Kelton had started to really fall asleep when he heard a sharp noise, or at least he thought he did. Sitting up he looked around and saw Nova sitting over by the river, he sort of wanted to go over there, but from the look on Nova's face, plus their slight shivering, he decided it against it. He heard the noise again and turned around only to come face to face with an angry looking mother bird. "A-all right, I'm leaving." He muttered as he jumped down from the tree and over to Nova, "So, the water is cold? Right?"
After a few minutes of keeping their feet out of the water, Nova chanced another dip. Their feet froze even faster this time, and they carefully propped their feet on the rock again. "Yeah, it is. Stick your hand in and see for yourself." Nova turned and grinned at Kelton. "Or your feet. They turn into ice after a minute or so, but it feels really good." Nova turned their attention to the ground around then and selected a rock. It was time to throw all the rocks around them into the water. "By the way, what's that thing you do where you whisper something and the woods shift to help you? I saw you do it to find the bandits and it's pretty cool." They shifted slightly and glanced sideways at Kelton while still keeping their head turned towards the water.
((OOOOOOOOOffff soorry I am back now, I feel terrible about not repsonding to this))
Kelton decided to try his luck and stuck his hand in river, "You know what, it's freezing, but." He said as he began to roll up his pantlegs. "If you begin to wade, it's not as bad, and if you decide to go for a nice swim." He started to walk into the deeper part of the river, "Then it won't feel as bad." Him being the weird person he was then decided to sit down in the river, "Oh uhm that uhm. . ." He looked away nervously trying to think of something to say, or at least anything that would get him out of this situation, "I don't know what you're talking about, nothing happened when I did that, in fact I didn't do anything. At all." He picked a smooth stone from the river and began to toy with it, "Uhm, so the bandits, that was fun, it would be fun to do it again."
(You're fine! :)
Nova watched in slight awe as Kelton not only stuck his hand in the river, but then proceeded to walk into the river. Their mouth dropped open for a split second when he sat down in the freezing water. "Oh my gods, Kelton! Aren't you frozen?" Nova leaned forward slightly, letting the stone drop into the water nearest to them. He seemed really uncomfortable about the question they asked, but they really didn't want to let him get away with not telling them what it was. "It was something," Nova insisted. "It's fine if you have magic. I have some magic, if that makes you feel better." They didn't show it to him right then, but that was only because they didn't want to tire themself out too much. "Yeah, it was fun. We can totally do it again the next time bandits come by, and definitely once we get to the castle." They picked up another rock and threw it into the river next to Kelton.
Kelton chuckled shaking his head, "Do I look frozen to you? Come on and get in the water, it's perfect!" He got up and started to walk towards Nova, then when Nova continued he plopped back down into the water, "As I said, it was nothing, if I had magic - which I don't since it's not real - I would use it more often, but since I don't and it's not real, I don't know." He knew that he sounded defensive, but he really didn't want anyone finding out, especially since at times magic wasn't the best thing to have. He remembered when one of the elders of his village was accused of being a mage - he had always thought that it weird that magic was looked down on at times, he always thought that it was interesting, but that was besides the point- it was not pretty for that man. " Of course we can, I plan on having the time of my life at the castel." He said as he threw a stone near Nova.
"You're crazy." Nova shook their head and tossed another stone at the water near Kelton. Their eyebrows furrowed in confusion at his words. "Magic isn't real? It is real! Do you want to see? I'll prove to you that it is real." Nova held up their hand. This might end up killing them later on, but as long as they didn't run into anyone or anything too powerful that day, it would be okay. They couldn't believe that Kelton was denying the existence of magic, but it was sort of understandable. Some places really didn't like magic, but to deny its existence completely? It really was weird. Nova took a deep breath, then opened their hand, with their palm facing upwards. A tiny glow emenated from their palm, growing brighter until what looked like a star was hovering in the air. "See? Magic." Nova let their hand drop and the star disappeared with a pop. "Of course." They fixed him with a playful smirk and tossed another rock towards him.
