It hadn't been long since he had met Kiliaen, about a week maybe more maybe less. He wasn't really counting the days but she had been on his mind since their meeting. He supposed he didn't meet many others in general to draw his attention away from the near stranger, but he also had that natural want to be with her or with a woman. It was desire to soothe his soul, and desire in more intimate ways. But he tried his best to make good impressions even in this next encounter he had planned and hoped she'd still be around the falls.

He brought the raft in travel from The Hallows to the falls, but bringing her out on the ocean was not his plan today. He had to keep pulling her in after all. The strange autumn that surrounded the arrival of eerie statues was definitely odd and a little unsettling, but nothing really seemed to be destructive. It was definitely a shell shock as he came from the cold ocean and into a warmer shore.

He pulled the raft up onto the shores and grabbed a filled bag that he usually kept on board and then he made his way more inland. His thoughts paused for just a moment in his steps, because he had never expected to follow out here to meet someone a second time. It was easier to have one night with someone and move on, but his life was changing as the days went on. So after the terrain changed from beaches into the forests of the falls he fully stopped and let out a careful and yet confident call for Kiliaen. Everything about him looked strong, like he had no doubt she would be here and come to him. But honestly in the back of his mind there was that small fear of rejection. Something maybe everyone had.

"Balthier"

The past few days had simply been full of surprises. With the weird storm manifesting from nowhere, to the now slightly warmer weather they had been experiencing. She wasn't quite sure what to think. However, the sun was at its apex and the warmth soaked into her auburn fur. Today her intentions were to finish drying her cuttings so they would be safe to store. It would buy her time to work on identifying them if they were properly pressed. Laying each bundle out on a larger flat rock- evenly space, she began setting smoother river stones on top of the herbs to help them set, and to prevent them from blowing away.

But before she could get her project wrapped up, the masculine tones of a familiar voice caught her attention. A bright grin spread across her features, laced with disbelief and delight. Without a second thought as to what she was in the middle of, Kiliaen quickly began to work her way toward the source.

The autumn fae followed the stream that the falls sourced through the forest. As the trees began thinning out, her amber gaze settled on Balthier's shadowed form in the distance. But as she drew closer, her attention shifted to what was behind him. Her pace slowed. Was she prepared to go out on the ocean today ... she didn't know. Though, she wouldn't allow herself to dwell on it for long. She was happier to see its captain than anything else. She found that dual-toned sapphire gaze of his as she came into a conversational distance. "You brought your raft!" She acknowledged jovially, motioning to what lay anchored on the shoreline behind him. While she herself wasn't entirely excited about what she could only imagine he had in mind ... she knew that it was a hobby of his. And she would do her best to portray interest as well.

He could meet her energy as she came into view and stepped in closer to him, he too took a few steps to meet her half way. He was much more straight toned than she was, still he had that warm and gentle presence about him in the way he stood, that content grin as they met eyes and met again. He was glad to see she was at least pretty ecstatic to see him again. He could say the same. And in that way he felt like they matched interests.

He looked over his shoulder at the raft as she had pointed it out, and with a little chuckle he told her, "I did, a much quicker travel than walking." An easy explanation, but no, he was trying to show off a little. "I wouldn't want to scare you off so soon though." He joked quietly which was also a bit true. He wouldn't want to take her out on the sea until she was ready, or at least until he thought she was ready. He would take a few steps forward as if passing her to make his way towards the falls with her. "I hope I'm not here at a bad time, don't suppose you'd like some company this evening?" He showed at least regard for her time, but he was still strung with that bit of overconfidence. He'd wait for her, but he hoped she'd invite him back towards the falls where she had been the last time he was here with her.

"Balthier"

As he explained that it was quicker to travel by water than land, she nodded along. In this instance, she would take his word for it, having never attempted such a thing for herself. Not that she had any desire to doubt him anyways. He could have said anything to her, and she would have taken it for the gospel.

When he joked about scaring her off, she laughed. For a moment she thought about saying there wasn't anything he could do to scare her off. But in a split second thought better of it. She didn't want to put that challenge out to the universe for the fates to ruin. Kiliaen knew she was easily taken up by strangers. It was just who she was. But Balthier was different- he was her gentleman after all. And that particular thought kept her cheshire grin firmly in place.

