The avenue skated off the main northeast mountain road out of Rhydin Town. It was lit by wisps of moonlight, gently winding through towering evergreens and dire-oak trees with silver leaves that shed a sweet, dry smelling dust. Frogs croaked nearby, muttering over the sound of icy water rushing over polished stones, a sound which eventually gave way to the susurrus of waves quietly lapping at sand.
The night was punctuated by quiet sounds of iron-shod hooves as they rode. Alysia remained silent, dismounting wordlessly as the avenue divided into three narrow paths. She pointed out the obvious manor nearby, a graceful and warmly-lit structure with occasional movement visible within, then nodded at a dark glittering tower north of the manor.
"The stables are that way," she commented, temporizing while a small figure trotted through the shadows and took the reins. "But the Nightmare doesn?t have much company there yet, does she, Benheart?"
The stableboy ducked his head and blushed at the attention, mumbling polite assent before retreating with his equine charge. She smirked faintly and gestured toward the immediate southeast, where the wistful outline of willows and birch trees tickled the breeze with their slim branches. Irises, jasmine and lilies, glowing faintly and limned with coldfire, defined a verdant, serpentine path toward the willows.
"Down that way, past the garden, is the lake from whence this place gets its name. Black sand, black rock, deep, dark water.. This is all part of some volcanic crater, but as far as I can tell, the elementals have been sleeping since my mother woke them with her rage and tried to destroy the place."
Alysia turned to Lucien, smiling.? "What would you like to see . . . ?"
The barrister led the sorrel along side the Priestess' horse as the main avenue narrowed.? Lucien?had been riding with Alysia in shared silence, watching the passing landscape, listening to the?life hidden behind the trees and moonlight.
He dismounted from the mare, following Alysia's lead.? His attention turned to the restored manor, but it?didn't linger there long at her mention of the stables.? A few thoughts lingered there, remaining unvoiced at the moment with the arrival of the stableboy.? Lucien smiled?following the lad's retreat for a breath, before his attention moved on.
Lucien moved to Alysia's side and looked down the winding path framed in flora and coldfire.? In his mind's eye, an image of the lake started to come together at her description.? His smile tugged into a crooked grin briefly at her question, and a playful spark flickering quickly in his eyes.
Lucien reached for her hand and nodded down the path with a smile.? "I bet the moonlight on the water is something to see."
Alysia guided Lucien through the lush fragrance of broad, verdant leaves and delicate blossoms, down to the gentle curves of terraced steps which subsided into black sand and black water. The lake was an inky mirror of the sky overhead, with stars and moon glittering silver on a vast shadow canvas. An imperfect, dim reflection of the dark shore and the forested caldera lurked in the watery movement of ripples and waves.
The slender outlines of a sylph vaguely materialized on the shore a few yards away, bowing with coy solemnity to the couple before darting with airy footsteps across the surface of the water. Beneath the touch of the sylph?s intangible toes, feathery patterns of ice formed on the lake. The sound of ducks mumbling sleepily carried across the quiet water from an islet near the center of the lake.
"You?ll probably see more like that for a while. I think the elementals here are amused to have me home. Even if I?m older than they remember."
As they descended the terraced steps to the black sands, the barrister bent down to trace his fingertips across the surface.??He?listened to the dark waters quietly lapping at the ebony shore.? Took in the subtle ripples of water, watching the evening light dance upon the dark waters.? Lucien?started to turn to the Priestess when something caught his attention in his periphery.
A brow rose and he narrowed his eyes, not yet believing what he saw.? As the sylph bowed, he tipped his head slowly, his attention never leaving the elemental.? There was a?wonder in his eyes as he followed the sylph's passage atop the water's surface.
"You'll probably see more like that for a while. I think the elementals here are amused to have me home. Even if I'm older than they remember."
Lucien?studied Alysia's features?in the moonlight for a breath, before casting his glance back out over the?inky waters.? "They are right to be glad of your homecoming."
The night was punctuated by quiet sounds of iron-shod hooves as they rode. Alysia remained silent, dismounting wordlessly as the avenue divided into three narrow paths. She pointed out the obvious manor nearby, a graceful and warmly-lit structure with occasional movement visible within, then nodded at a dark glittering tower north of the manor.
"The stables are that way," she commented, temporizing while a small figure trotted through the shadows and took the reins. "But the Nightmare doesn?t have much company there yet, does she, Benheart?"
The stableboy ducked his head and blushed at the attention, mumbling polite assent before retreating with his equine charge. She smirked faintly and gestured toward the immediate southeast, where the wistful outline of willows and birch trees tickled the breeze with their slim branches. Irises, jasmine and lilies, glowing faintly and limned with coldfire, defined a verdant, serpentine path toward the willows.
"Down that way, past the garden, is the lake from whence this place gets its name. Black sand, black rock, deep, dark water.. This is all part of some volcanic crater, but as far as I can tell, the elementals have been sleeping since my mother woke them with her rage and tried to destroy the place."
Alysia turned to Lucien, smiling.? "What would you like to see . . . ?"
The barrister led the sorrel along side the Priestess' horse as the main avenue narrowed.? Lucien?had been riding with Alysia in shared silence, watching the passing landscape, listening to the?life hidden behind the trees and moonlight.
He dismounted from the mare, following Alysia's lead.? His attention turned to the restored manor, but it?didn't linger there long at her mention of the stables.? A few thoughts lingered there, remaining unvoiced at the moment with the arrival of the stableboy.? Lucien smiled?following the lad's retreat for a breath, before his attention moved on.
Lucien moved to Alysia's side and looked down the winding path framed in flora and coldfire.? In his mind's eye, an image of the lake started to come together at her description.? His smile tugged into a crooked grin briefly at her question, and a playful spark flickering quickly in his eyes.
Lucien reached for her hand and nodded down the path with a smile.? "I bet the moonlight on the water is something to see."
Alysia guided Lucien through the lush fragrance of broad, verdant leaves and delicate blossoms, down to the gentle curves of terraced steps which subsided into black sand and black water. The lake was an inky mirror of the sky overhead, with stars and moon glittering silver on a vast shadow canvas. An imperfect, dim reflection of the dark shore and the forested caldera lurked in the watery movement of ripples and waves.
The slender outlines of a sylph vaguely materialized on the shore a few yards away, bowing with coy solemnity to the couple before darting with airy footsteps across the surface of the water. Beneath the touch of the sylph?s intangible toes, feathery patterns of ice formed on the lake. The sound of ducks mumbling sleepily carried across the quiet water from an islet near the center of the lake.
"You?ll probably see more like that for a while. I think the elementals here are amused to have me home. Even if I?m older than they remember."
As they descended the terraced steps to the black sands, the barrister bent down to trace his fingertips across the surface.??He?listened to the dark waters quietly lapping at the ebony shore.? Took in the subtle ripples of water, watching the evening light dance upon the dark waters.? Lucien?started to turn to the Priestess when something caught his attention in his periphery.
A brow rose and he narrowed his eyes, not yet believing what he saw.? As the sylph bowed, he tipped his head slowly, his attention never leaving the elemental.? There was a?wonder in his eyes as he followed the sylph's passage atop the water's surface.
"You'll probably see more like that for a while. I think the elementals here are amused to have me home. Even if I'm older than they remember."
Lucien?studied Alysia's features?in the moonlight for a breath, before casting his glance back out over the?inky waters.? "They are right to be glad of your homecoming."