked though he might be, he was not laid bare. Nor would he be. In the meantime, he made a mis-calculated gesture that was supposed to have been a dismissive sweep of the hand. In his mind it looked quite imperious and elegant. In reality all it ended up doing was to splash water in the direction of the already soaked Haeli."You full well know what I meant when I said I had never been in a hot spring before. I was making a point that I was not closed off to new impressions." Dariel was a good sport about it, though. Through the curtain of flying droplets, another smile was at least something to be guessed at. Then he vanished fully into the water with only ripples to tell of his passing, only to emerge a few steps away, exhaling loudly and tossing his head to shake the water from his hair, There was something in the water, he thought. It smelled differently than well water, though hardly worse. Just an earthy, almost bitter quality he could not quite place. Something to look into down the line. Of course that meant he'd have to come back. An idea he didn't mind at all. He wondered if the natural pool saw any traffic in winter. Getting out of the water into the even colder air, maybe even snow, seemed not terribly appealing, even if the stay itself would certainly be invigorating. More wants, even if just idly curious ones. His list was growing at a steady rate. "Arm myself, since you were indeed correct in your earlier assessment. It is a wild and dangerous world out here and I have no intention of locking myself behind Lhavit's walls. Find meaningful employment. My purse was full when I arrived, but it shrinks with every passing day. The sooner I begin looking the more time I will have the more worthwhile such employment will be. Gain entrance to the library and keep going back until I have read everything they will let me read. Well, reading it all is likely not something I could accomplish in one season." "And these are just the foremost thoughts on my mind. There is much much more. Small things, big things, ones that I can do tomorrow, ones that will take years. I wish my days had ten times as many bells as they do." Brushing a few strands of hair thick with water from his face Dariel's gaze sought for the girl, found her floating half a dozen strokes away. He shifted his body to face her, paddling and treading along. What did you ask a wild girl? She knew many things, as much was obvious. Unlike him she had freely told of her origins and what she did. Anything Dariel might care to ask about, Haeli would likely answer freely anyway. On the other hand, it was a game, and not playing along would have been disrespectful when he had no need to show disrespect. "My turn now. So...If you could teach me one thing and I would have to accept it, what would that be?" For some reason, he thought the answer to this question would tell him more about the girl. Even while he secretly expected her to come up with something trivial such as which mushrooms to avoid. At the very least it would clarify Haeli's priorities. Or maybe he was simply playing along.

[Haeli]

Haeli wrinkled her nose at him like an impetuous child as he chastised her for her smart mouth. She still swam back and forth letting the soothing waters cleanse her body and simply laughed lightly enjoying herself, adding no response to his. His words needed none. She didn't get too far from Dariel, at least not out of ear shot, so they could still talk while each of them enjoyed the delights of the warm mineral filled water. She couldn't help but laugh because hes pale skin seemed even whiter wet while her hair turned dark and the shadows tried to swallow her even as they rejected his wraith-like paleness.

She didn't even worry when he slipped beneath the water and came out again wet. Nor did she return the volley of water he'd sent her way earlier. Such games while swimming eluded her.

So Dariel wanted a job and weapons. He wanted in the library as well. "I got in." She said abruptly. "All you have to do is give them something they don't have. I wrote them instructions on how to make perfume. When I go back I will have to give them some other knowledge. For its not truly a library like I've been taught libraries are. It is instead an information exchange. You give them information, they give you access to their information. It's fairly simple." She said, helpfully.

"But about the weapons and employment I know nothing about. Do what you love and hope someone will pay you for it. That will make the bells go faster, I suspect, but you'll enjoy them more than I think anyone would having nothing to fill them with." She said, trying to offer advice, which was probably laughable.