When he made a move toward the direction she had come from, she was all too happy to relent her positioning. She stepped aside, as her voice rose of her tongue. "No, not at all!" Kili insisted as she joined him at his side in his moment of hesitance before continuing on. "I was drying some cuttings, but was just finishing up anyways." Which was a near truth. Plenty of them had been set, just not quite all of them yet. But at this moment, they were no longer important. Kiliaen would come back to them later.

She was content to simply share his company if they did nothing but talk. But a part of her wondered if there was something that he had on his agenda. "Do you have anything in mind? Or shall we just make it up as we go along?" Her tone light and airy as she glanced in his direction.

He hummed a little as she practically accepted his company, but also didn't want to divert her time else where if she was in the middle of something. "I don't mind waiting for you to finish what you were doing." He gave her a gentle smile because it was true. He had come down here to see her after all, he wasn't in a hurry to get back to The Hallows. It was a bit of a surprise visit, but she seemed more than willing to accept him.

He'd follow her back when she stepped off, if that was back into the caverns or to finish drying her herbs. He was sure she may have chose one or the other rather quickly when he offered what he had brought along. She did happen to ask, so just the glance for now would be able to do. Pausing for just a second, he reached his paw into the bag around his shoulders to pull out a neck of a wine bottle, "Don't suppose you'd like a candle light dinner?" He was joking, it was a silly comment given they had just met for the second time. But really, he didn't care. He may have been coming off a little strong, but not if he was joking right? He slid the bottle carefully back down into his bag as he moved back into step towards the falls. "Though making it up as we go seems to be the natural way." And it was, though as he had in his last meeting with her he had intentions. Who knew, maybe she did too. He was desperate as much as he may not have shown it, but he was also doing his best to play it by ear and take it slow. Maybe all he really wanted was a friend, though he could have been doing that back in the pack. There was more behind why he was out here.

"Balthier"

At his offer to allow her to finish what she was doing, her ears flicked as she returned to internal debate. It would be nice to be able to salvage everything she had managed to collect from the strange storm that day. Finally she came to a conclusion, settling on his sapphire gaze once more as she went to put her thoughts to words. "Would you come with me?" Kiliaen asked, hesitating a moment before continuing. "It will only take a moment." She finished as if she really needed to put more work into convincing him.

She was very much aware of his movement at her side. So when he paused, she did as well. As he reached for his bag, her attention followed. At the flash of the bottle he held in his position, it took her a moment to recognize its contents. But his words enticed a short bought of laughter. "Who would I be to turn down such a considerate invitation." She joked back matching his tone with a one-sided smirk. She looked ahead a moment as she put some thought into her next quip. "Though, I am really intrigued by how you intend to light a candle with a bottle of wine." Kiliaen daftly added, though it was another attempt to make him laugh. She was well aware that wasn't what he had been insinuating with the bottle in his bag.

As they drew close to where she had left her herbs to dry, she could immediately tell that the few remaining flowers that had be neglected were no longer where she had left them. The few that weren't weighed down by the smooth river stones were scattered. With a brief sigh, she pulled away from his side to gather the ones she could find before returning them to the spot she placed the others. As she gently placed them on the ground, she rested her paw on top of them so she wouldn't have to chase them again. Lending her attention back to Balthier, she met with a look of deep thought, but clearly playful. "So, tell me something about yourself. It could be anything." She suggested, not caring how big or small the details he chose to share. In the meantime, she would casually glance back down at her intended task, and set to work.  

He was more than willing to follow her back and let her finish what she was doing. Sure he had some one step at a time plans but that didn't mean they had to do only what he wanted. After he had put the wine back carefully in his bag he had to chuckle at her response, "I guess I am missing a key component to that. We'll make it work though."

He'd follow her back to where she had set her herbs to dry, and he could instantly see that look of disappointment as she realized some had gone missing. He moved up beside the stone she had placed them on to stop any more breeze from blowing them away as she set them all back up and got them as secure as she could. He knew some about herbs, but he wasn't very well versed. His father and siblings had been more of the hunting type, though he had learned healing from some of his born pack and early days with his mother. It was a skill that was lost somewhere in the back of his mind really.

