Rage and Rebellion (Histories of Havenhearth)

5.4 Cerys

The next morning it began to rain. Cerys looked out at the grey skies and the falling drops, and her mood dampened, worrying that perhaps her outing with Floren would not go ahead. But As she waited for Floren to pick her up, her heart rate elevated, her palms dampened in excited anticipation of her first outing with him, alone.
'How can you possibly go out on a day like this?' Yarazhenya asked.
"There's so much to explore, i can't lose time because of bad weather,"
"Where are you going anyway?"
"I don't know, you'll have to ask Floren."
As if on cue, he walked into the courtyard looking even more handsome than he had the. Iggy before in a casual brown tunic, trousers and cloth boots. Yarazhenya asked where they were off to, and what time they would be back. Despite her agreement the night before, Cerys detected a worried tone behind The questioning. Flores must have too, because he described the precise route they intended to take and the sights they would see, assuring Cerys' aunt that they would be back before dinnertime.
Yarazhenya bade them both adieu, and watched as the two foreigners, plus a servant, walked down the road together.
"So, we are going to visit a farm and learn about the way of life of peasants?" Cerys asked.
"I don't have anything planned,"
"But what about-"
"What I said to your aunt? so she thinks we are doing something educational and so she doesn't worry. the sky is clearing up, I have an idea, follow me." He called a few Cassioni words out to the servant.
Not long afterwards, they arrived at a small enclosure with horses at the edge of town.
"I don't really know how to ride," Cerys said tentatively, nervous about the horses. But Floren gave her some tips and it was not long until they were galloping down the hill, wind in their faces, Cerys' own laughter in her ears urging her to be freer, wilder than ever before. Chevelles disappeared quickly behind them in the sunflower and wheat fields. They galloped past a clump of trees, into a grassy field empty, except for a grazing flock of straggly sheep.

