Off into the sunset ((Lita))

[gaenor]

Gaenor wasn’t quite sure how things had turned out this way. He had came to his best friend and his best friend had taken off with his bride. He had planned on enjoying himself with the lovely brunette he had seen earlier, but there he was now standing before the door to Kris’s stables saddling two horses to take a ten year old girl to a riding trip. At least the girl hopefully wouldn’t be a pony-club off-spring. Gaenor smirked and looked up as the man who Kris had hired to care for his horses daily returned to him leading the horse he had picked out for himself behind him. Nodding his thanks Gaenor turned back to Carycyn as he checked the final clasp on his saddle before giving the dark-coated horse a rub on his nose. He would fit the lengths of the stirrups when Lita would get back here.

Leaving Carycyn standing next to the fence Gaenor stepped to Basquez feeding him a piece of sugar he had grabbed along form the party before being kidnapped from there by the young girl. Picking up the light leather-saddle meant for Basquez with the small soaring bird embroidery on it Gaenor saddled the stallion quickly, fixing the length of stirrups to fit himself with ease that showed this wasn’t the first time he saddled a horse. Patting the neck of his personal favourite of Kris’s horses Gaenor leaned against the fence lightly as he calmly settled down to wait for Lita to get back here. The girl couldn’t really ride in her fancy dress so she had gone to change, while Gaenor had quite carelessly decided that the outfit he had donned was good enough for this trip. Gaenor didn’t really expected to take the girl through the harder tracks in the near-by mountains here. He would first have to see what the girl was capable of anyway.

Speaking of which, Gaenor turned around just in time to see Lita approaching. Pushing himself to stand at his full height Gaenor calmly stepped to Carycyn’s side and observed the girl as she approached. Giving a lazy smile at her – she was at least a pureblood and a very-very nice family at that, if a bit too young for him – Gaenor held out his hand to her once Lita reached him and bowing lightly Gaenor placed his hands on the girl’s waist lifting her up and onto Carycyn’s back without problems. “Welcome back,” Gaenor told Lita with a light smile as he started to fix the length of stirrups with quick movements, “Kris adores his animals and the horses are no exception. If he has a choice of whether the horse or him gets hurt, he makes sure to take the blow and he expects the same from everyone else as well. Touch one of his horses with a whip and he’ll be sure that you will be whipped near to death and when he's furious he's a force to be wary of. So the horses might be a bit stubborn, but they are well trained and good at what they do. Are the stirrups at proper length now?” After hearing an affirmative Gaenor walked over to Basquez pulling himself onto his back with ease before catching up with Lita as they turned their horses to walk slightly down the hill and away from Kris’s castle to begin their riding trip. "Have you noticed anything special around here yet that you would surely like to see? And do call me Gaenor," Gaenor added as he glanced towards the girl riding by his side. So far so good.

[lita]

Lita grinned triumphantly as she plaited her dark hair and twisted it up into a bun. She had gotten her wish, even if she still didn't trust the man who would be her escort. Which really did defeat the point. Weren't you supposed to trust the person who would be helping you if you needed it - which she wouldn't! She could take care of herself. Hadn't she been riding by herself since she was seven? Lita shrugged carelessly. If this boy - this Gaenor - thought that she was some helpless idiot who needed everything done for her then he was in for a shock. She wouldn't depend on anyone for anything unless she had to. And the only thing she needed Gaenor for was to make sure that she didn't get lost. Horses were one of the few things that she would willingly show her love for, even to strangers. They were one of the reasons why she had her riding clothes here. She had planned to go straight home and into the stables after the wedding. That wasn't a bad idea actually. Lita smirked. What was stopping her from leaving now and making Gaenor wonder what had happened to her? The sound of someone coughing brought her back to reality and told her exactly why she couldn't follow through with her plan. It was simply cruel and unneccessary. It would cause Adrian worry that he didn't need to feel and it wasn't fair to Gaenor nor to Dana. Not to mention that it wasn't very polite, and manners were important.

"Time to go," Lita pushed one last clip into her hair and grinned, twirling around once to ensure that her hair wouldn't come loose, before leaving the room and closing the door behind her softly. Now to find her undoubtedly unwilling escort. She wasn't sure exactly what Gaenor had planned to do at the wedding but she was certain that it had nothing to do with showing a young girl around and entertaining her. And he would entertain her. That was the one thing that Lita was sure about. Then again, she was always content when she was around horses so perhaps this boy wouldn't have much to do. Her eyes flashed with silent amused exasperation as Lita looked around and found herself in a corridor that she simply didn't recognise at all. She closed her eyes, easily bringing up a map of the route that she had taken to get to the room and reversing it with a small amount of effort. That was the good thing about having a good short term memory. It was very hard to get lost and stay lost, unless she wanted to. Keeping her eyes half-closed, Lita turned around and retraced her steps slowly, taking her time in order to not get lost again. If Gaenor thought that she was another of the girls who took ages to get ready then that was his problem. Lita wasn't at all bothered. Why would she care about what he thougth of her? She wasn't really likely to spend a lot of time with him at Hogwarts!

She grinned happily as she stepped through the door and was greeted by a warm breeze. How could anyone not love the outdoors? It was life, it was energy, it was contentment, it was excitement. It was a bundle of a thousand emotions rolled up into one. And it was there for anyone and everyone who wanted it. Lita directed her steps toward the horses and scanned them analytically. Both were adorable, well groomed and already tacked. Apparently the work of her new escort, Lita noted with approval. At least he wasn't a lazy rich boy, content to ride with and amuse a young girl but unwilling to do anything like tacking up his own horse. He lifted her up onto her horse and Lita scowled fiercely. He was doing the exact same thing that Lita had wanted to avoid; treating her like a helpless little girl. If it wouldn't be a waste of time to jump off and then haul herself up then she would, just to show him that she didn't need him. Lita eyed his back impishly and considered drawing back her foot and kicking him but decided against it instantly. He might take offense and that would end the trip before it had begun. "If you think that I'd raise a whip to any animal then you can leave now and we'll forget about going anywhere. Whoever harms animals deserves to have the same pain inflicted upon them and be marked as an abuser of animals." Lita informed him curtly, adding on an affirmitive to his question and slipping her feet into the stirrups. "No, not yet. Adrian refused to let me look around, claiming that I'd get us both lost and we'd miss the wedding. So you can lead the way, Gaenor. I'd follow your example and introduce myself but we were introduced earlier so it seems a waste of time."

