Social Distance (Nora/Cen C Support)

[Cen]

OoC: Takes place just after To Ancona

Huffing and puffing as he sped his legs against the rode, Cen thought surely he must be gaining on the young woman and his horse by now. He thought that between breaths he might have been able to hear the slightest clop of the hooves ahead of him, and that spurred him on, thinking that he might be able to catch them if he just kept running. He'd been riding Thunder for a while now, he hadn't had to run like this since he'd been chased by the fox, and he could tell by how hard the sprint was on his lungs. Finally, the Thunder of his horses hooves sounded in his ears from up ahead, even though it was quite slow. It wasn't really a thunder unless he was at full gallop, it was more like dropping a wooden ladle on a few pots or pans. Cen let himself slow a bit at that, finally taking in a bit of breath after pushing himself for longer than he'd have liked.

When he could see them he sped up again, and at last stood next to the young woman and was able to completely stop. Thuder took the occasional step, not wanting to run and glad he had stopped, but also not wanting the young woman on his back to think he couldn't take off at full tilt in a moment's notice. When he saw his tall more regular rider, he let out a deep neigh, that Cen decided to take as a compliment. Maybe it was some sort of laugh for how short of breath he was, the horse having gained a sudden appreciation for irony. Or perhaps the big beast was actually happy to see him. Either way, the lime haired Cornwellian was glad to see that Thunder hadn't thrown the woman from his back at any point, there was quite a disparagement in their size after all.

Still keeled over, hands to his knees and out of breath, Cen managed a small chuckle of sorts and managed to squeeze through his strained lungs, "Well, I think that he may like you. You let him go a lot faster than he and I usually do on a road." Cen laughed again, before continuing, "You rode well, you didn't mention growing up on a ranch or nothin-" Cen wrenched his face at himself. Quite particularly and with no shade of his usual accent he said, "Or anything." Then he said more in his regular voice, "Who taught you?"

[Nora]

Nora gulped in fresh air in between laughing as she and Thunder galloped forward. The young woman pulled the ribbon that held her hair back out, letting the magenta locks whip to and fro in the wind. This must have been what it felt like to be truly free, free of responsibility, free of the burden of being watched over, protected every moment of her life. If she were a lesser person, Nora wouldn’t have thought twice about simply riding onward, leaving Sir Zobek and Cen and Luke behind and traveling the world on her own.

But the princess was certainly no thief, so when she looked behind her and saw the green knight trying to catch up with her, Nora clicked her tongue, using the reins to signal Thunder to slow to a trot, giving him a moment to calm down before turning around and stopping completely. A big, toothy smile was wide across her features as Cen finally caught up, doubled over and panting from having to catch up to the ‘runaway’ princess.

“Sorry, sorry!” Nora exclaimed with a laugh, before Cen could speak; though she wasn’t usually the apologetic type, she recognized she’d made the poor man run after his own horse. “It’s just been so long since I’ve been able to ride like that!”

Nora leaned forward just a bit to pet Thunder’s mane as Cen spoke, her chest still full of laughter as he mentioned the horse probably liking that she’d let him gallop, even if it was only for a minute or so. As he commented about her skill in riding, Nora wondered how to explain. Considering she’d been one of the Etrurian royal family, horseback riding instruction was mandatory, and by the age of ten she’d been more seasoned a rider than many new army recruits might have been.

But of course, that explanation wouldn’t work right now. Nora wished she didn’t have to be so secretive, but considering what had happened to the rest of her family, she was slowly realizing how important it was to consider carefully what she shared with whom. She didn’t like lying, though, so Nora tried to stay as close to the truth as possible – albeit leaving out a hell of a lot of details.

“Oh, one of my uncles taught me,” Nora started, though her ‘uncle’ was actually the royal stablemaster and not her uncle at all. “He used to oversee the stable in town, so he’d teach me to ride when I wasn’t helping my mum. He doesn’t run them anymore, though,” she added, realizing that would mean she had an uncle somewhere in town. “He died after a traveler’s horse kicked him in the head, back when I was twelve. I asked my Da if we could keep his horse so I could keep riding,” Nora continued, her cheery mood turning down for a moment as she recalled a particular incident with Monroe when they were fleeing from Etruria, “but Da had to sell him.”

