Gone with the fire *Flashback thread (Euric, Mila)

[Mila Gaila Lavushkiva]

Head without thoughts she had. Eyes almost shut. Warm flat. Cool water on her feet. Well, her feet were in the water. Mila was so used to being alone that she didn't notice when her strange visitor came to the lake. She didn't get scared or startled, she was feeling too good to be uneasy.
"Huomentapäivää." (1)
She turned her head. Water was dripping to her soft pale skin and her white towel seemed to be quite wet, but she didn't pay any attention to it. Normally people in this country were little timid or shy about meager clothing. But Finnish people didn't worry about it. After all, they had sauna and everything.
"How could you interrupt me when I'm not doing anything?"
She smiled and with her other hand moved some hair from her face. She noticed her visitor for being apologetic. Well, the woman did understand it, but wondered how odd this situation was. For all the good sense she should have been worried for not having any clothes on and with a stranger who could do anything. She wasn't. She was contented.
"Relax, you are not bothering me at all. Please, sit down."
She tapped a spot next to her and tried to let the man know that he was welcomed. At the moment she would like to have company. Maybe she would discover something from this one and maybe this one would remember something.

***
(1) "G'day."

[Euric Qi Britannia]

Apparently she hadn't noticed anything unusual. She seemed sincere with her smile and her words, so - almost too carefree. She didn't seem to be bothered by the fact that practically a stranger (and a male at that!) had almost caught her in quite bare an attire, which now made Euric much more embarrased than she seemed to be. Must've been some twist of her culture, this... casualness. No Britannian woman would've sat there so calmly and even asked a man to join their precence if they'd just been swimming in the lake without anything but a towel to put on afterwards.

Euric let a relieved smile spread across his face and smiling accepted her offer. He got halfway down to sit on the platform before the realization of his own thoughts again hit him. Did I just... "no Britannian woman would"?
He almost set his hand over the edge of the platform planks, and if it hadn't been for one of the poles of the platform right next to him, he would've fallen into the lake himself. Slightly appalled he shook his head, concentrating on the platform enough to sit correctly, then inverting again into his own thoughts.

He had thought of the difference between her and a Britannian woman. So his subconscious had to know something about Britannian women. And to know of something such as a reaction he'd usually expect from a woman whose company he'd intrude like that, the only thing he could think of - well, what a relief in a way - that he was most likely a Britannian himself.
Well, figured - figured as much as that his first language was English as it was the only language he could muster for the moment.

Shortly after this realization another got to him - by the time he had sat down, he had completely ignored the lady in his company, or rather who so kindly had let him join hers. How rude!
The man blinked, lifted his baffled gaze a bit. She might have sat there, staring at him, for divines knew how long.

Embarrassment made it's way back to his face, and turning his face soon back down he lifted a hand to rub his eyes.
"Ah, I'm- Really, so sorry about this... Must be my head, my memory... Playing it's tricks on me - again..."

[Mila Gaila Lavushkiva]

Mila watched carefully when this strange man came and finally sat down. Apparently he had some rough time going on, but she decided not to interrupt. Sometimes time was the only cure available. The woman kept her one hand on the towel so it wouldn't fall down. Silently she watched the man, his eyes that reflected nothing for a moment and she saw the moment when he came back to this world.
"No worries. You shouldn't take a burden of it. Give yourself some time. I understand it can be hard and painful not to be able to remember a thing."
Brown eyes gazed over the bright water while the sun was playing on it's surface.

Dragonflies and other insects buzzed around filling the air and space. Some birds were singing. Oh yeah, she had things to do and she still felt herself hungry.
"Do you feel better enough to eat something?"
The visitor had been so weak and hadn't eaten anything. It would make him feel better. Her horse neighed from a distance. Oh yeah, the horses would need their daily dish of oat. They needed to be brushed too. Would this man remember something after seeing his horse? That was one option yes. It was worth to try.
"I have to feed the horses and brush them. Would you be so kind and help me?"
Mila didn't expose her true intent but the way she looked at the man was kind and had the question in it. This man, the Wanderer, seemed to be that kind of human who didn't want to harm anybody or didn't want to be a burden. Well, maybe he could be a handful of help while being here.

[Euric Qi Britannia]

"Mmm..."
Euric could but nod - time, what else. Could bring his memories back, or have them be vanished for good. Although the man didn't really want to think of the latter option.
Although her kind response, the clear way of no caring, he now tried to keep his gaze away from her - just to be polite. even if she accepted it, it didn't make him any more embarrassed about the fact that she still was but barely dressed in front of him.