[gaenor]

Gaenor observed the girl riding next to him with a hint of approval flashing through his eyes. Most definitely not a pony-club off-spring. That was a relief because someone who was used to ponies couldn’t handle Kris’s beasts. Well, if it came to Winddancer no one but Kris could handle that stallion, but that was besides the point already. Gaenor shifted himself slightly, nestling deep into the saddle as he offered a lazy smile towards the girl. She was… refreshing he supposed. Lacking the social grace of a pureblooded hostess yet, or maybe she didn’t care to demonstrate it to Gaenor, but he didn’t quite mind.

Gaenor turned his head and laughed quietly for a moment. There wasn’t any malice in the laughter, just the simple rumbling in his chest and a flicker of amusement on his face and eyes. “Very true. I’m quite glad you share the opinion as me and Kris do at the matter. And that just saved you form the boring trip to the lake. While it’s quite picturesque, the breath-taking sights are much more hidden and you seem to feel comfortable enough on Carycyn to handle the trail,” Gaenor sent an amused glance towards the girl next to him as he pulled Basquez quite sharply to the left applying slight pressure with his thighs that urged the horse to a trot with Gaenor comfortably moving along with the horse’s movement. Passing through the quite narrow beginning of the trail Gaenor let Basquez choose his own pace, even if he was feeling quite content with the stallion choosing a quick canter. Gaenor turned his head only slightly as he sensed movement to the side. A lazy smirk flashed over Gaenor’s face as he watched Carycyn pass him with his young rider who proved to be quite skillful. She most surely had constant practice with riding horses as well. Knowing better than to try to initiate conversation at this speed Gaenor merely enjoyed the scenery they passed, even if he made sure Lita didn’t go too far from him.

“Right,” Gaenor called over to Lita as they reached a fork in the road and even as Gaenor pulled Basquez to a slower trot, knowing that the path would became harder for the horses now. Reaching Lita once again Gaenor steered himself calmly to her left, “Kris lives in an awesome place and I should most likely apologize for thinking that you’re a pony-club offspring. While I suppose I should feel honoured Adrian trusted you into my company then.” Gaenor observed Lita curiously. She didn’t seem to enjoy the small details that allowed a gentleman to treat a lady properly. A lack of self-confidence perhaps? That would surely not be a problem for always. “Even if you could outride me with Carycyn on a smooth path. He’s the quickest of Kris’s horses, even if Winddancer has slightly more endurance. Have you ever gone on longer trips on horse-back? Camping, cooking on a small fire and ending up hungry because a snake fell into the soup, sleeping on the ground under a too thin blanket while it’s pouring down, washing in a chilling lake or river in the morning, the whole deal? You seem like someone who might enjoy such outdoors escapades from time to time." Gaenor smiled. Sure, his every summer camping trips wit Kris had had more than a fair share of mishaps in them, but Gaenor recalled each and everyone of them fondly.

[lita]

Lita straightened marginally, feeling the boys eyes on her and silently resenting it. Always on show, always being judged. Was it any wonder that she preferred being away from people? Even her parents were watching her closely now! Waiting for to mess up, to make a mistake. Yes, it was probably just paranoia but that's how it felt! She was barely eleven. She didn't want to have to bother with all of the things that her mother was trying to teach her. She didn't care about the proper way to throw a dinner party or if it was improper to be spending such a lot of time with her horses. Lita sighed quietly, forcing her hands to relax on the reins and giving in to the feeling of freedom that horses always blessed her with.Thank Merlin that Adrian cared enough to distract their parents every once in a while. It got him into trouble on occasion but at least she got the chance to escape and Adrian didn't hold it against her, even if he didn't understand. He had learnt that things that their father had forced onto him and he didn't undserstand why Lita rebelled against their mothers teaching but he accepted it and helped her.

"Boring trip to the lake? That rather sounds as though you were planning to throw me in, Sir Gaenor." Lita glanced at him mischievously, allowing a hint of a smile to appear. She was still too haunted by the thoughts that had occupied her mind only moments before to smile properly. But at least she made the attempt, Lita reasured herself. And Gaenor didn't know her well enough to know that something was bothering her. He might sense that something was wrong but it wasn't likely that he would say anything about it. "And yes, before you ask. Sir. After all, did Adrian not say that you were to be my knight in shining armour? Don't really know why I need a knight. A jester perhaps but certainly not a knight. So you'll have to prove your worth." Lita grinned before catching onto the new, faster pace and letting Carycyn take the lead with only a little direction and command from Lita. He was definitely an amazing horse. Lita grinned excitedly, barely holding back a yell of pure joy. It had been a while since she had ridden a horse and enjoyed it so much. Maybe having company was better than she remembered it. Then again, her parents and brother didn't really enjoy horse-riding nor were they skilled whereas Gaenor obviously was. Perhaps that was the difference. Playful banter at a slow speed and friendly competition when at a faster speed.It was enough to wipe her mind of thoughts that she didn't want and for that Lita was grateful.

Lita sighed resignedly and pulled Carycyn to a gentle stop in front of the forked road. "Pony-club offspring?" Lita gasped with shock. The comment struck deeply and hurt rose to her eyes. Was she really so bad that she seemed like one of those simpering, idiotic girls who needed help to even saddle up a horse, or rather a pony? It was almost enough to make her push Carycyn into a gallop to take her far away and only the fact that she knew nothing about the trails and would likely get lost held her back. Even so, Carycyn shifted restlessly, apparently sensing his riders desires to get far away and agreeing. Lita laid a calming hand on his shining neck soothingly, covering her hurt methodically. What did it matter anyway? She had shown her emotions long enough for Gaenor to analyze them. "I can handle myself," Lita replied stiffly, still smarting from his last comment. "But Adrian doesn't trust just anyone with me. Don't be honoured though. It's Dana that he trusts. Not you." Lita hesitated for a second before softening. "He must trust you a bit though. Otherwise he'd never have let me go with just you as an escort." Lita shrugged, saying nothing about her own trust in him. It should be evident in the way she had relaxed around him enough to tease him. If he didn't see it then that wasn't her problem. "I wish. My parents would never let me stay out like that. I might get kidnapped and held to ransom with no noble knight to save me." Lita rolled her eyes but couldn't resist adding on another teasing remark before urging Carycyn into a slow walk along the left trail. She didn't bother looking back to see if Gaenor was following, somehow sensing that he would, even if he might not be happy about following her lead.

[gaenor]

“Sir Gaenor,” Gaenor muttered ponderingly as he pulled to a stop next to Lita as the younger girl obviously had decided to stop, “I’m not knighted so Sir is the wrong title. I am an heir – only heir – to the family mansion and grounds however so I suppose you could rightfully call me a lord if you are set on speaking to me while using some fancy title from the medieval time. Similarly Adrian could be called Lord and you Lady.” Gaenor chuckled lightly his eyes flashing upwards to some big owl flying past with a screech at Lita’s next words. Knights in shining armour. Princes on white horses. Well, every little girl liked to dream, didn’t they? “Didn’t you listen to Dana before? Knights are a died-out breed. They got roasted in all that armour. And princes are mostly old and spoiled brats who don’t know how to ride on their white horses and are hardly worth the time spent on them,” Gaenor responded lightly, knowing fully well that if there was still any remaint of a knight somewhere in the world, then looking in the Slytherin house for him was a stupid idea.

