* 45 * 7/19/12

Bishop and Lily admired the pungent forest as they walked, both having missed its sights and smells, both a marked difference from the walled fortress they had grown so used to.

The optimistic air lasted, at least for a time.

Lily suddenly looked to the ground, pondering their trek. "I feel kind of bad for living in the Keep all the time. Maybe there's a better home to have out here."

Bishop was interested, lifting a brow. "It only makes sense as a harborman," he said. "Swamps and trees are where you belong."

After a few moments, he went on what seemed to be a tangent. "I remember the first time I killed and skinned an animal. It was in the swamp surrounding my village. I wasn't really afraid, at least not compared to the other urchins."

Lily was now at full attention at this small tidbit from him. She wanted him to continue, but wasn't sure if alerting him to how personal he was getting would make him stop talking. So instead, she stayed silent.

But she got only: "It was a bison."

"A bison?!" Lily shrieked, a little too loudly. She slapped her hand over her mouth, but Bishop only laughed.

"Yeah. We were eating that thing for days." A triumphant smirk crossed his lips.

Her brows shot up. "And that was your first kill?"

"It was a lucky shot. Didn't make it any less satisfying, though. The empowerment I felt from that moment was so strong. I knew I was already addicted." As he said this, his face was off in space, a childish grin spreading like wildfire over his face. He sniffed the air to remind himself of who he was now, the roads he had chosen to travel as an older version of that urchin.

The ranger expounded upon his story no more, and they continued walking. More minutes passed, and Lily began to hear the soft pattering of running water. She instinctively regrouped herself in its direction; Bishop noticed and did the same.

As they came closer and closer, the pattering turned into a rushing, and Lily realized it wasn't just a river they were coming upon, it was a waterfall. Her body suddenly overflowed with endorphins and she felt serene, concentrating on the gentle music.

Bishop wondered why her persona had changed, but at least it had seemed to be in a good way. He didn't ask, choosing only to continue on their path and see if the effect grew stronger as their proximity to the waterfall grew. It did. When it came into view, Lily literally jumped and went to sit by a rock on the edge of the water. The water slowed over the surface of the high rock, trickling down its sides and sinking into the ground below.

Lily took a deep breath, inhaling the intoxicating scent of freshness and river water. The waterfall was still some distance ahead and a little to her left, but the river flowed to where they now were. Its main direction was from ahead to behind them, parallel from their positions, but here was a small tributary that ended early due to ample, rich, water-absorbing soil.

Bishop surveyed the area. It would be more difficult to build a fire here given all the moisture and humidity, but it was also a good location for the same reason: if something were to happen and the fire somehow got out of control, it could be easily contained. Lily didn't seem to want to move from this spot, so he hadn't much of a choice anyway. Not that he minded; the air was nice here, and the rush of the waterfall was welcome music.

As the ranger got a small fire started and put together a makeshift spit, Lily gazed around the scenery.

"It's beautiful."

Bishop was pleased at the pleasant tone of her voice. She was calm and contemplative, and it was contagious, putting him at ease and erasing any signs of strain from his expression.

Just then, he got a spark from the wood, and he...felt like smiling. So he did. He wasn't sure why. But he looked over at Lily, staring for a few moments before opening his mouth.

"Fire's ready." He was trying to alert her without interfering with her respite. She let the breeze from the water flow through her entire being once more, then gathered around the fire with him.

She saw the spit and decently-sized fire. "That was fast." It had been.

"Was it?" Bishop shrugged, setting the rabbit up. It would take awhile to cook through with their modest brand, but he had also made the bonfire because of the slowly but steadily dropping temperature. He got to his feet and searched for a few logs. When successful, he pulled them into position around the fire so the two of them could be raised off the rich dirt and grass. They each sat on one, and Bishop caught sight of the state of Lily's clothes. He snickered. They weren't in such good condition anymore, with a tear and dirt stains everywhere. Her skirt wasn't exactly the proper kind of garment for this outdoorsy kind of thing, but he definitely wasn't complaining.

"Does anyone even know where you are, ladyship?"

"No," Lily said with a laugh, as if it had just occurred to her, too. "I've been so caught up with what we've been doing at every turn. But it's kind of fun, in a way. Not making people worry about me, but going on a random adventure like this."

Bishop liked that proclamation. He felt she was beginning to really trust him, as opposed to believing everything the paladin said to demean him. Here she was, out in the woods alone with a ranger, knowing very well that he could outmaneuver her to any place around this area, including back to the Keep if she ran. Yet she had chosen to be here.

The paladin would have a fit when she got back. Bishop enjoyed that thought, smirking to himself.

Lily was quiet again, listening to the sweet music around them. This area, on the cusp of both a temperate forest and a tropical rainforest biome, was filled with tons of different species of flora and fauna.

The sogginess of her clothes began getting to her as time went on. The breeze was beginning to feel chilling, attaching its relative coldness to her already slightly damp clothing. Lily wanted to tough it out, though, and tried to keep Bishop from seeing her shiver too much.

"Thanks for getting me Ounce, by the way," she said, keeping her words slow and level to prevent the shivering from reaching her voice.

Bishop shrugged her thanks right off his shoulders. "Why not? Couldn't hurt to take one before they got rid of 'em."

"I've always liked that philosophy. 'Why not?' Those are words I try to live by every day."

Bishop said nothing, just listening.

"I've found and followed so many opportunities because of it, and it's really been mostly positive." Lily looked as if she had bitten down on something hard. Her voice had broken at the last word and now her chill-resistant cover was blown. Bishop eyed her, not sure what to do. She was obviously far less armored than he was.

Lily got up and moved to the left, to his log. She scooted ever so slightly closer. "Do you mind?" she asked before going any further.

Bishop opened his mouth and closed it, taking a breath. He stiffened and put his right arm near the other side of her, but didn't touch her. Lily responded by gently tucking herself into the space between his arm and body and against his chest. She seemed on edge, leaning forward a bit to bring herself closer to the fire, while getting her heat on her back from him. He didn't dare speak a word, even as her soft, luminous hair settled on top of his fingers.

As time went on and Lily got warmer, she stopped shivering and forgot some of her reservations, leaning more and more back against his chest as support. Finally, she was fully nestled against him, and the two of them watched as their meat cooked through. They didn't know what else to do, or say. When she laid her head back against him, Bishop felt her soft locks brush against his face and neck. He closed his eyes, and was glad Lily couldn't see him. Unbeknownst to him, Lily closed her eyes, too.

All that could be heard was the sound of water splaying and hitting the rocks, a gentle melody permeating the damp, quiet air.