Epiphron felt restless these last few weeks. There was nothing wrong, persay; in fact, things were going quite well. Fiori was reasonably quiet, something she didn't mind in the slightest, and the children she had contact with still seemed to be thriving. Arian was still persevering in Sonticus, despite her injuries. Amalia was beginning to be seen more frequently, rather than diving entirely into her studies, and Leo was to be married soon. Still - she found herself wanting more. She'd had what felt like the perfect life once, and while she wouldn't change her choices for the world, she still felt lacking. Her wandering brought her back to the Lake. It was a gorgeous evening, with the sun having just barely begun its descent below the horizon. The sky was illuminated with a cascade of gorgeous colors, red and orange and pink - dancing off the sky and reflecting in the lake, which was eerily still from the lack of wind. Her eyes trailed over the lake's surface, which was also dappled with the colors of the reeds and cattails that surrounded the body of water, as she trekked through the underbrush. The moon overhead was just barely visible, beginning to appear in the darkening sky. A soft exhalation left her throat as she settled among the cattails, feeling the grasses tickling her belly as she lowered herself near the lake. First she would lean down, jaws unhinging as she made to lap at the cool water. But it only took her a moment longer to decide that a swim was in order, despite the slightly frigid weather, and instead she would place her front paws in the cool lake before swinging the rest of her body in, dipping briefly below the surface before coming back up for air, eager to paddle to the lake's center and enjoy the tranquility of the evening.

Odysseus and his friend were slowly making their way north. They stopped where they wanted and explored at their leisure; taking their sweet time in all things. Both were interested in healing and each time they found plants or items of interest Olafur was sure to pick them up and tuck them away. Or, in the case of fresh plants, he tied them to a handmade rope that he draped across Odysseus. Currently that rope was knotted from end to end with thin bundles of plants and hung around Odysseus's neck like an extremely ugly boa. Currently the duo were hanging around the lake. They'd slept on the bank the previous night after crashing hard from their journey (one was far more exhausted than the other) and in the morning briefly parted ways as they each explored the terra in their own way. Odysseus, still tired, mostly hung out around the lake's edge and napped, and it was one such nap that was interrupted by a disturbance in the water. His eyes fluttered open and then narrowed into aggravated slits. Odysseus's first thought, of course, was that Olafur was flailing around in the water and trying to kill himself or something stupid like that, but upon gazing out into the lake and finding that assumption to be untrue, his mood lifted considerably. He stared at the woman in surprise. Why she was in the water was beyond him - wasn't she cold? How was she not freezing her butt off? Briefly he considering standing up and voicing his question, but the woman looked so serene out there enjoying her solitude that he almost felt like he was intruding just by laying there. So for now he'd be quiet and let her enjoy her peace. Maybe he would be noticed and maybe he would not. "ODYSSEUS" / "OLAFUR"

The water was freezing, but it made her feel blissfully alive. A shiver rushed through her as she surfaced, gasping briefly for air from the sudden drop in temperature and being underwater for a moment. The serenity of the moment was cherished. Here, she could simply be - she didn't have to worry about her children, if but for a moment, nor about Fiori. She could pretend her daughter had not been attacked, could forget that she had a handful of children she hadn't seen in ages, and pretend they might be okay, wherever they were. A soft sigh left her lips as she swam in a wide circle, her eyes focusing on the skyline and the lovely palette of colors that painted the sky. It took her an embarrassingly long moment for her to realize that she was not alone. The wind was almost nonexistent, otherwise the stranger's scent may have found her nose. She spun around in the water, eyes squinting against the faint light of the setting sun as her gaze zeroed in on him. He had dark fur and was quite impressive in size, though was entirely unfamiliar. Curious - and noting that he was staring - she would paddle closer to the shore as she regarded him. Her head would tilt as she moved closer, a very slight smirk teasing her lips. "Care to join me?" she'd ask, spinning in another circle in the water before eyeing him more seriously. "Or just enjoying the view?" There was a very slight air of playfulness to her voice, but she was genuinely curious. It'd be far less awkward if he joined her, rather than stared at her as she swam.

At last he was spotted. The woman didn't seem put off by his presence - he hadn't intended to stare, but as soon as her gaze found his he realized he had been - and paddled closer before speaking to him. His eyebrows rose in response. The lady was undeniably lovely, but that water had to be positively frigid. Crazy woman. "It is a very lovely view," he said with a faint, playful smile. Rising, the giant stretched and then pulled off his ugly plant boa before casting it to the side. If the lovely lady wanted him to swim, then he would swim. He padded to the edge but stopped the moment his toes struck water. Geez, was that cold! "How are you not freezing?" He hesitated for only a moment longer before biting the bullet and launching himself in - something he immediately regretted. His first assumption was right - the water was breathtakingly COLD. It was enough to briefly take his breath away. So, so, SO COLD. Epiphron might have found her first few moments in the frigid water purifying, but Odysseus did not. The water was cold, he was cold and he was becoming more and more certain that the woman was crazy for choosing to swim this time of year. Of course, he had been pretty quick to jump in too, so perhaps she wasn't the only loon at the lake. With chattering teeth he swam towards the woman, calling out as he did so, "If I freeze up you must promise to haul me to the shore." If he drowned it would be all her fault. "ODYSSEUS" / "OLAFUR"