The girl seemed hurt and Gaenor blinked at her. Was it too… simply for her? And it touched a very sore place evidently as the girl took off down the left trail mostly out of spite perhaps? Touching his horses sides with his heels Gaenor caught up and blocked the girl’s rode efficiently, reaching out a long-fingered hand and taking hold of Lita’s chin. Raising the chin lightly Gaenor had his own eyes meet Lita’s confidently: “Pony-club off-spring. I just apologized for thinking that, didn’t I? Because you evidently aren’t one, as you wouldn’t be able to handle Kris’s horses eitherwise. An alley cat as Kris once called me. Someone who doesn’t care that much for the style itself, but for the horse and for the thrill of the ride.” Letting go of the girl’s chin Gaenor turned maneuvered Basques to turn around with a little bit of skill.

Following the trail back to the fork to turn right Gaenor turned his head to call over his shoulder: “Such outings are fun. Kris can be a real pest at times but there’s no one I’d rather have for company, but we take a week or so long such trip every summer. Kris has Winddancer shipped to England if we do it on my grounds and if we do it here in Italy, then I have my own horse – Kael – shipped over here. And I wouldn’t suggest this trail. It will wind up into the mountain until it reaches a small gorge that Carycyn can’t jump.”

[lita]

"Lady..." Lita pondered for a few seconds before flashing a brilliant smile at Gaenor, showing her obvious, if childish, pleasure. "I like it. Lady Lita; has a nice ring to it, no?" Hey, every girl enjoyed dreaming about these sort of things a few times and Lita was no exception. Knights in shining armour with noble intentions. Though the damsels in distress were a bit too whiny for Lita's taste. So they were kidnapped by a fire-breathing dragon or something of the sort - big deal! Lita spared a quick glance for Gaenor and grinned to herself amusedly. Gaenor had essentially been kidnapped by an eleven year old who, when angered, was scarier than any fire-breathing dragon around and she didn't hear him complaining! "So there's no hope for me finding a handsome young Prince, knight or Lord to sweep me off my feet?" Lita asked, only half-joking. It had been a foolish dream belonging to a young child but it still hurt to accept that the dream had to be pushed aside. "And how foolish for me to think that a knight could be found in Slytherin," Lita muttered to herself darkly. Gryffindor was the house of reckless heroes, not Slytherin.

Lita sighed as the clatter of stones announced Gaenors arrival and curved Carycyns path slightly, easily anticipating Gaenors move of blocking her path. It would be the simplest way to stop her, barring reaching over to grasp her reins. It didn't take a genius to guess such a move, even if she didn't understand what his motive was. Why would he stop her? All the same, Lita put a gentle pressure on Carycyns reins, urging him to stop before he got too close to Basquez. Lita pondered whether to pull away from his hand but found the choice made for her when she listened to his words. Her shoulders slumped in annoyed defeat. She'd misinterpreted his words and taken offense at what was supposed to be a compliment. Her pride made her wait until Gaenor had turned away and kept the words quiet but her gratitude made the two words just loud enough for him to hear. "Thank you."

She was lost in thought even as she followed him back to the fork. An alley cat. Possibly one of the best compliments she'd ever received. And how true. It wasn't style that drew Lita to horses but the thrill and the power to get away from reality, even if only for a while. "It sounds fun. Snakes falling into the soup, perhaps not so much fun but everything else sounds wonderful. Tell me more?" Lita smiled hopefully, quickening Carycyns pace until she was only a few steps behind Basquez. She was determined to talk her parents into letting her go on one such trip with a friend now. Riding all day with only one other person to depend on, besides yourself. What could be better?

[gaenor]

“It does have a nice ring to it, my lady,” Gaenor responded making a slight bow towards the younger girl from his seat in the saddle as his eyes twinkled lightly at the girl’s words, “I didn’t say it was hopeless. The question is – if it really comes down to it would you want some prince who is always off saving other maidens, a knight obsessed with the idea of a dragon so much he will never notice you unless you are kidnapped one or an old lord with all his energy, passion and thoughts directed towards gaining more wealth and power? Or would you want someone for yourself?” Gaenor arched his eye-brows towards Lita leaving the girl to figure out her answer herself. Dreams were great. But sometimes reality was even better, if you were able to see that the dream actually had no passion inside other than childish hope.

Gaenor heard the girls quiet thank you but didn’t respond. The girl had waited until he had turned away before admitting that she had misinterpreted words so Gaenor wasn’t going to embarrass her any more. Gaenor had chosen words that could be understood in different ways, it was almost an instinct to put his words in such a way already. Lita had understood wrong. Happened. Now it was over. Gaenor glanced over his shoulder towards Lita at her question about the trips and let Basquez fall into step next to Carycyn as the path was still wide enough for that as they moved at a light trot. Gaenor didn’t respond immediately as he recalled the trps and gathered his words, before starting his response.

“The trips are fun. I suppose Cleo will join us for a few days this year and maybe my grandfather will accompany us for a day. We don’t always go alone, but usually only me and Kris end up sticking to the trip for the whole week. We ride when we feel like it, head where we want to and stop where we feel like doing so. And sure, plenty of mishaps happen during every trip. There was the moment when a snake fell into the soup and I have once woken only to discover a snake curled up on my stomach under the blanket. You don’t get a good night’ sleep on the heavy ground with some pine-branches under you if you’re lucky and you need to wake in the middle of the night make sure the fire is still alive under the ashes or that no wild animal has wandered over or that the horses are alright or simply because someone is snoring. And you wake in the morning feeling sore and itchy and shiver under your blanket feeling damp from the morning dew only to try to manage some breakfast without any salt or pepper and while still sleeping and you drop in 4 times the amount you should in the kettle over the fire so you end up eating sweet sticky and burned rice-goo that would be enough to feed 4 people and it feels as if you’ve never had anything more delicious,” Gaenor responded with a sincere smile gracing her lips as he gazed into distance, “And when it pours you are soaked to the bone without any spare clothes to change into so you huddle close to the horse and feel miserable for yourself until you just can’t help but laugh at life and test yourself and the horse in a race against the rain. Sometimes you pull over and help someone gather hay and are given a healthy meal and some cold milk as thank you before you go and throw yourself into some cold lake to wash the sweat away as much as you can and brush the horse after the day first no matter how thirsty, hungry or tired you are. You learn to know people in the evening around the fire after the required wood has been gathered and you laugh and sing and joke around with some occasional ghost-stories until you reach home again in the end of the week feeling tired, hungry, sore all over, sleepy and more alive than ever before.”

