A walk in the Dark <open>

[Inion]

The cool fall air was what drew her out into the gardens that night. She needed to recharge, sometime to think. Much had happened lately and she just needed to wonder through the night air. Inion had slipped outside in her usual way, through the window of her room. Her feet barely touched the grass, Her clothing was something she hadn't worn in a long time and few had seen her in. A long deep purple sild scarf wrapped across her chest, pulled back to the front to cross her breast and tied at the back of her neck tighly so everything stays in place. Her skirt was several silk scarves in varing shades of purple, stitched at the top and hanging free to her knees. She looked like a story book feary, When she walked the skirt seemed to dance but always falling modestly. In days long gone she would have gone bear foot, but these days she wore shoes, Sandles tonight with ribbons laced to her knees. Her wings were open and stretched tall. No gloves, no fear of pain in the garden. She ran her fingers along the trees and leaves she passed, even her wings reached out to feel the leaves. She loved nights like this, the cool air caressing her skin. She walked quietly stopping once in a while to admire flowers and the such. A moment was taken to admire a patch of flowers that seemed to be bleeding. Inion had never seen flowers like them but could tell that someone else besides the gardeners planted them and cared for them so she did not touch them. She moved on letting the moon light fall on her skin each chance she could. A brush of her hair that competed with the moon, behind her ear. There was a spark of happiness in her voliet orbs.

[Elessar]

The crisp fall air, the quiet sounds of the garden at night; indeed it was a good place to gather thoughts. Inion wouldn't be the only one in need of thinking time, nor the only one in the garden.

Almost invisible in dark clothing, and stretched out on one of the larger branches of a tree, was Elessar. The Elf had been staring up at the sky when the sounds of another caused him to look down.

It was a surprise to see the other was a fae. In his youth he had heard tales of them, but had never met one in person before. Curiosity drove for a better look, and so he carefully leaned down from his perch. "I did not know there was fae in this realm." Now that he could see her better she looked rather familiar. Had they met before?

[Inion]

Inion stopped and looked up a bit surprised to see someone in the tree. "I do not meet many here in this realm, seems they keep to themselves here." She looked closer at the one that spoke. He was an elf that she could tell, though he seemed familiar, oh yes she had seen him at the alliance hadnt she. A crease touched her brow as she tried to remember. "fair eve sire, i have a feeling we have met but never introduced though it was a while ago. I am Inion." She took a deep breath and her eyes went wide and her glamour dropped a bit, her eyes seemed almost doe eyed and soft and faint blue marks appeared on her skin. "the bleeding flowers, are they yours, they have your touch?" She blushed suddenly "I am sorry sometimes I say things out of the blue"

[Elessar]

"Mae govannen Inion. I am Elessar, tell me, have you been to a place called the Alliance before?" He was almost certain he had seen her there before, it was the only place he could have. She did not appear like one he would have met before the Alliance.

When her glamour dropped he couldn't help but want to a closer look. Swinging back up onto the branch he suddenly dropped swiftly onto the ground. He wasn't close enough to touch her, but he was close enough to get a better look at her face. "It is interesting, you appear as they did in the stories."

At the mention of his flowers he smiled, and glanced towards the patch of flowers. The majority of the flowers had already died, but there were a few stubborn ones that still endured. "Yes, they are mine. They are special flowers brought from my homeland." At her apology he turned back with a bit of a frown. "There is nothing to apologize for, there is nothing wrong with being curious." Elessar should know, he was probably the most curious Elf around.

[Inion]

She smiled, "yes i wondered the halls as a member of the alliance, but not I was not around much over the last year of it." The alliance held many memories both good and bad. "I didn't look so fairy like when i was in the alliance. I tried to fit in more there."

She jumped a bit when he landed near her and was a bit flustered. "ummmm thank you" She looked down at herself and noticed her glamour had slipped. That and her dress must have really made her look like the story book fairies. Regaining herself the glamour was replaced and she looked a bit more human like.

"I have never seen flowers like them before, they are amazing." Her smile returned and the pink of the blush still on her cheeks. "thank you for understanding me being curious. I love flowers, just haven't had a chance to plant in the garden lately. I haven't had the chance to do anything relaxing" she blushed more "I've been hiding in my rooms and training my young ward."

[Elessar]

His hunch had proved to be right, she had been a member of the Alliance. Now that Elessar thought of it he remembered seeing her before. "I know well of trying to fit in..." He trailed off, unconsciously rubbing one pointed ear. For his first six months in the Alliance Elessar had been known as the 'hidey-Elf'.

Catching her flustered look, he took a few steps back. "I apologize I did not mean to get so close." He blinked as her appearance suddenly became more human like. "I wish I could do that." For Elessar, sometime it would be nice to just blend in.

He looked towards the sky, closing his eyes as a breeze passed. "It is getting rather late to plant. Soon the ground will be too cold to support new life." Opening his eyes, he looked back at her with a small smile. "We have something in common; you hide in your rooms and I hide out here."

[Inion]

She gave him a warm smile "theres no need to apologze, I am stil getting use to people being close to me, most of people tend to either want to touch me or shy away. One reason I wear a glamour." She looked at him, her head tilted and a look of thought on her face "why would you want the magic to change?' she laughed suddenly "nevermind I understand fitting in. I use my magic to look like them, it does make things easier. I don't have room to say be yourself when I hide also." She blushed slightly.

She looked up at the sky when he mentioned planting "it's true that the weather change puts most plants in slumber and makes planting hard. Though this is the time to plant the bulb plants like tulips, the cold helps them grow strong." A small laugh again "maybe we can help each other with the hiding. I have a young charge, that I am teaching, I have a feeling that your knowledge of plants would be great." She stood looking a bit shy, an odd thing for a fairy, waiting for him to answer.

[Elessar]

It was something Elessar had never admitted to anyone, save one person, but he had wished before to be like the mortals. While at those times it seemed like the perfect answer, even being a mortal could not erase his problems. Her question caused him to smile nonetheless. "Have you ever tried wearing a cloak and hood that covered your entire face during the heat of the summer months?" He had, and nearly succeeded before. "At times like those it would be nice just to blend in."

"What are these tulips you speak of? I assume they are some kind of flower?" They were speaking of planting again, and Elessar was grateful for the change in topic. Besides that, he was curious of these plants she had mentioned. Her next words were a bit of a surprise and it showed as he looked at her. "You would wish for me to teach about Elven flowers?"

[Inion]

She nodded when he mentioned hiding beneath a cloak and fitting in. Though she could use magic to change her appeance, it didn't change her gender and there had been times when she wish it did so she could fit in. She didn't say anything else on that topic and let the conversation move toward plants. "yes Tulips are a flower, my favorite actually. You plant the bulbs just before the first frost and they bloom in the spring. I shall have to show you them sometime. I know the plants of my realm and a few from her but I love learning about others, and if you don't mind, I think it would be great to learn about the elven plants you know." She seemed forward but polite, more straight to the point. Her smile was one of friendship and respect.

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