Company was nice, and she found her gaze lingering on him a bit too long, despite the fact that he was well over half her age. The stranger didn't seem at all put off by her comment; no, he seemed vaguely amused if anything, and not at all offended by her suggestion that he might be staring. Her smile grew a bit, the corners of her lips twitching upward faintly as she twirled in the water. "The view from here isn't terrible either," she remarked lightly, feeling her tail swish through the water, the frigid water "The sky is lovely this evening." It really was, too, though her words had more than one meaning. "It is freezing," she admitted with a soft snort. Certainly enough to take one's breath away on first impact, but he'd get used to it quickly. He'd have to, or paddle to the shore in a panic.  She watched him slide in, looking quite uncertain of his decision all the while. She swore he was shivering too, and she chuckled softly, though her gaze was not without concern. "I'll try," she offered off-handedly, shrugging as she paddled closer. "Though you realize you're much larger than me, and quite a bit younger, yeah? I thing you ought to be the one dragging me out of here. You look far too heavy for me. No offense."

OOC: I am so sorry this has taken so long! >.<

As he paddled the brute began to warm up. Of course he'd known he would; it wasn't his first swim in chilly waters although he would be lying if he said the winter chill in the southern continent was comparable to the chill up here. They had winter, yes, and snow too so he was sure that was coming, but it was never quite this chilly this soon. The winters here had to be fierce. The woman began to paddle towards him and set the pair up on a direct course with one another. She spoke again, this time countering his demand. The corners of his mouth rose in a faint smile. "Perhaps I am." The distance between them was manageable now and so he slowed and began to tread water in place. Grabbing hold of her statement that he should do the dragging to shore, he teased, "Are you saying you need rescuing?" "ODYSSEUS" / "OLAFUR"

It was refreshing to simply... talk. As acquaintances. She did not know this man, and he didn't know her. There were no expectations, only easy, playful conversation.  Despite the chill of the water, the conversation brought a strange warmth to her heart. She made no effort to move as he began to paddle closer, though she found herself growing a bit tired from the constant paddling in the near-freezing lake. She did know, though, that she had no intention of actually needing to be rescued. She was intent to not have to rely on anyone again, for anything, for the rest of her life - unless it was her family. But there was no harm in joking with him, though she had no idea if he was merely being playful or actually flirtatious. There was no harm though, regardless of his intentions. "Do I strike you as the damsel-in-distress type?" Epiphron would retort honestly, cocking a brow as she gazed at him - giving in and paddling forward with a few slow movements of her paws. "Be honest."

He continued paddling half-heartedly all the while trying hard not to clumsily splash water around like a buffoon. Smooth, slow strokes, he had to keep reminding himself. The last thing he wanted to do was fling water all over the woman or come across as the one in need of rescuing. He was perfectly capable of doggy paddling. Buoyancy, however, was an issue.  If he stopped swimming and tried to float he'd sink to the bottom like a rock - and just as quickly too. "Do I strike you as a damsel-in-distress type?" If he were a little less wise Odysseus may have gone the sleazy, faux knight in shining armor route and dove in with the kind of cheesy pick up line or maybe told her that no, she wasn't...but she was his type. Or maybe he would have skipped the flirting and really stuck his foot in his mouth by parting with a cringe-worthy joke at her expense. But he didn't. Thankfully. She paddled closer. "Be honest." Alright, then. Honesty it was. "Hardly," he said surely. What did she strike him as, exactly? Sure of herself definitely. He'd felt the weight of her confidence before he'd even left the shore. If he was sure of one thing in regards to this woman it was that she was far beyond his caliber. It was his turn to cock a brow. "And I think if I'd have said yes you'd have held me under." "ODYSSEUS" / "OLAFUR"

She realized suddenly that she didn't even know this man's name. In a way, it added to the excitement of a harmless - albeit fun - meeting with a stranger. Amusement danced in Epiphron's eyes as she gazed upon his face, her paws taking slow strides as she paddled a bit closer. A soft, probably less-than-feminine snort echoed from her lips at his honest response. "Getting to know me already," she smirked, eyes sparkling with laughter. "Though I feel I should tell you my name if you want to really get to know me." She nearly snickered again at his comment, swimming within limb's reach of him now. In all honesty, he would be able to hold her under water, likely not the other way around. But it was worth the risk, she figured. "My name is Epiphron, if you were curious," she'd offer easily. "And though I'd be tempted to drown you for assuming wrong of my character, I don't think I'd be able to."