Gaenor paused and glanced over to Lita with a smirk flashing through his eyes fro a moment: “Doesn’t sound too charming to think about it now. But it puts things into a wholly new perspective. Makes you appreciate life in a wholly new way. Not to mention how nice the comfort of a proper bed feels like after you have spent 6 nights on hard ground with rocks and pine-cones under your side.”

[lita]

Lita observed Gaenor curiously. He had an interesting way of phrasing things to make her think. Any decent fairytale would be all about how devoted the prince is to his bride, how much the knight adores his maiden and the way that a lord dotes on his lady. But Gaenor...he made her think and wonder just how much of her childish fantasy would ever happen. A prince, eternally devoted? Never going to happen. An adoring knight? Dana was right, they would be so occupied with dragons that they'd be roasted in their armour. An old lord... Lita glanced up at Gaenor and smirked impishly. "Well, Lord Gaenor, I hope you have a nice time with your wealth and power whilst this Lady is off finding someone for herself. Who wants a prince who'll never have time for me?" Lita grinned easily. Dreams were worth nothing if they had no chance of turning to reality.

A thankful smile crossed her face when Gaenor chose not to reply. She had said the words loud enough for him to hear, Lita knew that for a fact. So he must be tactful enough to not cause her any further embarrassment. She eyed him again, smiling slightly as he slowed Basquez to trot beside her. One more thing was becoming rapidly clearer as the trip went on; she wouldn't just be searching out one of the people she had met at the wedding when she started Hogwarts. Both Dana and Gaenor would have to deal with the occasional visit from the young girl. Lita wouldn't bother them often of course, she didn't want to annoy them, but if she was bored and felt like talking to either of them then she might seek them out. She trusted both to not roll their eyes and tell her to go away.

Lita cocked her head attentively, dropping her hands from the reins and placing them on Carycyns neck gently. She had grown used to Carycyn enough to know that he wouldn't bolt unless something startled him and she had enough faith in her skill to not get thrown off, to take the risk. Anyway, falling off was a part of riding - albeit a part that Lita didn't have to endure often. Snakes in the soup, on stomachs; burned rice; cold milk. Lita grinned enthusiastically, now more determined than before to go on such a trip, even if she had to sneak out and leave a note in her bed. It would cause a scandal in her family and amongst her friends and she'd be punished for months afterward but it would be worth it. "Doesn't sound too charming?" Lita repeated in disbelief, glancing at Gaenor to see if he was being serious. "It sounds wonderful!" Lita shrugged, tucking a stray piece of hair away from her eyes absently. Maybe not many would think that sleeping on the hard ground for six nights sounded wonderful but Lita was quirky enough to appreciate it and strong-willed enough to sneak out and go on the trip by herself if she had to. Unfortunately, even Lita realized that she was too young to go by herself but she'd get older. Maybe in two or three years.

[gaenor]

Gaenor laughed and nodded. “I will enjoy power and wealth, while I keep my eyes open. Have to leave all of that to someone one day after all. Not searching for a princess really, as I’m not much of a prince,” Gaenor replied his eyes flashing with some amusement as he admit it. If he got married, he would be sure to dedicate time to his wife and children. The amount of time dedicated to his wife might wary depending on a lot of things. What they felt towards each other and how they handled each others company being the main points. But that was hardly something he was going to tell Lita, especially not here.

Gaenor turned his head and laughed at Lita’s almost indignant exclamation that all of what he told was simply wonderful. Chuckling at the thought, remembering all too well how tired and worn your body was after such a trip Gaenor couldn’t help but laugh at her energy and determination however. “You really are an alley cat who always lands on her feet and gets out of everything, aren’t you? An admirable trait really,” Gaenor responded quite fondly to the younger girl, “But yes, the trips are quite pleasant. The high-lights of my summers. We will be moving in England this summer, setting off from my place so I think Winddancer and the horse Kris bought especially for Cleo will be shipped over to England soon.”

Gaenor moved forward slightly forcing Basquez to move down the thin edge slowly before turning around and stopping for a moment. Gaenor heard Lita reaching his side once again but didn’t turn his head, instead gazing at the view. It was a stone plateau of sorts. You could see the village and the mountain lake near it from here as well as the fields but it wasn’t so much the distant view that enchanted Gaenor here. There were briers here. Countless bushes with sharp thorns, tender blooms and sweet smell as the palnts bloomed here. “It’s one of my favourite places here. Strength and beauty of life in one. The tenderness of the blooms compared to the strength of the thorns growing out of seemingly bare rock,” Gaenor said as Basquez moved slightly forward so that Gaenor could reach and touch one of the blooms with his fingers, “It’s just quite breathtaking. One of those places where I seriously think I could actually meditate even though I have never really done that. Do you want the follow the original and prepared trail from here, or would you prefer a trek through the forest? There’s a hut for animal-food near here as Kris makes sure the animals around here are alright as well that we could swing by. I doubt we’ll see any deers today however, because they have plenty of food elsewhere currently as well.”

[lita]

"Oh, I don't know, Prince Gaenor. It has quite a ring to it. Though I do still think that you should be my jester." Lita teased gently, amusement flashing through her brown eyes quickly. Sure, he probably wouldn't make a very good prince but she was a dreamer who thought the best of her friends and Gaenor certainly seemed to fall under the category of 'friend'. Lita wasn't entirely when he had stopped being merely an escort, only there to make that she didn't get lost on the winding trails, and turned into a friend who she could easily joke around with. Perhaps when she had shown her hurt to him and he'd handled it so well that she didn't even feel really embarrassed?

"You're laughing at me!" Lita accused playfully, eyeing a falling leaf and catching it quickly before flicking it toward Gaenor and smiling innocently. "I like alley cats," Lita shrugged carelessly. "At least they can look after themselves. They don't have to depend on anyone else but themselves. To return to our talk of knights, alley cats aren't damsels who need rescuing from their dragons. That's what I like about them." Lita watched Gaenor carefully, hoping that he wouldn't laugh but unable to blame him if he did. She had chosen a reasonably strange way to word the reason she liked alley cats, after all. "I hope you enjoy your snake-filled and soup-less adventures this summer then." Lita laughed and dropped her eyes to Carycyns shining coat, twining her fingers through his dark mane gently.