Kelton groaned shaking his head, "Maybe magic is real for you, but for me, it isn't, alright?" He crossed his arms and looked away as Nova began to show him one of his tricks, "Look, I understand that you think that it is beautiful and such, but that cannot be magic, the thing simply cannot exist." Yet in his heart he knew that it could, it just scared him to believe. He doged another stone of Nova's and sighed shaking his head, "May we change the subject please? Perhaps to where we will stay the night? Or what we will eat, should we stop for the day and enjoy the beauty of the river?" He said as he stood up and headed over to one of the bushes, the situation was sort of upsetting him, "And perhaps we could catch something to eat, I think I packed some food, but the next town is about a days journey away." He lifted his hands to cup one of the flowers in his hand, but as soon as he touched it, it went limp and grey, "Or we could continue moving, that's an option too." He said as he jumped back from the bush, "What do you think?"
"Alright." Nova frowned but decided not to push him too much. He really must have been from one of those magic-denying places. "Well, we could stay here. It's really nice. And it's not like we're in a rush or anything to get to the castle, so a rest day– or several– can't hurt." They kicked at the water with their toes. "Yeah, we could try that. I bet we could get a few rabbits." Nova didn't turn to watch Kelton, instead keeping their eyes trained on the river. They were kind of annoyed that he was continuing to ignore the evidence that magic existed, but there was nothing they could do. Getting mad wouldn't help anyone. "I think staying here would be nice. I don't want to get to the castle quickly. We have to enjoy the journey, and that means we stop at anything and everything beautiful." Nova finally turned to look at Kelton, a bright smile on their face.
"Alright, I'll set up my bed then." Kelton said as he headed back over to his tree. He began to climb it with one hand, carrying his knapsack and sword in the other. He found another nice branch to lay his things then headed back to the branch he had been napping on earlier. Once he finished making sure everything was in order he jumped down from the tree and headed back to Noca, "So shall I hunt something for us, will you, or should we go together." He had already "forgotten" the conversation from earlier, so he was trying to make it seem as though nothing will happen, "And also, I do think that it would be nice to stay a bit here, it's quite, well quiet and peaceful here, and I quiet enjoy it."
"Okay." Nova continued to watch Kelton as he climbed up into the tree. It was kind of funny to watch. Maybe they'd try sleeping in a tree one day, but for now they would make do with the ground. "Uh, we could go together. Just in case we run into another group of bandits or something." Nova suggested, shrugging. They weren't making any moves to get out of the river just yet, though if Kelton started to, they would start getting out. "Yeah, it is really nice." Nova dipped their fingers into the river, then flicked them towards Kelton. "Even if the river is a little too cold to be comfortable. At least for me. I still don't understand how you can stand being in there for more than a minute."
Kelton nodded as he listened to Nova, his eyes focused on the trees past them, "Alright, I don't think we will, but just in case, let us go." But he didn't start walking right away, in fact he decided to head back into the water, "Or, we could just stay here for a few more minutes, it is rather enjoyable, and plus, it's not like the sun is setting yet. We have a whole day to spend hear, so why not enjoy it!!!" Then, as if to make a statement he ploped down in the water sort of making a bit of splash, "It's not that cold, maybe you should get in, at least half way like I am, then try it again. And no need to worry about any clothing being soiled, we can always wash them." H was smiling a bit now, and waited for Nova to at least try getting into the river.
"Yeah, let's!" Nova grinned, leaning back slightly and dipping their feet back into the water for a few seconds. "That is what I like to hear." They laughed at Kelton's entrance into the water. He looked like he was having a good time, and it wasn't like they couldn't just get out if it got too cold. "Alright, alright." Nova pulled themself to their feet and hesitently stepped into the river. "Ah, it's cold!" They took a few more steps into the river, finally making their way to where Kelton was standing. It was absolutely freezing, but refreshing as well. "Huh. If you get past the temperature, it's actually kind of nice," Nova admitted, scooping up a bit of water and flinging it at Kelton.
Kelton rolled his eyes, "It isn't all that cold, in fact for me it could be almost described as a warm." He said shrugging. He was really enjoying himself, a lot more than he thought he would be. He had figured that they would set out on the quest then end it as soon as possible, but at this moment he didn't even care if they reached the castle, in fact he almost wished that they could stay at the river forever. Yet, he knew that it wouldn't be. Kelton had duties that needed to be attended to-no matter how much he did not want to do them- and he was sure that Nova had plans, or at least an idea of where they wanted to go from there. Seeing Nova splash water at him, he chuckled and tried to doge it, but still got decently wet. "Oh no you don't!" He said as he splashed water back at them.
