Winding Path
Going further into the garden you walk onto a winding path. The path has many turns and twists and can get quite confusing at times. At certain areas stones stick out of the ground, making perfect places for your foot to knock into. The growth around the path is quite lush and it's quite hard to see where one's heading with the growth obstructing the view and leading to disorientation. The lattice that covers over the top of the path adds to this, giving no view of the sky.
It is an autumn before dawn.
Cress walks slowly and silently in from the Winding Path.
Linora looks about herself, thoroughly lost.
Cress walks slowly and silently northeast.
Cress walks slowly and silently in from the Winding Path.
Linora blinks, watching Cress come and go. She gives a tentative wave. "Hello?"
Cress grins as he thought he saw a familiar face, "hi, sorry 'bout that. I'm trying to get out of this maze. D'you know the way?" Hoping that she does 'cus he's somewhat lost.
Linora shakes her head with a little grin. "I've been wandering around myself for what seems like hours!"
"Oh, too bad.." Cress says, looking around himself. "Well, might as well sit down for a while." Slumping to the ground, leaning back on his elbows. "Too bad you can't see the stars," he mumbles.
Linora peers up, then shrugs and grins again. "Maybe I shoulda tried the maze in daylight!" She drops to the ground as well, tired of walking herself.
Cress shrugs. "Don't think it would have much difference," he says. But then he has pretty good nightvision and doesn't bumb into things unseen to others.
Linora drops back to lie flat on the ground, lacing her fingers behind her head and staring up at the predawn sky. "Woulda for me. I'm just feeling my way along the hedges. Those holly branches /hurt/, too," she adds, grinning at Cress.
Cress grins, "I'm sorry, I just always assume that others see as well at night," he says, turning around to lie on his belly. Elbows still supporting his weight, he starts picking at the grass. "Although it is an advantage to see well at night, when you're a StarCrafter."
Linora blinks and sits bolt upright. "That a requirement?" She groans and slumps forward, dropping her chin onto her hands. "I'll /never/ get in."
Cress' eyes widen, shaking his head vigorously, he didn't mean to scare the girl, "no, no. at least I doubt it very much. Don't worry about that." What else could he say? "I doubt all StarCrafters has good vision...."
Linora swings her head around to regard Cress carefully. Is he teasing? No... he looks pretty serious. She cracks a grin. "Ya scared me for a second," she admits. "And I see /fine/... just not when it's this dark. Stars're bright enough." She flops back down again.
Cress shrugs, "well, my mom used to say that I could find my way 'round a mine with no light at all. I /do/ pretty good nightvision, so don't worry 'bout it. As long as you can see the stars, there's no problem, I mean a StarCrafter's not s'posed to wander around looking at the ground, now is he?"
Linora chuckles. "I s'pose not." She drops her head to the side to look right at Cress again. "So how come /you/ joined the StarCraft?"
"Well, because I wanted to know more about Thread. I've know a lot of people who's been scored and I just wanted to know /why/..." Cress says with a slightly painful look on his face.
Linora's eyes widen and she sits up again, drawing back slightly. "I'm sorry," she says, wondering if she looks as stupid as she feels. "I wouldn'ta asked ... "
Cress shrugs "s'okay.. It's a normal question to ask. Anyway, they're all still alive so it's not really all that bad." He smiles, "Besides, I've always loved to look at the stars..."
Linora grins, relieved. "Me, too," she says. "'Specially around here... well, maybe not exactly /here/," she corrects herself with an impatient wave at the latticework above. "But around Ista island... the sky spreads out like... I dunno... magic." She shrugs, looking a little embarrassed. "Probly sounds pretty dumb, huh?" chin back onto her hands...
Cress shakes his head, "nah, that doesn't sound dumb..."
Linora beams at the apprentice, looking relieved. "I just wanna get /closer/ to them..." she continues... meaning the stars, 'acourse...
Cress nods, "yeah, of course the only downside at being down here is the short nights. Up north, the nights seem to last forever..."
Linora picks at the grass idly. "That where you're from? North?"
"Well, not exactly, no. But we travelled most of the time along the mountains up there," Cress says. "I like it up there, nice and cool in the summer. Not like here." Too hot down here, is what he's thinking. Even now, when it's cooled down, he's still not used to the heat.
Cress
Standing at only 5'5 this man's size is not impressive. He has blond, short hair and his gray eyes sparkle with a friendly light. His muscles are hardened and he has a scar running along the right side of his neck. His most obvious feature is a missing piece of his right little finger.