Lita arched an eyebrow as Gaenor moved to the edge but followed obediently, trusting that she wouldn't suddenly be pushed to the bottom. A bush by her elbow caught her attention and Lita smiled gently, touching a bloom lightly. Not even a flicker of surprised pain crossed her face when a thorn pricked her finger. Instead, Lita chuckled quietly and just ignored the small bead of blood on her finger. Such things happened and had lost the ability to truly hurt her. After falling into a holly bush, full of thorns and prickles, one thorn was nothing at all. Especially since she had fallen into that holly bush about five times. Well, Jackal had been a very tempestuous horse! "I can see why you like it." Lita replied quietly, unwilling to disturb the sense of peace that this place brought to her by talking loudly. "Meditation." Lita wrinkled her nose distastefully. "I've always thought that it was a waste of time. Why sit still and do nothing in an attempt to bring peace and contentment when I get the same pleasure from horses?" Hmm...big decision. A prepared trail or a trek through the forest? Lita smirked to herself. Like there was a choice. "Definitely a trek through the forest. Lead the way, Lord Gaenor."

[gaenor]

Gaenor chuckled lightly. He wasn’t much of a prince. He wouldn’t even want to be one so he merely observed as the leaf Lita had thrown his way fell to the ground far from reaching it’s target. “Oh, but I could hardly be your jester, if you don’t provide me with a suitable outfit to become one? Preferably an outfit with bells,” Gaenor responded with an innocent smile towards Lita as he pulled the reigns again letting Basques descend slightly from the plateau they had reached. “And of course I laugh at you. Wasn’t it not the fools honour to laugh? And who said it was soupless? After the snake got in there we just had a bit more meat in the soup,2 Gaenor stated blinking his eyes innocently towards Lita, even though they had quite a trouble fishing the snake out. But a snake’s meat – when prepared right – was a real delicacy.

They left the narrow and twisting stone-path and reache the smooth forest floro again as Gaenor turned left heading towards the general direction of the feeding-house he knew to be here. Alley cats and strength. Interesting concept so Gaenor took a few moments to think it through to make sure he knew what Lita had thought. He understood her reasoning quite clearly. He thought quite the same way exactly. But sometimes it got lonely if you were too strong. If you didn’t need anyone. “I think I understand where you’re coming from. But that doesn’t mean I quite agree with you. Damsels in distress are strong as well they just have a different sort of strength. The power to gather people, to make them work together for one cause – even if it is to save them from the dragons – the power to unite, lead, inspire. Isn’t that great? Look at Dana for example. She has beaten a seventh year Slytehrin who has been learning Dark Arts for most of his life likely in a duel, she has a blue belt in martial arts yet when it comes down to it she’s a girl, a lady who will enjoy herself while wearing jewels, smiling calmly at people and smoothing out problems without showing worry. She is strong, just in an… other way.” Gaenor turned his head and smiled pensively over Lita’s head: “No matter how strong you will grow to be physically or mentally. Women are strongest when they shield themselves with vulnerability and weaknesses.”

Gaenor smiled and shook his head: “What’s wrong with some peace? A rested soul is stronger and can do much more. That’s the point of martial arts. Find mental balance in yourself mentally and you will find it physically as well making you stronger and victorious if you wish to put it that way. But what’s the name of your horse. It’s quite obvious you have regular practice on horse-back. You’ll miss riding when you get to Hogwarts as not everyone can – or would even want to – go riding on thestrals as Kris does. Have you ever went of harsh landscape races before where you don’t know what’s waiting for you behind a corner? Watch out there is a rabbit under the birch there by the way,” Gaenor added to be sure that Lita would notice lest the rabbit jumped suddenly and scare the horses.

[lita]

Lita pouted good-naturedly when the leaf only floated to the ground and arched an eyebrow at Gaenor challengingly. "Are you saying that if I get a jesters outfit for you, complete with bells, you will wear it? Because if so then I'll be sure to find one in time for Hogwarts. I'm sure the Slytherins would adore to see you wear it to classes. Oh, and don't even think that you'll be rid of me once Hogwarts starts. I can annoy you there too!" Lita grinned lightly, failing to mention that she wouldn't annoy him too often. She might trust him to not tell her to go away but if she annoyed him too much then she had no doubt that her faith in him would be broken. "Alright then, I was wrong. And you won't hear me admitting that often so feel honoured. I'll make sure to never buy a snake for you or Kris then, if you're just going to eat the poor animal." Lita laughed at Gaenors attempt at an innocent look. He definitely needed more work on that but she wouldn't say anything, not when he was amusing her with it anyway.

They reached smoother ground once again and Lita dropped the reins once more, allowing Carycyn to pick his own path and trusting that he wouldn't stray too far from Basques. A sense of pleasure flashed through her when Lita saw that Gaenor was taking the time to actually think over her point rather then just laughing it off. "Damsels in distress, strong?" Lita shook her head slightly. "You seem to think the worst of princes and knights but the best of helpless maidens. They don't have that power. They're just beautiful and charming enough that the prince or knight - occasionally both - wants to marry them and carry them away into the sunset on a white horse. And they all live happily ever after." Lita added scornfully. She may have had a childhood dream about princes and knights but she had always despised the weak damsels that they saved. "Dana is strong, both physically and mentally from what I've seen of her and what you've told me. She can wear jewels and smooth out problems but that just makes her diplomatic." Lita arched an eyebrow sceptically, silently wondering where Gaenors thoughts were taking him but respecting him enough to not ask. "How can people be strong with a shield of weakness? That's contradictory."

"There's nothing wrong with peace," Lita agreed, "I just don't think that sitting down with your eyes closed and humming can really bring peace. We all find peace in different places but I would guarantee that not many find it in sitting down and doing nothing. Yet, each to their own, I suppose." Lita shrugged but instantly brightened as the conversation turned to horses. "We only have two in London because that's where we stay most of the time. Viento and Caradoc. So I spend a lot of time with my cousins in the countryside because they have the other horses. Jackal, Copper, Sundance and Pegasus." Lita smiled wistfully. Her parents hadn't allowed her to visit her cousins yet and she was missing them almost as much as she missed the horses. Very few people ranked above her horses and the few people that did were lucky. "I didn't want to go to Hogwarts for exactly that reason," Lita admitted softly. "I'd rather just stay with my horses but I can't. I even got bribed with a pygmy puff." Lita smiled slightly. She adored Rei, yes, but a little pygmy puff was no replacement for a horse.

[gaenor]

Jesters outfit. Oh yes, Gaenor knew what made that possibility amusing for Lita. What would make it amusing for the rest of the school. Even if it might border on getting detention from Snape. Yet not many people dared to laugh at a Slytherin 7th year either. Gaenor slowly felt his lips curve into a smirk: “Oh, I could wear the outfit for as long as you wish. IF you literally become the king – I’m sure Kris and Cleo and Dana wouldn’t mind helping with the spells, charms, clothes and potions needed for such a transformation for a little while – for exactly as long as I wear the jester the outfit. Sounds quite fair, doesn’t it?” Gaenor smirked and reached out his hand friendlily patting Lita’s head and scratching behind her ear with one of his fingers for a moment before Basquez took a step to the left to pass a tree: “I’m afraid you are wrong about the annoying part too. See, you can’t really annoy me at Hogwarts. As I will be doing the annoying part, then you are the one who has to be annoyed. It’s only logical.”

