Ten

He promptly looked up, wiping his forehead on his forearm. The gentle, caressing breeze had turned into a slightly more hurried sort of wind at some point. "It's been a nice past few days. It's probably going to rain in a day or two, I think. Or so I hope... I like it when the weather changes a bit occasionally," he replied, plucking some of the last feathers off the grouse. "Probably a thunderstorm," Sebastian mumbled afterward, smiling as if he was anticipating it.

"Pardon? Did you say something after 'occasionally'?"

If it was one day, it might get close... Sylvie resolved to check a third time if her notes and material were wrapped securely.

Ayu-Asra slowly snuck closer to Sebastian. Since the dragon was in plain view, it was rather pointless.

Sebastian turned a sly look at the dragon and shook his head. There was a glimmer of warning in the half-elf's green eyes for a moment. He was quite certain it didn't translate.

"Oh... I just said it's probably a thunderstorm," he said calmly, paying close attention to the bird for a change. "Or so I hope. It's been a while."

The dragon did stop and fidget a bit.

"Hm. I prefer thunderstorms when I'm sure I can wait them out inside." After a slight pause she asked, "Do you know if they have plenty of rain here?" She'd seen dry thunderstorms, which made her worry about fires.

Ayu-Asra stretched his necks as far as they'd go, tilted one head to the side, and said, "Food!"

"I thi--" He paused and looked at Ayu-Asra motionlessly for a moment. Finally Sebastian gave a short laugh and smiled toothlessly at the dragon. "I remember getting soaked before. Besides, there's a lot of grain cultivated here. Nor do I remember many fires the last time around...

"Oh, and I agree. It's nice watching a thunderstorm when you're dry and warm," he continued amusedly and in high spirits. His tone remained the same as he continued. "Maybe I take after one of my parents, though, I don't know... but there's occasions when being dry and warm isn't a worry anymore."

"After being hit by lightning?" She flinched slightly when what he had said the moment before caught up with her. Maybe she had gotten a bit carried away with the mood.

Ayu-Asra was quiet for a bit, in case Sebastian was just slow off the mark.

Sebastian first burst into laughter, then looked at her. If only she knew! "That's one of them, sure!" he said. "Another is after weeks of drought. Weeks of sweat and oppressing heat..." He tapped his chin with a feather. "After that a little storm is bliss. But that's just one example."

"Or a ship lying becalmed for a while..."

Ayu-Asra started again with the "food", this time not quite as loud, but more repetitive.

Sylvie rolled her eyes.

"Or that." Sebastian nodded, then regarded the dragon with a penetrating gaze. "Sorry, lad. My charity extends only as far as petting." He plucked the last of the feathers.

Ayu-Asra shrank back from the look and mewled. Sylvie smiled at that scene, glad the lizard wasn't more annoying.

As she left to fetch more wood, the dragon gave up on the bird and examined the green stuffs. However, he wasn't that hungry yet.

Sebastian grinned after the dragon, reached for the knife in his messenger bag, took it, gave it an elaborate twirl when the three other pairs of eyes weren't looking - and went to do certain preparations needed. For the mushrooms he didn't really have much of a plan. They were best roasted, anyway, with a bit of salt. Maybe some of the pepper he had in his satchel. The game was a completely different matter, as there was enough in the breast to feed two and then there was the rest of the body to consider. As always, he wasn't thinking of anything really fancy.

Sebastian was, however, thinking about certain other things. Sylvie, for one. It was the same question he had been asking from the very beginning of their chance encounter. Was this going to be a Really Bad thing or possibly turn out fine even when the truth came out? He was, after all, the Fox, and he hadn't been that secretive about it. There really was no reason to brag about being a scoundrel opportunist, of course, but... when the bird had entered the equation he had lost all hope that things would follow a mundane track.

"I'm going to tell them anyway," he muttered.

Sylvie had not forgotten what Sebastian had said about tales circulating about him. If she had known he had been to this world before, she might have asked others for some of those stories. But she hadn't. It was a point she'd pushed to the back of her mind - mostly - because she did not want to bring it up directly.

When she returned with an armful of driftwood, she asked, "What did yoou have in mind?"