Moving Thunder a few steps closer to Cen, Nora perked up. “What about you? It’s not often that you see a knight with his own horse. I thought the people you worked for always owned them?"

[Cen]

As the young rider looked up at the woman on his horse he smiled. The light shone through her strawberry hair in a way that framed her face like the painting of an angel, and even though Cen didn't quite mind the sight it was hard fro him to contain a laugh. She had ridden with her hair down, and that, on the Cedidale ranch had been strictly forbidden. Cen's sister had tried it once, and if his father had ever yelled louder and longer the young Cornwellian believed the whole world would be deaf. Still, the the look of her hair tossed across her face by the ride was hard for the young man to criticize.

When he listened to her tell of her learning to ride, the smile faded. He had a bad habit of bringing up the worst memory a person had when he talked with them, and this woman's dead uncle clearly didn't put a smile on her face when she had her recollection. "I'm so sorry that I brought that up Nora," Cen scratched his neck to give his hand something to do. "I didn't want to make you sad." How eloquent. The Cornwellian looked at his feet for a moment, and kicked up a bit of dirt.

She asked about Thunder, and as she did, Cen put his right hand on the big horse's neck, and began to lightly pet the beast. "Well, I'm from Cornwell, and it's not exactly big. The few knights we had growing up all had horses of their own, which wasn't hard for them since so many of them were from houses near as rich as our lord. Me though, I squired with a Knight from Laus, and before he could make me a Knight, well he-" Cen coughed. "He died. So, officially I'm a squire without a Knight, which basically means I'm not a Knight but not on the same level as a Squire. I figure if I was to get Knighted in Laus, they'd supply me with an keep my horse, but I grew up on a ranch. My father gave me Thunder last time I went home, because I figured the noble deeds might come better before the title." That and he was certain that if he went back to Laus and told the Man-at-Arms that Felane had died, he'd likely lose all chance of ever becoming a Knight.

Patting his horse on the nose he grinned up at Nora again, and said, "Besides, Thunder's a lot better bred and trained than any warhorse I'd get from any castle. Even if he's got a bit of an attitude problem." Thunder let out a big neigh at that, and Cen laughed again.

[Nora]

Pushing some stray bits of hair out of her face, Nora smiled, shrugging her shoulders. “Don’t be sorry,” the princess said simply, her smile returning as a pang of guilt went through her for having to lie to him. “You didn’t know, and I’m not sad now.”

Nora listened as Cen described Cornwell, though it wasn’t a part of Lycia she was really familiar with – in fact, she bet the place wasn’t much bigger than somewhere like Wilderose, though she could always have been wrong. She felt bad as Cen described how he was stuck a squire without a knight, though she wondered why he couldn’t simply find another knight to squire with – maybe it was something she simply didn’t remember the ‘etiquette’ around. Besides, what would some teen girl from southern Lycia know about the knighthood anyways?

The young woman was intrigued by his upbringing on a ranch, though. It sounded like a terrific way to grow up, much more unhinged than her own upbringing. She could imagine how much riding and training the man likely had time for, not having to waste it learning things like heraldry and social niceties. And of course, he had a great horse too because of it – even Nora couldn’t say she was that well-off any longer. Nora giggled as Thunder let loose his great neigh, and gave him an affectionate pat on the neck before swinging her leg over and jumping down from the tall horse. It was a bit of a drop for someone her size, but Nora had jumped down from trees taller than Thunder was.

“Ah, he’s a sweetheart, especially being such an easy ride for the first time,” Nora beamed, looking back up to Thunder before looking back to Cen.

“So why’d you want to become a knight? Why not work on your family’s ranch?”

[Cen]

The young rider could have laughed at how long it took for the young woman's feet to hit the ground after sliding from the saddle, but he contained himself to a smug grin. She was short for a woman, and he was ludicrously tall for anyone, so when he looked down at her, it felt as if they would have to shout for either to hear the other. She had brushed his apology away as easily as she did the hair from her face, which certainly puffed Cen up a bit. If no one was ever truly upset when he overstepped, then really he was stepping just the right amount.