His legs are covered by coal-coloured trousers, which are well worn and patched in many placed. A broad leather belt keeps the trousers from falling down around his ankles. A darkgreen shirt covers his upper body, also showing signs of beeing old, having rips along a number of seams. His dark boots, which come up to the ankles, are scuffed but are well-polished with a shine. Cress' Pack hangs heavily from Cress's shoulder. Perched on Cress's shoulder is Idoru. Perched on Cress's shoulder is Wintermute.
Red and silver in a double cord and single loop appoints him as apprentice to the Star Craft.
Cress is 18 Turns, 5 months, and 5 days old.
Linora nods, regarding Cress curiously as she listens. "Maybe you oughtta try dressing lighter?" she suggests. "Those dark colors... " she shrugs, grinning. "No wonder you're hot!"
Cress shrugs, "can't really afford new clothes," he says, grinning. "I don't spend much time outside when the sun's up anyway.."
Linora chuckles. "I'd suggest /fewer/ clothes... but not 'till I know ya better." She gets to her feet. "I wanna find a room with a better view. Care ta join me? Or is that too much like work?" Enjoying being taller than someone for once, she glares down at him with mock severity, a merry twinkle in her eyes.
Grinning, Cress shakes his head "I'd be glad to get out of this maze, but then I'll have to get some work done," he says getting up from the ground. "So which way?"
Linora looks around a moment, then shrugs. "Let's try this one..."
Holly Clearing
Forest Green, sharp spikes, and small red berries line the walls in a striking contrast of hot and cool. The shining, deep green of each small leaf has black traceries and a small, clawed end. Then, for each hand of leaves, the clumps of close fitting, bright red berries dapple the hedgerow. At the corner of the row stands a mighty oak whose tree sized limbs stand to shade the soft, lime and cream on spring green ground moss that covers the walkway with springy comfort and adds to the fresh, green smell of this entire area.
"Allright, then now what?" Cress says, looking turning around himself, he makes a quick decision. "This one.."
Winding Path
Going further into the garden you walk onto a winding path. The path has many turns and twists and can get quite confusing at times. At certain areas stones stick out of the ground, making perfect places for your foot to knock into. The growth around the path is quite lush and it's quite hard to see where one's heading with the growth obstructing the view and leading to disorientation. The lattice that covers over the top of the path adds to this, giving no view of the sky.
Linora giggles as she discovers they've ended up where they started. "Wrong turn, I think." She peers up at him. "You /sure/ you can see in the dark?"
"Your turn to choose," Cress says, "Well, yeah, but that doesn't mean I know which way to go." A grin spreads across his face.
Linora grins and tugs at his arm. "Okay. Back to the holly clearing. And /stay/ there a second, wouldja?"
Holly Clearing
Forest Green, sharp spikes, and small red berries line the walls in a striking contrast of hot and cool. The shining, deep green of each small leaf has black traceries and a small, clawed end. Then, for each hand of leaves, the clumps of close fitting, bright red berries dapple the hedgerow. At the corner of the row stands a mighty oak whose tree sized limbs stand to shade the soft, lime and cream on spring green ground moss that covers the walkway with springy comfort and adds to the fresh, green smell of this entire area.
Archway of Roses
You step through the hedges and find yourself immediately surrounded by the heady fragrance of roses. As your eyes adjust to the sudden softening of sunlight, you become aware of an intricate trellis to either side and above you, intertwined with climbing roses of every description. A few steps away you can just make out an intersection of paths leading off in three directions.
"Oh, I see the gardens now," Cress says, "it's this way..."
Gar Gardens
You follow the cobblestone path through the gardens of Gar Hold. It appears to be well kept, as it is one of the favored spots of the Holder and his wife. Stone benches are set at regular intervals for people to sit and talk, especially young couples. Yellow, pink and white Camelia bushes are the focus of the gardens, with rose bushes and azaleas as accents. The grass is nice and soft, perfect for sitting or laying. The mixed scents from the bushes are strong enough to be noticed, but not overpowering, and perfectly delightful. The whole effect is very relaxing. One should come here more.
Off to the east side of the garden is a new addition. High walls of shrubbery and stone surround the maze and an iron gate stands open into an archway grown all over with climbing roses of every sort.
Linora looks around at the gardens with a small sigh. "I guess it's back to work with ya, then..." she says. She drops onto the grass, not minding the predawn dew...
"Guess so, but I'll likely see you again," Cress says. "Night...."
Cress walks slowly and silently to the Hold Field.