When she had finished and turned back to him, he backed away from the stone ready to head back to the falls where she had taken him before. It didn't go without a little questioning though. They didn't know much about each other sure, but there was little else he felt he could tell her. He pegged himself for more of the boring type he supposed, but anything more he could tell her was something he'd rather no one know. "Hmm, well you know about the rafting. And the traveling." He took a few more seconds before thinking of anything else he could say, but eventually it was just the next thing that came to mind. "I come from a relatively large family, not any that live with me at The Hallows though." A little somber, but more so because Abaven had been disband. So all in all, he didn't know where anyone he once knew had ended up, especially his aunt and cousins he had grown so attached to. "I'm sure you have plenty to share with me too." Of course a little joking as he was, but she was interested in getting to know him so he should have been the same.

"Balthier"

When he acknowledged that he was missing a key component to their 'candlelight dinner' she couldn't help the laugh that followed. "Ingenuity. I like it." Kiliaen responded teasingly, before pressing on in their short trip.

After she posed her question to him to share something about himself, Kiliaen's attention shifted back towards her paws. Listening to Balthier intently as she worked, one by one she would line up the loose herbs and place another flat stone on top of it to keep it from traveling by breeze. But when he went on to describe all of his relatives and lack of family, she brightened ever so slightly. "Ahh, you see, I can relate. While I don't have a large family, I come from a nomadic lot." She started, momentarily losing focus on her project at hand. "They decided they wanted to move on, and I made the choice for myself to stick around." That wasn't exactly what had happened. But, it was an easier way of explaining things in the light of a casual conversation. Blinking the memory away, the warm grin returned to her features as she made an effort to move their talk along. "That's pretty deep to discuss over herb drying though ..." Maybe after they had some of that wine. Probably not even then.

Returning her attention to the few remaining herbs waiting to be pressed, she thought of another question. "What do you do for the Hallows? You're not some runaway heir that I'm going to have to return, are you?" Kiliaen hesitated a moment as she glanced at him through her eyelashes with a playful light to her amber gaze. It was clearly met as a joke, she didn't peg him for that type. But it was still all in good fun to tease.

Once she was finished, she leaned back to make sure all the gathered plant matter was covered by stone. Satisfied, she rose to her paws and took a step back before finding that two-toned sapphire gaze of his. "There we go! That will do for now." She assured, happy to have that task out of the way. Now where were we? 

His expression did soften as she spoke even just that little bit of her past, maybe a family much different than his own. He could only hope that in the long run she had been loved like he had even with his own troubled past. It was nothing to prod her about, that was all what would come naturally over time or not at all. He would be lying to say he didn't care, but there wasn't much of this large yearning to get so emotionally attached to her. Not right now.

"Being alone is hard." Was all he could really say. A hint of that subtle care he felt. She didn't need to feel like she had to hide the deeper feelings from him, even if they didn't know each other very well. He was open to listening at least.

That gentle turn of a grin returned on his maw as she had mentioned something along the lines of him being a runaway prince, joking of course, he could tell. "Well, that's a compliment. But I am far from any prince." A quiet chuckle as she finished what she was doing with her herbs, and soon they would be turning to start off on their night together. "I'm more of hunter myself but I also run patrols and help with warrior training when needed."

When Kiliaen was ready to move on, Balthier rose his brow a bit before stepping off towards the path to the back of the falls. He was leading the way by pure memory not that the tunnel was branching off into different directions or anything. When they arrived back into her little base, he set his bag down and went a little further back where she had supplied the extra wood the last time he was here, and with that some supplies to start a fire which he did. Was that gentleman like? Maybe, almost as if he was trying to let her sit back and relax. He was.

He laid down by the small, growing fire, opening his bag to pull out a few things. First a couple pieces of cooked bison meat wrapped up in some cloth, one for him and one for her of course. Then he pulled out a wine bottle for each of them as well. "One for you, one for me. And we can share the third one if you think you can handle that." He chuckled again, always that soft joking manner. He'd drink all three by himself honestly, if he hadn't blacked out before then. Maybe that wasn't the goal for tonight though. "How's this for a candlelight dinner?"

"Balthier"

The last thing she wanted was for anyone to feel sorry for her, and she kinda suspected that maybe he would feel the same. She appreciated the gentling to his expression but didn't linger on it. When he made his remark on the difficulties of being alone, she nodded slightly but ended her gesture in a shrug. "Yeah, but everyone has their own set of trials." She started. Everyone had dead people. Lost friends. Displaced homes. Their own struggles and shortcomings. But if all anyone ever did was linger on their grievances, nothing else would get accomplished- or at least that was how she felt.  "That is just one of mine." She finished softly in an attempt to bury the hatchet once again.