She laughed at Thunder's showboating, and Cen said, "Don't encourage him." But the lime haired youth laughed another time, just like he had done many times today. He was in a particularly good mood. Which could be a bad thing. The last time he was in this good a mood, he did something that got him chased around Lycia for six months. However, the former squire had to believe that this good mood was just the product of a good day. A very good day.

Then however, Nora asked him one of his least favorite questions. "Most little boys dream of being knights. The difference is," Cen sighed, and looked at his feet. He always sounded like a fool when he described his ambition at knighthood. It was a foolish dream, to go from a commoner to a Knight, one that only little boys who still believe in Fairy Tales would put any stock in. "I stopped being little, and didn't stop dreaming. My family has a long history of men trying to become Knights. My, great great great great, great great great great great," most of his greats were shoved out off his mouth as quickly as he could get them out so that they came out as a quick jumble. Then he continued, "Grandfather was Cedidale, a Knight of Cornwell. He was stripped of his Knighthood for not answering a summons while his wife was in labor from his Marquess. He was made to work a stable outside of the castle walls as punishment, and over time the Marquess and the people of Cornwell forgot the arrangement, and forgot that Cedidale was a Knight's name. My family did not, and a boy of each generation was given the name, and that meant he was to pursue regaining our title, but none have succeeded. Usually the boy would leave home as an adult, and work as a mercenary for a few years before giving up."

"My brother was named Cedidale, and he was gone long before I was born, but I've wanted to do my part. Not just for my family, but for everyone. When I see someone, in need or in danger, I want to help them. Isn't that what a Knight is supposed to feel? If I can restore my family name, while protecting people, I owe them all that. If I'm Cen the rancher, Cen the breeder, I'd make good horses, marry a girl nearby, and then have my kids, and one of my sons would want to leave home someday. But if I'm Cen, son of Cedidale of Cornwell, Knight of Lycia, I can be the Shield the world deserves." Suddenly Cen realized he had been rambling for some time, and his cheeks turned redder than Nora's hair. He scratched his neck again, and laughed nervously. "Sorry, I'm babbling."

He continued, "But, um, I was given a shot. Marquess Cornwell's son was supposed to Squire in Laus, but he was a sickly boy, and the Marquess saw me riding one day when he came to buy a new mare to breed with one of his own horses. He offered my father and mother a lot of money if I were to go in his son's stead. I accepted, and since then Knighthood has been so close. I don't think I could bare to give up."

[Nora]

Nora smiled as she listened intently to Cen’s story. She was likely romanticizing it in her head, but it reminded her of many of the rags to riches stories she’d read in novels as she grew. Granted, most were about poor young girls being turned into princesses or queens, but the same themes were there. She wished there was some way she could help Cen in restoring his family name, but she was just as much an unknown as he was now. Even if she could, though, she was sure Cen was too proud to accept anything but he himself turning around his family’s luck.

“Don’t apologize at all,” Nora said, her smile still present on her features. It was the second time he’d apologized to her, and the young woman didn’t want him to feel like he had to apologize for telling his story. If anything, this is exactly what Nora wanted to be hearing right now – back in Wilderose, she always loved hearing where people came from and what they were doing. Even as a child, the histories of great warrior’s lives had interested her too – moreso than anything else she learned back then. Everyone was on their own journey, even if, at times like these, everyone’s journeys caused paths to converge.

“Well,” Nora finally said, “I’m certain you’ll become a knight, even if it takes a bit more time. I think it’d be nigh impossible for someone as caring and concerned as you to not become one.”

As soon as she finished her compliment, Nora felt her cheeks grow hot, so she decided to glance over it as if she’d said nothing. Of course, though, she was no master of discourse, so she stumbled over her words a bit and spoke quicker than usual. “Uh, so where do you think you’ll go once we get to Ancona?” Pausing for a moment, she sighed with a laugh. "I mean, do you think you'll be staying a while or moving on?"[/b] She hoped he'd be sticking around a bit longer, but he obviously needed to find work. Bumbling around with Sir Zobek and her wouldn't really pay the bills, especially when he thought their home was in Ancona.

