all that glitters

there is always hope

In the aftermath of the... well. The everything; the changes in leadership in the Hollowed grounds; his marriage to Remi; his daughter learning how to walk and talk, Ronin felt he was in need of a bit of rest and relaxation. So on one breezy Leafchange afternoon, he took some parchment and charcoal and headed out to the Whispershore - he didn't think he had been to this part of the Stonesong before, and he was looking forward to investigating its apparent riches.

The hunter settled himself on a flat rock overhanging the crystalline waters, dangling bare feet into the gentle current and setting his materials on his lap. It was quiet and picturesque, and it had been a very long time since he'd made art for fun. So, humming quietly under his breath, he began to sketch out the slopes of the riverbank, the glitter beneath the surface of the water.

After Bran had finished his bath in the river, he ran back behind a tree on the other side long enough to not seem immodest as the new man approached, sitting down on a rock and setting his things on his lap. A woodsman? Or someone else entirely?

Bran wasn't sure, but either way he would introduce himself to the other man.

After he dressed, he gathered his dirty laundry in a sack and then approached the other man, a smile on his face.

"Greetings, sir! I am Bran, and it is a pleasure to meet you," he said with a smile on his face.

there is always hope

Ronin glanced up at the sound of a voice, having just sketched out a rough outline of the Stonesong which he was beginning to smudge with his finger. Spotting the other man and smiling automatically, he raised a hand to greet him in return. "Ronin," he introduced himself and, spotting Bran's damp hair, let out a quiet chuckle.

"I hope I didn't interrupt you," he said, assuming he had been swimming or bathing. "Are you from around here? I assumed the Greatwood was only home to the Fae."

Bran chuckled as he watched the man sketch something with the charcoal and then begin to sketch. He had never been good at art, to say the least - everything seemed to turn out to be rubbish.

"I am not from around here - I am from the northwest of here, as is my husband. We came from a relatively small city." He smiled as his hair began to dry off and Gareth rested his head on Bran's shoulder, pulling his cloak around the two. "What exactly are you drawing? It looks quite nice - certainly much better than anything I've ever attempted," he chuckled.

there is always hope

"Ah, same. The Hollowed Grounds, I assume." It had to be, for there was nowhere else. Not that Ronin had known, or any of the others who had tried to explore beyond the elemental storms that surrounded them. Another cage, just a little larger this time.

"Hmm? Oh, I was trying to draw the river," he explained, smiling and tilting the parchment to show Bran. "I don't really get time to relax any more, so I thought I'd take advantage of some time off. Have you explored the Greatwood much?"

"Yes, the Hollowed Grounds," Bran said with a smile as he took a deep swig of his drink. He hadn't done a lot of exploration - mostly just these woods and the area near his home.

"Relaxing certainly sounds like a nice option, especially when it isn't available most of the time. I've done some exploring of these woods, though mostly it's the area near my house. That, and the area here around the lake," he chuckled. He continued to sip on his drink as he took a seat on another rock, smiling at the other man.

there is always hope

Getting comfortable on the rock again as Bran took a seat nearby, Ronin absently let himself continue to sketch as they spoke. The flow of their conversation acted as good inspiration for flourishes here and there on what would otherwise be a straightforward life drawing, and he smiled back at the other man.

"So are you originally from the Hollowed Grounds?" he asked. "A Natural, as they would say? Or are you from elsewhere?" Saying "from a portal" still sounded far too ridiculous, as true as it might be.