"It's hot. Let's go swimming, shall we? Come on,' he said, kicking the horse into a trot towards a river. She noted his legs, gripping tight against the stallion, and thought of what they might look like without the tunic and trousers. He looked so mysterious, powerful.
When they got to a small riverbank, he dismounted, helped her down and tied up the horses. Then, instead of going behind a bush to get undressed, he stayed where he was, right in front of her, and took off his clothes and boots. Gentleman were not supposed to reveal themselves to ladies, but he did not care, for he was no gentleman. Cerys had not seen a man's full naked body before, but she neither blushed nor looked away- she was a new woman in a new land and this, as much as anything, was part of the new adventure. "Come on then," he said, as if what he had just done was the most normal thing in the world. No one had seen her full naked body either, but she wasn't quite ready for that just yet: so she removed her own tunic, trousers and boots and kept on her undergarments.
"Let's go!." she ran into the water, laughing, tripping as it got suddenly deeper and taking a plunge. Her head emerged as Floren was knee deep, "It's colder than I-" but he did not finish his sentence because she stood up to splash him in the face.
After frolicking in the water, they climbed out onto the bank, and Cerys swore she noticed Floren's eyes remain awhile on her wet shift, which clung to her skin and had likely become transparent. She hoped he thought she looked good. "Here," he tossed her a drying cloth, and used one himself. She rubbed her hair and body to get rid her undergarments of as much excess water as possible, feeling refreshed and clean. She pulled on her clothes and boots, sensing him approach her, and her body tensed up, wondering what he was going to do. "Next stop then?" he said simply, then took off without waiting for a reply, untying his horse, shouting something at the servant and leaving Cerys to catch up to him. She got nervous when she did, as their horses walked next to each other. She felt the silence was awkward and attempted some small talk.
"So where are you staying in Chevelles?" She asked him.
"Why do you ask?"
"I don't know, I'm just curious where the foreigners of Chevelles are living. I've seen my aunt's place, but that's it."
"Birds of Paradise."
"The public house? You live there?" Cerys gasped.
"Yes, you are surprised?"
"Actually, if I think about it, I'm not at all, it seems like just the type of place for you."
At this, Floren rewarded her with one of his mysterious half-smiles. "Have you been before?"
"No, of course not. I'm not old enough. In Tainland, you have to be at least seventeen to enter a public house."
"You've never even sneaked in?"
"No,"
"Well, there are Different rules here in Cassion," Floren gave her half-smile again. "I'd be happy to give you a tour,"
"Today?" She hoped their outing could be extended, as it seemed to be coming to an end much too soon.
"Not today. Your aunt won't be too pleased if I keep you out all day. But tomorrow?"
"I have an outing planned with Bernebe tomorrow."
"Another time then." She couldn't help but feel the fading of excitement and tension between them that had existed on the way out. She hoped that they would indeed reschedule the tour.
***
It was again a rainy morning and drops splashed gently on the stones of the courtyard, and trickled out of the rain spouts on the eaves of the rooves. "I suppose you're headed out again today?" Yarazhenya asked over breakfast with her niece.
"With Bernebe, auntie,"
"I'd rather that than off gallivanting with the other one,"
"Nothing to worry about with either,"
Bernebe entered the courtyard at around the same time and wearing similar clothes to those Floren had donned the day before, and yet Cerys could not have felt differently about the outings. Yesterday she had shivered in nervous excitement. Today she felt like the weather reflected her mood: downtrodden. You will learn something today, though. And you will see something new. And that's why you are here, she told herself. But she knew that the entire day, she would spend it thinking about Floren.
"Good morning, Bernebe." She brushed the wet curls away from her face, tucking them behind her ears. "It's only been a day, and yet I feel we haven't seen each other for ages," she would at least remain polite.
"A good day to you too." He smiled at her. "Did you pass an enjoyable day yesterday?" He enquired, probably wanted to know trying to keep her tone of voice relaxed, what had happened between her and Floren the day before.
"It was pleasant, thank you, and I have much to learn," she replied, trying out the saying in the language of Cassion. Bernebe clapped in delight, "As do I," he replied. "Impressive!"
"Not really,"
"Speaking of learning, may I inform you as to where we are going today?"
"If you please,"
"Have you walked through Chevelles yet? I'll take you through the marketplace, and then, well, I have something in mind." Yarazhebya did not question where they would be going.

They exited the courtyard and proceeded not out of the town as Ceryshad done the day before, but into it. They wandered through the fish stalls of the market, with baskets teeming full of shining silvery river fish, little crayfish or slippery eels. They passed by the grain stalls, with their great baskets of golden wheat, millet, barley, and legumes of all colors, Bernebe telling Cerys the word in Cassioni for each one. Bernebe's favorite, he told her, was the vegetable market, and full of sweet potatoes, radishes, garlic, onions, turnips, cabbage, and carrots. One stall was even cooking some food on a fire.
"What are those?" She asked when she saw some sticks with something she could not identify on them.
"Take a closer look." Bernese instructed, and Cerys leaned into the smoke a little, feeling the heat of the coals on her face. On a single skewer, three frogs were being roasted.
"Frogs?" Bernebe nodded.
"You want to try?" Now Cerys nodded, and Berneve ordered two of the skewers, showing Cerys how to eat them, just spitting out the inedible parts directly onto the cobblestones.
"This is just the beginning. We will have to come back after Harvest." A few passersby had stopped to watch the foreigner eat their food.

Cerys and Bernebe spent some more time wandering around the commercial streets of Chevelles, and they made plans to explore the street of scholars, and other areas of the town. As the time passed, Cerys' mind drifted more and more towards her potential outing with Floren, to visit his house.
When she returned home for lunch, Yarazhenya mentioned that he had stopped by, and that Cerys had been invited for another outing. She was disappointed she had not been there when he stopped by, but it seemed as if she would get her second outing with him after all. Lying in her bed looking at the ceiling, she thought about him as she finally drifted off to sleep.