[Cen]

The young man from Cornwell was very tall. He'd always been tall for his age, when he was six most he was taller than most boys younger than ten, and it had been so until he was a seventeen year old who wouldn't meet another man his height likely ever again. However, looking down at Nora as she told him she believed he would be a knight, Cen felt like he was so tall the sun must be jealous. Without choosing it, a wide smile burst across his face, and the young man straightened his back. "I... thank you."

However, Nora very quickly changed the subject, and asked him where he'd be going after they reached Ancona. The tall man laughed a bit, and then said, "Oh, you know, here, there. Everywhere in between." Cen laughed again, but quickly realized that that was perhaps an uncommon saying outside of Cornwell. It was used most often when someone pried too deeply into one's personal business and asked where they were going. A stock phrase, it meant to say the person had no need to know, but Cen had only meant it as a joke. However, with no context, it probably only sounded like nonsense.

He would elaborate. "S-" He stopped himself from apologizing, then continued. "That may sound odd, it was an expression back home, and ah was just making fun of it. The truth is, I don't know where I'm gonna go. I've been to just about half of Elibe in the last while, and I wouldn't hate staying in Lycia for a while. But if I have someone to help, I'll go wherever. As for Ancona, I don't know. I may stay a day, maybe a month. It all depends on how inviting it feels."

Cen suddenly leaned over Thunder's saddle, and produced his canteen from the horse's other side's saddle bag. He almost started to raise it to his lips when he remembered his manners. The young rider held it out to Nora and smiled. Then he said, "So how about you? Are you working on being a hunter for Ancona? Or are you planning on leaving home at some point?" After a brief pause, Cen quickly added, "If you don't mind me asking.

[Nora]

Nora giggled as the handsome young man straightened up at her compliment, his beaming smile all the thanks she needed. While she hadn’t known Cen more than a few hours, Nora always had a knack for seeing past unfamiliarities to who the person was at their core. For Cen, it was exactly as he’d said: he wanted to help those who needed it, including his family. How could a man with such noble goals be someone who intended to hurt others?

His saying was a strange one, but Nora had assumed it was like many of the ones they’d had back in Etruria, though most of those were meant as insults. She would have to remember the one Cen used, as it honestly described exactly how Nora wanted her life to go - she wanted to go everywhere, see everything. She wasn’t sure how it would all work out, what with her going back home, but she was sure she’d get to explore and do as she wanted, once everything was taken care of in Etruria.

“I don’t mind,” Nora said with a smile, though she was wracking her mind for something to say, some way to not lie to the green-haired teen, even though it seemed as though she’d have to no matter what. Their lie of being from Ancona made the answer even harder to concoct, but she figured being vague as possible would help.

“Oh, I don’t know,” the girl finally sighed, kicking up some dirt from underneath her foot. “I’d love to go out and see what else the world has to offer. W...well, I’ve been in Ancona for what’s felt like forever,” she said, almost saying Wilderose but turning it into her ‘well.’ “Hunting is fun and all, but I want to do it somewhere else. I just don’t think Papa would let me,” Nora shrugged, placing the blame as per usual on Sir Zobek. It was just too easy at this point.

“You’ve probably been all over, though!” Nora said with a wide smile. “I can’t even begin to imagine the places and things you’ve seen.”

[Cen]

As Nora began to speak once more, Cen reached over Thunder's saddle and grabbed one of the carrots he'd bought at his last stop. He'd wanted to save it, but he believed in giving horses rewards when they did things correctly, and Thunder had let Nora ride him without any issue, which had worried Cen. He didn't have the heart to give a horse the stick, so his carrots had to be extra meaningful. Cen was not good at giving them sparingly enough to keep them meaningful.

