Three

"Yes," the half-elf agreed with a wan smile. "Things happen. It's been some years since I was last here... I didn't come by the river back then." He couldn't remember how many - he was thinking about it actively for a while as he tasted the bread.

After he was done with the bit of bread, Sebastian continued. "I'm not sure where I'm going to go from the city, or when," he said with a shrug and reached for his flask. "How about you? More work?"

The good thing about talking while eating was that you often had an excuse to think things over for a bit.

"As neccessary... I'm not sure anymore." The fish tasted wrong. She'd more or less been raised on fish, but from the ocean. "I need to think about it."

If she wanted to find a way back home, she needed to start at some point.

Sebastian nodded and had a bite of fish, cocking his head to the side while he glanced at the sunlight reflecting off the river surface. Places like this did remind him of where he had been raised. It just wasn't home for him. "I'll see when I get to the city," he said - and decided. "I'll have to see a few people at the very least."

Starting with you, dear Lady.

"Having company that understands more than a handful of words sounds good," Sylvie answered playfully.

"Ah, well, a handful seems like the amount I had at hand during that chicken catastrophe," Sebastian replied in a slightly embarrassed yet equally playful tone. The corner of his mouth was arched a little, indicating he wasn't all that embarrassed about it.

"Seems like you got better."

Sylvie tried to remember when she'd last heard Ayu-Asra cluck. Since she hadn't paid particular attention, she wasn't all that sure if that had phased out of his repertoire.

"Not long after you left. It was about as mild as concussions come," he said with a smile that was equal parts grateful and absent-minded. "I didn't sleep much for the next day of course, but I'm here now." He shivered momentarily. Maybe he shouldn't have said that.

She hummed thoughtfully. The shiver did not go unnoticed, but she decided to ignore it.

"How long has it been since then, anyway?"

"Gods, I'm not sure," he said quietly after he was done with half a mouthful of fish and bread. He had stared past Sylvie's shoulder blankly while he had considered the time, but was now looking at her again. "I've never been very good with keeping a calendar," he sighed.

"Hm, yes, it gets confusing. Not that important, anyway."

"I suppose not. I have grey hair already, anyway. I needn't count," Sebastian said relaxedly and had a mental pause. He knew there wasn't any, well... Hat in that comment, but it still felt odd to joke so relaxedly, even in that neutral mode of speech he scarcely employed anymore these days. A part of him told him he should have been worried - he narrowed his eyes as he thought about this -, but in the main the half-elf was content being this way. Just another facet. Yes.

He had a drink of water. "I take it it's your first time around these lands, though?" Sebastian asked, returning to a question she had posed earlier.

"The first time around this area, yes." Sylvie considered for a moment. "I've stayed in Canyet for a few months before that, and maybe a month before that generally, hm, in this world."

The counting comment gave her another nudge. She did not have centuries ahead of her, so she should not wait too long trying to decide if she'd better look for a way home or make a new home somewhere else.

He nodded a couple of times. "It's not much to look at, Canyet, the last I remember." They had begun to build the second wall, but as if he was going to mention that when he wasn't sure exactly when he had been here... Sebastian looked at what was left of the fish and narrowed his eyes, brows slightly raised. "Just another town... or am I thinking of a completely different town?"

"It seemed relatively big and well to-do to me, but then, I haven't seen many other towns for comparison here."

He nodded and sighed as he chewed on some more fish. Yes, it was probably a great, great while ago then... "Well, you just might," the half-elf said somewhat quietly and thoughtfully while he looked sideways at the river. Sylvie's face drew his attention again. "I'm probably thinking of another town then," he said, wearing a little smile that was as good as him saying 'silly me'.

Sylvie smiled back and shrugged, 'so what', and returned her attention to the meal before the fish turned cold.

I suppose it could have been another town. Can't be sure... oh well. Sebastian wasn't going to worry about that, especially when Sylvie was once again proving to be a very reasonable young lady. It would be whatever it would be: it wouldn't really matter.

There wasn't much fish for him to eat anymore, so he finished that quietly and ate the bread more slowly. There was, after all, no hurry. The weather was great, there was food and the company was... well, splendid. Something like that. He wasn't quite sure which word to use. Unexpected, welcome?

This was getting a wee bit too comfortable. Aren't I entitled to that though?

"Thank you. It wasn't such a bother with losing a fish, really," he finally said a little drowsily once he managed to wrench his faraway stare off the streaming water and when it looked like Sylvie was about done. The corner of his mouth twitched. And I'm not sure if I'm still satisfied with my thanking you for the help with the head injury, but I can't say that to your face without being told - well, what I just said about the fish...

It tickled.

"You say now," Sylvie answered, eyes sparkling with amusement, and chuckled. "Seriously, you're welcome."

Thoughts of home aside, she was just a tiny bit giddy about the whole situation. Second-guessing good luck was a strange idea to her, and she'd stopped hoping for a chance for them to meet and talk when they were feeling comfortable in their skins - or at least more comfortable than the first times.

"Um, I guess I wasn't too clear about it not being a bother," Sebastian replied and blinked, humbled. He did have the decency to look a little embarrassed - just about as much as he was set at ease by Sylvie's reaction. Having made short work of the bread, he stretched and allowed the late summer heat to invade his thoughts again. It did wonders to his mood. "I wasn't expecting to see anyone, let alone a friendly face, when I woke up this morning." Blink. "I'm not talking about the dragon, mind you, however friendly he's been," he added, as if anticipating some manner of question to that effect.

"I guessed. He has two faces, after all." Maybe, just maybe, she was overdoing things a bit...

"It's the same for me, really." She hesitated and grinned. "And I mean not having expected to see a friendly face, so most likely I'd have, hm, invited you, anyway. Seems like no-one was bothered at all."