She ran her hands across her face, sliding over to the side to grab a handful of sand to scrub even deeper. Haeli felt clean finally and settled onto a rock ledge just a few feet away from Dariel. She leaned back, relaxing, letting her hair swirl in the water around her. Her petite breasts bobbed free in the lapping water even as her toes and stomach surfaced occasionally, buoyed up by the water. The girl was completely unconscious of her nudity and shameless. But she looked relaxed, peaceful, as if she had no cares in the world

"Hrm. If I could teach you just one thing what would that be?" She stared up at the sky after repeating his question and thought long and hard about it for only a moment or two. "That question needs no thought. I would without hesitation teach you to fly. Because with a pair of wings you can kiss the sky and dance with the wind and such things will take you anywhere. If you can fly you can travel safely, for the most part, over most danger and away from most things that will hurt you. And there is a balance in learning to fly that is hard to find anywhere else in the world. Once you have mastered your body and mastered that ability with your body, everything else comes far easier. It is a grace no one else can ever claim from you or take away." She said, her eyes shining as she stared up into the star-studded sky.

Then she turned and looked at him. Her eyes were almost glowing in the darkness, so bright was her gaze. "My turn. What is one thing you are really and truly afraid of?" She asked, taking her turn in their weird game of questions and answers.

[Dariel]

When Haeli stopped, Dariel's head went under water again, only to rear from the water moments later. He seemed quite fond of doing that, even if there was little to see below the nightly surface of the pool. Brushing back his dripping hair, he looked over at the floating wild girl. Invariably his gaze glid along what was visible of her outline above and below water, but his true interests lay on her face. A little smile graced his features when he assured her,"I am not concerned. Regarding my wants I mean. I will find something suitable, but thank you for thinking on it. As for the library... well, that should prove interesting. I will have to see what topic I could fill a few pages on. If anything at all. What is the size of the contribution we are speaking of here? A short treatise, a full folio?" As always, nothing really seemed to bother him. By now the witch knew that the lightly knitted brow hid a mind hard at work even while he did his best to keep their own mutual exchange going. Work he was practically forced to interrupt for leisure when she answered his question. The response her saying she'd teach him how to fly elicited was either restrained hyperventilation or the faintest of breathy laughs. Shaking his head as he ponderously zigzagged through the pool sent strands of hair whipping about his face, but the airy chuckle persisted. Floating in closer, Dariel allowed for a better look at his incredulous face. There was certainly a lot he could have said in response, from calling her silly to explaining in detail as to why he had the same natural aptitude for flying as an anvil had. In the end however he settled on one simple sentence that should summarize everything without the need to confuse the girl further. "I would love to, if not for my obvious lack of wings. I think you owe me a better answer." Not that the tone of his voice hinted at him being terribly serious. As with many things the young witch said, he took it in good humor. For whichever reasons he did not divulge or at least discuss, he did not mind her often naive ways at all. For a man who abhorred ignorance this too was quite a wondrous thing, but one of those mysteries that might lose their charm if analyzed too thoroughly. There was a skill to not acting even though he could, too. Still hovering around her, if a good bit outside reach, Dariel considered her counter-question. Technically, there were so many things to fear in this world. His advantage was that he had little to lose above and beyond his life. What then was the answer? "My greatest fear then. Feel free to laugh at this, I shall not mind. My greatest fear in this life is to be misunderstood. A man may speak his heart and pen his thoughts, but if he is misunderstood it is all for naught." "I do not know if stupidity is a sickness of this age or merely part of the human condition, but there are people out there who seem to go out of their way to wilfully misrepresent what another says. I would hate to carve my mark into this world only for later generations to not see what I wanted them to." Even to Dariel, his own words sounded silly, but they were true nonetheless. What was the point of building houses if nobody lived in them? What was the point of making mistakes if nobody else learned from them? What was the point in thinking great thoughts if nobody else saw their greatness? Dariel was all poised to think great thoughts. He already had a solid handle on thinking, all he needed was more knowledge to give them wings. Now he would need that thinking to come up with another good question while he bobbed in the comfortably warm water. Well, a question he considered good. Entertaining as it had been, the true aim of his first question lay in the way she answered, not so much the actual application. Though that had been entertaining to poke at as well. "My turn then. Rain, snow or hail? And why?"