That cheshire grin of her's resurfaced with playful conversation. When he insisted that he was far from any prince, she didn't argue. Just kept shuffling her work with an entertained glow. Though when he went to describe his actual responsibilities, she tuned with much more interest. "Hunting isn't a bad gig." Kiliaen said, nodding along. "There is some solace to it, I imagine." Even if you were hunting in a group, it wasn't like there would be an endless amount of empty conversation. You'd scare all the game away. The rest of it, she wasn't so sure about. "Patrols and training seem a little daunting, though." The autumn fae wasn't sold on how it would feel being a cog in a machine.

It turned out, the question of 'what to do now' didn't need a vocalized answer. Balthier made a move towards the echo of the falls, and she was all to willing to follow, not needing any further indication. He didn't need any guidance this time, knowing exactly where to go and how to get there. Once they entered the semi-hidden cave, her eyes adjusted to the lower lighting and the dying fire. It immediately entered her mind to add some kindling and fuel ... but she wasn't given the opportunity to do so. She watched with casual interest as her gentleman caller read her mind and proceeded to pull from a supply she had stashed- in the same place as the last. She met him at the shallow blaze just as he began to tend it, reclining to her haunches just a stride away as she watched him work.

That wasn't the only surprise, though. Once the fire was going more steadily, he withdrew from his bag two bundles of something that had already been cooked and flavored with smoke by its smell. And not one bottle of wine, but a couple ... with the promise of a third if necessary. It brought a soft chuckle from her lips in amusement. "Well. What I think I can handle, and what I can actually handle are probably very different things." She responded playfully. In reality, they weren't. She had only tasted alcohol a couple of times in her life. So, it was a safe assumption that she was going to have a low tolerance. But, a little fun now and then wasn't going to hurt. "But the sentiment is appreciated, nonetheless." She assured, offering a friendly nod as she waited for him to complete his distributions and settle before continuing.

When he asked for her take on their candlelight dinner, her expression quickly brightened "I'm impressed!" Kiliaen answered with genuine enthusiasm. "I can't imagine it gets much better than this."

When he did join her, she gently unwrapped the morsel he had offered her. She couldn't tell exactly what it had came from, but it smelled amazing. After taking a small bite, her attention settled on Balthier once more. "That is really good!" She praised. "What is it?" Nothing she had ever tasted before.

He hummed almost silently to himself as she had said what she thought she could handle, and what she could have handled for the alcohol were probably two different things. He found it a little amusing maybe because he considered about how he usually drank so much he blacked out. At that point there wasn't any counting but he knew how to keep track of how much it took before he actually felt anything. His higher tolerance would meet that one bottle at a happy level, maybe a little too happy. And the half of the other would make him a little more lopsided. There wasn't enough alcohol he was offering himself here to make him black out and forget everything come morning.

He gave her a smile as she had relayed that it couldn't get much better than what he gave her. It was boosting his ego, much more than he let out. In a sense she was making him feel desired if only for his company. She hadn't turned him away yet. He was getting close to pushing buttons. But he held back harder.

He only glanced at her for a second as she took a bite of the dinner he provided, he wasn't going to stare her down the whole time she ate, that was weird. But he turned up yet another grin as she complimented the meal, "It's bison meat, though you can thank The Hallows for the spice mixture. And the wine." He reached over after he had taken a couple bites himself to pop open the bottles but didn't pressure her into drinking. He'd take a nice swig himself though. "I'm glad you like it." He'd finish his meal with a few tastes of wine from the bottle before focusing solely on the alcohol and the fire. Though... he did feel kind of at a loss of words at the moment. He was more content to just enjoy her company beside him. He didn't feel awkward or anything in the quiet sound of the falls from outside. Though he did wonder how much wine she would tolerate and what she was feeling now. He stood to get just a little more wood for the fire depending on how late they would stay up, and when he returned he purposely moved in a little closer though acted as if that wasn't intention at all.