"Yeah, so, you're crazy," Nova frowned at Kelton with a teasing smile. "I can hardly feel my feet right now." They glanced down at the water and wiggled their toes a bit. This river really was beautiful and they were glad Kelton had agreed to the scenic route to the castle. That was probably one advantage of only traveling with one other person– it was easier to align motivations. With a whole group, who knew how much sweet-talking they would have to do to stop at a few sights. Nova grinned with delight at Kelton getting splashed, then gasped and tried to dodge away from the water he splashed at them. They were unsuccessful, given that their legs were short and they'd only gotten a few seconds of warning. "Heh, you've just started a water fight!" Nova cupped some water in their hands and threw it at Kelton with a wildly happy smile.
Kelton groaned playfully shaking his head, "Of course, the one who thinks that they are in charge of the butterflies think that I'm crazy." Smriking, he just gave Nova a strange look, before saying, "I don't believe that this is a water fight, I believe, let's see. . ." he trailed for a second, "I DECLARE WAR!!!" He yelled as he threw water back at Nova, this was actually quit a bit of fun. It reminded him of when his family would have outings and such, and the fun he and his would have doing things like this. Those memories sort of sparked up a side of him that had been hidden in him for a while.
"Hey, I know I'm crazy. I just wanted to let you know that you are too." Nova shrugged, brushing a few strands of wet hair away from their eyes. "It's the least I could do." They grinned at Kelton, a slightly confused look on their face. "Ahh!" Nova laughed and held their hands in front of their face. It didn't do much against the water, though. "Oh, you're on!" They scooped more water in the direction of Kelton, eyes playful. Kelton was turning out to be even more fun than they had thought he would be. A water fight– no, a water war– wasn't what they had expected at all, but they weren't complaining at all. This was a lot of fun.
Kelton grinned happily, really enjoying this. "Oh hush up! Me crazy!! That's. . ..well, crazy!" He said in between splashes and dodges. He had sort of moved into the deeper area of the river, and knew he was at a disadvantage, so he started to move so that Nova was there instead of him. Then sort of pushing his limits, and getting caught up in the moment, tackled Nova.
(I know it's short, and I'm showy, I wish I could give you more, but I'm half awake at this point)
(You're totally fine!)
"Crazy right!" Nova exclaimed, following Kelton towards the center of the river. It probably wasn't a good idea for them, given their height, but they were having fun. Following him turned on them quite soon when he somehow made them stand in the deep part instead of him. "Aww, come on! There's no way I'll be able to win now–" Nova started, sweeping some more water towards Kelton. And then he tackled them. Nova managed to take a gasp of air before getting completely dunked into the freezing water.
Kelton chuckled as he tussled with Nova underwater. Then lifted them both up for a breath of air, "I think that's point, I don't think that I'd let you win, at all." This was way too much fun for him, and he hoped that he wasn't pushing it too far, after all, he didn't want to ruin their friendship, or aquaintenship -if that was even a thing- or even their partnership. Just in case, he let Nova up so that they could breath.
Nova kept their eyes open, a delighted smile on their face. This was a completely unforeseen turn of events, but they weren't complaining. There was nothing like wrestling in an ice-cold river. Though, thanks to the water war, Nova wasn't really feeling the cold anymore. "Well, I hope you wouldn't. I like to earn my victories," Nova replied, taking a deep breath of air and grinning at him. It was highly unlikely that they would win this, however. Kelton obviously had the upper hand.
Kelton smirked taking another deep breath before dunking Nova again, "I wouldn't, it wouldn't be fun to give up a fight, at least this soon." He knew that he had a pretty good chance of winning, but he also wanted to be fair to Nova, so he eased up on the other guy a little bit, "So tell me." He said while they were above water, "Have you ever done anything like this before?"
Nova's eyebrows raised slightly at Kelton's smirk and they just managed to take a breath of air before getting dunked again. Even thought they were obviously losing the war, they were having a lot of fun. The water was refreshing instead of freezing– a nice turn of events. Kelton let them out of the water and Nova quickly brushed their hair out of their eyes. "If by 'this' you mean have a water fight in a river in the middle of nowhere with someone you met yesterday, then no." They smirked at Kelton and flicked their fingers at him. "I never thought I'd do it, but it's a lot of fun."
