Amari shook her head as he held the stone out toward her. "No, I wouldn't know how."

Jake seemed to light up at her refusal to play his game. "Oh, that's ok! I can teach you if you like?"

Again, Amari shook her head. "No." Jakes smile faded and his elvish ears drooped slightly. Amari sighed, she wasn't sure how to act so carefree. She wasn't sure what he expected of her. "I'm not good with....this sort of thing Jake." Amari confided as she gestured toward the babbling brook. "This? What exactly does it accomplish? Throwing rocks into a river?"

"I find it relaxing." Jake said in simple earnest as he positioned himself to a seated position on one of the boulders that surrounded the pond. "How can this not relax you? Looking out over the water as the sun reflects off of it... the smell of the fresh air... Amari..." He turned his face toward her, "I'd think this would be the type of thing you'd love."

"Red." Amari corrected halfheartedly as she took a few precarious steps till she stood on the same boulder as he. She turned her attention to the view, only now paying any sort of attention to it. Earlier it was just a background that needed as little descriptors as possible. It wasn't important, it was simply there.

Amari allowed her gaze to linger on the scene before her. The waters shimmered beneath a high sun, on the other side sat a forest, too far away to see any real details but when Amari drew in a deep breath she could smell the faint scent of the greenery.

"You... " Amari turned her gaze back to Jake. "Shouldn't get another horse. Its too soon." She shifted the conversation back to him, if anything to avoid admitting that he had been right and that she should have just taken a moment to appreciate her surroundings.

"Jake, I don't think you understand what kind of person I am. I'm not that naive noble girl you met a decade ago. I'm not someone you should be friends with."