Teldryn walked up the path from the south shore, the unique fatigue that resulted from depleted magicka grating at his senses. He was trying to learn a particularly taxing Destruction spell from a book a courier had delivered from Roggir and the seclusion of the beach had always made an excellent practice ground. If he was understanding the tome correctly, he'd be able to essentially become a walking firestorm. A very alluring prospect. Unfortunately, it seemed he lacked an adequate magicka pool to properly cast it. Perhaps if he had some kind of enchanted item that would increase his pool, or better yet, give him rapid enough regeneration to withstand the initial charge...or both! How much would such an item cost? And where could he get it?

His thoughts trailed off when he noticed a tiny plume of smoke rising from the other side of the large rock he was passing. He walked around the rock and smiled broadly when he saw a particularly perplexing and charming sight. Vanya was sitting with her legs crossed leaning over a very small fire, pushing the ash on the beach into a little wall around it.

"What are you doing?"

She jumped and looked over her shoulder, giving a shy smile as she looked back at her project. "Just building sandcastles," she said lightly as she pinched the little ash wall to make it taller. "Or I suppose ash-castles."

He settled himself down beside her and squinted at the tiny fire, trying to figure it out before he asked again. "And what are you really doing?"

"Well," she sighed. "I burnt my potion today because I couldn't control the fire under the cauldron. No magic and all. So I thought..." She started pushing the ashes closer around the edges of the flame. "Since I usually toss ashes on the hearth to put it out, maybe it would work to weaken the flame if I just...crowded it ever so slightly." Her face was pinched in concentration as she carefully carried out her experiment. Her eyes widened and she smiled when the flame diminished. "It worked!"

She looked at him happily and he smiled in return despite her troubling statement.

"So you really can do no magic at all?" he asked.

"Oh, I really don't know. It simply didn't exist on Earth," she said with a shrug. "Now to try and push the ashes away..." She poked her finger lightly at the ashes, trying to roll them away from the flame but instead, the opposite happened and the flame sputtered out. "Shit! I need some kind of tool to do this. I'm too afraid of burning myself. I should have brought a spoon or something."

He thought for a few moments, looking around to see if there was anything nearby to use. Or perhaps something he had on him...

"A lockpick might work."

"A lockpick?"

"Yes. I probably have one in one of my pockets." He opened a pocket on his belt where he knew he'd stashed some, unsure as to whether he'd used them all while traveling with Roggir. "Ah, here's one. See?" He held it out to her. "You could use the handle as a sort of spade."

"Ooh," she purred as she plucked it from his hand. "Yes, this is perfect."

Her words made him feel like he'd given her a lavish gift. It was just a worthless little lockpick. He'd give her a hundred more if she would continue to speak that way.

She busied herself with resetting the kindling, then instead of picking up her flint she gestured to him, demanding, "Light."

He snorted with laughter as he reached out his hand to do her bidding, despite his fatigue. "Yes, 'miss bossy-pants'."

"I'm sure you'll get back at me tomorrow," she said with a smirk, flicking him an impish look before tending the fire.

He raised a brow at her. "I certainly will now."


Vanya focused on the fire, using the lockpick to push the ashes closer, trying her best to ignore the sudden rush of her blood at the intent in his voice. She really should not have had him light the fire but she couldn't resist. He had such long, elegant fingers. With the fire successfully waning she started to push the ashes away, the lockpick proving to be just what she needed. She leaned down to blow lightly on the flame, bringing its strength back.

"Well," she said happily as she straightened back up. "Problem solved."

"You're welcome," Teldryn said smugly, shifting toward the water so he could stretch his legs out and lean back on his elbows.

"Thank you," she said pointedly.

She watched as he sighed while looking out over the sea and she felt a little guilty for flirting with him. She really shouldn't encourage something that she had no intentions of following through on. She wanted badly to be his friend but she worried that he might get the wrong idea, especially if he knew the things that she had allowed to be said about them. She drew circles in the sand with the lockpick as she built up the courage to clear the air.

"Teldryn, I have a bit of a confession."

"Is that so? And what would that be?" She was thankful that he kept his eyes pointed toward the water, she knew she would chicken out if he looked at her.

"There's sort of this rumor? About us?" She cringed at the nervous inflection she was adding to each phrase. "That we're, like, y'know...involved...more than friends? And I sorta didn't deny it because it helped keep other men from pursuing me but I know it was wrong to use you like that and I'm really sorry." The words fell out quickly and she glanced at him. "I hope you're not too mad?"

He certainly did not look mad, his expression was more amused than anything as he turned his eyes toward her. He raised his brow. "Is that it?"

She blinked at him. "You already knew."

He nodded.

She put her hands over her face as she felt a flush in her cheeks. "I'm not sure if that's better or worse!"

"Vanya," he said with a chuckle. "Obviously I don't care. It's a rumor, a lie. It doesn't mean anything."

She kept her hands on her face, shaking her head. She felt so foolish. He knew the whole time, she must seem so desperate. She peeked through her fingers and saw he was sitting up again, facing her with a confused look. Moving her hands to her cheeks, she studied him for a moment "How can you not care that I lied about you?" If someone had done that to her she would have been horrified.

He shrugged. "To begin with, I could not care less what people say about me. In fact, sometimes I've found rumors to work in my favor. And there is quite a difference between spreading a lie and simply not correcting a lie, which is what you did. Finally," he said, his expression sobering. "You had a very good reason. Pity that it was not more effective."

She dropped her hands and began fiddling with the lockpick once again as she considered all that he said. That was definitely not how she'd been raised. A lie was a lie, right? But then, what had she been doing this whole time? She'd been only lying about herself though, not someone else. She looked at him, sitting there completely unconcerned. If he didn't care, then should she?

He furrowed his brow and she realized she was staring. She dropped her head, pressing the heel of her hand to her forehead.

"It's really not so serious, Vanya," he said with a laugh. "And it's not as if I find it disagreeable."

Uh-oh

"Not that I want it to be true," he said quickly as she turned her head to look at him. "I mean, it's not that I'm saying you're not..that I don't find you...no, no..." He clamped his lips together with an almost pained expression. She tried to not show her growing amusement, not wanting to embarrass him further. She never thought she'd see him trip over his words with how composed he always seemed.

He brushed his hand across his forehead a couple of times in apparent frustration then held his palm out toward her, eyes downcast. "Allow me to start again. The rumor is nothing to me and I seek no more than your friendship."

"I feel the same," she replied. She should have been more relieved, this is what she wanted. When he finally brought his eyes up to meet hers she saw a shadow in them that seemed to reflect her own feelings. Or he's still embarrassed about this whole awkward conversation you started.

That was more likely.

"Well," she said as she put the fire out. "I'm glad to have that cleared up. I should probably be getting back to work." She stood up, brushing ash off her pants and he followed suit.

"Imagine that, I'm headed that way as well," he said with a smirk, then tilted his head thoughtfully. "And I'm getting hungry."

She rolled her eyes as she headed back to the Netch. "You're always hungry."

"Why do you think I make such an effort to befriend the cook?" he said as he fell in beside her.

She gasped, looking up at him in feigned outrage. "So that's what I am to you?" She raised an imperious finger to his nose. "You're getting the smallest ash yam I can find for supper."

A/N: Clear as mud, right?