"Nothing very fancy. I like things roasted," he said, but he didn't sound very convinced yet. "I haven't made up my mind yet. I don't suppose you have any ideas of your own?" Sebastian shot back, eyebrows raised. "I only have some salt, different peppers, some thyme and sage." He wished he had onion.

She shook her head. "It's been a long while since I had any kind of bird."

Some rummaging in her backpack brought up basil and a bunch of chives she had dug up with the bulbs - not exactly onion, but close.

Ayu-Asra, who had followed her, was disappointed it was nothing more interesting, and was just told to "go catch bugs".

Sebastian all but pounced the basil and chives. He seemed to enjoy the entire food-making process just as much as he had enjoyed plucking the feathers: it was relaxing and gave his hands something to do while his mind wrapped itself around the twists and turns of whatever had his interest. Whatever it was, it left him with enough presence of mind to hum some old ditty (the words of which he had forgotten long ago) as he fried both grouse and mushroom while Sylvie's caraway roots cooked.

Once the food was finished and served, he gave himself a while to clear his mind and stare at the river while waiting for the food to cool just a tiny bit. The remaining heat of the day made him drowsy and the promise of warm food helped. He picked his other flask from the satchel and set it next to his foot, wondering if there were a topic he could bother the silence with.

"Drowsy" was also the right word to describe Ayu-Asra, who'd made short work of the bird parts Sebastian had discarded. He'd rolled up on a warm rock.

Sylvie'd found Sebastian cooking, well, entertaining.
She put aside thoughts of past or future for a while, and just enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere. However, she broke the silence when she tasted the bird.

"That's good!"

My, one for really deep conversation today...

The suddenness of the proclamation got a chuckle out of Sebastian. "Thanks. It's a bit dry, though, but the chives help a lot," he replied, watching the dragon amusedly for a second.

Sigh. "I always liked summer best," he said as he stretched his legs and sank his toes into the sand. "Not just for the luxury of watching rain, but because it's the time of life. Warm and vibrant... and I'm not complaining about the smell of grass, although I could complain about the smell of cities. Ugh." He reached out for the flask, shaking his head a little.

"I can't contradict that." Sylvie considered while chewing a bite and added, "But I do miss the people and business after a while away from towns."

"Me too. I especially miss the gossip and the stories after a prolonged stay away. The rhythm of life... that's one, too," Sebastian replied and took a careful look at the flask. "Mainly the people, though. They might be wary of strangers, but once they warm up to you there's always something interesting they want to tell about local events."

He looked away from his flask. "Fruit wine?"

"Yes, please."

Sebastian simply nodded and handed the flask over, reaching for his satchel. "It's apple."

Sylvie thanked him and drank a mouthful. When she lowered the flask a memory came to her mind, and she chuckled.

Noticing the look Sebastian gave her, she said, "Ah, it's... Kashei - that's the not-quite-mindreader you reminded me of... the shop she runs specialises in fruit wines and the like. It was the first place where I ever tried any."

He simply smiled at that and pulled his hand out of his satchel. "Ah, the coincidences pile up. I hope she didn't have grey hair, too," Sebastian replied and blinked curiously. He seriously doubted it, of course.

"No, just white blonde. And her eyes were a paler green."

It made him smile. "Good, although white blonde... hm, I might be the slightest bit envious. How did she not-quite-read your mind?"

Sylvie handed the flask back and shrugged. "We just chatted occasionally. It was nothing big, just... you know how people who have known each other for a long while know what the other will say before they said it? She picked up those things after talking a few times to you."

He opened his mouth as he took the flask, but took a while finding the words. His countenance was a bit more serious for a moment, until a smile of nostalgia appeared. "Yes, I think I do." Sebastian had a sip. Picking at his food, he tilted his head to one side. "Old friends especially. A sort of harmony that appears whole."

Sylvie hummed in agreement. She returned some attention to the food, but couldn't help thinking of old friends. Nor could she help wondering belatedly how many friends someone as long-lived as Sebastian may have lost already. Catching herself looking at him more or less surreptitiously, she pushed that thought aside. Few people enjoyed being pitied.

Sebastian didn't seem to have stumbled upon that line of thought. He chewed on his food and set the flask down where both of them could reach it and made a gesture toward it to signal that it was there to be taken.

Sylvie acknowledged the offer with a nod, smiling, but left it there. She didn't drink often, and didn't like to get tipsy.