When the pretty young woman described a sense of ennui, Cen could sympathize. When he'd been stuck on the farm, he'd felt trapped almost. He wasn't a prisoner to his parents, but to opportunity and responsibility. It was difficult to take off out of wonder lust when their was no certainty of success and it felt like he was abandoning his father with far too much work to do. Both of those together made the seventeen years he'd spent as a rancher feel like forever, and the four or so he'd spent running around Elibe more like a few hours. He knew exactly what Nora was speaking of. "You could leave. Ah-I know it's hard but I think the people who care about you would rather miss you and have you be happy than have you close an' miserable. My folks tell me they miss me everytime they speak to me, but they've never hated me."

He scratched his neck again, blushing. "Not that you need to do something because I tell you, you should do what you think is a," Cen paused for a moment. "Is a good idea." Cen looked at his feet for a moment to attempt to gather his thoughts. He extended the hand that held the carrot, saying, "Uhm, would you like to give this to Thunder? He loves carrots almost as much as Apples, and he seems to like you quite a lot, so this could potentially be the meal of his life." Cen smiled. If Nora gave the horse the carrot, the massive beast would look at her like a lovesick puppy.

[Nora]

Nora hated this. She hated having to lie, hated the idea of lying to Cen, to Luke, to anyone they’d crossed paths with - save for Ephraim, maybe. It made her feel like she wasn’t a good person, like their trip back home was something bad. Nora knew it wasn’t but all the secrecy and lies just ate at her, especially since Cen was so… nice. She wasn’t sure she’d met someone as nice as him since she was a little girl back at Castle Etruria. Monroe had been that nice when they’d first escaped Etruria, but over time he’d changed.

The idea of leaving was obviously an appealing one for Nora, and one she was already somewhat exercising, what with her and Sir Zobek’s trek through Lycia. Ancona would be new - though Cen didn’t know that - as would the rest of their trip to the border. But it wasn’t the same as it would be if she had gotten to go on her own. Part of her wanted so dearly to do what Cen suggested - just to leave and go out on her own.

But as with most of royal birth, an overwhelming sense of duty guilted her to do otherwise. “Maybe one day,” Nora sighed, her steps slow as she joined her hands behind her head. “For now, though, Da wants me to stay and help with Papa. Says he’d miss me too much,” she concluded with a shrug. Nora wasn’t a great liar, but hopefully these were littered with enough truth to be passable.

The magenta-haired youth perked up as Cen offered to let her give Thunder the carrot. “Of course!” Nora exclaimed, taking the carrot from Cen. Her hand brushed his for just a moment as they passed the vegetable between them, though Nora didn’t notice enough to say anything, too excited by the prospect of getting to reward Thunder. Her favorite thing back home had been feeding apples to the steeds she’d ridden, so as she offered the carrot to the horse, she did so with the biggest smile she’d worn in some time. She laughed as the exhuberant Thunder bit down on the carrot, his bit lips touching her hand just before she pulled it away, watching as he chewed on his treat.

Still wearing her smile, Nora looked up at the green knight. “Thank you, for this. It’s nice to have a bit of fun every now and again.” She paused, considering her words for just a moment before just blurting them out anyways, regardless of how goofy it came out. “I’m not sure you know how much this all means to me, but really, thanks.” And I’m not sure if you ever will, Nora added to herself. Maybe, just maybe if they told Cen what was happening with them, he’d come along for the ride. But Sir Zobek would have to tell, and Nora wasn’t sure he would.

[Cen]

The short woman seemed anxious at the discussion of leaving her home, and Cen's cheeks grew hot once more. He'd been far too personal, he shouldn't have said anything like that to her, he barely knew her. It was impolite to pry into the details of someone's future, especially if they had been nothing but nice to you. Well actually, she had been something other than nice to the tall rider, and he'd been less than cordial with her. She'd called Thunder stupid and Cen had acted like an ass, and he'd barely apologized. A pretty face was no excuse to get flustered and act like he was raised in a stable. Cen was most certainly not raised in a stable, his parents would only let him sleep with the horses every once in a while.