Gaenor scowled in mock-fury towards Lita as she laughed over his innocent expression: “Something funny, little cub?” Gaenor took time to analyze the comments about princes. Maybe it was for the better that Lita didn’t know the subtle strength weaknesses gave to a woman. They didn’t do anything for a man, but they did for a woman. “Isn’t that power too? To influence others to do anything you want? Those princes and knights are fools if they can’t see through the charade so no, I honestly can say I don’t think much about them. Either by manipulation or not, the maidens at least do – or make others do – something to get what they want.” Gaenor smiled lazily. He was a Slytherin and as such it was almost a demand for him to appreciate subtle manipulation.

“Viento and Caradoc. Your cousins? Doesn’t the rest of your immediate family share your love for horseback riding? And which of those horses is your favourite then?” Gaenor smiled at Lita,s ettling down comfortably to listen to her story. He knew well enough how much it burned when you were just bursting to talk about something. Like the nature of your horse to someone who might have a chance of understanding. “I dislike pygmy puffs. They are quite.. creepy. Just too fuzzy and cute looking if you know what I mean? They look like dumb little balls but then they start feeding and how on earth can I be sure that it won’t go after my brain next? Pygmy puffs are just… wrong.”

[lita]

Lita blinked in shock, letting the words sink in and make sense before she even attempted a reply. Though, in all fairness, his smirk should've told her that she wasn't really going to like his next words. Turn into a King indeed! "No, that does not sound fair! You...you only have to wear an outfit with bells on for a while but I have to change my gender. I'd rather ride Jackal again and get thrown off into the holly bush again!" Lita grinned slightly at the mention of Jackal. There was next to no chance that she'd ever be allowed to ride him again since that stupid girl got herself thrown into a tree but Lita was always hopeful. Besides, she was a better rider than that girl had been and both her cousins knew it. Lita arched an eyebrow when he patted her but stayed silent. If he felt the need to pat her hair then so be it; so long as he didn't mess it up of course. Which would be rather hard since it was considerably messed up already as her hair had started to escape from the bun. "So, you plan to follow around a first year, regardless of my house, and annoy me until I give in and either curse you myself or get my brother to do it? Nice plan. Why don't you also glare at anyone who dares to look at me?"

Lita grinned at his scowl and tried to control her laughter, stopping it for long enough to smile innocently and reply. "No, not at all. What could be funny?" Lita said nothing about his newest name for her, pondering about it for a while before coming to the conclusion that it wasn't a bad way to address her - even if it did bring up images of Gryffindors. His way of telling her that she seemed like a Gryffindor, perhaps? Doubtful. He probably would've thrown her off a mountain by now if she showed signs of being a Gryffindor. "Yes, that's power but it's manipulation and I very much believe in free will." Lita shot a level glare at him, tilting her head to meet his eyes confidently. "Manipulate me and I will find a way to hurt you. You're a friend and I trust you; don't break that trust."

"Mother and father, like horses? Hah. They try to stop me going to Wales. My cousins, Dan and Clarissa, adore horses. During Adrians first year at Hogwarts, I spent a lot of time with them and Clarissa taught me to ride, on Treasure. He was the gentlest horse that I've ever met but he broke his leg. Dan got the bright idea to teach the children to ride and one boy decided to make Treasure jump a ditch from an angle." Lita's eyes burned with a sad fire, mourning the loss of the sweet horse who had taught her to ride and angry toward the stupid child that had cost him his life. "My favourite...definitely my Viento. He's fast and he's powerful and he's moody but he's amazing. He has spirit but he's not mean; he won't bite or buck for no reason. He's...he's my saviour. I can just go out and I'll sit in his stable and he'll always be there for me." Lita lowered her eyes to Carycyns mane once again and inhaled softly. "I don't want to go to Hogwarts and leave him behind. It's practically a year without him! What is the point? I can work with Dan and Clarissa and be around horses all the time; that doesn't need magic. I can watch my cousin compete in shows and I can try riding Jackal again but hopefully not get bucked off this time."

Lita smirked at him, a retort popping up in her mind instantly. "Of course they won't eat your brain! You'd have to have one for them to eat. Anyway, I don't let Rei feed from me. She isn't allowed into the bedroom when I'm asleep for exactly that reason. I find it just as creepy as you do. And I have more to worry about than you - since I actually have a brain." Lita giggled quietly and stuck her tongue out at him childishly.

[gaenor]

Gaenor shrugged as Lita turned down the agreement offer he had made her. Wasn’t a big loss. Gaenor was quite fond of his own clothes anyway, even if he wasn’t quite as particular about having everything tailored after him as some other people were. “It’s your choice,” Gaenor responded with a light smirk playing over his features, “And I’ll be sure to keep your request about me glaring at people in mind. Who knows, maybe I’ll even fulfill that request one day.” Gaenor barely smirked before himself not bothered at all about the threat about Lita – or his brother – hexing him. Bowing to make sure a lower branch did hit him in the face Gaenor didn’t even take the time to look over towards Lita as he responded calmly: “Please, there was a reason why I have passed all my exams with good grades and reached 7th year in Hogwarts you know.”

It was the comment about being friends that made Gaenor inhale sharply as he looked over. She considered him a friend? And she trusted him? Gaenor responded to her level glare with confusion flickering through his eyes for a moment. He knew he had plenty of mistakes, so how come the girl had just discarded them all so suddenly? And why did he suddenly take the comment to heart? Lita was supposed to be just a kid she was showing around the grounds, wasn’t she? For a couple of long moments filled with tensed silence passed as Gaenor held eye-contact with the younger girl before he slowly nodded and smiled lightly. “You aren’t a friend, cub, because people I see for the first time in my life don’t automatically become friends. But you have very good chances of becoming one.”

Gaenor didn’t respond when Lita didn’t finish talking about Treasure. He understood well enough what had happened to the horse. He had been in a similar position. Well, almost similar. And for some odd reason he understood and shared the understanding about Viento as well. Just like Kael gave his everything for Gaenor, Viento most likely would have protected his little rider with his life. Staring off into space Gaenor didn’t offer any comfort about the problem Lita would also soon be facing instead opting to tell something else: “I learned to ride on a 15 hands sweet palomino mare who had a long mane that was always stuck in her mouth and eyes and ears and an equally long and bushy tail that took hours before you got the tangles out of it. Two dogs with rabies ripped her apart in the paddock one night.” It wasn’t much of a comfort story. It hadn’t perhaps even meant to be one. But that was what Gaenor told Lita and that should be considered an honour, because first horses were… sacred.

