A lovely Walk through the Forbidden

After leaving her "sick" lizard-friend behind in her dorm, Kotah and Enelya walked through the campus, noticing the different people, styles, shapes, and forms. She smiled to herself. So far, Kotah was a good friend. She loved his laugh, whenever he really laughed, instead of the muffled, "man laugh", as she called it. He seemed to be a nice enough person, claiming to be happy with being alone. She seriously doubted that, but didn't question him, maybe, she was changing him. She didn't even dare, ask him that. She just enjoyed his presence, and was grateful she met him. Especially today, wandering into the Forbidden.

As the walked along, side by side, it started to get darker. It was a little after noon, and it was a little strange for it to be getting dark. Maybe it's going to rain, how lovely would that be? But, the trees seemed to think differently, these trees were much more bitter, than the ones she'd met in the forest, like they had been through and seen some terrible things, which troubled Enelya.

"Kinda spooky in here, don't you think?" she asked Kotah, looking around with a worried tone in her voice.

"There's a beauty specific to fear, as well."

Enelya eyed Kotah, curious about his previous statement. Beauty was in the eye of the beholder, of course. She smiled.

"Of course."

"The trick is to admire it and not let it control you. Respect is mutual not only amoung humans and animals."

Enelya snorted. Err, Hello? I can talk to them.... Duh! she thought. But decided to be patient with him.

She gave him a 'matter of factly' look and said, "What I meant was, whenever I tried to engage a conversation with them, they were very bitter, as thought they had seen the most terrible of things. Never in my life, have a met a grove of trees so bitter, usually, they are somewhat optimistic, being so old and all."

She looked down, she was worried that maybe his whole perseption of her was ruined. Did he think she was just some stupid girl? Anything but that, she thought to herself.

"Er... I was talking metaphoricly, not really talking about the trees themselves..." He scratched the back of his head. "Sorry... I get carried away sometimes. My mother used to tell me I should be a writer... but that's times past." His voice trailed off towards the end.

She felt stupid, but refused to show it. "Oh, I see." She gave him a sweet smile. "Why don't you write anymore? Your a beautiful artist with pencil, I'm sure you'd be just as beautiful with words."

"So, um... what do they say? The trees, that is."

She looked down, "Harsh words, threatening, and warning words. Only warning because I can understand them. Much...blood... has been spilled on this soil." Enelya looked around, "so much pain..." she couldn't finish her sentence.

She accepted his response, even if she didn't agree with it, there was no use in fighting about it, and besides, she had more important things to talk about.

He paused and looked at her with genuine concern... which was honestly a first in a long long time. "Are you sure we should be out here, then? If I could hear these things, I'd go insane after a short while." He tried putting an arm over her shoulder to comfort her, but felt weird when he realized what he was doing.

She noticed his sincerity whenever he said this, and was comforted from it. She put her arms around his waist, and tried to get the words out. "I... I... So terrible, their lives, I would take them out of the ground and replant them if I could, oh Kotah, it horrible. Fights, horrible battles... " She buried her face into his chest, the imagery the trees used almsot made her relive the terrible events.

She walked with him and muttered, "Those images, it's like, they were almost putting flashbacks into my head, I could see them as clearly as I can see you now.." She was grateful, how comforting Kotah could be if he wanted to be. And was grateful for their previous engagement to go to the lake. It comforted her.