A Return to Form (PM for Entry)

[Vincent]

"Halt! State your business." A young man geared with a hauberk, spear, and crude formed helmet ordered Vincent to stop his approach just outside of the town gates. The man looked Vincent over from top to bottom and wasn't particularly conspicuous about it. It was apparent that he did not recognize Vincent which prompted a sigh from the young hero. 

"Have I really been gone that long?" Vincent asked to no one in particular, and so he was surprised when he received a response. 

"Pardon? I am not sure who you are." Vincent smirked softly at this and shrugged his shoulders. 

"Its me, Vincent. Vincent Clark. Margaret's son. Don't tell me you've forgotten all about me already Todd," Vincent said with a teasing tone. "I know there is a festival coming up, and we don't need anyone getting crushed during The Lover's Dance this year, so let me help out."

"By the gods! Vincent? Last we heard of you was that you were dead. Lost in some ditch on the side of the road." Todd seemed elated at the revelation that Vincent was still very much alive, almost moved to tears. For Vincent's part in the whole affair he just wanted to know who wrote him off as dead. As he wondered he soon found Todd's arms wrapping around him in a tight embrace. "Your mother will be thrilled! Greg too I suppose." 

"It's great to see you too... Please let go," and so he did. "Right then, as you can see, I did not come alone. This is my good friend Mila." 

"M-M-Mila? A pleasure to make your acquaintance!" Todd reached out a hand to Mila all the while shaking with uncertainty, his eyes transfixed on her face. "Goodness you're a beautiful one. I mean, uh," He flushed, "Who 'm I kidding? I stand by what I said." 

"Now... what's this about me being dead?" If he was going to get some weird looks and difficult conversations Vincent wanted to at least be fully informed. 

"Well, after you went off to meet with those troublesome mercenaries we got word that there was fire and a lot of people dead. You never showed up for like a year. We all assumed..." 

"I see..." A look of guilt flashed across Vincent's eyes at these words. "I guess it may be a festival to remember for a number of reasons then." 

[Mila]

Months. It had been months. Months since the incident with the Baels and the raid on the town. Months since she'd last seen Vincent. He managed to catch her during her travels back to Ryerde. And even though she had many days to try and process the guilt she felt, of failing to save the town. She took solace in the fact most of the towns people were saved, but still. She didn't like the lingering thoughts she had afterwards. She didn't like to think that these monsters were roaming the lands.. and winning their battles. And for what reason? She wished she knew. She hoped this little adventure into Santaruz would help lift her spirits. 

She wasn't sure how Vincent managed to deal with her. And her various.. quirks. The travel towards Santaruz took many days. And she didn't sleep well. And that led to some difficulties. Her self confidence in magic and helping people had been shaken as a result of the Bael attack. And there was the addition of Mila's little pet. A tiny lightning elemental that she kept in a jar. She wasn't sure if it and Vincent met prior. But both sage and hero learned the little thing could be a world of trouble if it wasn't secured. She tried to look past all of the hardship of their travels. Since, today was the day that those travel have ended. They were here, in Santaruz. She stopped to think for a moment when was the last time she was even here. She couldn't remember. But, she did spend the last fifteen minutes trying to make herself look and feel decent. Towns folk always had the nasty nack for judging someone based on their looks. She took a deep breath and glanced at Vincent, who looked as normal as could be. Alright. Just relax. 

She tried to take her mind off of the negatives. She focused on the positives, the festival! Gods it's been ages since, she managed to be in town for any sort of celebration. The sage thought of all of the good things a festival would bring. Fresh Food. Song. Dance. That's it Mila. Think of the positives! She started to feel better. She pulled her hood down and fussed around with her hair. She loosened the pony tail and finger combed it a bit. She tucked the hairs that framed her face behind her ears. It showed off the tiny little earrings she picked up in some long forgotten jewler's shop. She dusted herself off as best she could. And wiped her hands and face with a small soft piece of cloth she had tucked away in her bag. And once they arrived at the gates she kinda sorta looked and felt like herself. She looked enough like herself to warrant a compliment from the young guard. That made her blush. Even with her sleepy eyes she was still relatively attractive. 