“Not a whole year. There are breaks. Christmas, Halloween when you can get home. Maybe we’ll sneak you out of the castle a time or two and we apparate you over form Hogsmeade to get a glance at your sweeties. Or we do like Kris does and have some hroses brought over and stabled at Hogsmeade. The Hogwarts grounds are quite pleasant for a joy-ride as well,” Gaenor told the girl comfortingly before winking at her a bit wickedly, “There are ways to bend the rules slightly, if you have what it takes.”

[lita]

Lita groaned quietly, wondering exactly why she had decided to put that idea into his head when she had suspected that he might take it to heart. Oh, that's right. Lita smirked slightly. Because she'd enjoy every minute of it. "Alright then. If you want to act as my bodyguard for a day then go ahead. Give the students one more thing to gossip about. Seventh year Slytherin stalking a first year. It would be especially amusing if I were a Gryffindor." Lita laughed lightly. There was no chance of her entering Gryffindor - thank Merlin - but it would still be an amusing event. Lita smiled to herself easily, dropping the reins and placing a calming hand on Carycyns neck when he whickered softly, before twisting her hair back into a bun deftly while Gaenors back was turned. He may not approve of her dropping control, if only for a few seconds, for such a trivial reason but Lita knew she could handle it. She wouldn't knowingly put herself in danger when someone was watching. They usually acted worried or angry and that generally made her nervous.

Lita let Gaenor keep the eye-contact, dropping her guard for a few seconds and allowing him to see the sincerity in her eyes. His response brought a gentle smile to her face and she nodded in silent understanding. "I trust easily, yes, but I'm not naive, Gaenor. My trust is given to a select few, no matter how long I've known them. I watch carefully and I watch closely, judging and forming an opinion. And I do it discreetly so no one can tell my decision. Which is why you were surprised. I don't know exactly why I trusted you so easily but I did; deal with it." Lita raised her eyes to Gaenors once more, letting a warning flash through the brown depths quickly. "Break that trust and you can't get it back ever again. No one can." She bowed her head wearily, unused to dropping her defenses and talking so plainly. Her instinct was to press Carycyn into a quick canter and escape so the effort of holding back from following her instincts was also taking it's toll on the young girl.

A silent tear dropped onto the saddle after Lita stopped talking about her Treasure. He had been her darling, her first saviour. She had warned Dan not to let that child near him and he didn't listen to her. He let that devil-child murder Treasure when it could have been prevented. Treasure had been hers and hers alone for three years and, although she had moved onto riding Caradoc, she had adored him. Another tear was dashed away quickly before it could fall and Lita straightened in the saddle as Gaenor started his story. The story brought another bittersweet smile from Lita who understood all too well, both the incident and the motive behind it. Not comfort - it had happened too many years ago and was too much a part of her for her to be comforted. But perhaps something else; something that needed the honour of being told the story of a first horse.

Lita smiled at Gaenor gratefully, comforted by the reassuring words. She wouldn't have to survive the whole year without her horses."We can ride on the Hogwarts grounds?" Lita arched an eyebrow questioningly. "And you'll risk getting into trouble for me?" Lita smirked to herself slightly, reading between the lines and happy with what she saw. If he was willing to risk trouble for her then it was a good sign that her trust and faith wouldn't be broken deliberately. "Why would I bend the rules when I have you to do it for me?" Lita grinned equally wickedly.

[gaenor]

Bodyguard. A seventh year SLytehrin stalking a first year. Gaenor silently found himself wondering if Lita knew the heaviness of the situation that might brought upon his shoulders. No one would dare to do anything to Gaenor, unless some people in his year would bother to comment on his newly-acquired hobby, but as Lita was pureblood they would content themselves with that. Things would be a whole lot harder on her. She didn’t have the strength to ward of older bullies herself yet like Dana and Cleo had. And being shadowed by a Slytherin, a member of the house most people thought to be the spawn of evil, would mark the girl for the rest of her time in Hogwarts, even if Gaenor would leave it after a year. “That could almost be considered a challenge to see whose nerves would last,” Gaenor responded smoothly, not letting any of his thoughts show from his tone of voice.

At the girls next words Gaenor threw her an almost pitying glance however. “If you think you can judge my character this quickly, then you are a naïve little girl still, cub,” Gaenor almost snapped at Lita. He was a Slytehrin for a reason and he could change the masks and personalities he used. The girl was a fool if she thought the small bits he had shown her were everything about him. Gaenor stood up in the stirrups glancing around his eyes coming to rest on the black roof of the feeding-house. Moving Basquez a bit closer Gaenor looked calmly at the feeding-house his eyes falling onto the broken piece of wood at one side. Some heavier animal had fell against it perhaps? Gaenor forced Basquez to move over. Aiming while he pulled his right leg out of the stirrup Gaenor hit the broken wood off with one clean kick of his leg. Bowing in saddle Gaenor twisted it for a moment before it snapped loose. Touching the harsh and rough edges of the broken part Gaenor frowned. “This will have to be fixed. And Kris quite comfortably appeared off to honeymoon,” Gaenor murmured to himself more than anyone else as he placed the piece of wood on the saddle before him. He would return early tomorrow morning and fix it as he didn’t have any tools along with him. And the wild animals here were wary of magic.

Riding around the feeding house Gaenor turned away form the feeding house continuing in the same direction they had came from: ”It is possible to ride on Hogwarts grounds. I don’t think you quite understand how big they are right now – you could get lost in them for days. If you sneak get the horses from Hogsmeade and careful to use the more hidden paths then it’s quite possible. I’ve done it before and it will hardly be enough for me to get in trouble.” Gaenor truned in his saddle lightly innocently looking for Lita’s eyes as he repeated her words: “Why would I bend the rules when I have you to do it for me? But wasn’t it you, my lady, who denied being a damsel in distress? Only damsels in distress have the power to have others break the rules for them and we have already discovered I’m not much of a prince.”

[lita]

"A challenge?" Lita widened her eyes fractionally and smiled innocently. "Not at all. Not when I'd win and it wouldn't be entirely fair for you. I've had to deal with a highly annoying brother since the day I was born. I think I have a higher tolerance for annoying people than you." An annoying brother, irritating parents, a temper-rousing Grandmother and two annoying cousins certainly ensured that Lita knew how to keep a hold on her temper, even if she had never quite mastered her emotions. Despite the confidence that she held in her ability to shield herself from hurt, Lita was still very much a young girl who wasn't used to the hard things in life or being on the receiving end of sharp words. Of course, trusting people so easily wasn't exactly the easiest way to combat her childish ways but that was one of the many lessons she hadn't learned yet.