"Balthier"

Bison. That explained things. Generally, a creature that required multiple hunters to take down. Her family hadn't been capable of harvesting such an animal. And even if they had, there wasn't an efficient way to store the excess.

Kiliaen watched with intrigue as he reached across to open a couple of the bottles. After doing so, she observed as Balthier took a drink from his- which left her compelled to do the same. The autumn fae gently reached out to take a grip on the one closest to her and brought it near her chin. It was a sweet mixture of fruity tones mixed with earthy notes. "To The Hallows, then." She responded softly before tilting her bottle back a bit to allow the wine to flow across her tongue a moment before setting it back down.

As she finished her meal, she was all too happy to bask in the warmth of the fire and the alcohol with her present company. "It was lovely." She assured, just before a lull settled in between them. But she was comfortable with it, so she didn't mind.  As Balthier stood up to grab a little more firewood, she reached for her bottle once more for another sip before setting it further aside as he returned. Kiliaen sought out that dual-toned gaze of his as she found her voice. "How about a game?" She asked playfully. However, she didn't really wait for a response before kicking it off with her first round of silly questions. "Would you rather .... be able to read someone's mind, or be able to change someone's mind without resistance?" Her amusement laying on a little thicker than it normally would have, but it was clear evidence of her jovial mood.  

He had to admit that she had him interested, he had only played a similar game once before with that girl on the beach when he lost the raft. Well, similar in the way that involved alcohol. It seemed to make the things all blend together. Maybe it was just the way he was thinking or feeling. There was really no doubt to him what he wanted from Kiliaen, even if that was just a one time forget about it transaction or something that went on longer was where the line blurred for him. He supposed he may have kept those intentions to himself pretty well, but he did show he was trying at least. Subtly, it was why he was here.

"Hmm," His paw ran over the neck of his wine bottle as he thought for that quick moment. It wasn't really a difficult answer for him, "Read minds. I think it'd stay a lot more interesting if I could know clean cut what someone thought about me." His eyes flicked up to her again but moved back into the fire, it was when he made that little more obvious move towards her. Not standing, but picking himself up just enough to slide significantly closer to her. "Would you rather," he paused just for a couple seconds, maybe over thinking his part of the game. "Have a lonely fame and fortune or have only one true strong relationship." Not necessarily relationship, a family member, a mate, it didn't matter. Balthier knew where his heart lay there, he did wonder for her though. Maybe a little differently put off than his current actions but he supposed he was getting to know her as the time passed. The alcohol would take over most of him soon.

"Balthier"

Kiliaen watched intently as her companion was in a sort of casual thought as he pondered the two options she had offered him. Her attention shifted momentarily to follow the movement of his paw over the narrow part of the wine bottle. It reminded her to take another sip of her's. It was just as her mouth was full of spirit, he declared his answer. Her lips tightened in a grin as she swallowed, offering him a friendly nod as she cleared her throat to speak. "Good answer." She acknowledged in approval. "It would save a lot of time, I think, figuring out who you should invest time in, and who isn't worth the time of day." Kiliaen added. It was then that she sat her bottle down, that she became more aware of his shift in movement. As he repositioned himself, he made a prompt of his own.

Her grin widened a bit for a moment before she returned her gaze to the golded-etched shadow at her side. Narrowing her eyes out of playful suspicion, it was meant to be a mock challenge as he came up with his worst. However, the answer to his question came relatively easy as well. "Fame and fortune doesn't really do it for me. Status isn't important, and it's too difficult to keep track of material things as you go from place to place." She said, talking through her thought process out loud, whether her company cared to hear it or not. "But a trustworthy, strong relationship is worth a fortune in itself." Kiliaen finished, leaning in a little bit more as the wine played its tricks.

After a few lingering moments of silence between them, her next round of questioning came to mind. "Would you rather make your own decisions or work for someone else?" She asked thoughtfully, anticipating if her friendly shadow preferred to be independent or not. 

Balthier would sit quietly and listen, he would hear her own feedback and thoughts on both his response and question to the game. But she was right in maybe thinking he wasn't interested. It wasn't necessarily that, but with the drink taking over him as the time passed he was starting to lose control over what was meant to be wrong. He was generally a nice guy though his more physical, and deeper down emotional desires festered more to make him believe he wasn't wrong or bad. What he had done to Azzurra was surely not his fault, he'd point all the blame onto his sister. It would be no different now. Kiliaen was playing a dangerous game with him, nearly a stranger. And welcoming him into her home was that fresh coating of everything he wanted seemingly to be what she wanted too. To him, that was.