"Thank you for your kind words." She replied and shook the guard's hand. She let go and quietly tucked her hand back to their sides. Apparently, some of the towns folk mistook Vincent for dead. Something about a fire that was caused in a jail. Uh oh. She knew the fire. She CAUSED the fire. She did it to break Vincent out of jail! That's how they met! And that's how they both met Near! And she was sad to know that other people died because of that fire. Innocent people who had nothing to do with Vincent at all she imagined. She lowered her gaze towards the ground, disheartened at this recent development. That's two towns.. you've managed to mess up..

[Vincent]

When Vincent found Mila he realized quickly just how bad of shape she was in. A large part of him felt guilty for having essentially disappeared and moved to the plains of Sacae for the sake of his own healing while leaving her behind with her own struggles. So while he didn't think it'd make up for anything when he met her again he chose to not let her be alone any longer. This wasn't to say he forced her to let him be with her, he left it entirely up to her. During their travels he did whatever he could to assist her and ease her burdens.

So when Vincent noticed a shift in Mila's demeanor that indicated a fit of depression coming on Vincent placed a hand on her shoulder intent on distracting her. "Hey. There is a lot to show you in town. Heck, who knows what changed since I was last here too."

"A lot actually. We rebuilt portions of the town wall, and your ma's farm is in great shape," Todd said interjecting.

"Thanks Todd." Vincent didn't mean to brush him off, but he wasn't really looking for a response from him. "Anyway, its good to see you, and if we get the chance it'd be good to catch up." With that out of the way Vincent and Mila were able to enter the town of Solune. The brick roads were cracked with age but the area itself was well maintained. The chimneys were alive with smoke and the smell of cooking food filled the streets.

"This has always been my favorite time of day. When its quiet and you can be left with your thoughts, and yet the town is so alive." Vincent smiled a wave of nostalgia coming over him. In the town were stands for selling wares and some for games. All were empty at present but the day of the festival they would be laden with produce and the best of the wares for sale.

In the center of town stood a massive log, easily twelve feet tall. It was decorated with ribbons and paint, and all sorts of flowers. "That right there is the Harvest Log. At the end of the festival all of the unmarried gather around to dance with one another. The event has a proper name I can never remember. We always just called it the Lover's Dance." Vincent laughed. Historically while the unmarried danced away parents and guardians would try striking deals to get their children paired off with one another.

"So, Mila, where would you like to go first? If you're hungry we can stop at the tavern, else... we can head to my farm." Vincent's voice trailed off as he said that. Did he have a right to call it his still? He'd been gone for quite some time.

[Mila]

Mila kept staring at the ground. Guilty over her own past actions. Though she imagined the guard.. named Todd, could easily dismiss her behavior as tiredness. Vincent put his hand on her shoulder and she felt a little better at his gesture. He was trying his best and she should too. With the greetings and light banter out of the way, Mila followed Vincent into the town of Solune. It.. was actually kinda nice. She let her eyes wander up the road and down the market street. She could see empty stalls. But, she could also see people wandering around. Mothers who led their children down the streets. Hand in hand. She could hear the people chattering away. She let the scents of smoke and food fill her lungs before letting it out in a long sigh. Breathe. 

Vincent pointed out the large log in the center of town. It was decorated in all sorts of ribbon and flowers. And Vincent, explained one of the town's festivities the Lover's Dance. She smiled softly at that. She could see herself enjoying a little soriee among the people. It's been years since, she actually did any sort of dancing. 

"There.. used to be something similar back in Eturia. Though the dances weren't restricted to unwedded couples. The married folk could get in and dance so long as it was with their spouses." She closed her eyes. She vaguely remembered watching mother and father dance in the streets hand in hand. Hand to hip. Their smiling and laughing faces. And she remembered.. as a child always being stuck in the sidelines. Forced to hold her uncle's hand, Duma held the other. And she wondering why she couldn't go out and dance with the adults. That was so long ago. And as she got older the government changed, she was sent to school, and arriving in time for hometown festival became nearly impossible. 

