Diving Deep - Solo

[FennWenn]

Before the two — three if one counted Daugi — delved into the forest before them, they stopped to quickly discuss a few matters. Fenn properly introduced his wolf by name to Loreley, and in turn, Lore pointed out the rough direction the loch was in. With that done, Fenn hoisted himself onto Daugi’s back. Into the trees they set off.

The woods that surrounded much of the loch became odder and odder the further one went in. It seemed that the flat terrain flooded pretty regularly, and the only reason there wasn’t more erosion was because of the cypress trees. Salt crusted the roots of the trees in sparkling patches of white. Each step into the hairy patches of sopping grass was a bit of a struggle for Loreley, as a good few inches of her boots would get sucked into the muddy spots, only to be yanked out with a squelch for the next step. At the same time, Daugi padded through the muck as if it were nothing. One found no bog particularly troublesome after experiencing the deep snows of Salvar.

Fenn was glad that Daugi was carrying him. For him, wet feet meant frozen feet, and frozen feet meant getting stuck. Though, he heard that saltwater froze pretty slowly…

With a wave of his hand, he thought to offer Loreley a ride besides him. Despite her enamoration with the big wolf, he had been met with a narrowed gaze. “I can manage my own way, thank ya very much,” the girl replied stubbornly, jabbing her chest with one proud finger. “If anyone can keep up with your big beauty of a beast, it’s gotta be me.”

The dramatic refusal — and the floundering about in the mud that followed it — brought an unvoiced giggle bubbling up in Fenn’s chest. He recognized himself in that weird sense of independence she displayed. Recognized it, and wondered at it, nose crinkling at the oddity of the thought. Did other people find him funny when he was like that? No wonder it was so easy to mistake him for a child. Maybe he could — should? — try to catch himself when he was being stupid for pride’s sake. Of course, as soon as he had the thought, Fenn sighed at it. He was too much a creature of instinct and impulse for that, wasn't he?

Though, becoming aware of his own nature made room for him to try and change it…

Unlike himself, if Loreley had one talent, it was definitely talking. Nary a moment went by without her pointing out a funny looking stump or speculating as to what they’d find out here. “Maybe everyone just got lost in these samey-same trees,” she mused to no-one in particular. “Seems unlikely though. Too easy an explanation. My Gran’s told me a few stories of wicked fae coming along and stealing people away, and it's said that a one of ‘em cursed the loch a long time ago.” Her algae green eyes lifted to meet Fenn’s own. A grin stretched across her cheeks. “Maybe we’ll have to bargain with the fair folk for them back! That’s sure be an adventure, wouldn’t it? What do you think?”

The little fae felt cold blood rush to his cheeks, tinting them grey. His ears, similarly flushed with embarrassment, pressed flat against his curls.

Loreley watched his more-speechless-than-typical reaction with sly-smiled calm, but didn’t comment on it. Not directly. “It’s okay if ya don’t like that possibility. Maybe that’s not what's going on. Though, I’m not sure I could really guess why else anybody’d just be vanishing from the face of the earth.”

Well… Fenn sighed, and drew his hand across his throat as if slitting it.

Wince. Lore acknowledged his suggestion with a slow nod, peeling a sweaty blonde lock of hair away from her forehead. “Yeah, that worries me too. But if they died, then what killed them, and why? I don’t think people are dumb enough to just wander into to loch and get drowned. Wouldn’t there be, ya know, bodies for the sheriff to find? Wouldn’t there be a sign it happened? It’s all so suspicious.”

Daugi’s ears flicked up in concern at the words “killed” and “died”. Nodding to Loreley, Fenn reassured his beast with a couple gentle scratches behind the ear.

“I guess I’m just glad it ain’t none of my family who’s gone and vanished. I mean, it’s just me and Pa and Gran running things these days,” Lore continued, her voice lowered in an almost furtive way. “Glad they’ve stuck around. Had an older sister, but she off and married some handsome bard a few years ago. Travels the countryside now, I hear. Poor Ma died when I was a wee baby. Right after having me, in fact.” Suddenly, the girl shot him a wide-eyed look, rigid with sudden self-awareness. “I ain’t talking too much or too personal for you, am I?”

Fenn shook his head. He didn’t mind her rambling on. Actually, he kind of liked it. Listening to stories was certainly something to pass the time.

Relief lit up the girl’s face. She twirled about, yanking her foot out of a mudsink, and beamed back at him. Daugi was given a gentle pat on the side. “I’d ask you more about you, but you can’t talk much up from all the way there, right? Nowhere to write!”

That was very true. Fenn nodded and glanced at his bag. Maybe later he could show her some of the things he had collected — that was about the easiest way to tell her about himself. His things were more of less an accumulation of himself, of his adventures. He thought that, probably, he trusted her enough not to make off with any of his shinies. It was another thing to add to his list of things-to-do before he had to leave behind this sleepy town for greener pastures. Loreley’s village was going to be one of those places he couldn’t help but drag his feet about leaving. That much was obvious.

And yet, he was going to leave anyway. He always did. The call of the road — and the requests of a certain someone — had to be heeded.

For a brief moment, the forest was silent. Loreley took a deep breath. Her dress was muddied at the trim and slightly thorn-torn by now. “You know, you haven’t told me all that much, being in town as long as you have. Are ya ever planning on telling me things like, how you got your puppy? Why do you got your magic? What are your parents like,” she asked, “if they’ve just up and left you all by yourself for days? And ya don’t seem all that torn up about it?”

Maybe he was imagining it, but there seemed to be something sly about the last question. Staring up at the hints of blue sky peeking through the dark canopy above, Fenn graced it with another of his evasive shrugs. They were feeling less clever an answer by the hour.

“Alright then, knife-ears. Be coy with me. You know, I should tell you about how I got my magic, but I haven’t the foggiest idea myself. I was just kind of born like…”

Fenn snorted, and rested his chin on Daugi’s head. The wolf twitched an ear at him. As he stared forward into the trees, Loreley’s blithe chatter blended into the background noises of the forest; croaking toads, chirping birds, the wind in the branches. If there was anything good to be said about this tedious trek, it was that his mount’s familiar trot was comforting. Too comforting maybe. As a certain sleepiness snuck up on him, he woozily wondered if taking a nap was such a bad idea. Awful things sometimes happened when he was unconscious near strangers. Yet, Daugi was soft, and Loreley was nice, and the forest air was misty and boggy and warm…

Absently scritching his wolf under the chin, he closed his eyes.

Just for a moment.