(Oh my gosh, I did not see this as a notification. Oof, I suck)
Kelton rolled his eyes at Nova's comment, "Not exactly what I meant, but I guess that's true too for me." After a few minutes of dunking each other Kelton eventually let Nova win. He was growing tired, and he knew that sooner or later they would need to catch something to eat. He swam out from underneath Nova's grip and caught his breath, "Goodness, that was tough, I didn't realize that you were that stong." He said between pants, "How about a rematch, a little later, maybe after we find the castle, hhm?"
(Oh, yikes.)
"What did you mean, then?" Nova asked, pushing Kelton back into the water. They were slowly gaining the upper hand, and smiled wide when they won. "Ha! I win!" Nova let Kelton go and fell backwards into the water with a splash. "Gods, it was. And thank you. I do try," They laughed and gave Kelton a smile. "Yeah, let's do that. Maybe you'll end up winning that time." Nova let out a breath and pulled themself to their feet. They were completely soaked, so it was probably a good thing hunting was the next activity on the list. It would give them time to dry out their clothes a bit.
(It's short, and also three days late, I'm sorry, I didn't exactly see the notification for this)
"Never mind that." Kelton said shaking his head, he began to tread the water back to the shallower part so that he could dry of a little before they went hunting. "Of course I'll end up winning, I'll have a better idea on how to fight and win against you." He said with a grin, and began to shiver a little bit, "Now I'm cold, what about you? Hhhm?"
(Oh, gods, sorry. I thought I sent it but my computer must have freaked out and not done that.)
"Alright, fine." Nova shrugged and moved towards the shallows. The cold of the water was starting to seep into their bones, making them shiver a bit. "Well, what if I have a secret move you don't know about?" Nova sked, smirking at him. "You'd be done for, then." They moved towards the beach and stepped out of the water. With it no longer swirling around their legs, they were a bit warmer, but their wet clothes presented another problem. There was a slight breeze, though their clothes made it feel like it was a wind from the dead of winter. "Yeah, just a little bit." Nova shivered again. Having the warm sun on their bare skin would feel really nice, so they started wrestling their shirt off. It was a spectacle to watch, since the shirt kept clinging onto their skin and making it even harder to remove. Eventually, though, they managed to pull it off. "Gods, that was hard," Nova grumbled, wringing the water out of it and setting it onto a sunny rock. Without the wet clothing to suck in cold, the breeze was actually very pleasant. The sun helped too, of course. "You should come out of the river, Kelton! It's much warmer out here." Nova spread their arms and soaked in the sun for a few seconds, then squeezed the water from their hair.
Kelton groaned a little hearing that, "Hhm, someone's being a little bit cocky, and i don't believe that either, I'm sure my amazing fighting skills shall let me defeat thee!!!!" He was getting a little bit dramatic, which to him was sort of a good thing, he growing more comfortable around the other person, and he actually enjoyed Nova's company, "It isn't that cold Nova, I think that it is the perfect temperature, at least for me." He said with a shrug, but Nova was right, it was getting a bit cold. After a few more minutes Kelton finally stood up again, and got out of the water, "Hopefully our next camp will be near a river, it's just oh so nice around one."
"Ha, you're hilarious." Nova rolled their eyes playfully, a small smile on their lips. They were really glad that Kelton was growing more and more fun to be around. "I mean, 'thee'? Honey, please." Nova shook their head, water droplets flying around their head. "You just said you were cold. Did you just want to remind me of the temepture so I would get out?" They stared at Kelton, an exaggeratedly sad look on their face. "I thought you liked me!" The sad expression only managed to last another few seconds before Nova burst out laughing. Sad expressions didn't stick around very often with them. While they waited for Kelton to get out of the water, Nova soaked in as much sun as they could. It was ridiculous how good the sunlight felt after being in freezing water. They opened their eyes at the sounds of Kelton getting out of the river. "Ha, you finally come to your senses." Nova turned around to look at him. "Yeah, I agree. Rivers are wonderful."
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