"My parents would always dance.. And they would dance in front of the church.. or chapel. Depending on what city we happened to be in at the time." She looked at Vincent.

"That feels.. like a life time ago. So, I am looking forward dancing to a song or two. I hope they play something I know." She was looking a little bit chipper.

"I suggest heading to your family farm. It will give us a chance to drop off our stuff. And I'm curious to meet your mom."

[Vincent]

Sometimes Vincent forgot that Mila was from Etruria. She wasn't particularly religious, or out to oppress the rest of the world, or spy on them, etc. She didn't fit into any of the stereotypes about her homeland; not that Vincent knew many Etrurians or ever been there in the first place. Actually the idea that dancing was permitted in Etruria at all sounded like a foreign concept to Vincent. He really DID only know about the stereotypical ideas.

"I'm certain there will be more than enough opportunity to dance during the festival, and even if you don't know the steps I can teach you," Vincent smiled a wide toothy grin. Being home again during such a time of year was beginning to bring out a childlike joy he had all but forgotten. As for his home Vincent gave only a wordless nod.

"Right. As a heads up, my ma is a tad religious and will not allow any sort of blasphemy in her home," Mila was Etrurian, surely she would be all too familiar with that concept. For Vincent's part he wasn't particularly religious. He had moments of faith but couldn't bring himself to believe in Elimine. His mother claimed that perhaps Mother Earth and Father Sky had claimed him. He never had the heart to tell her he just never believed a god would contradict themselves as Elimine did.

"Its a bit of a walk that leads out of town, but getting there isn't much further," Vincent assured Mila before heading off again. The path he took lead them deeper into the town and then out a gate following a wooded path. It was peaceful and soon Vincent lead Mila past a wooden gate. There at the edge of the farmstead he stopped and just looked around with hesitance. He could turn back and just not confront his mother...

[Mila]

"Heh. I think it would be fun to get a dance lesson from you." Mila kinda forgot Vincent could do other things beside fighting. She was slowly starting to feel better. Vincent's good mood, his excitement, was starting to get the better of her. Well, that and the general atmosphere of the town. Everyone seemed to be so happy and excited to enjoy a good party. 

"Just because I was raised in Etruria doesn't.. mean I'm super religious either. I.. kinda lost that faith.. and subsequent knowledge of said faith.. in the six or seven year's I've been traveling. That.. brain space was used for other more important things.. like not dying. I kinda don't know a lot about Lycian religion.. if there's any difference. So... what the hell do you mean by blasphemous? Don't insult the Saint or .." She paused for a moment. Trying to think of names of each of the individual 8 heroes. Who founded Lycia? Durban? Hanon.. no wait she was Sacae.

"Roland." She rubbed her eyes after that. Remembering things was difficult with her horrible sleep deprived brain. What she did know what that people who had faith in the saint. Served the prophet. And Etruria making a whole mess of everything with their war. And purge. She ended up staring at the ground for a moment. Sadness starting to reclaim her thoughts. No. Stop. Think of the positives. Think of the festival!

"Sorry." She perked her head back up. 

"I don't mind a walk through town. It will give me a chance to look around. Maybe pick up a souvenir.. oh.. I'd have to wait till the markets reopen." She spoke her thought out loud, as she continued to walk along side Vincent. She spied a few shops that tickled her fancy. A leather works. A jeweler. A bakery. An apothecary. And a bookshop. I need more ink and parchment.

Once, they went past the gate and towards the country side she really started to perk up. The wooden trail was neat. She found herself trying to make a small game over skipping a certain log. And she heard the call of a song bird she'd never seen before. And then.. she realized something. This was the first mom she was going to meet in a while. And not.. in a bad way either. Most times whenever she had to meet someone's family was because she had to deliver the bad news that said person had passed. This.. got her thinking about her own parents. And.. what they would say to her now. Vincent stopped just short of the farmstead. The sage put her hand on his shoulder. 

"You can do this." She reassured him.

"I'll be right here with you.. experiencing the same sort of awkwardness."