Lita recoiled instinctively at the hard words, confused hurt automatically shining in her eyes. Hadn't she just told him that she trusted him and pleaded with him to not break that trust? So what was he doing, throwing words around in a cruel tone? And so carelessly too, which made it all the worse. Careless words were often true to the person who said them; their casual deliverance showing their truth. "I said I judged your character - the part of your character that you were showing to me then - but I also said that I trusted you. That has nothing to do with judgement." Lita's voice was quiet and almost painfully childish, filled with the same confused hurt that was still shining in her eyes. For the second time, Lita gave complete control over to Carycyn, letting him pick the destination but urging him to canter. For the second time, Lita allowed a tear to slip down her face and splash onto the saddle as she escaped from the man who had unwittingly caused her pain, yet again.

Carycyn stopped obediently, staying still long enough for Lita to jump off and hook his reins over a tree branch, making sure that he was secure before moving away. Carycyn had certainly proved his power, taking both himself and his rider away while Gaenor was dealing with the broken wood. The bad thing was that Lita now had no clue were she was; not that she cared. Why would she care exactly where she was when she was currently curled up on a tree stump, sniffling miserably and trying her hardest not to cry anymore? If Gaenor had followed or not - or indeed, if he had even noticed their disappearance yet - Lita didn't know, nor did she really care at the moment.

[gaenor]

“Hm,” was the only thing Gaenor said as he glanced at the girl. He didn’t jump to every challenge thrown into his way. And at this case there was much more in game than just a few hours and someone’s entertainment. He would have to think about this some more before deciding how to do anything. As for nerves, that would remain to be seen. Gaenor didn’t exactly have an easy family either. And his friends were most definitely people those with weak nerves couldn’t tolerate. But he didn’t bother to argue about this point right now. Lita might surprise him yet so Gaenor would refrain from words that might pay back one day.

Gaenor watched Lita canter away and swallowed a sigh. He had hurt the young girl again. Unintentionally but that didn’t change the fact of what had happened. Lita might have some immunity to annoyment. But she wore her heart out on her sleeve for everyone to see. And Gaenor wasn’t a man who was used to considering others feelings. Using his heels and whole body as well as years of skill Gaenor managed to make sure Carycyn stayed in his range of view. Being familiar with the landscape helped to accomplish this task as well. And while Gaenor wasn’t a gentle man, he did feel some sorrow when he saw Lita curling up under a tree a crying. For a few moments Gaenor sat completely still debating what to do before slowly dismounting and tying Basquez next to Carycyn.

Lita didn’t seem to even notice his approach so Gaenor quietly walk to an other tree opposite of Lita’s and sat down. He didn’t say anything, letting the girl cry. No words of comfort, not even a gruff word in acknowledgement. Gaenor just leaned his head against the tree behind him and looked slightly upwards, hearing each and every sob clear and loud. It was only when it had been a little while since the last sob when Gaenor opened her mouth. “Exactly. I showed you one side of my character. Without having seen other sides, how can you be sure I can be trusted not to hurt you? Everyone listening now could tell I just did. I’m not a nice man, Lita, I can barely be considered a good man, even if I won’t became a Death Eater. My priority in life is me and I don’t take other feelings into account much and I rarely bother myself to pick words,” Gaenor stated slowly, stating only the blunt truth, whether or not Lita would understand it as that, “That’s who I am. It’s your choice, whether you can handle that or whether you want me to escprt you back to the castle so you can run to your brother.” Gaenor finally lowered his head catching Lita’s eyes his eyes calm as they met Lita’s. She had to choose. Whether she could handle being Gaenor acquaintance and his sense of humour – which, true, might be slightly dark from time to time – or would she be better off without this friend or acquaintance. The choice was up to her and she had to decide now.

[lita]

Lita didn't even bother trying to halt her tears. What was the point when no one was around to hear or see her? Had there been witnesses to her tears then Lita would have tried to shove her hurt to the back of her mind, ever unwilling to let anyone see her tears, her weakness. Not when it mattered when she had already let Gaenor see her hurt. Hurt once more by the reminder, Lita sniffled and curled into a protective ball; raising her knees to her chest and placing her arms on the top of her knees before resting her forehead on her arms gently. The typical action of any child who just needed to escape from her pain for a while. No matter how much Lita tried to deny it, some aspects of her personality marked her as a child who still had yet to truly grow up and learn the harder things in life; her shyness around strangers, her naivete, the easiness with which she was hurt, her tendency to bolt from any source of hurt without thinking.

The sound of hooves striking the ground was unmistakable to the child and Lita tensed slightly and hunched her shoulders defensively, obviously expecting Gaenor to yell at her for running away and acting like a childish idiot. Her sobs slowed down marginally when no sound was heard and her head rose slightly, her confused eyes piercing him thoughtfully. He was obviously there and so he had chased after her - to make sure that a girl he was being forced to escort wouldn't get lost, Lita told herself firmly. The knowledge of his presence forced her tears to stop and Lita quirked an eyebrow before lifting her head from her arms as he started to talk, appreciative of the fact that he had waited until she had stopped crying. An amused smile curved her lips and Lita bowed her head gently to hide the smile from Gaenors gaze. She wasn't entirely sure what made her smile but something about him taking the time to explain the basics of his personality made her happy. It didn't show that he trusted her - not when she could've figured it out for herself and had actually started to realize the truth. Maybe it had something to do with Gaenor making her run away from him twice and making her cry, however unintentionally?

"So I can run to my brother" Lita raised her head in annoyance, the usual fire flashing through her eyes. Weariness battled with annoyance until the latter won out and forced her to her feet, glaring down at Gaenor. "Are you deliberately trying to annoy me again?" Lita demanded coolly, arching an eyebrow sternly. The look on her face should inform him that if he laughed at her then she was going to hurt him - or try to at least - but if he needed more proof then it was all in her body language; crossed arms, raised eyebrows, a warning glare. "Because it certainly seems like you are. Haven't we already had this conversation - or one similar to it at least? I am not a helpless moron who needs her big brother there to protect her all the time. Granted, sometimes it's nice to know that at least one person will always believe in me but I don't need Adrian for everything. And I'm certainly not going to tell him that you made me cry!" Lita hesitated for barely a second before stepping toward Gaenor and sitting on the floor beside him defiantly. "I've already said that you were a friend, didn't I?" Lita added, with just a hint of defensiveness in her tone.

((Gah. *curls up with a plushie* This post took a while to write and took a fair bit of energy out of me too. So if it's rubbish then you can't blame me. And no, the plushie isn't wearing tights. *sniffles and pouts* You won't let me put tights on him. ))