When she took the carrot from him her hand brushed Cen's and the Cornwellian straightened his back again, and quickly diverted his eyes to have a sudden interest in the trees along the side of the road. When she finished and thanked him, Cen shrugged as a broad grin took his face, he said, "Don't think anything of it. If I don't spoil this horse I'm afraid he might start bucking me. I figure lettin'-letting a pretty woman give him one'll just make him like me even more." Cen gave her a bright toothy smile then started to rake his fingers through Thunder's mane. When he brought his hand back out he scratched the big beast behind the ear. She'd wanted to know about his travels, maybe something from out in the world would cheer her up and get her away from thinking on being in Ancona for so long.

The Cornwellian looked at Nora and said, "This mahght be an odd jump to make, but have your ever had a strawberry? It's this weird fruit that's really sweet, and your hair just keeps making me thing of them, it's almost the same color. I was in Bulgar in Sacae once a few years ago, and they had strawberries at a stall in the market. I'd made a friend in the city and he convinced me to try one, and it was one of the best things I'd ever tasted. We didn't have much fruit on the ranch, so there's been a lot of things like that. But strawberries must have been the best. They were so good I tried to send some home, but-" Cen started to laugh then forced out, "they spoiled on the way and the next letter I got from my Ma asked why I'd pulled a prank on her." Cen kept laughing, remembering how he'd almost been able to hear his mother's voice when he read her letter. Even though she hadn't written the actual words herself. Quickly the Cornwellian corrected himself, "I mean my mother." Cen took a minute to look about the forest as the light streamed through the leaves above again. As the sun shone through it, Nora's hair reminded him even more of a strawberry. It framed her face nicely.

"What was it like growin' up in a big town? I bet you all had a lot of fruit brought in."

[Nora]

Pretty woman. Well that was something Nora had never heard herself called before. Considering how tiny she was compared to most women, most people didn’t look at her as anything other than a kid. It didn’t matter that she was eighteen; her petiteness and her youthful attitude, more often than not, ended in her being treated as if she was younger than she was. Her family had, Monroe had, and now Sir Zobek was too.

But from those two little words he used, Nora could tell Cen didn’t see her that way - and what a refreshing and freeing feeling that gave her! Her cheeks had turned as pink as her hair - which made it all the more relevant as Cen brought up that very thing, likening the unique color to the strawberries he’d eaten in Bulgar. A smile spread wide across Nora’s face, combatting the strange feeling that had grown in her chest as the green knight spoke. She laughed at his anecdote and even reminisced about eating wonderful, succulent fruit, wishing she could have a whole bowlful in front of her right now.

And as Cen asked her about how it was growing up in a big town, Nora forgot herself for a moment, her recollections drawing directly from life in Castle Etruria. “Oh, all sorts of things! Fruits and meats from anywhere you can think of, not to mention jams and jellies and sauces and spices from all over too! It’s funny you mentioned it, though, 'cause the strawberries were always my favorite. There’s a few big wild strawberry bushes in the back garden, and when they were ripe my brothers and me would see who could eat the most right from the bush!”

Nora laughed, the joyous sound vivacious and full of a life she hadn’t expressed since she was much younger. There hadn’t been much of a reason to, really, until now. “Our hands and cheeks would always be sticky and pink and covered with seeds,” the young woman recalled, eyes closed as she remembered how sickly sweet those lazy summer afternoons tasted. “Mother would always scold us for getting into such a mess, but we never listened. Those berries were just impossible to stay away from.”

As soon as she finished, Nora felt her chest tighten, both from the reminder that the family she recalled were all gone and from remembering that the story she told had just added a whole slew of family for the small group to account for. Not to mention, she had no idea if Ancona was actually big enough to have the kind of things she spoke of - exotic foodstuffs weren't the easiest to get your hands on, after all. The princess could have cursed aloud, but instead, she found it easier to abruptly turn the conversation away from the story she’d just recanted.

“Ah, that’s just boring stuff though,” Nora said, trying to discredit her tale as she tore her eyes and focus from Cen, looking back towards Sir Zobek and Luke. As much as she hated the idea of it, she knew that the easiest way for her not to risk spilling the beans any further meant getting back with them. “We should probably double back a bit to let Papa and Luke catch up, don’t you think?”