As she talked he had finished his bottle, taking the last one from behind him him without standing and popping it open for another swig. Mostly in tune with her voice, not so much the words that came out of her mouth. He felt the same way though, about what she said. A small nod in agreeance with that gentle smile. It was the way of his life that made him think fame and fortune wasn't for him. Maybe things would have been different had he stayed in Abaven, and his father stayed too. He lived for those he kept close and today that was no one.

Gaze rose again to her as she asked her next question, more of a cheeky grin in response. It was when he fully rose beside her, leaving the wine bottle where it had been placed in front of him. He closed the distance, not expecting her to oppose his actions, again feeling like she wanted just the same he did. "I like to please." He commented while his paw rose to reach over her back, and attempted to surround her with his chest against her spine, paws around her sides. In a way he was testing, what she wanted to do. But every move was made of confidence as he went to hold onto her and move his muzzle along the side of her neck in one full fluent motion. He wasn't thinking at all, but short time would tell if she would give into him. He would not expect things to fall out of place from him.

"Balthier"

During the explanation of her response, she was only vaguely aware of Balthier taking to the third bottle he had brought. She glanced towards the one she had set down, and it was only halfway gone (or full depending on your perception) and she had no intention of draining it any further. This was her threshold, and she didn't want to cross it.

The teasing grin that he offered her, brought her a similar light. However, when he rose to his paws, she immediately craned her neck with a curious yet interested glint to her expression. Normally her better judgment would have elicited a response founded in hesitance at the first contact- perhaps out of shyness or sheepishness. And while she had always imagined herself as a free spirit with fairly lucid standards, those hard edges were blurred through the lens of their drinks in this particular moment. As his larger frame encompassed hers, it was a reflex to lean into his gesture out of the comfort it offered. And while she was already warm from the fire and the spirits, the heat from his breath on her neck left her skin tingling- craving more. The autumn fae tilted her head back into his shoulder, that playful grin returning momentarily as his words registered. "There are certainly worse qualities to have."  She assured Balthier, allowing her face to tilt towards his.

Kiliaen gently leaned away then, only to allow her own muzzle to rest in the crook of his shoulder for a moment, before slowly lowering herself to the ground where they sat- willing her company to stay awhile longer and follow her down. Resting on her side with her back to him, it was a lot easier for her to shift her weight to her shoulder ever so slightly- to look up at her shadow for a better view through eyes that were steadily becoming heavier with sleep.

There was some kind of relief to her obedience or want for his affection, but also not really as it was something he had expected her to take to. His own quiet exhale as she pushed back into him, breathing back in her scent and looking back up into her eyes she offered him, a lusted and influenced gaze but still somehow genuine. He wanted her, more than he was willing to admit to himself.

The two became a little more comfortable as she leaned back on her side and he moved with her, a paw running across her ribs as he pressed up against her himself. Maybe satisfied enough not to take more than he was already given. Just that partnership if only temporary was enough for him tonight. There wasn’t enough alcohol to push his limits. Though those would extend the more they spent time together.

The crackling of the fire, the feel of her beside him, it made him feel whole and relaxed. It was something he knew he needed and craved. Dropping his head carefully on the stone under them, holding her and pulling her into him. Maybe she could know how much more he wanted. But for now he’d make himself content with the way they were. In a way fantasizing through the subtle ways he showed her affection. And unfortunately he’d be gone by the morning.

"Balthier"

With the gentle pull into his chest, she was all too content to press back into his hazy embrace. To lose herself in the patterns that were traced along her side. Perhaps it was selfish of her to not allow things to go further than this, but for the first time in a long time she felt completely at ease, and she simply didn't want to lose a single moment to lust. She wanted this to mean something more than a one-night stand, but those intentions were nearly lost in the mental fog brought on by the wine.

Kiliaen drew a sleepy breath to say something. A word of thanks, a playful jab, a promise, a term of endearment. But she couldn't think of anything that would fit the moment. So instead, she said nothing and simply allowed herself to drift off into the cusp of unconsciousness- entirely unsure of what the future of tomorrow could hold.

-end thread-