Euric's eyes drifted to the water, then to the forest at the opposite shore, then slowly to the sky - to the bright sun, oh so bright, yet so totally vain in his pursue for his memories. Besides the sun, Euric felt like he'd been cooped up in some dark barrel, somewhere so dark that he couldn't tell black and white apart. What could he do about it, now? It was just really, really frustrating.
But to try and cheer up, he would for the sake of the woman. After all, what good did he to either of them to be but gloomy about matters to which he couldn't do a thing for. So, he tried to set some sort of a smile on his face - still a bit coerced, for the moment - and change the subject. Think of something else for a while, yes, that'd be better. Would it not.

He tried to think up something, but then, like as an answer to his pondering, she broke the silence by asking about his appetite. Food. Yes. Well, Euric wasn't really that hungry, for now - not really in the mood rather than in need to eat something, though. Yet she continued, talked about some horses - wait, horses, yes, didn't he have one, too?
"Ahh, I'd be delighted to help you, after all you've done for me." he answered, smiling. Of course he wouldn't decline, no, it wasn't an option. After all, what else could he do for now, especially when he had no other way to return this woman's kindness as she moment after moment was so patient to bless him with it? Him, who had done nothing but cause her trouble - yet, he had no idea to even why. but he had no other place to go to, so the least he could be able to do for her, he would.

And Euric was, now, pretty sure, that what he at least could do was to tend to a horse.

[Mila Gaila Lavushkiva]

Res haired woman nod to a mans answer and lifted her legs out of the water. Trying to stay decent while standing up and keeping the towel on its place. Water dripping from her legs she turned leaving footsteps on the wooden platform and started to walk back to the cottage. She should get some clothes on before doing anything else. Maybe Wanderer was kind man, but he was still a stranger and a man, and she was just a women in the middle of nowhere and she was barely naked...

Cottage was dim after a bright light, but it didn't matter to one who was living here. Every chair, table, locker and other stuff where on their familiar places. Mila dryed her hair and body with her light towel and thought for a while what clothes she should put on. She decided to take a sheer cotton shirt and cotton trousers. Red hair still little moist she went back to the brightness and saw the horses nearby the cottage. They were pasturing calmly and the sight was beautiful. This was just what she needed. Peace and calm environment. The two main reasons to live here all alone.

Barefooted woman walked to her mare and whistled. The mare lifted her head mouth still chewing the tasty green grass. She made a little sound, but stayed there. Her owner had two legs and she was very capable to come to her. Smirking Mila stepped to her dear horse and started to scratch her behind ears. Siru loved it and closed her eyes still eating the mouthful she had.
***"Olet niin kovin ennalta arvattava kultaseni. Miten olisi puunaus? Harjassasikin näyttää olevan pari takkua."
Siru lade her cheek against Milas shoulder and just enjoyed the touch and the presence of its dear owner. Siru didn't have to go alone to the woods because she knew that here she didn't have to worry a thing. So why runaway?

Oh yeah, didn't she have someone other here? She hadn't notice where Wanderer was at the moment.




***"You're so very predictable my darling. How about a polish? A few knots in your mane too, it seems."

[Euric Qi Britannia]

As the woman rose and made her way back to the cottage, Euric did, out of plain courtesy, wait for a moment before he followed. Surely, he didn't want to seem like any kind of a peeping tom or bob or whatever his name was again, let alone get into trouble by accident, as he'd just fortunately enough avoided such a situation. Of course the woman had the right to be herself and do as she wished - clearly quite lax and spontaneous a person to be living on her own here in the middle of nowhere she was, anyway - yet on the other hand, her lifestyle did include behavior into which a stranger, let alone a man, wasn't a very welcome addition. Surely it must have made her feel awkward, as she seemed to be so used to walk around freely, even if it was for nothing to cover her character. This was her home - and now he had come and intruded her peace.

The thought of it didn't exactly help the feeling of guilt, which had started to build again inside of him.

His eyes confirmed that the woman had gone inside before he dared to approach the cottage yard. Or, to be exact, he did go a bit round the yard, walking almost in the shadows of the trees making the difference between the yard and the forest. Yes, he did avoid the vicinity of the cottage on purpose. For he was, to the least, a man on honor - and if for nothing else, he'd keep to that.

Honor... Such a high standard for living wouldn't have exactly been taught to every little boy out there. Pride, perhaps, good manners, politeness... but honor. It felt like something of a totally different subject, and like he would have even understood it differently than the most, and as it would have been something he'd been taught to live with from the moment he was born. And here he had been, leisurely riding through the forest.
Euric halted, glancing down to his hands, to his clothes, his boots, then back to the cottage far left from him. Not that he could be... nah. No noble would go out looking as shabby as he had, judging from his clothes. And alone - noooo, their precious butts were too valuable to just let and disappear into a forest alone. Judging from his clothes, he could have been just anyone living outside big cities, in some small village where he'd be allowed to have a horse... Or then he'd worked at some stables. More likely.

But if it was for honor... Ahhhhgh, he couldn't decide. Deduce. Anything. And what irritated him the most was that his mind wouldn't let go of it. Why think it too hard? Why couldn't he just settle and enjoy it for the time being? Clearly, he did enjoy forests and the nature and such peace as this place, too, had to offer. Why would he otherwise been in such a place in the first place? Although, now that it crossed his mind he could have thought a couple of reasons for that in an instant, too... but that was beside the point! It was like he'd have some deed, some duty out there to have his subconscious constantly try and pull him back to reality... which still was here, for now, anyway.
A fist, clenched, ran up to hit the tree right next to him.

All of it was simply so very confusing. And frustrating as hell.

He felt like banging his head against the tree as well, yet of that he did still retain himself for now. Not to cause the woman any more trouble, if he'd wreck his head any more badly than it already was. So, instead he let his hand just relax and settled to lean his back against the tree. The bark felt somewhat harsh against bruises in his back with just the thin layer of linen between the two, yet he just rose his gaze and was left to stand and stare at the leaves above him. A slight breeze made them rustle a bit, but other than that, it was peaceful. Yet, why did he have to bear so much thought... even guilt about everything?

The breeze faded, but the rustle didn't. It made Euric lower his head, turn his attention to search the surroundings instead. Unintentionally, his hands had settled like they'd be ready to grab something - a sword? - if needed, which he was too busy to notice for now. The source of the sound came closer... The man took a deep breath and waited in silence.
Then, accompanied with a silent snort of an animal, a horse of bay color stepped into his vicinity from the shade of the forest, clearly more relaxed than scared to see him.

Euric blinked, released his posture of alert. And before he could realize, his voice was calling for the horse in a slight surprise like he'd have no idea it had been there with him all along. And, as he'd remembered the animal's name all the time as well.
"...Rime?"
The horse's ears made a slight move, yet the animal made no move to escape or anything of the sort. She let Euric approach herself calmly, and didn't need many sniffs to accept his hand to pet her muzzle. She certainly did recognize him, like she'd been with him all her life. A soft smile had curved on the man's lips, and silently he began to talk to the animal, softly and gently, while carefully starting to lead it out of the forest with him.
"Why hello there damsel, how have you been... Good girl, fine girl, hey, don't you eat my hair... Haha, you silly wench. Now, come on, let's go before she'll be all worried again. Now that's not what we'd like to give, eh, more worries? You too must know her by now, too, don't you, Rime? The red-head, she's taken good care of you, now has she? Yes yes, I'll get you something as soon as we get back to the cottage. If she let's me.. Haha, I'm sure she will, for your sake at least. She seems so fond of animals..."
The horse snuggled it's head over his shoulder, and continued then to grasp at his hair. Euric brushed her off anew with a gentle laughter, and settled his other hand to pet her neck as they went. He had no idea how long he'd been pondering - or more like, storming - in the forest, so it was probably better to start heading back to the cottage. He didn't want to worry the woman any more as he already did. So, gently he pulled the horse by it's halter, though soon he did change his direction a bit as he heard a whistle and a voice a bit further from the cottage.

Soon he did see her, brushing another horse he presumed was her own, talking again in that language of hers he couldn't understand a word of. Yet he had promised to help her with the horses, so he didn't hesitate to approach the other two - and, at least she had dressed up for now - and greet her. His voice was a bit brighter than before, yet why was it that when talking to her, even seeing her, did make him feel but embarrassed, apologetic for all the bother he had caused.
"I found her in the forest, she seem's to be still a bit lost around here, too." He gave the mare by his side a gentle pat on her neck, like having brought a good-willing yet slightly mischievous child back home.
"As I promised, I'd like to help you with the horses - or, the least I can do would be taking care of this damsel of mine now that I can. Might you have any brushes and the sort anywhere for me to loan? I unfortunately don't seem to have any on me - and if Rime's had any luggage... You tell me are they lost for good or not, eh?" He didn't mean to be rude, he ended the sentence with a soft laughter - just not to sound so polite and oh-so-formal all the time. Yet his demeanor was still, perhaps, a bit nervous.
"If it's not for too much trouble to you, that is."